This post is a continuation of the last one. With the last post in mind, let’s jump to this section of the
shepherdingwords.org site, which says:
“What should be our attitude toward deputy authorities? The Lord Jesus acknowledged the authority of Caesar, that is, of the Roman government (Matt. 22:21). When Peter instructed the Hebrew believers who were suffering under persecution to “honor the king” (1 Pet. 2:17), it was in the context of Nero’s reign. The apostles charged the believers to submit to all deputy authorities, without regard to whether they were good or bad (Rom. 13:1; Titus 3:1; 1 Pet. 2:13). Believers are likewise charged to honor the elders in the church (1 Tim. 5:17) and be subject to them (1 Pet. 5:5).”
The first half seems incontrovertible, and I believe most would agree. But the last half is a complete misapplication of scripture that should never be done by anyone purporting to have the highest truth, be speaking for God, or be the center of God’s up-to-date move. Let’s look at the last two sentences one by one:
“The apostles charged the believers to submit to all deputy authorities, without regard to whether they were good or bad (Rom. 13:1; Titus 3:1; 1 Pet. 2:13).”
The verses are:
1. Romans 13:1 – Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
2. Titus 3:1 – Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.
3. 1 Peter 2:13 – Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to comment those who do right.
This makes me angry. The co-workers are not stupid. They know what they are doing, and they know full well that these three verses do NOT say to submit to ALL deputy authorities, without regard to whether they were good or bad. THEY DO NOT SAY THAT. These three verses are about secular, governmental authority ONLY. ONLY. They have nothing, and I mean NOTHING, to do with the elders in a church. The co-workers themselves used these exact three verses earlier to back up their statement on secular institutions (including human government). These are not verses that speak concerning a church setting. Secular authorities are not deputy authorities to begin with, and it is never stated ANYWHERE that being charged to submit to secular authorities is a principle that should be applied to the church. Yet the co-workers do just that.
The last sentence of the section is: “Believers are likewise charged to honor the elders in the church (1 Tim. 5:17) and be subject to them (1 Pet. 5:5).”
By taking verses about secular governments that DO clearly say to submit, and saying “believers are LIKEWISE charged” regarding the elders is a twisting of scripture by the co-workers to suit their own base gain. Scripture does NOT ever say to submit to elders in the same way we submit to secular institutions, and it does NOT ever say to submit to elders regardless of right or wrong, good or evil. The verses the co-workers cite are as follows:
1 Timothy 5:17 – The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.
1 Peter 5:5 - In like manner, younger men, be subject to elders; and all of you gird yourselves with humility toward one another, because God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.
There is zero, and I mean zero, concept in either of these verses that the elders have authority in the way that secular governments do, and that we are to submit to the elders in the church regardless of right or wrong. To ever say that God would set up among his own people a scenario where right and wrong, good and evil are to be disregarded is to speak against, twist, and grossly misrepresent the very nature of God Himself.
This kind of subtle twisting, blurring, and misapplication of scriptures in order to put it past tens of thousands of people without question takes great skill. Do you want to follow and submit to people who twist scripture in order to claim they represent God and should be submitted to regardless of whether they are right or wrong? What could be the motivation or driving force behind the kind of people making these types of claims in the name of God?