AUTHORITY
J. E. Mutton
It is interesting to note that a little later in this chapter we get the expression “Behold your king” (John 19: 14). What a contrast to what our brother has spoken of in Zechariah 9: 9 and Psalm 24: 7–10, “Behold, thy King cometh”—in majesty. But here He is coming forth as rejected, wearing the crown of thorn and the purple robe. It is the same King, the same Jesus, meekly accepting the reproaches of men. “Behold your king” was said in derision, yet how it appeals to our hearts!
What I have in mind is the distinctiveness of authority, and where it is found. First of all, it is absolute in God Himself (1 Timothy 6: 15). There should be no challenging of this, for God is God. But He has the prerogative to delegate authority to others. This tests us, but is for our salvation. There is no authority except what is given from above. Earlier in this gospel the Lord speaks of Himself as “from above”, “He who comes from above is above all”, John 3: 31. He also presents Himself as having been given authority to execute judgment
because He is Son of man (John 5: 27). He had taken His place in manhood.
Man as a creature was placed in authority over the animals—he named them all. The theory of evolution is rubbish; man was created and placed in dominion. The history of man has been a history of failure, yet all that man has lost is established in Christ “crowned ... with glory and honour” and “set ... over the works of thy hands”, Hebrews 2: 7.
Then man, as under Christ, is placed in authority over woman, and the woman is to recognise this, having on her head ‘a token of the authority under which she stands’, “on account of the angels”, 1 Corinthians 11: 10 (and see footnote in N.T.). I feel grieved to notice at times the absence of the token, for it is a part of Paul’s ministry. His ministry has authority. He tells us it was authority given to him by the Lord for building up and not for overthrowing (2 Corinthians 10: 8; 13: 10). Ministry is to be positive, “for building up”. Paul says, “He that prophesies edifies the assembly”, 1 Corinthians 14: 4. What need there is for this, and, thank God, it remains in our day.
Paul wrote to Corinth recognising the assembly there, and the delegated authority from above that it had been given in respect of its own matters. He had learnt this at his conversion when he asked, “What shall I do, Lord?”. The Lord did not give a direct answer but said, “Rise up and enter into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do”, Acts 9: 6. God had given authority from above to the disciples in that city. Each local assembly has authority within its own boundary—but “no authority whatever” elsewhere. Various crises in the history of the recovery have involved this principle. We have to go back only some four years
to recall such an issue, emphasizing the need to recognise the authority given to a local assembly to act in its own area.
But we are not to live on conflict. What follows a crisis is to be a fresh forward movement. When Israel came to the Red Sea the word was, “Speak into the children of Israel, that they go forward”, Exodus 14: 15. This was the word of authority given from above in the ministry, and we must recognise authority in ministry. He has “given to his bondmen the authority, and to each one his work”, Mark 13: 34. We all have work to do for the Lord, and the bondman is given the authority. Moses was a bondman of Jehovah (Exodus 14: 31), so were Paul and John and others, and they so describe themselves. A bondman recognises the absolute authority over him—supreme authority in God Himself—and also what has been given to him to do. It also says that God reveals His secrets to His servants the prophets before He acts (Amos 3: 7). He has respect to His bondmen.
We need to recognise the authority given from above, for there has always been Satan’s attack through usurped authority. We have proved this in the past, as it says, “Other lords ... have had dominion over us” (Isaiah 26: 13), but this was not authority from above. Ministry can still be judged by, “Was it of heaven, or of men?”, Mark 11: 30.
Naturally, man resents authority in others, or tends to usurp it. Not only do we see this in world affairs, but we have seen it in the assembly. Our salvation lies in the recognition of authority given from above in the various settings in which God has been pleased to place it.
Substance of word in meeting for ministry, Redbridge
6 April 1976