Are Independent Churches Operating in Rebellion?

[Brad Murphy]

How can anyone operate in rebellion when no one, absolutely no one, including the most distinguished and respected preachers that you can think of can prove that God gave them authority to speak for Him and have authority over other people?

They cite vague references in the Bible and claim that gives them personally the authority to be over others... using that logic, I could read a U.S. History book and claim to be a police officer.

You can only be in rebellion to authority if the people you are in "rebellion" to actually have any authority.

A police officer has authority because the "powers that be" actually certified him to act on their behalf.

A preacher (or an organization) only has authority because people decide to follow him and he has no certificate from God to prove that he has authority from God himself... he may (or may not) have a following, but a following does not prove that he actually was given authority by God... any more than a school bully with a few lackeys has any authority at the school just because he has a following.