Authority Commensurate With Responsibility 1

Article Index

 

Teachings of Alister John Lowe Th.D.,Ph.D.

March 1995 Volume 24

 

Authority Commensurate With Responsibility   1

What should I do now?" enquired the South American Indian Chief who had recently recived the Lord Jesus as his personal Saviour. Eager to please his new found Lord the chief sought diligently to follow the Master's steps.

"I will let you know", responded the young missionary. "I will have to contact my headquaters in New York to determine the next course of action."

Explaining how the chief was married to eighteen women, the authority asserted he must put away seventeen wives.

Dutifully carrying the requirements to the chief, the missionary affirmed he would make contact in three weeks to see how the problem would be solved.

Three weeks passed. "Did you remedy the situation with your wives?", enquired the young man. "Oh, yes",
replied the chief. "What did you do?"
"I killed seventeen. I am now living with only one wife. I have met the requirements of your authorities in New York."

The "authorities" had turned a chief into a murderer. What must be rectified at all costs, according to their concept, something must be done about the awful sin of adultery.

This is a classic illustration of authority not being commensurate with responsibility.

The young missionary had the responsibility of telling the chief but had no corresponding authority. The "heirarchy", seated comfotably in their plush carpeted offices, exercised authority, but carried no responsibility.

Authority must be commensurate with responsibility.

The English word commensurate, is derived from the Latin, con and mensura, a measure. It means equal, proportional, having equal measure or extent.

The Greek word for authority is exousia. It means permission, authority, right, liberty, power to do anything, jurisdiction, strength, and is so translated in the King James Version of the Bible.


Authority : Five-fold Manifestation

Ephesians 4:11-13 And he gave some, apostles; some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.

The five-fold ministry is the authority of Jesus Christ in the church. They are extensions of Jesus Christ Himself.

Attitudes projected towards these figures are attitudes projected toward Jesus Christ.

All God's authority is delegated!

The original sin of Satan was treason.

Isaiah 14:12-14 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations. For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most high.

Treason is the crime of a subject attempting in any way to overthrow the government of a country; a breach of fidelity; treachery.

It is no coincidence that the"I wills" of Satan number five, the number of wounds inflicted on Jesus on the cross, also the number of the five-fold ministry.

The English word treason, is derived from the Latin, tradere, to deliver up, to betray. It is the crime of a subject attempting in any way to overthrow the government of a country; a breach of fidelity; treachery. High treason is any crime affecting the safety or dignity of a sovereign or his state. It is punishable by death.

Adam's sin was high treason. He was punished with death.

Every time a thought is given to aging, suffering or death, spare a thought as to what occasioned it, and the ultimate sin of high treason.

Israel's sin was high treason.

1 Samuel 8:7 And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken to the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.

In an illustration given by the Lord Je

sus Himself, the attitude of His Father is made very clear.

Luke 19:14,27

Teachings of Alister John Lowe Th.D.,Ph.D.  

Issue 27   March, 1995

Authority Commensurate With Responsibility   3

Synonyms and Antonyms for Authority
[English]

Order
Latin, ordo, an arranging, order. Methodical arrangement; regularity. Established method or process. Proper state; a law; a command.

Submission
Latin, submissus, which means made low, humble. From sub, under and missus, sent. The act of yielding to power or authority. Acknowledgement of inferiority, or dependence. Humble or suppliant behaviour. Resignation.

Subordinate
Latin, sub, under and ordinatus, arranged, set in order. Inferior in nature, rank or importance. Descending in a regular series. One who stands in rank or dignity below another, an inferior person.

Loyalty
French, loyal, from loi, law. Faithful to a prince or superior. True, devoted. A loyalist is a person who adheres to his sovereign, particularly in times of civil commotion.

Obey
Latin, ob, towards and audire, to hear. To comply with commands, orders or instructions of a superior: as a parent, a master, or a teacher. To yield submission to.

Witchcraft
Anglo Saxon, wicce, a witch. The practices or powers of a witch. Supernatural power, enchantment. A witch is a woman presumed to have supernatural power and knowledge by sup-
posed contact with evil spirits; a sorceress.

Rebellion
French, rebeller, to rebel, to revolt. Latin. rebellare, to rebel, from re, back or again, and bellare, to make war. One who makes war against constituted authorities: one who takes up arms against the authority of a government, to which he owes allegiance: open and avowed resistance to a government by force of arms. In Feudal Law
Law: One who disobeys his lord.

