Is a Pastors Authority Biblical?

When I was a child I submitted to my fathers authority. Since I was raised a Christian I was taught by the church that the pastor held authority with in the church and over every other area of my life as head of the church. I submitted to my pastor with out a though of rebellion. When I got married, I submitted to my husbands authority, even though it meant living out of the back of our car.

And then I grew up, and realized that as an adult I did not have to submit to my fathers authority any longer. As a wife and mother I finally realized that I had a right to tell my husband that he need to provide me and his children with a home and there was nothing rebellious about my demands. But when it came to the concept of a pastors authority over me, I found myself not in rebellion to it, but bowing to it to the point that it caused me a lot of unnecessary pain and abuse , with in my own home and with in the church.

In order to establish a more equal ground with my pastor, and I hoped stop some of the uncalled for accusations, I went through an educational program and became an ordained minister a pastor in my own right. But despite holding the same educational license as any pastor, the demands for me to submit to a pastors authority ( male Authority) as a women continued to cause me pain as I faced one accusation after another. It was not easy being set free from the concept that a pastor had authority over me as a believer and as a woman. I had to experience a wide range of spiritual abuse, before God opened my eyes to the truth.

Many denominational churches have based their conception of authority with in the church, on cultural bias and traditions, not on the biblical foundations of scripture. As a result, they tend to place one MAN in control of the church and in a lot of cases they place him as head of every family with in that religious sect. They often take that authority a step further, placing a pastor as a father confessor, who has a right to forgive all sins, and in doing so by passing our Lord Jesus Christs sole authority to grant forgiveness.

The simple fact is that the pastoral function that we are familiar with is NOT in the Bible. This concept of pastoral authority is a left over concept of the Roman Church in which a Priest was placed as head of a church. During the reformation of the church, and the birth of the protestant church ,the title of priest was changed to pastor. Neither exists in the new convent Bible, but the position is more like that of the old covenant Levtiical priest--something the new covenant does away with! Under the new covenant, God has clearly given the priesthood to every believer male and female alike. (Acts 1:6…5:10, I Peter 2:5, 9)

The word clearly states that the full ministry of the Lord consists of: “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;” (Ephesians 4:11-12) There is nowhere in the scripture where it says that the pastor is the most important leader of the church or more to the point the Body of Christ.

I am not saying that the pastor does not server a role with in the Body of Christ. But the role of pastor should not be looked upon as more important a role than any other ministry. Nor given soul power over the members of a church ! Or over your own family! If he is given or claims this authority in your life, he is working in illegitimate authority. And authority that is not his to operate in, or ordained by God.

I am not saying that you should not respect a pastors position as head of the church, but the respect given should be more with in the concept of a teacher over a classroom of students, or a principle over a collage. You should never give him power over your life and your families, or over your relationship with the Lord. To do so could cause you a lot of unnecessary pain and hardship. For it often leads to spiritual abuse.