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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width; initial-scale=1.0;"/><title>Topical Bible: Authority from Heaven</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/topical/a/authority_from_heaven.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/newtopical.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; cts.dataset.appid=i;cts.src='https://app.protectsubrev.com/catch_rp.js?cb='+Math.random(); document.head.appendChild(cts); }) (window,document,'head','script','rc-anksrH');</script></head> <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-LR4HSKRP2H"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-LR4HSKRP2H'); </script><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="/topical/vmenus/exodus/3-10.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="//biblehu.com/bmcde/a/authority.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="/">Bible</a> > <a href="/topical/">Topical</a> > Authority from Heaven</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="/topical/a/authority_from_god.htm" title="Authority from God">◄</a> Authority from Heaven <a href="/topical/a/authority_given.htm" title="Authority Given">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse">Jump to: <a href="#sub" title="Subtopics">Subtopics</a> • <a href="#rel" title="Related Terms">Terms</a></div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><a name="te" id="te"></a><div class="vheading2">Topical Encyclopedia</div><b>Definition and Concept</b> <br>Authority from Heaven refers to the divine power and right bestowed by God to individuals or institutions to act on His behalf. This authority is recognized as legitimate and binding, transcending earthly power and human institutions. It is often associated with the fulfillment of God's will and the establishment of His kingdom on earth.<br><br><b>Biblical Foundation</b> <br>The concept of authority from Heaven is deeply rooted in the Scriptures, where God is depicted as the ultimate source of all authority. In the Old Testament, God grants authority to leaders, prophets, and kings to guide His people. For instance, Moses is given authority to lead the Israelites out of Egypt (<a href="/exodus/3-10.htm">Exodus 3:10</a>), and David is anointed as king by God's command (<a href="/1_samuel/16-12.htm">1 Samuel 16:12-13</a>).<br><br>In the New Testament, the authority from Heaven is most clearly manifested in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus' authority is affirmed at His baptism, where a voice from Heaven declares, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (<a href="/matthew/3-17.htm">Matthew 3:17</a>). Throughout His ministry, Jesus exercises divine authority in teaching, healing, and forgiving sins, as seen in <a href="/matthew/9-6.htm">Matthew 9:6</a>: "But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins..." .<br><br><b>Jesus and Authority</b> <br>Jesus' authority is a central theme in the Gospels. He teaches with authority, unlike the scribes (<a href="/mark/1-22.htm">Mark 1:22</a>), and commands unclean spirits, who obey Him (<a href="/mark/1-27.htm">Mark 1:27</a>). His authority is questioned by religious leaders, prompting Jesus to ask about the origin of John the Baptist's authority, "Was it from heaven or from men?" (<a href="/mark/11-30.htm">Mark 11:30</a>), highlighting the distinction between divine and human authority.<br><br>The Great Commission further emphasizes Jesus' authority: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me" (<a href="/matthew/28-18.htm">Matthew 28:18</a>). This authority is the basis for the disciples' mission to make disciples of all nations, baptizing and teaching them to obey Jesus' commands.<br><br><b>Apostolic Authority</b> <br>The apostles, as witnesses of Christ's resurrection and recipients of the Holy Spirit, are endowed with authority from Heaven to establish the early Church. In <a href="/acts/1-8.htm">Acts 1:8</a>, Jesus promises them power when the Holy Spirit comes upon them, enabling them to be His witnesses "to the ends of the earth" . The apostolic authority is evident in their teaching, miracles, and governance of the Church, as seen in <a href="/acts/2-42.htm">Acts 2:42-43</a> and <a href="/acts/5-12.htm">Acts 5:12</a>.<br><br><b>Authority in the Church</b> <br>The New Testament outlines the structure of authority within the Church, emphasizing the role of elders, overseers, and deacons. Paul instructs Titus to appoint elders in every town, as directed by apostolic authority (<a href="/titus/1-5.htm">Titus 1:5</a>). The qualifications and responsibilities of church leaders are detailed in <a href="/bsb/1_timothy/3.htm">1 Timothy 3</a> and <a href="/bsb/titus/1.htm">Titus 1</a>, underscoring the importance of godly character and sound doctrine.<br><br><b>Submission to Authority</b> <br>Believers are called to submit to authority as an act of obedience to God. <a href="/romans/13.htm">Romans 13:1-2</a> states, "Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist are appointed by God" . This submission extends to both secular and ecclesiastical authorities, provided it does not conflict with God's commands (<a href="/acts/5-29.htm">Acts 5:29</a>).<br><br><b>Conclusion</b> <br>The authority from Heaven is a profound and pervasive theme in the Bible, underscoring God's sovereign rule and His delegation of authority to accomplish His purposes on earth. Through Jesus Christ, the ultimate expression of divine authority, believers are empowered to live out their faith and advance God's kingdom.</div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="sub" id="sub"></a><div class="vheading2">Subtopics</div><p class="pspc"><a href="/topical/a/authority.htm">Authority</a></p><p class="pspc"><a href="/topical/a/authority_in_general.htm">Authority in General</a></p><p class="pspc"><a href="/topical/a/authority_in_religion.htm">Authority in Religion</a></p><p class="pspc"><a href="/topical/a/authority_over_your_children.htm">Authority Over Your Children</a></p><a name="rel" id="rel"></a><div class="vheading2">Related Terms</div><p class="pspc2"><a href="/topical/p/plain.htm">Plain (113 Occurrences)</a></p><p class="pspc2"><a href="/topical/a/ashdoth-pisgah.htm">Ashdoth-pisgah (3 Occurrences)</a></p><p class="pspc2"><a href="/topical/a/ashdothpisgah.htm">Ashdothpisgah (3 Occurrences)</a></p><p class="pspc2"><a 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