truth on spiritual authority

Getting to truth on spiritual authority is absolutely critical. If we can't come to grips with what guides and instructs our spiritual journey then we are lost.

In a world of fake news and confusion about where to turn for "truth" we could listen to our heart --- but that would be a mistake.

We've collected some basics on authority. They are highlights from our BSF library and the answers are linked directly to the question for full Scriptural detail.

featured scripture-block

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
I warn everyone hearing this not to add to or take away anything from it.  If you do, God will add to him the plagues and take away his share of eternal salvation described herein.
The closing verses of John’s apocalyptic visions, testified by Jesus (vs 20).

the bible truth on spiritual authority

getting to the truth on spiritual authority is pretty important

don’t you agree?

get all of the questions about spiritual authority

answered by scripture with the Bible Study Framework

  • God active among nations

    Is God active among nations today?

    Whether or not God is active among nations today is fundamentally a question of God's providence. When a country is engaged in a geopolitical struggle or even a war, we often find religious leaders and/or institutions being very vocal about God's position in it. In fact, we will often [more]

  • Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone)

    Is sola scriptura (scripture alone) enough?

    Sola scriptura, meaning scripture alone, originated as a doctrinal position of Martin Luther's movement away from and out of the Catholic Church. As a Christian theological position, sola scriptura stands opposed to the elevation of authority above that of God's word. The Catholic Church recognizes tradition equal to scripture for [more]

  • Apostles exist today

    Do Apostles exist today?

    There are many in the religious world today that claim to be an apostle. More than simply "a messenger" (Greek meaning of the word "apostle"), a title of "Apostle" is given or assumed by individuals wishing to mimick the authority and power given to the original twelve. For example, the [more]

  • Messengers of God

    Who are the messengers of God?

    God has relied on messengers throughout history, but tracking the messengers of God through Scripture reveals some interesting things about God's character and His word. It also has rather damning implications for "Churches" and individuals making claims about their own supposed "anointing" by God to speak His words today. [more]

  • Understand the Bible

    What is required to understand the Bible?

    Attempting to understand the Bible can be difficult. For many centuries, the Catholic Church taught that the Bible could only be understood by an ordained priest. In modern times, people like N.T. Wright and other well-credentialed theologians are often held up as having profound (even special or unique) insights [more]

  • Under the Ten Commandments

    Are Christians under the Ten Commandments today?

    Scripture is clear that Christians are no longer under the "Ten Commandments"1,2,3,4,5,6,7. During his ministry, Jesus taught that the kingdom of God was replacing the Old Covenant1. The "Ten Commandments", as a representative part of the Mosaic Law or 'Old Covenant'8, were abolished4,8 and replaced in the person and [more]

  • Jude book of Enoch

    Did Jude quote from the book of Enoch?

    Some maintain that Jude quotes from the apocryphal book of Enoch. Often, this is put forward as a statement of fact in order to move forward to the much "larger" discussions regarding the meaning of extra-Biblical quotes, their place in Scripture, and the question of their inspiration. The book of [more]

  • Miracles still happen today

    Do miracles still happen today?

    "It's a miracle!" That's an exclamation we hear often and have probably uttered ourselves. It might be used to describe passing a test you didn't study for or to sum up a great, come-from-behind victory. For example, the great Olympic victory by the U.S. Men's Hockey team is known as [more]

  • Bible the complete revelation

    Is the Bible the complete revelation of God?

    Whether or not the Bible is the complete revelation of God has profound implications on Christianity today. If the Bible isn't the complete revelation of God, then the door remains open to "other" revelation. "Other" could be other scriptural authority such as the Quran or the Book of Mormon. [more]

  • Where we worship God

    Does it matter where we worship God?

    Where we worship God has often been debated through the years. Some hold to the idea that worship must occur in a cathedral -- an often ornate structure dedicated to the worship of God. Others don't take much stock in the structure at all, whether an official worship building [more]

  • False prophets identified

    How were false prophets identified?

    The children of Israel were surrounded by prophets that claimed to be speaking for God but they were actually false prophets. In fact, by most accounts in the Old Testament, most "prophets" were false prophets and there were two kinds. First, there were prophets associated with other gods. For [more]

  • Bible the word of God

    Is the Bible the word of God?

    The word Bible is from the Greek and Latin meaning "book" or "books". The Christian Bible as we know it is made up of two Testaments or Covenants (Old and New) that together might also be referred to as the Holy Writ, Holy Scriptures or Word of God. [more]

  • Scripture interprets Scripture

    Who said scripture interprets scripture?

    This site is based on a scripture interprets scripture hermeneutic. It is rooted in the fact that all Scripture is from God, and that all scripture can be understood by anyone determined to do so. Hermeneutics is the theory and methodology of interpretation, especially the interpretation of biblical texts, wisdom [more]

  • Follow your heart

    Should you follow your heart?

    The counsel to follow your heart is a common refrain from many. Or maybe you've heard someone say, "the heart wants what the heart wants?" Telling someone to "follow your heart" is usually meant to be aspirational and reassuring. The intent may be to give the individual confidence to [more]

  • Red letter Bible

    Are Jesus’ words (red letter Bible) more important than other Scripture?

    You've probably seen a red letter Bible. In fact, you probably own one. A red-letter Bible places all of Jesus' words in prominent red letters in order to stand out from all the other recorded words in Scripture. The red letter Bible is one of the many modern introductions [more]