Ministerial Authority
by
Jason Dulle
JasonDulle@attbi.com
Peter gave an injunction to the ministry to not be "lords over God's heritage," but examples to the flock (I Peter 5:1-3). By this simple statement Peter showed that there were limits to authority. What kind of authority has God given the ministry? Where does a minister's authority begin and end? There is a point when a minister passes the bounds of legitimate authority and leadership and begins to exercise control over the saints. That the five-fold ministry does have authority from God, and our need to submit to that authority, is not disputed. The following verses demonstrate this truth clearly:
Hebrews 13:7 Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.
Hebrews 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.
I Thessalonians 5:12-13 And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves.
I Corinthians 16:15-16 I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,) That ye submit yourselves unto such, and to every one that helpeth with us, and laboureth.
II Corinthians 2:9 For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things.
II Corinthians 7:15 And his inward affection is more abundant toward you, whilst he remembereth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye received him.
To examine the basis and extent of ministerial authority is not the same as attempting to undermine ministerial authority. It is merely the pursuit of seeking the Biblical teaching concerning the authority the ministry has been given and the authority it has not. What is to follow does not attempt to draw a specific line, but to give some principles whereby one is able to decipher when a minister or leader has stepped beyond the legitimate use of his God-given authority, and stepped over into the realm of self-proclaimed power and control.
In order to understand the authority of the five-fold ministry, we must first understand the purpose of the ministry. This is most clearly defined in Ephesians 4:7-16.
But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore He says: "When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men." (Now this, "He ascended"; what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) vs. 11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, vs. 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, vs. 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head; Christ; from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. -- NKJV
The purpose of the ministry is to equip the saints to do the work of the ministry, and to edify the body of Christ. The ministry is ordained by God until all the body of Christ comes to believe one doctrine, to have an intimate knowledge of the Son of God, and to be a complete person in Christ, measured by the stature of His fullness. This will never be fully accomplished here on earth. The ultimate goal will be fulfilled when we get to heaven; therefore, we can be assured that the ministry will be in operation until the rapture of the church. The ultimate goal of the ministry is to establish the saints in truth by teaching them the Word of God. Then the saints of God will not be tossed back and forth by every false doctrine that is traveling about the circles of men.
Not only does this passage give the job description of the ministry, but it also gives us insight as to how the body of Christ is to function. The ministry and the saints are all part of the body of Christ. The two are seen as being one body, working together, and needing each other for the desired result (see Romans 12:3-8; I Corinthians 12:4-30). Each member is to do his own part, doing that which God has called them to do on an individual basis. This causes growth to the body. The ministry’s job is to train the saints to do the work of the ministry. It can be said that the ministry is to reproduce their own selves; godly Christians established in the faith and sold out to God. Even Paul admonished others to follow him as he followed Christ (I Corinthians 11:1).
Sometimes the ministry is viewed as "those in charge." The five-fold ministry does have spiritual authority invested in them over the rest of the church, but what is the purpose of this authority? Paul said in II Corinthians 10:8, "For though I should boast somewhat of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction...." Authority is given for edification, not destruction. This does not exclude the use of rebuke and correction when needed, but it does include the idea of being mere disciplinarians (II Corinthians 10:9-15; 13:10; II Timothy 3:16). The real purpose of the ministry is to be examples to the church. Note the numerous references to this principle in the epistles.
I Corinthians 4:16 Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.
I Corinthians 11:1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
Philippians 3:17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.
I Thessalonians 1:6 And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:
I Thessalonians 5:12-13 And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves.
II Thessalonians 3:7 For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;
II Thessalonians 3:9 Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us.
Hebrews 13:7 Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.
I Peter 5:3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.
Paul urged the saints to pattern their lives after his own. Even today we try patterning our lives after the life of Paul and other great men of the early church. They lived exemplary lives and inspire us to be more like Jesus. That is what a true minister will do; inspire others to be sold out to God.
