--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The authority of God is unlike what is…" description: "\"“The authority of God is unlike what is usually meant by \"external authority\" ... The authority of God brings perspective, joy and hope.”\" — G C Berkouwer" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a80/g-c-berkouwer-9618_authority_the-authority-of-god-is-unlike-what-is-u_687917.jpg" --- # The authority of God is unlike what is usually meant by… ![“The authority of God is unlike what is usually meant by "external authority" ... The authority of God brings perspective, joy and hope.” quote by G C Berkouwer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a80/g-c-berkouwer-9618_authority_the-authority-of-god-is-unlike-what-is-u_687917.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a80/g-c-berkouwer-9618_authority_the-authority-of-god-is-unlike-what-is-u_687917.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a80/g-c-berkouwer-9618_authority_the-authority-of-god-is-unlike-what-is-u_687917.jpg) > ““The authority of God is unlike what is usually meant by "external authority" ... The authority of God brings perspective, joy and hope.”” [G C Berkouwer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-c-berkouwer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Divine authority offers a perspective that differs from human power, bringing joy and hope to believers. **In simple terms:** God’s authority gives hope and joy. Key Takeaway Seek divine perspective for comfort. Themes faith hope authority perspective Mood reassuring inspirational Type spiritual philosophical When to use this quote - personal crisis - spiritual counseling - life decisions - overcoming despair Key Concepts theology spiritual comfort existential meaning Questions to Reflect On - How does divine authority change your view of challenges? - What brings you hope in difficult times? A Different Perspective Human authority can be oppressive; divine authority may feel abstract. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/) [Authority Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority-authority-815776/) [Authority God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority-god/) [External Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/external-authority-1538372/) [God Brings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-brings/) [Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) ## Related quotes > [“The authority of God's Word is not an arbitrary, external authority. It is a wooing and conquering authority. Scripture's authority does not demand blind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-c-berkouwer/the-authority-of-god-s-word-is-not-an-arbitrary-external-authority-it/) [G C Berkouwer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-c-berkouwer/) > [“You must never be limited by external authority, whether it be vested in a church, man, or book. It is your right to question,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhagat-singh-thind/you-must-never-be-limited-by-external-authority-whether-it-be-vested/) [Bhagat Singh Thind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhagat-singh-thind/) > [Since a democratic society repudiates the principle of external authority, it must find a substitute in voluntary disposition and interest; these can be created…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/since-a-democratic-society-repudiates-the-principle-of-external/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [“Only those who are subject to authority can be authority.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/watchman-nee/only-those-who-are-subject-to-authority-can-be-authority/) [Watchman Nee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/watchman-nee/) > [Many people never grow up. They stay all their lives with a passionate need for external authority and guidance, pretending not to trust their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/many-people-never-grow-up-they-stay-all-their-lives-with-a-passionate/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [“The authority of God is not ... an arbitrary, external authority, demanding blind obedience ... The authority of God is a wooing and conquering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-c-berkouwer/the-authority-of-god-is-not-an-arbitrary-external-authority-demanding/) [G C Berkouwer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-c-berkouwer/) > [“The authority of God's Word ... We must be aware of the dangers of an experience-theology ... We must be critical of the suggestion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-c-berkouwer/the-authority-of-god-s-word-we-must-be-aware-of-the-dangers-of-an/) [G C Berkouwer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-c-berkouwer/) > [“No matter how independent man may desire to become, or how proud and mighty he may feel, he has discovered that it is impossible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-fielding-smith/no-matter-how-independent-man-may-desire-to-become-or-how-proud-and/) [Joseph Fielding Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-fielding-smith/) > [“Challenge authority; the authority of your own rational convictions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/challenge-authority-the-authority-of-your-own-rational-convictions/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [Truth for authority, not authority for truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucretia-mott/truth-for-authority-not-authority-for-truth/) [Lucretia Mott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucretia-mott/) > [We live in a world in which data convey authority. But authority has a way of descending to certitude, and certitude begets hubris.