37 Pastor Paul

My opinion only, obviously, but no one has authority BECAUSE they hold an office as I see the text of scripture properly understood.

I agree with your post. Any authority we have is to be used for servanthood. When we lose sight of that function, I believe we start to change the focus from the body to ourselves and selfishness is a terrible example and a poor leader.

Great comments, everyone! Even if we disagree to some extent, these disagreements can push us to reason these things through. We have been pushed in this post to think things through clearly. What does scripture really say and can we rely on it alone and not on societal “norms”? Where is “authority over” listed in the scriptures as something that is to be cultivated in the body of Christ? Sometimes thinking outside of the box of “the way we always have done things” takes a good amount of work. It may also be uncomfortable, but I think it is productive. It stretches our minds and it causes us to place our comfortable positions under the light of scripture.