[Dahlseide]

The short answer is that those who have authority to preach & teach me are given that authority implicitly or explicitly by me. I give it to any preacher/teacher I listen to so long as I find their words first scriptural & then other factors come into play. I tend to select literature that was written a long time ago, literature that was written by persons who have a similar worldview as I. My worldview can be best summarized by the sovereignty of God, in all things, but especially regarding salvation. There is not a doubt in my mind, sans short lived temptations that flit through my mind due to buffeting from Satan & his helpers now & then, that God is sovereign over all. By yielding to those writers I am consistent with my worldview; my worldview matches that of scriptures; so that ultimately I am recognizing God’s authority over me. But of course God has authority over me whether I recognize it now or not. In the instance to which you refer I have placed myself under his tutelage because I believe he speaks in accordance with the scriptures, I like his style of writing, and because I respect him as a teacher who encourages me along the Way; and his worldview can be characterized as holding to the sovereignty of God in all things. In concluding this short answer, you also were not forced to be a member of your Church, therefore it is you who have given authority to that Church, its clergy, to preach & teach you.

With all due respect, that is Satan's answer. Satan's idea is that he had authority and would only grant it to one he thought his equal - himself. He is his own authority. If it is truly your idea you give authority to others, you are in opposition to Jesus Christian Catholics recognize all authority, especially ecclesiastical authority, comes from God. When Jesus established His Church upon Peter and those Bishops in union with him, the matter was settled. Ie don't claim authority. Jesus/God is the authority. Matt 16:18 is an exercise of His authority. I merely obey.

What I said is in italic, your reply is bold. Frankly I can not see a connection between your review of my reply & what I said.

So I’ll try to help you understand regarding my choosing S as a teacher, which you phrase as “who gave S authority". It will do me good.

As an aside I would like to know what you thought of it after you read it.

But for heavens sake! please see my references to the sovereignty of God in all things & especially in regards to salvation. How you can even suggest a similarity with “Satan's idea” is beyond my comprehension – for your sake, not mine, you should retract that

If you work, you probably have a job. If you have a job you probably chose, you are not a slave if you live in the US (this analogy would not work in some areas of the world) who your employer would be out of all the opportunities available to you. Now before you took whatever job you have no one in that company had any authority over you whatever; but as soon as you chose who you would work for you also chose who would have authority over you in that workplace.

That is the sense in which I chose S since that was the only possible way for me to answer what I felt was a purely rhetorical question. I realized at the time that no answer short of your Churches answer would be acceptable to you. But I did expect you to understand the process I went through in regards to S; that sans the reference to Satan of course. As you must know I do not respect your Churches position on ecclesiastical authority.

[bornacatholic]

5The short answer is that those who have authority to preach & teach me are given that authority implicitly or explicitly by me. I give it to any preacher/teacher I listen to so long as I find their words first scriptural & then other factors come into play.

* I don't think you understand the fact that authority resides with you. That is your arguement. In deciding who has authority over you, you are really, without realizing it, illustrating you are the one with authority.

You didn't write the New Testament. The nascent Catholic Church did. And it was Jesus who established that Church. He established it as His ark of salvation until He comes again.

You have free will to either accept or reject what Jesus authoritatively established. You have no authority in the matter. It is a matter of will, not authority.

Good luck in choosing wisely in exercising that free will