The Authority of the Church in the World:  A United Church of Christ Perspective, Rev. Dr. Susan E. Davies
 

The Church’s Authority in the World:  A Friendly Perspective

Dr. Paul N. Anderson, Ph. D.
Professor of Biblical and Quaker Studies, George Fox University 

Since the beginning of the Quaker movement in the 1650’s, Friends have been something of an irritant to other Christians, due, among other things, to their deconstructive challenging of worldly authorities, including religious ones. These challenges did not go unnoticed, however. Friends were indeed fined, beaten, imprisoned, hanged and otherwise maltreated as a factor of testifying to their understanding of the paramount authority – the truth of Christ, in contrast to its pretensions. In large measure, though, the Testimonies of Friends have also been received warmly in their witness to Christ as the sole source of authority in the world. In Friendly perspective, the only authority the Church or any other body will have in the world is the degree to which it abides in and furthers the truth as embodied by Jesus Christ and as revealed by his Holy Spirit. 

Sometimes, though, a set of convictions are made clearer when set in contrastive relief. Because early Friends believed they had discovered the heart of apostolic and biblical Christianity, they spoke and acted as radical reformers – even of the Reformers. Their goal was not to recover the worldly authority of the Church, but to elevate the sole authority of Christ as the center of Christian faithfulness in the world. This led to both positive affirmations and prophetic challenges. As examples of these corrective concerns, George Fox and other early Friends:

·         Labeled magnificent cathedrals and buildings as “steeple-houses” because the “Church” of Jesus Christ is the people, not the steeple.

·         Railed against “priests” and “professors” (of faith) alike, claiming to have encountered directly the presence of the risen Lord without human intermediaries.

·         Refused hat-honor to judges, religious leaders, magistrates, and landlords because God alone is deserving of honor; before God, all are equal.

·         Likewise refused to use elevated language (“you” versus “thee” and “thou”) with relation to civil and religious leaders, again as a testimony to human equality.

·         Railed against the “chapter-and-versing” uses of Scripture in polemical and hegemonious ways; the truth of Scripture is to be assimilated meaningfully, not leveraged as a tool.

·         Declared that being “bred” at Oxford and Cambridge does not suffice to make one an effective minister of the Gospel; preparation for ministry must be spiritual and empowering instead of intellectual and erudite alone.

·         Refused to pay the required tithe-tax as a means of involuntary support for the Church as a state-sponsored institution; giving should be voluntary and charitable.

·         Cried “Woe to the bloody streets of Litchfield!” as that city had been a site in which Christians had been martyred—by other Christians.

·         Wrote extensive tracts, including longer treatments, such as Robert Barclay’s Apology for the True Christian Divinity, his Catechism and Confession of Faith as biblical and theological challenges to the institutionalizing of Christianity.

·         Opposed claims that the saving and empowering work of Christ was linked to institutional forms, thus emphasizing the spiritual realities of baptism and communion versus ritual ones.

·         Traveled to the far corners of the earth to declare the apostolic message that “Christ is come to teach is people himself,” declaring the gospel to the Sultan of Turkey, Oliver Cromwell, the Pope, and Puritans in Boston—for which they were hanged in the cases of the latter two.

·         Opposed all violence and injustice, especially that which is done in the name of religion, as transgressing the essential will of Christ for his Church and the world.

In these and other ways, early Friends have challenged all claims to authority in the world that do not appear to flow forth from the self-evident truth of God. They called themselves “levelers,” and in keeping with the prophetic imagery of Isaiah 40, raising up the valleys and bringing down the mountains, they saw themselves as furthering the Day of the Lord. The crooked will be straightened out, and the rough places will be planed smooth. One can understand how such testimonies might have been received with ambivalence! While some testimonies were welcomed, others were rejected. As with all reforming movements, early Friends would certainly also rail against conventional Quakerism today, but such is the character of prophetic witness. After all, the Church is always in the process of becoming; it can never claim to have fully arrived. As members of the larger Church of Christ, though, the Friendly testimony to the ideal calling of the Church and critique of its shortcomings have actually been respected features in the world and also within the Church. The capacity for self-critique and dedication to correction where needed speak well for any institution externally, including Christian ones. 