Paul knew he had authority from God, but he did not use that authority for fleshly purposes. Rather, he made himself an example to the believers. He did not demand followership, but gained followership because he led a life that, when witnessed by others, produced a desire in them to pattern their own lives after his.
Paul made it clear that the true minister will be recognized both by the Word of God that he teaches and preaches, and also by the way he lives his before the people. He instructed the saints to imitate the faithfulness of these men, taking into consideration the outcome of the lives they led. Leaders can only lead if people are genuinely following them. As a wise man once said, "If you think you’re a leader, but have no one following you, you’re simply taking a walk." The purpose of the ministry is not to act as a dictator over God’s heritage, but to be an example to His flock.
I recently read a book on cults by Ronald M. Enroth, a professional on cults. In this book, Enroth described the common traits exemplified in spiritually abusive churches. I will not mention or expound upon all of the traits outlined in Enroth's book, but I will relay some of the comments made by Enroth about characteristics found in churches that abuse.
The most common trait exemplified in an abusive church is an authoritarian leaders. These types of leaders are not just characteristic to our day and age. Peter wrote about these kind of leaders in his first epistle when he wrote, "To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers-- not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock" (I Peter 5:1-3 NIV). Even in Peter's day there were those in the ministry who were abusing their authority.
We read in the epistle of III John of one named Diotrephes "who loveth to have the preeminence among them [church]...." John told Gaius, "Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church" (III John 9-10).
The minister was given to the church by God to guide the saints. As a shepherd loves, protects, and guides his flock of sheep, a minister is to love, protect, and guide the saints of God. He is to lead them to Jesus, their Lord and Savior. He is not to punish them and treat them as lesser saints.
Things have not changed much from Peter and John’s time to now. There are still some ministerss who lord it over the flock. Enroth wrote, "Leaders who practice spiritual abuse exceed the bounds of legitimate authority and 'lord it over the flock,' often intruding into the personal lives of the members. God's will is something that they determine for you rather than something you individually seek to know. Abusive leaders are self-centered and adversial rather than reconciling and restorative."1
Jesus set the pattern for us pertaining to the operation of the ministry. He laid the foundation for the ministry's attitude towards authority when He told His disciples:
Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many (Matthew 20:25-28). (emphasis mine)
Some in the church has ignored Jesus' words for the past 2,000 years. Instead of acting like servants, many church leaders have acted like religious despots. The words of Jesus indicate that the church operates from an entirely different governmental system and philosophy than that of the world. The source of authority for the church, and the way that authority is to be expressed are entirely different than that of the world. "The world’s view of authority places men over one another, as in a military command structure, a business executive hierarchy, or a governmental system. ... But as Jesus carefully stated, ‘...it shall not be so among you.’ "2 Some churches, however, has tried to copy the world’s authority system. Commenting on this Ray Stedman said:
Probably with the best of intentions, it [the church] has nevertheless repeatedly borrowed in to the authority structures of the world, changed the names of executives from kings, general, captains, presidents, governors, secretaries, heads, and chiefs to popes, patriarchs, bishops, stewards, deacons, pastors, and elders, and gone merrily on its way, lording it over the brethren and thus destroying the model of servanthood which our Lord intended.3
Ministers are to have the heart of a servant, not the heart of a dictator. The leaders of the church are not to be like the leaders of nations. Leaders of the church are to pattern their ministries after Jesus', a humble servant; however, this is probably the least noticed, and least acquired trait among the ministry. How does a servant influence others to follow him? It is certainly not by demanding or ordering them around. Rather it is by persuasion on his part and voluntary consent on others' part.
Some have tried to use the Scripture to claim illegetimate authority over the flock of God. First Thessalonians 5:12-13 is one of those passages used. Paul told the church at Thessalonica to "know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake." The phrase "over you in the Lord," however does not indicate the ruling over of others. The Greek word prohistamenous, from which the English phrase comes from, has the thought of "standing before."4 The word was a common Greek word used for leadership. Leaders can only lead those whom they persuade to follow, and according to Jesus, it should be accomplished by an example of servanthood.
