Understanding authority
By definition, authority is “the right to: give commands and enforce obedience to those commands, take action, or make final decisions.” But there is a powerful and essential component of authority that this definition leaves out, which is the fact that all authority exists for a purpose. Anyone who holds a position of authority has been given that position in order to accomplish a purpose.
Another important point to make at the onset of this article is the distinction between authority and power. Even though authority and power are often found together, they are not the same thing. Authority gives someone the right to do certain things, while power gives someone the ability to do certain things. For example, a badge gives a law officer the right to stop a criminal, while a gun gives that officer the power to stop a criminal. Having the authority to do something usually implies having the power to do it as well, but having the power to do something does not necessarily mean having the authority to do it.
The source or author of all authority is God. God is the only one who has ALL authority, and therefore all other authority ultimately comes from Him. (Psalms 75:5-7; Daniel 2:21; Romans 13:1). God has the absolute and unlimited right to both command and enforce obedience to his commands as he chooses, to take any course of action he chooses, and to make the final decision on any matter. (Isaiah 14:24, 27; 433:13; 46:9)
Since all authority comes from God, it follows that authority in any being other than God, whether angelic, human, or animal is either authority that has been delegated to that being by God, and therefore is legitimate, or it is authority that has been wrongly assumed by or assigned to that being, and therefore it is illegitimate. It also follows that all authority other than God’s is limited, being ultimately subjected to the one that gave it.
Delegation of authority
Inherent in authority itself is the right of delegation – that is the right to assign one’s own authority to another. Anyone who is in authority may, if he chooses, authorize another to act with his own authority. The concept of someone being granted the “power of attorney” for someone else is an example of this principle, where one person gives another the right to sign documents and make decisions on their behalf and with their authority.
This principle is seen
clearly in the case of God, who has all authority, authorizing Jesus to
minister to mankind. (John 5:27)
Jesus, in turn, then gave his authority to his disciples
(Matthew 10:1, Luke 9:1), which meant that their authority was actually an
extension of the authority of Jesus, which was an extension of the authority of
God. This is why Jesus could tell his
disciples that anything they would ask in his name – that is, in his authority – would
be granted. (John 14:13-14, 16:23) There are several
powerful examples of this principle in scripture. One comes from the book of Esther. After Haman’s
plot to destroy the Jews had been discovered he was hung. Then, in Esther 8, the King took off his
signet ring, which represented his authority, and gave it to Mordecai and
Esther. The king instructed them to
write a new law to counteract Haman’s evil
legislation, and to seal it with his ring, thereby making it official. Mordecai and Esther
did as the king commanded, and wrote new legislation, which gave the Jews the
right to defend themselves against their enemies. Verse 11 states that in these documents, “the
king granted the Jews…” Because Mordecai and Esther had written
these documents under the king’s seal or authority, they were considered to
have come from the king! Then after
sealing the documents with the king’s signet ring, they gave them to the
King’s couriers who, according to verse 14, hurried to deliver this new
legislation, because they were compelled “By the king’s
command.” The powerful principle revealed in this story is that when someone
exercises delegated authority, it carries the same weight as if had bad been
exercised by the one who gave it!
The authority of man on earth
The first thing God did after making man and woman on the earth was to bless them and give them authority on the earth (Genesis 1:28, Psalms 8:4-8). In doing this, God was in essence, making man the “god” over all the earth (Genesis 1:26). He was authorizing man to do as he saw fit, to command and enforce those commands, and to be the final decision maker in matters pertaining to the planet on which he lived.
Its very important that we notice that this authority was given to both Adam and Eve in Genesis 1:27. Some men have argued that the fact that Adam was created first indicates his authority over Eve, but this does not make for a very good argument in light of the fact that animals were created before man and yet man was given authority over the animals. (Genesis 1:24-26)
Actually, it was not until after the fall of man that God gave Adam authority over his wife. (Genesis 3:17) From this it is clear that God’s original intent was that man and woman, as well as man and other men be equal. When God set man in authority over woman, he did so as a concession, because of sin. Ultimately this authority was not given to Adam to Lord it over his wife, but rather to protect her.
It is also important to notice what God did gave man authority over. In Genesis 1:26 we are told that God gave Adam and Eve dominion over “the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the cattle and every creeping thing” and “over all the earth.” The phase “the birds of the air” is used several times in scripture to refer to angelic and demonic creatures. (Ecclesiastes 10:20; Mark 4:4,15,32). This suggests that God intended man to rule over angels and demons as well, which is confirmed in Luke 10:17,19 and 1 Corinthians 6:3.
Unfortunately the authority God gave man in the garden not stay in his hands for very long. When Satan deceived Eve and Adam into eating the forbidden fruit, he knew he was also getting them to yield their God-given authority over the earth to him. Through their sin, which was really an act of treason against God, mankind relinquished the authority that God had entrusted him with into the hands of Satan. (Luke 4:6)
Satanic authority From the very moment Satan tricked man into giving him
authority over the earth, he began his rule as “the god of this
world.” (John 12:31, 2 Corinthians
4:4) In Isaiah 14:13-14 we are told
that Satan’s desire was to be exalted as a ruler into the heavens, and to
have his throne be “above the stars.”
(“Stars” here probably does not refer to literal stars, but to
other angels, as in Revelation 12:4)
In Satan’s own words, he wanted to, “Ascend above the heights of
the clouds” and make himself “like the Most High.” This was the first and worst-ever recorded act of rebellion from the authority of God. Unsatisfied with the position and rank that God had bestowed upon him, Satan wanted to be worshipped as a god and so, in his pride, he rebelled from God’s purpose for him. As a result, he was removed from heaven, just as he would later cause Adam and Eve to be removed from the Garden of Eden for their rebellion. (Luke 10:18, Genesis 3:23-24)
Just as Satan’s rebellion was the first on record, so also was his subsequent abuse of authority. Having deceived mankind into giving him their authority on the earth, he at once began his reign of terror as “The ruler of the world.” (John 14:30) And from that moment onward, authority began to be used wrongly.
