Introduction. All who consider themselves disciples of Jesus loudly proclaim their belief in His teachings. They say they trust in His promises and they love Him with all their heart. Yet the dividing line for many was given by Jesus as a challenge to all believers. To know we are truly His disciples, we must accept everything He taught as absolute truth.
How can any true disciple of Jesus say: “it doesn’t matter what you believe, as long as you are sincere” when Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven?” (Mt. 7:13-23). These two statements contradict each another. The one spoken by Jesus is truth and the other spoken by man is a lie. They distinguish the true disciple and the wolf in sheep’s clothing. Jesus drove this point home when He said, “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Lk. 6:46)
Disciples are the learners and Jesus is the Teacher or Rabbi. Disciples must learn in submission or they are not disciples. This Rabbi has “all authority in heaven and on earth.” (Mt. 28:18). Our respect for that authority determines both the validity and depth of our discipleship.
- So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (Jn. 8:31-32).
How can any true disciple of Jesus say: “it doesn’t matter what you believe, as long as you are sincere” when Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven?” (Mt. 7:13-23). These two statements contradict each another. The one spoken by Jesus is truth and the other spoken by man is a lie. They distinguish the true disciple and the wolf in sheep’s clothing. Jesus drove this point home when He said, “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Lk. 6:46)
Disciples are the learners and Jesus is the Teacher or Rabbi. Disciples must learn in submission or they are not disciples. This Rabbi has “all authority in heaven and on earth.” (Mt. 28:18). Our respect for that authority determines both the validity and depth of our discipleship.
There are many things Jesus has said that test the faith and submission of true disciples. Some of His words have created ridicule and contempt in the hearts of worldly-minded disciples. This has led some to reject Paul’s authority to write about the role of women in the church (1Cor. 14:34-38; 1Tim. 2:8-15) or his words regarding homosexuality and need to respect differences in the genders God created in the beginning. (Rom. 1:24-28). Jesus true disciples submit to all His words as absolute truth, regardless of the persecution or scoffing it might create for them.
Some have sought to evade this authority. They make a distinction between the teaching of Jesus and His apostles. Some believe Jesus’ words have greater weight than those of His apostles. To challenge their authority is a simple matter for some. They say what Jesus said is absolute truth, while what His apostles wrote, since only written by men, can be set aside and rejected as we see fit.
Yet Jesus made it abundantly clear in many passages that in the same way that Moses had been God’s spokesman in the OT, so His apostles would be His spokesmen in the NT and their words would be binding to all disciples until the end of the age (Mt. 28:18-20). Thus, just as all the laws Moses wrote in the Law of Moses were not his words but God’s, so also all the laws and instructions written in the law of Christ by His apostles are not their words, but Jesus’ commands.
Jesus knew it was not part of God’s plan for Him to write anything. On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus promised the Father would send the Holy Spirit to complete what He had begun. It was left to the Holy Spirit to “teach them all things” and “guide them into all truth.”
There is great sophistry in separating Jesus’ words from those of His apostles. Jesus never wrote anything. Everything we have recorded about His sayings in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John came through the Holy Spirit to His apostles and prophets. How can Jesus words have more authority or veracity than the writings of the apostles and prophets when it was the apostles and prophets who wrote them? How can any of their writings be inferior to any other writings when they were all written by the same author? It was the Holy Spirit who “brought to remembrance all things that I said to you,” and it was the Holy Spirit who revealed to His apostles what Jesus had not yet revealed to them. It is impossible for true disciples to see any of the writings of the Holy Spirit as having less authority than any other writings. They are all necessary to guide us into all truth!
The authority God gave to Jesus was to be taken into all nations. Disciples were to be made and taught to observe everything Jesus commanded. Jesus promised those disciples who observe everything He commanded that He would be with them always, even to the end of the age.
How did the apostles accomplish this? How did they make disciples and teach these disciples to observe everything Jesus commanded them? They were still unlearned and ignorant fishermen. They were completely unqualified and God could not leave it to them to do this work.
The method was revealed and confirmed beyond doubt. “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2:4). How much clearer can God make this? The sermon was preached in foreign languages. It was impossible for any of their thoughts to be expressed. Since they didn’t know the languages, they could not add anything to what the Holy Spirit revealed to them. This is exactly what Jesus had promised. Even when in prison. “it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; 20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.” (Mt. 10:19-20).
There is nothing in Matthew through Revelation that was not given by the Holy Spirit. No human wisdom or human thought entered any Scripture. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God. (2Tim. 3:16). “God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.” “These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches."” (1Cor. 2:9-13). Where can a true disciple find any room to set anything aside because they don’t like or agree with it?
This is why Jesus confidently affirmed “He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.” (Lk. 10:16). This is the basis of the assurance given by the Holy Spirit that we can trust all the words in the NT Scriptures. The apostles and prophets were of God. God had testified through the signs and wonders and various miracles He allowed them to perform. (Heb. 2:3-4). These men revealed the gospel and its requirements to all future generations. If we hear their words, we know God. If we don’t hear them, we are not of God.
