AUTHORITY
Part 1 - SUBMISSION
Jesus, upon his ascension, said “All authority…has been given unto me.” exousia {ex-oo-see'-ah} the power of rule or government; the power of him whose will and commands must be submitted to by others and obeyed, universally [most often translated simply as power]
Jesus had to mean “given by the Father”, who else would have all authority in heaven and earth to give? That God is the Ultimate Authority Figure troubles (offends?) those people in our day who equate authority with oppression. To speak of Jesus, as he himself did, as having all of God’s authority is especially troubling to those who see him as the model of a suffering servant, who identifies with the powerless. From the moment of His ascension, Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father (the position of power and authority) as Sovereign King over all. He now reigns!
At the center of the Universe is Authority. Furthermore, God created lesser authorities or powers [governments- they are all part of God’s Creation, not the consequence of the Fall or products of human culture] to serve Him or to be the instruments He would use as His servants in the world.
Colossians 1:16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through him and for him.
We, the people, are to place ourselves under these authorities and live in subjection to them. Submission to them is a very practical way of submitting to Christ.
Romans 13:1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed.
These authorities exist in separate spheres of influence: marriage, family, church and community. These institutions or spheres embody the “Powers”. (The terms are often interchangeable) The famous passage in Romans 13 addresses the authority of civil government.
For anyone to claim submission to the authority of Christ (“Jesus is my Lord”) while not being submissive to His designated authority in Marriage, Family, Church or Community is a contradiction.
After Creation, something went wrong, the Powers rebelled against their Maker [the primeval rebellion of Lucifer and the Angels described in Revelation 12] This means that any and all of the Powers are “fallen” and need redemption. That is what the Easter Event achieves.
Colossians 2:15 [God] disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in [Christ, particularly by the Easter Event].
1 Peter 3:22 [Christ] has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.
1 Corinthians 15:25 [Christ is on the Throne] he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
However, although defeated and subjected, the fallen Powers still resist. We, too, must wrestle with them in Marriage, Family, Church and Community (the Public Square) These powers can be redeemed in and through Christ. Christian Marriages and Families, as well as the Church, can and should demonstrate the reality of that Redemption. But it is not easy.
Ephesians 6:12 [as Christians] we … wrestle … against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Rebel as they might, the Powers still serve God. He uses them still to accomplish His will whether they realize it or not.
Romans 13:4 [the civil government, even an evil one] is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.
A good illustration of this is God’s use of Assyria to punish Israel-
Isaiah 10:24 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD of hosts: "O my people, who dwell in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrians when they strike with the rod and lift up their staff against you as the Egyptians did. 25 For in a very little while my fury will come to an end, my anger will be directed to their destruction. 26 And the LORD of hosts will wield against them a whip … 27And in that day his burden will depart from your shoulder, and his yoke from your neck; and the yoke will be broken …
Again with Cyrus, the Babylonian
Isaiah 45:1 Thus says the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him and to loose the belts of kings,to open doors before him that gates may not be closed: 3 “… it is I, the LORD, the God of Israel, who call you by your name. 4 For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my chosen, I call you by your name, I name you, though you do not know me. 5 I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, 6 that people may know,… I am the LORD, and there is no other.
Here is a mystery, a paradox. God, a good God, creates and uses evil men and nations to achieve His good purposes. He is Sovereign!
7 I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the LORD, who does all these things.”
The ultimate example of this is God’s use of the Roman Government to crucify His Son, Jesus
John 19:10 Pilate said to Jesus, during the Trial], "You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?" 11 Jesus answered him, "You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above…” Peter saw this same truth applied to the Leaders of Israel, who condemned Jesus.
Acts 2:23 this Jesus, … you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men… according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God
Acts 3:12. Peter addressed the people: “13 The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. 14 But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. 17 "… I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18 But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled.
19 Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out
Even though God was in control, the Jews nevertheless, as with Cyrus, were held accountable by God for their crime.
HOW ARE CHRISTIANS TO RELATE TO
THE AUTHORITIES?
Paul’s command, in Romans 13, is to the persecuted Church. Do not rebel, submit. Your persecution is in God’s Plan for you. Submit to the Civil Power. God is using it for His purposes. He is in control, do not take matters in your own hands.
Romans 12:14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." 20 To the contrary, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him … 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Romans 13:1 Let every person [Christians, those to whom this letter is addressed] be subject to the governing authorities. 2 … have no fear of the one who is in authority … 4 for he is God's servant for your good. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.
Wait a minute- the servant is the evil doer! This can be the reality, far from the ideal. Nevertheless, the command and need for submission remains.
1 Peter 2:12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. 13 Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. [the Ideal] 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
SUBMISSION TO EVIL GOVERNMENT
It is very important to know submission is not the same as obedience in all things. We honor the Government [or Husband or Parents or Church Elders] but it is not God. We fear and obey only Him. Nations that obey the Law of God will be blessed and prosper. The ones who do not, will be brought down by God Himself, in His time. The key point here is that, good or bad, we must submit to civil government as an institution of God, even if that means we suffer for it. Sometimes that suffering will be the same as fellow citizens being oppressed. Other times our suffering will be because we will not obey the civil authority when it wants us to disobey God. Either way, we continue to submit to it.
18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.
1 Peter 4:12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. 19 Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will [submitting to an evil government] entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.