On Authority, Submission and Covering

Hebrews 13:17 (ESV) Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

I have been thinking a lot about authority and covering. Scripture has a lot of references about submitting to authority. In Gethsemane, Jesus was submitting to the authority of the father. In Ephesians wives are called to submit to their husbands as to the Lord. Romans speaks to submitting to governmental authority as a form of worship. 1 Peter 2 speaks of submission.

Headship is a principle of responsibility for a relationship. Christ is the head of the church, therefore he holds the responsibility for that relationship. The husband is the head of the wife and so it is the same deal, he is responsible for the relationship. A pastor will give an account for the work he has done and for the people in his care. We must understand this concept:God has designed us to be under authority and in submission to that authority.

This is not done for some sort of cosmic power trip. It is not done rob you of freedoms or to be oppressive, even when that authority is oppressive or is perceived to be oppressive. It is done as a covering. It is done for your benefit.

The Road to Perdition
About 1:40 into this clip there is a great speech about submitting and covering. It paints a very Biblical picture of the importance of submitting to authority and the covering that it provides. The rest of the clip is for your entertainment.