The scribes were the ones the people looked to as authorities in scripture, yet there was something about the authority of Jesus that was different. What was it?
And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Matthew 7:28-29
This is interesting wording:
For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
Why would it say this when the scribes were considered the greatest authorities on the scriptures? The reason was that their only source of authority was their black and white memorization of the scriptures. They knew the words but did not know what they meant. They could never stand up and teach and just say the words of the Spirit pouring through their hearts. They could not teach without quoting some other authority.
Jesus, on the other hand, taught new things that were not quotes from any known book and this seemed to demonstrate a new kind of authority they had never seen before, an authority bestowed from within and accepted from within by others. They were so astounded by this authority that did not depend on degrees and books that it is written:
And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? Matthew 21:23
Jesus had an authority that he could demonstrate and no one remembered seeing such a thing in the spiritual realm before. Jesus was the one man in the kingdom who did not have the mark of the beast. Here Jesus spoke boldly against the negative use of authority:
But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Matthew 23:13
How does a similar use of authority keep people from entering the Kingdom of Heaven today? Go to any church or even a new age movement and try and teach them something contrary to that which their authorities tell them and see what happens. You will often encounter fear and very high resistance.
Now remember an authoritative tool of the beast does not have to be a human. It can be a book, crystal or unseen alien, even the Bible itself. If you really want to sense the power of the beast attend any church with an authoritative dogma or leader and just ask a question in Sunday School that forces their minds in the opposite direction of their beastly authority.
If you are attending a fundamentalist church and they are talking about having Jesus in your heart and accepting him as your personal savior just say this:
I’ve read the Bible all the way through and can’t find anything about Jesus in the heart. Can you show me in the Bible where it says that or anything about a personal savior?
It is fun to watch the reaction when you ask this question because the ones I have met have never been asked this before. Here is how it went last time I asked this:
Me: Find that in the Bible for me please?
A long pause while they try and think of the scripture that at first they are sure exists. Then after about a minute they become aware that it just may not be in the Bible.
Then someone says:
Who are you? Where did you come from? Who are you with?
Me: I’m just a student of the truth.
Then they start asking other questions:
Are you a Christian?
Are you saved by the blood of Jesus?
Do you accept Jesus as God?
After a brief interrogation they decide that they want me out as fast as they can get me out of there. I’ve had them shout at me, order me out and call the police to arrest me for trespassing at some of the churches I have visited.
New age groups seem to be a little more polite but they also get extremely uncomfortable when you ask the wrong questions. I find that I do not fit in groups where they rely on an authority other than the soul or the kingdom within. Thus I have found that I do not fit in with any spiritual group that I have met. Thus do the teachers of religion even today not enter into the kingdom and make sure their congregations are protected from the likes of me and you so they cannot enter either.
Copyright © 1998 by J.J. Dewey, All Rights Reserved