Can We Speak With Authority?

In Matthew 5-7 Jesus gives a series of teachings that amazed the people. The people were not amazed at the fact that Jesus was teaching them, or that He was speaking about difficult subjects. The people were used to hearing the Pharisees and Scribes teach them about all the same things Jesus was talking about, but there was something different about Jesus’ teachings. There was something about the way He taught that got their attention, and made them perk up their ears. Matthew tells us exactly what the difference was in Matthew 7:28-29:

²⁸ When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; ²⁹ for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

Jesus knew what was going on, knew what was right and what was wrong. When He spoke, the message was clear. Jesus dealt in absolutes. Jesus dealt in yes and no, not maybe. Jesus didn’t intend for people to walk away from His teaching with questions about how they could please God.

Question: Can we speak with the same authority that Jesus spoke with? Realize that I’m not talking about sounding authoritative, but rather I am talking about having authority. Answer: We can speak with the same authority Jesus spoke with as long as we speak the same things He spoke. Take note of something Jesus said while on earth:

⁴⁸ “He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. ⁴⁹ “For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. ⁵⁰ “I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.” - John 12:48–50

While Jesus was on this earth He plainly states that the things He spoke are the words which will judge us on the last day, but He also says that the words He spoke are not simply His thoughts, but rather are the words and the mind of the Father. Jesus claimed that He was inspired by the Father, meaning that the Father gave Him the words to speak and, as He said, He spoke them exactly that way. Then, in the same way that Jesus was told what to say and what to teach from the Father, the New Testament writers were also inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Paul tells us that when we read the things that are written in the Scriptures, we can understand the insight of the writers into the mind of God (Ephesians 3:4). Based on the understanding found in the Scriptures, Paul charges Timothy to “Preach the Word” (1 Tim. 4:11, 2 Tim. 3:16-17, 2 Tim. 4:1-2). Mind you, the authority Timothy was speaking with was not found in himself, but rather in the Scriptures inspired by God.

As Christians we are charged with learning the teachings found in the New Testament, and with enlightening others concerning those teachings, beginning with Jesus and obedience to the gospel, and continuing on in the life-changing process of the narrow way.

We must realize that Jesus did not give us the words of the Father so that we could be “iffy” with them. He enlightened us concerning the Father so that we could enlighten others with the same authority found in the same words. Not only can we speak with authority, but, as God’s mouthpieces, we must.