One of the main reasons for this abuse of authority from the ministry is a lack of understanding between the difference of God-given authority and self-appointed, self-achieved power. Concerning this subject, Cheryl Forbes writes:
Power means insistence on what we want for no other reason than that we want it; it means making other people follow us despite their own wishes. Power is assumed, insensitive, dehumanizing, and ultimately destructive. Authority, on the other hand, is positive, and usually involves a conferred right within strictly controlled bounds.
The exercise of power always implies coercion and violence because the purpose of power is to reproduce itself. Whatever tries to prevent this reproduction must be disposed of. An exercise of authority, however, should have nothing to do with coercion, violence, or manipulation. Yet in our zeal for God's work we decide that if someone won't recognize our authority, we will force him with our power.5
"The spiritual autocrat, the religious dictator, attempts to compel sub-ordination; the true Christian leader can legitimately only elicit followership."6 The Apostle Paul said it this way:
"Moreover I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth. Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand. But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness. For if I make you sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same which is made sorry by me? And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all" (II Corinthians 1:23-2:3). (emphasis mine)
Abusive leaders focus on themes of authority, submission, and spiritual headship. Obedience to God is stressed by obedience to the man of God. This is how they are able to win and secure the obedience of the people. "Spiritually abusive groups routinely use guilt, fear, and intimidation as effective means for controlling their members. ...[L]eaders consciously foster an unhealthy form of dependency, spiritually and interpersonally, by focusing on themes of submission, loyalty, and obedience to those in authority."7 Ministerial authority is Biblical and so is submission to that authority, but if a minister's focus is on this authority, his whole ministry will be out of perspective.
Another Scripture used for the abuse of authority is Hebrews 13:17. This verse informs us that we are to submit to the leadership's authority because they are doing it for our benefit and the Lord’s sake. So why do we have such a hard time submitting to authority? Is it rebellion or something else? To answer this question, let’s examine the Biblical relationship between a husband and wife.
In Ephesians chapter five Paul instructed the Ephesian wives to submit to their authority saying, "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing" (Ephesians 5:23-24).
To the husbands Paul said:
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.... So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever hated his own flesh; but nourisheth it and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church.... Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband (Ephesians 5:25, 28-29, 33).
The wives are to submit to their husbands in everything. Before all the men say "amen," let us look at the flip-side of the coin. The husband is instructed to love his wife as he loves himself, and even as Christ loved the church, laying down His life for it. If a husband loves his wife like he is supposed to, she will have no problem submitting to him as she is supposed to. When both elements of love and submission are present in a relationship, there will be perfect working order. When their is not a proper love, however, submission becomes a problem and is viewed with a negative connotation instead of a positive connotation.
So what does the husband and wife relationship have to do with submission to the five-fold ministry? Much in every way. The reason most people find it hard to submit to authority (or anybody for that matter) is because they do not feel that the authority has a genuine love and concern for their well-being. It boils down to a love problem. The ministry is either not loving the saints like they should, or else the saints are not perceiving their genuine love. We as humans find it very hard to submit to someone who does not genuinely care about us; however, if we are persuaded of their love, submission will come naturally. It is easy to submit to someone even if we do not agree with them if we know that they have our best interests in mind, and not their own.
I would also like to point out that there is a difference between questioning and challenging authority. When one challenges authority, they are fighting against God and are in rebellion. When one questions authority, however, they are merely seeking understanding to his/ her decisions and teachings. Too many precious saints have been branded as rebels because they question the authority over them. I do not believe we have rebels on our hands, but rather individuals who desire to understand the reasoning behind teachings and decisions made by those in authority that affect their lives. I do believe that too many times there may be leaders who want everyone to obey their every command. Cults begin when no one is allowed to question authority. A leader is then able to control instead of lead.
A minister needs to be checked and balanced by other authorities. Our constitution has survived for so long because it was set up with the system of checks and balances. Each branch of our government checks the other to make sure that no one branch gains too much power. Are the leaders of our government more open to questioning from others than some leaders are from the saints?
