Sunday, May 17, 2015

Does Having Authority Usually Corrupt?


Does putting one in authority corrupt the one in authority? Another author from another Christian blog did a post about submission and believes having authority usually corrupts. This is why God's standards of biblical submission given to wives must be wrong for today.  Some of the comments from this post were very interesting to say the least. I thought I would share a few so you can know some of the arguments against submission and how they manipulate Scripture in order to come to their conclusions. These comments were directed at me in response to comments I made supporting biblical submission ~

I think why you have such a problem with certain readers questioning if your postings are biblical is because they know that they are fighting against the tides. They cling to their view of the bible and want women to stay home and be kept under their husband’s authority. They keep pushing their agenda, because they know society is turning against submission. 

Women are now holding positions over men. They are doctors, lawyers, and policy makers. I don’t have anything against submission, BUT it is a woman’s decision. A small circle of women may choose submission, but the majority will not. I don’t think they are personally against you, but they are certainly against women not having choices. Maybe you should limit the number of responses from the readers who are distracting your message? Just a thought.

In Ephesians 6:5-9, detailed instructions are given on how to treat our slaves. Well, by that logic would that mean that it is Biblical to have slaves? Wait, not only Okay Biblically but must be seen as a command; "Let’s all go out and get some slaves, right after all the women blindly submit to their husbands." Hmmm… sometimes it’s tough when we read more than just the convenient verses. Sadly, such verses probably were used to keep people enslaved not too long ago in our human history. And now are keeping some women “enslaved” by enforcing a cruel submission.

Whether or not we obey God is our choice as believers? God tells us that if we love Him, we will keep His commands {John 14:15}. God clearly teaches wives to be submissive to their husbands. Are women being submissive to their husbands equated with having slaves? No, in fact, Paul does say this to slaves in 1 Corinthians 7:21, "Were you called while a slave? Do not worry about it; but if you are able also to become free, rather do that." The Bible NEVER endorses slavery. Is wifely submission defined as being enslaved by cruel submission? On the contrary, wifely submission may win a disobedient husband to the Lord! These comments made to me are a perversion of Scripture in an attempt to water down submission.

God’s Word never changes. It is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Submission is as relevant and as powerful as it ever has been. It produces peace and order in marriages, in families when children submit to their parents and in societies where citizens submit to the laws of their land.

Know your Bible so you aren’t tossed around by every wave of doctrine which is contrary to God’s Word. The only way you will know counterfeits is by knowing the Truth. Study God’s Word daily. Measure everything you hear by it, including my words. Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves when it comes to evil. Stand firm in the wisdom and knowledge of God.

As a result, we are no longer to be children, 
tossed here and there by waves 
and carried about by every wind of doctrine, 
by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming.
Ephesians 4:14

Comments (20)

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Lori
thank you for this post, people pick and choose what they want to believe. I have had a disagreement with a well known Christian Blogger who has thousands of followers over a similar issue. She has claimed that submission was 'of that time' and followed the household codes of the time and hence, don't apply to us in the 21st Century.
There has been and always will be attacks on Gods word won't there Lori?.
Blessings to you
Helen UK
1 reply · active 515 weeks ago
It seems like most of the big and popular marriage blogs believe this lie. I think their biggest concern is if they teach true, biblical submission they would lose many readers; one even told me this, whose blog this discussion took place on. She even wrote an entire post the next day about how wrong I was. Yes, it is a price to teach submission but it is a price definitely worth paying!
Hebrews 13:8 is mounted on the very front wall of our church above the pulpit : Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. So is God's word, like you mentioned! I used to read blogs and books by Christian women that were so watered-down. I just didn't get fulfillment or growth reading them. This blog is one of the few that are truly authentic to God's word, so I limit my reading to those few blogs, a few books approved and recommended by my pastor and his wife, and most of all God's word. I find if I begin reading others who bend the truth of The Lord to pacify society, I begin to stray as well. So I avoid them!
1 reply · active 515 weeks ago
I use to read them also, Katie, but I stopped. I don't want to listen to false teachers. There are some programs and preachers that I don't agree 100% with but we do agree on many things. However, if a blog continues to promote things that are not biblical especially those who call themselves "marriage blogs", I've stopped reading them.
Thank you Lori for teaching the truth. It has taken me awhile, but I've learned that being submissive to my husband is giving God control of my life and our marriage. I pray that others will see that too.
1 reply · active 515 weeks ago
It's the only way to live, Deb. All of His instructions to us are for our ultimate good!
If you are going to have a discussion about authority, you need to understand what Biblical authority is. It is not the same as the worldly view of authority, amongst believers, those who are in authority are servants.