In direct contrast and rebellion to the loving nature of God (1 John 4:8) Satan used his authority in the earth maliciously, selfishly, and mercilessly. In Satan we see the first picture of a cruel tyrant who enforces his dictates through abusive force and who keeps his “subjects” in fear and bondage. All the evil kings and rulers throughout history have merely been acting “after the manner of their father, the devil.” (John 8:38-44)
Abuse of authority As a result of sin entering the human race, mankind began reproducing with the corrupt nature of Satan, becoming, in a spiritual sense, “children of the devil.” (Matthew 13:38, 1 John 3:10) This corrupt nature was characterized by Satan’s selfishness, and his desire to rule over others. The presence of this corrupt nature in mankind has led to the abuse of authority at every level of human government in the world.
Perhaps nothing
screams injustice more than abuse of authority. It is the worst possible scenario – the
strong abusing the very weak ones they are to be serving, in order to serve
their own selfish ends. Regardless at
what level it takes place, the abuse of authority is among the worst of evils
and as such deserves the strictest judgment, which is precisely what it gets
in many stories throughout scripture. Proverbs 30:21-22
declares that there are four things under which the earth cannot bear up –
the first of which is “a slave who becomes king.” The idea
expressed in this proverb is of a man who has been forced, against his will,
to serve someone else for a length of time, and then, through some change in
circumstances, assumes a position of authority over others. In all likelihood, a
man like this is going to be an abusive ruler. With years of resentment and anger inside
of him, he will have a strong tendency to use his position of authority to
somehow get back at those whom he had to serve. Amazingly, the story of Joseph fits this
description perfectly, and yet, because Joseph was able to see his time of
slavery as God’s preparation and provision, he became a tremendous ruler. Because of the fallen
nature of man, it is natural for men to rebel from the authority of God. In Romans 8:7 Paul said that fallen mankind,
which he referred to as “the flesh,” does not submit itself to God’s
laws. He went on to say that fallen
mankind cannot submit to God’s laws.
This is because the fallen nature of man is actually Satan’s nature
being expressed through men. And because
Satan is in a state of eternal rebellion from God, no one expressing his
nature can submit willingly to God’s authority. It is also natural for
men to rebel from the authority of other men, although for a different
reason. As I said earlier, God created
man to have no king but God Himself.
This truth is confirmed by Jesus in Matthew 23:8-10, where Jesus
instructed us,
“Do not be called teacher, for one is your teacher,
Christ, and you are all brothers, and neither be called master, for one is your
master, even Christ.” Jesus was making it
clear that, just as in the family structure there is only one father, and the
brothers are all equals, so it is among his followers. In the Hebrew culture there is certainly
support for the idea of the eldest son acting in authority over the younger
sons. But of course, in the case of
our spiritual family, Jesus Himself is the eldest son, leaving no question as
to who has authority over the household. Due to the corrupt,
selfish nature of man, there has always been and will continue to be men who,
in selfish ambition, will seek positions of authority for themselves. Thomas Jefferson once remarked, with regard
to positions of authority, that “whenever a man casts a longing eye on
them, a certain rottenness begins in his conduct.” Unfortunately this all too often proves to
be an accurate statement, and where this is the case, it will inevitably
result in the abuse of authority at some level. The reality is that, since all mankind has been corrupted
by the selfish and rebellious nature of Satan, there is really no hope for
true Godly authority to exist outside the church. And unfortunately, since most Christians
are themselves still struggling “take off the old man” and “put on
the new man,” authority within the church is often corrupted as well. Human authority There are several
scriptures in particular that provide us with a good foundation for
understanding human authority. One is
the incident of Saul being appointed as king over However, God expressed clearly through Samuel that by asking for a man to be their king, the Israelites were actually rejecting God as their king. (1 Samuel 8:6,7 and 10:19) In fact, God made it clear through Samuel that the Israelites request for a human king was actually “great wickedness” in God’s sight. (1 Samuel 12:17,18)
It is clear from this incident that God wanted to be the only king over His people, but that as a concession He allowed them to have human kings reign in authority over them. But before making this concession, God gave specific instructions concerning this king, in order to prevent the abuse of authority. These instructions are recorded in Deuteronomy 17:14-20. Essentially, they consist of two primary stipulations.
First, the king was to be a man of God’s own choosing (Verse 15). According to this stipulation, no one but the specific man whom God himself chose would be a legitimate king. And second, once this king was chosen, he was to write out a copy of the law – the revealed standard of the righteousness of God – and read from it every day of is life so that he might walk in God’s ways. (Verse 19)
God went on to say that his reason for establishing these requirements of the man who would have authority over his people was in order “that his heart not be lifted up.” (Verse 20) Interestingly, this is the same phrase that God used to describe Satan’s heart before his rebellion from God. (Ezekiel 28:17).
Even before the king had been chosen, God was trying to tell his people how to prevent the king’s authority from becoming satanic – that is abusive, selfish, domineering, unjust, merciless, and everything else that is contrary to the love of God Himself. Unfortunately, more often than not they ignored God’s instructions. As a result, they have lived with abuse of authority in all levels of government for their entire history, just like the rest of the world living under the authority of Satan. (1 John 5:19) Another incident that
helps us understand human authority is found in Mark 10:2. In this story, the Pharisees came to Jesus
and asked him if it was lawful for a man to divorce his wife. Jesus then asked them what Moses
(representing the law) had commanded about this matter. Their reply was that Moses (the law) said
that it was permissible for a man to divorce his wife. Jesus answered that it was indeed lawful,
but he reminded them that from the beginning it was not to be that way. (Matthew 19:8) The point Jesus was
making was that even though the law did in fact permit divorce, it was only
as a concession to their hardened hearts.
