22 Bible Verses about Human Authority, Nature Of

Let every one submit to the authorities that are over him; for there is no authority which is not from God: and the authorities which exist have been ordained by God.

Jesus answered, Thou wouldst have no power against me, unless it had been given thee from above; for this cause he that delivered me up to thee hath the greater sin.

For even I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me; and I say to this one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.

For even I am a man set under authority, having soldiers under me; and I say to this one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.

His lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant! thou hast been faithful over a little, I will place thee in charge of much; enter into the joy of thy lord.

And he said to him, Well done, good servant! because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.

As a man going abroad, having left his house and given authority to his servants, to each one his work, also commanded the porter to watch,

And they kept watch on him, and sent forth spies feigning themselves to be righteous men, that they might take hold of his words, in order to deliver him up to the civil power and to the authority of the governor.

And on learning that he belonged to Herods jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was himself also at Jerusalem at this time.

Pilate saith to him, Dost thou not speak to me? Dost thou not know that I have power to release thee, and have power to crucify thee?

And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.

Submit yourselves therefore to every human institution for the Lords sake; whether to the king, as supreme;

Pilate saith to him, Dost thou not speak to me? Dost thou not know that I have power to release thee, and have power to crucify thee? Jesus answered, Thou wouldst have no power against me, unless it had been given thee from above; for this cause he that delivered me up to thee hath the greater sin.

But Jesus called them to him, and said, Ye know that the rulers of the nations lord it over them, and their great men exercise a strict authority over them. Not so shall it be among you; but whoever desireth to become great among you, will be your minister; and whoever desireth to be first among you, will be your servant;read more.
even as the Son of man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.

And Jesus, calling them to him, saith to them, Ye know that they who are accounted to rule over the nations lord it over them, and their great men exercise a strict authority over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever desireth to become great among you, will be your minister; and whoever of you desireth to become first, will be servant of all;read more.
for even the Son of man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.

riseth from the supper, and layeth aside his garments, and took a towel, and girded himself. Then he poureth water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. So he cometh to Simon Peter; who saith to him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?read more.
Jesus answered and said to him, What I do thou knowest not now, but thou wilt know hereafter. Peter saith to him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. Simon Peter saith to him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus saith to him, He that hath bathed needeth not to wash himself, but is wholly clean; and ye are clean, but not all. For he knew who was about to betray him; for this reason he said, Ye are not all clean. So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and placed himself again at the table, he said to them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me the Teacher, and the Lord; and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one anothers feet. For I have given you an example, that ye also should do as I have done to you.

For even if I should boast still more highly of our authority, which the Lord gave us for building you up, and not pulling you down, I should not be put to shame;

For this cause I write these things while absent, that when present I may not use sharpness, according to the power which the Lord gave me for edification, and not for destruction.

Have we not a right to eat and drink? Have we not a right to carry about with us a sister as a wife, as well as the other apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas? Or am I alone and Barnabas bound to labor with our own hands?read more.
Who ever serveth as a soldier at his own charges? Who planteth a vineyard without eating its fruit? Or who tendeth a flock and doth not eat of the milk of the flock? Is it on mans authority that I am saying these things, or doth not the Law too say the same? For it is written in the law of Moses: "Thou shalt not muzzle an ox while treading out grain." Is it for oxen that God careth? Or doth he say it altogether on our account? On our account, no doubt, it was written, that he who plougheth ought to plough in hope, and that he who thrasheth should do it in the hope of partaking. If we have sown to you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we reap from you things for the body? If others possess this right in relation to you, do not we still more? But we have not used this right; but we submit to all things, that we may occasion no hindrance to the gospel of Christ. Do ye not know, that they who minister in the offerings of the temple live from the temple? that they who serve at the altar share with the altar? In like manner also did the Lord ordain that they who preach the gospel should live from the gospel. But I have used no right of this kind; nor have I written thus that anything of this kind should be done for me; for it were better for me to die, than that any one should take from me what I glory in. For in preaching the gospel, I have nothing to glory in; for I am under a necessity to do so; yea, woe is to me, if I preach not the gospel! For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if unwillingly, still I have been intrusted with a stewardship. What then is my reward? It is that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel free of charge, that I use not to the full my right as a preacher of the gospel.

Doth any one of you, who hath a matter against another, dare to go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the holy? Or do ye not know, that the holy will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge in causes of the least importance? Know ye not, that we shall pass judgment upon angels? How much more, concerning affairs of this life?read more.
If then ye have any causes relating to this life, set them to judge who are of no repute in the church. I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not one that will be able to judge between his brethren? Nay, brother goeth to law with brother, and that before unbelievers. Now therefore it is altogether an evil among you, that ye have suits against each other. Why do ye not rather submit to wrong? Why do ye not rather allow yourselves to be defrauded?

But food will not recommend us to God; if we do not eat, we are not the worse; nor if we do eat, are we the better. But take heed, lest this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to the weak. For if any one see thee, who hast knowledge, at table in an idols temple, will not the conscience of him that is weak be emboldened to eat the things offered to idols?read more.
For through thy knowledge he that is weak perisheth,the brother for whom Christ died! But when ye so sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. Wherefore, if food cause my brother to fall, I will eat no flesh for ever, lest I cause my brother to fall. Am I not free?

All things are lawful, but all things are not profitable; all things are lawful, but all things are not edifying. Let no one seek his own pleasure, but the good of others.