Chaos
Latin and Greek, a yawning gulf, immense void. The confused mass into which this earth is supposed to have existed prior to it being made a fit habitation for man. Any mixed or confused mass. Confusion; disorder.

Confusion
Latin, confusus, which means disordered. From con, and fusus, poured out, diffused. To mix or disorder things so that they can not be distinguished: to render indistinct: to perplex. To throw into disorder. To agitate by suprise or shame. Disorder: indisticntness: astonishment: distraction of mind.

Anarchy
Greek, a, without and arche, government: want of government. A state of lawless confusion in a country. An anarchist is one who attempts disorder or confusion in a country.

Iniquity
Latin, iniquitas, uneveness, injustice. From in, not and oequs, even, equal. Characterised by injustice, very unjust, wicked. Injustice, wickedness, marked departure from justice.

Lawlessness
Icelandic, lag, order, form, custom, law. From leggia, to lay. Anglo Saxon, lagu, what is laid or fixed, a law. A rule of action imposed by some authority or by the supreme power of a state. A statute. A rule of direction. A settled principle. A rule or axiom of science.

Authority
Legal power; rule; influence; credit.
Latin, auctor, an author. From augeo, I increase. One who creates or produces; a first mover; a writer of a book.

Power
French, pouvoir; Old French, pooir;
Italian, potere, power. Ability; capacity; strength; energy; faculty or energy of mind; influence; rule or authority; a sovereign; one invested with rule or authority, usually in the plural; a supernatural being or agent.

Official
Pertaining to or derived from the proper office or authority; done by virtue of authority. One invested with office. Latin, officium, service, duty, from opes, aid, help, and facere, to do. Italian, officio; French, office, office duty. Settled duty; employment; business; a house where commercial men transact their business.

Master
Latin, magister, a master or chief: Italian, maestro; Old French, maitre, a master. A man who has rule or government over others; a lord; a ruler; a chief;
a ruler; a chief; the head of a household; a director; an owner; a possesser; one very skilful in anything; one uncontrolled; a teacher or instructor; an employer; the commander of a merchant ship; an officer in a ship of war under the direction of the captain. To subdue; to conquer; to bring under control; to overcome.
 
Control
French, contrerolle, the copy of a roll of accounts, from contre, against, and role, a roll. To check by a contra-account; to restrain; to govern; to subject to authority.

Command
Latin, con, and mando, I order. Right, power, or authority over; an order or message with authority; a naval or military force under the authority of a particular officer.

Jurisdiction
Legal power or authority; the power or right of exercising authority; the district to which any authority extends. Latin, juridicus, relating to the administration of justice. From jus, law, and dico, I pronounce. Pertaining to a judge.

Judge
French, juge; Italian, giudice, a judge. From Latin, judex, a judge. The presiding officer in a court of law who awards punishment to offenders; a chief magistrate; one who has skill to decide on the merits or value of. That faculty of the mind which enables a man to ascertain truth by comparing facts and ideas.

Dominion
Supreme power or authority; territory or district governed by a prince; rule; control. Latin, dominans, ruling or bearing sway, from dominus, a lord. Italian, dominate; French, dominant, dominant, ruling. Having the power or rule; possessing the ascendancy; prevailing.

Rule
Latin, regula; Provencal, regla; French, regle, a straight piece of wood. Something established for guidance or direction; government; supreme command; control; a prescribed mode of operation by which certain results may be obtained.

Government
Control; restraint; the exercise of authority; the ruling power in a state; the principle or system under which a state is ruled. French, gouverner; Italian, governare; Latin, gubenare, to direct or govern. To direct and control; to regulate by authority; to command; to have influence or force. To exercise authority; to restrain. 
 
Restrain
Latin, restringere, to check, to restrain, from re, back, and string, I draw tight. Italian, restringere; French, restreindre. To hold back; to bind fast; to curb; to repress; to limit; to abridge.

Influence
French, influence; Italian, influenza, influence, power. Latin, influens, flowing into, from in, into, and fluo, I flow. Authority, sway; power of directing or modifying, seen or felt by its effects. To move or affect by moral force; to lead, or direct. Influential: exerting a directing or modifying power over the minds of men.

