Do Ministers Have Authority Over Us?

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Hi A____,

You are so very right. I feel that God has given me a great blessing in being able to see the Spirit in His Word. But I have no illusions about thinking of myself as being over anyone. This is exactly what Christ warns His followers against:

Mat 20:25  But Jesus called them [His disciples] unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
Mat 20:26  But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
Mat 20:27  And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
Mat 20:28  Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

This verse tells us who is the true spiritual Gentile and who is the true servant of God. This entire “from the top down” doctrine has not one verse in its support. If there were anything to it, then Paul would have had to have consulted with those in Jerusalem before he could have done anything. And he certainly would have been out of line when he corrected Peter at Antioch. But even Paul understood the truth of what Christ taught His disciples in Matthew 20. Here is how Paul debunks the false doctrine of church leaders having physical authority:

2Co 1:24  Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.

“Not that we have dominion over your faith” means ‘we have not dominion over your faith.’  “It shall not be so among you…” I pray that God will open your husband’s eyes to these and many other scriptures.

In the meantime, you are doing well in submitting to his placing by God as your head. But acknowledging your husband as your head is no different than me acknowledging that God has also placed physical authority in the physical government to which I, too, must submit. Yet none of us are ever told to obey men rather than God. So be careful to submit to your husband in all things, and at the same time remember these words:

Act 5:29  Then Peter and the [other] apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

There is a time when we are tested to see if we truly put God ahead of every thing in this earth. I pray that God will give you the grace and the wisdom to know when to obey your husband and when to put God and His word first.

Your brother in Christ,
Mike

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