by Dennis Walker

One of the most important issues in the church is the correct use of authority. What is the correct use of authority? What is an abuse of authority? The church that doesn't know these important principles concerning authority is destined to suffer traumas inflicted on itself. To know the correct usage of authority, it is necessary to know the levels of authority given by God.

There are different levels of authority, but every authority should have its origin in God. If it doesn't have its origin in God, it is not legitimate authority. He is the supreme authority of the universe. Just as a system of civil justice maintains lower courts and higher courts, so is the authority of God.  Romans 13 says, "Submit to the higher authorities." What are the higher authorities in my home, in the church, and in the whole world? In order to submit to the higher authorities it is necessary to understand the levels of authority.

The following graphic demonstrates those levels:

 
Note in the graphic that there are three levels with larger letters and four with smaller letters. Those that have larger letters correspond to the areas that belong to God himself. Those that have smaller letters are the levels of delegated authority. In the graphic I am presenting the levels of authority in order of priority. Possibly some people will think that this is not the correct order. That the authority of government should be over the authority of the individual or of the family. Remember that all authority comes from God himself. The priorities of delegated authority can be seen in the order that God gave them. First, the authority of the individual was given in the creation of man. Then the authority of the church was given through Moses when he established the first ministerial order. Finally, the authority of civil government was given through the prophet Samuel when Israel cried out for a king like the rest of the nations. As we define these levels of authority, we'll explain why they are in this order.

The Supreme Authority of God - Job 42:2

The authority of God is the highest authority. It is above creation and all the laws of nature. God created all things and all things comes from Him. Apart from Him there is no law, there is no truth nor order. See: Genesis 1:1-3, Psalms 107:25-29.
The authority of God is above all men. It is above delegated authority, above: the individual, the family, the governments, the cultures, the customs and beliefs of man, because God is the creator of man. See: Daniel 4, Acts 9, Luke 12:16-21.
The authority of God is above celestial beings. It is above the angels as well as the demons. He is God in the highest. See: Daniel 4:35, Hebrews 1:14. The authority of God is above Satan, because Satan is a created being as are all the angels. See: Job 1:12 and 2:26, Revelations 20:2. The Word of God tells us that all things, visible and invisible, were created in Him and by Him subsist. See: Col. 1:15-17.

The Authority of the Truth

The word of God declares that God is the Truth. See: John 14:6, 16:13, 17:17. All truth finds its origin in God or it is not Truth, and apart from Him there is no Truth. The authority that comes with truth is birthed from the very nature of God. The Word of God serves to reveal to us that there is contention between the truth and lies. See: John 8:43-47, 18:37-38, Rom. 1:25. Lies and truth are not compatible. Truth is invincible and cannot be changed nor diminished by a lie. See: 2 Corinthians 13:8, Romans 2:2. Truth shall overcome all lies. 

Our world functions because of truth. Science functions on facts set forth as truths. Social, governmental, and moral orders function on the basis of a system of knowledge of that which is correct and true: THE TRUTH.  When we use the term "Truth" it is necessary to distinguish between "truths" and "the truth". Truth is the "body of truth" composed of individual truths or facts. Any lawyer knows that a person could take a truth and use it to effectuate a lie. A truth may be twisted and manipulated so that  an apparent truth becomes a lie. That is why in a court of law they ask for the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
With the following graphic we will try to explain the relationship of individual truths to that of THE TRUTH.

Truth is Like a Wheel

The Word of God reveals the church as the fortress of the Truth. See: 1 Timothy 3:15. Every Christian Church should know and respect the body of truth composed of individual truths. The church should guard itself from unbalanced or exaggerated truths. Every true church will be founded on the Truth. If the church leaves the Truth, it is no longer the church of Jesus Christ.

Delegated authority

The authority that we exercise in societies, cultures and human relations is an authority delegated by God and has its manifestation in four spheres of human life.  Listed here in order of priority, beginning with the most basic ones, are:

• The Authority of the Individual

• The Authority of the Family

• The Authority of the Church

• The Authority of Civil Government

The key to understanding delegated authority is in the word to "delegate". This word means:  

To transmit by means of a representative. To delegate in one his power. To send or command.

