Jun 1, 2008

On Authority

One more from the last few months.....this was part of an email discussion I had with a couple of friends. A book on this topic that I have found helpful is Frank Viola's "Who Is Your Covering?"

So, regarding authority........I agree that it's going too far to say that there isn't any authority in the body. The question is one of where that authority rests. Obviously we would all agree that the ultimate authority in the body rests with Jesus. He's the head and He builds His church. He has all authority on heaven and earth (Mt. 28). He lives in us who believe, and we who believe receive gifts by His Spirit. The instruction in the scriptures is for us to be subject/submit to one another (Eph. 5:21, 1 Pet. 5:5--see below) because the Lord expresses Himself through all of us (lots of stuff in 1 Cor. 10-14 about that). He vests authority in the church as a whole (Mt. 18:15-20, Eph. 1:22-23), and so subjecting ourselves to the church as a whole is part of that. I appreciate the body passage in 1 Cor. 12 because it points to the need we have for one another. And a practical expression of the fulfillment of this is in 14:26, where each brings something for the building up of all. There should be an openness to hearing what the Lord would say through any believer. This is not without discernment, certainly, but the body as a whole does that, too (see the end of 1 Cor. 14).

In addition, Jesus expresses His authority through a couple of different means. One is official authority. God gives authority in several relationships: husbands and wives, parents and children, king/rulers/government and the people of a nation. The authority in these relationships comes because of the position and doesn't change. If the person under authority is asked to do something against God's will, or if the authority is improperly expressed, disobedience may be appropriate, but the authority is still there as long as the same person is in the position, "in office." Bush has authority as long as he's president. We may not obey everything he says, but we should be subject to him--that is, treat him with respect, consider how he says the country should be run, etc. Folks in these "offices" are set over other people.

But that type of authority is actually discouraged by Jesus among the church (Mt. 20:25-28). A second type of authority, one that is organic and not official, comes from communion with Jesus. The Head signals the hand to move, and it moves. The hand doesn't have authority in and of itself, but it expresses the will and authority of the Head. Sometimes God uses the hand, other times He uses the knee, or the mouth, or the spleen. Those parts have authority when they express Christ, when they function as they ought to function, not because of what parts they are. No part is above another; they all need each other. And no part has the authority all of the time; authority is fluid based on the will of the Head who gives it. The focus is on the function, not the person or office.

Naturally the more mature brothers and sisters will more accurately express the will of God in what they say and do, and those that do express it should serve as a model for those who are younger. Also, God gives some brothers and sisters particular gifts that are to help the rest of the body function as it ought (Eph. 4). But those folks need the rest of the body in the same way that the rest of the body needs them. And God even shows a propensity to speak through the things which are lower/less. So to give the more mature/gifted folks the floor or to give them authority beyond the authority that comes from the Spirit moving in them undermines the authority of Jesus and limits the full function of the body.

It makes sense that the more mature believers would share more, offer insight to others, correct, etc., but if they monopolize the time as most pastor-types do they actually end up quenching the Spirit. You mention in your email that the Spirit is like a wind (pneuma). When believers come together they don't know exactly how God wants to speak. He will place things on the heart of just about everyone if they are filled in Spirit, and the body will grow as it should only if the full expression of this is allowed/realized. The authority of the Spirit is expressed in the entire body, not just through one or two brothers. And the only One who has authority over believers is Jesus. It isn't given in the scriptures to any man.

Note: 1 Peter 5:5 is interesting. In most of the translations I've read it says we should "clothe ourselves in humility," but if you look at the Greek it says something closer to the KJV: "Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble." The word for subjection/submission is used twice, once for younger to older, and once for all to each other. I'm certainly no Greek scholar, but it seems like the Greek is more extreme than most modern translations give credit.........score one for the KJV?

Thanks for prodding this. It's a relatively new idea for me, and I'd like to know if I'm off my rocker or not. Another place to look if you want someone to explain some of this better than I could is on Frank Viola's website (no, not the Cy Young Award winner....). That's at www.ptmin.org. He has a book on there called 'Straight Talk to Pastors' that is short and explains a lot.