Chapter Six--Assurance, Authority

Lesson Six ASSURANCE, AUTHORITY

Assurance

Three Greek words are rendered as "assurance" in the New Testament: pistis, plerophoria, and hupostasis. We shall consider each of these words in this lesson.

I. PISTIS. This is the word generally translated as "belief" or "faith" in the New Testament. However, in one instance, in Acts 17:31, it is rendered as "assurance." The meaning here is that of "proof, pledge, or guarantee." This meaning of pistis is also found in classical Greek. Plato wrote, "But surely it requires a great deal of argument and many proofs to show that when the man is dead his soul yet exists" (Phaedo 70). He also wrote of pledges that two lovers exchange between each other: "They consider that they have given and taken from each other the most sacred pledges, and they may not break them and fall into enmity" (Phaedrus 256). An example of this use of pistis in the Koine is found in a papyrus of the fourth century A.D., "If the left foot quiver , it signifies that a man will bepledgedeceivedoverapromise." and In Acts 17:31 the apostle Paul affirms that the resurrection of Jesus is God's proof, guarantee, or pledge given us that the Lord is fit to be the judge of the world: ". . . he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he bath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead."

II. PLEROPHORIA. This word means "a fullness, abundance, full assurance, entire confidence; literally, 'a full-carrying' (pleros, full, phero to carry),."It does not occur in classical Greek or in the Septuagint. In 1 Thessalonians 1:5 it describes the inward confidence of faith with which Paul and his assistants appeared preaching at Antioch: ". . . our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance."

In Colossians 2:2 Paul tells of his striving in behalf of his fellow Christians "that their hearts may be comforted, that being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, that they may know the mystery of God, even Christ." We note here that by "the full assurance of understanding" is meant a clear, lucid perception and firm conviction of the truth as revealed in Christ. As George Barlow said, "In this assured knowledge of the greatest truths the mind of man finds its true enrichment. Every other kind of knowledge, however rare and extensive, is in itself poor and unsatisfying."

In Hebrews 6:11 and Hebrews 10:22 plerophoria is rendered respec-tively as "fulness of hope" and "fulness of faith." In each case a footnote gives "full assurance" as the optional rendering of plerophoria in these passages.

Closely akin to plerophoria is the verb plerophoreo, meaning "bring in full measure, fulfill, be fully assured." This verb occurs rarely outside Biblical Greek, where its earliest occurrence is in Ecclesiastes 3:11 of the Septuagint: "Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil." In the papyri it is used of "accomplishing" or "settling" legal matters; for example, in a passage where the complainer is invited by the strategus to bring forward his witnesses, "in order that I may finish off the matter." In another document the reference seems to be to a collector desiring to get certain monies "in full." It is also used in connection with paying off debts: "but it happens that I have been paid the debt in full."

1. Notice the use of plerophoreo in the following New Testament passages: 1. "Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to draw up a narrative concerning those matters which have been fulfilled among us" (Luke 1:1). A footnote renders plerophoreo as "fully established." The next verse tells how "those matters" of which Luke speaks, the things pertaining to the earthly sojourn of Jesus, were "fully established": "even as they delivered them unto us, who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word." Luke affirms that when he undertook the writing of his gospel, the certainty of the things pertaining to Christ had been fully established among his fellow Christians through the testimony of those who were eyewitnesses of the divine word, who had actually beheld the mighty works and resurrection of Christ. See 1 John 1:1-4.

2. ". . . looking unto the promise of God, he [Abraham] wavered not through unbelief, but waxed strong through faith, giving glory to God , andbeingthatwhatfullyheassuredhadpromised, he was able also to perform . . ." (Romans 4:20-21). Considering this passage in its context , we see that Abraham showed his faith in God by being fully assured or convinced that God would do as He had promised in making him a father of many nations. "The glory which Abraham's faith gave to God con-sisted in this, that, firm to the persuasion of God's ability to fulfill his promise, no difficulties shook him" (David Brown). So always is the unshakeable assurance of genuine faith in God. Such faith always takes God at His word, unswervingly believing that He will fulfill all His promises. Do you have such a faith?

3. "One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let each man be fully assured in his own mind" (Romans 14:5). The idea here, as the context indicates, is that of being fully convinced, of having a clear conscience, concerning matters which are not morally wrong. In this passage Paul is probably referring to certain Jewish festivals and fast days which had never been enjoined on Gentiles, but which were still being kept by certain converts from Judaism.

