The best Bible verses for authority (ESV) include passages about God's love, strength, and guidance. This page features 15+ carefully curated Scripture passages for authority (ESV), each selected for its relevance and depth. Read, save, and share the perfect verse for your situation.
"Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme,"1 Peter 2:13
"Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme,"1 Peter 2:13
"for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way."1 Timothy 2:2
"I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet."1 Timothy 2:12
"For even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be ashamed."2 Corinthians 10:8
"For this reason I write these things while I am away from you, that when I come I may not have to be severe in my use of the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down."2 Corinthians 13:10
"and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority. Bold and willful, they do not tremble as they blaspheme the glorious ones,"2 Peter 2:10
"far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come."Ephesians 1:21
"and I will clothe him with your robe, and will bind your sash on him, and will commit your authority to his hand. And he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah."Isaiah 22:21
"the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction; my people love to have it so, but what will you do when the end comes?"Jeremiah 5:31
"No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”"John 10:18
"since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him."John 17:2
Translations differ in what they optimise for. Some follow the original wording closely at the cost of a natural English sentence; others read smoothly and make interpretive choices to get there. Neither is wrong, but they produce noticeably different verses.
Each of the 15 verses below is shown in the translation you asked for, and every verse links to a page comparing all six side by side — which is usually the fastest way to see where the translators disagreed.
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The most-cited Bible verses for authority (ESV) are 1 Peter 2:13, 1 Thessalonians 4:2, 1 Timothy 2:2. This page collects 15 of them, each with its full passage, context and the text in six translations.
Read the verse in its surrounding passage before you use it — a verse that fits in isolation sometimes says something different in context. Compare two translations where the wording is unclear, and pick for the person who will read it rather than for the theme.
Scripture returns to authority (ESV) across both testaments rather than settling it in one passage, which is why the verses on this page do not all say the same thing. Read together they give a fuller answer than any single verse does.
There is no single best translation. The NIV and NLT read most naturally and communicate well to someone outside the church; the ESV and NASB stay closer to the original wording; the KJV carries the phrasing most people recognise. Every verse here links to a page showing all six side by side.
More than any page can list. This one carries the 15 that are most often turned to for authority (ESV), chosen so each stands on its own and links through to the full chapter it belongs to.