We see that delegated authority is the authority of God himself given or sent in someone who represents him. If we respect and obey delegated authority, we are respecting and obeying God as long as the authority comes from God  whether it's the authority of our parents or of the officials of civil government. For example, if our parents or governors command that we not exceed the speed limit, we should respect and obey them because that authority is based on the authority of the truth (the excess endangers our lives and that of others). Nevertheless, if our parents or governors command that we not read the Bible, we should respond as the disciples did in the book of Acts 4:19, "Judge if it is right before God to obey you rather than God." In this case, submitting to the higher authorities would mean disobedience to the authorities that are in opposition to God. Can you see how important it is to understand the function of authority?

The Authority of the Individual

This area of authority is the most basic and deserves respect above all the other areas of delegated authority. God himself has delegated to man the authority to choose his own way and destiny. This right is called free will. Any family, church or government that lacks respect to the individual is entering dangerous territory, because God himself respects this authority. When we place the authority of the individual in a place of priority it does not mean that the individual does not need to respect the other areas of  authority. The goal of every individual should be one of discerning when an authority is functioning in a higher level of authority (the authority of the Truth). The word "function" is important and we will study the difference between positional and functional authority at the end of this discussion.
When the individual comes to Christ there are new areas of authority that God delegates. Matthew 18:18-20 shows that there is spiritual authority delegated by Christ  to the believers. Christ is in action in the believer. See: 2 Corinthians 5:17-20.
We are responsible for ourselves, for our decisions, and for our actions. See: Rom. 14:10-13, 1 Cor. 6:12, 2 Cor. 5:9-11, 2 Pet. 1:5-8. The Word admonishes us to test the spirits. It also admonishes us to try every word, vision and prophecy. Every government, family, or church should permit the free action of the authority of the adult individual, as long as the individual is acting responsibly under the authority of the truth. That means that the actions of the individual will be based on the truth. There are some people who desire to put the individual authority as the supreme authority. They are taking the truth (man is free to choose his own way) and they are taking it beyond its limit established by God. The Authority of the Truth brings  balance to the authority of the individual.
We are called to submit one to another, but this is not possible in the correct form if we are not submitted to The Higher Authorities, to God and the Truth before anything else. See: Eph. 5:21, Hebrews 13:17.

The Authority of the Family

God is the author of the family. He created the family when he united Adam and Eve and commanded them to multiply and bear fruit. By doing this he was delegating divine authority to the parents to care for, nurture, teach, and raise the children of the family. See: Eph. 6:1, 1 Tim. 3:4-5, 5:14. He commands obedience and respect within the family. It should not be a mystery why we see the family so under attack in these days. It is being attacked by a society separated from God and the truth (that is why it does not recognize the divine authority of the family). Any government or church that does not respect the authority of the family is destined to fail. The authority of God should be a reality within the family. The family that attempts to raise children without the authority of God and the Truth, will experience much frustration. The social order depends upon strong families who know how to raise their children in the fear of the Lord and with respect for authority. See: 1 Cor. 11:3, Eph. 5:21-6:4.
A wise father will teach his children respect for authority by his example. This includes respecting the individual authority of his own children. The father should give rights to his children that he himself can respect. Those rights can grow with the maturity of the child. The Authority of the Truth and the Authority of the Individual bring balance to the exercise of authority in the family. The dictator father (or mother) will produce in his children a total lack of respect toward his authority (and possibly all levels of authority). He may see in his children resistance to his authority, resistance to authority at school and even resistance to the authority of the civil government.

The Authority of the Church

Christ is the one who builds the church. He said in Matthew 16:18-19 that he will build His church upon the Rock of Faith in Him. In verse 19 of the same chapter he declares that He will give the keys of the kingdom to the church to bind and loose. See also: Matthew 18:18-20. The authority of the Church of Jesus Christ comes directly from Him, because He said in Matthew 28:18, "All authority is given me in heaven and in earth. Therefore go...". Christ is in action within the Church. The authority of the Christian is revealed in the words of Jesus before His ascension to heaven. He said, "...you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses..." Acts 1:8. There is authority delegated to the ministers of the church. See: Ephesians 4:11-16, 1 Cor. 7:17, 14:40, 1 Tim. 5:17. But there should be a balance in the exercise of authority in the church, always respecting the authority of the individual and the authority of the family. Matt. 20:20-28, 1 Pet. 5:3. Jesus teaches concerning the abuse of authority in Luke 22:24-27. In the church there are no kings but there are servants, not only in name but in actions. Every minister should be careful not to take authority over the congregation that does not belong to him. There are times when the people will try to put a minister in an incorrect position of authority over them. Be careful! There are areas of authority  of individuals that only belong to God. The commandment "thou shalt have no other gods before me" has application to ministers who take a place of authority over the people that does not belong to them.
An example of incorrect authority is when a minister is put in a position or takes the position of directing the personal life of a member of the church. "Pastor, what car should I buy? Who shall I marry?", etc.. Pastors are not fortunetellers! Minister of God, don't allow anyone to place you in that position! Another example is when the people of God put you in a position of being the "great illuminated one" that hears from God, while they don't.   The Word of God says, "My sheep hear my voice..." Every believer has an ability given by God to recognize His voice.  It is true that the ability to hear is sharpened as we use it and it is dulled when we don't use it. See: Hebrews 5:11-14. The authority God has given ministers is the authority of the Truth found in the Word of God. We should be strong and firm concerning issues of the Word and what it commands us to do.
Pastors have authority to administrate the issues of the local  congregation. God has delegated the authority to maintain the order of services, programs and events to the pastors of the church. Be faithful and confident in this important area of administration.