Mark 10:42-45

Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Yes, worldly authority is often corrupt because the world sees authority as being over and ruling over someone. However it is not to be this way among God's people. If you want to have true authority you do not earn it by exercising authority over others, but by serving them. Not just in words, but in deeds.
2 replies · active 514 weeks ago
Thank you for your thoughts, Julie.

I am speaking about the authority husbands have over their wives since the Bible commands women to submit to and obey their husbands in everything, just as children are to submit to and obey their parents, citizens are to submit to and obey their government and the Church submits to and obeys Christ.

It has to do with who is the one in charge, who makes the decisions and the one who leads. It's wonderful if husbands, parents, and governments serve those they are leading and are benevolent leaders but the Bible doesn't make a distinction as to whether or not those in leadership positions are great leaders or not. In fact, wives are commanded to win disobedient husbands without a word by their godly behavior; by becoming godly, submissive wives.

The world and even many in the church want to make the word "authority" corrupt when it comes to a husband's authority over their wives so wives can have a way out of obeying God in this area. Then most wives become the leader of the home. There's always a leader, always. A biblical marriage is supposed to have the husband as the head and leader of the home. He has the God-ordained job to lead the family the way that he wants to lead it.
There is a difference between leadership and authority. The Christian leader is to be a servant and is to exercise his authority for the good of those he is leading. This is true of the elder in the church, the husband of a wife, and a master over a servant. Each are to emulate Christ who, although He possesses all authority, He uses His authority in a way that is best for those he leads.

Jesus is pretty strong in affirming that all of his followers are to keep his commands:
“If you love me, you will keep my commands” (John 14:15) and “"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter” (Matt 7:31).

Jesus and the Father actually use their authority to discipline their followers who do not do the will of the Father:
“For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness (Heb. 12:10-11).

My point is that Christian leadership always exercises its God given authority for the purpose of servant leadership, but this includes rebuke, and discipline, if one is to emulate Christ, and serve as God does His children.

There is no abuse of authority for a husband to be determined in his will to move his wife to where he feels the Lord desires, so long as he does so in love and with a servant’s heart. To serve does not mean a wimpy husband who is unwillling to speak the truth in love, and do what it takes to serve his wife in both service and loving discipline, if necessary. These two necessary tools are part of all leaders' responsibilities of leadership.
One has authority because it was given by others. In turn, the one with authority must do what is best for the others. If the authority is misused, it can be taken back and given to another. Taking power from others doesn't denote authority; it denotes tyranny. Under tyranny, absolute power corrupts absolutely.

I am the domineering one, and for years I took the power because my husband would not. About 3 years ago, I decided this was not right, I was exhausted, and tired of thinking for everyone. I decided to let things fail. After much chaos in our lives, he stood up, and told me recently that he wants me to take charge of certain things. I am making the same decisions today that I made years ago, but this time it is from his delegation, not from my power.
1 reply · active 515 weeks ago
God is the one who has given parents the authority over children, husbands the authority over wives, etc. Unfortunately, like you did, most wives have taken the authority in their marriages and they are failing miserably. Instead of "letting things fail", it's much better to learn to submit to our husband and obey them even in all the little ways. When a wife does this, the husband naturally takes his place as the leader in the home and things run much more smoothly.
Believers should not be using a worldly form of authority. Jesus told us how authority should look among believers, we should seek to live our lives in this way. Why would you want to use a worldly version of authority among God's people? Jesus himself said it leads to corruption, people ruling over others.

