Professor: Rushdoony Dr. R.J.R.

Subject: Systematic Theology

Genre: Speech

Lesson: 9 of 19

Track: #09

Year:

Dictation Name: 09 Authority and Ministry

[Rushdoony] Let us begin with prayer. Our help is in the name of Lord who made heaven and earth. Oh come let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker for He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. Oh God our Father whose holiness fills all heaven and earth and whose glory lightens our days. Give us grace so to walk that we might know indeed that heaven and earth are filled with Thy glory. That Thy word is truth and Thy word shall prevail, that every knee shall bow unto Thee and every tongue confess Thee before Thy work on earth is finished. Therefore we praise Thee Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and we come into Thy presence with joy and Thanksgiving knowing that this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Our God we praise Thee, in Jesus name, amen.

Our Scripture this morning is from the gospel of Saint Matthew, the twentieth chapter verses twenty-five through twenty-eight. Matthew 20:25-28 and our subject Authority and Ministry.

“25 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.

26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;

27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:

28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” 

The occasion of these comments by our Lord was when the mother of James and John, two of the disciples, came to Him to ask for enthroned places for her sons in Christ’s kingdom. Now the mother of James and John whose name was Salome was our Lord’s aunt. As a result she felt that she had a privileged position and therefore could ask for privileges for her sons. Our Lord had denied Salome her request, but when the other disciples heard what she had done they were indignant. Our Lord called the disciples together to speak to them and verses 25-28 give us His words. Now the word that our Lord uses in verse twenty-five when He says “Ye know that the princes of the gentiles exercise dominion over them.” That word dominion is a particular word for a particular type of dominion. It is used in the New Testament only in an evil sense. For example in Acts nineteen verse sixteen it refers to the power of demons over men. In First Peter 5:3 it refers to evil elders, lording it over others, over Christ’s people. And it is a combination of two words; “kyrios” – Lord or dominion, and Kata – which means down, intensively so. So the meaning is “Lording it over someone.” So what our Lord is saying, “Ye know that the princes of the gentiles love to Lord it over them, and that they that are great exercise authority upon them.” Now again the word authority is different from the usual word for authority because here again instead of just ousia there is the prefix kata; so it means the authority to put down. It refers to something other than the Godly exercise of authority; it refers to putting down people. So here we have the usage of two words, not normally used for dominion and authority, which indicate lording it over others and putting them down and this, our Lord says, is what ungodly authority is all about. At the same time our Lord says “it shall not be so among you but whosoever will be great among you,