By the Scripture’s Own Writers
Superior Authorities
Definition
In the field of government there are two parties, (1) the superior, the one who makes the law or rules of action, and (2) the inferior, the one who is bound by the rules of the superior to obey them. For divine government, God is the chief superior and man the inferior.
Romans 13:1-4 “Let every soul be in subjection to the superior authorities [Jehovah God, 1 and Christ Jesus, 2], for there is no authority except by God [only Christ Jesus and His theocratic organization recognized by God, 3]; the existing authorities [not political governments’, 4 ] stand placed in their relative positions by God [not ‘divine right of kings’, 5]. Therefore he who ranges himself up against the authority [Christ Jesus, 6] has taken a stand against the arrangement of God; those who have taken a stand against it will receive judgment to themselves [annihilation from Christ Jesus, 7].”
Jehovah God Is Supreme Above All Superiors
Psalm 62:11 “God has spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongs to God.”
Job 37:23 “The Almighty is beyond our minds. Supreme in power and rich in justice, He violates no right.”
Isaiah 40:13, 15 “Who has directed the spirit of Jehovah, or being His counsellor has taught Him? Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are accounted as the small dust of the balance: behold, He takes up the islands as a very little thing.”
Romans 9:20, 21 “O man, who, then, really are you to be answering back to God? Shall the thing molded say to him that molded it, ‘Why did you make me this way?’ What? Does not the potter have authority over the clay to make from the same lump one vessel for an honorable use, another for a dishonorable use?”
Hebrews 12:9 “Furthermore, we used to have fathers who were of our flesh to discipline us and we used to give them respect. Shall we not much more subject ourselves to the Father of our spiritual life and live?”
Isaiah 33:22 “For Jehovah is our Judge, Jehovah is our Lawgiver, Jehovah is our King; He will save us.”
Christ Jesus Is a Superior Second Only to Jehovah
John 17:1, 2 “Jesus said these things; then, lifting His eyes to heaven, He said, Father, the time has now come; give glory to Your Son, so that the Son may give glory to You: Even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all those whom You have given to Him.”
1 Peter 3:22 “He is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, angels and authorities and powers being made subject to Him.”
Philippians 2:5, 9-11 “Keep this mental attitude in you which was also in Christ Jesus. For this very reason also God exalted Him to a superior position and kindly gave Him the name that is above every other name, so that in the name of Jesus every knee should bend of those in heaven and those on earth and those under the ground, and every tongue should openly confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.”
Jehovah Empowers Only Those Who Rightly Use Authority
Ephesians 1:19-23 “And how unlimited is His power to us who have faith, as is seen in the working of the strength of His power, by which He made Christ come back from the dead, and gave Him a place at His right hand in heaven, far over all rule and authority and power and every name which is named, not only in the present order, but in that which is to come: and He has put all things under His feet, and has made Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him that fills all in all.”
1 Corinthians 12:12, 18, 27, 28 “For just as the body is one thing but has many members, and all the members of that body, although being many, are one body, so also is the Christ. But now God has set the members in the body, each one of them, just as He pleased. Now you are Christ’s body, and members individually. And God has set the respective ones in the congregation, first, apostles.”
2 Corinthians 10:8 “For even if we should boast a bit too much about the authority which the Lord gave us to build you up and not to tear you down, I would not be put to shame.”
2 Corinthians 13:10 “That is why I write these things while absent, that, when I am present, I may not act with severity according to the authority which the Lord gave me, to build up and not to tear down.”
1 Corinthians 9:12, 13 “If other men share in this authority over you, do we not much more so? Nevertheless, we have not made use of this authority, but we are bearing all things, in order that we might not offer any hindrance to the good news about the Christ. What, then, is my reward? That while declaring the good news I may furnish the good news without cost, to the end that I may not abuse my authority in the good news.”
2 Thessalonians 3:9 “Not that we do not have authority, but in order that we might offer ourselves as an example to you to imitate us.”
Hebrews 13:7, 17, 24 “Remember those who are governing you, who have spoken the Word of God to you, and as you contemplate how their conduct turns out, imitate their faith. Be obedient to those who are governing you and be submissive, for they are keeping watch over your souls as those who will render an account, that they may do this with joy and not with sighing, for this would be damaging to you. Give my greetings to all those who are governing you and to all the holy ones.”
Worldly Rule (Pictured by “Beasts”) Authorized by satan, the dragon, Not by God
Genesis 10:8-10 “Cush was the father of Nimrod, who was the first person on the earth to be a despot…. The nucleus of his kingdom was Babylon.”
