God has appointed authorities in many places. In the family there are husbands, parents, and masters. Above us there are rulers and officers. In the church there are elders and workers. Each deputy authority has his own requirements. Today we will consider the requirements for these different deputy authorities.
The Bible teaches the wife to submit to the husband and the husband to exercise authority. However, there are requirements which the husband has to fulfill. Ephesians 5 mentions three times that the husband has to love the wife. He has to love his wife as himself. Although there is such a thing as authority in the family, those who are in authority should fulfill God’s requirements. The requirement of a husband as a deputy authority is to love his wife. There is a pattern for the husband’s love for the wife-Christ’s love for the church. Just as Christ loved the church, husbands should love their wives. The love that a husband has towards his wife should match that of Christ’s love towards the church. In order for a husband to maintain his authority in representing God, he must love his wife.
Children should obey their parents. But as deputy authorities, parents also have their responsibilities and requirements. The Bible says that parents should not provoke their children to anger. Although parents have authority over their children, they have to learn to control themselves before God. They cannot say that since their children have been begotten and are being raised up by them, they can treat them at will. God created us, but He does not treat us at will. He gives everyone a free will. Hence, parents should not provoke their children to anger. Some people dare not do certain things before their friends, students, subordinates, or relatives, but they readily do them before their children without any hesitation at all. This is wrong. The greatest thing parents need to do is to exercise self-control. They have to control themselves through the Holy Spirit. Parents can deal with their children only to a certain extent. Their authority over their children is for the purpose of educating them only. They have to warn and nurture their children with the teaching of the Lord. There is no sense of domination or punishment here. A parent’s heart should be for education, not for punishment.
Servants should be obedient to their masters. But there are requirements for those who are masters. A master should not intimidate his servants. He should not threaten them or be angry with them. God will not allow an authority to behave in an unrestrained way. He must fear God. Both the servant and the master have the same Master in the heavens. A master has to remember that he himself is under authority. Although others may be under him, he also is under authority, even God’s authority. This is why he cannot be careless. The more a person knows authority, the less intimidating and threatening he will be. We have to learn to be meek and loving, always having a heart for perfecting others. This is a necessary attitude for one to be an authority. If a deputy authority only knows to threaten and judge others, he will come under God’s judgment sooner or later. Therefore, a master must learn to walk with fear and trembling before God.
We should submit to the authority of rulers and officers over us. We cannot find a teaching in the New Testament concerning how to be a ruler. God has given charge of the world to the unbelievers. He has not given it to the Christians. In the New Testament God gives no indication that Christians should be rulers in the world. But in the Old Testament there are cases of men serving as civil servants (Psa. 82). Of those in position and power, God requires righteousness, integrity, fairness, and compassion on the poor. This is the proper principle for those who are executing authority in public office. A man who is over others should not try to uphold his own standing; instead, he should do his utmost to uphold righteousness.
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