Part 1: Power vs. Authority

I have been having some good discussions with a few of my friends lately on power and authority in a Christian and secular context. Walter Wink is a good source on this topic from a Biblical perspective. Recently, I was introducing my kids to real cartoons: The Looney Tunes! Although I do so cautiously (because of the gun violence), they seem to think it is funny. Later, I started thinking about the Bugs Bunny episode we watched from a sociological perspective.

Who has the power in this episode?

Who has the authority in this episode?

Definitions
1. Power – Exertion of physical force to enforce an idea/cause through subjugation; might makes right.
2. Authority – Exertion of force to promote an idea/cause through persuasion and sacrifice.

Which of these does Elmer Fudd embody? Power fits with him because he is supposed to be the superior species…and he has a gun. The animators do a good job at casting him as a buffoon with power. He is easily misled and manipulated. Bugs Bunny, on the other hand, mostly uses authority to get his way. He conjoles and persuades, even with bad reasoning. He also will masquerade as someone else.

I don’t think either is a flattering picture of power and authority but in conclusion, Bugs Bunny has the superior intellect, manipulative ideas and experience while Elmer Fudd simply has…a gun. This shows you how dangerous power and authority can be in the wrong hands.

So how does this apply today?

There are Christians who are hellbent on accessing power. In the process, many of them have lost their witness. These are the same ones that appear more ‘Republican’ than Christian. These are also the same ones who also appear more ‘Democrat’ than Christian. It exists on both sides although we tend to focus on the Republicans because they were more savvy in connecting with Christians. The sad part is that there are very few well known Christians that command both power and authority. The only two I can think of are Billy Graham and Mother Teresa. Both have demonstrated the ability to shift our culture through their actions (power) and challenge systems and structures (authority). But first, they challenged the systems and structures whether it is spiritual, physical or both. I am not saying this is all they did.

Jesus had power AND authority!

Power
Jesus demonstrated his power by revealing his true nature and his connection to God. He performed signs and did miracles. Signs in the Bible were demonstrated through his command over the natural world. Miracles demonstrated his command over human mortality and illness. His power was meant to remind people that he was not of this world. Even though his power was undeniable, there were some who went to great lengths to silence him. At some point, the Pharisee stop questioning his power and started trying to trick him into abusing his power. The power that Jesus displayed was so jarring that many followed him as a result. But his power was not in a vacuum. He did not wield it for the sake of wielding it. He taught people which points to his authority. Power in modern society is designed to originate from a single source.

Authority
Jesus demonstrated his authority through his knowledge of God, his Triune status, the material world and the spiritual world. He talked about God as if he had intimate knowledge of Him. He taught people things that were reserved for scholars yet he did not receive this type of training. He discerned situations that showed he was in tune with people’s issues and the movements of his day. He also clearly saw how the spiritual world affected people and clearly wanted to set things right. He allowed himself to be tested to strengthen his witness and reveal his motives. This is one of the reasons why demons were so afraid of him. It is clear they respected his authority because they saw the power he had and his motives. Jesus willingly sacrificed himself for people who did not deserve it. Demons hate humankind and they knew that humankind hates itself…yet Jesus loved humankind with a passion that frightened them. Authority is based on validation from someone or something outside yourself. For example, if apply for a job, they want references to validate that you are someone worth hiring. They want the authority of others to confirm what you are saying in your resume.

Jesus putting power and authority together is a deadly combination. It gives us a sneek peak of what his Kingdom is actually like. It, in no way, looks like how the world uses power and authority. I would submit that if you have authority, you can eventually gain power. But the opposite is not true.

Here are a few examples:

Power
Adolf Hitler
The Pope
Jerry Falwell
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Emperor Constantine
Simon the Sorcerer
Pontus Pilate
Michael Jordan

Authority
Winston Churchill
Mother Teresa
Billy Graham
Barack Obama
Athanasius
Apostle Peter (Acts 8)
Jesus
Jackie Robinson

Here’s the catch: you don’t even have to be a good speaker to be respected as an authority. Your experience and sacrifice says it all because you have been tested. You can gain power by illegitimate means but not authority. Power hungry people are too focused on its outward manifestations. People with the right kind of authority don’t care if they appear to have power or not. Jesus did not align himself with political or religious leaders.

With authority, people will bend over backwards to hear what you have to say. Mother Teresa has a very quiet small voice but she can tell single Christians to stop sleeping together. Authority is not about people doing exactly what you want. It is about the integrity of your position. Single Christians know that she is right whether they want to admit it or not and will not argue with her. Yet she proposes no power moves to get them to stop sleeping together. People with a proper understanding of authority rely on God to prick the conscience and to judge. It is their connection to God that makes them valuable and their authority real. Now imagine Pat Robertson saying the same thing.

Now, the list above does not mean that anyone in the power list has not exercised authority. It just means that their position fits mostly with my definition.

Check out the Busgs Bunny/Elmer Fudd 'Rabbit of Seville' clip.

So here is a question.

Which expression (power or authority) would make an Atheist or a Christian feel safer about expressing their views? Where do you see this?

Part 2: Power and Authority in a Modern Religious Context