Spread the love

This post will explore what the Bible says about authority. The Bible is a book that has been read and studied for thousands of years. 

It contains many nuggets of wisdom about life, leadership, and everything in between. 

What is authority?

Authority can be defined as “the right to exercise power or control over someone.” 

The Bible talks extensively about authority because it was written at a time when people were ruled by kings who had absolute power over their subjects. 

In this blog post we’ll explore some verses from the bible and see what they have to say about authority: 

Bible verses about authority and power

“But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:” (Mathew 20 : 25-27) 

Jesus is telling us that we need to treat each other with respect and humility instead of exercising authority over one another as the kings did in his day. 

This applies to all spheres of life such as relationships between husband and wife or parent and child where there are familial hierarchies. 

It also applies at work when employees have a boss too who they report – while their direct reports may view them as having more power than them, according to this verse no person should exercise any kind of hierarchical authority. 

“Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.” (I Peter 02: 13-14) 

Peter is telling us that we need to obey those in authority over us because God put these people into their positions or “ordinances”. 

While we may not agree with some laws such as drug prohibition so this verse doesn’t mean you can blindly follow any law your government tells you to without question – but if an authority asks you something like “where were you yesterday?” then they have a right to know what you were doing. 

“And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.” (Luke 22: 25)

Jesus is saying here that if you’re a leader then you should be using your power for good and not evil – leaders who use their positions to hurt others or take advantage of those beneath him aren’t following God’s will because we all have been given different roles in life as described earlier. 

READ ALSO  God Answers Questions About Suffering: Bible Verses

Instead, we must serve our fellow man as Jesus did by providing hope during his time on earth as well as laying down His life so we could receive salvation through Him.

If every person followed this example instead of trying to lord it over each other, the world would be a much better place.

“And having gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;” (Romans 12: 06) 

Paul says we’re all called to do different things in life and these “gifts” need to be used for good just like everything else we have been blessed with – if you’re talented at something then use your gift by helping others however God has chosen you. 

If everyone followed this example then many problems such as homelessness could easily be solved because each person would understand their role in society which means they wouldn’t try taking from those who work hard or take advantage of those beneath them. 

These are only some of the verses that describe what the bible has to say about authority, but hopefully, they will help you think more deeply about this important topic.

“People should submit themselves to every human institution because of God’s purpose for them.” (Titus 02: 01

The ultimate goal for all societies is based on how well it enables its citizens to love one another and follow Jesus’ example which means everyone in society needs to recognize their place within these institutions – if leaders are meant for good then we need to obey them by praying during times when our liberties may be restricted or laws legislated against us. 

If instead people try taking advantage of those beneath them in power then it just sets up a cycle where oppression takes over leading only into chaos and destruction.

“Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.” (I Peter 02: 13-14

God put those in authority over us because He wants everyone to have a clear understanding of their role within society – while some may not understand why they were given certain “ordinances”, obeying our leaders is simply part of being good Christians who follow God’s will which means we need to respect these institutions even if we don’t always agree with what goes on within them. 

READ ALSO  What are the 4 Types of Giving in the Bible?

Remember this verse when you see injustices happening within our society – it may be hard to stand up for what you believe in but remember that God is with us and He’s the ultimate judge who will see everyone has equal justice.

“Submit yourselves therefore to God.” (James 04: 07) 

James makes a good closing point by saying we should always submit ourselves unto God which means obeying His laws no matter where we are on earth – if Jesus was executed then how much more so those who do evil against Him? 

This verse can also lead into why Jesus came down from heaven because there is nothing anyone could have done to earn salvation except through faith alone as described earlier meaning submitting yourself unto your leaders isn’t enough without first following after Christ. 

These verses are just a few out of many that talk about authority, but hopefully, they will help you think more deeply about this important topic.

“For the LORD sent fiery serpents among them and they bit the people so that many Israelites died.”(Numbers 21: 06) 

Even though God gave Moses some good advice on how to protect his people from these vipers by creating a bronze snake for everyone to look at, it didn’t stop them all from trying to take advantage of each other even when God had provided everything needed for their survival.

Instead of being grateful for what He had given them, they tried making themselves into gods which would only lead unto death because nobody could save anyone except through faith in God alone. 

“And He said to them: “Take heed what you hear.” (Mark 04: 24

Mark’s verse tells us what the bible says about authority. 

It is another reminder that without faith in Jesus nobody can be saved which means the bible tells us to have a lot of discretion on who or what information influences our lives – God may allow Satan to influence some aspects of life so as not to appear unfair, but it doesn’t mean he wants His children being influenced by lies. 

These are just some verses out of many that tell us more about what the bible says about authority, but hopefully, they will help you reflect upon your responsibilities within society as well as how you can share God’s love with those around you.

“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” (Matthew 16: 26

Lastly, we need to think about why Jesus came down from heaven because gaining worldly power would never be able to save us, only having faith in Christ is enough – there should always be more than one person responsible for holding authority over ourselves and others so that no-one has too much control or becomes corrupted by greater powers. 

READ ALSO  How to Give as a Christian: What the Bible Says

We all have an individual responsibility to submit unto God through His Son which means obeying Him before listening to anyone else even when they may hold.

What is authority according to the Bible?

Authority is a topic that can be found throughout the bible from both the Old and New Testament. 

In some verses, it talks about how to submit unto authority as well as why God gave us this authority in the first place, while others show the dangers of not obeying those who have been put over you whether by force or unfairness.

Who has authority according to Bible?

In some cases, we see where having too much power was given to just one individual such as kings and rulers which usually led them to believe they were like gods. 

However there should always be more than one person holding responsibility for what goes on within society so no one becomes corrupted by greater powers – submission doesn’t mean obedience but making decisions even when they may conflict with our own opinions.

How to exercise authority according to Bible?

The bible tells us that we need to treat others as ourselves which means there should always be more than one person having responsibility for what goes on within society so nobody becomes corrupted by greater powers – submission doesn’t mean obedience but making decisions even when they may conflict with our own thoughts or ideas. 

What is the meaning of spiritual authority?

Spiritual authority is a topic that isn’t just found within the bible, but also in many other religions which makes it hard to define because there are so many different opinions. 

Some may say that only God has spiritual authority while others believe we all have an equal amount of power – nobody should be pushed into doing anything they don’t want to even if somebody else thinks you need protecting.

 We were given this life by our creator and no one can take it away from us unless we go against His will even though some people might try telling us otherwise.

Share this post

About the author

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *