A Sunday School Lesson On Authority

Here is a Sunday school lesson or Bible study on authority.

Governing Authorities

Romans 13:1-2 “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. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.”

Romans chapter 13 is instructive to all believers to not resist authority because those placed in authority or representatives of God’s institution over mankind, therefore we have to “be subject to the governing authorities” because “there is no authority except from God” and this authority exists by God’s having instituted them. The point is, if we break the law, we are disobeying God for we must obey the laws of man and only when they conflict with the laws of God are we given permission to break them (Acts 5:29).

When are we allowed to break man’s laws?

What are the exceptions like?

What does it mean that those who break man’s laws “will incur judgment?”

Jesus’ Authority

Matthew 7:28-29 “And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.”

Jesus taught like no other Man ever did, that’s for certain. He could teach like no other because He was totally “other,” meaning He is both God and Man and as God and as such, He has all authority and so it’s no wonder that they were astonished at Jesus’ teachings. They are still being astonished at His teachings today which are found in the Bible. Many of Jesus’ sayings were hard sayings and not easy to accept because our pride doesn’t want to accept it. Jesus used hard words to soften hearts because soft words harden hearts. On one occasion, “When many of his disciples heard it, they said, his is a hard saying; who can listen to it” (John 6:60) and “After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him” (John 6:66). This is why many are called but only a few are chosen (Matt 22:14) since only a few can accept what Jesus and the Bible teaches. Only the humble can receive these “hard sayings” and why the majority (the “many”) cannot receive them. God will resist the proud and give His grace only to those who are humbled before Him (James 4:6).

Why was Jesus’ authority seen to be greater than the scribes?

What is one of the hard sayings of Jesus that you can remember?

Why did many of them turn back and no longer walk with Him?

The Authority to Forgive Sins

Mark 2:9-11 “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.”

After Jesus had just healed a paralytic He told him his sins were forgiven and so “some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone” (Mark 2:6-7)? They were right! Only God can forgive sins but they didn’t realize that they had God sitting right in front of them and so as God, He had the authority to forgive sins. Then Jesus asks them, “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’?” How would you answer that? Is it easier to say “rise up and walk” or “your sins are given you?” It’s easier to say “Your sins are forgiven you” because we can’t look into the human heart like God can (1st Sam 16:7) but we can see someone who’s been healed get up and walk.

Why did the scribes question Jesus’ authority?

Why is it easier to say “Your sins are forgiven you?”

Is this symbolic of the authority of Jesus Christ?

The Apostles’ Authority

Matthew 28:18-20 “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

When Jesus was teaching in the temple “the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority” (Matt 21:23)? Little did they realize or if they did realize it, they still rejected Him, that Jesus had been given all authority in heaven and on earth so He could commission anyone He wanted to and He did commission the disciples in giving them the imperative command to go “and make disciples of all nations” and reminded them that all authority has been given to them by Jesus Who was given all authority.

Does this mean that the disciples had Jesus’ authority?

Do you have authority to “make disciples of all nations,” even if it’s your next door neighbor?

Are there limits to our God-given authority?

Conclusion

I urge you in your study to look at all of the Bible verses and read them aloud in the class so that you can get the most out of this lesson on authority and I hope you have now understood that all authority comes from the ultimate authority; God. We have no authority but that which has been given to us by God but this doesn’t mean we can break the laws of mankind. It doesn’t give us immunity to the laws of man; rather it gives us reason to follow them. There is only one exception where we are not to follow man’s laws and that is when God’s higher, moral law might be broken. Our first obligation is to the kingdom and then to mankind.

What is a case where we might have to break man’s laws to obey God?

Do we have authority? What are the limits to our authority?

What has changed in your understanding about authority in this study?

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren Church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.