If we won’t abide within their writings, we lose any relationship with God. Everything written in the NT are the teachings of Christ. They are the boundary for genuine and true disciples. Those who abide in the teachings given to them by the Holy Spirit “know God” and possess “the spirit of truth.” Those disciples who “go on” and pass that boundary, either by rejecting or by refusing anything they wrote neither “know God” or “have God.”
Only by abiding and submitting to all of their teachings revealed by the Holy Spirit are disciples in fellowship with the Father and the Son. Thus, if anyone speaks of Paul’s writings as being inferior to others and rejects them, they are “not of God,” are in the “spirit of error” and “have not God.”
Conclusion. A spirit of stupor has come upon many today. Multitudes of people believe they are Jesus’ disciples, yet set aside anything spoken by Jesus or His apostles if it doesn’t fit their own thinking of what makes sense. True faith in Scripture is challenged and even mocked. If any of the Scriptures quoted in this article create disagreement or scoffing in us, we are not true disciples of Jesus abiding in His word. If we don’t repent and return to the will of God, Jesus will reject us.
Some have sought to evade this authority. They make a distinction between the teaching of Jesus and His apostles. Some believe Jesus’ words have greater weight than those of His apostles. To challenge their authority is a simple matter for some. They say what Jesus said is absolute truth, while what His apostles wrote, since only written by men, can be set aside and rejected as we see fit.
Yet Jesus made it abundantly clear in many passages that in the same way that Moses had been God’s spokesman in the OT, so His apostles would be His spokesmen in the NT and their words would be binding to all disciples until the end of the age (Mt. 28:18-20). Thus, just as all the laws Moses wrote in the Law of Moses were not his words but God’s, so also all the laws and instructions written in the law of Christ by His apostles are not their words, but Jesus’ commands.
Jesus knew it was not part of God’s plan for Him to write anything. On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus promised the Father would send the Holy Spirit to complete what He had begun. It was left to the Holy Spirit to “teach them all things” and “guide them into all truth.”
- These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. (Jn. 14:25-27)
- I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth (Jn. 16:12-13).
There is great sophistry in separating Jesus’ words from those of His apostles. Jesus never wrote anything. Everything we have recorded about His sayings in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John came through the Holy Spirit to His apostles and prophets. How can Jesus words have more authority or veracity than the writings of the apostles and prophets when it was the apostles and prophets who wrote them? How can any of their writings be inferior to any other writings when they were all written by the same author? It was the Holy Spirit who “brought to remembrance all things that I said to you,” and it was the Holy Spirit who revealed to His apostles what Jesus had not yet revealed to them. It is impossible for true disciples to see any of the writings of the Holy Spirit as having less authority than any other writings. They are all necessary to guide us into all truth!
The authority God gave to Jesus was to be taken into all nations. Disciples were to be made and taught to observe everything Jesus commanded. Jesus promised those disciples who observe everything He commanded that He would be with them always, even to the end of the age.
- Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. (Mt. 28:18-20).
How did the apostles accomplish this? How did they make disciples and teach these disciples to observe everything Jesus commanded them? They were still unlearned and ignorant fishermen. They were completely unqualified and God could not leave it to them to do this work.
The method was revealed and confirmed beyond doubt. “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2:4). How much clearer can God make this? The sermon was preached in foreign languages. It was impossible for any of their thoughts to be expressed. Since they didn’t know the languages, they could not add anything to what the Holy Spirit revealed to them. This is exactly what Jesus had promised. Even when in prison. “it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; 20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.” (Mt. 10:19-20).
There is nothing in Matthew through Revelation that was not given by the Holy Spirit. No human wisdom or human thought entered any Scripture. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God. (2Tim. 3:16). “God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.” “These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches."” (1Cor. 2:9-13). Where can a true disciple find any room to set anything aside because they don’t like or agree with it?
This is why Jesus confidently affirmed “He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.” (Lk. 10:16). This is the basis of the assurance given by the Holy Spirit that we can trust all the words in the NT Scriptures. The apostles and prophets were of God. God had testified through the signs and wonders and various miracles He allowed them to perform. (Heb. 2:3-4). These men revealed the gospel and its requirements to all future generations. If we hear their words, we know God. If we don’t hear them, we are not of God.
- We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. (1Jn. 4:6)
If we won’t abide within their writings, we lose any relationship with God. Everything written in the NT are the teachings of Christ. They are the boundary for genuine and true disciples. Those who abide in the teachings given to them by the Holy Spirit “know God” and possess “the spirit of truth.” Those disciples who “go on” and pass that boundary, either by rejecting or by refusing anything they wrote neither “know God” or “have God.”
- Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son (2Jn. 9).
Only by abiding and submitting to all of their teachings revealed by the Holy Spirit are disciples in fellowship with the Father and the Son. Thus, if anyone speaks of Paul’s writings as being inferior to others and rejects them, they are “not of God,” are in the “spirit of error” and “have not God.”
Conclusion. A spirit of stupor has come upon many today. Multitudes of people believe they are Jesus’ disciples, yet set aside anything spoken by Jesus or His apostles if it doesn’t fit their own thinking of what makes sense. True faith in Scripture is challenged and even mocked. If any of the Scriptures quoted in this article create disagreement or scoffing in us, we are not true disciples of Jesus abiding in His word. If we don’t repent and return to the will of God, Jesus will reject us.
- Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?” And then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!