Difference between revisions of "Authority"

<div> '''A — 1: ἐξουσία ''' (Strong'S #1849 — Noun [[Feminine]] — exousia — ex-oo-see'-ah ) </div> <p> denotes "authority" (from the impersonal verb exesti, "it is lawful"). From the meaning of "leave or permission," or liberty of doing as one pleases, it passed to that of "the ability or strength with which one is endued," then to that of the "power of authority," the right to exercise power, e.g., &nbsp;Matthew 9:6; &nbsp;21:23; &nbsp;2 Corinthians 10:8; or "the power of rule or government," the power of one whose will and commands must be obeyed by others, e.g., &nbsp;Matthew 28:18; &nbsp;John 17:2; &nbsp;Jude 1:25; &nbsp;Revelation 12:10; &nbsp;17:13; more specifically of apostolic "authority," &nbsp;2 Corinthians 10:8; &nbsp;13:10; the "power" of judicial decision, &nbsp;John 19:10; of "managing domestic affairs," &nbsp;Mark 13:34 . By metonymy, or name-change (the substitution of a suggestive word for the name of the thing meant), it stands for "that which is subject to authority or rule," &nbsp;Luke 4:6 (RV, "authority," for the AV "power"); or, as with the English "authority," "one who possesses authority, a ruler, magistrate," &nbsp; Romans 13:1-3; &nbsp;Luke 12:11; &nbsp;Titus 3:1; or "a spiritual potentate," e.g., &nbsp;Ephesians 3:10; &nbsp;6:12; &nbsp;Colossians 1:16; &nbsp;2:10,15; &nbsp;1 Peter 3:22 . The RV usually translates it "authority." </p> &nbsp;1 Corinthians 11:10[[Liberty]][[Power]][[Right]]Strength. <div> '''A — 2: ἐπιταγή ''' (Strong'S #2003 — Noun Feminine — epitage — ep-ee-tag-ay' ) </div> <p> an injunction (from epi, "upon," tasso, "to order"), is once rendered "authority," &nbsp;Titus 2:15 (RV, marg., "commandment"). See Commandment. </p> Command. <div> '''A — 3: ὑπεροχή ''' (Strong'S #5247 — Noun Feminine — huperoche — hoop-er-okh-ay' ) </div> <p> primarily, "a projection, eminence," as a mountain peak, hence, metaphorically, "pre-eminence, superiority, excellency," is once rendered "authority," &nbsp;1 Timothy 2:2 , AV (marg., "eminent place"), RV, "high place," of the position of magistrates; in &nbsp;1 Corinthians 2:1 , "excellency" (of speech). Cp. huperecho, "to surpass." See Excellency. </p> <div> '''A — 4: δυνάστης ''' (Strong'S #1413 — Noun Masculine — dunastes — doo-nas'-tace ) </div> <p> akin to dunamis, "power," (Eng., "dynasty,") signifies "a potentate, a high officer;" in &nbsp;Acts 8:27 , of a high officer, it is rendered "of great authority;" in &nbsp;Luke 1:52 , RV, "princes, (AV, "the mighty"); in &nbsp;1 Timothy 6:15 it is said of God ("Potentate"). See [[Mighty]] , Potentate. </p> <div> '''B — 1: ἐξουσιάζω ''' (Strong'S #1850 — Verb — exousiazo — ex-oo-see-ad'-zo ) </div> <p> akin to A, No. 1, signifies "to exercise power," &nbsp;Luke 22:25; &nbsp;1 Corinthians 6:12; &nbsp;7:4 (twice). See Power. </p> <div> '''B — 2: εὐωδία ''' (Strong'S #2175 — Noun Feminine — katexousiazo — yoo-o-dee'-ah ) </div> <p> kata, "down," intensive, and No. 1, "to exercise authority upon," is used in &nbsp;Matthew 20:25; &nbsp;Mark 10:42 . </p> <div> '''B — 3: αὐθεντέω ''' (Strong'S #831 — Verb — authenteo — ow-then-teh'-o ) </div> <p> from autos, "self," and a lost noun hentes, probably signifying working (Eng., "authentic"), "to execise authority on one's own account, to domineer over," is used in &nbsp;1 Timothy 2:12 , AV, "to usurp authority," RV, "to have dominion." In the earlier usage of the word it signified one who with his own hand killed either others or himself. Later it came to denote one who acts on his own "authority;" hence, "to exercise authority, dominion." See [[Dominion]] , Note. </p>

