Authority In The Church! - Part 1

Authority is the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience.

This is ordained by God! But abuse of it can be very counter-productive to the kingdom aim. One of the major reasons for authority in the church is for things to be done in a fitting and orderly way [1 Cor 14:40 NIV].

Another reason is to control people's excesses-- "When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is joyful." [Prov 29:18].

Exo 19:4-6 shows God's original intention to make the descendants on Israel a 'Kingdom of priest'.

This was fully achieved in Christ. Rev 1:6 NIV says "...and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father."

Every believer is qualified for the following attributes: "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." [1 Pet 2:9 NIV]. In view of this, how should we treat God's people that we are privileged to lead?

Richard Halverson: "Evangelicals seem to want power only so they can accomplish their agenda, which is not a Kingdom of God agenda. They want a spiritual revival so they can be more materialistic... But the surest way for this to be a better world is for people to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. The model for Christian leadership today is not the entrepreneur, not the CEO--it is the suffering servant, Jesus Christ."

Col 2:15 (NIV) And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

1 Cor 15:24 (NIV) Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.

Civil, Servant, and "Spiritual" Authority

Scripture makes a distinction between civil and a new type of authority, servant authority, and often contrasts the two--allowing civil authority to continue in this world until the end of the age, but forbidding it in the church.

We know how the kingdom of this world works: power, the "pecking order", money, dominion, class distinctions, titles, status, etc. Should such practices be permitted in the kingdom of God? What is the destiny of those who "exercise authority", "lord it over", and "want to be first"?

The question is important today because many Christian sects have adopted the world's practices and teachings of power structure, calling it "spiritual authority". What does Jesus think of this? Is this teaching Scriptural?

Let's consider the following bible verses:

Mat 28:18 (NIV) Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."

1 Tim 2:5-6 (NIV) For there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all men...

Eph 1:21 (NIV) far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but in the age to come.

Phil 2:10-11 (NEB) that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow--in heaven, on earth, and in the depths--and every tongue confess, "Jesus Christ is Lord", to the glory of God the Father.

1 Cor 8:5-7 (Phi) For though there are so-called gods both in heaven and earth--gods and lords galore in fact--for us there is only one God, the Father, from whom everything comes, and for whom we live. And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom everything exists, and through whom we ourselves are alive.

1 Cor 8:7 (NIV) But not everyone possesses this knowledge...

A Completely New Kind of Authority

John 13:3-8 (NIV) Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God, so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand." "No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."

Richard Foster: "Whenever there is trouble over who is the greatest, there is trouble over who is the least. That is the crux of the matter for us, isn't it? Most of us know we will never be the greatest; just don't let us be the least. Gathered at the Passover feast, the disciples were keenly aware that someone needed to wash the others' feet. The problem was that the only people who washed feet were the least. So there they sat, feet caked with dirt. It was such a sore point that they were not even going to talk about it. No one wanted to be considered the least. Then Jesus took a towel and a basin and redefined greatness."

John 13:12-17 (NIV) When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them."

Spiritual authority is authority to serve, authority to put yourself last, authority to say no to the world's ideas of self-promotion. Christ has told us His secret... and we are authorized to imitate Him. To obey Christ means putting yourself at the whim of the needs of others, to give up your rights and humble yourself, leaving the promotion and control up to God.