What does it mean to submit to authority (Hebrews 13:17)?

Hence as one must feel in the intricacies which so frequently beset the saints in such a world as this, and with a nature on which the enemy can readily act through present things, there is ample room for constant need of godly counsel, serious admonition, or even sharp rebuke: and as to all this the word is "obey your leaders and submit." How often a real guide can point out what a perplexed saint saw not before it was set before him, but, when so set, at once perceives to be of God! For if there be a word of wisdom given to the one through the Spirit, the same Spirit dwelling in the other appreciates the true and the right, through the grace of Christ which sets independence aside as well as worldly lust or any other evil thing. Thus is the Lord honoured in the chiefs no less than in those who submit to them. Sacerdotal claim is now excluded; and lawlessness is judged as hateful to God. Christ Himself led the way here below in this path of invariable and unswerving obedience; and those that guide will only guide aright if walking in the revealed ways of God which they urge on others; as these are only blessed as they walk in obedience and submission, instead of a vain clamour for their own rights, which if realised would be Satan's slavery. We are, every one of us, bondsmen of the Lord Jesus.

But it is well to note that the Vulgate has fallen into the perversion, so natural to the official mind, that the guides will have to give an account of the souls under their supervision. Such is the strange reading of the Alexandrian MS. followed by Lachmann in his Greek Testament of 1831. Tischendorf who noticed this should have seen that L. corrected the error in his larger ed. of 1840-50. Certainly there is no excuse for anyone failing to recognise the overwhelming testimony in favour of the ancient copies as well as of the Received Text, which speak of the guides exercising their wakeful care on behalf of the souls of the saints, as having to render an account. But this means not of other men's souls, but of their own conduct in relation to them. For each shall bear his own burden; and whatever, or whoever, comes between the conscience and God is of the enemy. Herein Romanism is the chief but far from the only offender in availing itself of a transparent error, and pursuing its most evil consequences. As the saints are shown the solemn responsibility of their leaders, they are told to cultivate a gracious readiness to obey and submit, that the guides might do their watchful work with joy, and not with groans over their refractoriness, which would be profitless for the saints. Compare for the other side 1 John 2:28, and 2 John 8 and for this side 3 John 4.

“They watch for your souls.” True leaders are not only to be remembered, they are to be obeyed. They are not pressing their own claims, but the claims of God; so that obedience to them would be obedience to the word of God which they faithfully ministered. The submission enjoined is not to the will of man, but to the will of God. It is not only the good of the saints that dictates their words and actions; they know the day is coming when they must give an account of all they have done and said to their Master.

A true leader is not looking for what he can get out of his service, but rather for the spiritual prosperity of those the Lord has put under his care. Sometimes there is joy in seeing the saints walking in the path of God’s will through communion with Christ; but sometimes there is grief when self-will in the saints refuses the will of God, and brings distress and sorrow among the people of God. Whether in joy or in grief, the true leader must act for God, edifying the saints by the rod of God, and correcting whatever is inconsistent with it.

It follows that we ought to acknowledge all those the Lord appoints. If a man preaches the truth in this or that body, I am not to ignore, but own the servants of Christ everywhere. They may not thoroughly carry out the truth; but in all cases it is not the brethren, but Christ who gives gifts. But does it follow that I am to go to mass, even if a Romish priest preaches a measure of truth? I must examine whether he who may be ever so real a servant of Christ, is doing the will of God in the matter. We are not called to follow this or that one, except so far as they follow Christ. We are called on to do the will of God; and "he that does the will of God abides for ever." Nothing, therefore, can be more simple than the path of the Christian. Let him value the servants of Christ in their place, but not necessarily all that they are doing, unless it be according to the will of God. But is it not said that we are to obey them who have the rule over us? Yes, and it is as true now as ever it was. But supposing you are converted to God and there is a priest of Rome who says that you must obey those who have the rule over you, and that they have this rule, am I not to question what he means and what he is using the text for? Is it to induce me to disobey God? If so, am I not to say, I "must obey God rather than man?" Thus a path always appears for the saint of God who desires to do His will, and that path is simply obedience. It may sometimes take the form of what mistaken or self-willed men might call disobedience; but certainly it will be the obeying of God rather than man. Nothing can absolve us from the positive, invariable duty of obeying God.

Further, we are called to obey our leaders and to submit ourselves; for "they watch over your souls as those that shall give account." It is not that they are to give account of the souls of others, but of their own conduct in respect of others. Obedience on the part of those watched over would be much for these guides, that they might do their work with joy, and not groaning, for this would be unprofitable for the saints.

This will of course also be conducive to orderly conduct. "Obey your leaders, and be submissive; for they watch for your souls as those that shall give account; that they may do this with joy, and not groaning, for this would be unprofitable for you." These of course are living leaders, in contrast to verse 7; but the verse supposes a normal Christian character of godly concern for souls. If leaders depart from the faith, they must not be fol­lowed, but if seeking to walk with God and to watch for souls, it is a serious responsibility to obey them. A truly worshipping heart will find no difficulty in honest submission in matters of order and government. For let us remember that leaders must give account to the God whom they are responsible to serve. It would seem that this refers, not to the future judgment seat of Christ, but to a present accounting before God of the state and wel­fare of the assembly,-which may be with "anguish of heart," in which exercise before God the apostle wrote to Corinth, (2 Cor. 2:4); or with profound joy, as in the case of the Thessalonians: "For what thanks can we ren­der to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before God" (1 Thess. 3:9). But though a leader may have to give account with groaning, let us mark that this is not said to be unprofitable for the leader, but "for you." It is the insubject heart that suf­fers loss, while godly leaders may be deeply pained for the sake of that precious soul, and pour out their hearts in humiliation and prayer before God. Indeed, this very exercise will prove spiritually profitable for the leader, but the disobedient child of God will lose.