Underlying these challenges, though, is a foundational conviction that authority – both divine and worldly – is rooted in truth alone. When Jesus was asked by Pilate if he were a king, he replied, “Yes, I am a king, and my Kingdom is one of truth!” (Jn. 18:37) This is why his followers do not fight. The truth can never be furthered by force, coercion, or violence. It happens only by “convincement,” and that work is performed by the Holy Spirit – the Spirit of Truth. The Holy Spirit also reminds believers of Jesus’ teachings in timely ways and convicts (convinces) them of both sin and of righteousness (Jn. 14:15-26; 15:26-28; 16:8-15). One might even equate the truth with Jesus and Jesus with the truth if he is indeed “the way, the truth, and the life.” (Jn. 14:6) Authority is thus a factor of truth, and the question of the Church’s authority in the world can only be answered by the degree to which the Church abides in and furthers the truth.  

Authority, however, is a paradoxical reality. The more it is claimed, the more it is forfeited. Conversely, only as one is willing to lay down one’s life, or one’s aspiration to authority, can it ever be received. These convictions are not simply true because Jesus said them; Jesus said them because they are true. This being the case, if the Church should aspire to an authoritative place in the world, it must not tout its authority as being either from on-high or as a factor of political prowess. Rather, it must dedicate itself, totally and unreservedly, to the furthering of God’s truth in the world. That alone will be the measure of its authority. Christ has indeed established his Church upon a “rock,” and that solid foundation upon which the legacy of Peter and the Apostles stands, and on which the authority of all confessing Christians is based, is the revelatory work of the Father in heaven, who breaks into our worldly existence with eschatological finality (Matt. 16:16-19). The solid “rock” of the Church is the revelation of truth that has come from the heavenly Father; it cannot come by flesh and blood. The Church’s authority, thus, to bind and loose is a direct function of the truthful testimony of more than one Christian witness, coming to unity within the sacramental presence of the Risen Lord accessible within the gathered meeting for worship (Matt. 18:15-20). And of course, our liberating forgivingness will ever be the gracious measure by which we too will receive judgment or mercy (Matt. 18:21-35). As Jesus further says, “If you abide in my teaching you shall be my disciples. Then you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” (Jn. 12:31). To come closer to Christ is to come closer to truth, and to come closer to truth is to come closer to Christ. An alētheic (truth-centered) approach to Christian authority – in the world and otherwise – therefore has several components to it.[1]  

1.) Abiding in Christ – the Key

Abiding in Christ is often conceived as the end-goal of the Church, but it is not, at least not solely. It is the beginning and the middle, as well as the end. Because the Church has no authority other than the truth of Christ its Lord, the Church will do well to maintain that relationship with vitality. Put otherwise, the lifeblood of the Church’s functionality is its attentive connectedness to its living Head (Ro. 12:3-8). As various parts of the body of Christ perform their particular roles in the world, connectedness to the Head and coordination with other parts of the body will insure their effective work and witness in the world. Therefore, the degree to which the Church is able to uphold and convey Christ’s liberating truth in the world will ever be in direct relationship to its attentiveness and responsiveness to Christ’s leadership and direction. This comes by abiding in Christ as the branch abides in the vine (Jn. 15:1-8), without which the endeavors of the Church are fruitless. However, the authority of the Church in the world will not be measured by this venture as a self-declared profession; it will only be evidenced as a factor of its fruitfulness. 

2.) Attending, Discerning, Minding.

Jesus taught his disciples to pray that God’s will would be done on earth as it is in heaven. As such, he invites us to attend, discern, and mind the divine will unfolding across the measures of time and space. Likewise, Jesus’ “friends” are invited into partnership with him in the carrying out of his work: to know what he is doing in the world and to act in accordance with his leadings (Jn. 15:14-15). This being the case, Jesus’ partners in furthering the work of the Kingdom do not ask God to bless what they are doing; they endeavor to discern and do the work that God is blessing. Therefore, Christian leadership and authority have nothing to do with barking orders down from the top, privileging wining from below, or accommodating trendiness from the side. The goal is to facilitate the attending, discerning, and minding of Christ’s will for the Church, and this is the high calling of every Christian leader. The process here is as important as the result. Seeking the truth with integrity, respect, and inclusiveness therefore witnesses to the authenticity of the endeavor. The world sees this, and so do other Christians. 

3.) Getting Ahead of the Zeitgeist.

