My thoughts on "spiritual authority".

The only authority any pastor or elder or bishop or any church leaders has is the Word of God. When you step beyond the Word of God, you’ve overstepped the bounds of your authority. God reveals Himself primarily through the pages of Scripture; that is why I believe the Bible as my absolute authority. 1 Peter 4:11 instructs me to handle biblical truth: "If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God." If the Bible is true, then it is also authoritative. As divinely revealed truth, it carries the full weight of God's own authority. A church must understand that Christ is the head of the church (Eph. 1:22; 4:15) and that He mediates His rule in the church through godly elders (1 Thess. 5:13-14; Heb. 13:7, 17).