{"id":3590,"date":"2021-06-27T19:48:02","date_gmt":"2021-06-28T01:48:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/integritysyndicate.com\/?p=3590"},"modified":"2023-12-31T07:54:13","modified_gmt":"2023-12-31T14:54:13","slug":"agency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/integritysyndicate.com\/agency\/","title":{"rendered":"Biblical Agency"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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The Concept of agency explained<\/h2>\n

In Hebrew thought, the first cause or ultimate cause is not always distinguished from secondary or proximate causes. That is to say, the principal is not always clearly distinguished form the agent (the one commissioned to carry out an act on behalf of another). Sometimes the agent standing for the principal is treated as if he were the principal himself, though this is not literally so. The principal and agent remain two distinct persons. The agent acting and speaking for the principal is the principal by proxy (a person authorized to act for another). <\/p>\n

Tim Kelly describes the concept of agency in detail with numerous examples in both the Old and New Testament in his article Shaliah, The Sent One<\/em><\/a>. In describing the root of this concept he states:<\/p>\n

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The entire concept of agency is rooted in the word \u201cshalach\u201d (\u05e9\u05c1\u05b8\u05dc\u05b7\u05d7 \u2013 St. 7971) which means \u201cto send\u201d. We\u2019ve talked about this word before in reference to the apostles who were sent out by Yeshua to teach the gospel of the Kingdom. We referred to them as \u201cshaliach\u201d or \u201cshaliah\u201d, and even though the scriptures never use the term \u201csent one\u201d, there are numerous examples of individuals who were \u201csent\u201d by God: Joseph (Gen. 45:7), Moses (Ex. 3:12), Isaiah (Is. 6:8), and Jeremiah (Jer. 1:7) to name a few. The literal meaning of \u201cshalach\u201d is \u201cto send\u201d, or to \u201csend away\u201d, but when used in the context of a person being sent on a mission (like Moses), or with a message (like the prophets), it implies even more, for when you are sent with a purpose, you now become a \u201cshaliah\u201d… we can in some ways equate it to the term \u201cpower of attorney\u201d. In our culture, a person with \u201cpower of attorney\u201d has the authority to make binding legal decisions on behalf of another. (Tim Kelly, Shaliah, The Sent One<\/i><\/a>)<\/p>\n


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Again, the Hebrew term for an agent or legal emissary is Shaliach <\/em>which is comparable to the Greek world Apostolos <\/em>and the English word Apostle. An apostle is an agent commissioned by a principal. We read in Hebrews 3:1-2, Jesus is the apostle and high priest of our confession and was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses was also faithful in all God’s house.<\/p>\n

Here are a number of references where Jesus is identified as one \u201csent\u201d (a Shaliach<\/em>):<\/p>\n