Accepted(Recognized) Christian Authority-2

ACCEPTED(Recognized) CHRISTIAN AUTHORITY-II—1Timothy 1:1-2

In order to fill the shoes of the faithful, one must first recognize his/her authority.

The greeting of the letter is contained in :1-2:

It contains the Writer, Recipient, the Authority by which it is sent, & Blessings.

Paul approached Timothy thru accepted authority.

The faithful Christian accepts God’s authority.

How do the faithful recognize Christian authority?

10 qualifiers of acceptable Christian authority.

Previously we found that,

A qualifier of an accepted Christian authority is...

1. Recognized FAMILIARITY(:1)

2. Recognized APOSTLESHIP(:1)

3—A qualifier of an accepted Christian authority is...

Recognized DETERMINATION/Determinism(:1)

Explanation: (:1)

:1—“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior & the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope,”

Paul’s ‘sender’ is “Jesus Christ”[‘Savior/Salvation Anointed’](transposed in MT—‘Anointed Savior/Salvation’). Paul thus has a Divine mandate. His apostolic tasks thereby take on a unique character, authority, seriousness & an urgency which overshadows the tasks/work of any civil or secular sources by which we draw a picture of delegation.

The mere mention of “God” admits much greater power than any human or humanity is capable of. It calls & invites the miraculous—NOT coincidence—but the miraculous, into play.

Thus any “commandment of God” is absolutely non-negotiable.

Thereby Paul is now an apostle not because he thought it would be a good idea, or that he thought it would be a good profession, or because someone thought he would ‘make a good one.’ Paul is an apostle solely by the determined will & design of God.

Paul indeed faced difficult tasks & awful obstacles & circumstances.

Acts 9:15-16—“But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, & the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.””

He could not have endured them nor approached them without the wisdom & empowerment of the Holy Spirit!

How far reaching is this Determination?:

Was 9/11/2001’s Attack on America determined of God?

Are all so-called ‘natural disasters’ or ‘acts of God’ determined of God?

Js. 1:13, 16—“Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.”.....“Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.” “Every good gift & every perfect gift is from above, & comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”

Rom. 8:18, 28—“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”.....“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

“Commandment”—epitagh—1) An injunction, mandate, command. Strong—An injunction or decree; by implication, authoritativeness. Used 7X.

From—epitassw— To arrange upon, i.e. order.

Argumentation:

It is an unbelievably, incredibly fantastic & awesome thought to realize that the Almighty God, the author of salvation for all mankind has Determined & commanded our personal & collective gifts & ministries!

Reference to God infers absolute power of Determination:

GOD:

God undid man’s attempt to remove David from kingship when his own son Absalom usurped the throne—2Sam. 17:14—“So Absalom & all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than the advice of Ahithophel.” For the LORD had purposed to defeat the good advice of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring disaster on Absalom.”

Gen. 1:3—“Then God said, “Let there be light”; & there was light.”

Job 38:4-11—““Where were you[Job] when I[YaHWeH] laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy? “Or who shut in the sea with doors, When it burst forth & issued from the womb; When I made the clouds its garment, And thick darkness its swaddling band; When I fixed My limit for it, And set bars & doors; When I said, ‘This far you may come, but no farther, And here your proud waves must stop!’”

DETERMINATION:

Jn. 12:27-28—““Now My soul is troubled, & what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. “Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it & will glorify it again.””

Acts 2:22-24—““Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, & signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know-- “Him, being delivered by the determined purpose & foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, & put to death; “whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.”