--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But now how can an Apostle prove that he…" description: "\"“But now how can an Apostle prove that he has authority? If he could prove it physically , then he would not be an Apostle. He has no other proof than ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4a/s-ren-kierkegaard-1686_authority-prove_but-now-how-can-an-apostle-prove-that-he_413732.jpg" --- # But now how can an Apostle prove that he has authority? If… ![“But now how can an Apostle prove that he has authority? If he could prove it physically , then he would not be an Apostle. He has no other proof than his own statement. That has to be so; for otherwise the believer's relationship to him would be direct instead of being paradoxical.” quote by Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4a/s-ren-kierkegaard-1686_authority-prove_but-now-how-can-an-apostle-prove-that-he_413732.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4a/s-ren-kierkegaard-1686_authority-prove_but-now-how-can-an-apostle-prove-that-he_413732.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4a/s-ren-kierkegaard-1686_authority-prove_but-now-how-can-an-apostle-prove-that-he_413732.jpg) > ““But now how can an Apostle prove that he has authority? If he could prove it physically , then he would not be an Apostle. He has no other proof than his own statement. That has to be so; for otherwise the believer's relationship to him would be direct instead of being paradoxical.”” [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Authority of a spiritual leader rests on faith, not empirical proof; belief is paradoxical and relational. **In simple terms:** Faith, not evidence, validates authority. Key Takeaway Recognize belief’s paradoxical nature. Themes faith authority paradox belief Mood thoughtful philosophical Type theological existential When to use this quote - religious leadership - personal faith crises Key Concepts existentialism theology Questions to Reflect On - How does paradox strengthen belief? - Can authority exist without proof? A Different Perspective Physical proof cannot capture spiritual authority. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Apostle Proof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apostle-proof-3683098/) [Apostle Prove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apostle-prove-3683096/) [Authority Prove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority-prove-2161576/) [Physically Apostle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physically-apostle-3683102/) [Prove Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prove-authority-3683100/) ## Related quotes > [It appears to me that those who rely simply on the weight of authority to prove any assertion, without searching out the arguments to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincenzo-galilei/it-appears-to-me-that-those-who-rely-simply-on-the-weight-of/) [Vincenzo Galilei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincenzo-galilei/) > [The nice thing about citing god as an authority is that you can prove anything you set out to prove.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/the-nice-thing-about-citing-god-as-an-authority-is-that-you-can-prove/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) ## More by Søren Kierkegaard > [“At vove er at miste fodfæstet et kort øjeblik - ikke at vove er at miste sig selv.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/at-vove-er-at-miste-fodf-stet-et-kort-jeblik-ikke-at-vove-er-at-miste/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“Who tricked me into this whole thing and leaves me standing here? Who am I? How did I get into the world? Why was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/who-tricked-me-into-this-whole-thing-and-leaves-me-standing-here-who/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“No woman in maternity confinement can have stranger and more impatient wishes than I have.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/no-woman-in-maternity-confinement-can-have-stranger-and-more/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“If a man had a little button sewn on the inner pocket of his coat 'on principle' his otherwise unimportant and quite serviceable action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/if-a-man-had-a-little-button-sewn-on-the-inner-pocket-of-his-coat-on/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“I stick my finger in existence — it smells of nothing. Where am I? Who am I? How came I here? What is this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/i-stick-my-finger-in-existence-it-smells-of-nothing-where-am-i-who-am/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“A human being is spirit. But what is spirit? Spirit is the self. But what is the self? The self is a relation that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/a-human-being-is-spirit-but-what-is-spirit-spirit-is-the-self-but/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“I am poor—you are my riches; dark—you are my light; I own nothing, need nothing. And how could I own anything? 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Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) [Browse all 3 Authority Prove quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority-prove-2161576/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But now how can an Apostle prove that he has authority? If he could prove it physically , then he would not be an Apostle. He has no other proof than his own statement. 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