Bible-believing Christians in their desire for independence have sometimes been characterized as rebels disapproving of most authority. This characterization should not be the case and our lives should reflect just the opposite mind-set and approach. Those who know the Lord should be the first to obey, submit to (Hebrews 13:17), and pray for (1 Timothy 2:1-2) those in authority. Those who walk in the flesh are the ones who“despise government” and “are not afraid to speak evil of dignities” (2 Peter 2:10; Jude 1:8). There are times when man’s authority comes into direct conflict with God’s authority. In these cases, men must choose to obey God (Acts 5:29). Yet, there are plenty of other times when the people of God need to learn a greater respect for authority.
Far too many believers today are guilty of a very dangerous practice of usurping authority that does not rightfully belong to them. As an apostle, Paul was given an elevated level of authority. As expressed in his writings, Paul understood that his authority differed from that of the other believers in Corinth. It is important to recognize that the apostles’ authority ended with their deaths. Believers only have the authority given to them in accordance to the holy scriptures. Unfortunately, many well-meaning Christians attempt to claim authority that belonged only to a special group of men that lived during the church’s infancy. This authority was given to them in order to confirm the word (Mark 16:14-20). Authority today resides within the word itself.
The world often accuses faithful believers of being arrogant or simply narrow-minded because of the believer’s unwavering certainty concerning the things he believes. Although there are times when believers reveal an unchristian arrogance, the godly believer is simply certain of his beliefs because he is certain of the authority substantiating those beliefs. According to Titus 2:15, the believer canand should “speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority.” Why? Because the Bible is the word of the God that has all authority and it offers to the believer that level of authority. It is not, therefore, arrogance which causes a godly believer to be unwilling to waver on what he believes, but faith in the written word and words of his God.
Why did men marvel when they heard the Lord Jesus speak? The reason is quite simple. The Lord spoke not as the other religious leaders spoke, but with authority! No scribe or man could have any greater authority to speak on the behalf of God than He who was God come to earth in flesh. Everything the Lord did during His earthly ministry testified of His absolute authority. At one point, the Bible says that all people were amazed when they saw the Lord command unclean spirits with authority and those spirits obeyed Him. In addition to this, the Bible declares that God the Father gave authority to the Son to execute judgment (John 5:27). Ultimately, any authority possessed by the people of God stems from the authority of God’s Son.
Authority resides upon those who have the right to rule; but, unfortunately, it is not always combined with the ability to rule wisely. In the most basic sense, authority is the right and responsibility to rule others as given to one individual by another. The centurion in Matthew 8:9 expressed this truth when he said that his authority gave him the right to issue commands to his soldiers. The apostle Paul referred to his authority to call for the arrest and persecution of Christians (Acts 9:14; Acts 26:10, 12). This truth was also taught in the parable of the nobleman and his servants where the reward given was authority to rule over cities (Luke 19:17). Unfortunately, this desire for authority over others has been the source of problems and troubles throughout history.
We previously alluded to the very real probability of conflicting authorities. What happens when the government tells men that they cannot obey the words of God? What should a lady do when her husband tells her to do something clearly contrary to the scriptures? What should employees do when asked by their employer to disobey a clear command found in the word of God? What should a church do when the preacher departs from the truths of the Bible? These are tough questions, but the Lord did not leave us without answers and guidance. When authorities conflict, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” Man’s responsibility in obedience is first and foremost to God. Men should obey those who have been given authority by God so long as those men do not lead contrary to God's precepts.
No matter where we look we see order and authority. Even God's acts of creation reveal this order. The Bible says that the sun was given to rule the day and the moon to rule the night (Genesis 1:16). The Lord gave priests and prophets to the children of Israel in the Old Testament to lead them and show them His truths. Faithful to His nature, God has also given a level of authority within the church. According to our passage, we are to “obey them that have the rule” over us. On a couple of different occasions, the word rule is used in the job description of a pastor or elder (1 Timothy 3:5; 1 Timothy 5:17). Today's passage also reveals that the man of God watches for the souls of the people and must give an account to God for his watch care. No true God-called leader takes his position lightly.
Because political abuses are becoming increasingly common, people have become disillusioned with their elected representatives. However, God is very specific concerning His purpose for government. It is empowered by God for the punishment of evil doers and the praise of the righteous (Romans 13:1-6). The Bible refers to rulers as “God’s ministers” (Romans 13:6) and these ministers are offered as a gift from God to the people. As believers, we are to submit ourselves to the ordinances of man for the Lord’s sake (1 Peter 2:13-17). In our passage, Titus was reminded that one of his responsibilities as a preacher was to put the people in mind “to be subject to principalities and powers” and to encourage them “to obey magistrates.” This may sound like a daunting responsibility because governments frequently go beyond the scope of their God-given authority. This is why God has not left Christians without direction when He instructs that is better to obey God than men (Acts 5:29).
