Men Should Obey the

Delegated Authority
Chapter-7-Spiritual Authority by Watchman Nee
 Authorities instituted by God
A. In the World
Romans 13:1-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.

In Greek the word used is-ὑποτάσσω hupotasso-Insights from Blue Letter Bible-
Made up of 2 words hupo and tasso is the verb where tasso means to put yourself and
hupo means under-so it means to put yourself under-This word was a Greek military
term meaning "to arrange [troop divisions] in a military fashion under the command
of a leader".
Also about 66 instances of this word in the Bible.
 Applications
• Since all governing authorities are ordained by and instituted by God, they are
meant to be obeyed.-Spiritual Authority-Ch.7-Pgs. 59-60-Watchman Nee.
• The symbols for subjection to earthly authorities are fourfold: taxes to whom
taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is
due, and honor to whom honor is due.- Spiritual Authority-Ch.7-Pg. 62-
Watchman Nee.
• In any event, insubordination to authority is mutiny towards God. If we are
insubordinate, we will be a help to the principle of anti-Christ.- Spiritual
Authority-Ch.7-Pg. 62-Watchman Nee.
• Think of ways how you can do that with your immediate authority in ECA-your
Supervisor or Principal, Director, Manager, Coordinator, whoever he or she is.
 Authorities instituted by God
B. In the Family
• Ephesians 5:21-25- 21 submitting (same Gk. Word-hupotasso)-to one another out of reverence for
Christ.22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even
as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ,
so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
25
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,

5:22–24. Wives are to submit to their husbands. (The verb “submit,” absent in Gr. in v. 22, is borrowed from v. 21.) As to
the Lord does not mean that a wife is to submit to her husband in the same way she submits to the Lord, but rather that her
submission to her husband is her service rendered “to the Lord” (cf. Col. 3:18). The reason for this submission is that the
husband is the head of the wife (cf. 1 Cor. 11:3), and this is compared to Christ’s headship over the church (Eph. 5:23; cf.
4:15; Col. 1:18). As Christ is the Savior of the church, His body, so a husband should be the protector of his wife, who is
“one flesh” with him (Gen. 2:24). As the church is in submission to Christ, so also a wife should be to her husband. It
would be foolish to think of the church being head over Christ. But submission does not mean inferiority. It means that
she recognizes that her husband is the head of the home and responds to him accordingly without usurping his authority to
herself.-
The Bible Knowledge Commentary from Logos Software.
 Applications
• Men handle your wives with care or don’t expect submission from them (
1 Peter 3:7 - Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way,
showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you
of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.)
• Men don’t command submission from your wives as a tyrant but allow your
wives to confidently follow your lead.
• Wives remember that you are submitting to the Lord by being submissive to
your husbands.
• Have continuous discussions about the small issues or decisions, medium issues
or decisions and the big issues or decisions in your marriage and family life.
Communication is very important in almost every area of your marriage and
family life.
 Authorities instituted by God
A. In the Church
1 Peter 5:1-5- 5 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the
sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be
revealed: 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight,[a] not under
compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you;[b] not for shameful gain, but
eagerly; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the
flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of
glory. 5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject (same Gk. Word-hupotasso)-to the
elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes
the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
The elders are the pastors, the spiritual leaders of the church (5:1). The church members,
especially the young people, are to give honor, deference, and respect to spiritual leadership.
Submission is a fundamental attitude of spiritual maturity (1 Thess. 5:12-14).-Dr. John
Macarthur.
 Applications
• The biblical model of local church leadership is a plurality of elders. Therefore, it is the
elders of the local church who are responsible for all of the decisions about how the church
is governed or organized.
• Christians can obey their elders by honoring the ‘house rules’ in a local church.
• Christians can submit to their elders is by giving serious weight to their counsel and advice.
• the elder must “be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also able to rebuke those
who contradict it” (Titus 1:9). Thus the faithful teaching ministry of the elder must be both
positive and negative in character. We see this again in Paul’s charge to Timothy to “preach
the word”; in heeding this charge, Timothy must be ready to “reprove, rebuke, and exhort,
with complete patience and teaching” (2Tim. 4:2).
• Responsibility for care of souls is a helpful way of thinking of the role of eldership, and the
reminder that elders will have to give an account to the Lord for this care is sobering indeed.