<p> In some English versions of the Bible the two words ‘power’ and ‘authority’ are used to translate what is one word in the Greek. In such cases ‘power’ means ‘the right to exercise power’, and this is the aspect of power that is the subject of the present article. [[Concerning]] power in the sense of strength or might, see [[Power]] . </p> <p> God is the one who has absolute authority (&nbsp;Psalms 93:1-2; &nbsp;Psalms 115:3; &nbsp;Isaiah 40:20-23; &nbsp;Romans 9:20-24; &nbsp;Romans 13:1; see GOD, sub-headings ‘Eternal and independent’, ‘Majestic and sovereign’). Jesus Christ, being God, also had absolute authority, though he chose to exercise that authority in complete submission to his Father (&nbsp;John 5:19). He had the same authority on earth as he had in heaven, the same authority in time as he had in eternity (&nbsp;Matthew 21:23-27; &nbsp;Matthew 28:18; &nbsp;John 5:27; &nbsp;John 10:18). </p> <p> By his authority Jesus Christ released sick and demonized people from the power of Satan (&nbsp;Matthew 8:8-10; &nbsp;Mark 1:27) and instructed people in the truth of God (&nbsp;Matthew 7:29). By that same authority he forgave people their sins (&nbsp;Matthew 9:6), gave them eternal life (&nbsp;John 17:2), made them children of God (&nbsp;John 1:12), and gave them the authority and the power to carry on the work of his kingdom (&nbsp;Matthew 10:1; &nbsp;Matthew 28:18-20; &nbsp;2 Corinthians 13:10; see [[Kingdom]] OF GOD; APOSTLE). </p> <p> As the words that the Son of God spoke carried with them God’s authority, so did the words that the Spirit of God inspired the authors of the Bible to write. The Scriptures, Old and New Testament alike, are God’s authoritative Word to the human race (&nbsp;2 Timothy 3:16; &nbsp;2 Peter 1:21; see [[Inspiration]] ). </p> <p> God wants every community of people be properly ordered for the well-being of all. Therefore, he has given authority to civil administrators to govern society (&nbsp;Jeremiah 27:5; &nbsp;John 19:11; &nbsp;Romans 13:1-4; see [[Government]] ), to parents to govern the family (&nbsp;Ephesians 6:4; &nbsp;1 Timothy 5:14; see [[Parents]] ), and to elders to govern the church (&nbsp;Acts 20:28; &nbsp;1 Peter 5:2; see [[Elder]] ). </p>

<p> '''(1.)''' in matters religious and ecclesiastical, an assumed right of dictation, attributed to certain fathers, councils, or church courts. On this subject [[Bishop]] Hoadley writes: "Authority is the greatest and most irreconcilable enemy to truth and argumlent that this world ever furnished. All the sophistry — all the color of plausibility — all the artifice and cunning of the subtlest disputer in the world may be laid open and turned to the advantage of that very truth which they are designed to hide; but against authority there is no defense." He shows that it was authority which crushed the noble sentiments of [[Socrates]] and others, and that by authority the [[Jews]] and heathens combated the truth of the Gospel; and that, when Christians increased into a majority, and came to think the same method to be the only proper one for the advantage of their cause which had been the enemy and destroyer of it, then it was the authority of Christians, which, by degrees, not only laid waste the honor of Christianity, but well-nigh extinguished it among men. It was authority which would have prevented all reformation where it is, and which has put a barrier against it wherever it is not. The remark of [[Charles]] II. is worthy of notice-that those of the established faith make much of the authority of the church in their disputes with dissenters, but that they take it all away when they deal with papists. — Buck, Theol. Dict. s.v. </p> <p> '''(2.)''' In a proper sense, by the "authority of the church" is meant either the power' residing generally in the whole body of the faithful to execute the trust committed by Christ to his church, or the particular power residing in certain official members of that body. The first-named authority is vested in the clergy and laity jointly; the latter in the clergy alone. In the interpretation of Scripture for any particular church, that church's authority does not belong to all divines or "distinguished theologians" who may be members of the church, but only to the authorized formularies. Single writers of every age are to be taken as expressing only their individual opinions. The agreement of these opinions at any one period, or for any lengthened space of time, may and must be used as proof to ourselves, privately, as to the predominant sentiments of the church at that time, but no opinions can be quoted as deciding authoritatively any disputed question. The universal church deserves deference in all controversies of faith; and every particular church has a right to decree such rights and ceremonies as are not contrary to God's written word; but no church has a right to enforce any thing as necessary for salvation, unless it can be shown so to be by the express declaration of Holy Scripture. See the 20th and 34th Articles of the Church of England, and the 5th and 22d of the [[Methodist]] Episcopal Church. (See [[Rule Of Faith]]); (See [[Tradition]]). </p>