When is it right to disobey those in authority? As believers, we may be forced to consider that question more and more frequently. We know that God places a high priority on respect for authority. He commands us to live obediently under the authority of our government, our work structure, our church leadership, and within the family. So, when is it right to disobey those in authority?

Today’s Readings:

1 Chronicles 1 & 2
Psalm 76.1-6
Proverbs 19.6-7
Acts 4.1-22

When Is It Right to Disobey Those in Authority?

Acts 4.1-22:

You Judge

I worked in full-time ministry for many years, so I have had great freedom to talk about Christ and the gospel. Even now, as a Biblical counselor, I’m free to share the gospel with those who come to me and who don’t have a personal relationship with God.

And when I meet with believers, I can speak the truth straightforwardly when they are looking for answers to the issues in their lives.

However, I have many friends who work in secular jobs. Some are teachers with students from broken homes and other difficult environments. Others are office workers, nurses, doctors, lawyers, law enforcement personnel, and dozens of other occupations. They are surrounded by people with great needs and a variety of beliefs. But, sadly, they often feel limited in freedom to share their faith openly.

And God does place a high priority on respect for authority. He commands us to live obediently under the authority of our government, our work structure, our church leadership, and within the family. So, is it ever right to disobey someone in authority? If so, when? That is a question more and more believers are forced to consider.

Whether it comes to providing services for a “gay wedding,” praying at public events, or sharing our faith, our government is becoming more and more restrictive when it comes to freedom of religion.

In the home, believers are sometimes married to unbelievers who demand they not raise their children biblically or bring them to a New Testament church. Sometimes they are forbidden to attend church at all.

A Higher Authority

As believers, we should be godly, biblically submissive spouses, faithful employees, and obey the laws of the land (Rom. 13.1-7). We should show respect for the authority God has placed us under. As a general rule, we should not disobey company policy or the laws of our land, but there are times when we must recognize that we are under a higher authority.

Peter and John found themselves in such a situation. A lame man had been healed (Acts 3.1-10), causing quite a commotion in the city. As a result, they had been arrested. Acts 4:

⁵ And it came to pass, on the next day, that their rulers, elders, and scribes,⁶ as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.⁷ And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, “By what power or by what name have you done this?”

⁸ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: ⁹ If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, ¹⁰ let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.

Pretty bold! And there was the evidence standing beside them, the formerly lame man.

Willing to Suffer for Doing Right

The religious leaders were between a rock and a hard place. They could not deny a miracle had taken place, but they wanted to put a stop to their preaching.

¹⁸ So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. ¹⁹ But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge.

When asked to choose between the command of men and the command of God, they were compelled to obey God. But they also showed respect for authority when they said, “you judge.” They understood they had to be willing to suffer the consequences of doing right.

What Might That Look Like for Wives?

As wives, we are commanded to submit to the leadership of our husbands (1 Pet. 3.1) and to show them respect (Eph. 5.33) whether they are believers or not.

God, also, commanded us to “not forsak[e] the assembling of ourselves together” (Heb. 10.25). So if a wife is forbidden to attend church, she could, respectfully, say something like, “Honey, I want to follow your leadership and show you respect, but the Bible says that I need to go to church. I can attend a Sunday service or go to a ladies’ Bible study on Thursday mornings. Which would you prefer?”

Or for Employees?

If you are forbidden to talk about your faith at work, look for opportunities to share your faith with co-workers outside of the workplace, over lunch, or at some other time. Show concern for them and pray for them.

But if you are expected to act or speak in a way that is contrary to God’s clear commands, you must respectfully disobey. An example might be a teacher who is expected to teach evolution as an absolute and not a theory or to deny the truth of God in some other way.

I once counseled a teacher who taught at a religious school. She had accepted Christ as her Savior and professed to understand that salvation was by grace alone through faith alone. But at school, she was expected to teach that salvation was by faith plus certain works or religious duties, rather than the gospel.

I explained to her that those who claim to teach God’s truth have even higher accountability (Jas. 3.1) and that she was responsible for what she taught, especially where someone’s eternal destiny was concerned.

I encouraged her to obey God and put her trust in Him. Sadly, she was not willing and we did not meet again.

If she had taken my counsel, I can’t guarantee that she would not have lost her job, but as believers, we must be willing to risk things like popularity and fortune rather than pervert the truth.

Not a License

I know some of you are in situations where it’s not as cut and dry. And you struggle with what you believe God wants you to do concerning those in authority.