He also made it clear that this concession to divorce did not
represent the perfect will of God, which was that a man and a woman should
stay together. (Mark 10:6-9) Malachi 2:16 states clearly that God hates
divorce, making it even clearer that his endorsement of divorce was not his
perfect will, but rather a concession he made to accommodate fallen mankind. Even though this story
is about marriage, it reveals a powerful principle that has direct
application to the subject of authority as well. Just because the word of God endorses
something doesn’t mean it is the perfect will of God. This is the very same principle that was
expressed in the story of God granting his people’s desire to have a man rule
as king over them, even though God stated clearly that it was “great
wickedness” in his sight. God’s ultimate desire
for his children is for them to enjoy the blessings of righteousness, peace
and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Romans 14:17; Luke 12:32) And despite its flaws and abuses, this is
the goal of human authority as well. The purpose of authority is stated on
one Romans 13:1-5 reveals
several powerful truths about human authority. In the first verse, we find out that “there
is no authority except that which is by God.” In other words, God is the one behind all
human authority. This does not mean
that all those who are in positions of authority are godly people, but rather
that the concept of authority is God’s idea.
The second verse tells us that because the principle of human
authority is from God, those who resist human authority are actually
resisting the ordinance of God. Again,
this does not mean that all human authority is exercised in a godly way, only
that the principle is of God. The fourth verse of
this passage tells us that human authority is actually “a minister of
God to you for good” and that God has given
it a “sword” so that it might act as “an avenger who
brings wrath on the one who practices evil.” God has authorized and empowered the agency
of human government to make and enforce laws which will promote righteousness
on the earth. He has also empowered
the agency of human government to punish those who break its laws, both to
bring justice and to maintain a healthy respect for authority. Ultimately, God uses human authority as a
tool through which He establishes righteousness in the earth, from a family
level to an international level. As an example,
consider a home. The word of God
states unequivocally that children are to “obey their parents.” (Ephesians
6:1) Because God wants the best for
his children, he subjects them to their parents
authority and discipline knowing that, regardless of their flaws, the parents
are the ones best qualified to protect their children from danger and harm,
instruct them in the things they will need to know in life, and nurture them
to mature adulthood. This same principle is
also true of authority in the church, where the protection, instruction and
maturity are of a spiritual nature. In
a sense, those in positions of authority within the church are acting as
spiritual parents. (1 Thess. 2:11) This same principle
can be applied to civil authorities as well.
The primary goal of civil authority is to see that the citizens are
protected from those who would try to infringe upon their rights as citizens. In spite of its abuses, the principle of
civil authority is a good one, and is backed by God himself. It is clear from these
examples that God’s will is being accomplished through the agency of human
authority, even though it is in many cases corrupt. For this reason the apostle Peter
admonished us to, “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man,
whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors sent by him…” (1 Peter 2:13-14) But even though Peter
clearly endorsed obedience to government and religious authority, a look at
his life reveals that he did not always practice what he preached. In Acts 4:18 Peter and John were commanded
by the religious authorities of their day not to speak or teach any more in
the name of Jesus. Their response to
this command was as follows: “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
Then, in direct
rebellion to the command they had been given by the religious authorities,
they went out and continued to do the very thing they had been ordered not to
do. As a result, they were again taken
and brought before the high priest and the council, who said, “We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in
this name, and yet, you have filled
Peter and the other
apostles’ response to this statement was as simple as it was powerful: “We must obey God rather than men.” (Acts
5:29) In Romans 13:1 Paul
wrote, “let every man be subject to the governing authorities.” But this
same man would spend the latter half of his life speaking, teaching, and
acting in direct disobedience to the “governing authorities” of his day. How could these men
write such things and yet live in clear rebellion to their nation’s governing
authorities? The answer to this
question is also the answer to the question of whether or not people are to
submit to corrupt, abusive authority that is in clear rebellion to God. This answer is found in the statement made
by Peter in Acts 5:29 (quoted above): “We must obey God rather than men.”
Peter and the other
apostles recognized that ultimately our responsibility to submit to the
authority of God takes precedence over all other forms of authority. If all human authority were perfectly submitted
to the authority of God, we would never experience a problem in this
area. But this is not now and was not
then the case. This incident teaches
us that if submitting to human authority forces us to rebel from the clearly
expressed authority of God, we have an obligation to “obey God rather
than men.”
Respect for
authority In the passage quoted
above, Peter and the other apostles were not acting out of a lack of respect
for authority, as some have said, but rather they had more respect for the authority
of God than they did for the authority of man. Unfortunately a lack
of respect for authority is very common today, both in and out of the
church. It is also unfortunate that
this attitude often exists as a direct result of the flagrant abuse of authority
by those to whom it has been given.
Once this cycle of abuse and disrespect begins, it is very difficult
to stop, since neither party wants to be the first to respond in love. Abusive authority will always give rise to
rebellion, and if this cycle is allowed to continue, it will always lead to
revolution at some level. After Saul disobeyed a
direct command from God, God told Samuel that he had rejected Saul from being
King over However, even though the Spirit of God came upon David mightily from that very day forward (1 Samuel 16:13) indicating that he was indeed God’s anointed King of Israel, it would be many years before David actually sat on the throne as the ruling King over Judah. During this time, David refused to lift a finger to harm Saul, even though on several occasions he had the perfect opportunity to do so, stating, “Far be it from me... to stretch out my hand against him, since he is the LORD'S anointed.”
Technically speaking,
Saul was not the Lord’s anointed any longer, because God had removed
his spirit from him and an evil spirit actually plagued him. (1 Samuel 16:14) And yet, out of respect for the fact that
Saul had once been chosen and anointed as king, David refused to harm Saul,
choosing instead to let God be the one to deal with Saul in his own time and
his own way. Through this incident
David teaches us a lot about a having a respect for God-ordained authority,
even in cases where the one in authority is not acting under the leading of
the Holy Spirit. At some point in our life, we all encounter people who are
neither chosen nor anointed by God to be in the position of authority that
they hold. In still other
instances, we may from time to time encounter people who like Saul, were once
anointed to fulfill a certain position of authority, but are no longer
operating under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and yet remain in a
position of authority. Once again,
David’s response to and respect for Saul serves as a powerful example for us
all should we ever encounter such a situation. Jesus too, gave us a
powerful example of how we can walk before corrupt authority and still do so
with respect for authority. When
Pilate asked Jesus if he understood that Pilate had the authority to either
release him or sentence him to death, Jesus replied by saying, "You would have no authority over me, unless it
had been given you from above.” (John
19:11) Though Jesus probably had little
respect for the corruption that was prevalent in the Roman government, he saw
through it to the authority that ultimately backed it.
