This blog discusses spiritual authority and types of spiritual authority. Let us divine spiritual authority and its many types of spiritual authority for a better understanding.
We are in a life-or-death war for our nation’s heart, mind, and soul, and I feel that this is fundamentally a spiritual issue that must understand and deal with spiritually.
The notion of spiritual authority is the most important of all teachings because if it compromises, all other doctrines suffer equally.
Our country has gradually discarded the absolute truths of God’s Word as the foundation of our moral, legal, and spiritual lives, replacing them with the ideology of political correctness.
What Is Spiritual Authority?
In scripture, the notion of spiritual authority inextricably links to the concept of power. They are not the same, yet they inextricably link. The Greek term for power is dunamis, which denotes having the inherent strength or genuine capacity to accomplish the intended goal. Exousia is the Greek word meaning authority. This emphasizes the right to utilize power rather than the power itself. One is power; the other is the right to wield power.
Types Of Spiritual Authorities
Authority exists. On a daily basis, every one of us submits to many types of spiritual authority. Let us identify the many types of spiritual authority that we are all familiar with.
God’s Authority
Though God gave humans free choice and gives us a lot of leeway in deciding which route to choose, God is still the ultimate authority. He also holds others accountable for their words, actions, and decisions. As Christians, for example, we are asked to unconditionally submit to Christ’s almighty authority. “All authority in heaven and earth has been handed to me,” Jesus remarked to His apostles just before ascending to heaven (Matthew 28:18).
Entrusted Authority
Police and elected authorities are examples of this type of authority. Societies empower them with the authority to protect citizens, enforce laws, and look out for the best interests of the public. Such power may not be flawless, but the New Testament commands Christians to submit to civic authorities as long as they do not force to disobey God’s greater moral rule.
The Authority Of The Truth
The authority of truth refers to anything that is as true, absolute, and unquestioned as God himself. Everything that God says is true. God is the truth in the same way that His words and promises are true. The Bible inspires God’s Holy Spirit and hence contains absolute and infallible truth.
The Authority Of Conscience
The capacity of every individual to discriminate between what is good and bad is referred to as the conscience. Even nonbelievers may draw such a distinction by using a fundamental principle: we should not do to others what we would not want them to do to us. We must not violate other people’s consciences; no guy has the authority to demand anything from another man that violates his conscience. We may conclude from these sorts of spiritual power that no man, whether from the church or the state, has the right to force anybody to violate God, the Bible, or his own conscience.
Delegated Authority
There is justice, peace, and pleasure in the spirit wherever God’s kingdom has been established (His governance and authority). In other words, when delegated authority is appropriately applied, these are the outcomes. Church leaders have allocated authority – Church leaders simply exercise the power that Christ has entrusted to them. It is vital to remember, however, that such authority belongs to God, and He has assigned it to us to assist in the governance of the church.
Functional Authority
We frequently construct delegated power on the basis of functional authority. It is the result of skill, competence, experience, and training. A delegated authority surrendering to functional authority is completely acceptable.
Customary Authority
The authority of customs and traditions establish when they have shown over time to provide a consensus of well-being for all those involved. Some practices and traditions are beneficial even if they lack a Biblical foundation. One of them is the usage of a veil. When Paul spoke about the veil in the church of Corinth, where wearing a veil was a symbol of obedience to God, he appealed to the authority of customs. No church or leader can disregard local or community norms if they do not contradict the Bible.
The Purpose Of Spiritual Authority
God employs authority in our lives for a variety of purposes. He frequently employs them to provide us with guidance and direction, as well as to express His will and purpose for our life. As a result, the various levels and types of spiritual authority are put in our lives for our benefit, not for our oppression, even though some of their behaviors can be corrective at times.
But how can we know whether a human authority is speaking for the Lord or for himself? The answer is to always compare the authority’s teaching or message to the ultimate truth of God’s Word.
If someone in authority speaks in clear contravention of God’s Word, you relieve your need to follow their instructions. But what about the officials who aren’t even safe? The biblical demands to submit to those in power over us are not contingent on their being Christians, for God may and does communicate through them as well.
There is another critical consideration when opting to disregard an authority’s directives. That is, you must prepare and accept the repercussions of your actions. Even if you have biblically sound grounds for misbehaving, you may face consequences.
The Ending Note
Because one of the significant ways in which God communicates His will and purpose in our lives is through the various authority structures in our lives, our success in life will be greatly dependent on how we understand, relate to, and respond to different types of spiritual authorities in our lives.
With this knowledge, we see that when we live under God-delegated authority, we really have the most freedom since, as God’s Word teaches, all authority derives from Him.