Spiritual Authority  

Have you ever offered what you thought was an excellent idea, only to be met with those famous words; "We've always done it this way!" or perhaps with the second most famous quote, "We tried that before?"  You may not have given it much thought, but these answers have a kind of authority behind them.  It is the authority of tradition. It may not seem like a very powerful authority, but it probably holds sway over us more often than any of the other kinds of authority. Today, I would like to dig a little deeper into this idea of authority, with an emphasis upon how it is applied in a spiritual way.

The religious leaders of Jesus day asked him; By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? Matthew 21:23. Jesus did what He often did with those that should have known the answer to their question even before they asked. He answered the question with a question in verses 24 and 25. Jesus said I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? This caused them to bite their tongue in silence, not because they did not know the answer, but because to admit the truth would have been to declare Jesus the Son of God with power! We may rightly insist that it is very important to know by what authority something is done or said. Failure to determine valid authority results in confusion and bondage.

I am going to discuss six kinds of authority. There may be more kinds of authority than those that I am offering to you. You may call them by different names, and you may add or subtract from the number given. Just keep in mind that there is a serious principle involved in the question of authority. It states that "Every command or action issues from some kind of authority and to confuse the authority or to follow improper authority leads to error"  

The six kinds of authority in my scheme of things are IMPERIAL, VERACIOUS, DELEGATED, STIPULATIVE, CUSTOMARY and SUBSTITUTIONAL.

The first,  IMPERIAL authority, is defined as "The right to rule and prescribe because of Superior position”.  In the secular realm, we would think of the king in a monarchy, or perhaps the people themselves in a pure democracy.  In spiritual reality, only GODHEAD is Imperial Authority. 

Psalm 24:1 sets for the truth that The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

Psalm 103:19  The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.

Dan 2:21  And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings:

It should be clear to any reasonable person that if one should fear the earthly king because he has the power of life and death in his earthly kingdom that we should much more recognize the absolute authority of God when once we acknowledge that God exists. He has the authority anyway, but its nice (and profitable for us) to say so. Godhead rules because He is Godhead. All who oppose this rule also opposes the one who rules and must bear the consequences. This truth would require a lengthy apologetic before the unbeliever, but for the Trumpeter readers, I trust we may assume agreement on this kind of authority.

The second kind of authority we may call VERACIOUS.  I did not say "VOR-acious", which means to be insatiable and is sometimes used to describe my appetite, but I said "VER-acious", which means the authority of TRUTH.  In the area of morality there is a axium which says “a true principle violated will lead to evil on the part of the violator” In the secular realm, we would think of The Law as veracious. By Law we mean the standard by which men are required to live if they would avoid the evil consequences. In the spiritual realm the Bible, as the Word of God is the only veracious authority. The force of this kind of authority is actually an ultimatum, "Follow these principles and you will discover truth. Disregard them and you will wander in error."

John 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.  The Son is Veracious Authority.

John 17:17  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. The Word is Veracious.

1 John 5:6  And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. The Spirit is veracious.

Psa 119:151  Thou art near, O LORD; and all thy commandments are truth. The Law is veracious.

Please meditate upon what I am going to say, and understand the implications.  No one except Godhead has Imperial or Veracious authority in the ultimate and spiritual sense.  All that men can do is acknowledge these kinds of authority, and try always to conform to them in how we live and in what we say.

The third kind of authority is DELEGATED. This is a very important and powerful kind of authority. By it men are permitted to speak in the Name of the Lord! By it the Gospel is delivered to the heathen world. By it we become Ambassadors for Christ. Anyone who claims to have this kind of authority may prove it by showing its origin from the Imperial source. This represents a "chain of command". Control and limitation to delegated authority for the Christian is in Veracious authority. In the secular realm, this would probably be best illustrated by reference to the policing agencies and in ambassadorial positions. Police are granted the authority to enforce the Law. In order to be successful in a court of law, they must show that their actions conformed to the law of the land, and may not act upon their own idea about what is legal or illegal. Failure to limit police action to that authorized by law results in a renegade “police state”. Likewise, if you showed up at the American Embassy in France and said you were there to represent the United States of America as an Ambassador, you would be required to show by documentation that you were indeed "authorized" to do so. Also, you would be limited in your authority according to the power "delegated" to you. Under no circumstances could you speak contrary to your originating authority. Anything that you would say that was contradictory to the purposes of your government would be considered null and void, and you would be recalled for correction or reassigned to Northern Iceland.

