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The apostles taught the early church those things which Jesus commanded them to teach. They also taught by direct inspiration, in a manner not available to us today (considering the canon of Scripture is closed).
Did they ever teach that the church, or that elders, may bind the conscience of other brethren or of the whole church, or any part of it, in ways not revealed by the Word of God?
Or is the authority of elders in the church restricted to teaching ONLY that which Jesus commanded the apostles to teach the church?
I submit that if an elder may bind the conscience of the church, or even a part of the church, in one manner (such as practices to be maintained) he may likewise bind the conscience of the church in another manner (such as doctrines to be believed).
In other words, if an elder has God ordained authority to require his brethren to shave, for example, he must of necessity also have the authority to teach as doctrine that which the Bible has not revealed.
"Teaching as doctrine the commandments of men", perhaps?
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