Real Authority

"when Peter came to Antioch, I had a face-to-face confrontation with him because he was clearly out of line." - Galatians 2:11(MESSAGE)

Valid authority in the Church derives from following the truth.

Those aligned with God's word are to be honored and followed,¹ those who don't are to be resisted, sometimes even publicly, regardless of their name, rank, or history.

The apostle, Paul, wrote

"Let me be blunt: ... If anyone, regardless of reputation or credentials, preaches something other than what you received originally, let him be cursed ... If my goal was popularity, I wouldn't bother being Christ's" - Galatians 1:9-10a (MESSAGE)

This doesn't mean arguing every little point. The Brethren church has a wonderful saying,

In essentials, Unity;
In non essentials, Liberty;
In all things, Charity."

All valid authority comes from adherence to God's word, not an ecclesiastical or educational title.

- fritz

^{1 - 1st Timothy 5:17}