Talk:Romans 13

1849: ἐξουσία Next (1850) >>

Dodson dictionary

ἐξουσία, ας, ἡ (Noun, Feminine) "power, authority, weight". (a) power, authority, weight, especially: moral authority, influence, (b) in a quasi-personal sense, derived from later Judaism, of a spiritual power, and hence of an earthly power.

From: Public Domain Greek-English lexicon by John Jeffrey Dodson (2010)

Strong's Greek Dictionary 1849 ἐξουσία (exousía) from 1832 (in the sense of ability); privilege, i.e. (subjectively) force, capacity, competency, freedom, or (objectively) mastery (concretely, magistrate, superhuman, potentate, token of control), delegated influence

--authority, jurisdiction, liberty, power, right, strength.

From: Strong's Greek Dictionary by James Strong (1890)

1850: ἐξουσιάζω Next (1851) >>

Dodson dictionary

ἐξουσιάζω (Verb) "I exercise authority". I exercise (wield) power (authority), pass: I am ruled, am held under authority.

From: Public Domain Greek-English lexicon by John Jeffrey Dodson (2010) Advertisement

Strong's Greek Dictionary 1850 ἐξουσιάζω (exousiázō) from 1849; to control

--exercise authority upon, bring under the (have) power of.

From: Strong's Greek Dictionary by James Strong (1890)

The NAS New Testament Greek Lexicon

Strong's Number:   1849	  

Original Word Word Origin exousia from (1832) (in the sense of ability) Transliterated Word TDNT Entry Exousia 2:562,238 Phonetic Spelling Parts of Speech ex-oo-see'-ah Noun Feminine

Definition

   power of choice, liberty of doing as one pleases
       leave or permission
   physical and mental power
       the ability or strength with which one is endued, which he either possesses or exercises
   the power of authority (influence) and of right (privilege)
   the power of rule or government (the power of him whose will and commands must be submitted to by others and obeyed)
       universally
           authority over mankind 
       specifically
           the power of judicial decisions
           of authority to manage domestic affairs 
       metonymically
           a thing subject to authority or rule 4c
       jurisdiction
           one who possesses authority 4c
       a ruler, a human magistrate 4c
       the leading and more powerful among created beings superior to man, spiritual potentates
       a sign of the husband's authority over his wife
           the veil with which propriety required a women to cover herself 
       the sign of regal authority, a crown

NAS Word Usage - Total: 102

authorities 7, authority 65, charge 1, control 1, domain 2, dominion 1, jurisdiction 1, liberty 1, power 11, powers 1, right 11

NAS Verse Count Matthew 9 Mark 9 Luke 15 John 6 Acts 7 Romans 4 1 Corinthians 9 2 Corinthians 2 Ephesians 4 Colossians 4 2 Thessalonians 1 Titus 1 Hebrews 1 1 Peter 1 Jude 1 Revelation 19

Total 93 Greek lexicon based on Thayer's and Smith's Bible Dictionary plus others; this is keyed to the large Kittel and the "Theological Dictionary of the New Testament." These files are public domain.

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"In Romans 13:1, the word is used in the plural and means “authorities” and refers to the civil governmental authorities in Rome who were delegated authority and power by God as His servants to govern the affairs of men and to exercise justice against law breakers. The word speaks of the power or right to govern and to exercise authority over the citizens of the Roman Empire."[2013 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Minis http://www.wenstrom.org/downloads/written/word_studies/greek/exousia.pdf]

Governments are not established by God but by men. God has simply established the means by which men establish governments for themselves. What is often not realized by many is the simple truth that civil governmental authorities is only established by the Consent of the governed. That consent is mostly established by applications for a protection from harm or want and sealed with swearing oaths or debt.

"In political philosophy, the phrase Consent of the governed refers to the idea that a government's legitimacy and moral right to use state power is only justified and legal when derived from the people or society over which that political power is exercised. This theory of consent is historically contrasted to the divine right of kings and has often been invoked against the legitimacy of colonialism. Article 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that "The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government"." http://www.preparingyou.com/wiki/UNIVERSAL_DECLARATION_OF_HUMAN_RIGHTS#Article_21.