Spiritual Anarchy

When I was little kid my cousin was "punk." Not like you may think. He was actually was part of a subculture that was born out of late 70s and early 80s music by people like the Ramones and the Sex Pistols. It was America's response to the heavy metal-in your face- music revolution across the pond. I love many different types of music but must admit I never cared for punk, even now and I like everything. I remember he had a jacket with an anarchy symbol on it. It looked neat and at the time I thought he was telling someone they were a real "A." Well my bleached blonde leather-bound punk cousin tried to explain to an 8yo Eben Wyatt what anarchy was. I don't remember much about the conversation. It sounded like "blah blah blah Billy Idol has great hair blah blah blah." "Do you understand Eben Wyatt?" I responded "yes, you too have great hair....white wedding." When I got a little older, and semantics actually started to mean something, I wanted to learn what it meant. Anarchy, in a very simple sense, means no ruler or enforced authority. This seems to be any church without a living authority.

The protestant authority idea was born with Luther in the 16th century "Sola Scriptura" the Bible alone. If this is actually a viable platform for the church why, since the reformation, have 33,000+ denominations sprung up? The initial desire of Luther was noble and much needed. However, years later it has evolved into spiritual anarchy. If people don't agree with the preacher or get anything out of the service they leave. If the church they are attending offends them they leave and find one that wont. If they can't find one, no problem, just start your own. Paul said something about gathering teachers who said what you wanted to hear. I used to think this applied to Catholics. I now realize this applies to the whole of protestant Christianity. Paul said the Pillar and Foundation of the Truth was the House of God. 1Tim 3. There has to be a living authority. In fact if you accept your New Testament as inspired you have already conceded the authority of the Catholic Church. It was the Catholic Church that decided what would be in it.

Where am I really meaning to go? Simply this...without a living authority, like the one accepted by all of Christianity until the mid 1500s, it is spiritual anarchy. Churches that used to have a Biblical platforms have devolved into accepting homosexual ministers, abortion and any number of things. Why wouldn't they though, there is no ultimate authority.

I know many will disagree. However, it is clear that sola scriptura, while noble, has devolved into spiritual anarchy.

What would you do if your church taught something you disagreed with? What if they used the same Bible you did to defend their position? Who would be right? How many people have left your church because they disagreed and were ostracized for it? Do you accept the authority of the Catholic church?