God has established authority for our good, yet there are times that authority can be abused. This is why Jonathan Leeman described authority as God’s “good and dangerous gift.” In this episode, Mike and Nathan discuss both the benefits and the struggles of authority in the local church.
Authority: God’s Good and Dangerous Gift (Leeman)
https://www.9marks.org/article/authority-gods-good-and-dangerous-gift/
FOC Podcast on the “Image of God”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=978uhDqkp1E
Discussion Points:
- What is authority? (Why do we intrinsic dislike it, standards and enforcement, source of images)
- Where does authority come from? (God, delegated to mankind)
- How does the Bible view governmental authority? (Obey except in matters of faith)
- How does the Bible view church authority? (Submit to godly leadership, hold them accountable)
- How should someone respond to misused authority in the church? (Follow Matthew 18: address one-on-one, with witnesses, then inform the church)
Bible References from the Focused on Christ Transcript
- Romans 13:1-2 – Submitting to governing authorities
- 1 Peter [2:13] – Submitting to authorities for the Lord’s sake
- Gen 1 & 2 – Image of God in man
- 1 Peter – Admonitions to the church on submission
- 1 Timothy and Titus – Qualifications for Elders
- 2 Timothy [2:25] – Correcting opponents with gentleness
- 1 Peter 5:1-3 – Qualifications and expectations of Elders
- Matthew 18 – Addressing conflict within the Church