The concept of Church Authority is significant because it frames how we engage with God and with truth itself. Does God give church leaders authority over our spiritual lives? If so, what kind of authority? How do we engage with church authority when we disagree?
Clearly, God does entrust church leaders with authority. (He 13:7, 17) The Apostle Paul himself claimed to have direct spiritual authority from God (2Co 10:8) and literally threatened those in the churches who persisted in rebelling against it. (2Co 13:2-4)
However, there’s no indication in Scripture that this authority has anything to do with controlling our spiritual beliefs, as if God gave the apostles the right to tell others what to believe or how to interpret scripture. No apostle is recorded saying, “God gave us authority to tell you what to believe.”
Apostolic teaching was always derived from a plain reading of Scripture in a way that was easily perceived to be authentic and honest with the text (2Co 4:2); they didn’t make it up as they went – they invited everyone to inspect the scripture references for themselves to verify apostolic claims. (Ac 17:11) No apostle ever had dominion over anyone else’s faith. (2Co 1:24) If that is the case for the apostles, who were discipled personally by Christ Himself, it certainly holds for bishops and elders.
Scripture is clear that the head of every man is Christ (1Co 11:3), implying each brother answers directly to Him for their beliefs and behavior. (Ro 14:4) Bishops rule in the church much as they do in their own houses (1Ti 3:5), where they can’t force anyone to believe anything or rightly discipline them merely for disagreeing. (1Co 7:12) “We ought to obey God rather than men,” (Ac 5:29) applies even to those who err in their understanding; we must all be allowed to live according to our own consciences (Ac 24:16), rightly dividing the Word of Truth for ourselves as best we can. (2Ti 2:15)
When bishops and elders are watching over and caring for our souls as they ought, they don’t demand we check our brains at the door and believe whatever they insist; they gently offer instruction, trusting God will open our understanding and give us repentance to the acknowledging of the truth as He wills. (2Ti 2:25-26)
Believers are well-equipped to discern the truth through the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit within them (1Jn 2:27); we must each lay hold on eternal life (1Ti 6:12) by prayerfully searching the scriptures (Jn 5:39); it is entirely inappropriate to try to control the beliefs of those in the church from the top down.
When key differences relating to the Person and/or work of Christ creep into the brotherhood, straining meaningful fellowship (Ga 2:5), and remain unresolved, separate communions should be established aligning along these critical doctrines. (1Jn 2:18-19) God will sort out the false from the true as He sees fit (1Co 11:19), and discerning believers should seek fellowship aligned with their personal understanding of these core concepts. This is how Christ keeps His church pure (Mt 16:18), not by demanding blind allegiance to a doctrinal statement.
Proper spiritual authority provides biblical instruction to the unlearned who are interested, confidently answers those teaching harmful doctrines with sound scripture exegesis (Ti 1:9-11), offers wisdom and counsel in extra-biblical matters where God has not spoken clearly (1Co 7:12), and helps us navigate complexities related Torah observance in non-Torah-observant cultures (Ro 14:1), inter-personal conflicts and social responsibilities, etc.
Deferring to the recommendations of those given responsibility to care for the church (1Ti 3:5) is the rule unless it’s violating our conscience. Yet even in such matters it’s clear the brotherhood has the final say, not bishops or elders. (Mt 18:17) So, appealing to the brotherhood if a leader is invasive, meddling, or trying to control us is perfectly natural and godly. For the time being, in this present age, spiritual authority is ultimately grounded in brotherly consensus in Christ-centered local churches, and nowhere else. (1Ti 3:15)
In the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15), the prime example in Scripture where church leaders exercised spiritual authority, the apostles and elders [1] concluded from a careful analysis of scripture (which anyone can verify independently for themselves) that Gentiles need not convert to Judaism to be saved (thereby clarifying the Gospel itself and defining those welcome in the church), and [2] made four decrees that would open the door for Gentiles to attend Jewish synagogues and hear Torah taught each sabbath day (none of which can violate the healthy conscience). This perfectly reflects the proper scope of biblical spiritual authority.