And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in that name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

God made man as a triune being. Man was given dominion. Man gave away his dominion by committing high treason and giving it to Satan. Jesus came to restore our authority and dominion, and this is what we are to understand. Now that Jesus came and died for us on the cross, he not only gave us salvation, but He has given us all authority because of what is written in Matthew 28:18. We have authority over demons according to Luke 10:19, and we have power over sickness according to Matthew 10:1. We have the keys of the kingdom according to Matthew 16:19, and we have the keys to hell and death according to Revelation 1:18. We even have authority over the elements of nature according to Mark 4:29. Ultimately, the new covenant gives us legal rights to things.

This is the authority of the believer’s teaching, and this is part of the Word of Faith movement. For those who recognize this teaching, you will know that it was taught by Kenneth Hagin, the father of the Word of Faith movement. Though it did not originate with Hagin, he popularized this teaching within the Charismatic movement. Many credit the teaching of the authority of the believer to John A. Macmillan, and when reading the first edition of Hagin’s book, one can see the clear evidence for this conclusion.

The opening paragraph came from compiled notes I received years ago from a course about the authority of the believer, using Hagin’s book as the textbook. I was taught various verses about our power and authority as a believer, such as John 14:12-14, Mark 11:22-24. Mark 16:15-18 was commonly quoted in validating the believer’s authority and what we should be doing to demonstrate our authority. Additionally, I was taught in this class that Jesus the man (not God) went to hell because if God had faced the devil, it would not have been fair. It is grieving to say such things because it surmises that Jesus ceased to be God for a time, and this is not only unbiblical, but also heretical.

Several times in both the 1967 printing and 1984 reedited version of The Authority of the Believer, Hagin stated that the cross was a place of defeat while the resurrection was a place of triumph and that we needed to move past the cross and onto Pentecost, the Ascension, and the throne of God. (p. 13,1967, p.20, 1984) He stated that preaching the cross left people in death, and as far as the church’s authority, “If it has less authority today, it would have been better for Jesus not to have died (p21, 27, 1984). He spoke of demanding our rights as believers, and based on personal encounters with Jesus and a yakety-yak demon who interrupted their discussion, Hagin relayed that Jesus stated if Hagin had not done something about the demon, He (Jesus) could have done nothing (p. 36, 1984). A common Word of Faith teaching is that God must have man in the earth in order to act legally on the earth. He needs us, and according to Hagin, Christ cannot do His work on the earth without us (p.34, 1984).

This teaching also covered the area of spiritual warfare, citing 2 Corinthians 10:3-5. Based on alleged personal revelation from Jesus, Hagin stated we have been given all authority over the devil, and if we do nothing, he will not be defeated. He believed that man had such a free will that not even Jesus could set him/her free if they did not want to be free (p. 63, 1984). The authority that we inherited came with power in His name, His blood, and His Word. Hagin taught we can bind the devil, tread on the devil, and cast out the devil. Much of his appeal to authority in this teaching came from personal experience and verses taken out of context.

Though this teaching can be appealing when talking about dominion and authority, there are serious concerns surrounding this teaching. The greatest concern is the teaching of another Jesus. I mentioned the statement above about “Jesus in hell as man only” because this is not the Jesus of the Bible. This is another Jesus, and Jesus defeated the devil on the cross. The payment and penalty for our sin was finished on the cross, and the cross is not a place of defeat, but a place of victory. To state otherwise is folly, and it contradicts Scripture.

The apostles preached Christ and Him crucified. Colossians 2:13-15 says, “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” The cross is a place of victory. His resurrection is our eternal hope and promise of eternal life with Him.

The teaching of God needing us and being limited in the very world He created is a god of vain imagination and self-idolatry. Much of the teaching centers upon mankind’s power and dominion. Humanity is at the center while God is on the periphery looking in with hands tied and at the mercy of man. Many verses are taken out of context to state that we have power that we do not possess. For example, the account in Mark 4:29 is centered upon Christ Jesus and His authority over the very winds and waves He created. It would seem Jesus rebuked the disciples for their lack of faith in Him, not in their ability to calm the sea. They even questioned, “Who then is this, that even the wind and sea obey him?” (Mark 4:41) Nowhere are we commanded to take authority over the elements in nature.

The One who has the keys to death and Hades is Jesus Christ, not us. The One who has been given all authority on heaven and earth is Jesus Christ, not us. Our words do not have creative power to throw literal mountains into the sea. No one has done greater works qualitatively than Jesus Christ. The argument can certainly be made that the greater works are in context to the extent of the gospel going forth because of the Holy Spirit indwelling believers. This teaching leads to an over realized eschatology and an exaltation of man, not God. Make no mistake, this teaching has placed its tentacles within the New Apostolic Reformation as individuals teach about bringing heaven to earth with power and authority.

The authority Jesus proclaimed in Matthew 28:18 is fully His. The disciples were under authority and were instructed by Jesus Christ to fulfill His commands and instructions. He has all authority, and as believers, we are under His authority. The authority we have is grounded in the Word of God. We have the authority to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. John 1:12 says that we have the right to be called children of God. We are permitted to approach His throne of grace with confidence. There are areas of authority we acknowledge on the earth, such as in government and in personal relationships, such as husbands being the head of the family and parents being in authority over children. It is important that we go back to the Scripture in context for proper understanding of our authority in Christ. Above all, we remember that God is supreme, sovereign, and omnipotent. He is the ultimate authority, and He has given us His Word to understand the boundaries He has established. He doesn’t need our permission nor our counsel to do anything.

Listen to this episode concerning the history of The Authority of the Believer, its teaching, and what is our Biblical authority: The Lovesick Scribe Podcast: The Authority of the Believer on Apple Podcasts