By What Authority?

It is clear from the narrative of the Acts of the Apostles, and from the apostles' teaching expressed in the Epistles of the New Testament, that churches of God were to be a key factor in the administration of the kingdom of God in the present age. The things concerning that kingdom were the subjects of our Lord's instructions to His apostles during the forty days in which He appeared to them between His resurrection and His ascension to the Father (Acts 1:3). Here their lifework was prescribed: it was the New Testament counterpart of Jehovah's instruction to the nation of Israel at Mount Sinai (Ex. 19:36). One day there would be a glorious fulfilment of the prophecies relating to Messiah's reign on this earth as universal King, but not yet. The kingdom of God in visible manifestation during that golden age was a matter which the Father would establish in His own time (Acts 1:5,6). Meanwhile the apostles were to serve Him among a separated people whose bond of unity would be complete subjection to one Lord. All this came within the ambit of the Great Commission:

"...make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world (Matt. 28:19, 20).

So much is clear. While the civil and political state of society was a matter of deep concern to our Lord and His apostles, they anticipated a continuance of this evil order of things. The kingdom of God in this age was to be expressed among a people where the Lordship of Christ was paramount. And because of the key place churches of God occupied in this divine purpose the apostles were dedicated to the establishment and preservation of these churches. They did their work with a singleness of purpose sustained by undeviating devotion to their risen Lord. They were men under orders. Other men may support what they considered to be more worthy causes: the apostles were first and foremost and always, "fellow-workers unto the kingdom of God" (Col. 4:11).

This brief comment on an important theme is given as a reminder of the unrescinded authority of the apostles' teaching, and of the present widespread departure from it.

The recent enthronement of Dr. Donald Coggan, the new Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury, is a case in point. The occasion was celebrated with all the elaborate ritual reserved for such events. For the first time since the Reformation the ceremony was attended by three Roman Catholic Cardinals, representing the Pope, and by other prominent prelates from various parts of Christendom. The event received wide publicity, and was hailed by many as further evidence of the new 'tolerance' which is paving the way for the eventual 'reunion of Christendom'.

There is abundant evidence from his writings that Dr. Coggan is a born-again believer and a man of deep personal piety. We are also aware that his elevation to this high office in the Anglican hierarchy has brought great satisfaction to many believers because Dr. Coggan is classed as a leading 'evangelical'. Our criticism is directed at the system of which he is now the head. We may be as a voice "crying in the wilderness" in posing the question at this time, By what Authority? Surely, in the practice of the Christian Faith this remains the crucial question. Ancient cathedrals, time-honoured rituals, gorgeous vestments and moving pageantry make a strong appeal to the senses. But who authorised them?

In a series of articles published in this magazine during 1972 under the heading Departure from the Faith, some account is given of the ritualistic error adopted in Christendom in the early centuries A.D. Readers are referred to those articles for a fuller treatment of this subject. We conclude this brief reference to it here by quoting from an article which appeared in Needed Truth in 1957 (p.88):

"We cannot escape the fact that many practices and customs commonly regarded as Christian in their origin are not only devoid of apostolic authority but stem from paganism. This is largely lost sight of in these superficial days. There are many believers in our Lord Jesus Christ who recoil with horror from the ritual and superstition of Roman Catholicism and yet who make no protest at the flagrant departure from the apostolic pattern which is evident in many of the so-called Protestant movements. And this applies not only to matters of organisation and ritual but also to the "modernist" teaching which is largely a re-hash of heresies which were prevalent in the early centuries."

unknown | Mar 1975
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