Daniel 7:1-24 “Daniel spoke and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of heaven broke forth upon the great sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another…. These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, that shall arise out of the earth. .. . The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all the kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.”
Revelation 17:3, 9, 10, 12 “I caught sight of a woman sitting upon a scarlet-colored wild beast that was full of blasphemous names and that had seven heads and ten horns. Here is where the intelligence that has wisdom comes in: The seven heads mean seven mountains where the woman sits on top. And there are seven kings: five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet arrived, but when he does arrive ha must remain a short while. And the ten horns that you saw mean ten kings, who have not yet received a kingdom, but they do receive authority as kings one hour with the wild beast.”
Revelation 13:2, 4, 11, 12 “And the dragon gave the beast its power and its throne and great authority. And they worshiped the dragon because he gave the authority to the wild beast, and they worshiped the wild beast with the words: ‘Who is like the wild beast, and who can do battle with it?’ And I saw another wild beast ascending out of the earth, and it had two horns … And it exercises all the authority of the first wild beast in its sight.”
John 12:31 “Now there is a judging of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.”
Revelation 12:9 “So down the great dragon was hurled, the original serpent, the one called Devil and Satan, who is misleading the entire inhabited earth.”
2 Corinthians 4:4 “Among whom the god of this system of things has blinded the minds of the unbelievers.”
1 John 5:19 “We know we originate with God, but the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one.”
Ancient Rulers Who Pictured Christ as Ruler Do Not Stand as Precedent for All Others
Jeremiah 27:5, 6, 8 “I have made the earth, the men and the beasts that are upon the face of the earth, by My great power and by My outstretched arm; and I give it to whom it seems right to Me. And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant; and the beasts of the field also have I given him to serve him. And it shall come to pass, that the nation and the kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, says Jehovah, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.”
2 Chronicles 36:22, 23 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth has Jehovah, the God of heaven, given me; and He has charged me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whosoever there is among you of all His people, Jehovah his God be with him, and let him go up.”
All Must Submit to Superior Authority, Christ Jesus
Romans 15:12 “And again Isaiah says: ‘There will be the root of Jesse, and there will be one arising to rule nations; on him nations will rest their hope.'”
Revelation 1:5 “Jesus Christ ‘The Ruler of the kings of the earth.’ “
1 Peter 2:13, 14, 17 “For the Lord’s sake subject yourselves to every human creation: whether to a king as being superior or to governors as being sent by Him to inflict punishment on evildoers but to praise doers of good. Honor men of all kinds, have love for the whole association of brothers, be in fear of God, have honor for the king.”
Matthew 28:18 “And Jesus approached and spoke to them, saying: ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on the earth.’ “
Those Who Show Works of Faith in Christ’s Position Receive Favor
Romans 13:3, 4 “For those ruling are an object of fear, not to the good deed, but to the evil. Do you, then, want to have no fear of the authority? Keep doing good, and you will have praise from it; for it is God’s minister to you for your good. But if you are doing evil, be in fear: for it is not without purpose that it bears the sword; for it is God’s minister, an avenger to express wrath upon the one practicing evil.”
Matthew 10:22 “And you will be hated by all people on account of My Name; but he that will endure to the end is the one that will be saved.”
Matthew 24:9 “Then people will deliver you up to tribulation and will kill you, and you will be hated by all the nations on account of My Name.”
Matthew 25:34. 40 “Then the King will say to those on His right: ‘Come, you who have My Father’s blessing, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the world’s foundation…. Truly I say to you, To the extent that you did it to one of the least of these My brothers, you did it to Me.’ “
Those Who Hold to Other Superiors as Supreme Must Perish at Christ’s Hand
Romans 13:4 “But if you are doing evil, be in fear: for it is not without purpose that it bears the sword; for it is God’s minister, an avenger to express wrath upon the one practicing evil.”
Luke 12:4, 5 “Moreover I say to you, my friends, Do not fear those who kill the body and after this are not able to do anything more. But I will indicate to you whom to fear: Fear Him who after killing has authority to throw into Gehenna.”
Revelation 19:15 “And out of His mouth there goes a sharp long sword, that He may smite the nations with it, and He will shepherd them with a rod of iron. He treads, too, the press of the wine of the anger of the wrath of God the Almighty.”
Matthew 25:45, 46 “Then He will answer them with the words: ‘Truly I say to you, To the extent that you did not do it to one of these least ones, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will depart into everlasting cutting-off, but the righteous ones into everlasting life.”
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