The misconception which has grown out of these scriptures springs from an error in translation. It is not those "that have the rule over you," for this would imply the office of elders, but it is rather "your leaders," or those "who have the lead among you." There is a great difference between these two things: in the former case it would be an ecclesiastical office, before the ruin and confusion had set in, as, for example, like that indicated in Paul's direction to Titus, "Appoint elders in every city"; in the latter it describes such as those who, through spiritual power and divine gift in the ministry of the word, are qualified for the guidance and help of the saints; those who, through their devoted service and ministry, are marked out by the Lord and acknowledged by the saints as leaders. There is no such thing in Scripture as any taking the place of lead, or regarding themselves as leaders because they superintend, or care for, the business of the assembly. The characteristics of the leaders here given support the above conclusions. Remember, says the apostle, those who have the rule over you (your leaders), who have spoken unto you the word of God, whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation, or, more accurately, "considering the issue of their conversation, imitate their faith." These things, then, distinguished their leaders; they had ministered the word of God, they had lived such devoted lives, believing upon Him who is the same yesterday, today, and for ever, that, now they had passed away, the apostle could call upon the saints to treasure up their memory, and to imitate their faith. These were their past leaders, who had kept the faith until death; in verse 17 they are the living leaders. Another feature of leadership, enhancing its solemn character, is here given: "They watch for your souls as they that must give account," etc. They were thus devoted to the Lord in caring for the spiritual welfare of the saints, and were to remember at the same time that in this service they were responsible to the Lord alone, and that to Him they would have to render account (not for the souls of the saints, but for their ministry) before His judgment-seat. How solemn a thing it is, then, to be in the place of a leader! And in this connection it may be recalled that in the seven churches the angels of the churches (and these include all who lead and all who teach) are held responsible for the state of the churches. There is one thing more: the saints are to obey those who are true leaders, and to submit themselves. Is it asked if this is carried out in practice? In some cases undoubtedly so, and where scriptural leaders are found, and where ready obedience and submission to them is rendered, there order and blessing will be seen; but where man and man's will, independency, prevail, there envying and strife will be produced, with their bitter fruits of confusion and every evil work.

In the next place, I find in 1 Corinthians 16:15-16, those who had addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints; and they were to submit themselves to such, and to all who helped with the apostles and laboured. There is a moral action on the souls of those composing the assembly available when official rule does not exist; and it is remarkable, there are no elders alluded to in 1 Corinthians where such disorder was, nor directions to appoint any: the word of God meets the evil. Again, in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13, "Now, we beseech you, brethren, know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you, and esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake." And in Hebrews 13:17, "Obey them that have the rule over you [egoumenoi, the same word as "chief men among the brethren" used of Silas] and submit yourselves; for they watch for your souls as they that must give account." All this can be practised when there is no official appointment. For that, apostolic authority is needed, and does not exist, nor the one external body in which it was exercised. This rests on the action of the word in the conscience of those who have to submit. If one comes to me as an official elder, he has no scriptural authority to make good his claim. If I am unruly and unsubdued, those who labour, or indeed any Christian, can bring these passages, and I must submit to the word, or brethren can withdraw themselves from me - have no company with me, that I may be ashamed. This is moral power, not official.

And now look at another scripture, where there is nothing ecclesiastical, and found in the last epistle we would have thought of looking at for light and guidance as to rule in the Assembly. "Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken to you the Word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation" "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you" "Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the saints. They of Italy salute' you" (Heb. 13:7, 17, 24). What were these? They were guides? Does putting a man into an official place make him this? No! Verse 7 speaks for itself. A man who brings to you the Word of God in a moment of difficulty, so that you know it is God's Word, and your soul is guided by it, is a guide. You will own him as such, and remember him in your prayers, and welcome him, when he again comes along.

104 In this chapter the spirit of obedience is enforced towards those who rule in the church - "obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves," v. 17. It is for our profit in everything, to seek after this spirit. "They watch for your souls," says the apostle, "as they that must give account." Those whom the Lord puts into service He makes responsible to Himself. This is the real secret of all true service. It should be obedience, whether in those who rule, or those who obey. They are servants, and this is their responsibility. Woe unto them if they do not guide, direct, rebuke, etc.; if they do not do it, "the Lord" will require it of them. On the other hand, those counselled become directly responsible to "the Lord" for obedience.

Verse 17. They should obey their leaders, and submit themselves. For in doing so they honoured Him who had made them overseers of the flock of God. They were not to think of them as masters, but as faithful guides. For they watched for their souls, and were accountable to the chief Shepherd for their charge. They joyed or grieved, according to the spiritual condition of their brethren. In the love of the Spirit, and not by forced constraint, they had given themselves to be their servants, and the helpers of their joy. While stedfastness of faith and godly order were observed, the labour of their guides would be a pleasure and reward. If carnal liberty were claimed, and, in the foolish jealousy of ignorance, they despised the Spirit's distribution of His gifts, it would fill the hearts of those who tended them with sorrow, while they would reap no profit from the fruit of their own way.