All Who Are In Authority

The title of my message this week comes from Paul’s first letter to Timothy. To pray all who are in authority is an important charge and instruction given to Timothy in the proper administration and management of the local Church which Paul called God’s house (1 Tim. 3:15). Paul gave directions for the Church’s ministry of prayer:

“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence” (1 Tim.2:1, 2, NKJV, emphasis added).

Notice the phrase “first of all” indicates that the first duty of Christians meeting together in regular fellowship is prayer. The four prayer activities are: supplications, prayers, intercessions and the giving of thanks. Paul further said that prayer is to be made “for all men” which means all people of the world, believers or unbelievers!

Paul’s instruction to Timothy agrees with the prophecy of Isaiah 56:7 where God says,

“For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations” (NKJV, emphasis added).

The word “nations” means “countries other than Israel”. In Scripture it means the Gentile nations other than Israel.

God is concerned with “all men” and “all people” and He expects His people to share His concerns. He specifically calls for prayers to be made to kings (rulers) and all who are in authority. The phrase “all who are in authority” usually indicates all those who are responsible for governing the nation – the government. The need to pray for the government is extremely important and I shall discuss in a separate message.

This message concerns the need of prayer for all Christians who are in authority. All Christians have authority because all of them are under the authority of God. In fact, every person on earth, a believer or unbeliever (whether he understands or not), has authority because everyone is under authority.

Since we are instructed to offer our prayers to all men we must include groups of people who are not involved in governing the nation but are also “in authority”.

Intrinsic authority and derived authority

There are two basic forms of authority – intrinsic authority and derived authority. Intrinsic authority means authority belonging to one’s nature; derived authority is given to one from another source. The Scripture says intrinsic authority belongs to God only:

“For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God” (Romans 13:1, NKJV).

Therefore every kind of authority other than that of God Himself is derived and therefore secondary to God’s power.

Jesus said to Pilate, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above” (John 19:11).

Pilate was not a believer, but whatever power (authority) he had came from God.

Examples of derived authority

Some of the important derived authority the Bible speaks about are: Christian or non-Christian civil governments (Rom. 13:1 – 7), employers (Eph. 6:5 – 9), angels (Luke 1:19, 20) and Satan (Luke 4:6).

Notice that the Bible (the Word of God) has derived authority. God gave authority to His own Word. But it is above every other kind of derived authority. The Bible is inspired by God (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Peter. 1:20 – 21; Heb. 4:12). It has divine power and authority. God did not give His Word to be read only, but to be believed and obey.

Every Christian has derived authority. This includes the authority of a father or mother (Eph. 6:1 – 4); Church ministers include elders, pastors, deacons and leaders have derived authority.

The writer of Hebrews said, “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you” (Heb. 13:17, NIV, emphasis added).

Leaders in the Christian Church are accountable to God to watch over Church members. They are answerable to God in the day of judgement. In return, Church members should show them proper respect and to submit to their authority in the Church so that their leadership tasks will not be a burden. But their God-given tasks must be administered in accordance with the precepts of Christ. Church members' obligation to obedience does not, of course, extend to anything which is wrong by itself, or which would be a violation of conscience.

The most noble use of the leaders’ authority is for serving others. Since Jesus came to serve His disciples there is no reason why leaders of the Church would not serve Church members in the fear of God.

Jesus said to His disciples, “…. He who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Yet I am among you as the One who serves” (Luke 22:26, 27).

Men under Authority

Even Jesus Himself had no authority unless he was under the Authority of God. When Jesus was in submission to the Authority of God, He gained all the power and stature of God the Father.

Jesus said to the Jews, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner” (John 5:19, NKJV).

Jesus had authority in His Ministry because he was in complete submission to God the Father. Concerning Jesus the writer of Hebrews sums it up like this:

“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission” (Hebrews 5:7, NIV, emphasis added).

