Our Constitution, as initially written, told the federal government exactly what it could do—"defined powers,” the Founders called them. The Constitution authorizes the federal government to do certain things, and thus, by the very nature of authority (a principle we all use every day of our lives), every other action by the national government was strictly prohibited. The government could do these authorized things, and nothing else.
James Madison was a little concerned about the nature of man, the tendency humans have to not be satisfied with limitations and authority. “I think we ought to add a Bill of Rights,” he said, “and also define what the federal government CANNOT do.”
Someone responded, “But, Mr. Madison, the Constitution tells the national government what it can do, what it is authorized to do. It can do only those things, and nothing else. We don’t need to tell it what it CAN’T do because we’ve told it only what it CAN do.” That’s the “authority principle” that we all use every day.
Madison was still suspicious. “Well, I’d like to see a Bill of Rights anyway, just to be safe.” So, the first ten amendments, our “Bill of Rights,” were added to the Constitution.
Of course, Madison’s worries have proven amply justified. Our federal government today pays absolutely no attention to its “defined” powers in the Constitution. It totally ignored what the Constitution authorizes it to do. That problem began very early in American history, and was, quite frankly, a major reason why the country had a “civil war.” The South simply believed (with justification) that the federal government was exceeding the authority given to it in the Constitution. They feared that the Republicans (who, after the 1860 election, controlled both Houses of Congress and the Presidency) would continue to increase the federal government’s powers (at the South’s expense) and do unauthorized things. The Southerners were probably right about that because that is exactly what has happened since the war.
Today, of course, America is horribly divided, and a major reason is the federal government ignores the Constitution and aids different sectors of the society at the expense of others. Both parties do it whenever they get in power, and those out of power screech about it and want more goodies for themselves. Why should I pay for what the Democrats want, things I do not believe in and oppose very strongly? And visa-versa. Division, because the authority of the Constitution is ignored by the federal government.
Interestingly, the same situation exists in Christendom today. Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given unto me,” (Matt. 28:18). He’s not here on earth any more, of course, and His authority is now expressed in His “constitution,” the New Testament. God’s word is truth (John 17:17). We are not to go, or even “think beyond what is written,” (I Corinthians 4:6). The “faith” has been “once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). We are to “hold fast the pattern of sound words” (II Timothy 1:13). Jesus’s authority is in the New Testament, His word, the final, and only, authority for Christianity.
The writer of the book of Hebrews actually explains for us what this “authority principle” means. In Hebrews 7, he said there has been a change of the law (v. 12); we are no longer under the law of Moses but the law of Christ. There had to be a change because the priesthood was changed—Jesus is now our High Priest. But the law had to be changed to allow that, because, in the Old Testament, priests came from the tribe of Levi, and Jesus was from the tribe of Judah, “of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood” (v. 14). Priests had to come from Levi, not Judah, so again, the law had to be changed to allow Jesus to become High Priest. Now, Moses didn’t say priests couldn’t come from Judah; he just said “priests must come from Levi,” and, by the very nature of authority, every other tribe was excluded from, and forbidden participation in, the priesthood. The New Testament, not the Old, is our final authority in all things in Christianity. We must do only that which is authorized by the New Testament.
But, sadly, just like within our nation, there is division in Christianity because religious “leaders” have ignored the Christian “constitution,” and introduced a myriad of doctrines and practices the New Testament does not authorize. Jesus, of course, prayed that His followers would have the unity that existed in heaven (John 17:20-21). Paul condemned division among Christ’s followers (I Corinthians 1:10). Obviously, in the first century, there were not the multitude of denominations we witness in Christendom today. Why are there so many different denominations today?
Why is America so divided today?
Same principle. The American government has acted in ways that are totally unauthorized by the country’s Constitution. And Christian churches have added doctrines and practices that are nowhere to be found in the New Testament. And if one can do it, why not all? The people of America never gave the government the authority to do most of the things it is doing today—or shouldn’t have, given the division that has been produced. And God certainly never gave “Christian leaders” the authority to add whatever they wanted to His word and divide Christianity into a thousand warring sects. If He DID give man that authority, I simply ask “WHERE did He give man that authority?” He wanted us to be united, not divided (John 17:20-21) and gave us instructions (the New Testament) on how to do that. Sadly, we have greatly let Him down.
The nature of man is the reason there is division in America today. Too many want power and don’t want to be bound by Constitutional limitations. I fear the same problem exists in Christianity today. Dear reader, I just ask, are you part of the problem—division—or the solution—unity, by adhering only to those things that are authorized? If you are a “church goer,” look at your church and make sure that all that it teaches—its organization, doctrine, worship, works, etc.—are ONLY those authorized by the New Testament.
We could unite America if people would accept our government returning to its Constitutional limitations and quit giving preferential treatment to various people in society. And we could unite Christianity if all its churches would do only those things authorized by the New Testament.