Don't Question People in Authority!

Spiritual Authority, post 2. For most of us post-Nixon children this is a no-brainer.  Whether it be NY Governor Spitzer, a parent who neglected their child in a car in a hot Phoenix sun, FEMA during hurricane Katrina or the CEO of Enron.  None of these entities or personalities have authority carte blanche.  Why then do pastors and televangelists think or maintain that they are above the scrutiny and accountability of man?   When the president of any other non-profit entity pads his pockets with money we cry foul play.  So how can pastors get away with financial indiscretions, spiritual abuse and ‘above-the-law’ antics?

I probably should start with the question “Is there such a thing as spiritual authority?”  But we will save that for another post.  In the meantime if you are wondering about the issue of clergy and laity and whether or not these categorical distinctions are legitimately apostolic read “The Other Six Days” R. Paul Stevens, who argues effectively (and with historical accuracy) that Jesus never intended for his church to be divided into laity (subservient masses) and clergy (authoritarian elite).

My wife and I agree that in our parenting we won’t say, “Don’t question me! Just do what I tell you to do. “  We also agree that we won’t answer our kids’ question of “But why?” with a, “Because I told you so!”  That being said there have been several times when I have violated our own rule.  Usually I say it in haste, when I am lazy and don’t feel like explaining myself.  And usually my wife gives me that look ‘do you really want your kids to grow up without critical thinking skills!?!?’ 

The danger of not allowing Jeru and Jed to question and investigate, form opinions and disagree is that when they get older they may be unable to think for themselves.  They may even become spiritually and intellectually lazy, which in turn leads to cultish gullibility.  Or if on the other extreme, I stunt their curiosity (thinking it’s a challenge to my authority) I may kill their innate passion for truth, confining them in a perpetual box of darkness.   A child’s inquisitiveness is a natural desire to make sense of life.  Children want order and understanding.   Many times parents use the dismissive “Because I told you so!” because we are insecure and we ourselves don’t know the answer.  Unfortunately we end up promoting intellectual sloth and imaginocide. 

What is true of parenting is also true of pastoring.   A “because I told you so” in the pulpit kills the creativity and passion for truth in the pew.  Or what I find equally deadening is the haphazard way that the name of God gets slapped over authoritarian’s whims and wishes.  As Haddon Robinson would say, “If you say ‘Thus saith the Lord’ and the Lord didn’t say ‘Thus’ you have committed the ultimate rape of God.   

In 1870 Pope Pius IX's promulgated the dogma of papal infallibility. Lord Acton, a Roman Catholic man himself, went to Rome to withstand this new dogma. It was in this context that Acton wrote to Bishop Mandell Creighton, dated April 1887 and made his most famous pronouncement:

"I cannot accept your canon that we are to judge Pope and King unlike other men with a favourable presumption that they did no wrong. If there is any presumption, it is the other way, against the holders of power, increasing as the power increases. Historic responsibility has to make up for the want of legal responsibility. Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men."

Absolute power corrupts absolutely.  Perhaps this is just one of the reasons that Jesus called the apostles to be followers not rulers.  He never asks them to lead, simply follow.   His challenge is for them to learn the art of following and serving.   He instructs them to not lord authority over others but to follow his example of bended knees, serving hands, washing feet and a loving others.

Michelle came to visit our church at the behest of her daughter.  Sitting in the back, observing our worship and our community she kept her distance.  After several weeks passed she came to me, “Mr. Jeff, I would like to meet with you.  I have some questions.”

We met that week.   

In the meeting she peppered me with questions, “Who do you answer to?”  “Upon what authority do they stand?”  “How much control do you wield over your parishioners’’ lives?”  “What do you mean by you accept anybody?  “All of this love and compassion for people seems a bit too good to be true.” 
I tried to answer each question patiently and gracefully.  I had no idea where she was coming from.  Then she opened up. 

“All of this church and God stuff is a bit hard for me.  I am sorry for asking all these questions, but I am a former member of the People’s Temple, Rev. Jim Jones.  I moved to Guyana with my family when we were all told to do so.  I was a girl at the time.  A couple weeks before the mass murder I became very sick and was sent back to the states for medical help.  While I was in the U.S. Jim Jones led my family and hundreds of others to kill themselves in the horrific cult murders.” 

As she continued describing her fears of churches, religions, and God all her questions made sense.  Her sisters and mother drank the grape kool-aid laced with cyanide.  They were obeying “them that have the rule over you.”  This was her first church experience in twenty plus years. 

