I’ve been intrigued with the Biblical use of the word ‘authority’. As I dug deeper into its meaning, I found that, in general, authority fundamentally is a blend of power derived from a mix of traditions, personal influence due to personality, etc. and legal structures. Positional authority is perhaps the most commonly referred to. While different vocabulary is used, charismatic-based authority, though not verbalized as authority, yet wields a dominate influence in our day-to-day life. Traditional authority seems to have been losing its influence, especially in our more recent emphasis on the woke mindset. Unfortunately, its political intention is to destroy the lives of both genders, all races and, if possible, those of every age in order to brainwash people’s minds so that a new age of controlling others can emerge.
Though its use in the Bible varies, it usually means the ability to speak or act. This comes from having been entrusted with that power or authority. When the Bible uses the word authority to describe what people sensed when Jesus taught, it takes on a unique meaning.
When Jesus was only 12 years old, Luke 2:46-49 reports how He somehow became separated from his parents in the crowds during the Jewish feast of Passover. When they realized he wasn’t with the group who was returning home, they returned to Jerusalem only to find him in the temple. There He was, shocking the well-learned Jewish doctors and leaders with His amazing understanding and questions. More often than not, a reader bypasses Jesus’ full humanity and interprets His questions and answers came out of His deity. But is that a correct interpretation? We must remember John later twice refers to Him clearly saying, “… I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. John 5:19 (NLT2) and “I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will.” John 5:30 (NLT2) He is explicit that the knowledge He was stunning others with was not of Himself, so His knowledge must have been flowing out of the Spirit of God dwelling within Him.
Is it possible the Holy Spirit empowers someone to speak, while others feel the Spirit but wrongly credit the speaker? Could it be what the crowds called authority, in contrast with the Jewish teachers, in reality was simply that His words were anointed by the Holy Spirit. Paul seems to allude to this happening when he had spoken to the Corinthians. He described in 1 Cor 2:1-5 that he was not with enticing words and man’s wisdom but was of the Holy Spirit.
If true, we don’t have to be scholars or great with words to share life-changing truths. I’ve pondered if that is what Paul was saying when he wrote that we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:15-16) I know from personal experience that both when speaking publicly and when counseling, I’ve been surprised at words of wisdom that have come out of my mouth that I had never thought of before that moment. I suspect there is a type of authority each of us can have that has not come out of our position, charisma or tradition. It is an authority that comes when God’s Spirit uses our mouths to speak His words. However, that does not mean we can blame the Spirit of God for inspiring us to speak unkind words or abuse others. Yes, the Bible says God can use a donkey, so we can’t use Him using us to imply we are spiritual. We must be careful to allow what we may say reflects the character of God—the fruit of His Spirit.
I agree wholeheartedly. There have been times in my life, that the answers I gave or the words I spoke didn’t come from my intellect. They had to come from The Holy Spirit..!