Authority: God’s Good and Dangerous Gift

By Jonathan Leeman | 9Marks Journal: Authority: God's Good and Dangerous Gift | 09.30.2016

Authority is better than you think and worse than you think. It is God’s good and dangerous gift.

GOD'S GOOD GIFT

The Shift from Authority to Preference—And Its Consequences for the Church

By Os Guinness | 9Marks Journal: Authority: God's Good and Dangerous Gift | 09.30.2016

Our modern world tends to undermine all forms of authority other than its own and replaces them with the sense that all responses are merely a matter of preference.

The Nature of Church Authority

By Jonathan Leeman | 9Marks Journal: Authority: God's Good and Dangerous Gift | 09.30.2016

Church authority is how a group of individual Christians speaks in unison to the nations, “Here we are, a new nation and race. We represent Jesus and we have good news for you!”

Is There Such a Thing as Church Authority?

By Greg Gilbert | 9Marks Journal: Authority: God's Good and Dangerous Gift | 09.30.2016

Here are seven points regarding the keys of the kingdom, and how local churches exercise authority through their use.

What is the Nature of Pastoral Authority? — Perspectives from a Methodist, a Presbyterian, and a Baptist

By B. Merkle, K. DeYoung, M. O'Reilly | 9Marks Journal: Authority: God's Good and Dangerous Gift | 09.26.2016

We asked three pastors from three different traditions to answer the question: What is the nature of a pastor’s authority?

Delighting in Authority: How to Create a Culture of Happy Complementarians

By Whitney Woollard | 9Marks Journal: Authority: God's Good and Dangerous Gift | 09.30.2016

It’s time for the church to create space in its local assemblies for strong females who happily affirm authority while advocating for more opportunities for women to flourish according to their gifts and qualification.

Is It Self-Serving to Teach on Your Own Authority?

By B. Johnson, J. Yong | 9Marks Journal: Authority: God's Good and Dangerous Gift | 09.30.2016

We asked two pastors the question: Is it self-serving to teach on a pastor’s authority? If not, then how should you do it?

Views of Authority from around the World

By J. Fang, M. Gilbart-Smith, R. Hsu, T. J. Santos Filho | 9Marks Journal: Authority: God's Good and Dangerous Gift | 09.30.2016

We asked three pastors to reflect on how the people of their nation—Brazil, Great Britain, and China—tend to respond to exercised authority.

How a Roman Catholic View of Church Authority Compares to a Protestant View

By Gregg R. Allison | 9Marks Journal: Authority: God's Good and Dangerous Gift | 09.30.2016

What’s the difference between a Protestant understanding of local church authority and a Roman Catholic one?

GOD'S DANGEROUS GIFT

Authority, Not Authoritarian

By Taylor Turkington | 9Marks Journal: Authority: God's Good and Dangerous Gift | 09.30.2016

As a woman deeply thankful for the calling and care of elders, I’d like to offer four questions that may help you recognize if you are drifting into domineering.

Don’t Be a 9Marxist!

By Jonathan Leeman | 9Marks Journal: Authority: God's Good and Dangerous Gift | 09.16.2016

Here are fifteen marks that will keep you from being a “9Marxist,” that is, a church leader who abuses their authority.

Authority and Its Abuse

By Shai Linne | 9Marks Journal: Authority: God's Good and Dangerous Gift | 09.30.2016

The greater the degree of authority, the greater the pain inflicted when it is abused. If it’s devastating in the world, how much more so in the church of Jesus Christ?

Redeeming Authority for Those Who’ve Only Known Its Abuse

By Mez McConnell | 9Marks Journal: Authority: God's Good and Dangerous Gift | 09.30.2016

As a pastor who has also suffered abuse, how do I respond to the abused sufferers and anti-authoritarian people in my care in a way that’s biblical, loving, and true to God’s revealed Word?

The Abuse of Authority in Prosperity Gospel Churches

By D. A. Horton | 9Marks Journal: Authority: God's Good and Dangerous Gift | 09.21.2016

Prosperity gospel churches are seedbeds for abusive authority.