The result of authentic discernment, then, is being given new eyes to see and new ears to hear the pressing needs of the world. Jesus invites his followers to lift their eyes unto the fields and to behold a harvest ready to be gathered (Jn. 4:35-36). He then sends them out into the world as his hands and feet in his saving-revealing work. The focus, however, is neither traditional continuity nor situational relevance. We learn from the past and interact with the present, but the living way of Christ is discovered neither in the retrospective gaze nor the lateral glance. It arises from within the heart that is touched by the love of God in response to the humanizing of the world’s need. Therefore, in addition to posing answers to acknowledged problems in the world, the discerning work of Jesus’ followers involves asking better questions whence better answers come. The calling of the prophet is thus less a factor of going with the spirit of the times – the Zeitgeist – but noticing unattended problems that call for redemptive concern and innovative action. These inferences impact the flow and direction of the Zeitgeist, noting concerns that deserve to be addressed correctively and redemptively. The alētheic authority of the Church in the world is thus less a matter of keeping up with the times, and more a result of seeing the world with a lively and responsive conscience. The prophetic voice often sings a solo – at least for awhile. 

4.) Christian Unity as a Coordinated Witness.

 While members of the larger Body of Christ must be receptive and responsive to the Head, Jesus Christ, they must also be in touch with one another. Few things diminish the authority of the Church of the world as devastatingly as Christians’ clumsily working against one another, even with well-intended motives. Worse yet is the vitriol and wrangling especially characteristic of struggles between closely related groups. We therefore need to be listening to each other – or put even better, listening to Christ through one another – in our endeavors to understand and to carry out Christ’s will in the world. This is why we talk, pray, labor, and share together within the ecumenical household of faith. We want to work together as a unitive witness to Christ, because this is a significant means by which the world will know that Jesus is sent from the Father and his followers are sent by him into the world beloved of God (Jn. 17:6-26). This is also why Jesus prays that his followers would be one: that the world might receive their coordinated witness and glorify the Father. Further, the unity shared by the Son with the Father is that same Koinonia that is available to believers. This is the ontology of authentic apostolic agency. We are one with Christ and with one another in our faith and faithfulness as his representative agents in the world. A unified Christian voice thus speaks with authority in the world. 

5.) The Way of the Kingdom.

Because the truth of Christ is the very heart of God’s reign and workings in the world, Jesus’ followers are exhorted to endeavor to further the active reign of God in keeping with the Way of the Kingdom. Here a tragic fallacy deserves exposure: the Kingdom of God cannot be advanced by going against the Way of the Kingdom. Indeed, human attempts to do God’s work in ways that violate the ethic of the Kingdom actually set back the progress of the Kingdom. History is filled with well-meaning attempts to further good causes by violent or questionable means, but the result is that the Church’s authority in the world is accordingly diminished. From a societal perspective, there is no authority save moral authority. This is why Jesus declared that his could not fight (Jn. 18:37); the reign of God’s truth can never be furthered by forcible means. Because the Way of the Kingdom is patterned after the example and teachings of Jesus, all who aspire to be his followers must also adhere to the Kingdom ethic of Jesus. It is not an unattainable standard to be reserved for special temperaments or the world hereafter; it is the calling of every believer to embody faithfully in the imitation of Christ. The conversion of the world is drastically retarded by the failed conversion of the Church. If authentic followers of Jesus would indeed follow his example, empowered and transformed by his indwelling Spirit, the Church might yet pose a compelling and authoritative Good-News invitation to the world. Its authority languishes proportionately to the degree that it does not. 

6.) An Authentic Carriage and Being.

