This post will return to the beginning of the “Is deputy authority biblical?” section of the
shepherdingwords.org website:
The section begins: “Deputy authority is not only biblical; it is a vital part of the divine revelation concerning God’s government among men. God’s intention to delegate authority to human beings is evident from Genesis 1:26. There God created man in His image and with His likeness and gave him dominion over the earth and all the things in it. This demonstrates a basic principle that God intends to exercise authority through men who express Him.”
Dear ones reading…..uh……I am afraid the co-workers confuse two very different things: humans and animals. Genesis 1:26 says “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” This is very, very clearly man being given authority over the ANIMALS – fish, birds, cattle, reptiles – and over the earth itself. If the co-workers want to dabble in animal husbandry because of this verse, I don’t think they would get much opposition (unless they try to pass themselves off as the Animal Husbandmen of the Age), because that is more in line with the type of authority shown in this verse. This is still not an authority to be scorned and is a great and humbling responsibility, but this verse has nothing to do with God granting deputy authority to people to be over other people, or to represent God to other people. I think we can all grant that this verse shows an amount of delegated authority through men, but the exercise of that authority is over animals, and does not support the local church “deputy authority” of humans being the acting God over other humans. This leap would be akin to saying that because God made someone a farmer, this means He meant them to be President of the United States.
The section continues: “After man’s fall, God raised up men, such as Noah (9:1-6), Joseph (Gen. 41:40-44), Moses (Exo. 3:10-18a; 4:16; 7:1), and David (1 Sam. 16:12-13), to represent His authority among His people.”
I personally have no problem with acknowledging the authorities depicted in the Old Testament. It seems clear that God raised up men to be over His people in that time and place. But all of that was for a goal – the bringing forth of the King, Jesus.
The section continues: “In the New Testament the enthroning of the God-man Jesus as Lord and Christ is a central part of the gospel (Acts 2:36). The Lord told His disciples that God had given all authority to Him (Matt. 28:18).”
The co-workers got this part right. Too bad they didn’t stop there! Why? Because once Jesus came, all the Old Testament types and figures…..yes, including those of deputy authority…..passed away. Jesus is the fulfillment of them all. God has given ALL authority to Him. All of it. And He continues to have it all to this day. Jesus never granted His authority to anyone over anyone. The apostles, ambassadors, elders, overseers, etc, mentioned in the rest of this section on the website (addressed in my earlier two posts) are NOT deputy authorities jonesing to exercise their position over the flock, but are repeatedly shown to be ones to pattern themselves after Jesus……the King of Kings who got on His knees and washed His disciples’ feet just hours before going to the cross to take away the sins of humankind. Saints – THAT is authority.
Bottom line: This whole section on biblical authority sorely fails to show that deputy authority, particularly in the New Testament age in the church, is biblical.