33 Bible Verses about Human Authority, Nature Of

Let every soul submit itself to the higher powers. For there is no power but of God, and the powers that be are ordained of God.

and it is he that changes the times and the opportunities; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom unto the wise and knowledge unto those that know understanding:

By sentence of the watchmen is the matter resolved, and the case by the word of the holy ones to the intent that the living may know that the most High takes rule over the kingdom of men and gives it to whoever he will and sets up over it the man who is the lowest.

O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father the kingdom and the greatness and the glory and the magnificence: and by the greatness that he gave him, all the peoples, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him; whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he humbled. But when his heart made itself arrogant, and his spirit hardened itself in pride, he was deposed from the throne of his kingdom, and they took his glory from him:read more.
and he was driven from among the sons of men; and his heart was put with the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they made him eat grass like an ox, and his body was bathed with the dew of heaven until he understood that the most high God takes rule of the kingdom of men and that he appoints over it whomever he will.

Jesus answered, Thou could have no power at all against me, unless it were given thee from above; therefore he that delivered me unto thee has the greater sin.

For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me; and I say to this man, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come, and he comes; and to my slave, Do this, and he does it.

For I also am a man set under authority, having soldiers under me, and I say unto one, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come, and he comes; and to my slave, Do this, and he does it.

And let them gather all the food of those good years that come and lay up wheat under the hand of Pharaoh to feed the cities, and let them store it up.

And thou shalt put some of thy splendour upon him that all the congregation of the sons of Israel may hear him.

So I took the principals of your tribes, wise men and experts, and made them princes over you, princes over thousands and princes over hundreds and princes over fifties and princes over tens and officers among your tribes.

If these people were under my hand, then I would remove Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech, Increase thine army and come out.

Also unto you we cause it to be known, that regarding all of the priests and Levites, singers, porters, Nethinims, and ministers of the house of this God, no one shall be able to impose toll, tribute, or custom, upon them.

And next to them restored Melatiah, the Gibeonite, and Jadon, the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon and of Mizpah, on behalf of the captain of the king over the land on this side the river.

And I will clothe him with thy robe and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand, and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.

Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from here thirty men with thee and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon before he dies.

His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful slave; thou hast been faithful over a few things; I will set thee over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

And he said unto him, Well done, thou good slave; because thou hast been faithful in a very little, thou shalt have authority over ten cities.

As the man who, taking a far journey, left his house and gave his estate to his slaves and to each one his responsibility and commanded the porter to watch.

And they watched him and sent forth spies who feigned themselves just men that they might take hold of him as he was speaking, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor.

And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time.

Then Pilate said unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee and have power to release thee?

and even here he has authority from the princes of the priests to bind all that call on thy name.

Therefore, be subject to every human ordinance that is of the Lord, whether it be to a king or to a superior,

Then Pilate said unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee and have power to release thee? Jesus answered, Thou could have no power at all against me, unless it were given thee from above; therefore he that delivered me unto thee has the greater sin.

But Jesus called them unto him and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and those that are great wield power over 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 slave,read more.
even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many.

But Jesus, calling unto them, said unto them, Ye know that those who are seen to be princes among the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those that are great among them wield power over them. But it shall not be like this among you, for whosoever desires to make himself great among you shall be your servant; and whosoever of you that desires to be first shall be slave of all.read more.
For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to serve and to give his life in ransom for many.

arose from the supper and laid aside his garments and took a towel and girded himself. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded. Then he came to Simon Peter, and Peter said unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?read more.
Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou dost not understand now, but thou shalt understand afterwards. Peter said unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou shalt have no part with me. Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus said to him, He that is washed needs only to wash his feet because he is completely clean, and ye are clean, but not all. For he knew who should betray him; therefore, said he, Ye are not all clean. So after he had washed their feet and had taken his garments and had sat down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord; and ye say well, for so I am. If I then, the Lord and the Master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done to you.

For though I should glory somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord has given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I shall not be ashamed,

Therefore I write these things being absent lest being present I should treat you with more severity, according to the power which the Lord has given me for edification, and not for destruction.

Do we not have authority to eat and to drink? Do we not have authority to bring with us a sister, a wife, as also the other apostles and as the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? Do only Barnabas and I not have authority to forbear working?read more.
Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? or who feeds a flock and does not eat of the milk of the flock? Do I say this only according to men? or does not the law say the same also? For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treads out the grain. Does God take care for oxen? Or does he say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that plows should plow in hope, and that he that threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope. If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap material things from you? If others are partakers of this authority over you, why not us? Nevertheless we have not used this authority, but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ. Do ye not know that those who work with sacred things live of the things of the sanctuary? and those who serve at the altar partake of the altar? Even so the Lord has ordained that those who preach the gospel should live of the gospel. But I have used none of these things, neither have I written these things that it should be so done unto me; for it were better for me to die than that anyone should make this my glory void. For though I preach the gospel, I have no reason to glory, for it is an obligation laid upon me; for woe is me, if I do not preach the gospel! For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, the stewardship of the gospel is committed unto me. What reward, then, shall I have? That preaching the gospel, I may make the gospel of the Christ without charge, that I abuse not my authority in the gospel.

Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go unto judgment before the unjust, and not before the saints? Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more the things that pertain to this life?read more.
If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set as judges the most humble who are in the congregation . I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brothers? But brother goes to judgment against brother, and that before the unbelievers. Now therefore there is certainly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather suffer the wrong? why do ye not rather be defrauded?

But food does not make us more acceptable unto God; for neither if we eat are we the better, neither if we eat not are we the worse. But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours becomes a stumblingblock to those that are weak. For if anyone sees thee who hast this knowledge sit at food in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols?read more.
and through thy knowledge the weak brother shall perish, for whom Christ died. In this manner, therefore, sinning against the brethren and wounding their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother to fall, I will never eat flesh nor do anything which may cause my brother to fall.

All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient; all things are lawful for me, but all things do not edify. Let no one seek his own good, but that of the other.