The Authority of Civil Government

Every government should receive its authority from God and the Truth. But the truth of the matter is that the majority of governments receive their authority based on their capacity to destroy. Many rulers who rule in the world today have ascended to power not by the consent of the people, but by a bloody strike. The majority stay in power without the approval of the people by tactics that produce fear in the people. The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America contains these words: "We maintain that these truths are self-evident, that all men are created equal, and that  they have been endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, among which are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to assure these rights, governments are instituted among men, receiving their just powers by the consent of the governed..." 

Every just government will recognize and respect the authority of the individual, the family and the church. Civil government should be the protector of the rights that God has given. Sadly, the tendency is otherwise. Romans 13:1 says, "There is no authority except that which is given by God." However, we live in a society that has been flooded by agnosticism. The Larousse Dictionary defines agnosticism in this way: "A doctrine that declares inaccessible to human understanding every notion of the absolute."

In other words, the agnostics say there is no absolute truth and that there is no supreme God. That is why we live under governments that have lost the concept of justice. Governments where corruption, dishonesty, and ignorance proliferate. The government that does not receive its authority from the Supreme God and from His truth revealed in the Sacred Scriptures does not have authority delegated by God. In spite of everything, God reigns over civil governments even if they are corrupt, and the Truth shall overcome the lies even if the whole world should believe them. See: Daniel 4:31-32,37, Prov. 29:12. We should submit to civil government in all things that do not obligate us to disobey the higher authorities. See: Rom. 13:1-8, Titus 3:1, 1 Pet. 2:13-17.

Positional and Functional Authority

In order to understand the function of authority in human relations, it is necessary to understand positional authority and functional authority. Let's describe a scene that applies in  similar ways to all areas of delegated authority.
A traffic accident occurred and at the scene of the accident was found a policeman, a doctor, and a judge. The three were people in authority and deserved respect, however, they began to argue about who would help the wounded.  It's obvious that the doctor should care for the wounded, not because he has more authority than the judge or the policeman, but because his position of authority coincided with the necessary function: medical attention.  In this case his authority was not derived from his position in society but from the Authority of The Truth, specifically, scientific truth about the function of the human body. There were other areas where the functions of the policeman were necessary: controlling traffic during the emergency and the investigation of the accident. Later the function of the judge would be necessary to bring  justice to the case.  As each individual in this case exercises authority over the others, you will observe that they operate in functional authority derived from the Authority of The Truth.
   
Sometimes we ignore the importance of the function. There are times when pastors or elders want to do things that don't correspond with their function in the church. The exercise of authority acting solely on the basis of a position produces irritation. In every area of  delegated authority we should seek for an integration of function and position.

Let's observe another scenario. John Doe, prominent member of his church, has a problem with managing his financial affairs. He is constantly getting into debt, and because of this his practices are less than honest. All of this has created a stress on his marriage; his wife, Jane, is at her wits' end. Jane meets with her pastor for counseling. What authority does this pastor have to address the issue? He could address the issue purely on positional authority. "As pastor of this church I forbid you to buy anything!" Pastor has just usurped the God-given authority of John Doe. If John doesn't obey, he becomes rebellious. If John does obey, he transfers his responsibility and authority to his pastor. Pastor, how many dependents can you handle?

The other option open to John Doe's pastor is to function as a pastor should, bringing teaching from God's word that meets the need. In this case the pastor appeals to a higher authority: The Authority of The Truth. It is then up to the Holy Spirit to bring conviction and repentance of sin. John's pastor can go home and sleep that night knowing that he functioned as a pastor.

Happy is the man whose position and function coincide!