SM

Tiffany: “I jumped the gun in saying you were understanding completely.”

I am understanding. This is exactly what I saw in NN’s posts, too, i.e. having a unique definition for authority (#347) that I would venture to say would be lost on most English speakers beyond third grade as by then they can identify a noun from a verb.

“Yes the distinction is on the idea of taking something vs rather on being being and doing something.”

This distinction would probably not be necessary if authority were used properly as a noun rather than to mean being or doing which necessitates a verb. You are making a distinction that a man does not *take* authority over his wife but he “authorities” his wife. The former “take authority over his wife” issue is a moot point if using your definition of authority. It wouldn’t be anymore awkward to say—a man does not take nourishing, cherishing, and self-sacrificing over his wife than it is to say a husband “authorities” his wife. It is awkward because we wouldn’t say a man should not “take agape over his wife”.

I think this distinction would become unnecessary if the word authority were used correctly and the correct verb agape used.

“Authority is a noun but when nouns are used as verbs they become gerunds….”

A gerund is a verbal with an -ing ending that can act as a noun. You are not using authority as a gerund; you are using it as a verb.
Example using your definition of authority (nourshing, cherishing, self-sacrificing) as a verb–

According to Eph 5, the call of husbands is to authority their wives as Christ agape the Church.

Either way it wouldn’t make sense.

Example using your definition of authority as a gerund:

Authority(ing) your wife as Christ does the church is the call of husbands.

I didn’t check, but I don’t expect anyone will find “authority(ing)” in the dictionary. However, we could take the verb “love”, add -ing, and make it into a gerund acting as a noun and the subject of this example:

Loving your wife as Christ agapes the church is the call of husbands.

“Yes, I believe the husband is an Authority (a noun) and then enacts authority…..in a Christ like way (loving, self-sacrifing, nourishing, cherishing…”.

Dave and TL (508 & 509) have defined authority. It is only a noun and not a verb or a gerund. Loving, self-sacrificing, nourishing, cherishing are all verbs and are used in Eph 5 to describe the action entrusted to husbands to agape their wife.

Also, though this text was to real people in real time, specifically husbands, the text does not require of husbands something that wives should not do. In other words, if husbands are to “authority” their wives as you define it, so wives are to “authority” their husbands.

May you enjoy your Memorial Day.