What Does It Mean to Preach With Authority? The Concluding Line of the Sermon on the Mount

What Does It Mean to Preach With Authority? A Consideration of the Concluding Line of the Sermon on the Mount

On Thursday in daily Mass we finished reading the Sermon on the Mount (Mat 7-9). In it, there is a line describing the reaction of the crowd that day on the slopes of the Mount of Beatitudes:

And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes (Mat 7:28-29).

What does it mean that Jesus spoke “with authority”? The Greek word translated here as “authority” is ἐξουσίαν (exousian), which means “to (speak) out of one’s being or substance.”

In other words, one who has authority is one speaks of what he knows by experience. He is not merely repeating what others have said, nor is he simply quoting slogans or common sayings. He speaks from his own substance, from his own experience.

Jesus is distinguished from the scribes, who were famous for quoting only one another or other reputable, safe sources. In and of itself, this is good. But if it merely stops there, then what makes preaching any different from just staying at home and reading a book? Too many Christians, including Catholic preachers, are content to live and preach by quoting others rather than teaching by and from experience. Too many are content to repeat what others have said rather than speaking out of what they personally know, have seen, and have experienced.

To preach with authority (exousia) means to be able to proclaim the Word of God with personal knowledge and experience. It means being able to say, “What the Lord and the Church have always proclaimed, I know personally. For I have tested and experienced the Word of God in the laboratory of my own life, and found it to be true. And now I speak to you, not merely of what others have said, but what I know and experience to be true. Out of the substance of my own being (exousia) I announce this truth to you.”

This is what it means to preach with authority (exousia). Jesus did not simply quote what others said. He said what He personally knew.

What about you and me? Are you able to speak with authority? Well, do you know what the Lord is doing in your life? Have you personally experienced the truth of what the Scriptures and the Church have always announced? Or are you just quoting slogans, passages, and what others have said?

Of course the Scriptures and the authoritative teachings of the Church are the essential foundation of what we know. Please don’t go out and invent your own religion! But do you personally know that the Faith is true? How? Do you speak to your children of what you know or do you merely say, “The Church says … “? Clearly you are to say what the Church says, but to teach with authority means that you know and have experienced that what the Church says is true, and that you can personally attest to it. This is the basis of preaching and teaching with authority.

Pray especially for preachers, teachers, and parents, that we may find the Gospel and the Lord in our own lives, that we may connect the dots and preach with the authority that comes from the lived and substantial experience of these in our lives.

I am reluctant to get in on this because I hate to have rocks thrown at me or say what someone else has said is wrong but I will put a few words down here.

First, Exousia has several meanings. Likely in the days of the King James translation the words most popular translation meant “Authority over mankind”.

In Hebrews, Paul tells us that Christ is The Great High Priest. This is a significant title. It was the High Priest in the Temple at the time of Christ who authorized sacrifice. If you didn't hold the priesthood you were not authorized to offer sacrifices. Today in the Roman Catholic Church and the churches derived from it, only the priesthood can prepare and offer the sacraments to the people. There are cases where authority is important, the authority that is important comes from God.

I hope it doesn't sound like I'm getting away from the subject here but the point is that Christ was The Great High Priest and offered Himself a sacrifice for all the people.

The authority we are speaking of that the people recognized at the Sermon on the Mount was that. Christ spoke as one with authority over mankind.

There were many times that Christ preached and referred to scripture for example but here He said “I say”. The Jewish Rabbi would never say I say because he had no authority to do so, he would always refer to scripture or tradition but never his own words. Christ on the other hand was the author of The Scriptures, the Great Law Giver and the only name by which mankind can be saved. He has authority over us.

I hope I haven't offended anyone, if I have I beg your pardon.

In order to understand why the crowd reacted the way they did, we need only listen to the sermon they heard.

How many times did Jesus say, "Ye have heard it said...but I say unto you"?

Sometimes we hear this sort of exchange between kids:

"You better quit doing that!"

"Oh yeah? Says who?"

Jesus spoke as though He had authority to issue edicts. The scribes didn't. And so...

"the multitudes were astonished at his teaching: for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes."

If we'll read the Bible carefully, we won't feel a need - as this OP author does - to come up with clever ideas like "preach with the authority that comes from the lived and substantial experience".

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.