OwassoFirst Men's Group
OwassoFirst Men's Group
These are my talking points from last Tuesday evening.
(More?)Power …….. Versus Authority
As a political science major and history buff, I am fascinated by Man’s constant quest for power. Whether he seeks political, economic, or military power, mankind spends an enormous amount of time, energy and resources in the quest for power. Power is represented by money; property; influence; friends; power ties, power lunches, power steering.
A lot of great literature, and a fair number of decent movies, are centered on the theme of some sort of struggle for power. It’s one of the five or six great themes of literature.
Indeed, the Bible is a history, a compendium, and a guide to power. At it’s most fundamental basis, the Bible is a book about the struggle of good versus evil. A struggle for power. The warring between the forces of evil for dominance against the forces of good, of grace, of God.
Cain and Able
Satan and Jesus
Old man and new man
So it should come as no surprise that the Bible talks about “power” a lot. This seems to be common theme in the prayers of the followers of Christ. We seek His power. We want power in our lives. Wonder working power through the power of his blood and the power of the Holy Spirit. In Pentecostal circles, if we are not talking about the Blood of Christ, we are talking about the power of God. Or even the power of the Blood. So I thought it might be interesting to learn a little more about power. Turns out there is a lot to learn.
So what does the Bible say about power and authority? Are they the same? But what is power, really? Should we as Christians seek it? Is it something we should strive for? Be wary of? Seek? Avoid?
A quick word search of both of these words turns up this verse, among others:
Lu 9:1 Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.
In this verse it first appears that either Jesus is using power and authority interchangeably, or they mean different things, but are basically equally desirable.
So I asked myself – Which would I rather have? Authority or power? My gut reaction was to seek power. After all, it seemed to me that having power would automatically give you authority.
Indeed, this seems to be the mindset of man.
But I submit this is not scriptural.
We go on a little further to find:
Lu 4:6 And the devil said to Him, "All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.
Lu 10:19 "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Jesus seems to be ranking authority over power in this scripture. We will examine this more in detail in a few minutes, but this was the beginning of my quest to understand a little more about power. As usual, my first instinct was wrong. I submit that as desirable as having power may be, I am reaching the conclusion that my first priority should be to seek God’s authority. The power will come with the authority, but I don’t believe the power will come by itself.
And then there is the following verse:
Eph 1:19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power.
The English word “authority” is not used here, and the word power is used twice, and it seems the words greatness and mighty just might mean something, I don’t know, powerful. But I don’t know what that is. Paul’s a smart guy, and I intuitively know that this verse means something more than just what is says, but I confess I just don’t quite grasp what is being said here.
So I figure more research is necessary.
I am approaching the first part of this monograph from an English speaking point of view. Though I’m no scholar on the subject, I’ll talk about the Greek origins of the word power in a while. For the moment, we can use a rough definition of power.
Dictionary.com
Definitions of Power and Authority – See endnotes
We can not only define a word or concept by what it is, but also by what it is not.
I start by defining the two words power and authority by their characteristics.
Best example I have seen, and I can’t take credit for this, is the following illustration:
A police officer stands at the intersection of two streets, directing traffic. I am approaching the intersection in my old truck. The police officer puts up his hand to stop me. The question at this point is: who has more power? Me, in my truck, or the police officer? The answer is easy. I have more power. I can continue on, ignore the officer’s command to stop, and keep going. There is little he can do to stop me. Aside from shooting me, he cannot physically stop me. His strength, standing there, is no match even for my old truck. I simply have more power.
Yet, I stop. Why?
Because the police officer has more authority over me. I recognize that his authority to command me to stop is greater than my power to ignore him. I recognize that he represents something greater than the both of us -- a greater entity than both of us. In this simple illustration, it can be seen that authority trumps power.
Power—is seldom given in spiritual, political, or other realms. May be incapable of being “given” except in spiritual sense. Once seized, power is seldom relinquished. Most of man’s history is the story of his struggle for power. Whether over his environment, his fellow man, or for him own freedom from addictions, compulsions, etc. This is often seen in nations governed by dictators. Once they seize power at the point of a gun, they seldom relinquish it voluntarily. Often, it takes another, with more power, to oust the first.
Authority is very flexible. Can be given and received. Can be rescinded. Can be given in limited amounts for limited times or for limited circumstances. Only those in authority can extend authority. Can be fraudulently obtained, but then is not true authority. You can act outside of authority, and when you do so, you are no longer authorized. But as long as you act within the authority given you, you can do anything.
So back to the Bible….
We begin to see instances of God’s grant of authority and power, or authority, but not just power, in the lives of his people.
Adam
Sampson
Moses
But as pointed out earlier, the Devil has some authority as well:
Lu 4:6 And the devil said to Him, "All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.
So what are we to do? What should we seek?
But if you really want to know what power means, you should go to the source. Since the New Testament was written in Greek, and there are many tools available to help one understand the origins of the words.
There are five basic Greek words that are translated into the English language as Power. There are more words that could be used to infer or suggest power (ability, strength, will, etc) but for the limited purpose of this excursion we will confine our search to those words that are most often directly translated into our English word power. Those words are:
The Greek words are dunamis, energeia, Exousia kratos, and ischus
.
