While there is no such thing as any authority of any church, there is authority in the Church of Christ. This authority is in Christ’s Church because he, by his divine Spirit, is in his Church. The authority in the Church, therefore, is the authority of the living God, in the living Christ, by the living Spirit, through the living Word of Truth.MEDM July 31, 1907, page 243.2

“All authority is given unto Me in Heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations.... And, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” “In Whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” Thus, and thus only, is there any authority even in the Church. And this authority in the Church, never, in any way, becomes the authority of the Church; but is always the authority solely of Him who is the Head and Life of the Church, who dwells in the Church by His divine Spirit, and to whom alone is given all authority in heaven and earth. It is He alone who exercises this authority that is given to Him alone and that is His own. See Acts 3:12, 13; 4:10; 5:3-6; 9-11; 13:2-4; 16:6-10.MEDM July 31, 1907, page 243.3

Therefore, in the Church, position, office, or place, never gives any authority. The Lord Jesus, the Creator of the worlds, the Author of life, and the Fountain of revelation, when he came to this world came only to his own; yet he had no position, office, nor place. He was held aloof, ostracized, denounced, and cast out by those who did hold all the positions, offices, and places, in the Church of his time. The Pharisees, the priests, the scribes, the lawyers, the hypocrites, had position, office, and place. They were all ambitious for the highest place. They held position and office, and could lord it over Him, and summon Him, and demand of Him, and sit in judgment on Him. All this they could do because of position and office in the Church; but where was their authority to do any of it?—Simply nowhere at all. It was all only arrogance, usurpation, and arbitrariness.MEDM July 31, 1907, page 243.4

Therefore Jesus told the people, “The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat; all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do”—because, as they sat in Moses’ seat they read to the people the word of God which Moses had written. That was the word of God and by whomsoever it might be spoken or read it was authoritative and to be obeyed. But “do not ye after their works; for they say and do not.” With Moses in the seat there was authority from the seat; because God was with Moses, and God’s Spirit was in him. But with a Pharisee or a scribe of that time in Moses’ seat, there was no authority from the seat nor otherwise except only in the Word which the man might read to the people, and which, because of his hypocrisy and selfish ambition, was altogether apart from him.MEDM July 31, 1907, page 243.5

But as to Jesus, who had no position, office, nor place, they all “wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth.” And why?—Ah: “He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” All that the scribes could speak was borrowed, and everybody could know that it was borrowed; it was empty and alone so far as concerned any connection of their lives or spirits with it. But when Jesus spoke even the same words that the scribes and Pharisees had spoken, everybody knew that what he said was not borrowed, but was of his very soul; was not empty, but was very substance; they knew that that word lived in him, that his spirit and the Spirit of the Word were one, and that he himself was the veritable expression of the word which he spake. When the word of the Scriptures was read or spoken by him, there was in it a weight and meaning that caused it to fall impressively upon the ears and hearts of all who heard.MEDM July 31, 1907, page 244.1

Thus though Jesus had neither position, nor office, nor any place, he had authority; and the people recognized it. And the scribes, the Pharisees, the priests, and the lawyers, who had position, office, and place, also recognized it, and grew so jealous of him that they could not endure him any longer lest they lose their place; “all the world is gone after him,” we must get rid of him to save our place. “If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.”MEDM July 31, 1907, page 244.2

But where lay Jesus’ authority, when he had no position, nor office, nor any place?—It lay just where true authority always lies—in the truth which he preached from God, and the sincerity had purity of mind and heart with which he received and preached that truth.MEDM July 31, 1907, page 244.3

All true and right authority of any man in the Church comes to him only in the truth of God which he receives. If it were possible to find a man in this world who had as much of the truth of God as had Christ, in him we should find one who had all power in Heaven and earth, because of his having all the truth in Heaven and earth. The measure of truth that a man has is the only measure of true authority that he has, wherever he may be. And if he be in the highest place of responsibility in any church in the world, if he has no truth, he has no authority.MEDM July 31, 1907, page 244.4

Therefore Jesus said, “The princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you.” God has never given to any man in his Church authority to exercise authority. That is the difference between the princes of this world and the princes of God; for Christians are princes of God. God calls and sends his princes to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, elders, deacons, etc. He clothes them with authority in giving to them his own truth and his own call and commission to speak it, and his own personal presence to speak it, and his own personal presence by his own Spirit. He sends them to speak with all the authority of the conviction of the divine truth, of the heavenly commission, and of his personal presence. (Acts 18:9, 10; 2 Timothy 4:1, 2). But the “exercise” of authority rests wholly with him whose alone the authority is, and who is ever with the one whom he sends. John 8:29; 20:21, 22; 3:24. The princes of this world in places of authority, but without true authority, exercise authority. The princes of God having true authority never exercise authority. That belongs—and the princes of God are ever happy to leave it just where it belongs—to Him to whom it is given, and whose only it is.MEDM July 31, 1907, page 244.5

Again let it be said that position, office, or place never gives authority. Authority that a man already has from God will qualify him for the place of position to which God calls him. And if he has not that authorityMEDM July 31, 1907, page 244.6

July 24, 1907

August 7, 1907