Official Authority vs. Organic Authority

Admittedly, authority does function in the church. But the authority that works in the ekklesia is drastically different from the authority that works in the natural order(Government, Law enforcement etc.). This only makes sense because the church is not a human organization, but a spiritual organism. The authority that operates in the church is not official authority. It’s organic authority.

What is organic authority? It’s authority that’s rooted in spiritual life. Organic authority is com­municated authority. That is, when a person communicates God’s life through word or deed they have the support and backing of the Lord Himself.
By virtue of the fact that they have the life of the Spirit, all Christians are capable of communicating organic authority. . This is why the New Testament enjoins us to subject ourselves one to another out of reverence for Christ (Eph. 5:21). But those who are more seasoned in spiritual life tend to express God’s will more consistently than the carnal and the immature (Heb. 5:14).

Organic authority finds its source in Christ’s immediate direction rather than in a static office. Organic authority is not intrinsic to a person or a position. It doesn’t reside in humans or in an office they may hold (as is the case with official authority).
Instead, organic authority operates outside of the individual. This is because it belongs to Christ. Only when Christ directs a person to word or action does that person exercise authority. Put another way, a person has the right to be heard and obeyed only when that person reflects the Lord’s mind. Organic authority, therefore, is communicative.
​ -Frank Viola ( Read more under Article "Who is Your Covering".