Throughout its verses, the Bible addresses the idea of authority in various contexts, whether it’s about divine authority, human authority, or the authority of God’s word. Here’s a compilation of 30 Bible verses that discuss authority.
Matthew 28:18 – “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.'”
Romans 13:1 – “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.”
Ephesians 6:12 – “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”
Titus 3:1 – “Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work.”
Hebrews 13:17 – “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.”
1 Peter 2:13 – “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme.”
1 Peter 5:5 – “Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.'”
Jude 1:25 – “To the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”
Revelation 1:5 – “And from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood.”
Revelation 17:14 – “They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”
Daniel 4:17 – “The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, the decision by the word of the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men.”
Daniel 5:21 – “He was driven from among the children of mankind, and his mind was made like that of a beast, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until he knew that the Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will.”
Mark 1:27 – “And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, ‘What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.'”
Luke 10:19 – “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.”
Luke 19:17 – “And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.'”
John 1:12 – “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
John 5:27 – “And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.”
John 10:18 – “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
Acts 1:7 – “He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.'”
Acts 4:7 – “And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, ‘By what power or by what name did you do this?'”
Acts 5:29 – “But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than men.'”
Acts 9:14 – “And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.”
Acts 9:21 – “And all who heard him were amazed and said, ‘Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?'”
Acts 26:12 – “In this connection I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests.”
Romans 13:2 – “Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.”
1 Corinthians 2:8 – “None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”
1 Corinthians 6:12 – “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be dominated by anything.”
1 Corinthians 8:9 – “But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.”
Colossians 2:10 – “And you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.”
Colossians 3:17 – “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
These Bible verses provide insight into the concept of authority as depicted in the scriptures, offering guidance and wisdom for believers to understand and navigate the roles of authority in their lives.