Professor: Rushdoony Dr. R.J.R.

Subject: Systematic Theology

Genre: Speech

Lesson: 5 of 19

Track: #05

Year:

Dictation Name: 05 Living Under Authority

[Rushdoony] Let us Worship God. Our help is in the name of the Lord Who made heaven and earth, oh come let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker, for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. Let us pray.

Oh Lord our God Thy dominion extends to heaven and earth and all things therein and we Thy people come into Thy presence to give Thee Thy due praise. Give us ever joyful and grateful hearts that we live, move, and have our being in Thee; that Thou art He who didst make heaven and earth and hast ordained all things for Thy glory and for their fulfillment in Thee. Give us grace to walk in terms of Thy holy purpose, to rejoice in Thy grace and to trust in all Thy tomorrow’s, in Jesus name, amen.

Our scripture this morning is from Colossians the first chapter. Beginning with verse twelve and continuing through verse twenty-three. Our subject Living under authority, living under authority Colossians one twelve through twenty-three.

12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell;

20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister; 

Our subject is living under authority and our particular concern is the thirteenth verse of Colossians one. It is important for us to know the nature of authority. To know what constitutes true authority and false authority. Most people have a preference through a superficial solution which will make life easier. Hence they avoid the essential question of authority. Moreover our age has a penchant for seeing alternatives in terms of ridiculously obvious ones. We are told for example by some, and I hear it regularly, that the federal government is a legitimate God created authority, and therefore we have a duty of obedience. True,