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and Perfecter of faith,” He is represented as the one who takes precedence in faith and is
thus the perfect exemplar of it. The pronoun “our” does not correspond to anything in the
original, and may well be omitted. Christ in the days of His flesh trod undeviatingly the
path of faith, and as the Perfecter has brought it to a perfect end in His own person. Thus
He is the leader of all others who tread that path. See
PRINCE
.¶
Note:
In 1 Cor. 14:33, the
KJV
, “the author,” represents no word in the original;
RV
“a
God of.”
AUTHORITY
A. Nouns.
1.
@ $
(
# &
, 1849) denotes “authority” (from the impersonal verb
@
, “it
is lawful”). From the meaning of “leave or permission,” or liberty of doing as one
pleases, it passed to that of “the ability or strength with which one is endued,” then to that
of the “power of authority,” the right to exercise power, e.g., Matt. 9:6; 21:23; 2 Cor.
10:8; or “the power of rule or government,” the power of one whose will and commands
must be obeyed by others, e.g., Matt. 28:18; John 17:2; Jude 25; Rev. 12:10; 17:13; more
specifically of apostolic “authority,” 2 Cor. 10:8; 13:10; the “power” of judicial decision,
John 19:10; of “managing domestic affairs,” Mark 13:34. By metonymy, or name-change
(the substitution of a suggestive word for the name of the thing meant), it stands for “that
which is subject to authority or rule,” Luke 4:6 (
RV
, “authority,” for the
KJV
“power”); or,
as with the English “authority,” “one who possesses authority, a ruler, magistrate,” Rom.
13:1-3; Luke 12:11; Titus 3:1; or “a spiritual potentate,” e.g., Eph. 3:10; 6:12; Col. 1:16;
2:10, 15; 1 Pet. 3:22. The
RV
usually translates it “authority.”
In 1 Cor. 11:10 it is used of the veil with which a woman is required to cover herself
in an assembly or church, as a sign of the Lord’s “authority” over the church. See
JURISDICTION
,
LIBERTY
,
POWER
,
RIGHT
,
STRENGTH
.
2.
(
# )
, 2003), an injunction (from , “upon,”
, “to order”), is once
rendered “authority,” Titus 2:15 (
RV
, marg. “commandment”). See
COMMANDMENT
.
Note:
The corresponding verb is
, “to command.” See
COMMAND
.
3.
$
(
% $ )
, 5247), primarily, “a projection, eminence,” as a mountain
peak, hence, metaphorically, “pre-eminence, superiority, excellency,” is once rendered
“authority,” 1 Tim. 2:2,
KJV
(marg., “eminent place”),
RV
, “high place,” of the position of
magistrates; in 1 Cor. 2:1, “excellency” (of speech). Cf.
$
, “to surpass.” See
EXCELLENCY
.¶
4.
$
(
1
, 1413), akin to
$
, “power,” (Eng., “dynasty,”) signifies
“a potentate, a high officer”; in Acts 8:27, of a high officer, it is rendered “of great
authority”; in Luke 1:52,
RV
, “princes,” (
KJV
, “the mighty”); in 1 Tim. 6:15 it is said of
God (“Potentate”). See
MIGHTY
,
POTENTATE
.¶
B. Verbs.
1.
@ $
(
# 1
, 1850), akin to A, No. 1, signifies “to exercise power,” Luke
22:25; 1 Cor. 6:12; 7:4 (twice). See
POWER
.¶
2.
@ $
(
' &
, 2175),
, “down,” intensive, and No. 1, “to exercise
authority upon,” is used in Matt. 20:25, and Mark 10:42.¶