I would first caution you that this is not a license to do whatever seems right to you. Make sure of what Scripture commands. For example, viewing a video about respecting gay or transgender people is not the same as being asked to applaud their behavior.

I would also urge you to learn about the laws that apply to your situation. Many people are intimidated into believing they can say nothing about faith or religion, when in fact, they do have protected religious liberties. But in the end, when asked to obey God or man, we must choose to obey God and be willing to accept the consequences.

As the End Draws Near

Jesus told us that we will experience tests and trials in this life (Jn. 16.33; Matt. 10.16-26). And as the end draws near, it will get worse, not better.

But as Peter told the persecuted believers in his day, it is better to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. And, in fact, James reminds us that if we respond biblically, we will grow and mature as a result. James 1:

² My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. ⁴ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

God will not protect us from all physical harm, nor from all the struggles of living in a sin-cursed world, but He will walk through our trials with us (Heb. 13.5) and give us the grace we need to endure them and bring Him glory in the process (1 Cor. 10.12-14; Heb. 4.14-16; Is. 43.7).

No Other Name

Many in the first century believed in Jesus but were afraid to acknowledge Him for fear of being put out of the temple or discredited by others. Even Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea went public only after Christ’s death.

But look again at Peter’s statement in Acts 4:

[L]et it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole … Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (vv. 10-12).

The consequences of obeying God can make us hesitate to share the truth. It may not be legal action we fear. Today media personalities and all kinds of influencers tout “tolerance” as the greatest virtue. We are sometimes afraid to sound judgmental, lose friends, or risk relationships. It can be easier to say nothing.

Yet, God calls us to speak the truth in love because there is no other name—no other way. Salvation comes through saving faith in Jesus Christ alone!

Today’s Other Readings:

1 Chronicles 1 & 2:

God Uses Imperfect People

Even though he is not mentioned by name in Chronicles, it is believed that Ezra is the author of 1 & 2 Chronicles. These two books were written after the return of the Jewish people to their homeland and after they had spent 70 years in Babylonian exile.

1 Chronicles starts with a partial genealogy (mostly covering the Messianic line) from Adam through David and beyond to remind the people of God’s promises to them and to encourage them to be faithful to God.

Also included in the genealogies are those of Ismael (1 Chron. 1.28-31) and Esau (1 Chron. 1.43). As God promised Abraham, Ismael’s descendants formed twelve tribes, who became some of the Arab people groups living in the area north of Israel. Esau’s descendants became the Arab people groups living east and south of Israel.

Interesting to note what 2.4 says:

And Tamar, his daughter-in-law, bore him Perez and Zerah. All the sons of Judah were five.

Remember Tamar? In her desperation to have a child, she deceived her father-in-law into sleeping with her by posing as a prostitute. Yet, she is mentioned here by name in the genealogy of Christ. What a great reminder of God’s willingness to use imperfect people like us!

Psalm 76.1-6:

At His Rebuke …

Verse 6:

At Your rebuke, O God of Jacob, both the chariot and horse were cast into a dead sleep.

Neither man’s physical strength, nor the greatest weapons are any match for God. He can and does destroy both in defense of His people.

Proverbs 19.6-7:

Heart Conditions

These verses speak of the condition of the human heart, how people respond to the generosity of others or even bribery, and how people will avoid the needs and demands of the poor.

Questions to Journal or Ponder:

Have you been faced with a decision about whether or not to obey someone in authority? How did you handle it?

Have you had to speak the truth in a difficult situation? Is there some area where you have been keeping silent when you should speak up?

May God give each of us the grace we need for any situation.

Coming Up:

In the coming days, we’ll talk about the importance of godly friends, persecution, hypocrisy, the sin of nagging, the circle of blessing, and the importance of being able to explain the basics of the Christian faith.

I hope you’ll sign up so you don’t miss any of them. You might also like to check out our YouTube channel.

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Blessings as you grow in Christ,
Donna ♥

Note about this post:

I began blogging through the Bible in 2012 and have done so every year since then. These posts are the product of many edits and additions throughout those years. Some days I make major changes, other days fewer. 

A while ago, I read Jen Wilkin’s book None Like Him about the attributes of God. One is His incomprehensibility. In it, she says, “God is incomprehensible. This does not mean that he is unknowable, but that he is unable to be fully known.”

I have found that to be true each year as I’ve gone back through the Bible. Sometimes I find myself feeling as if a passage just appeared there for the first time. I’m reminded that no matter how many times we read through the Bible, we have only scratched the surface. I hope you feel the same.

Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?” (Job 26.14)

I sometimes LINKUP with these blogs.