The Pastoral Epistles (1-2 Timothy, Titus) Theme of Authority

Who's got the power? In the Pastor's eyes, it's Paul all the way. Only one apostle has the heft to pass along the word of God to generations of Christians. See, figuring out this stuff was actually a really big deal: back in the day, there were all kinds of questions about who exactly should be in charge of carrying on the message of Jesus. The Pastor aligned himself with Paul's authority and hoped that it would settle all questions from then on out.

Hey, it was worth a shot.

Questions About Authority

  1. Why does the Pastor choose to write under Paul's name?
  2. What's so great about bureaucracy? Why does the Pastor think the church desperately needs a chain of command?
  3. Paul, Timothy, and Titus are awesome and all, but why are they the ones with all the power? Are there are disciples of Jesus who might have more authority?