Spiritual authority

Interacted with some friends on the issue of spiritual authority. Who or what gives people spiritual authority? I believe it's linked to five things: mandate, character, anointing, maturity and ability.

Mandate: do we have a mandate (calling) from God? If so, what is it specifically in terms of geography, people group and/or sphere of influence?
Character: do we have the character of Christ? Love, humility, discipline, etc.
Anointing: do we carry God's hand/anointing? If so, in what area?
Maturity: are we spiritually mature? Being called into one of the Eph. 4 ministries doesn't mean we are already mature.
Ability: do we have the ability to lead people? Not everyone who has spiritual gifts has (developed) the ability to lead.

This five-fold way of looking at ministries might also solve some problems in relation to prophets, apostles and the like. It's not sufficient to know that we are called by God into a specific ministry, this ministry also has be to recognized by the people we serve. If they don't recognize it, we don't have authority in their lives. For me people who label themselves as prophets and apostles rather show their lack of authority, because true authority is recognized without the labels. Jesus didn't promote himself als being the Messiah (He didn't deny it either), but he taught and acted with authority, and this was recognized.

Comments

[egmond]

There is a great problem, which many leaders do'n see.
They leads their community with their gifts from God, but they have not the ability to lead, because they go for themselves.
Their caracter is'nt developed in Christ. They do'nt serve, but they do the opposite.
Braeking people which do'nt go in their street!
I think it is very important, that leaders know that God have transformed them in live tot servant people, through al kinds of problems, which formed their caracter.
That is a time of preparation, just like Christ.
When they have'nt such a time, they come on the wrong place, which the wrong motives, and are not succesfull in the way of following Christ.
Spiritual authority is based on character, formed bij God and the spiritual gift of leadership.
Jan

[margaret schwanke]

Appreciated what I read about the maturity of a believer in relationship to a particular spiritual gift on may have. Taking pride in this gift, whether prophet,priest or teacher is not the stance Christ would want us to take. I also noticed there were a few mis-spellings in the message offered, thought you may want to know.
Blessings!!!!!!