Understanding Authority

Authority: a principle that governs everything

The course establishes from the start that submission to authority is an absolute necessity for living a fulfilled Christian life. The supreme authority is God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, and His Word. These are the direct authorities in your life. Indirect, or delegated, authority is the authority God entrusts to certain people and functions.

One central truth runs through the whole teaching: rebellion against God's authority, whether direct or delegated, is rebellion against God Himself. The biblical examples are striking: Adam and Eve, Lucifer (Isaiah 14:12-15), and Saul (1 Samuel 15). All lost their position because of rebellion.

What you will discover in this course

• The difference between direct authority and delegated authority
• The three levels of authority: complete, limited, and absence of authority
• Why authority always comes with responsibility and accountability
• The authorities instituted by God: government (Romans 13:1), family (Ephesians 5), and the Church
• God's order in the family: the role of the husband, wife, and children

"Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God." — Romans 13:1

A course that protects

Understanding authority is not a matter of cold hierarchy: it is protection. The believer who knows their place in divine order is kept from traps that have caused so many people to fall: independence, rebellion disguised as spiritual zeal, and refusal to be accountable. It is also a prerequisite for anyone who hopes to exercise spiritual authority one day: you cannot exercise authority without first learning to submit to it.

Who is this course for?

For every believer: husband, wife, parent, employee, citizen, servant in the local church. No area of life escapes the principle of authority. This course is for every child of God, not only for those who exercise or will exercise responsibilities in the church.