Line: Understanding Authority
(see also Leadership, Church Administration, and Apostles and Elders)
Authority is a great matter in God’s economy. God plans to bring all rebellion under His authority through man as His representative (Gen. 1:26; 2 Cor. 10:6). In both the Old and New Testaments God established men to represent His authority yet these men do not have authority in themselves. Moreover, God’s authority can be usurped and its exercise tainted by fallen natural concepts. These articles explore both what authority is and what it is not, as well as how it should be properly exercised and how it can be abused.
Because the matter of deputy authority has been misrepresented and maligned, the following questions and answers seek to clarify what it is, what it is not, and the principles that govern it. Is … Continue reading Some Questions and Answers Regarding Deputy Authority
God desires to establish His kingdom on the earth through a group of people who stand against all forms of rebellion and come absolutely under His authority. Establishing God’s authority over the earth … Continue reading Authority and Fellowship
Some saints, including some leading ones, may have a wrong concept concerning the exercise of authority based on cultural traditions and natural concepts, not the Word of God or the ministry in the … Continue reading Love—The Basis and Power of Authority
Acts 15 and Matthew 18 show us a critical point concerning authority, namely that authority derives from the Lord’s presence. This has great significance in our practice of fellowship and prayer. Acts 15 … Continue reading The Source of Authority—The Lord’s Presence
Every truth in the Bible has two sides that must be held in balance. This fact reflects the natural law in God’s creation, as Brother Witness Lee explained: According to the natural law … Continue reading A Balanced View of the Elders’ Authority
From time to time those who bear responsibility in the administration of a church must exercise a measure of discipline toward unruly members. The exercise of discipline takes as its goals restoring the … Continue reading Properly Representing the Lord in the Exercise of Discipline
Spiritual Authority, a book translated and published by Stephen Kaung, became popular among Western believers in the early 1970s. Since then it has been misused by some to assert themselves as authorities and … Continue reading Spiritual Authority and Its Misuse
God’s desire is to head up all things in Christ (Eph. 1:10). In His plan the church as the Body takes the lead to be headed up in Christ by its members holding … Continue reading Caring for Both the Headship of Christ and the Fellowship of the Body