Heb 13:17  Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

(See also Rom. 13:1-7, I Pet. 2:11-20, 3:13-17, 4:12-16)

The thing to remember here is that although delegated authority is a real and powerful authority, it is always subject to Imperial and Veracious authority. Also important is for the one exercising this authority to realize that it may be challenged on that basis. Say for instance someone says that they are some kind of Supreme Pontiff, and therefore entitled to speak ex cathedra pronouncements that are to be received as if God spoke.  Such pronouncements may only be accepted if they can be verified according to Veracious truth. This is not complicated, but it is often ignored because we are accustomed to such things as Papal pronouncements which people sometimes receive as if they came from God. This kind of authoritarianism is at work when a delegated authority tries to settle a principle of truth that only Veracious authority can settle. In reality, true authority is destroyed in this manner. More often than not in Catholicism, conflicts are settled by Papal decree when they should be settled by the Word of God. Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men Acts 5:29  In the true Church of Jesus Christ, the lowest and newest believer may stand against the entire Church and the world when they stand true to the Word of God! 

The fourth kind of authority is STIPULATIVE. This is authority determined by stipulation and convention. "Constitution" "By Laws" and other rules "agreed to be followed". Oddly enough, a great deal of the activities carried out in the Church fall under this kind of authority rather than either Veracious or Delegated. This may bother some, but I must honestly declare that just because we do some things as a group and with unanimous agreement does not christen it a commandment. Let us say for instance that we agree to meet every Sunday morning at 11:00 A.M. at a certain place for prayer, fellowship, preaching, communion, etc. We need to know the authority behind what we do. One the one hand the commandment that we love one another, that we fellowship with one another, that we celebrate communion, and that we carry out the commission of the Lord to preach the Gospel may all be clearly founded upon Veracious authority. But the limitation as to where and when we function as the “Church” along with a host of other qualifications may well fall within the "stipulative" category.  This is important to know, so that we do not take upon ourselves more power than God has "delegated" to the Church. Stipulative authority is real authority, but it is only binding upon those who have agreed to follow it. If one is part of a local expression of the Body of Christ, and they agree to meet at 2:00 in the morning on Thursdays because that is the most convenient time for them (Don’t ask why, just get the main point), then all who have agreed should make every effort to participate according to their commitment. But when someone fails to show up for some reason, it is important also to realize that they have not violated the Veracious authority of the  Word of God, but only the Stipulative authority of the group.

Notice the stipulation made in Gen. 29:18 And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter.  Now this is a perfectly valid and binding authority at work. Jacob could have said three years, or four, or eleven.  Each would have been valid if agreed to by both parties. To accept or reject the terms would possibly cause some reaction such as anger or joy, but no Veracious command would be broken in either case.  Do you see what I am saying? All authorities are real but they are not all of equal weight.  Stipulative authority is optional, until you stipulate.  Then it is binding according to the agreement. If Jacob had decided after three years that it was a bad deal and pulled out of it, he may very well have made Laban mad. He may even have suffered some consequences because of it. But he would not thereby certainly be sinning before God. 

This story of Jacob and Rachel also supply the Scriptural illustration for the fifth kind of authority, CUSTOM.  Also called "Tradition".  It may be defined as "The power to determine social decorum by virtue of social veneration acquired through the prestige of Time and Repetition" Or simply  "We always did it this way!" 

