Having trouble reading this email? View it in your browser.

Hebrews 13:17

(17) Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.
New King James Version Change email Bible version

Hebrews 13 is an uncomfortable chapter for religious anarchists because it refers in three different verses (verses 7, 17, 24) to "those who rule [hêgeomai; lead or command] over you." It refers not to civil authorities but to church leaders. The strongest admonition appears in verse 17:

Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

That some have "rule" over us is not the same as the "exercising [of] lordship" that Jesus Christ warns against (Matthew 20:25; Mark 10:42; Luke 22:25). Yet, the fact remains that God has given authority and rule to some of His servants for the benefit of all involved. Where carnality is in the mix, things are going to break down, but the problem is the carnality and not the structure.

A few more examples of the different levels of church authority should suffice for those who believe the Word of God. In Paul's epistles, he frequently speaks of the authority God had given to him (I Corinthians 9:18; II Corinthians 10:8, 14; 13:10; II Thessalonians 3:9; Titus 2:15). He calls the elders "overseers" (Acts 20:17, 28), indicating that they are to be watching over the spiritual state of the flock. The pastoral epistles are written by a servant of God to another of lesser authority, instructing the young pastors in how they should oversee their congregations, including other elders who were "under" them (I Timothy 3:5; 5:17). He points out that an overseer's function is akin to a man ruling over his house (I Timothy 3:1-5).

In I Peter 5:2-3, Peter likewise instructs the elders to

shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.

On the other hand, the apostates in II Peter 2:10 and Jude 8 are those who "reject" or "despise" authority—the overriding principle of anarchism!

Today, we find ourselves in an environment that encourages us to think that those in authority are the cause of all our problems. A person's approach to authority tends to be consistent: If he despises it in the civil realm, he is also likely to do so in the religious realm and vice versa.

For the sake of our spiritual lives, it is advisable to look inside to see if we are encouraging seeds of anarchy to grow. The real issue in all this is whether we have faith in the sovereign God to work out His will, regardless of whom He has granted authority in the nation or in the church. Obviously, this does not mean following leaders into sin. But where our faith is weak, we often seek our own solutions. Yet everywhere anarchy appears in the Bible, whether in a nation or in a family, it is a pitiable condition and often a curse. While God may cause it on occasion, it is not the solution we should willingly seek—if we put stock in the whole counsel of God.

— David C. Grabbe

To learn more, see:
Anarchy in God's Church? (Part Three)