Encounter with the Risen Lord is the basis for personal transformation, and that is where the Presence of Christ is encountered most powerfully in the world. In one’s carriage and being, true members of the Church should follow the humble example of its Lord rather than the haughty patterns of the world. The authentic measure of discipleship is the love which Jesus’ followers have for one another and which they display in the world (Jn. 13:34). Indeed, the yoke of Christ is one that fits us well, and it refreshes our souls because it is meek and lowly of heart (Matt. 11:28-30). He invites his followers both to learn of him, and also to learn from him. Thus, to incorporate the mind of Christ into our own lives is to seek not the elevation of self or cause but to pour ourselves out in love for the life of the world (Phil. 2:1-11). True humility, though, is not a dour attitude to be feigned in self-condescension; it is a function of abiding in the truth about oneself, in the awe-inspiring presence of divine grace. Before the Holy Presence of the Almighty, none of us is worthy; and yet, each of us is loved. That is an awesome and humbling reality! As followers of Christ embrace his self-emptying manner and exemplify his love-enacting work, the world cannot but be drawn to Christ. The contagion of incarnational sacramentality exalts the Son of Man, and all who look to him are healed (Jn. 3:12-17). As was true of the early church, so will it be in every generation; the authoritative presence of the Church in the world is always a factor of ways believers exemplify the love of their Lord for the other. To embody the Real Presence of Christ incarnationally becomes the inspired measure of authoritative Christian witness. “How our hearts did burn within us,” exclaimed the unwitting witnesses of the resurrected Lord (Lk. 24:32); the inspirational authority of the Church in the world today is still an explosive possibility. 

7.) A Dynamic Christocentricity.[2]

To come close to the truth is to come close to Christ, and to abide in Christ is to abide in the truth. Therefore, the power of the Church will be contingent upon the degree to which it maintains Christ as the Center of all it does. This reality, however, is a dynamic reality rather than a static one. Rather than confining Christian truth to propositions alone, it would serve us better to envision Christian truth as Christomorphic (in the form of Christ). This means that truth is also personal, loving, and active; it cannot be confined to categories of objectivity or empiricism. Our creeds and dogmas help us avoid error and point us toward the truth, but the truth of Christ will always transcend them. Further, if Christ is truth, not only is it we who seek the truth, but the truth also seeks us out. Indeed, the hour is coming and now is, when those who worship the Father do so in Spirit and in Truth, these are those that God is actively seeking to draw into the experience of transformative worship (Jn. 4:21-24). Therefore, in the worship, ministry, sacramentology, ethics, organization, outreach, and witness of the Church in the world, a dynamic Christocentricity is key. At the heart of this reality is the immediacy of the Resurrected Lord, seeking to guide, restore, and empower his Church; and it is his Church, not the possession of any individual or group. Therefore, the degree to which the Church embodies this dynamic reality, its witness to the Christomorphic character of truth in the world will thereby be encountered in the world.  

For these reasons, Friends are less than taken by worldly measures of the authority of the Church in the world. The size of a movement poses no clear measure of its faithfulness to the truth. Likewise, claims to divine mandates or the wielding of political power offer no standard by which to judge the authority of the Church. Because there is no authority other than Christ and his truth, worldly power, prestige, wealth must be regarded as illusory goals and measures of ecclesial success. Christ and his Kingdom alone will stand at the end of time, and Jesus calls us into partnership with him in the unfolding of the divine will in the world as his friends. Of course, such a venture includes all believers across the measures of time and space who have known the will of the Lord and have carried it out faithfully. If one were to note the true measure of the authority of the Church in the world, this would be it, and its alētheic character would speak for itself. And this point is worth noting. Despite the blindness of the world the light of Christ is also at work in the hearts of individuals and even in the collectivity of culture (Jn. 1:9). Therefore, living in the world as citizens also of another City, which has love as its law, truth as its king, and eternity as its measure, speaks with its own power and authority.  

Here, though, is where the paradoxical character of authority comes full circle regarding the Church’s authority in the world. While faithfulness to the truth does indeed result in worldly acknowledgement, and even acclaim, these cannot be the motivations for aspiring to do so. Neither can they be seen as genuine measures of Christian faithfulness. History is replete with cases where the Church has forfeited its alētheic birthright for a mess of pottage. Such are aspirations to power, influence, wealth, respect, notoriety, growth, and prestige. And yet, it also happens that faithfulness to the truth often does evoke notice and respect in the world, and the most authoritative contributions in human history have been the times when people of God changed the direction of the world out of service to love, justice, authenticity, and the truth. The authoritative recognition of truth, though, will always be elusive and delayed in its development. Therefore, authentic followers of Jesus must abide in the truth and must do the truth without expecting a worldly reward. Such faithfulness is the way of faith precisely because the outcome cannot be envisioned. Putting Jesus’ message otherwise, the one who wishes to achieve the Church’s authority in the world will lose it; only as faithfulness to Christ’s truth is pursued above all else will the Church have any authority – in the world or otherwise.