Persuade
Latin, persuadere, to persuade. From per, thoroughly, and suadeo, I advise. Italian, persuadere; French, persuader. To influence by advice or argument; to draw or incline a person by representing powerful motives to the mind; to convince by argument, or entreaty.

Ascendancy
Power; controlling influence. Latin, ad; scando, I mount up; scansum, to mount up. Italian, ascendere, to mount; to go up; to rise.

Prevail
Latin, proevalere, to be very powerful or superior. From proe, before, and valeo, I am strong. Italian, prevalere. French, prevaloir; to be in force; to overcome; to gain the victory or advantage; to have effect, power, or influence; to persuade or induce.

Sway
Dutch, zwaayen, to swing, to brandish: Icelandic, sviegja, to bend; Norman, svaga; Danish, svaie, to swing to and fro. To influence by power or force; to have influence; to bear rule; to govern.


The Fall of Mankind

Genesis 3:1-24 Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. And he said, Who told thee thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. And the Lord God said unto the serpentpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it thou wast taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living. Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them. And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever: Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

Genesis 2:7-9,15-17 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

1 Timothy 2:11-14 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceieved was in the transgression.

1 Corinthians 11:3,8,9,11,12 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man. Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither is the woman without the man, in the Lord. For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.

When God told Adam not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, Eve had not been created.

Eve's knowledge of God's regulation came through her corporate, federal head; her husband, her covering, her pastor, her constituted, delegated authority! She did not hear the voice of God directly. She heard it relayed through Adam. She didn't have a dream, a vision, a tongue, a prophecy, or any such thing. All Eve had was the voice of a man!

When the devil tempted Eve, she was required to make an instant decision as to whether Adam had heard from God, or he had just dreamed it all up. It was not what was said that was at stake, but rather, who said it. Was it God, or was it just the voice of a man?
And the fall took place because of the introduction of a third voice!







But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.

Again, the future penalty of treason is death.

Death in Bible terminology is separation. It speaks of physical death, spiritual death and eternal death - separation with out God.

That the Lord Jesus has been and is the target of treason there is no doubt.

Matthew 21:42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the Scriptures, The stone which the buildres rejected, the same is become head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?

A traitor is a person who betrays his trust.

2 Kings 11:14-16 And when she looked, behold, the king stood by a pillar, as the manner was, and the princes and the trumpeters by the king, and all the peo

Teachings of Alister John Lowe Th.D.,Ph.D.  

Issue 27   March, 1995

Authority Commensurate With Responsibility   3

Synonyms and Antonyms for Authority
[English]

Order
Latin, ordo, an arranging, order. Methodical arrangement; regularity. Established method or process. Proper state; a law; a command.

Submission
Latin, submissus, which means made low, humble. From sub, under and missus, sent. The act of yielding to power or authority. Acknowledgement of inferiority, or dependence. Humble or suppliant behaviour. Resignation.

Subordinate
Latin, sub, under and ordinatus, arranged, set in order. Inferior in nature, rank or importance. Descending in a regular series. One who stands in rank or dignity below another, an inferior person.

Loyalty
French, loyal, from loi, law. Faithful to a prince or superior. True, devoted. A loyalist is a person who adheres to his sovereign, particularly in times of civil commotion.

Obey
Latin, ob, towards and audire, to hear. To comply with commands, orders or instructions of a superior: as a parent, a master, or a teacher. To yield submission to.

Witchcraft
Anglo Saxon, wicce, a witch. The practices or powers of a witch. Supernatural power, enchantment. A witch is a woman presumed to have supernatural power and knowledge by sup-
posed contact with evil spirits; a sorceress.

Rebellion
French, rebeller, to rebel, to revolt. Latin. rebellare, to rebel, from re, back or again, and bellare, to make war. One who makes war against constituted authorities: one who takes up arms against the authority of a government, to which he owes allegiance: open and avowed resistance to a government by force of arms. In Feudal Law
Law: One who disobeys his lord.

Chaos
Latin and Greek, a yawning gulf, immense void. The confused mass into which this earth is supposed to have existed prior to it being made a fit habitation for man. Any mixed or confused mass. Confusion; disorder.

