Who Are Those That Have The Rule Over You?

The Dangerous Assumption That Whatever Your Pastor Tells You To Do Must Be The Holy Spirit Telling You To Do It.

Heard a popular pastor quoting a fragment of the 17th verse of Hebrews 13 & doing so out of context, to buttress a dangerous point, which is that whatever your pastor tells you, whether you are persuaded by the Holy Spirit or not, just do it. 

This he did, asserting that whatever your pastor tells you to do must be the Holy Spirit telling you to do that.

Those who have the rule over you are simply those who have spoken the word of God to you as clearly written by the apostle in an earlier verse(vs. 7) of the same Hebrews 13 👇🏼 

"Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation."

Earlier in chapter 2:3 he had written about the so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord himself, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him. 

Them that heard him are his apostles who received the word firsthand from him(ie. his teachings & commandments) and have handed down to us. 

These are those, who according to John's epistle, did not merely hear him, but saw him with their eyes, looked upon him, and their hands touched & handled him who is the Word of life, even that eternal life which proceeded/manifested from the Father. 1st John 1:1. 

It is clearly apostolic leadership in the word of God that Hebrews 13:17 & 7 speaks of, as the apostles are those who received the word firsthand and have spoken/delivered the same unto us(generations of christians after them), as a pattern to obey & follow. 

John himself as an apostle says "and the life has been manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you the eternal life, which was with the Father, and has been manifested to us: that which we have seen and heard we announce to you, that *ye* also may have fellowship with us; and our fellowship is indeed with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ." 1st John 1:2-3. 

Peter also as an apostle writing to the believing Jews in diaspora, speaks of "those who have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven.." 1st Peter 1:12. 

Paul also as an apostle(as of one born out of due time), makes this fact even clearer as he asked the assembly in Corinth this question: "Did the word of God go out from you, or did it come to you only? If any one thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him recognise the things that I write to you, that it is the Lord's commandment. But if any be ignorant, let him be ignorant." 1st Corinthians 14:36-38. 

None in the assembly in Corinth could claim apostolic authority as having received firsthand the word from God to deliver to others, the word of God had only come to them as delivered to them and not from them. 

Paul asserting his apostolic authority as one directly apprehended by the Lord from glory, says the commission and gospel preached by him is not according to man, neither received nor taught by man but by the direct revelation of Jesus Christ. Galatians 1:11-12. 

He also said he is the last of all in that apostolic order/leadership in the word of God; the least of the apostles yet given abundant grace to labour more than they all, as one apprehended of the Lord with a dispensation/administration of God given to him, to complete the word of God. He could thus say to the elders from Ephesus, after some years of labour in Asia: "For I have not shrunken to declare unto you, the whole counsel of God."  See Acts 20:27; 1st Corinthians 15:7-10 & Colossians 1:24-25. 

Now these apostles are those who have the rule over us; who are leaders over us in the word of God as those from whom the word of God has come as handed down to us, and they all died for their testimony of Jesus Christ yet the apostle in Hebrews says we are to follow their faith/examples not sheepishly but to do so considering & reviewing the end of their manner of life(Hebrews 13:7). 

In his second epistle to Corinthian saints, the apostle clearly says to them: "Not that we dominate or rule over your faith, but are fellow-workmen of your joy: for by faith ye stand."(2nd Corinthians 1:24). 

In other words, as much as we have the rule over you as leaders over you in the word of God, by whom the word has come to you, yet we do not have dominion/the rule over your faith as to determine what you believe or not, whether persuaded/convinced or not.

We can't force our convictions on you or shove them down your throat to make you do what we want; such will only be witchcraft or bewitching the people of God. 

Lastly, in the last chapter of his first epistle to saints in Corinth, he said something very interesting about Apollos 

"Now concerning the brother Apollos, I begged him much that he would go to you with the brethren; but it was not at all, his will to go now; but he will come when he shall have good opportunity. [Be vigilant; stand fast in the faith; quit yourselves like men; be strong. Let all things ye do be done in love." 

Paul desired, craved and begged Apollos to go with the brethren but it was not his will at all to do so. 

He however didn't count that as disobedience neither did he claim that what he wants Apollos to do is by the leading or instruction of the Holy Spirit thus Apollos is bound to obey whether he likes it or not, whether he wills or not. 

Here is a man who understood and also taught these same saints in Corinth that whatever service or giving a man is to render to God, it is accepted if there be first a willing heart or mind. 2nd Corinthians 8:12.

In other words, you don't force or compel people to give or serve God against their will. 

Here in relating with Apollos ministerially, he is careful not to cross boundaries, as many do today; lording it over the flock of God & compelling them to do things against their will in the name of ministry work.

He acknowledges that Apollos is indisposed & that it's not his will at all to go at this time, very likely as not being a convenient time for him to go with the brethren but that he will do so when he has opportunity.

Now consider Paul's ministerial relationship to Apollos; it's a relationship which in the veil of the conventional error in ministry today, could be considered as a grandfather and a grandson in the Lord relationship. 

An Aquila & Priscilla who were like Paul's children in the Lord, were even the ones who took Apollos and taught him, expounding unto him the way/word of God more perfectly/accurately(Acts 18:24-26), yet Paul could be this humble and cautious in relating with him.