Is the Authority of your Christian faith a Church? the Bible? Jesus here in Spirit?

If the Bible is a road map, then we need the Spirit to help us follow it. People use their church to tell them what it means and are following men and church traditions and don't even think about it. In affect they are leaning on their own understanding, or worse yet, that of other men. Only the Spirit can give us a proper understanding. I searched Spirit and this is what I came up with.

John 7:39 But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive:

That is, which if we believe on Him we should receive. The him is not capitalized as it was before Christ was resurrected.

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

Romans 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Romans 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

Romans 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

1 Corinthians 2:4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:

1 Corinthians 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

1 Corinthians 12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

2 Corinthians 3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

Galatians 3:2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

It seems like we should have an inner guide and not be fooled by any man. It seems kind of weak to be following leaders.

2 Timothy 3:9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men,

How true that is today as then.

Absolutely not! The Bible is not and was never intended to be our final authority for Christians. The final authority is what the Bible itself states as the "pillar and foundation of truth," (1 Timothy 3:15) which is the Church. The fundamentalist Protestants always make the bogus claim that the Bible is their final authority, but the ironic thing is this: when faced with this question they go running scared and will back-pedal and make nameless excuses, change the subject and perform whatever defensive manuvuers they can get away with to avoid this one question - -"name the one verse in the Bible that states that Scripture is our final authority?" They CAN"T because it is NOT there. There are verses that state that scripture is good and useful, but not our authority. So, if the Bible states that the Church is our final authority, then which of the 36,000+ denominations out there do we submit to. The answer is the only Church that has lasted for 2,000 years and was built on Peter's leadership, with Chirst as the cornerstone, and that is the Holy Catholic Church. The final canon of Scripture, the Bible we know today, wasn't even put together until the 4th century (by the AUTHORITY of the Catholic Church, by the way). So, if the Bible is our one sole authority for Christians, then what authority did the Christians of the first few centuries submit to? The Bible is a very useful tool for Christians and a VERY important part of our life, and yes it is the inerrant and infallible word of God, but it is but one leg of a tri-pod. The other two legs are Tradition and the Magesterium, or leadership, of the Church. Because there are not these totally necessary things in Protestantism, that is why it has failed and why there are an increasing number of denominations worldwide -- caused by lack of leadership leading to doctrinal and theological disputes, leading to church splitting and all-out chaos. Just read the Epistles (without your "Protestant glasses" on, and you will see this plain as day).

Your question is put funny therefore I am not sure if I am going to answer what you ask. Church that the Bible speak of is not a denomination that is the Body of Christ. The Authority is the Trinity God which live in The Holly Spirit still today on earth every born again Christian received the AUTHORITY IN Christ to go and make disciples etc. The idea is to follow Christ as His will is in the bible not to take some rituals and not to worship through anybody but directly to God. The pope is through my eyes an idol and the Roman Catholics have so many rituals and stories that it does not correspond with the Word of God anymore they are following a building (church) and idols and to my view not God. For instance I cannot see why they have to pray through Mother Mary to God cause that's not in the Bible I cannot see how you confess to a human your sins and then are forgiven,that's rubbish and we know it. Strange that in previous centuries the Roman Catholics killed the Christians by there thousands in the most horrific ways so now, why ? Are they not Christians, or should they be called Mother Marians ? You need only to follow the Trinity God and then Jesus said nobody comes to the Father other than through me, He did not say through a priest or through Mary or through a pastor or Rabbi

The bible is the inspired word of God, The spirit opens it to us and helps us understand, the church teaches and strengthens the believers. all three are Necessary. If you follow the spirit he will lead you to the bible and the church. if you open a bible and pray the spirit will help you understand and surrender to the word. if you go to church they will teach you the word through the spirit. Its like the trinity three parts of one athority. Im not saying you can't get to heaven with out the church but the trip wont be as enjoyable.

Here's what the Bible says about Jesus and the Christian faith — "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2).

So Jesus is "the author" of the Christian faith.

no one can claim authority from the bible alone.

and very few people claim, in righteousness and truth authority from jesus, in person.

in the LDS church and according to the bible, NO one takes upon themselves authority unless it is given by the laying on of hands. as it was FOR AARON.

First God called Aaron, through moses, and hands were laid on his head.

because of the apostacy of all churches. the LDS church teaches that God called all churches an abomination because they teach the doctrines of men. (hence the term used in teh bible Leaven of the pharisees.) NO church had authority according to Joseph smith jr. and he was only 14 when this answer was given!

We are the church, the Bible is our road map and Jesus is the only way...Faith comes by hearing the Word and allowing that Word to

become a part of who you are, relying on the Word to be truth , applying that Word to your circumstances and life....

God is not a man that He would lie...

My Christian authority is God. God expresses his will for my life through His word, the Bible.

Why? Because God tells me in the Bible that He is my authority. And I believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God. His word is infallible.

The Bible, Jesus , Church.

The Holy Bible studied well and also the confirmation of the Holy Spirit during prayer.