DUNAMIS: Translated “strength,” “powerful” * “power”; English word dynamite -- dynamo -- derived from DUNAMIS
strength power, ability
inherent power, power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature, or which a person or thing exerts and puts forth
power for performing miracles
moral power and excellence of soul
the power and influence which belong to riches and wealth
power and resources arising from numbers
power consisting in or resting upon armies, forces, hosts
Energeia en-erg'-i-ah
energy
Definition : in the NT used only of superhuman power, whether of God or of the Devil
Translated Words
KJV (8) - effectual working, 2; operation, 1; strong, 1; working, 4;
exousia ex-oo-see'-ah
KJV (103) - authority, 29; jurisdiction, 1; liberty, 1; power, 69; right, 2; strength, 1;
Kratos
1. force, strength
2. power, might: mighty with great power
a. a mighty deed, a work of power
3. dominion
Root for demo – cratic - people -- power
Consent of the governed. A group of people that desire to vest power to a person to govern them. Usually defined by rules or customs or practice
Ischus is-khoos'
Ability, force, strength, might
Lu 10:19 "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Lu 10:19 Behold idou, I give didwmi unto you umin power exousia to tread patew on epanw serpents ofiv and kai scorpions skorpiov , and kai over epi all pav the power dunamiv of the enemy ecyrov : and kai nothing oudeiv shall adikew by any means ou mh hurt adikew adikew you umav .
Lu 9:1 Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.
Eph 1:19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power
Eph 1:19 And kai what tiv is the exceeding uperballw greatness megeyov of his autov power dunamiv to eiv us-ward hmav who o believe pisteuw , according to kata the working energeia of his autov mighty iscuv power kratov , {his mighty power: Gr. the might of his power}
Ephesians 1:19
"And what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his mighty power."
The Greek words are (dunamis), (energeia), (kratos), and (ischus).
--------------------
"of His power": (dunamis), "power, strength"
Reference to God's inherent power and strength; omnipotence.
"according to the working": (energeia), "operational power, energy, ability to work."
"of his mighty power": (kratos) and (ischus)
(kratos): power of control, dominion, might
(ischus): endowed power, the faculty of power
Summary of the four words for power used in this verse:
1. (dunamis): inherent power, the omnipotence of God
2. (energeia): the operational power of God (excludes all human power)
3. (kratos): power of control, dominion, might
4. (ischus): endowed power, the faculty of power
God has a plan for us. It is a potentially great, unlimited plan. This is so because the plan depends on God’s power – Inherent (dunamis) power and supernatural (energeia) power. As long as we are following the outline – the plan – the structure within which the power is to be exercised (kratos), we as believers will be made powerful (ischus).
Lawscribe.
These are my talking points from last Tuesday evening.
(More?)Power …….. Versus Authority
As a political science major and history buff, I am fascinated by Man’s constant quest for power. Whether he seeks political, economic, or military power, mankind spends an enormous amount of time, energy and resources in the quest for power. Power is represented by money; property; influence; friends; power ties, power lunches, power steering.
A lot of great literature, and a fair number of decent movies, are centered on the theme of some sort of struggle for power. It’s one of the five or six great themes of literature.
Indeed, the Bible is a history, a compendium, and a guide to power. At it’s most fundamental basis, the Bible is a book about the struggle of good versus evil. A struggle for power. The warring between the forces of evil for dominance against the forces of good, of grace, of God.
Cain and Able
Satan and Jesus
Old man and new man
So it should come as no surprise that the Bible talks about “power” a lot. This seems to be common theme in the prayers of the followers of Christ. We seek His power. We want power in our lives. Wonder working power through the power of his blood and the power of the Holy Spirit. In Pentecostal circles, if we are not talking about the Blood of Christ, we are talking about the power of God. Or even the power of the Blood. So I thought it might be interesting to learn a little more about power. Turns out there is a lot to learn.
So what does the Bible say about power and authority? Are they the same? But what is power, really? Should we as Christians seek it? Is it something we should strive for? Be wary of? Seek? Avoid?
A quick word search of both of these words turns up this verse, among others:
Lu 9:1 Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.
In this verse it first appears that either Jesus is using power and authority interchangeably, or they mean different things, but are basically equally desirable.
So I asked myself – Which would I rather have? Authority or power? My gut reaction was to seek power. After all, it seemed to me that having power would automatically give you authority.
Indeed, this seems to be the mindset of man.
But I submit this is not scriptural.
We go on a little further to find:
Lu 4:6 And the devil said to Him, "All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.
Lu 10:19 "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Jesus seems to be ranking authority over power in this scripture. We will examine this more in detail in a few minutes, but this was the beginning of my quest to understand a little more about power. As usual, my first instinct was wrong. I submit that as desirable as having power may be, I am reaching the conclusion that my first priority should be to seek God’s authority. The power will come with the authority, but I don’t believe the power will come by itself.
And then there is the following verse:
Eph 1:19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power.
