Trust and Submission to Authority

Rachael Clinton Chen and Dr. Dan Allender continue their conversation about authority, this week diving into who we’re meant to trust and submit to in a healthy, biblical way that leads to our flourishing. 

To begin the episode, Dan reads from Romans 13, a passage often referenced in conjunction with the topic of authority. Both Rachael and Dan acknowledge they are in complex waters and that the words “submission” and “obedience” can be triggering for many listeners due to the misuse and violence done by those in positions of authority. 

What authority, then, are we to submit to? The phrase Paul uses implies a “quality superior,” not all authority, Dan notes, but someone who bears a kind of qualitative goodness—a likeness to the goodness of God. Jesus authorizes others for the sake of addressing the brokenness in the world, extending a sense of empowerment, dignity, and call to life. People who are authorized by God typically do not have to tell others they have authority, Rachael says, as it is gained through respect, participation, service, and honor. 

The series will conclude next week as Dan and Rachael will address the questions: What is submission, what does it mean to interact with those in authority? 

Listener Resources:

If you are interested in learning more about the topics mentioned in this podcast:

• Listen to our most recent series about Attachment and Relationships
• Listen to a podcast episode about Suspicion and Loyalty in Spiritual Abuse
• Listen to our podcast series featuring Cathy Loerzel on Complexities in Leadership