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Authority

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Concordances
Thompson Chain Reference
• Authority
Dictionaries
Bridgeway Bible Dictionary
• Authority
Baker's Evangelical Dictionary
• Bible, Authority of the
• Authority
• Authorities
Spurgeon's Illustration Collection
• Bible: Power of Its Authority
Holman Bible Dictionary
• Authority
• Author, Author of Life
Hastings' BibleDictionary
• Authors of Articles
• Authorized Version
• Authority
Hastings' NT Dictionary
• Authority of Christ
• Authority in Religion
• Authority
•   (only first 3 shown)
Dictionary of Early Christian Biography
• Symmachus, Author O.t. in Greek
• Sozomen, Author of a History
• Quadratus, an Author
•   (only first 3 shown)
King James Dictionary
• Authority
• Author
Morrish Bible Dictionary
• Authority
• Author
1910 New Catholic Dictionary
• Authorized Version
• Authority
• Author of Life, the
•   (only first 3 shown)
Smith Bible Dictionary
• Versions Authorized
Vines' Expository Dictionary
• Authority
• Author
Wilson's Bible Types
• Author
Webster Dictionary
• Authorizing
• Authorizer
• Authorized
•   (only first 3 shown)
Encyclopedias
1911 Encyclopedia Britannica
• Aristeas (Author)
• Giles Fletcher (Author)
• Hegesippus (Author)
•   (only first 3 shown)
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
• Author
• Authority in General
• Authority in Religion
•   (only first 3 shown)
McClintock and Strong's Bible Encyclopedia
• Authority
• Authorized (English) Version of the Holy Scriptures
• Authorized (English) Version of the Holy Scriptures.
•   (only first 3 shown)
The Catholic Encyclopedia
• Civil Authority
• The Authorized Version
The Jewish Encyclopedia
• Authority, Rabbinical
• Patriarchal Family and Authority
Lexicons
• ܡܫܰܠܛܳܐ
• ܫܽܘܠܛܳܢܳܐ
• ܫܠܰܛ
• αἴτιος
• ἀρχηγός
• ἄρχων
•   (only first 3 shown)
• הוֹד
• יָד
• כִּסֵּא כִּסֵּה, , כֵּסְיָהּ
•   (only first 3 shown)
Trench's NT Synonyms
• Author's Preface

In some English versions of the Bible the two words ‘power’ and ‘authority’ are used to translate what is one word in the Greek. In such cases ‘power’ means ‘the right to exercise power’, and this is the aspect of power that is the subject of the present article. Concerning power in the sense of strength or might, see POWER.

God is the one who has absolute authority (Psalms 93:1-2; Psalms 115:3; Isaiah 40:20-23; Romans 9:20-24; Romans 13:1; see GOD, sub-headings ‘Eternal and independent’, ‘Majestic and sovereign’). Jesus Christ, being God, also had absolute authority, though he chose to exercise that authority in complete submission to his Father (John 5:19). He had the same authority on earth as he had in heaven, the same authority in time as he had in eternity (Matthew 21:23-27; Matthew 28:18; John 5:27; John 10:18).

By his authority Jesus Christ released sick and demonized people from the power of Satan (Matthew 8:8-10; Mark 1:27) and instructed people in the truth of God (Matthew 7:29). By that same authority he forgave people their sins (Matthew 9:6), gave them eternal life (John 17:2), made them children of God (John 1:12), and gave them the authority and the power to carry on the work of his kingdom (Matthew 10:1; Matthew 28:18-20; 2 Corinthians 13:10; see KINGDOM OF GOD; APOSTLE).

As the words that the Son of God spoke carried with them God’s authority, so did the words that the Spirit of God inspired the authors of the Bible to write. The Scriptures, Old and New Testament alike, are God’s authoritative Word to the human race (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21; see INSPIRATION).

God wants every community of people be properly ordered for the well-being of all. Therefore, he has given authority to civil administrators to govern society (Jeremiah 27:5; John 19:11; Romans 13:1-4; see GOVERNMENT), to parents to govern the family (Ephesians 6:4; 1 Timothy 5:14; see PARENTS), and to elders to govern the church (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:2; see ELDER).