From the TeachingtheWord Bible Knowledgebase

Part 10 of a 13-part series. Read part 9.

In an earlier article in this series we identified the seven marks of a Scripture-driven church. In subsequent installments we are examining each one in detail.

We come now to the fifth mark of a Scripture-driven church: The people and leaders of a Scripture-driven church identify and reject illegitimate authorities. They recognize that submitting to the right authority also means that the church must reject wrong authorities.

The Church Versus the Flesh

2nd Corinthians 10:4-5 tells us that "the weapons of our warfare are not carnal" - they do not originate in the flesh - but are "mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ."

Often we think about these words in the context of apologetics - giving an answer to the world for the hope that is within us. We're going to discuss apologetics as a mark of a Scripture-driven church later in our series. But we need to remember that Paul's words to the church at Corinth are not just about our answer to illegitimate authorities out in the world. He is talking, first of all, about dealing with illegitimate authorities in the local church. Illegitimate authorities can take over in the local church, and in our time, thousands of Evangelical churches have experienced such a takeover. That was the problem of the church at Corinth. And as we saw previously, there are many parallels between first-century Corinth and 21st-century Evangelicalism.

It's Not Enough to Submit to the Right Authority

Paul was saying this to the Corinthians, and to us as well: In the church, it is not enough to submit to the right authority. Yes, that is vitally important. But you also have to reject wrong authorities. The two go hand in hand. Submission to the right authority, submission to the legitimate authority of the Word of God, logically demands the rejection of illegitimate authorities that undermine or oppose the Word at any point.

This is where the rubber really meets the road in the local church, because it often means confronting people in the congregation or the leadership about their loyalty to an illegitimate authority. And usually that is not easy. In fact, it can be one of the most difficult things that the people and leadership of a church ever have to do. But it is one of the most vital things a church can ever do.

And when we do it, it must be done on the Bible's authority, not our authority. We need to deal with the problem no matter who has set himself up as an illegitimate authority, or is following one.

Paul Confronted Peter

In Galatians chapter 2, verses 11 through 21, we read that one of the apostles confronted another for this very reason. The Apostle Paul confronted the Apostle Peter at Antioch, along with Barnabas and others. Peter was submitting to an illegitimate authority. He had done it publicly, and it was going to seriously harm the church. And so Paul confronted Peter publicly, in front of the believers at Antioch:

Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.

But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, "If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews? We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.

"But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not! For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain."

We can summarize what Paul said to Peter thus: "Brother, you're acting in a way that is contrary to the most essential truth of the Gospel, which says that we are not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Christ. And you're doing this because you're afraid of certain individuals who have come among us here. Peter, in this way you are submitting to an illegitimate authority, and in doing so, you are playing the hypocrite. Worse yet, in submitting to this illegitimate authority you are denying the truth of the Gospel. So brother Peter, I must confront you - not on my own authority, but on the authority of Scripture."

If an apostle of Christ could get off the Biblical path and follow an illegitimate authority, we dare not think that we cannot fall into the same snare of Satan.

Sources of Illegitimate Authority

There are many sources of illegitimate authority. The source may be a book someone has read or a video someone has seen - for example, a how-to book on church growth or a video on "doing church" that mingles human philosophy with the Bible. The source of illegitimate authority may be something that some other church is doing that appears to be successful - something that draws numbers, or brings in money, or something that gains the unbelieving world's approval, but is contrary to the Word of God. The source of illegitimate authority may be the ideas and influences of some dominating personality within the church who is not operating under the authority of the Word.

Regardless of the source, all illegitimate authority has this in common: It undermines or outright denies the truth of God's Word at one or more vital points. Like the serpent deceiving Eve, the underlying theme of all illegitimate authority is, "Has God really said...?"

Are We More Concerned About Injuring Self-Esteem, or Grieving the Holy Spirit?

These days, churches are often afraid to confront illegitimate authority - especially when that authority is some prominent person, a major financial contributor, a diligent and sincere church worker, some learned scholar, or a strong personality. Often today's church seems more concerned about injuring someone's self-esteem than about grieving God the Holy Spirit.

But we must deal with illegitimate authority in the church. God's Word commands it. Lovingly, firmly, but we must do it. We must remember that souls are at stake. We must remember that the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ are at stake. We must remember that the spiritual welfare of the individual who is following a wrong authority is at stake.

We must remember that on vital issues we are not dealing with matters of opinion. We are dealing with God's truth versus man's error. Beware, Jesus said, of falling into the subtle trap of teaching as doctrines the commandments of men (Matthew 15:9). It can happen so easily.

The sum is this: Any authority that is not Biblical authority is illegitimate authority. It must be rejected if a church is to be a Scripture-driven church.

Next: Does Your Church Practice Bible-Based Evangelism?

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