In the course of last week’s study (Mark 2:1-12) I said that authority (verse 10) is a profoundly spiritual issue that might merit closer attention. That’s what this entry is all about.
Authority Misrepresented
Authority is a critical biblical concept. From a certain perspective it’s central to the message of Mark’s Gospel. It’s also been seriously misunderstood and misrepresented in our Contemporary Conservative American Christian context.
By way of example: about two years ago, then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions attempted to justify the Trump administration’s policy of separating immigrant parents from their children at the Mexican border by appealing to Scripture:
“I would cite you to the Apostle Paul and his clear and wise command in Romans 13, to obey the laws of the government because God has ordained the government for his purposes,” Sessions said during a speech to law enforcement officers in Fort Wayne, Indiana. “Orderly and lawful processes are good in themselves. Consistent and fair application of the law is in itself a good and moral thing, and that protects the weak and protects the lawful.”[i]
This interpretation of Romans 13 – an interpretation which has been with us at least since the advent of Constantine’s “Christian Empire” back in the Fourth Century – seriously confuses the intent of Paul’s original teaching. Let’s find out why.
Authority and the Author
In English, authority is clearly associated with authorship. The author or originator of a thing has (or should have) the last word where His own creation is concerned.
In Greek this connection is even clearer. Exousia is a compound of the preposition ex, “out of, from,” and the noun ousia, “essence or being.” This is why authority is a “profoundly spiritual issue.” Exousia is rooted in and flows out of the essence of the Person who exercises it. It’s a function of His being. God has authority not because of the “position” He occupies but because of who He is. Jesus wields authority “on earth” because He is God.
Delegated Authority
The Bible makes it clear that God, the central locus of all authority, has granted to some of His creatures the privilege of exercising divine exousia on His behalf: “He makes His angels winds, and His ministers a flame of fire” (Hebrews 1:7; quoting Psalm 104). Mankind, too, has a place in this scheme: “Thou hast made him for a little while lower than the angels; Thou hast crowned him with glory and honor, and hast appointed him over the works of Thy hands; Thou has put all things under his feet” (Hebrews 2:7-8, quoting Psalm 8; see also Genesis 1:28).
Authority delegated to men and angels. This idea is fleshed out and developed in many places in Scripture, most notably in Daniel and Revelation, where figures such as “Gabriel” (Daniel 9:21), “the Prince of the kingdom of Persia” (Daniel 10:13), “the Prince of Greece” (Daniel 10:20), “the King of the South” (Daniel 11:5), and the “Horsemen of the Apocalypse” (Revelation 6:1-4) represent both the angelic powers that hold sway “in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12) and the human rulers who serve as their proxies “on earth.” These rulers, both human and angelic, seem to control the course of human history. But as we discovered in our study of Revelation, this is an illusion; for in the end, all power reverts back to the Lamb and the Rider on the White Horse (Revelation 6:2; 19:11-16).
Usurped Authority
From delegated authority it’s just a hop, skip, and a jump to usurped authority. That’s what has happened in our world.
The original Delegate-turned-Usurper, of course, is Satan himself. He correctly claims to be able to dispense authority (exousia) over “all the kingdoms of the earth” (Luke 4:5-8) because he is the “Ruler of this World” (John 12:31). Unfortunately, he has turned this delegated power to bad ends; and his minions, whether supernatural or mortal, are inextricably caught up in his agenda of usurpation and abuse. To some degree or another, all are like him because all are beholden to him.[ii] Accordingly, “There is a very strong strand of Gospel teaching which sees secular government as the province of the sovereignty of Satan.”[iii]
That’s why the conflict Jesus faces when He comes on the scene is primarily a conflict of Arkys. It’s a question of the authority of Jesus versus every other form of authority, whether “in heaven” or “on earth.”
Ordered Authority
Jeff Sessions is just the latest in a long line of nominally Christian tyrants who have appealed to Romans 13 in an attempt to legitimize their questionable actions. Too many of us have been cowed by this intimidating tactic. Too many have accepted the idea that “the Christian thing to do” is to “respect” authority no matter what it does because “Romans 13 says so.”
