Q.
Who gets to decide which laws in the Bible are irrefutable?
162
Rebecca Bowman Woods
Who is...
?
Rebecca Bowman Woods
My favorite book of the Old Testament is the Song of
Songs; in the New Testament, I like the gospel of Mark.A.
Over time, religious communities have developed authority struc-
tures within which individual leaders or groups decide these kinds
of questions. Within the Roman Catholic Church, the pope has the
highest authority. But there’s also an offi ce, the Congregation for the Doctrine
of the Faith, that considers theological issues and makes decisions. Pope Bene-
dict XVI, then known as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, headed this offi ce before
he became pope.
In other cases, authority emerges from within a religious community.
For example, many nondenominational Christian churches decide whom to
ordain as clergy, if they ordain them at all. They come up with their own ways
of making decisions about what they believe and how members are supposed
to behave with regard to the Bible and its laws.
Separate from a religious community’s formal structure is its philosophy
on authority. For example, groups with a single leader and not much struc-
ture may still be very authoritarian, while groups with a large hierarchy may
expect members to decide how to apply the Bible’s laws themselves, based on
their own interpretation, experiences, and relationship with God.
The problem with human authority is that it is prone to corruption and
error. Religious systems should always have a legitimate means of questioning
authority. Even God is open to being challenged. In Genesis 18:25, Abraham
says to God: “Far be it from you to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with
the wicked,” and God agrees to spare Sodom and Gomorrah if ten righteous
men can be found.
Following the Bible literally is impossible. It helps to be familiar with
what the Bible says (and does not say) so that you can make your own
decisions.Scriptural References
Genesis 18:16–33; Matthew 22:37–40; Mark 12:28–31; John 8:7; Romans 2:14–15