Does authority come from above or below?

Most people agree that primary authority is derived from God and passed on to those to whom He has entrusted such authority. It is then delegated downward until someone refuses to grant authority their subordinates. In the truest sense, that is accurate. (Compare the previous post here:  http://chiefshepherd.com/2010/08/give-to-gain/)

Even Jesus received His authority from God the Father.

Mt 28:18 (NIV) Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

The definition of the Greek word that is here interpreted as “authority” is “power of choice, liberty of doing as one pleases.” It refers to the “top” person who is able to make sovereign decisions. In the Bible, that means God the Father – who gave ultimate authority to Jesus.

Regardless of one’s understanding about God, the DIRECTION of absolute authority is from the top down. The owner of  the company has the authority to take the company in whatever direction he or she feels appropriate.

But there is another side to authority. Absolute authority refers to the “right” to make decisions within a person’s “domain.” But PRACTICALLY, it does not work that way. The employees of a company have the final decision of whether they comply with the decision of those who have “authority” over them in the workplace. If they disagree, they can walk away.

Absolute authority can be delegated down but practical authority must be EARNED from below. Jesus also understood this. When asked to intervene between two brothers who were arguing, Jesus told them that THEY (both brothers) would have give Him (Jesus) the authority to arbitrate before it would have any effect on them:

Lu 12:14 (NIV) Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?”