The power of Jesus living among us is supposed to make us different. Unbelievers should be able to actually see the difference that love makes in our lives, they should be able to actually see that love. The love of a husband who puts aside his own wants and desires and lays down his life for his wife. The love of a wife who puts aside her own wants and desires and submits to her husband. The love of believers taking care of one another and serving one another. A lamp set on a hill. This is Christianity. It is not found in worldly ways.

Jesus says worldly leaders "exercise authority" over others (aka they are in charge). It is not to be so in the church. Again, he said it is not to be that way among his followers.

If everyone is seeking to follow Jesus that is who is leading. Yes, we do need someone to lead, there will always be a leader. Among believers that leader is Jesus. Do we trust him to lead us?

Wives winning disobedient husbands is a one sided situation. Wife is serving God, husband is not. That is a different situation than a husband and wife both following the Lord. If they are both serving God, then they will both serve each other and their fellow believers because being a believer is about serving others.
1 reply · active 515 weeks ago
Julie, I have been mentoring women for over 10 years. I have mentored women whose husbands were having affairs, deep into porn, and many who are married to unbelievers. I mentor WOMEN, not men. Therefore, I teach women their God-given role in marriage which is to be a help meet to her husband, regardless of what kind of a man he is or isn't.

All of these women are winning their husbands to the Lord and to themselves, NOT by telling them what kind of a leader they should be but without a word, by becoming godly women and allowing their husbands to lead without nagging, manipulating or controlling them.

I am commanded by God as an older woman to teach young women to love, obey and submit to their husbands. God didn't tell me to teach them what kind of a leader their husbands should be. This isn't my job. If I did, it would lead to more expectations which is already destroying most marriages. Not one woman that I have mentored has gotten divorced, by the grace of God. Most of them are very happily married. God's instructions to us work.
I may not always say things that most people want to hear, but I always speak from my heart. Christians in my church pervert the word of God to normalize sin. People are becoming too picky and choosy with what they want to adhere to.

Does putting someone in authority corrupt them?? To me only if their heart is not right!!! Any husband who who abuses his authority or is corrupt in any way towards his wife, then will have to answer for that. Headship and submission is a beautiful thing and brings harmony to the home. If we trust in Christ then we will do as we are commanded and our hearts will lead to glory!!!!
3 replies · active 515 weeks ago
Churches who water down Scripture to tickle the ears of the listeners will be a dead church just as most marriages who insist on doing marriage the way they want to instead of the way God commands them to do, will usually end up in a dead marriage. It's our choice. Who do you want to serve? As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!
Amen Lori, thank for always speaking the truth and encouraging us who read your blog as you do!!!! I sincerely want to say thank you.
Dawn E. Brown's avatar

Dawn E. Brown · 515 weeks ago

There is no other way. This is the Lord's will for us women and I must say, what a privilege it is to be a wife at home under her husband's authority.There is no safer,sweeter place to be.If every woman took this command in Scripture seriously, what a different world we would have.I am so grateful for God's unchanging Word,and for you Lori being diligent about standing on The Word. It takes courage. Bless you as you serve your family in your God given position,under your husband's authority.What protection this provides us women.We will celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary in a couple of weeks.Only by God's grace, Dawn E. Brown
2 replies · active 514 weeks ago
Thank you, Dawn.This is the only thing I want to teach since I love God and His ways.
The thought that husbands will go corrupt with exclusive power speaks to that person saying God does not know what he is doing or is not good. No different than the serpent's sales pitch to Eve: "hath God said." ---- interpreted into plain English "you too can be God.

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