The Voice of The Spirit

The Authority Of The Spirit

The concept of authority is, without doubt, one of the most important elements in considering the topic of divine-human communication. To be guided by what other human beings may say about an important topic is a very different thing than to have the assurance that God has already expressed Himself about that topic by means of the prophetic word. The acceptance of the Holy Spirit as the author of the prophetic message is the initial step necessary toward recognizing divine authority in these messages and, as a result, accepting their supremacy over any human opinion, including our own. VOTS 18.1

The most explicit of the New Testament writers on the supremacy of the teaching of the Spirit over human opinion is the apostle Paul. Writing to the Corinthians, Paul bases the authority of his message on the fact that it is the result of the teachings of the Spirit: “When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.... My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.... This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words” (1 Corinthians 2:1, 4, 5, 13). VOTS 18.2

This authority and superiority of the Spirit over human opinions and traditions is especially evident in controversial matters. One of the more controversial issues in apostolic times was the participation of non-Jews, or “Gentiles,” in the church, and their acceptance as part of God’s people. The apostle Paul appeals to the revelations of the Spirit as his source of authority to resolve the matter: “Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly ... the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets ... the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 3:26). VOTS 19.1

The apostle Peter is another of the writers of the New Testament who establishes the authority of the Spirit as the source of teaching and guidance for the church. Peter earlier had an experience similar to Paul’s concerning foreigners or “Gentiles.” It was a revelation from God in the form of a vision that prepared him for his first visit to the home of a non-Jewish family (Acts 10). When some Jewish members criticized him for having visited an uncircumcised person, Peter appealed to his vision as the source of authority for his actions (Acts 11:1-18). He repeated the identical argument at the time of the first congress of the church in Jerusalem, where these same matters were discussed (Acts 15:7-11). VOTS 19.2

Circumstances such as these taught the apostle Peter to trust the messages of the Spirit more and more and to think less of his own opinions. It is his voice of experience that declares: “And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place ... for prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:19, 21). VOTS 20.1