Fresh Look At Spiritual Authority

This journey has lead me to the point where I feel the need to speak up, even at the risk of offending or ostracizing those who believe in what has been commonly taught on this subject.

As a minister – I have the opportunity to hear from colleagues who feel a great deal of frustration in trying to lead and shepherd the people God has called them to serve: people who, to one degree or another, have been indoctrinated by the “What’s in it for me?” and the “What will make me feel best?” culture. Instead of being actively involved in the work of the Church, some parishioners seem only able to muster up energy to argue over carpet color and worship styles. “Authority teachings” offer relief for this frustration and (at least theoretically) to provide an atmosphere of reduced resistance and dramatically improve cooperation in the life and work of the church.

As a counselor – I have seen the consequences authority teachings can have on individuals and families: people who have tried their best to submit to them, and the leaders who espoused them, while desperately trying to hold onto the Gospel. The reason for this desperate attempt to hold onto the Gospel is that the Gospel is ultimately opposed to a majority of these authority teachings. The reason is the Gospel declares our salvation and worth comes only through faith in Jesus Christ, not through submission and obedience to an individual or group of individuals.

My desire to be a more effective counselor and pastor has lead me on a journey to find a Biblical understanding of Spiritual Authority. This journey has lead me to the point where I feel the need to speak up, even at the risk of offending or ostracizing those who believe in what has been commonly taught on this subject.

I have a general rule of thumb: If the teaching results in any of the following points, I approach it with great skepticism and I generally encourage distancing oneself from the teacher(s) and the teaching.

• Gives the teacher special privilege over the student

Gives the teacher rights the student can’t have unless granted by the teacher

Holds the teacher to a different standard than the student

• Gives the teacher special privilege over the student
  • Gives the teacher rights the student can’t have unless granted by the teacher
  • Holds the teacher to a different standard than the student
• Gives the teacher special recognition
• Gives the teacher special power
  • Power to reward
  • Power to punish (often takes the form of disfellowship and animosity toward the offender)

I think it is important to note that the most common teachings on spiritual authority include most, if not all, of the points in the list. The fact that these teachings are presented along with “Scriptural” evidence should not intimidate or deter us from seeking the truth. Please note, it is important to both accurately quote Scripture and to accurately understand Scripture.

In the next few weeks, I will be posting a series of short articles on the subject of spiritual authority. I would love to hear from you as you read them. My intent is not to attack anyone who believes in the current teachings on spiritual authority. Instead, my intent is to shed Scriptural light on the subject in order to help people (both leaders and lead) who have been affected by these teachings. My intent is to present what Scripture says about spiritual authority and evaluate these verses in light of what Scripture tells us about God, His plan for mankind, and how He uses us as He works to accomplish this plan.

I hope you will join me on this journey.