SUPREME AUTHORITY: THE AUTHORITY OF THE LORD, HIS APOSTLES AND THE NEW TESTAMENT, by J. Norval Geldenhuys

A Brief Book Summary from Books At a Glance

by Steve West

 

Table of Contents

Foreword: Ned B. Stonehouse
Introduction
Definition of the Term “Authority”
A) The Authority of the Lord in the New Testament and the Early Church
B) The Authority of the Apostles in the New Testament and the Early Church
C) The New Testament Formed and Clothed with the Authority of the Lord and of His Apostles
D) Conclusion

 

Summary

The authority of Jesus and his apostles was of the utmost significance for the beginning and development of Christianity. Far too little attention has been paid in contemporary NT theology to this fact. Failure to discern Christ’s authority—and secondarily that of his apostles—will cause us to miss a vital principle at the beginning of the church and the formation of the NT canon. Primary sources are essential for studying this topic. ἐξουσία is the NT term for authority. It is a comprehensive term that speaks of power, possession, right, freedom, and rule. It is authority that is expansive rather than limited.

Jesus is the Son of God, and it is clearly claimed that he has supreme authority. In the Gospels, angels announced a few of Christ’s titles and asserted his authority, and the Father spoke from heaven to identify Jesus as his unique son. On the Mount of Transfiguration, the Father commanded the disciples to listen to Christ; the beloved son has an authority that surpasses every other figure. Christ proclaimed his own supreme authority and his unique relationship with the Father. At the end of Matthew’s Gospel, Christ asserted that the Father had given him all ἐξουσία. As a result, Christ can demand obedience, and he rules over the nations. His authority was such that he could build his church and nothing could prevail against his sovereign plans. Christ will be the eschatological judge, clothed in power and authority, and all will see him sitting at the right hand of the Father.

In both word and deed, Christ revealed his authority in multiple ways. He was the final word in God’s revelation, fulfilling God’s OT plan and promises. Jesus spoke with an authority unlike any other teacher, as was acknowledged by the crowds who heard him. The prophets would preface their authoritative pronouncements with a formula like, “Thus saith the Lord,” but Jesus did not need prophetic formulas like those. In contradistinction to prophets and other teachers, Jesus could say, “Verily I say unto you,” and his own intrinsic authority was all that was needed. Jesus claimed that the wise would build their lives on his words, and that heaven and earth would pass away but his words would endure forever. During his life Jesus demonstrated his authority over evil spirits, diseases, storms, and the forgiveness of sin. People were continually amazed at his words, power, and authority. Many revered him, and his enemies feared him. He called people to leave everything and follow him. After his resurrection he was declared to have supreme authority over the universe. The Book of Acts is filled with declarations of his sovereign, resurrection authority.

The same proclamation of Christ’s authority that is found in the Gospels and Acts is found in the entire NT. Designating Jesus as “the Lord” was significant because “Lord” was a term for deity. There were lower meanings as well, but it was distinctly religious in certain contexts. Jesus is the Lord, and the epistles depict him as exalted over all things, reigning over all with supreme authority. Christians acknowledge that Jesus is their master. God has spoken in these last days through his Son, and his Son will never be surpassed. Everything he said carries ultimate authority.

This highest view of the authority of Christ is clearly upheld by the early church fathers. The fathers often refer to Christ as Lord and God, honoring and worshiping him as divine. He is depicted as reigning on the throne of heaven above and being the present and eschatological judge of the cosmos. In the early church, the words and deeds of Christ as recorded in Scripture were fully accepted, and in Jesus was seen the active authority of God. The NT writings were accepted as authoritative, and the church was consciously brought under the authority of the words of Christ. Since Christ is the living Lord, the church fathers saw him as the living, supreme authority over the church. Since Jesus has supreme divine authority, we can have confidence that he preserved a perfectly reliable and accurate record of his teachings and works of power. It is the sovereign authority of Christ that gives us full confidence in the authority of the canonical writings. . . .

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