On Authority and Authorities

Authority is simply the legitimate, given right or permission to exercise power. As we see in the Bible, all authority originally derives, from God, the ultimate authority. The fourth commandment teaches us that there is a benefit to honoring authority and is the only commandment with a blessing attached to it. This is exercising exchange power, also known as positive reinforcement.

Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. - Exodus 20:12

In Martin Luther's Small Catechism, he explains that this commandment means that "We should fear and love God that we may not despise nor anger our parents and masters, but give them honor, serve, obey, and hold them in love and esteem."

Romans 13 says it best, when Paul explains authorities and that there are negative consequences to not obeying authority.  This is coercive power, or negative reinforcement.

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. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. -Romans 13:1-7

However, as redeemed and justified Christians we should delight in God's Law and do it because we love God.  This is called integrative power, or faith.

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. -1 John 4:18

Since God is omnipotent (all powerful) he has all three forms of power, which is why we should fear, love, and trust him. However, some people quote Acts 5:29 and say they obey God's law rather than man's law as an excuse for doing whatever they want. I have already shown this is taking it out of context because we clearly do have to obey man's law.  What does it mean then? I think that Edward Koehler explains this in a great way in "Summary of Christian Doctrine."

• Authorities may allow things that God forbids (we must not do them)
• Authorities may forbid things that God allows (we must not do them)
• Authorities may not command things that God forbids (we must not do them)
• Authorities may not forbid things God commands (we must continue to do them)