Rebellion: refusing or resisting authority
Rebellion is defined as “the act of resisting or opposing authority, control, or government.” Obviously rebellion can be applied at many different levels, and exhibited in many ways. But ultimately all rebellion falls into one of two categories: rebellion from legitimate, God-ordained authority, and rebellion from illegitimate authority. One of the clearest examples of rebellion from God-ordained authority in the Bible is found in Numbers 16.
In this chapter three men named Korah, Dathan and Abiram spearhead a rebellion against Moses and Aaron. The first verse tells us that Korah was from the tribe of Levi, and the other two men were from the tribe of Reuben. While these details about their lineage seems to have little bearing upon the story at first glance, it actually reveals a powerful principle of rebellion.
Levi was the tribe that God had chosen above all the others to perform the work of the tabernacle. Reuben was the firstborn son, which typically was given a place of authority among brothers. What these details tell us is that these men all had reason to think they should be in positions of authority. This is often the case in instances where someone rebels against a specific position of authority.
But these three men were not alone in this rebellion against Moses and Aaron. Verse 2 goes on to say that 250 other men, all of whom were leaders and “men of renown” among the people, joined together with them. From this we learn another powerful principle of rebellion – it will always be able to win others over to its cause – even “men of renown.”
Once these men had gathered together they stated their complaint against Moses and Aaron. They accused them of “exalting themselves above the assembly of the Lord” (verse 3) and “Lording it over” the people (verse 13). From these statements it is clear that Korah and the men with him believed that Moses and Aaron were assuming too much authority over the people. And again, this will often be the case when someone rebels from authority.
There is no question that God himself placed Moses and Aaron in a position of authority over the people. Because of this, Korah and those who sided with him were clearly rebelling against God-ordained authority. But by rebelling against God’s chosen leaders, Korah and the men with him were ultimately rebelling against God. The seriousness of their offense is seen in manner in which God brought judgment upon them.
This story has a tendency to establish a healthy respect for authority in anyone who reads it. However, not all rebellion is of the type exhibited by Korah and his comrades. In fact, the Bible contains several passages that reveal that there are some instances where rebellion is against illegitimate authority, and is therefore not wrong and all. As an example of this principle, consider a story from the life of Hezekiah, King of Judah.
At the time Hezekiah took the throne, the Assyrian empire
had conquered many nations, including
God had already used Assyria to judge
Even though this was an act of clear rebellion against a ruling power, Hezekiah had both the blessing and the support of God, and because of this he was successful in resisting Assyrian control. In fact, through the prophet Isaiah God rebuked the King of Assyria for his pride and then sent an angel who killed 185,000 men in the Assyrian army.
This story reveals a powerful truth about rebellion, which is that ultimately some rebellion is good. In Genesis 4:7 God told Cain that sin was “crouching at the door” desiring to control him, and that he must resist it, even “master it” or it would master him. We can see this same principle in James 4:7 where we are commanded not only to submit to the authority of God, but also to resist the authority of the Devil. The Devil wants to exercise authority over our lives, and if we are going to remain free from his control, then we will have to resist it.
In 1st Corinthians 7:23 Paul admonished us to “not become slaves of men.” Certainly there are those who God has placed in various positions of authority in our life, and our clear responsibility is to submit to these. But there are also people who, like Devil, would like to exercise authority in our lives, even though they have no God-given right to do so. Ultimately this type of authority is Satanic, and Paul was admonishing us to resist and rebel from anyone trying to exercise this kind of ungodly authority over us.
Submission:
foundation and fruit of authority Submission is defined
as, “yielding to the power, control, judgment, or authority of another.”
Jesus is the perfect example of someone who was submitted to the authority of
His God. (John 6:38, 5:19,30) Through his perfect submission to His
father, Jesus showed us the key to understanding how and why true, Godly
authority works. It was this key that
a Roman centurion understood when he said to Jesus in Luke 7:7-8, “Just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man placed under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!' and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!' and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”
This man recognized
that, just as he was “under the authority” of his Roman superior, Jesus was
subjected God Himself, and therefore had the legitimate right to operate in
the authority of His Father. This
principle is the primary reason why authority is ultimately either effective
or ineffective. When someone is
himself in complete submission to the authority above him, then he can be
fully authorized to be in authority over others, since ultimately any
authority he has is simply an extension of his superior’s authority. We can easily see from
this principle how God intended for authority to work – whether in a home,
school, church, job, state, or country.
Whenever someone was placed in authority over others, he or she was
first expected to be in subjection, either directly or indirectly, to God’s
will and authority. As long as this
condition was met, that authority could truly be considered Godly authority,
and would produce Godly results. Unfortunately this has
seldom been and seldom is the case.
Indeed, far more often than not, the conditions of human authority in
the earth have borne a remarkable resemblance to the situation which God
spoke of in Jeremiah 5:30-31: “An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the
land: the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule on their own
authority.” This verse describes a
problem which has existed throughout the history of man and still exists
today – rulers who are ruling “on their own authority” rather than as
an extension of God’s authority.
