The Authority of the Body

“If he won’t listen to the Assembly,

let him be just like a Gentile or a publican to you.

Truly, I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven,

and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Matthew 18:17b–18

When Jesus left earth, he did not return, and he will not return for many years yet.  In the meantime, he did not leave either the world or his people without governmental authority.  Paul stressed the importance of government when he wrote to the Roman saints, “Let every soul be subject to the higher powers, for there is no power but of God; the powers that exist are ordained by God.  Therefore, he who opposes the power is resisting the ordinance of God, and they who resist shall receive to themselves damnation” (Rom. 13:1–2).  Paul said that he spoke to the saints “in Christ’s stead” (2Cor. 5:20).  That is what every true man of God does, and it is as unwise not to listen to such a man as it would be to refuse Christ if he was here, for he is the one who has anointed that man to minister to you “in Christ’s stead”.

Beyond that, however, every child of God should know that any Assembly of saints, taken as a whole, also has authority from Jesus to watch over the individuals who are in it.  And it is as unwise to refuse to heed their collective judgment as it would be to refuse Christ if he was here, for he is the one who creates every assembly in every place, according to the will of God.  Paul ended a controversy in Corinth about hairstyles by saying, “If anyone is inclined to be contentious about it, we have no such custom, nor do the Assemblies of God” (1Cor. 11:16).  In other words, the mere customs of God’s people, taken as a whole, have authority over any individual member of the body of Christ.

There is an old saying that, “No one is above the law,” and that is true.  Especially is it true that not one among God’s children is above the judgment of the saints around him, for that is the law of God.  Be wise.  While you can, humble yourself to the judgment of the Assembly of God of which you are a part as well as to the man whom God anoints to watch for your soul.  Your safety is in that kind of humility.