Confusion
Latin, confusus, which means disordered. From con, and fusus, poured out, diffused. To mix or disorder things so that they can not be distinguished: to render indistinct: to perplex. To throw into disorder. To agitate by suprise or shame. Disorder: indisticntness: astonishment: distraction of mind.

Anarchy
Greek, a, without and arche, government: want of government. A state of lawless confusion in a country. An anarchist is one who attempts disorder or confusion in a country.

Iniquity
Latin, iniquitas, uneveness, injustice. From in, not and oequs, even, equal. Characterised by injustice, very unjust, wicked. Injustice, wickedness, marked departure from justice.

Lawlessness
Icelandic, lag, order, form, custom, law. From leggia, to lay. Anglo Saxon, lagu, what is laid or fixed, a law. A rule of action imposed by some authority or by the supreme power of a state. A statute. A rule of direction. A settled principle. A rule or axiom of science.

Authority
Legal power; rule; influence; credit.
Latin, auctor, an author. From augeo, I increase. One who creates or produces; a first mover; a writer of a book.

Power
French, pouvoir; Old French, pooir;
Italian, potere, power. Ability; capacity; strength; energy; faculty or energy of mind; influence; rule or authority; a sovereign; one invested with rule or authority, usually in the plural; a supernatural being or agent.

Official
Pertaining to or derived from the proper office or authority; done by virtue of authority. One invested with office. Latin, officium, service, duty, from opes, aid, help, and facere, to do. Italian, officio; French, office, office duty. Settled duty; employment; business; a house where commercial men transact their business.

Master
Latin, magister, a master or chief: Italian, maestro; Old French, maitre, a master. A man who has rule or government over others; a lord; a ruler; a chief;
a ruler; a chief; the head of a household; a director; an owner; a possesser; one very skilful in anything; one uncontrolled; a teacher or instructor; an employer; the commander of a merchant ship; an officer in a ship of war under the direction of the captain. To subdue; to conquer; to bring under control; to overcome.
 
Control
French, contrerolle, the copy of a roll of accounts, from contre, against, and role, a roll. To check by a contra-account; to restrain; to govern; to subject to authority.

Command
Latin, con, and mando, I order. Right, power, or authority over; an order or message with authority; a naval or military force under the authority of a particular officer.

Jurisdiction
Legal power or authority; the power or right of exercising authority; the district to which any authority extends. Latin, juridicus, relating to the administration of justice. From jus, law, and dico, I pronounce. Pertaining to a judge.

Judge
French, juge; Italian, giudice, a judge. From Latin, judex, a judge. The presiding officer in a court of law who awards punishment to offenders; a chief magistrate; one who has skill to decide on the merits or value of. That faculty of the mind which enables a man to ascertain truth by comparing facts and ideas.

Dominion
Supreme power or authority; territory or district governed by a prince; rule; control. Latin, dominans, ruling or bearing sway, from dominus, a lord. Italian, dominate; French, dominant, dominant, ruling. Having the power or rule; possessing the ascendancy; prevailing.

Rule
Latin, regula; Provencal, regla; French, regle, a straight piece of wood. Something established for guidance or direction; government; supreme command; control; a prescribed mode of operation by which certain results may be obtained.

Government
Control; restraint; the exercise of authority; the ruling power in a state; the principle or system under which a state is ruled. French, gouverner; Italian, governare; Latin, gubenare, to direct or govern. To direct and control; to regulate by authority; to command; to have influence or force. To exercise authority; to restrain. 
 
Restrain
Latin, restringere, to check, to restrain, from re, back, and string, I draw tight. Italian, restringere; French, restreindre. To hold back; to bind fast; to curb; to repress; to limit; to abridge.

Influence
French, influence; Italian, influenza, influence, power. Latin, influens, flowing into, from in, into, and fluo, I flow. Authority, sway; power of directing or modifying, seen or felt by its effects. To move or affect by moral force; to lead, or direct. Influential: exerting a directing or modifying power over the minds of men.

Persuade
Latin, persuadere, to persuade. From per, thoroughly, and suadeo, I advise. Italian, persuadere; French, persuader. To influence by advice or argument; to draw or incline a person by representing powerful motives to the mind; to convince by argument, or entreaty.

Ascendancy
Power; controlling influence. Latin, ad; scando, I mount up; scansum, to mount up. Italian, ascendere, to mount; to go up; to rise.