Notice God’s response to this problem in Jeremiah 5:31:
“But what will you do in the end of it.” Today’s paraphrase of
this question would probably be, “Where is it going to get you?” God then answers this rhetorical question
in the following chapter, informing them that destruction will be “the end of
it.” Many stories in the Bible and
history show us that “destruction” in one form or another will always
be the “end” of corrupt authority. When
Godly authority is established, on the other hand, it will always end in
blessing. A powerful example of
this principle is found in the story of Solomon assuming the throne as King
over Acknowledging that
Solomon was God’s chosen king over Israel, all officials in the kingdom,
including Solomon’s own brothers, willingly placed their hands, representing
their strength and offices, under his, in a gesture of submission and
support. When authority is ordained and established by God, it will be
recognized and supported by the “mighty men” and “officials” whom God has
chosen to support it. As the various
supporting persons, offices or ministries “place their hands under” a God
ordained position of authority, they enable the anointing of God to flow
freely through the entire authority structure. Psalm 133:1 refers to this principle, using
the illustration of “precious oil” that was poured upon the head of Aaron on
the occasion of his consecration as high priest, and which then flowed down
first to his beard and then to his robes. The head refers to the
source of authority. Ultimately God is
the “head” of all authority. But this concept also applies to human authority
– as in the case of man being the “head” of the woman (Ephesians 5:23). When a man is submitted to the authority of
his “head,” which is Jesus Christ, he is in a position to serve as “head” of
his home. And as his wife and children
submit to his authority in the home, the anointing is then free to flow from
Jesus to the man, then to his wife, and finally to the children. In Matthew 6:24 Jesus
made it clear that no one can serve, or be under the authority of two
masters. In Romans 6:16 Paul declared
that we are “slaves of the one whom you obey.” Ultimately we are all under authority of some kind, but the choice as
to whose authority we will submit ourselves to is up
to us. If we are willing to submit to
God’s authority then we put ourselves in a position to receive the “precious
oil” that comes from Jesus Himself. Godly and worldly authority contrasted In Matthew 20:25-28 Jesus contrasted how the exercise of legitimate authority among His followers was to be different than the authority of the world under Satan’s control: “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over
them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It is not this way among you, but
whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever
wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man
did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for
many.” (Mark 10:42-45, Luke 22:25-27)
This passage contains
God’s own description of how authority is to be exercised in His kingdom and
among his children, and it is in complete contrast to the world’s way, which,
as we have seen, is simply operating according to the dictates of its god,
Satan. To make his point even
clearer, Jesus added this phrase: “Even as the son of man came, not to be ministered to,
but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28)
The pattern for true
Godly authority is “The son of man” – a reference to Jesus Himself. Jesus is the
ultimate example of how authority is to be administered in God’s kingdom –
His love, patience, understanding, mercy, gentleness and willingness to lay
down his life for his brothers. (John 15:13, 1 John 3:16) Authority that is patterned after Jesus looks
nothing like most authority in the world; in fact, it looks more like a
servant than a ruler. In the fifth chapter
of Nehemiah there is another clear example of the difference between godly,
servant-hearted authority and the selfish, corrupt and domineering authority
that is so common in the world. As
this chapter opens, Nehemiah, who had been appointed governor of 14 “From the day that I was appointed to be their governor… for twelve years, neither I nor my kinsmen have eaten the governor's food allowance. 15 The former governors who were before me laid burdens on the people and took from them bread and wine besides forty shekels of silver; even their servants domineered the people. But I did not do so because of the fear of God. 16 I also applied myself to the work on this wall; we did not buy any land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work. 17 Moreover, there were at my table one hundred and fifty Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us.” In this passage
Nehemiah reveals several powerful principles that will always be present in
true Godly authority. Notice in verse
14-15 that the governors who had gone before him had used their position of
authority to exploit the people for the personal advantage, taking their
bread, wine and money, and that their servants also had “domineered”
the people. In contrast, Nehemiah
made it clear that for over 12 years he had waived his right to eat “the governor’s
food allowance” – implying that he received, as his “salary” much less than
those who had gone before him. (See 1
Corinthians. 9:4-12) Also notice that
neither Nehemiah nor any of those on his staff bought any land, as many of
the wealthy people were doing to the exploitation of the poor among them. Notice too, that the
reason Nehemiah gave for his unwillingness to use his position as a means to
exploit the weak to his personal advantage was, “because of the fear
of God.” A genuine fear of God and an unwillingness to use one’s position for
personal gain will always characterize true Godly authority. In verse 9 Nehemiah had asked the nobles, “should
you not walk in the fear of God because of the reproach of our
enemies?” Nehemiah knew that their actions as leaders not only affected
themselves and the people, but ultimately also had a direct effect on the
success or failure of the nation before their enemies. Next notice in verse
16 that not only did Nehemiah and his servants not buy any land, but they “were
gathered there for the work.” Contrast this with certain nobles among the people
who “did not support the work.” (2:5)
True Godly authority will always be willing to “get its hands dirty” with the
work that must be done, while corrupt authority will many times choose
instead to stay aloof from the work, assigning and delegating tasks to
others, but never really walking and working “among the people.” And finally notice in
verse 17 that Nehemiah had over 150 people who ate “at his table,” or whom he
personally supported with his salary.
Contrast this with those governors who had gone before him, who had
taken for themselves “bread and wine” from the people in addition to “40 shekels
of silver.” True Godly authority will
always be generous and provide for others with all it possesses,
just as corrupt authority will almost always be selfish, lavishing its wealth
upon itself. In this one little
story, Nehemiah exemplified four of the most important and defining aspects
of true, Godly authority: A fear of
God, an unwillingness to use position for personal advantage, a willingness
to do the work, and a generous heart. Kingdom
authority The Bible has a lot to
say about kingdom authority. A
“kingdom” refers to the dominion of a king – not merely the geographical area
over which a king rules, but the manner in which he rules, and the extent to
which his laws and decrees are carried out.
The The Bible makes it
clear that God’s kingdom is eternal, and his dominion extends to every corner
of creation. However, ever since Adam
and Eve yielded the authority of the earth into the hands of Satan, God has
in a sense been “on the outside looking in” when it comes to the earth. It was for this reason that Jesus
instructed his followers to pray saying, “your kingdom come, your will
be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10) This verse expresses the essence of Kingdom
authority – to bring God’s will to pass in the
earth.
Some of the most
insightful statements about kingdom authority in the Bible are found in the
records of the Kings of “Then Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king
instead of David his father; and he prospered, and all At first glance, it is
hard to believe this verse actually says what it does. Solomon sat, not just on the throne of
David, but the throne “OF THE LORD!”
As I said before, at this time in
human history, God was using the God had declared that
he would set Though the extent of
Solomon’s kingdom was even greater than that of David, far more was written
about his father, King David, than any other king. Not only was David called “a man
after God’s own heart,” he is in many
passages a representation of Jesus – the ultimate king. It is not surprising, then that the reign
of David provides us with so much insight into the principles of Kingdom
authority. One of the most
powerful verses concerning the reign of King David over the people of God is
found in 2 Samuel 5. In this passage,
David had already reigned as king over “David realized that the LORD had established him as
king over Israel, and that He had exalted his kingdom for the sake of His
people
This verse reveals a
powerful truth about Kingdom authority.
