I. The Need For Authority In Society.

A. Authority means: the power both to command and to enforce obedience.

B. Do Civil Authorities possess the authority to demand and to enforce obedience to the law? _____

C. Describe a society where no one possesses the authority to enforce the law nor punish violators?

D. Are Law Enforcement, Judges and Magistrates authorized to enforce civil law? _________

II. Recognizing Divine Authority Over The World.

A. Who created the world and has authority over it as Lord ? __________ (Acts 17:24-26)

1. Did man come into existence by Creation or by Evolution? _________________

B. Who has been given ‘All Authority’ in religious matters today? _________ (Mat. 28:18-20)

1. Through whom does God, the Father speak to men today? ___________ (Heb. 1:1-2)

2. The world will be judged by the Words of Jesus at the last day! [True or False] (Jno. 12:48)

C. How much of what Jesus’ commanded is to be taught to all nations? ____________________

D. Whose job was it to guide the Apostles in teaching and writing about Jesus? ______________

(John 14:26; 16:13; II Pet. 1:20-21)

1. The Holy Spirit is God, and was sent to the Apostle by the Father. [True or False]

2. The Scriptures are the result of ‘men of God’ guided by the Holy Spirit. [True or False]

III. Some False Authorities Used By Many In Religion To Disregard The Word of God.

A. ‘Man’s own thoughts and ways’ (Isaiah. 55:8-9; Proverbs 14:12).

1. Are our thoughts and ways superior to God’s? [Yes or No]

2. Are you willing to forsake your thoughts if they conflict with God’s Word? [Yes or No]

B. ‘Determining Teachings based on the Majority’ (Mat. 7:13-14).

C. ‘Following the Opinions of our family members or ancestors’ (Mat. 10:37-39).

D. ‘Worshiping God based on the Traditions of Men’ (Mat. 15:8-9).

1. Are you willing to respect Bible authority over Human authorities? [Yes or No]

2. Are you willing to study the Bible about Sin, Salvation and the Church? [Yes or No]

IV. Respect For The Authority Of The New Testament.

A. How much of the Bible is Inspired by God? _________________ (II Tim. 3:16-17)

B. Into how many Testaments is the Bible divided? [ One; two; seven; other ______]

C. Who is the Mediator of the New Testament? [Moses; Elijah; Jesus] (Heb. 9:14-15)

D. What did Christ nail to the cross when He died? _____________ (Col. 2:14-17; Eph. 2:15-16)

E. The New Testament elevates Jesus as the only Savior (Acts 4:11-12).

1. Do you believe that Jesus is the only Savior? [Yes or No]

2. What do you believe a person must do in order to be saved?

F. Who is the founder of the church in the Bible? ___________________ (Mat. 16:13-18)

1. Who is responsible for the existence of 1,000’s of other churches and religions in the world?

2. Let us schedule the next study to let the Bible answer these questions!__________________