Authentic Christians Question Authority
[N.B., I wrote this up seven years ago in answer to multiple calls I received from folks who were suffering from "pastoral abuse" in a local church, here in America's Third World County. I've not done any revision but just allowed what I typed in an almost stream of consciousness fashion to stand. Feel free to critique this, as it's just a very short, off-the-cuff essay.]
“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It is not so among you, but whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.” (Matt. 20:25- 27)
“By these words Jesus indicates that an entirely different system of government than that employed by the world should prevail among Christians. Authority among Christians is not derived from the same source as worldly authority, nor is it to be exercised in the same manner. 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. This is as it should be. Urged by the competitiveness created by the Fall, and faced with the rebelliousness and ruthlessness of sinful human nature, the world could not function without the use of command structures and executive decision… But as Jesus carefully stated, …’it shall not be so among you…’” – Ray C. Stedman
From time to time, the question of authentic “pastoral authority” comes to the forefront of attention in churches. Usually, and unfortunately, it is in the context of a pastor assuming illegitimate authority. Ideally, the issue would be discussed well in advance of a “problem pastor” in the context of a biblical study of legitimate pastoral authority.
So, what is legitimate pastoral authority? I’ll not be exhaustive in my search (you are capable, I’m sure, of searching the scriptures thoroughly under the leadership of the Holy Spirit apart from my prompting–2Peter might be a good place to include, though 
. Rather, let’s examine a few representative texts often neglected or twisted by inauthentic leadership.
“Each of us has received God’s favor in the measure in which Christ bestows it… It is He who gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers in roles of service to build up the body of Christ, til we become one in faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, and form that perfect man who is Christ come to full stature.” Ephesians 4: 7, 11-13, NAB
While the above (and surrounding) verses have a wealth of spiritual truth to offer us, they tell us some very limited, but important, things about the nature of spiritual authority–and by implication, it’s obverse. First, Christ is the author; it is He who is the authority. “Pastors” who assume the mantle of ultimate authority are dethroning Christ. Second, the roles mentioned for men all specifically designate them as roles of servanthood, not “lordship”. Third, unity in the body of Christ is to be a unity of the faith, not a unity of behavior, taste, attitude and opinion.
Wherein does a pastor exercise legitimate authority, then? In fulfilling his specific role of service. So what is that role? Look first to the word, “pastor” or “shepherd”. Beware a man who places himself ahead of Christ as THE shepherd of a flock. Rather, a real pastor humbly recognizes his servant role as an under-shepherd and Christ’s role – and continuing presence and authority – as the Good Shepherd.
And how is a pastor to shepherd the flock in his care? The faithful undershepherd feeds the flock and protects it from predators. First and foremost, he must do so by teaching and speaking the Word, making its precepts plain and holding them forth with a clear, unequivocal voice. It is in this function, speaking the Word, that a pastor exercises his primary legitimate authority. When his words depart from clear prescriptive and descriptive teachings of the Word as revealed by God in scripture, his words have no spiritual authority but are merely another man’s opinions.
And it is very clear from scripture that the church is to assess the authority with which a pastor speaks according to scripture.
“Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1 Jn 4:1)
We should be testing pastors to see if they are more concerned with asserting their “authority” than with exercising their servanthood biblically, speaking the Word of God with authority and their own words as their own opinions.
But pastors exercise other legitimate authority: the authority of their example of loving, godly lives. This is not a didactic authority; it is simply a life lived as an example of Christ-like-ness. Such authority does not dictate or coerce “followship”. Rather, like Christ, it woos followers by an example which is attractive to those who seek good. It is this kind of authority Paul referred to when he said, “Imitate me just as I also imitate Christ .” (ICor 11:1 NKJV) It is the kind of authority mentioned in Hebrews 6: 12, “…imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promise.”
And this kind of authority is inherently to be questioned by the church! Just as we are to “test the spirits” and know false and true teachers “by their fruits,” so Paul tells the church at Corinth to imitate him AS he imitates Christ. He tells them to watch and observe carefully and imitate those behaviors that are Christ–like. Since the Holy Spirit is given to every believer (John 15: 27) to instruct each of us in the things of Christ, Paul very rightly affirms the teaching of Christ about assessing our leaders according to their fruits.