Not only did God choose David to be King over When David saw all
these things taking place, and how his kingdom was being “exalted” all around
him, He realized that it was Lord’s doing, and that He was doing it not for
David’s sake, but “for the sake of His people.” God will always establish
those whom he places in positions of authority. Furthermore, when God places people in
positions of authority, he ultimately does it not for their own sake, but for
the sake of the people whom they are in authority over. Exercising
kingdom authority One of the simplest
and yet most powerful revelations concerning the proper exercise of kingdom
authority is in 2 Samuel 8:15, where we have a brief summary of David’s
reign: “So David reigned over all This passage reveals to us that the primary purpose of kingdom authority is to: “Administer justice and righteousness.” When the queen of
“Blessed be the Lord your God who delighted in you to
set you on the throne of
There are over 25
references to doing “Justice and righteousness” in the Old Testament. Perhaps the most powerful of all these is
Genesis 18:19, where God said that executing justice and righteousness was
equivalent to keeping “The way of the Lord.” From this verse it is easy to
see why “doing justice and
righteousness” is essential in
exercising kingdom authority, because it is the way God rules. God established this fact clearly in
Jeremiah 9:24 when He declared, “…I am the
LORD who exercises mercy, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight
in these things." To exercise mercy,
righteousness and justice in the earth is to bring to pass the desire and
delight of God’s heart in the earth. “Doing righteousness” may be rephrased as doing what is right in God’s eyes, which involves bringing our lives and those circumstances that are under our control into conformity with God’s standard of what is right. The only way man can do this is by first believing in Jesus, and then being filled with His Spirit, who will bring forth the fruit of God’s righteousness in our lives. (Isaiah 61:3, Ephesians 5:9, Philippians 1:11) Only then can man hope to exercise righteousness in the lives and circumstances of others.
“Doing justice” is the same phrase used in Micah 6:8, where the prophet says that the first thing God requires of mankind is “To do justice.” This phrase may also be translated as “To execute judgment.” The idea behind this phrase is standing up for what is right in situations where injustice would otherwise triumph – such as the exploitation of the weak by the strong. God commanded his people to do this very thing on many occasions:
Proverbs 31:9 “Open your mouth, judge righteously; defend the rights
of the afflicted and needy.” Isaiah 1:17 “Seek justice, reprove the ruthless, defend the orphan,
plead for the widow.” Christians often shrink back from “executing judgment” particularly when it comes to “reproving the ruthless.” Often they justify their silence by quoting Matthew 7:1, “Do not judge so that you will not be judged.” But if we are going to exercise true kingdom authority, and keep “The way of the Lord,” then we will have learn to follow both parts of the command Jesus gave us in John 7:24:
“Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”
Executing justice and
righteousness on the earth is the same as executing God’s will on the earth,
which, as I said earlier, is the very essence of kingdom authority. Psalm 149:5-9 says that it is an honor for
all God’s people to execute the judgments of God on the earth by means of the
“two-edged sword in their hand”
(Representing the “sword of the spirit” – the Word of God – Ephesians
6:17). In the same way, it is an honor
for us, as followers of Christ, to exercise the authority of his kingdom in
the earth. Authority taken
Ultimately, all
authority is either taken or given.
The Bible gives several examples of authority being taken by someone
to whom it was not given. The most
powerful example of this is when Satan stole the authority God had given Adam
and Eve over the earth. And as I said
before, that incident is the source of all others like it. Another powerful example of this is found
in the story of Adonijah – a son of David who tried
to take the throne just before David’s death. 1 Kings 1:5 tells us
that Adonijah, sensing that David was about to die,
“exalted himself, saying ‘I will be king.’ ” It is
hard not to see the similarity between this statement and the ones made by
Satan in Isaiah 14:13-14. Adonijah could have benefited greatly from the wisdom
found in Luke 14:11: “Everyone
who exalts himself will be humbled.” Then, after “exalting himself,” Adonijah gathered together leading men to support him in
his campaign, and invited them all to what was, in his mind, his coronation
feast. This incident reveals
several things about those who try to take authority, which they have not
been given. In 1 Kings 1:6 we are told
that David had never corrected Adonijah or
questioned him concerning any of his actions.
In other words, Adonijah was undisciplined
and spoiled, and was most likely not used to submitting to anyone, including
his father, the king. These same
traits will almost always be present in those who try to take authority. This story also shows
us that when someone is bold enough to exalt himself to a position of
authority, he will most likely be able to find others who will join with him
– sometimes key figures. Adonijah was able to win over Joab,
who had been the commander of the army under king David, and Abiathar, the high priest. Together with others, they “helped” Adonijah in his ill-fated attempt to take the throne. Another story that
reveals some powerful truths concerning authority being taken rather than
given is the story of Jezebel. Unlike Adonijah, Jezebel did not openly seek to exalt herself to
a position of authority rather she worked through the authority of her
husband Ahab, the king of 1 Kings 21:25 tells us that Jezebel “incited” Ahab to do evil. The word “incited” refers to persuading,
enticing, seducing, provoking, and otherwise manipulating someone to do
something. In order for authority to
be taken in this manner, there must be someone who, like Ahab, has a position
of authority, but is lax in exercising it, and easily controlled. People operating under
this “Jezebel” principle, as it is sometimes called, are content to have the
appearance of being in the background, as long as they are able to usurp and
twist someone else’s authority to their own ends. Though this method of taking authority is
not as obvious as the one described above, it is every bit as corrupt, and
usually more difficult to discover, being far more subtle in its approach. Authority given There are also a number
of passages in the Bible where authority is pictured as a gift from God. In Numbers 27:18-20 God told Moses to lay
his hands on Joshua and “Put some of your authority on him.” In 1st
Samuel 15:28 Samuel told King Saul that God had torn the kingdom from him and
given it to David. In 1 Kings 11:11,
God said that he would take the kingdom from Solomon and give it to his
servant. 2 Chronicles 20:3 says that Jehoshaphat gave the kingdom to his son Jehoram. And, in
Daniel 2:37 Daniel informed the king of In Daniel 7:14, Daniel relates a vision he had in which he foresaw Jesus being presented before the Ancient of Days, where he was “given dominion, glory and a kingdom.” Jesus referred to this incident as well in Luke 19, telling a parable in which he is pictured as a nobleman who “went to a distant country to receive a kingdom.” Later in the parable, Jesus said this nobleman “returned, after receiving the kingdom.”