4. "Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, saluteth you, always striving for you in his prayers, that ye may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God" (Colossians 4:12). Christians are to be fully assured, or fully persuaded, concerning all the will of God so that there will be neither wavering nor falling. For only as they are thoroughly convinced of the sanctity of God's will and of the necessity of obeying it, will they have the frame of mind necessary to withstand every influence that would swerve them from a right relationship with God.

III. HUPOSTASIS. This word literally means "a standing under (hupo, under, histemi, to stand)." Its meaning as translated "substance" in Hebrews 1:3 is "substantial nature, essence, actual being." It also means "confidence, conviction, assurance, steadfastness." It is rendered as "confidence" in 2 Corinthians 9:4; 2 Corinthians 11:17 and Hebrews 3:14. It is translated only once in the New Testament as "assurance": "Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, a conviction of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). In discussing the varied uses of hupostasis in the papyri, Moulton and Milligan observe, ". . . in all cases there is the same central idea of something that underlies visible conditions and guarantees a future possession. As this is the essential meaning in Hebrews 11:1, we venture to suggest the following translation, 'Faith is the title-deed of things hoped for.'" This may well be a valid translation. Through our faith in Christ we have God's guarantee of that which we hope for, eternal life in heaven. Strong faith in Christ gives the Christian definite assur-ance that he is the constant recipient of God's grace and that he is march-ing to the heavenly Zion. It is a sad commentary on the faith of many who claim to be Christians that they do not have this blessed assurance. Some of these insecure, unhappy souls even affirm that no Christian can have the assurance that he is saved and on the way to heaven. It is evident that they do not really know Christ. Our blessed Saviour has not called us out of the darkness and frustration of sin into a life of inse-curity and uncertainty, but into a life that gives the constant assurance and certainty that we are Christ's and possess in Him the divine guarantee of eternal life in heaven. See 2 Timothy 1:12.

Authority

The Greek word for "authority" is exousia, from the impersonal verb exesti, "it is lawful." Primarily, exousia has the meaning of "freedom of choice, liberty of action." This use of the word in the papyri is common. In wills, contracts, and other legal documents it denotes the "claim," "right," or "control" one has over anything. Epictetus writes of the man having "contempt of all things that are not in the power of his will" (Discourses 111.24, 70). Examples of this use of exousia in the New Testament are found in the following passages: Acts 5:4; Romans 9:21; 1 Corinthians 7:37; 1 Corinthians 9:4; 2 Thessalonians 3:9; Hebrews 13:10; Revelation 13:5; Revelation 22:14.

Another meaning attached to exousia is "ability to do something, capa-bility, might, power." This particular usage is found in Jewish Greek writings; for example, "Then looked he unto the king, and said, Thou hast power over men . . ." (2Ma 7:16). Examples of this use in the New Testament are found in following passages: John 10:18; Acts 8:19; Acts 26:18; Revelation 9:10; Revelation 11:6; Revelation 20:6.

The particular New Testament meaning of exousia that is the main con-sideration of this discussion is "authority." It is not possible, however, to draw a fast line between this meaning and that of "power." It is possible, of course, to have the power or ability to do something that one does not have the authority to do; for example, the power to steal , commit murder, etc. But authority always implies the power or ability to do whatever is involved in its scope. Unless it is backed by real power it is illusory. Behind legal authority stands the power of the state to give it validity. Behind the authority of Christians to serve God in the name of Christ stands the power to serve Him. Although authority, then, is best defined as the right to exercise power, and not the power itself, yet it always implies power. Cf. Webster's Collegiate Dictionary: "A right to command or to act." See Luke 4:36 and Revelation 17:13, where a distinction is made between power (dunamis) and authority (exousia).

At its highest, exousia signifies the absolute authority of God, who has both the inherent right and power to do all things compatible with His nature. His incontrovertible authority is directly expressed in Acts 1:7, "It is not for you to know times or seasons, which the Father hath set within his own authority." Only God has underived authority. Thus any rightful authority possessed by others must come from God. Notice Romans 13:1, "There is no authority but by act of God, and the existing authorities are instituted by him" (New English Bible). In Daniel 4:3 the word "dominion" (Septuagint, exousia) is used to designate the absolute authority of God: "How great arc his signs! And how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation."

The word "authority," exousia, is also most significant as it pertains to the person and work of Christ. Since He is Immanuel, "God with us," His authority is not restrictive or limited. He has the right to exercise unlimited divine power.

