Jonathan Leeman’s Authority (Part 4)

    As I continue reflecting on Authority by Jonathan Leeman, Part IV has been particularly eye-opening. In this section, titled "What Authority Looks Like in Action," the author explores two kinds of authority: command and counsel. Leeman’s teaching has offered me profound clarity, especially in understanding how these forms of authority play out in various spheres of life: the home, church, government, and workplace.

Understanding Command and Counsel in Real Life

    Since reading about immanent and transcendent authority earlier in the book, I have found myself continually drawn to the transcendent aspect, particularly in how it defines healthy boundaries in leadership. This new section on authority of command versus authority of counsel has given me the insight I have been seeking. Leeman’s distinction is profoundly wise. As a father, I now see more clearly that my role carries the authority of command—to guide, correct, and even enforce obedience through loving discipline, as Proverbs teaches (the “rod”). But as a husband, my authority takes a different shape—through counsel, not compulsion. My wife is called to submit to my leadership, but I have no biblical right to demand or enforce compliance. Any correction belongs to God alone.

    This framework has been liberating. It has revealed how God assigns different kinds of authority with intentional boundaries: Command authority (parents, government, church) has the right to enforce obedience. Counsel authority (husbands, elders) leads by wisdom, truth, and love, not by force.

    This distinction protects against the abuse of power while still maintaining godly order. Personally, it affirms my dual calling—to be firm and guiding as a parent, while embodying servant leadership in marriage. The boundaries are not restrictive; they are freeing, showing me exactly where my responsibility begins and ends.

Parental Authority: A Reflection of the Divine

    One of the most powerful insights comes from page 186, where Leeman states that parental authority is the most godlike of all human roles. I could not agree more. He explains that a key purpose of authority is to reveal what God is like, and no human authority reflects that better than that of a parent. As a father to Jenchung and Kalan, this deeply resonates with me. Raising them in a godly way has always been one of my highest priorities. Leeman’s words have given me even greater courage and clarity in that calling.

Parental authority mirrors God’s own nature: It reflects God's image, just as Adam bore God’s likeness and Seth bore Adam’s. It brings forth new life and sustains it through self-giving love, echoing God’s provision. It shapes every aspect of a child’s development—physical, emotional, and spiritual. Its ultimate goal is to lead children to hope in the Lord and obedience to Him.

No other human authority spans this breadth of influence or so fully captures the likeness of the divine.

Government Authority: A Tool for Peace and the Gospel

    In the section titled “Why Government Authority?”, Leeman offers a Scriptural view that is both clear and compelling. His teaching brought to mind the unrest in my home state of Manipur, where the government, influenced by a single religious ideology, fails to protect all citizens equally, especially those of minority faiths.

    Yet, through the lens of 1 Timothy 2, Leeman shows that the true purpose of government is not to impose religion, but to create a peaceful and just society. Paul urges believers to pray for those in power so we may live peaceful and godly lives—not for comfort’s sake, but to allow the church’s mission to flourish. God desires that all people come to the knowledge of the truth, and a peaceful government becomes a divine tool for that mission.

The Church’s Authority: Defined and Limited

    Leeman also challenges the misuse of authority within the church, a topic that hits close to home for me. He emphasizes that the church’s authority is priestly, related to the gospel, and not to be confused with civil power. The church can judge its own members, but it is not called to rule over outsiders or the state.

    This teaching reminded me of an unfortunate incident within my home church association. One of the local churches, already struggling through internal division, received not help but abandonment from the association. Instead of acting as a reconciling third party, they disciplined the church and never returned, leaving it to resolve the problem alone. By the way, in the first place, they have no right at all to discipline a local church; this is absurd. This is just one example of how church discipline is often mismanaged in our community.

    The result? The church becomes unattractive to the world, powerless, and no different from it. I carry a deep burden for reformation in this area. Change may be slow, but I long to see it—and I know it's ultimately in God's hands.

A Final Word: Authority that Reflects God

    I have recommended this book to my pastor friend Jack (Not his real name), who went through a difficult season in ministry. By God’s grace, he is now serving joyfully. I believe Authority will be an encouragement to him, as it has been to me.

    Leeman’s teaching has completely reshaped my view of leadership. It teaches that: Parents must guide with firmness. Husbands and pastors must lead with love and humility, not control. True authority serves, uplifts, gives life, and it always sets boundaries. This book has given me a biblical, practical, and deeply personal vision for leadership—one that I pray will continue to shape me, my home, and my church for years to come.