GETTING PRACTICAL

How Scripture’s Authority Shapes What We Do On Sunday Morning

By Brian Davis | 9Marks Journal: Authority: God's Good and Dangerous Gift | 09.28.2016

How do we decide what to do when we gather together on Sundays? Well, quite simply, we don’t decide. God does—and God has.

The Sword and the Shepherd’s Staff: Reporting Sexual Abuse to the Authorities

By Travis Wussow | 9Marks Journal: Authority: God's Good and Dangerous Gift | 09.30.2016

It is not a pastor’s job to adjudicate the dispute; instead, the pastor’s job is to walk with his people through the implications created by the state’s justice system.

A Pastoral Response to Millennial Autonomy

By Kevin McKay | 9Marks Journal: Authority: God's Good and Dangerous Gift | 08.15.2016

The church gives millennials the joys of intimate relationship and meaning, but not in ways most might naturally think.

A Healthy Church Member Is a Humble Follower

By Thabiti Anyabwile | 9Marks Journal: Authority: God's Good and Dangerous Gift | 09.30.2016

Leadership in the local church is established by God for the blessing of his people. However, for leadership to be effective, it needs to be encouraged and supported by the members of the church.

Church Membership: A Single Woman’s Perspective

By Chelsea Patterson | 9Marks Journal: Authority: God's Good and Dangerous Gift | 09.30.2016

When I first began attending my church, I’d never given much thought to church membership. And if I’m honest, it all sounded a bit dull to me.

How New Elders Earn Authority

By Clint Humfrey | 9Marks Journal: Authority: God's Good and Dangerous Gift | 09.30.2016

How does a new elder earn that informal authority or trust that is crucial to leading a congregation?

On the Authority of a Sending Church

By Ken Caruthers | 9Marks Journal: Authority: God's Good and Dangerous Gift | 09.30.2016

Let’s ensure that missionaries who leave quickly fall under the authority of a Christ-governed healthy church wherever they are.

Thinking Biblically about Authority: An Interview with David Wells

By David Wells | 9Marks Journal: Authority: God's Good and Dangerous Gift | 03.15.2017

What we all need are not more authoritarian preachers but more authoritative sermons.

Evangelism

February 2024
Purchase on Amazon

Catholicity

November 2023
Purchase on Amazon

Church Planting

November 2023
Purchase on Amazon

A New Christian Authoritarianism?

April 2023
Purchase on Amazon

The Church’s Ministries

December 2022
Purchase on Amazon

The Pastor and Church Administration

September 2022
Purchase on Amazon

Pursuing Revival While Avoiding Revivalism

June 2022
Purchase on Amazon

Expressive Individualism in the Church

March 2022
Purchase on Amazon

Sound Doctrine: The Foundation for Faithful Ministry

October 2021
Purchase a Print Edition

The Ordinary Means of Grace—Or, Don’t Do Weird Stuff

July 2021
Purchase on Amazon

How to Build Up Your Church: A Guidebook for Members

March 2021
Purchase on Amazon

Heaven: Rejoicing in Future Glory

December 2020
Purchase a Print Edition

Pastoring Through Political Turmoil

September 2020
Purchase on Amazon

Shepherding: The Work & Character of a Pastor

June 2020
Purchase a Print Edition

What’s Wrong With Gospel-Centered Preaching Today?

March 2020
Purchase a Print Edition
Complementarianism: A Moment of Reckoning

Complementarianism: A Moment of Reckoning

December 2019
Purchase on Amazon

The Heart of the Gospel: Penal Substitutionary Atonement

August 2019
Purchase a Print Edition
Church Membership: Following the Lord Together

