by Max Maxwell
All Rights Reserved.
Page 9
Socrates: Where does this take place?
Paul: He has authority anytime the troops are on active duty, under his command.
Socrates: What about when the troops are not on active duty? When a soldier is in his own home, off duty, does the commander have the authority to enter his home and tell him when to go to bed?
Paul: No.
Socrates: Even on active duty, can the commander decide if a soldier needs surgery? Or would he need to be a doctor in that case?
Paul: He would have to be a doctor.
Socrates: Then this authority to make decisions ends when the limit of the commander’s jurisdiction is reached, whether by deficiency of knowledge and skill as in the case of the surgery, or by definition as in the case of being off duty.
Paul: Yes, it is as you say.
Socrates: Tell me, is it not true that the military commander needs the knowledge and skill, which pertain to the art of war, in order to be granted the authority to make decisions on behalf of the troops?
Paul: Yes, he would need those things.
Socrates: Based on what I hear from you, I would say that the authority of the military commander gives him or her power to make decisions on behalf of active duty troops towards the fulfillment of orders issued to his or her unit. These decisions are made in accordance with the commander’s knowledge and skill, which pertain of to the art of war.
Paul: That sounds about right.
Socrates: Once more it seems that all authority has a definable jurisdiction. Even positions of authority by appointment have jurisdictions that are fairly easy to define and describe. Now I ask you to do with a husband’s authority as I have done with your example. I have touched upon some idea of the jurisdiction of a military commander’s appointed authority. I would be content for you to do the same with the husband’s divinely appointed authority. In what area do Christian husbands find themselves granted the authority over their wives to make decisions, and on the basis of what knowledge and skill? I would count godliness as an area of knowledge or skill if you could tell me where it applies.
Paul: I cannot seem to frame it in the way you are asking me.
Socrates: Then think about this. What about the commander, who is not properly aware of the jurisdiction of his authority and tries to enter his troop’s homes while off duty to order them around?
Paul: He would probably be disciplined or even dismissed from his command if he kept it up.
Socrates: A police officer has the authority to pull out her gun and order offenders to drop their weapon, but does she have the authority to enter your home, pull out her gun and order you to sing opera?
Paul: That’s silly, of course not. She would be fired and probably go to jail.
Socrates: And a doctor can order certain medications and diet, but does she have the authority to enter your home and threaten corporal punishment if you do not follow her orders?
Paul: Of course not. She would be sued.
Socrates: It seems those who overstep the limits of their authority face some kind of punishment.
Paul: And deservedly so.
Socrates: And what kind of punishment do you propose for the husband, who has no idea at all of the jurisdiction of his God-given male authority, yet enters the home to claim all authority?
Paul: {silence}
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© Copyright 2008 Kenneth J. Maxwell Jr.