But this is not consistent with the example of Jesus. Think about it. In the passages we’ve been studying, does Christ automatically defer to the religious authorities of His day? Is He careful to avoid giving them offense? Does He bow before their hoary and hallowed opinions? Obviously not. Instead, He defies them. He purposely violates their religious sensibilities. He sets His authority in opposition to theirs. Most importantly, He demonstrates the true application of authority. It’s not a matter of “lording it over” people but of healing their deficiencies and setting them free.
To Pilate Jesus says, “You would have no authority over Me unless it had been given you from above” (John 19:11). He’s unimpressed with Pilate’s authority because He knows it is derivative. When He asserts that it comes “from above,” He isn’t simply saying that it has roots in God, as if to legitimize it. He’s also referring to the chain of delegation and usurpation through which it descends. In other words, He’s saying that it is both derivative and corrupt.
Paul makes the same claim in Romans 13. Unlike Jeff Sessions, Paul does not tell us that God has “ordained” the powers that be. The word he uses (tetagmenai) means “ordered.” In agreement with Christ, he affirms that God allows these powers to operate while simultaneously keeping them restrained within appropriate boundaries.
As John Howard Yoder puts it, “The Christian who accepts subjection to government retains moral independence and judgment. The authority of government is not self-justifying. Whatever government exists is ordered by God; but the text does not say that whatever the government does or asks of its citizens is good.”[iv]
Final Thoughts: Authority and Allegiance
In the end, we come back to what we’ve been saying all along: the kingdom of God is a matter of exclusive allegiance. It’s centered in our confidence that all authority, whether in heaven or on earth, belongs to Jesus alone (Matthew 28:18). It belongs to Him because it flows out of who He is.
As for the archai and exousiai
who rule over this present world, whether human or angelic, we owe them no
allegiance whatsoever. The submission,
subjection, or cooperation we render them has nothing to do with
reverence or devotion. It’s basically
another way of loving our enemies (Matthew 5:43; Romans 13:8).
[i] Julie Zauzmer and Keith McMillan, “Sessions Cites Bible Passage Used to Defend Slavery in Defense of Separating Immigrant Families,” The Washington Post, June 15, 2018.
[ii] I do not say that all of the angelic powers “in the heavenlies” participated in Satan’s primeval rebellion – only those who now share in his dominion over the earth. In C. S. Lewis’s fictional scheme of things, this is what makes Earth “The Silent Planet:” Earth alone, out of the entire cosmos, lies under the sway of the “Bent Oyarsa,” the Fallen Prince. Thus, all authority (exousia) “on earth” is inevitably twisted and corrupt. In a very important sense, it is all usurped authority.
[iii] John Howard Yoder, The Politics of Jesus, p. 194.
[iv] Ibid., p. 205.
I once heard the idea that authority, in a spiritual sense, is not something that is wielded, but rather something that is borne. Jim, respectfully, to your comment that He wields that authority on earth, I agree, and I would add some nuance. I think when Jesus came the first time, His example was one of bearing His authority. When the maker of 100 billion galaxies, “full of grace and truth” stirps himself to wash the feet of His disciples, that is an extraordinary image of what bearing authority looks like. He bore with them, provided what they needed and insisted on that sort of humble leadership as their standard.
When He returns, it will be to wield authority that “every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess” His Lordship. I suspect that to see Him in His glory, no other response will be possible, even for those who do not like His authority. That said, the clarity of the meaning of exousia brings the home the truth that as the author of all life and existence, His authority is superordinate above all. It’s fascinating that creation is “written” by His Word as Dorothy said!
Money is a good example. In our society, many believe money will afford them power, pleasure, prestige and so on and our natural desires are for these things. “the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise” (Gen 3:6). Yet anyone who has had money, knows that with the control of resources that money confers, responsibility for the lives and well-being of others is inescapable. The greater the sums, the greater the influence granted. Dallas Willard points out, “Great power requires great character if it is to be a blessing and not a curse, and that character is something we only grow toward”.
In many years of working with business owners and wealthy people, many did not understand the idea Yoder suggests. If I might extend it a little, “the authority of government (or any authority for that matter) is not self-justifying. Whatever government (or authority) exists is ordered by God; the text does not say that whatever the government (or the boss) asks of its citizens (or people) is good.” In John 21:15-17 Jesus confirms something about the nature of the authority he grants to Peter, to “feed My sheep”. They aren’t Peter’s sheep, the disciple’s sheep, or even the churches sheep, they are HIS. Charge over them is granted by Him alone.
