November 26, 2006 | Seth Barnes | Discipling | 2 Comments | Views 5

Authority is often a bad word

“Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not as a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.” -Hebrews 13:17 That’s not a real popu…

By Seth Barnes

26 November 2006, 12:11 am

By Seth Barnes

26 November 2006, 12:11 am

That’s not a real popular Bible verse for a lot of people. We are a country that was born out of a thirst for independence that led to rebellion against authority. Of course that act gave us our freedoms and set us up to pursue happiness, but it has also made us a people that questions authority more than almost any other.

If you live in a free agent nation and don’t like your current boss, then find another. If you find accountability to a certain set of standards too rigorous, then go somewhere where life is easier.

Thus are authority structures weakened and relationships rendered more temporary. In a portable culture, you just pack up your RV and transfer your membership. The pain that attends submission is optional.

Please understand, I am not a control freak, nor am I advocating for a top-down style of leadership. In fact, I’ve chafed under the authority of others as much as anyone. But I am saying this: We were made for one another; we are covenantal beings who come alive most fully in the presence of others. We need community to thrive. And any community needs authority structures
to guide it. The early church may have been communal, but it was set-up with elders and deacons. Any promise made requires some sort of accountability if it is to mean anything. And teams making promises need to know how they will keep them. Leaders wielding authority are part of God’s plan for holding communities together and for building the Kingdom. They themselves must give an account. More of us probably need to learn the truth of Hebrews 13:17.

Comments (2)

Mark

November 26, 2006 at 8:15 pm

Reply

Hey Seth,
The body of Christ not only suffers but is crippled from both the abuses and the resulting opposite swing away from submission to authority. And we’re so “sensitive” and touchy, which causes the sheep to take flight even when we attempt to bring correction to ungodly thinking, speech or actions. Pastors, ministry leaders, like public school teachers, must bear all responsibility with none of the authority. This has been a source of great frustration to me when I attempt to make pastors look at the body of Christ in a city through the lens of the church with the capital “C.” Believers change “membership” (what nonsense!) to another church because leadership has failed to see the big picture, teach the larger kingdom perspective of our inter-dependence, and leave in their wake unresolved offenses and broken fellowship, all in the name of me, my and mine. May God convict and heal us of such unhealthy attitudes and practices.
Cris Ols

October 19, 2022 at 11:06 am

Reply

I find the Christian concept, or any global religion to be the crux of our present day world struggles. Karl Marx Quote has been spot on. It IS the opiate of the masses, but at a cost too great to tally. Russia, USA, and China are the biggest nuclear powers. Since that question of power is answered, are we just reduced to greed and power in our own country due to this world stalemate? The counter productive veil of hate and control is now a 24/7 business. Too much time on citizens AND “leaderships” hands.