What is the relationship between power authority and legitimacy?

Answer 1

When we talk about authority, it is not the earthly type that we are addressing. Earthly authority relies upon worldly law, or the amount of military troops one has, or power seized or given by others. Worldly authority can be acquired by inheritance, wealth, or even notoriety but not spiritual authority. Authority that is spiritual in scope is given to us by God and operates according to His laws. Spiritual authority like worldly authority must have the power to act in order for authority to be genuine. Worldly authority is not authentic if the one who possesses it doesn't also posses the power to enforcement his will. We would say that this one is just a figure head that possesses no real power. This is why we must not just speak about authority but also power.

Most people know the story about Moses and how he had authority to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt and around the wilderness for forty years. Even though according to Acts 7:25 Moses knew that God had chosen him as the deliverer of the Jewish people, the Jews themselves didn't understand this. After Moses killed the Egyptian, the Jews were afraid of him and asked: ACT 7:27 ". . . 'Who made you a ruler and judge over us? 7:28 'You do not mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday, do you?" Moses before fleeing Egypt knew that he was the deliverer but had no power except his own physical strength. Moses was operating according to the physical world's idea of authority and knew nothing about the spiritual authority that he would deliver these people with. Forty years after running from Egypt, God appears to Moses and tells him to go back to Egypt and to the Jewish people. Moses learned the lesson that physical strength wasn't going to help the people. Moses asks God, EXO 3:11 "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?" 3:12 And He said, "Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain." 3:13 ¶ Then Moses said to God, "Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I shall say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you.' Now they may say to me, 'What is His name?' What shall I say to them?" 3:14 And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM"; and He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" EXO 4:1 Then Moses answered and said, "What if they will not believe me, or listen to what I say? For they may say, 'The Lord has not appeared to you.'" 4:2 And the Lord said to him, "What is that in your hand?" And he said, "A staff." 4:3 Then He said, "Throw it on the ground." So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. 4:4 But the Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand and grasp it by its tail"-- so he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand- 4:5 "that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you." Moses knew that he needed not only the name of God but also proof that God truly spoke to him and sent him to the people.

Would anyone doubt the fact that Moses was a true authority of God after reading all that we have on his life? Moses showed his maturity of faith and trust in God by enduring the doubts of the Israelites. When the process of plagues upon the Egyptians resulted in hardships upon the Israelites, Moses stood strong. Moses believed God's word even though he didn't fully understand God's method. The demonstrations of power showed Moses' authority to bring the Israelites out of Egypt and the reality of God's judgment upon those who would abuse and mistreat His people. Surely God uses His chosen authorities to perform such amazing supernatural events. Power to punish and retaliate against our enemies is a must for every authority (of course our enemies are Satan and his angels). Moses walked in supernatural power that enabled him to stand against those who would oppose what he was to do. This power is missing within the twenty-first century church. We are starting to see the budding of the rod and the separation of the holy from the profane. Why were people so amazed when Ananias and Sapphira (acts 5) died at the apostles feet? The reality of real power and authority is a fearful thing. Even the author of Hebrew declares the same thing. Heb 10:31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. God uses people to execute His justice and bring judgment upon the unrighteous, because we represent His authority.

Answer 2

Legitimacy is applicable in some countries where the dominant religion governs the laws of that country. As a result marriages that are not consecrated through the rituals of the governing religion are not recognized by the state as legitimate. The children of such marriages are also deemed to be illegitimate. The legitimacy of Government officials is also dominated by a pledge of religious allegiance. Before their occupation of office, the members of Government are compelled to pronounce an oath of allegiance/obedience to the religion and its resultant constitutional influence upon the country.