I admit, I just cringed when Jeff Sessions quoted Romans 13, though truthfully, I can’t speak to his motives. I think as those who belong to Christ, we honor authority because of its ultimate source, as you assert about our allegiance. Though with respect to those whom God has placed in authority, I like what Paul says to Timothy in 1 Tim 2:1-4.
Yes, all good thoughts. I agree. Thank you, Richard.
“In English, authority is clearly associated with authorship. . .
In Greek this connection is even clearer. Exousia is a compound of the preposition ex, “out of, from,” and the noun ousia, “essence or being.” ”
Either the Greek or English shape of the term gives more depth to the image we have that Christ is the Word of God. The author, flowing out of , His power rooted in His identity. So many ways we can describe Jesus, so many beautiful and true images. But maybe Word of God is my favorite.
Yes, I believe the Greek LOGOS, as a sort of philosophical concept found in Philo and other writers of the time, meant something much more than just “Word.” I think “essence” or “ground of being” was a big part of it. So what you’re saying fits in perfectly with what we’re saying here.
Your last thoughts regarding loving our enemy leaders reminds me of our earlier discussions around the texts of Revelation and and ethos you generally described that has really resonated with me since: a truly holy ambivalence to all things political.
Our kingdom is not of this world. Rather, Christ kingdom is come into it and we are it’s emissaries. No political party has our allegiance. Whatever sway they have over us is derivative at best…not “authored.” So I especially resonate with the conclusion that our human authorities are enemies whom we are to nevertheless love.
I suspect that really is the motivation and end-goal of Romans 13, where in the first seven verses Paul talks about being subject to the governments who ironically appointed by God. But often when I’ve looked at the passage I’ll not read on to the very next verses, 8-11, which are unequivocally calling us to love everyone regardless. I think that must be the objective of vv 1-7. It’s more or less saying even political leaders…I should love them as well.
This is timely for me because I have recently been acknowledging in certain social network circles and among close confidants that I find much of our present political leadership to be for me very natural enemies whom are especially challenging to love. But the whole point of that is I can’t, right? It’s only through Christ that I can do all things. So I am praying a lot these days, “Lord help me to love my (and I think your) enemies, in spite of myself. Teach me to love the ever-so-foolish.”
And I appreciate your clarification that in doing so, we owe them no allegiance.
Yes. I think Romans 13:8 is the key to understanding Romans 13:1-7. Loving our enemies is difficult, if not impossible without divine help. But they remain enemies, whether we love them or not. Loving them doesn’t mean that we turn a blind eye to their enmity or try to convince ourselves that they are godly and good.
This actually spurs an slightly odd question, but I think it’s related. Do you think Jesus considered Judas his enemy?
Yes, I think so. Judas obviously WAS an enemy. Jesus knew what he was up to, whatever his motives may have been — “one of you will betray Me.” And yet even his “inimical” action had a role to play in the larger plan.
What’s intriguing is that even the disciples appear to have known he was a thief. Did they know all along? I’m certain Jesus did. I think how he was treated speaks to what we are to do with our enemies. Offering the sop of bread to Judas @ the last supper, in Jewish tradition is a sign of great deference and love. Typically the head of the house would do this for his wife or an honored guest. Jesus does this for Judas, His enemy.
“Submission, subjection,” and “cooperation” as expressions of love toward our enemies is so radical a statement that my mind could not possibly grasp it apart from Christ’s acquiescence to Pilate, and the Holy Spirit’s illumination of my mind to appreciate its significance. His Word, His Spirit, His Glory.
Jim, how timely to address this. Thank you. You have put into words what I wish I could.
Scripture must be understood in relationship to each other – the meaning of one passage is revealed through another.
May God give His people enough love for Him and others that He is our only true authority.
Thank you, Tom and Sues. These encouraging comments mean a great deal to me. As you have both pointed out, I think it’s extremely difficult to walk the fine line Paul sets forth for us in Romans 13. There are wide ditches on either side of that narrow track, and it’s too easy to fall into one or the other.
Trump v. Biden
Trump v. Clinton
Obama v. Romney
Obama v. McCain
Bush v. Kerry
Bush v. Gore
etc. …
Deep and wide ditches on either side, indeed.
This sordid history is driving me deeper and deeper into allegiance to Christ alone.
Yes. And there’s also “Unquestioning Patriotism” vs. “Political Revolution.”