A couple of weeks later she showed up at our membership class and once again she went through all the questions in a public forum.  Although I never asked her I think I understood.  She wanted to see if my ego would feel affronted.  She wanted to see if humility and submission and accountability were virtues and characteristics of our community.  She wanted to protect her daughter and herself from anything like that ever happening again.  She wanted to know if there were checks and balances, if the leadership was accountable to the followership. 

So is it wrong to question authority?  Is it wrong for authority to be held accountable?  In short, no.  Luke tells us (Acts 17) that Paul’s message was seen as an affront to the established religions of his day.  Paul was not afraid to challenge religious leaders and authorities of his day by going straight to their synagogues and preaching Christ.  One group of people deserve our acclaim, the Bereans.  “The Bereans were more noble than the Thessalonians because they searched the Scriptures daily to see if what Paul was saying was true.”  They did not take Paul’s word for it.   They didn’t simply “obey because I tell you so.”  They searched it out for themselves and Luke says, “They were more noble (euschemonon, lit. 'proper' or as NLT says, “more open minded”).

Let me suggest a thought.  Although we can never truly know why we don’t have an Epistle to the Bereans I would like to suggest the following.  Epistles are letters written to address negative situations.  If an occasion arose in a church that needed addressing the Apostles would write epistles to fix problems.   Thus epistles are polemical.  For example, Galatians is in danger of mixing additives to the simple message of Jesus, so Paul picks up the stylus.  Corinth is fragmenting itself into oblivion, full of division and sin, so Paul picks up the stylus.  Each epistle is written to address misunderstandings, heresy, unethical behavior and various other vices and problems.   And at the heart of every misunderstanding is someone claiming ‘authority’ and demanding the people's allegiance or obedience (Read 2 Corinthians).

It may be that Berea has no epistle because the Bereans searched the Scriptures for themselves.  They didn’t just take someone’s word for it.  They asked questions, probed TaNaK, and only followed what had strong Scriptural support. Therefore, they weren't chasing every wind of doctrine or following charismatic personalities.  In questing to obey Scripture teachings and not men, the influence of false teachers failed to subvert this tribe of 'noble' believers. 

Luke and Paul are both refreshed by the inquisitiveness, questions, and Scripture searching that this church engages in.  Sources claim that this church maintained its dignity and nobility all the way into the 12th Century.

Christ gave  a gift to his church after he ascended on high.  That gift was pastors, teachers, apostles, prophets and evangelists.  These men were gifts and not vise versa.  God did not give the church as a gift to his ministers.  Ministers are gifts since they serve on bended knees the needs of the body of Christ.  If we, Christ's ministers, take our rightful position as servants to the body we will willingly be held accountable to those whose needs we serve.  After all, we are servants.

Comments

[Julio Merida]

Good post. Refreshing to know that there are still Pastors who lead by following.

[Shiloh]

Very thoughtful. Thank you for sharing.

[Jaime G]

The last paragraph especially reminds me of a statement my husband made in his sermon last night, that "we cannot take advantage of others and call it ministry." As you said, God did not give the church as a gift to ministers, rather vice versa. Once we truly view it as such, what a transformation there will be!

[ellen stevens]

I loved this post; it mirrors a personal journey I'm on right now.

I recently came across a CNN news article covering a lesson taught by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, to cadets at the U. S. Military Academy at West Point.

In the midst of the emotional lecture about war, Gates emphasized the responsibility of junior officers to challenge superiors, even at the risk of their careers. “I encourage you,” he urged, “to take on the mantle of fearless, thoughtful, but loyal dissent when the situation calls for it.”

Wow. If the military, in all of its honor-bound and loyalty-driven glory, can encourage critical thinking, how much more should the church?

[Jeffrey Garner]

Now that is a revolutionary concept coming from the military! Where did you see that article?

[ellen stevens]

Here is the CNN article link:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/04/22/gates.emotional/

[Tlee]

Wow! I love this post! I had a conversation yesterday with an old buddy from my childhood church. He was asking questions about my current church and if we're following the bible like we had all been taught growing up. I knew where he was going, he wanted to know if we preached the "doctrine" . . .
And when I began to talk to him about Community, Love and simple faith in Christ...he appeared to be shocked that I even mentioned such concepts!
And this is a result of never studying the scriptures for himself...We grew up in an environment where questions that challenged the Faith were not readily welcomed.

Thank you for your article...

[cj]

Great post Jeff. Miss talking with you.

[Don Vigil]

GREAT INSIGHT!
You are a special young man Jeff.

Blessings 2 U & Your Family.
Don