The English word “authority” is not used here, and the word power is used twice, and it seems the words greatness and mighty just might mean something, I don’t know, powerful. But I don’t know what that is. Paul’s a smart guy, and I intuitively know that this verse means something more than just what is says, but I confess I just don’t quite grasp what is being said here.
So I figure more research is necessary.
I am approaching the first part of this monograph from an English speaking point of view. Though I’m no scholar on the subject, I’ll talk about the Greek origins of the word power in a while. For the moment, we can use a rough definition of power.
Dictionary.com
Definitions of Power and Authority – See endnotes
We can not only define a word or concept by what it is, but also by what it is not.
I start by defining the two words power and authority by their characteristics.
Best example I have seen, and I can’t take credit for this, is the following illustration:
A police officer stands at the intersection of two streets, directing traffic. I am approaching the intersection in my old truck. The police officer puts up his hand to stop me. The question at this point is: who has more power? Me, in my truck, or the police officer? The answer is easy. I have more power. I can continue on, ignore the officer’s command to stop, and keep going. There is little he can do to stop me. Aside from shooting me, he cannot physically stop me. His strength, standing there, is no match even for my old truck. I simply have more power.
Yet, I stop. Why?
Because the police officer has more authority over me. I recognize that his authority to command me to stop is greater than my power to ignore him. I recognize that he represents something greater than the both of us -- a greater entity than both of us. In this simple illustration, it can be seen that authority trumps power.
Power—is seldom given in spiritual, political, or other realms. May be incapable of being “given” except in spiritual sense. Once seized, power is seldom relinquished. Most of man’s history is the story of his struggle for power. Whether over his environment, his fellow man, or for him own freedom from addictions, compulsions, etc. This is often seen in nations governed by dictators. Once they seize power at the point of a gun, they seldom relinquish it voluntarily. Often, it takes another, with more power, to oust the first.
Authority is very flexible. Can be given and received. Can be rescinded. Can be given in limited amounts for limited times or for limited circumstances. Only those in authority can extend authority. Can be fraudulently obtained, but then is not true authority. You can act outside of authority, and when you do so, you are no longer authorized. But as long as you act within the authority given you, you can do anything.
So back to the Bible….
We begin to see instances of God’s grant of authority and power, or authority, but not just power, in the lives of his people.
Adam
Sampson
Moses
But as pointed out earlier, the Devil has some authority as well:
Lu 4:6 And the devil said to Him, "All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.
So what are we to do? What should we seek?
But if you really want to know what power means, you should go to the source. Since the New Testament was written in Greek, and there are many tools available to help one understand the origins of the words.
There are five basic Greek words that are translated into the English language as Power. There are more words that could be used to infer or suggest power (ability, strength, will, etc) but for the limited purpose of this excursion we will confine our search to those words that are most often directly translated into our English word power. Those words are:
The Greek words are dunamis, energeia, Exousia kratos, and ischus
.
DUNAMIS: Translated “strength,” “powerful” * “power”; English word dynamite -- dynamo -- derived from DUNAMIS
strength power, ability
inherent power, power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature, or which a person or thing exerts and puts forth
power for performing miracles
moral power and excellence of soul
the power and influence which belong to riches and wealth
power and resources arising from numbers
power consisting in or resting upon armies, forces, hosts
Energeia en-erg'-i-ah
energy
Definition : in the NT used only of superhuman power, whether of God or of the Devil
Translated Words
KJV (8) - effectual working, 2; operation, 1; strong, 1; working, 4;
exousia ex-oo-see'-ah
KJV (103) - authority, 29; jurisdiction, 1; liberty, 1; power, 69; right, 2; strength, 1;
Kratos
1. force, strength
2. power, might: mighty with great power
a. a mighty deed, a work of power
3. dominion
Root for demo – cratic - people -- power
Consent of the governed. A group of people that desire to vest power to a person to govern them. Usually defined by rules or customs or practice
Ischus is-khoos'
Ability, force, strength, might
Lu 10:19 "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Lu 10:19 Behold idou
Lu 9:1 Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.
Eph 1:19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power
Eph 1:19 And kai
Ephesians 1:19
"And what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his mighty power."
The Greek words are (dunamis), (energeia), (kratos), and (ischus).
--------------------
"of His power": (dunamis), "power, strength"
Reference to God's inherent power and strength; omnipotence.
"according to the working": (energeia), "operational power, energy, ability to work."
"of his mighty power": (kratos) and (ischus)
(kratos): power of control, dominion, might
(ischus): endowed power, the faculty of power
Summary of the four words for power used in this verse:
1. (dunamis): inherent power, the omnipotence of God
2. (energeia): the operational power of God (excludes all human power)
3. (kratos): power of control, dominion, might
4. (ischus): endowed power, the faculty of power
God has a plan for us. It is a potentially great, unlimited plan. This is so because the plan depends on God’s power – Inherent (dunamis) power and supernatural (energeia) power. As long as we are following the outline – the plan – the structure within which the power is to be exercised (kratos), we as believers will be made powerful (ischus).
Lawscribe.
posted by lawscribe | 11:12 AM
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