In Luke 12:32, Jesus
told his disciples, “Your Father has chosen gladly to give you
the kingdom” – indicating that God delights
in giving his sons the right to exercise the authority of his kingdom in the
earth. And in Luke 19, Jesus declared
by means of another parable that those who had been faithful in their use of
the gifts that God had given them would be rewarded with positions of
authority over entire cities in the age that is to come. In Luke 3, after Jesus
came up from water of the Some time later, Jesus called his the 12 disciples together and we are told that he “Gave them power and authority” to do all that he Himself had been doing. And in Luke 10:19 he told them that had given them “authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy.” Then, just before ascending to heaven, Jesus again called the apostles together and said, “All authority has been given unto me, in heaven and on earth, therefore, you go…”
Ultimately the only
legitimate authority that exists is authority that has been given by God,
whether directly or indirectly through other God-ordained authority. Psalm 75:3 informs us that ultimately
promotion to authority does not come from man but from God. And throughout scripture God has established
some clear qualifications that he looks for before he gives anyone a position
of authority over others. These
qualifications include: humility, submission to Godly authority,
faithfulness, a fear of God, and a love for people. The purpose of
authority I mentioned before
that one of the essential components of authority is that it exists for a
purpose. All authority comes with
responsibility. Whether it is a
president or a parent, all those who are given authority are given authority
in order to accomplish and/or prevent something. And ultimately, all true Godly authority is
expressed, in one way or another, as service to others. In 2 Corinthians 10:8
and 13:10, Paul said that the authority which the Lord had given him and the
other apostles within the church was for the purpose of “building up” and not for “destroying” or “tearing down.” Through their words, letters
and actions, the apostles used their God-given authority to continually build
up the body of Christ. By contrast God
specifically told Jeremiah that the purpose of his prophetic authority was
not only for “building and planting”
but also “to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow.” (Jeremiah
1:10 ) Throughout the Old Testament
rebuking, correcting, and sometimes even removing kings and others in
positions of authority were the God-assigned duties of the prophets. There are many such
instances where God authorized his prophets to both speak and act against
those in authority, in some cases even removing them from authority. Without question, these incidents clearly
show that it is not always wrong to speak out or act against those who are in
authority. But such incidents also
carry a strong caution that any such rebuke of those in authority must be
done only at the leading of the Holy Spirit. Paul expressed this
same caution in 1Tim 5:19-20, where he cautioned Timothy not to receive an
accusation against an elder except “on the basis of two or three
witnesses.” In the
very next verse, however, Paul told Timothy that, in the cases of Elders who
were found to be continuing in sin, he was to “rebuke them in the
presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning.” Paul was authorizing
Timothy to act in Paul’s authority - the same authority that he had exercised
when he rebuked Peter in Galatians 2:11-21.
He gave the same instruction to Titus, telling him to, “speak,
exhort and reprove with all authority.”
(Titus 2:15) The reason Paul gave these men these
instructions is because he recognized the simple but profound truth that in
the process of building or remodeling a house, it is often necessary that
something be torn down before something else can be built. Authority in the
church The New Testament
contains a number of passages that mention an authority structure within the
church. Perhaps the clearest such
passage is Hebrews 13:17, which admonishes us, “Obey your leaders and
submit to their authority, for they keep watch over you as men who must give
an account.” When most people think
of authority in the church they tend to think only of the priest or pastor of
their local congregation. But the New
Testament refers to a number of offices within the church, including
apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, elders, overseers and deacons. Unlike many offices in the world however,
these offices within the church are not pictured so much as positions of
authority, but rather as ministries or services to the body of Christ. Most churches have a
single pastor or priest whose function in the church is much like the
function of the CEO of a business.
Unfortunately this pattern has more in common with the world’s system
than it does with the pattern of the early church. Of all the churches mentioned in the New
Testament, none are described as being led by a single pastor. There are,
however, a number of verses that refer to a group of elders, or overseers,
comprised of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. Consider the following verses: Acts 13:1 “Now there were at Acts 20:17,18,28 “From
1 Corinthians 12:28 “God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers…” 1 Corinthians 14:26, 29 “When you come together, everyone has a hymn, a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church… Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said.” Eph 4:11-12 “He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ.” Titus 1:5 “For this reason I left you
in 1st Peter 5:1-3 “I exhort the elders among you… shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness. Nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.”
The pattern of the early church was that all of the ministers in the
various offices referred to above worked together to “Shepherd the flock of
God.” Rather than competing with each
other, these various offices of authority within the church actually
complemented each other as each person exercised the proper God-given
authority of their office. When a church is functioning according to this pattern, just as Moses
built the tabernacle “according to the pattern” which God had shown him, the
result will be that “the whole body, joined and held together by every
supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does
its work.” (Ephesians 4:16) The key to how this type of authority works is that “each part
does its work.” As each member of the body walks in their
proper calling and gifting, there will be a natural give and take, with each
office yielding to the authority of others at different times. This principle of mutual submission among
the various offices within the church is seen in Paul’s words in Ephesians
5:21: “submit to one another
out of reverence for Christ.” Unfortunately very few churches follow this pattern. Instead, as I mentioned earlier, most
churches operate like a business, with a pastor appointed as the “CEO.” A pastor in this type of church is usually
overloaded with responsibilities that he has neither the time, gifting, nor
anointing to fulfill. Depending on the
authority structure of the particular denomination, the pastor may have
others on his “staff” to help share the load, but this alone can neither
substitute for nor produce the results of following God’s pattern. The reason so many churches follow this pattern is that, like a
business, it is structured and controllable.