Prevail
Latin, proevalere, to be very powerful or superior. From proe, before, and valeo, I am strong. Italian, prevalere. French, prevaloir; to be in force; to overcome; to gain the victory or advantage; to have effect, power, or influence; to persuade or induce.

Sway
Dutch, zwaayen, to swing, to brandish: Icelandic, sviegja, to bend; Norman, svaga; Danish, svaie, to swing to and fro. To influence by power or force; to have influence; to bear rule; to govern.


The Fall of Mankind

Genesis 3:1-24 Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. And he said, Who told thee thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. And the Lord God said unto the serpentpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it thou wast taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living. Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them. And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever: Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

Genesis 2:7-9,15-17 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

1 Timothy 2:11-14 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceieved was in the transgression.

1 Corinthians 11:3,8,9,11,12 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man. Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither is the woman without the man, in the Lord. For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.

When God told Adam not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, Eve had not been created.

Eve's knowledge of God's regulation came through her corporate, federal head; her husband, her covering, her pastor, her constituted, delegated authority! She did not hear the voice of God directly. She heard it relayed through Adam. She didn't have a dream, a vision, a tongue, a prophecy, or any such thing. All Eve had was the voice of a man!

When the devil tempted Eve, she was required to make an instant decision as to whether Adam had heard from God, or he had just dreamed it all up. It was not what was said that was at stake, but rather, who said it. Was it God, or was it just the voice of a man?
And the fall took place because of the introduction of a third voice!







ple of the land rejoiced, and blew with trumpets: and Athaliah rent her clothes, and cried, Treason, treason. But Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of the hundreds, the officers of the host, and said unto them, Have her forth without the ranges: and him that followeth her kill with the sword. For the priest had said, Let her not be slain in the house of the Lord. And they laid hands on her; and she went by the way by which the horses came into the king's house: and there she was slain.
Atahaliah was the daughter of Jezebel.
If Elisha possessed a double portion of the Spirit of Elijah, Athataliah possesed a double portion of her mother's spirit.

The constituted authority said kill her. She had cried treason, but was guilty of the very crime herself!

And so today. Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers are God's constituted authority in the church.

Treason against these is treason against Jesus Christ, for they are the extension of Jesus Christ: they are gifts given by Him to the Church.


First Line of Authority

The first line of authority a child is exposed to is its parents. Later, the line extends to school teachers, civil authorities, perhaps military and governments.

To stand opposed to these authorities is to stand opposed to God. Respect toward authority is to be instilled in every child. A policeman is not a pig: he is a constituted God given authority and is to be treated as such.

Romans 13:1-7 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: for the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God.: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. For this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.


A Word to Employees

Ephesians 5:6-8 [Ampl.Vsn.] Servants (slaves), be obedient to those who are your physical masters, having respect for them and eager concern to please them, in singleness of motive and with all your heart, as [service] to Christ [Himself] - Not in the way of eye-service [as if they were watching you] and only to please men, but as servants (slaves) of Christ, doing the will of God heartily and with your whole soul; Rendering service readily with goodwill, as to the Lord and not to men, Knowing that for whatever good anyone does, he will receive his reward from the Lord, whether he is slave or free.

Hebrews 13:17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

Acts 23:2-5 And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth. Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite

thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law? And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God's high priest? Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.


God Respects Authority

Men may not respect authority: the devil certainly does not, although he understands it. God does!

When the Lord Jesus addresses each church in Revelation, he approaches the leaders (God's constituted authority) first. God always goes to the leaders first.

Revelation 2:2 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write;

Revelation 2:8 And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write;

Revelation 2:12 And unto the angel of the church in Pergamos write;

Revelation 2:18 And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write;

Revelation 3:1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write;

Revelation 3:7 And unto the angel of the church in Philadelphia write;

Revelation 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write;

The Greek word for angel translated here is aggelos and means messenger. It does not refer to the nature of the messenger, but his office. It can refer to a human messenger, for example, a pastor, or a bishop, or overseer, or elder of a church. Its is translated in the King James Version as angel and messenger.

1 Peter 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

Ezekiel 9:1-7 He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand. And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brazen altar. And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer's inkhorn by his side; And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite; let not your eye spare neither have ye pity: Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house. And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain; go ye forth. And they went forth, and slew in the city.