{"id":563,"date":"2021-05-21T06:15:14","date_gmt":"2021-05-21T11:15:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cybercondor.x10host.com\/wp\/?p=563"},"modified":"2021-05-21T06:15:14","modified_gmt":"2021-05-21T11:15:14","slug":"the-biblical-principles-of-authority","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/cybercondor.x10host.com\/wp\/?p=563","title":{"rendered":"THE BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES OF AUTHORITY"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 I. Introduction<\/span><\/p>\n

Authority is an important principle in life. There are only two ways to live life. Either we recognize authority, or as it mentions in Judges 21:25: \u201ceveryone did what was right in his own eyes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0II. What is authority?<\/span><\/p>\n

It is the right to declare what is or is not correct, and the power to direct.<\/span><\/p>\n

III. Principles of authority<\/span><\/p>\n

A. Where does authority come from?<\/span><\/p>\n

Undoubtedly, always authority belongs to the owner. In this case, all authority belongs to God, because He is the author of everything, since he made the world through His Son, as we can see from the following verses.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. <\/span><\/p>\n

John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. <\/span><\/p>\n

Psalms 1:1-3 Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! 2 Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. 3 Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.<\/span><\/p>\n

These verses say it all. God is the owner and, therefore, has all authority. This shows that there is no true authority that does not come from Him. It is impossible that a human being legitimately hold authority unless it was given to him from God.<\/span><\/p>\n

B. How and under what circumstances has God given authority to others?<\/span><\/p>\n

1. In the Old Testament, God gave certain limited authority to people to proclaim His word and see that his will was carried out, such as prophets, judges, and finally kings. One should understand that the authority of such people was limited to carrying out what God had told them to do.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. In the New Testament, we see the same thing. Christ, during his life here on Earth, declared in John 12:47-50:<\/span><\/p>\n

47 And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him\u2014the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. 49 <\/span><\/span>For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak<\/u><\/span><\/span>. 50 And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, <\/span><\/span>just as the Father has told Me, so I speak<\/u><\/span><\/span>.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Christ said that His authority came from His Father. He did not claim authority nor did He desire to change any of the message that His Father had commanded Him to speak, because he knew that the commandment of God is life eternal for those who obey.<\/span><\/p>\n

Later, after his death and resurrection, Christ declared in Matthew 28:18-20:<\/span><\/p>\n

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, \u201cAll authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.\u201d Amen.<\/span><\/p>\n

This declaration shows clearly that God has given to Christ all authority to act for Him in everything. This has to be this way until the world ends. 1 Corinthians 15:24-28 says:<\/span><\/p>\n

24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. 27 For \u201cHe has put all things under His feet.\u201d But when He says \u201call things are put under Him,\u201d it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. 28 Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

When Christ comes and has His complete victory over His enemies, this world will be destroyed and Christ will take his church to be with Him in heaven where she will be for all eternity. And, the kingdom will be handed over to His Father. It is interesting to note that there is something that is not under the control of Christ, that is the Father. Christ still continues directing according to His Father’s desires.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Spirit explains this in 1 Corinthians 11:3:<\/span><\/p>\n

But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.<\/span><\/p>\n

So we see that Christ, in everything he does, continues to be subject to his Father, even though he reigns over all. This is an important principle that will help us later to understand a very important concept concerning the authority that Christ gives to men so that they might help His people.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. God gives certain men responsibility and authority over the nations of the earth.<\/span><\/p>\n

Romans 13:1-6<\/span><\/p>\n

Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4 For he is God\u2019s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God\u2019s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. 5 Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience\u2019 sake. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God\u2019s ministers attending continually to this very thing. <\/span><\/p>\n

From this we learn that when God gives responsibilities, he also gives the amount of limited authority necessary to carry out what He has commanded. Taking this case of the authorities in the nations as an example, we can see that the authority that God gives to men is not absolute authority, but the authority to care for the people for whom they are responsible and to carry out His will. It would be unjust for God to give responsibility without also giving the limited authority necessary to carry out what He has commanded.<\/span><\/p>\n

But, we notice that this authority <\/span><\/span>is<\/u><\/span><\/span> limited, because the authorities do not have the right to command something that is against the commands of God. Peter and John, responding to the authorities in Jerusalem, said in Acts 4:19-20:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

…Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. 20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. God has given to husbands authority over their wives to care for them:<\/span><\/p>\n

Ephesians 5:22-24<\/span><\/p>\n

22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.<\/span><\/p>\n

This Scripture indicates a wife should follow the instructions of her husband so that he may care for her. But, this authority is given so that he might protect and help his wife. It does not mean that the husband has a right to command that his wife disobey God to please him.<\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/a> 5. The same thing is true in the case of fathers in the home. God tells us in Colossians 3:20: \u201cChildren, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.\u201d But, it is understood that no father has the right to command that a child do his will just because he is the father, without taking into consideration God’s word.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

6. Preachers and teachers must have a \u201cso says the Lord\u201d for everything that they teach. Without this, they have no authority. They do not have the right to teach or direct, apart from what the Spirit gives us in the Bible.<\/span><\/p>\n

2 Timothy 4:1-4<\/span><\/p>\n

I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 <\/span><\/span>Preach the word<\/u><\/span><\/span>! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Speaking without the authority of the word would be to teach commandments of men, and this has always separated people from God. As it says in Matthew 15:7-9:<\/span><\/p>\n

7 Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: 8 These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. 9 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Concerning elders, it is the same. God says this in Hebrews 13:17:<\/span><\/p>\n

Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.<\/span><\/p>\n

Also in 1 Peter 5:2-3:<\/span><\/p>\n

Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; 3 nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; <\/span><\/p>\n

Titus 1:7-11 says:<\/span><\/p>\n

7 For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, 9 <\/span><\/span>holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict<\/u><\/span><\/span>. 10 For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, 11 whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Elders, then exercise authority in only two ways:<\/span><\/p>\n