Jacob worked seven years for Rachel, and expected Laban to honor that which was done under the authority of "Stipulation". But Laban now brings into play another authority, that of Custom, which I remind you once again is a real authority provided one is justly bound by it.  Laban says in Gen 29:26  It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. WOW! What a jolt! What can Jacob say? "I rebuke you Devil!" No he cannot say that because the authority of Custom is a very powerful and legitimate authority.  But it is not equal toVeracious authority. But we ignore it at our own peril. I spent two years in Japan. When entering a Japanese home, it is required that the shoes be removed first. That practice was not as common in America in the early fifties as it is becoming today but to violate it in Japan at that time was to insult the host family. 

Again, what about Customary authority in the Church?  Since this article is getting too long, let me simply say that a great deal of what we take to be commandment from God is often nothing more than Custom or Tradition. It is O.K. that we follow Custom.  Custom, or tradition if you will can be very good. But it is not commandment. It is not necessarily Veracious. We err when we grant our Customs the status of Veracious authority. We err when we accuse people of sin who have merely violated our customs.  This we must not do. Jacob was not happy with the situation, but he acted wisely. 

Please read Mark 7:1-13 Quoted below.  Jesus did not say it was wrong to wash your hands before you eat. He did not say it was wrong to dedicate money to God.  What he said was that these people got their authorities mixed up. They took traditions, put them in the place of commandments from God and then took the commandments of God and threw them out.  It is important to know the authority for what we do and say!

Our last authority we call FUNCTIONAL. Also called "Substitutional".  Students accept the authority of the teacher until they know the truth for themselves. This is Functional authority. A classic example in Scripture is the woman at the well. She had an encounter with the Lord that entrusted to her some important information that her fellow townsmen did not have. She wanted to share it with them and she did. But notice in John 4:42, after they met Jesus in person And (they) said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world. I had to wait until I was a teacher myself to appreciate the implication of what happened. Reading those lines, one almost feels sorry for the woman.  She is like Rodney Dangerfield, she gets no respect. But wait a minute. She may not have realized it at the time but what greater joy is there for a teacher than to have the student grasp what is taught? And when one teaches the Word of God, and the students come to a knowledge of the Lord, and understand Him to be the Savior of the World. (I must stop writing here and praise God!) He has allowed us to be a part of His great plan of redemption. We speak as delegated representatives of the Kingdom of God. We speak the Words of God by the Spirit of God. People are born again because of what we teach them. Wonderful Lord! Thank you for including us. (See the Aug. 1997 Article “Heavenly Horticulture” in the Trumpeter Archives)

I leave you with these few thoughts. (1) Settle matters of Spiritual truth by the Word of God, and no other authority.  (2) Never attempt to raise any of the last four kinds of authority to the level of Imperial or Veracious truth. It is blasphemy to do so. (3) Honor all authority given to men, but only within the limits granted to that kind of authority. (4) Teach your children the relative importance of each kind of authority, and be sure to let them know which one is behind the orders you issue when you demand their obedience. (They will think you the wisest of parents). 

And now, by the authority granted unto me by the editor, I  sovereignly declare this to be;

        THE END

                                                                                                Hayden

Notes: EX CATHEDRA  in Church history is a Latin phrase meaning “From the Seat” or “From the Chair” and has reference to decrees that a Bishop makes while functioning in his official capacity. Hence the English word Cathedral, “the place of the seat”. A natural progression of this doctrine is the dogma of “Papal infallibility”. You should know too that the doctrine of Papal infallibility does not teach that the Pope is himself infallible, but only that when he speaks Ex Cathedra, from his chair, upon matters of faith and morals he is protected by God from error. The difficulty with this doctrine is that one cannot challege such decrees with the Word of God since church tradition is taken to be of sufficient value to equal the Word of God.

I quote from the latest CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH approved by Pope John Paul II.

“As a result the Church, to whom the transmission and interpretation of Revelation is entrusted, ‘does not derive her certainty about all revealed truths from the holy Scriptures alone. Both Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honoured with equal sentiments of devotion and reverence.’"

“The task of interpreting the Word of God authentically has been entrusted solely to the Magisterium of the (Roman Catholic) Church, that is, to the Pope and to the bishops in communion with him. “