During the Lord's earthly sojourn He exercised authority as the One sent of God the Father. His teaching was of authority: "And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these words, the multitudes were astonished at his teaching: for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes" (Matthew 7:28-29). He had authority to forgive sins: "But that ye may know that the Son of man hath authority on earth to forgive sins (then saith he to the sick of the palsy), Arise, and take up thy bed , and go unto thy house" (Matthew 9:6). He had authority to cast out demons: ". . . with authority he commandeth even the unclean spirits , and they obey him" (Mark 1:27).

The absolute authority of Jesus Christ as the crucified, resurrected, ascended Son of God is prophetically described in Daniel 7:13-14, where the word for "dominion" in the Septuagint is exousia: "I saw in the night-visions, and behold, there came with the clouds of heaven one like unto a son of man, and he came even to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed." The fulfillment of this prophesy is expressed in such passages as Ephesians 1:19-22. Cf. Php 2:9-11.

Before Jesus ascended to His heavenly throne, He expressed to His apostles the authority that would be His as Prophet, High Priest, Saviour, and King: authority hath been "All given unto me in heaven and on earth" (Matthew 28:18). These words have been called "the charter of the kingdom of God." The Lord here asserted the dominion He has over all things. Previously He had declared, "All things have been delivered unto me of my Father" (Matthew 11:27), and now he made good the assertion as He sent forth His apostles to subdue the world to the obedience of faith and as He ascended into heaven to be made both Lord and Christ. The culmination of His authority will be at His second coming, when he executes judgment upon the world (John 5:26-29).

In considering the question of authority in regard to the present day church, composed of uninspired people, we must not think of the church as being infallible. Infallibility is inherently only in Christ and in the teaching which He delivered to the apostles. A member of the church can only speak authoritatively as he presents the message of Christ which is recorded in the inspired scriptures. A thing is not right as such just because it is taught by the church of Christ, but only as the church teaches what is authorized by Christ. Thus in respecting the supreme authority of Christ, we must develop a spirit of objectivity in the church that seeks to know the mind of Christ rather than to merely know what some religious periodical editor or prominent preacher teaches, or what happens to be a particular point of view held by some segment of the church. We must not surrender to others the right to think for ourselves , to determine for ourselves what the word of Christ teaches on any subject.

As free men in Christ who must answer for themselves in judgment (Romans 14:4; Romans 14:12), we must deny any human being the right to tell us infallibly what we can and cannot believe and practice. If we are truly Christ-centered, Christ-oriented in our thinking and in our lives, we will always strive to obey the inspired command, "Look therefore carefully how ye walk, not as unwise, but as wise; redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is" (Ephesians 5:15-17). We will accept no man's word for anything in religion unless it stands the test of proving true to the supreme authority of Christ. "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21). See Romans 3:4.

The word exousia is also used in the New Testament in reference to the apostles. During the Lord's earthly ministry they received special authority from Him. "And he called unto him his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of disease and all manner of sickness" (Matthew 10:1). The perpetual authority possessed by the apostles, which they derive from Christ, is expressed by Paul, "For though I should glory somewhat abundantly concerning our authority (which the Lord gave for building you up, and not for casting you down), I shall not be put to shame" (2 Corinthians 10:8). See Matthew 10:16; Matthew 10:19; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:47-48; John 20:22-23; 1 Corinthians 5:3; 2 Corinthians 13:10.

Exousia is also used in the New Testament to describe the authority Saul of Tarsus received from the chief priests to persecute the church (Acts 9:14; Acts 26:10; Acts 26:12), the authority of managing household affairs (Mark 13:34), the authority of one whose will and commands must be obeyed by others (Luke 7:8), and the authority represented by the woman's veil (1 Corinthians 11:10).

By metonymy exousia stands for that which is subject to authority or rule, rendered as "jurisdiction" in Luke 23:7. By metonymy exousia also stands for a bearer of authority, one who possesses authority, a ruler, magistrate. This usage is found in the papyri; for example , "accordingly(exousia)AnImakemy."entreaties to your highness example of this usage in the New Testament is in Luke 12:11, "And when they bring you before the synagogues, and the rulers, and the authorities . . ."

Questions

• Discuss the meaning of Otis in Acts 17:31.

• How is plerophoria used in 1 Thessalonians 1:5; Colossians 2:2; He-brews 6:11; 10:22?

• Discuss the use of plerophoreo in the New Testament.

• Why do some Christians not have the blessed assurance portrayed by hupostasis?

• Define the word "authority," exousia.

• Discuss the authority that pertains to the person and work of Christ.

• Why is the church of Christ not infallible?

• What authority is possessed by the apostles?

• What are the metonymical uses of exousia in the New Testament?