Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries
The Doctrine of Authority. Part 3.
Thursday, September 18, 2003
The one thing in life that makes it possible for people to have blessing, freedom, privacy and happiness in life is authority.
Point 2. The Realms of Authority.
God has authority over nature, and nature obeys God.
Angels are subject to divine authority.
The pastor-teacher and church officers have authority over the congregation in the local church.
Government has authority over its people to protect the sanctity of their freedom, property, and human life.
The husband has authority over the wife.
Parents have authority over the children, EPH 6:1; COL 3:20.
Teachers have authority over students.
Coaches have authority over athletes.
Management has authority over labor.
Authority in business stabilizes the economy, EPH 6:5; COL 3:22.
Law enforcement over citizens, ROM 13:1-7.
There should be respect for governmental authority, military service, and respect for law and order in Christian relationship with one’s government,
ROM 13:1-7.
a. The function of impersonal love as a problem-solving device.
b. You do not lower your standards to those who are antagonistic toward you by emulating them in controversy or strife.
The Royal Family Honor Code keeps you in a far greater level, so that you do not stoop to where people can change you.
When you do not reciprocate to judging, maligning, revenge, etc., you are changed by the integrity and honor code of the Royal Family.
The antithesis – reciprocation lowers you to the standard of your antagonist.
Impersonal love executes establishment principles in recognition of authority, freedom, privacy, property, and the life of others.
Impersonal love also executes the mandates of the PPOG in human relationship.
Freedom without authority is chaos.
Authority without freedom is enslavement.
Freedom includes the right of privacy, the right of self-determination, the right to hold your own opinions, and the sacredness of property and life.
Satan, as the ruler of this world, constantly seeks to do everything possible to overthrow the divine delegated authority that brings freedom and blessing to individuals and nations.
The woman rejected the authority of God and Bible doctrine and accepted the authority of Satan.
She also rejected the authority of her right man, 1TI 2:11-15.
When the man accepted the authority of the woman he threw his delegated authority away.
Response – acceptance of authority delegated by God.
Reaction – rejection of authority delegated by God.
a. Hupakouo = to obey, to be subject to.
ROM 6:16; EPH 6:1;
COL 3:20; MAT 8:27;
LUK 8:25.
EPH 6:1 Children, obey (be subject to) your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
MAT 8:27 And the men marveled, saying, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey (are subject) Him?”
LUK 8:25 And they were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey (or are subject) to him?”
2. Hupotasso = to be subordinate to.
ROM 8:20; 1CO 14:32; EPH 5:22; COL 3:18.
1CO 14:32 and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets;
EPH 5:22 Wives, {be subject} to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
3. Peitho = to obey.
GAL 5:7; HEB 13:17;
JAM 3:3.
GAL 5:7 You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?
HEB 13:17 Obey your leaders, and submit {to them}; for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account.
JAM 3:3 Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they may obey us, we direct their entire body as well.
4. Peitharcheo = to obey rulers.
Titus 3:1 Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed,
5. Kuriotes = authority.
JUD 1:8 Yet in the same manner these men, also by dreaming, defile the flesh, and reject authority, and revile angelic majesties.
Point 4. The Role of Human Volition in Accepting Authority.
Response to authority is a function of human volition.
The function of authority = a matter of personal volition.
The acceptability of authority in this life which is dependent upon human volition.
Human freedom provides the option of accepting or rejecting authority in life, both legitimate and illegitimate.
While God has delegated legitimate authority in life, these authorities are useless if human volition does not accept them.
The laws of divine establishment.
The content of Bible doctrine.
Arrogance results from the rejection of legitimate authority in life.
Satan’s motivation of arrogance is found in one line –
ISA 14:14 “I will make myself like the Most High God.”
Arrogance is synonymous with vanity, which is empty pride in regard to one’s person, attainments, or possessions coupled with an excessive desire to be noticed, a lust for attention, lust for approval or praise from others.
PRO 11:2 “When arrogance comes, then come dishonor.”
PRO 16:18 “Arrogance precedes destruction, and before a fall
there is a lifestyle of arrogance.”
PRO 23:29 “A person’s arrogance will bring him low, but a lifestyle of humility will attain honor.”
Rejection of authority causes people to degenerate, either morally or immorally.
Predominant rejection of authority of parents destroys a society.
Rejection of authority does carry responsibility, and results in a life of misery, unhappiness, disaster, and no human or spiritual self-esteem.
You can be bullied into accepting authority, but it does no good in the long run.
What makes authority work is human consent, where rational human beings understand the importance of the principle of authority, regardless of whether they like the personality or not.
Personal love does not accept human authority unless the authority agrees with it and does what it wants.
Without impersonal love, the woman resents the authority of the man, and therefore becomes an uncontrollable woman.
Legitimate government has authority over its citizens, but that authority is useless apart from human consent.
Apart from human consent, there is revolution, civil war, violence, terrorism, crime, dictatorships, slavery, and other functions of evil.
The biggest thing that keeps you from growing up is your rejection of authority, your lack of consent to submit to necessary authority.
When people through arrogance and power madness gravitate to the cosmic system, they use their volition to make decisions from a position of weakness which has both personal and national repercussions.
Bad decisions from a position of weakness reject authority and fulfill passages dealing with the laws of volitional responsibility, HOS 8:7,
GAL 6:7; PRO 22:8; COL 3:25.