Still, they are gentle, faithful, perhaps modest is a good word. Maybe we should not mind being likened to them. Functional authority is the kind possessed by teachers, parents, and governments. It comes from the outside. People sometimes seek it, and sometimes resist it.
Personal authority comes from inside, from our hearts.
It is compatible with functional authority. It is the authority of Jesus, and it can be ours as well. An example is the apostolic authority to which Christ called Peter. This is genuine authority based on love, forgiveness, and service, an authority that expects no return. Personal authority gives us the power to choose.