Authority

One of the most well-known Bible passages quoted by evangelicals is found in Matthew 28:16-18, usually spoken of as the Great Commission. In it Jesus claims that "all authority in heaven and earth" had been given to him. He continued with "go and make disciples of all nations ...". This he told them on "the mountain" in Galilee where he had instructed them to go.

But before this, on the day he rose from the dead, he had appeared to the ten (Thomas was absent) in Jerusalem (John 20:21-23). There he said "As the father sent me, I am sending you". He followed that up by breathing on them saying "Receive Holy Spirit" and giving them authority to forgive sins.

Clearly the idea was not that they could willy-nilly give eternal life to anyone who asked for it. Forgiveness of sins goes together with the commission to preach the gospel. That is why he first said "I am sending you". When the ten received the Holy Spirit on that day, they were the first of millions who came after to receive the Spirit when we "accepted Christ as our Saviour", "gave our hearts to the Lord" or "asked Jesus to forgive our sins" or "became Christians". All these phrases are attempts to put into words what it means to be "born from above" (John 3:5-8).

We are born again through the "living and enduring word of God" (1 Peter 1:23). When Jesus' death and resurrection is proclaimed, the preacher makes use of the authority given to believers to forgive sins. The gospel contains imperishable seed. When we believe and confess that his payment for our sins by his blood makes us clean, because he said so and rose from the dead to prove it, we receive eternal life.

On 25 March 1973 I was having lunch with two friends. They had planned to listen to a radio broadcast of a Billy Graham crusade after lunch (No TV in 1973). I told them I was not interested and was going to leave as soon as he started preaching. I was not keen on listening to a "Christian celebrity" telling me the gospel which I had already heard and accepted. But I was curious to just hear his first words. After hearing them, however, I was arrested by the authority in his voice as he preached the simple gospel. It was very compelling.

Billy Graham wrote in his autobiography that there was a time when he doubted the reliability of the Bible. His doubts were resolved after he had prayed, saying: "Father, I am going to accept this as Thy Word - by faith!" (Just as I am, p139). From that time on his preaching had more effect. By firmly believing in what he read and preaching it with confidence he was able to bring salvation to thousands.

In his book The Holy Spirit Graham states "I do not see from Scripture that this filling by the Holy Spirit constitutes a second baptism." However, after the ten apostles had received Holy Spirit and the eleven had been commissioned to make disciples, they were instructed to wait in Jerusalem where they would receive "power from on high". Their experience, speaking in tongues, has been replicated over and over. It is not only documented in the book of acts but believed in by Pentecostals and Charismatics worldwide.

Without any intention of detracting from the impact of Billy Graham I think it is instructive to compare his campaigns with those of Reinhard Bonnke. The latter has not only reached millions with the gospel but has also seen remarkable healings in his meetings. There is clearly a difference between the authority given to every believer by the indwelling Spirit on the one hand, and the power available through the baptism in the Holy Spirit on the other hand. It is illustrated most vividly in the life of Peter before and after the day of Pentecost.