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Topical Study
AUTHORITY

Authority is the right to exercise power, particularly in control over others (Matthew 8:9; 20:25; Romans 9:20-21). God alone has ultimate authority that He displays in His universal rulership through Christ (Matthew 28:18; Ephesians 1:20-22; Colossians 1:15-19). All human authority originates from Him (1 Chronicles 29:11-12; Romans 13:1). God's exercise of authority includes demands upon people and their accountability to Him (Isaiah 45:23; Acts 17:30; Romans 14:12) (see also ACCOUNTABILITY). Men will be rewarded for compliance or punished for disobedience to divine authority (Romans 2:4-8; 13:1-4; 1 Peter 2:13-14).

of God:
♦ extent of:
♦ delegation of:
♦ voice of:
•   Isaiah 30:30
♦ relation of salvation to:
♦ acknowledgment of:
•   Jude 25; Revelation 4:11; 5:12-13
of Jesus Christ:
areas of
♦   in His messianic office
♦   in His judgment
♦   in His teaching
♦   in His ministry and miracles
♦   in His forgiveness
•   Matthew 9:6
♦   in His demands on others
♦   in His control of nature
•   Mark 4:39-41
♦   in His raising the dead
♦   in His death
•   John 10:18
♦   in His resurrection
•   John 10:18
♦   in His gift of eternal life
•   John 17:2
♦   in believers
♦   in His reign
♦   delegation to others
♦   extent of
conquest by
♦   over Satan and demonic powers
♦   over death
♦   over all His enemies

of Scripture:
(See INSPIRATION; REVELATION, special; WORD OF GOD)
of men in general:
♦ submission to:
•   Genesis 16:9
♦ exercised over others:
♦ lack of:
♦ delegated to others:
♦ accomplishments of:
•   Esther 10:2
♦ transfer of:
♦ from themselves:
♦ in government:
♦ in marital sex:
♦ over self:
♦ of apostles:
(See also APOSTLE)
in the church:
♦ Christ as head of:
♦ leaders of:
♦ order of:
in the family:
♦ husbands and wives:
♦ parents:
♦ children:
in civil government:
divine origin of
Christian obligation to
♦   general principles
♦   specific exception
•   Acts 4:19; 5:29 (cf. Daniel 3)
♦ of an angel
of Satan:
divinely controlled
delegated
♦   to the first beast
•   Revelation 13:2, 4, 5, 7 (cf. 12:9; 17:12-13)
♦   to the second beast
♦ proper aspiration for
♦ improper response to

 

This topic is from the Lockman Foundation.

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