The authority that matters most to a guilty conscience is authority to forgive. Matthew does not present Jesus as merely offering a sympathetic opinion about the paralytic. He presents the Son of Man exercising authority that belongs to his saving mission.
The Word
ἐξουσία (exousia) is a noun meaning authority, right, or power. It may identify a person’s right to act, the sphere of that action, or authorities who exercise rule.
It is not always interchangeable with words emphasizing strength or ability. A person can have the physical ability to do something without the right to do it. Still, Greek words overlap; the distinction should not become a rigid rule imposed on every passage.
Range of Meaning
Matthew 7:29 describes the authority of Jesus’ teaching. Matthew 28:18 speaks of all authority given to him in heaven and on earth. Romans 13 uses the word for governing authorities, while 1 Corinthians 9 uses it in Paul’s discussion of apostolic rights.
These uses do not give every authority the same task. A government’s authority to administer temporal justice does not make it the administrator of Christ’s sacraments. A preacher’s commission does not make him the civil ruler of his congregation.
Where You’ll Meet It
Jesus declares that:
“the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” (Matthew 9:6, NET)
He then commands the paralytic to rise. The healing answers the challenge raised by his announcement of forgiveness. The visible act serves the claim about the authority that cannot simply be inspected by watching the man’s body.
At the Gospel’s conclusion, Christ’s universal authority grounds the commission to make disciples through baptizing and teaching. The disciples act because he sends them. They do not need to invent a message or acquire independent sovereignty.
What Confessional Lutherans Hear
The authority of the Church is bound to Christ’s Word and gifts. The Smalcald Articles III.VII describe the Keys as an office and authority given to the Church by Christ to bind and loose sins. This is a received commission with a definite purpose.
That gives absolution its strength and also limits its administration. A minister cannot turn his own preferences into divine law or withhold forgiveness from the repentant as a way of enforcing personal loyalty. The authority is Christ’s and must be exercised according to his command.
The distinction between spiritual and civil authority also protects the neighbor. Augsburg Confession XVI affirms lawful civil government and Christian participation in ordinary public life. Those callings serve real needs without replacing the ministry of the gospel.
Where People Get It Wrong
Authority is sometimes confused with the ability to dominate. Christ’s forgiving authority reveals a different use of power: the sinner receives a gift he could not confer on himself.
It is equally mistaken to conclude that every authoritative word is oppressive. A conscience cannot absolve itself by preference. It needs the Lord’s trustworthy declaration, spoken with the authority he gives.
So What
When you hear absolution, listen beyond the personality of the speaker to Christ’s commission. When someone claims authority over your conscience, ask where God’s Word gives the command being asserted.
Kleis explores the image of the keys; Aphiēmi follows the verb of forgiveness itself.