Church Membership: Following the Lord Together

May 2019
Purchase a Print Edition

Ecclesiology for Calvinists

February 2019
Purchase a Print Edition
The Pastor and Pornography

The Pastor and Pornography

October 2018
Purchase a Print Edition

Pastoral Burnout: Its Causes & Cures

July 2018
Purchase a Print Edition

Church Life: Our True Political Witness

Spring 2018
Purchase on Amazon

Church Discipline: Medicine for the Body

January 2018
Purchase on Amazon

The Reformation and Your Church

Fall 2017
Purchase a Print Edition

Church Mergers and Plants

Summer 2017
Purchase a Print Edition

Pastoring Singles

Spring 2017
Purchase a Print Edition

Healthy Churches around the World

Fall / Winter 2016
Purchase a Print Edition

Authority: God’s Good and Dangerous Gift

Summer/Fall 2016
Purchase a Print Edition

The Church Praying

Spring 2016
Purchase a Print Edition

Confessions, Covenants, and Constitutions: How to Organize Your Church

Winter 2016
Purchase a Print Edition

Missions: Adding Wisdom to Zeal

December 2015
Purchase a Print Edition

Multi-Ethnic Churches

Summer/Fall 2015
Purchase a Print Edition

Expositional Preaching

Spring 2015
Purchase a Print Edition

Complementarianism & the Local Church

Winter 2015
Purchase a Print Edition

Vanishing Church?

Fall 2014
Purchase a Print Edition

Biblical Theology: Guardian and Guide of the Church

Summer 2014
Purchase a Print Edition

The Church Singing

May–June 2014
Purchase a Print Edition

Prosperity Gospel

January–February 2014
Purchase a Print Edition

Evangelism – Part 2

November–December 2013
Purchase a Print Edition

Evangelism – Part 1

September–October 2013
Purchase a Print Edition

Is Scripture Enough?

July–August 2013
Purchase a Print Edition

Church and Churches

May—June 2013
Purchase a Print Edition

Pastoring Christians for the Workplace

March—April 2013
Purchase a Print Edition

Lay Elders: A User’s Guide—Part 2

Jan—Feb 2013
Purchase a Print Edition

Lay Elders: A User’s Guide – Part 1

November—December 2012
Purchase a Print Edition

Discipling in the Church

September—October 2012
Purchase a Print Edition

Mercy Ministry in the Church

July—August 2012
Purchase a Print Edition

Wanted: Apostolic Pastors

May—June 2012
Purchase a Print Edition

The Underestimated Doctrine of Conversion

March—April 2012
Purchase a Print Edition

Don’t Be Too Cool for Sunday School

January—February 2012
Purchase a Print Edition

Revitalize: Why We Must Reclaim Dying Churches—and How

November—December 2011
Purchase a Print Edition

The Pastor and his Staff, Part 2

September—October 2011
Purchase a Print Edition

The Pastor and his Staff, Part 1

July—August 2011
Purchase a Print Edition

Church Membership: Holding the Body Together

May—June 2011
Purchase a Print Edition

Church and Parachurch: Friends or Foes?

March—April 2011
Purchase a Print Edition

Pastoral Moves

January—February 2011
Purchase a Print Edition

Book Reviews on the Mission of the Church

November—December 2010
Purchase a Print Edition

Hell: Remembering the Awful Reality

September—October 2010
Purchase a Print Edition

Pastoring Women

July—August 2010
Purchase a Print Edition
Journal about Deacons

Deacons

May - June 2010
Purchase a Print Edition

A New Evangelical Liberalism

January—February 2010

Church Discipline (Part 2)

November—December 2009

Church Discipline (Part 1)

September—October 2009

Missions

July—August 2009

Multi-site Churches

May—June 2009

Young Pastors

March–April 2009

Raising Up the Next Generation of Pastors

January–February 2009

Counseling in the Church

November–December 2008

Family & Parenting

September–October 2008

Marriage & Pastors’ Wives

July—August 2008
Purchase on Amazon

Living As a Church

May–June 2008

Cooperation

March–April 2008

Corporate Prayer

January–February 2008

Church & Culture

November–December 2007

Race and Ethnicity

September—October 2007

The Gospel

July–August 2007

Preaching

May–June 2007

Elders (Part 2)

March–April 2007

Hospitality & Friendship

January 2007

Elders (Part 1)

February 2007

Biblical Theology

November–December 2006

The Church’s Mission

October 2006

The Emerging Church

September 2006

Miscellaneous Articles

December 1999