The misuse of power
Prof. Barrett Gritters examines the abuse of power by God's people in various spheres—family, church, and society—arguing that while all authority can be used for good or evil, Christians must learn from God's perfect use of power. Drawing on Scripture, particularly Psalm 29 and Ecclesiastes, Gritters calls believers to recognize their responsibility to exercise whatever influence they possess ethically and for the benefit of others rather than their own selfish ends.
Solomon spoke of more than a few evils that he had seen under the sun (Eccl. 5:13, 6:1). If we may use his template, "There is a sore evil that we see more and more under the sun, namely, God's people using their strength to the hurt of their neighbor." We can use power for great good or we can abuse it for greatest harm, and it seems that these days the harm becomes greater. Even in the church. Governments use power for good. They stop criminals and control citizens with it. Government's...
Full article available on sb.rfpa.org