Pastoral Authority

Now, of course, we do have a degree of authority to preach God’s Word in the church and to govern the affairs of our church. But as far as authority in people’s lives, that lies only in God’s Word. It is only God’s Word that is to bind the conscience of a believer, not my opinion, not my preferences. And when we deviate from God’s Word or we distort God’s Word or we displace God’s Word we have forfeited our authority. This is where our authority derives from—the truth of God’s Word.

-Jeff Purswell