So, what fruits are we to assess to determine whether to “imitate” a pastor, to follow him? Could we start with a simple list like, “love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, meekness…” (Gal 5: 22)? Could we then proceed to the minimal qualifications Paul lists for Timothy as required for a pastor? (“Blameless, husband of one wife, temperate, sober, well-behaved, hospitable… not a drunkard, not greedy…” etc) If these things obtain, then we of course ought to imitate them.
But in all else, the “imitate me” injunction fails. Just as when a pastor speaking his personal opinion speaks outside the covering of biblical authority, so can he lay no claim to “followship” in anything not laid down in scripture. And the important thing to remember (“what I say three times is true” ) is that scripture specifically instructs believers to test the spirits, the prophets, the teachers who come before us against the Word of God, by the power and enlightenment given each believer by His indwelling Spirit.
Being any man’s “disciple” in the faith is a sometimes stupid and dangerous thing indeed. Paul speaks to the foolishness of the behavior in his introduction to ICorinthians: “Some say ‘I follow Paul’ or… ‘I follow Cephas’… Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Was it in Paul’s name you were baptized?” (ICor 1: 2, 13 NAB)
If the Apostle Paul viewed such “discipleship” as foolish (and he obviously did!), how much more foolish is it to elevate a pastor not even willing to admit himself “the chief of sinners” to a place of veneration worthy of such followship? (I think of the old-time pastor who corrected anyone who called him “reverend”, saying, “There is only One who is worthy of reverence: Jesus Christ.”)
Is there any other legitimate authority a pastor can lay claim to? Of course there is! Just as every person has natural authority wherever their experience, training and abilities give them knowledge and opinions that are worth weighing, so does a pastor bring to any discussion his own personal experience, training and abilities that may give him knowledge and opinions that are worth weighing.
And that is the key: they may be worth weighing, but they are subject to the same critique of reason, experience and training as the opinions of others.
Does legitimate pastoral authority stifle questions? No! Neither Peter nor Paul labeled people who questioned their authority as “sinful” in their questions. They answered their questioners, and in dialog with them answered their objections and submitted their positions for review by the church! Truth has nothing to fear from letting all sides of a question be heard fairly.
A legitimate leader in the church would follow Christ’s example, He who opened his arms to the questioning Thomas.
Legitimate pastoral authority doesn’t come at the end of a pseudo-spiritual gun barrel. Threats, coercion, slander, and manipulation are all hallmarks of the Evil One and his cohorts, hallmarks often found in abusive spiritual leadership roles. Rather, legitimate pastoral authority comes with clear, unequivocal, persuasive telling forth of the Word and by living a life that strives to be an example of Christ-like-ness. A humble servant attitude and a trust in God’s Holy Spirit to work in the lives of His people are hallmarks of a truly authoritative pastor.
“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It is not so among you, but whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.” (Matt. 20:25- 27)
©2002 David W Needham permission to reproduce this material freely given with one caveat: don’t alter the text, OK? All material from anyone else quoted briefly by me is done so under “fair use” and observes the “first do no harm (to the text)” request I make of you here.
Also, from Ray C. Stedman:
“The true authority of elders and other leaders in the church, then, is that of respect, aroused by their own loving and godly example. This is the force of two verses which are often cited by those who claim a unique authority of pastors over church members. The first is found in First Thessalonians 5:12-13a {RSV}, “But we beseech you, brethren, to respect those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work.” The key phrase is “and are over you in the Lord.” The Greek word in question is “prohistamenous“. Though this is translated “over you” in both the Revised Standard and King James versions, the word itself contains no implication of being “over” another. The New English Bible more properly renders it, “… and in the Lord’s fellowship are your leaders and counselors.” The thought in the word is that of “standing before” others, not of “ruling over” them. It is the common word for leadership. Leaders can lead only if they are able to persuade some to follow. Another verse used to support command authority is Hebrews 13:17a {RSV}, which the Revised Standard Version renders, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as men who will have to give account.” The imperative translated “obey” is from the word peitho, “to persuade.” In the middle voice, used here, Thayer’s lexicon gives its meaning as “to suffer one’s self to be persuaded.” Again there is no thought of a right to command someone against his will, but the clear thrust is that leaders are persuaders whose ability to persuade arises not from a smooth tongue or a dominant personality, but from a personal walk which evokes respect.” –Ray C. Stedman