Notice that without submission to God the Father's Authority even Jesus' prayer would not be heard! It follows that if Christians do not submit to the Authority of God their prayers will not be heard, let alone getting an answer from God!

The general spiritual principle is that only when you are under the authority of God can you exercise the authority of His Kingdom. This principle can be extended to authority in general – a person has no authority unless he is under authority. Any person (Christian or an unbeliever) has authority if he is under authority.

This principle is illustrated in the healing of a Centurion’s Servant. The Centurion, although an unbeliever, understood the power of authority in Jesus. He saw beyond Jesus to the power and authority of God. This was not difficult for him to understand, for he was in a similar position with regard to the power of the Roman Empire. When he spoke to the soldiers under his command, they knew that the whole authority of the Roman Empire was behind him.

He said to Jesus, “But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me” (Matt. 8:8, 9, emphasis added).

By saying “I also am a man under authority” indicates that the centurion had seen Jesus who Himself was subject to the intrinsic Authority of God.

Praying for all who are in authority

This message concerns the need of Christian believers to pray for all who are in authority. Paul’s instruction for believers to pray for all who are in authority means Christians are to pray for one another.

We have no problem with the common situation where we see Pastors praying for Church members and fathers praying for their family members. But, what about the reverse order? Is it scriptural to have Church members praying for Pastors, wives praying for their husbands and children praying for their fathers?

The writer of Hebrews said, “Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct” (Heb. 13:7, emphasis added).

There are actually two ways of interpreting the above verse. One way is that, Christians must bring to remembrance and imitate the faith of those Christian leaders who have taught them the Scripture.

Another way which I choose to follow is: Christians are to pray for those who exercise authority over them and have spoken the Word of God to them. We are to imitate their faith and good conduct.

The Greek word for “remember” is “mnemoneuo” meaning “make mention or be mindful in prayers”.

“Those who rule over you” means “those who exercise authority over you”. The chain of authority includes: “Elders over Pastors”, “Pastors over Church members”, “Husbands over wives” and “Father over children” and so on.

In other words, according to the Scripture, Pastors should pray for their Elders, Church members should pray for their Pastors, wives should pray for their husbands and children should pray for their fathers and so on.

Anyone who teaches Scripture needs prayer. Most Christians believe it is good for a Christian father to teach his wife and children the Word and God. Therefore, fathers need prayers from the members of their households. It is the expected duty of Pastors to teach the members of the congregation the Word of God in faith. Therefore, Pastors need Church members' prayer. Pastors, being in the frontline of authority (in the Local Church) are usual targets for Satan (the god of this age). We need to pray against deceptions, unbiblical doctrines, spiritual attacks, bad health and sicknesses and so on.

Any Pastor or Elder (including the head of a Christian denomination) who thinks he needs no prayer from Church members is unwise.

Here are some consequences:

1. Recently, it was reported that a group of renowned evangelical Pastor, Bible teachers, book writers came together to endorse an unbiblical theology called the “Dual covenant theology”. They believe that the Jews are automatically saved. They have a “special relationship with God” through revelation at Sinai. They will be welcomed into Heaven even if they deny Jesus as the Messiah. Therefore, it is a waste of time to evangelize the Jew!

We do not condemn but we need to pray for these Christian leaders who are obviously deceived.


2. The spirit of "humanism" is slowly creeping into the ministries of the Church of Jesus Christ. Human rights, equal roles of men and women in the Church, feminism, rights of abortions, right of total freedom for children, right of gay marriages and so on. New Age and New World Order theologies are also based on the teaching of humanism. Many Bible teachers and Pastors are using "christianized" motivational books based on psychology, philosophy and humanism theology to teach their followers how to be effective Church leaders.

I believe humanism is the spirit of the Antichrist. The "gospel" of the Antichrist is humanism. God helping me I intend to post a message soon.

Paul’s prophesy about the “last days”, many would not give heed to sound doctrine (2 Tim. 4:3) is being fulfilled now!