Like the ox-drawn cart that David tried to bring the Ark of the
Covenant into Insight from the tabernacle In the Old Testament, when it came time for the Israelites to move,
the tabernacle needed to be disassembled, carried, and then re-assembled
again at the new camp. In Numbers 3-4
God assigned this responsibility to the three sons of Levi: Gershon, Merari, and Kohath. Each once
was assigned specific duties for certain components of the tabernacle. As we
look at these duties, we will discover that they reveal something about the
church as well as the tabernacle. The Merarites were responsible for carrying
all the posts and beams that, when assembled, served as the framework for the
tabernacle. The Gersonites
were responsible for carrying all the veils, curtains and other coverings that
were hung over the framework once it was assembled. And finally, the Kohathites
were responsible for carrying all the furniture, objects and utensils that
were placed inside the tabernacle once it was set up. When the Israelites moved from one camp to the next, they marched in
the order that God had instructed them.
By God’s design, the sons of Levi marched in such a way that by the
time the Kohathites arrived at the new camp the
tabernacle had already been set up by the Merarites
and the Gershonites. (Numbers 10:17,21) The Kohathites
were then able carry the furniture and utensils into the tabernacle and begin
their regular priestly duties. In Ephesians 2:19-20, Paul referred to the church as a building that
had been built “on the foundation of the apostles and prophets Christ
Jesus Himself being the corner stone.” The function of the apostles and prophets
within the church corresponds to that of Gershon
and Merari in the Old Testament, while the function
of evangelists, pastors and teachers corresponds to that of Kohath. Much of the ministry of the apostles in the early church involved
church planting and building at a “framework” level. (2 Corinthians
10:8) This “framework” was both
doctrinal, in the form of foundational truths and doctrine, and personal, in
the form of choosing elders and other key figures in the church. It also involved the oversight of issues of
church order and discipline. We can
see this clearly in the early chapters of Acts as the apostles laid the
groundwork for church doctrine, while also planting and overseeing many new
churches. Much of the work of prophets in the early church, as in the Old
Testament, involved making known God’s counsel with regard to his will and
guidance for his people, both personally and corporately. Like the quartermaster on a ship who is
responsible for reading the charts, maps and compass so that the ship stays
on the proper course, the primary function of the prophets was to “hear what
the spirit was saying to the church” and then share that vital information
with the body. The prophets were also instrumental in “establishing” and anointing
people in their proper offices of ministry, which as we saw earlier, were
represented by the coverings over the tabernacle. This is seen in the Old Testament in many
instances where the prophets called and anointed various leaders and others
in authority. The same idea is seen in
the New Testament in the concept of the presbytery, in which spiritual gifts
and offices were imparted to believers through the prophetic message. (1 Tim 4:14) The primary function of evangelists is to preach the gospel. The very word evangelist means “one who
proclaims good news.” We see this
clearly in 2 Timothy 4:2, where Paul gave Timothy this charge: “Preach
the word; be ready in season and out of season…” and then went on to tell him, “Do the work of an evangelist,
fulfill your ministry.” Because of their
calling and gifting to preach the gospel, Evangelists are often the ones making
direct converts to Christ, thereby “filling” the church. The primary function of pastors and teachers is to feed God’s people
the word of God. In John 21:15-18
Jesus instructed Peter to “feed my flock,”
“tend my sheep,” and “feed my sheep.”
From the new converts longing for the “milk of the word” (1 Pet. 2:1) to the seasoned Christians who are
longing for “solid food,” (Heb.
5:12-14), pastors and teachers are those whom God has “put in charge
of his household to give them their food at the proper time.” (Matthew 24:45)
And as they do this, they “fill” the church spiritually. Proverbs 24:3-4 gives us even more insight into this powerful
correlation between the framework, coverings and furniture of the tabernacle
and the church: “By wisdom a house is
built, and by understanding it is established; and by knowledge
the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.” Ultimately God’s plan for any church is that it would “filled with all precious and pleasant
riches” – that is, filled with the
riches of God’s Truth, and filled
with the people he draws into it. But
before this can happen, a church must first be “established,” and before it
can be established, it must first be “built.” “By wisdom a house is built” The “building” of a church corresponds to the setting up the
framework of the tabernacle. A close
study of this framework reveals that it consisted of 120 pieces of wood. By no coincidence, Acts 1:15 tells us that
the group of believers that formed the first New Testament church consisted
of “about 120 persons.” These 120 persons formed the initial
framework for the house that God would begin to build at Pentecost. “By understanding it is established” The “establishing” of a church corresponds to the coverings that were
placed over the framework of the tabernacle.
There were four coverings in all, one of linen, one of goat hair, one
of ram’s skin, and one of porpoise skin.
A covering symbolizes authority, and these four coverings over the
tabernacle represent the offices of authority in the church, listed in
Ephesians 4:11: 1. Apostles 2. Prophets 3. Evangelists and 4. Pastors and
teachers. A church can truly be established
only when each of these offices is functioning properly. “By knowledge its rooms are filled…” The “filling” of the rooms of a church corresponds to the furniture
that filled the tabernacle once it was set up. This furniture consisted of all the items
that were used by the priests in their daily service in the tabernacle. Once a church has been both built and
established according to God’s pattern, it rooms can be “filled with all
precious and pleasant riches.” Conclusion Whether in the church or out, authority that follows the pattern that
God has given us in his word will always produce good fruit, just as surely
as authority that deviates from God’s pattern will always produce bad
fruit. All of us are affected by
authority in many ways, and ultimately our understanding of the principles of
authority will determine both the way we exercise authority and the way we
respond to the authority of others. It is my hope that this article has brought you greater understanding
on the subject of authority and that, as you seek to apply this understanding
to your life, God continues to reveal his truth to you concerning the
principles of authority. As Christians
our views on authority have a direct impact on those we come into contact
with. Because of this, it is all the
more important that we both respond to and exercise authority in such that
they will bring honor and glory to the source of all authority, God Himself.
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