Among the many jobs of a minister, his main job is to perfect the saints, bringing them to maturity in Christ. The ultimate end is for the saints to have an established faith and walk with God, growing up in the Head which is Jesus Christ (Ephesians 4:14-15). The job of the minister is to unite the hand of God and the hand of man, then step back once the union is complete. His role then becomes one of guidance. The minister does not act as a mediator between God and man. The priesthood is over. We are all individual priests before God (I Peter 2:9).
When a minister operates as a dictator, treating his saints as his "subjects" instead of his brethren, he produces a codependency upon himself from the saints. This is very unhealthy and dangerous spiritually. It is not the minister's job to declare the will of God for an individual in every area of their life. His job is to teach them how to find the will of God for themselves, so that they can walk with God without a dependence upon any human being. It is like a baby learning to walk. The parents help them walk when they are first learning by holding their hands. The intent, however, is not to make that baby depend upon them for the rest of their lives to help them walk, but to train them how to do it themselves. It is the same spiritually. The minister helps people learn to walk with God by holding their hand. This should only continue for a short while, until the saints learn to walk with God on their own. This does not mean the minister's role becomes irrelevant, but emphasizes his role as a helper to one's faith and relationship with God, and not the mediator of such relationship.
If a minister does not teach his saints how to walk with, and hear from God on their own, but has them codependent upon himself for their walk with God, what will happen to those saints when that minister is no longer with them? The saints will be lost! Why? Because they have not been taught how, or been allowed to grow up in the Head of the body (Jesus Christ) functioning as one of its members, but rather have grown up in one of the body’s members (a man). The minister’s job is that of a shepherd. He leads the flock that is following him, not making a flock follow him by dictating every step they take. As one saint asked, "Why did God give me the Holy Ghost, if I’m never allowed to listen to Him?" Some ministers seem to believe that there "are believers, and then there are ‘capital B’ believers."8
Some ministers make all the spiritual decisions for their saints. This takes the responsibility of working out one's own salvation before God with fear and trembling and gives it to the ministers. This is not Scriptural. Let's look at what Paul said concerning this in the book of Philippians.
Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputings (Philippians 2:12-14).
We (individuals) are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling before God. How can this be done? It is done through God's grace working in us individually, giving us both the desire and the ability to do of His good pleasure. Does this Scripture mean that we can decide what part of the Word of God we want to obey? Of course not! The Word of God is forever settled in heaven. What this means is that our ultimate destiny depends upon our response to God's grace. We have the sole responsibility of working out our relationship and salvation with God. God assists us in accomplishing this by working in us that which pleases Him. In other words, God helps guide us into this relationship with Him that has to do with our salvation.
A minister should not have to make spiritual decisions for the saints. They should be learning how to make them themselves as they grow in God. This is part of their responsibility in working out their own salvation. Many times what ends up happening is that people are forced into working out their salvation the same way in which the minister works out his.
If we desire for the body of Christ to grow as it should, the ministry needs be the example that it has been called to be, helping in the saints' faith, and not being lords over God’s heritage. Once we are healed of spiritual abuse and the misuse of authority, we will no longer fear to submit, but rather will do it joyfully and willingly, because we are assured that it is for our benefit and protection, coming from those whom we love, and those who love and care for our well-being.
Footnotes1. Ronald M. Enroth, Churches That Abuse (Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, 1992), p.217. <back>
2. Ray C. Stedman, A Pastor's Authority (Palo Alto, CA: Discovery Publishing, 1995), p. 1, taken from the Microsoft Internet Explorer. <back>
3. Ibid. <back>
4. Ibid., 3. <back>
5. Cheryl Forbes in Ronald M. Enroth, Churches That Abuse (Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, 1992), pg. unknown. <back>
6. Enroth, p. unknown <back>
7. Ibid., 103. <back>
8. Quote from Reverend Jeff Arnold <back>
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