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/we-live-in-a-world-in-which-data-convey-authority-but-authority-has-a/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [“Every human act had a power behind it, every power had an authority, and every authority had a purpose-dirty bombs constituted by free will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucian-bane/every-human-act-had-a-power-behind-it-every-power-had-an-authority/) [Lucian Bane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucian-bane/) > [The answer is to say 'No!' to authority when authority is wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/studs-terkel/the-answer-is-to-say-no-to-authority-when-authority-is-wrong/) [Studs Terkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/studs-terkel/) > [“Someone who had authority, or should have had authority and did not exercise authority. I do not know. But someone sometime let you forget…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/someone-who-had-authority-or-should-have-had-authority-and-did-not/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [“The more a man departs from lawful authority, that is, authority normally constituted, whether by God or by the nature of things, the more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-sertillanges/the-more-a-man-departs-from-lawful-authority-that-is-authority/) [Antonin Sertillanges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonin-sertillanges/) ## More by G C Berkouwer > [“Lord, will those who are saved be few?” ... Jesus’ answer seems so noncommittal, so evasive ... Strive to enter by the narrow door…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-c-berkouwer/lord-will-those-who-are-saved-be-few-jesus-answer-seems-so/) [G C Berkouwer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-c-berkouwer/) > [“The history of salvation does away with any personal glory ... in Christ, we have the exclusion of all human merit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-c-berkouwer/the-history-of-salvation-does-away-with-any-personal-glory-in-christ/) [G C Berkouwer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-c-berkouwer/) > [“The restoration of the image of God ... the new nature, created after the likeness of God in righteousness and holiness ... the new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-c-berkouwer/the-restoration-of-the-image-of-god-the-new-nature-created-after-the/) [G C Berkouwer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-c-berkouwer/) > [“On the route of faith and action, along with hope, we see that the gospel we believe is far removed from the picture of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-c-berkouwer/on-the-route-of-faith-and-action-along-with-hope-we-see-that-the/) [G C Berkouwer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-c-berkouwer/) > [“Genuine sanctification has a ‘continued orientation toward justification.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-c-berkouwer/genuine-sanctification-has-a-continued-orientation-toward/) [G C Berkouwer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-c-berkouwer/) > [“Men have tried to construct abstract and causal answers to this question of sin's origin and ... have violated the very limits of objectivity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-c-berkouwer/men-have-tried-to-construct-abstract-and-causal-answers-to-this/) [G C Berkouwer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-c-berkouwer/) > [“The true nature of good works cannot be understood apart from Christ who is our ‘sanctification’ (1 Corinthians 1:30).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-c-berkouwer/the-true-nature-of-good-works-cannot-be-understood-apart-from-christ/) [G C Berkouwer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-c-berkouwer/) > [“In the Gospels, being a sinner means being lost ... There is no way for man to escape the condition of being lost ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-c-berkouwer/in-the-gospels-being-a-sinner-means-being-lost-there-is-no-way-for/) [G C Berkouwer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-c-berkouwer/) > [“In the New Testament, "myth stands over against the truth (aletheia) of the history of Jesus Christ ... the decisive die has ... been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-c-berkouwer/in-the-new-testament-myth-stands-over-against-the-truth-aletheia-of/) [G C Berkouwer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-c-berkouwer/) > [“Dilemmas always are a source of polarization. We quickly move over to simplistic either-or’s … in which the fulness of truth is torn apart.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-c-berkouwer/dilemmas-always-are-a-source-of-polarization-we-quickly-move-over-to/) [G C Berkouwer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-c-berkouwer/) > [“The church's ... certainty is bound to certain norms and ... a feeling of subjective certainty does not guarantee irrefutable certainty ... it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-c-berkouwer/the-church-s-certainty-is-bound-to-certain-norms-and-a-feeling-of/) [G C Berkouwer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-c-berkouwer/) > [“God ... is hidden from corrupt eyes, from the proud and disdainful, but revealed to those who in confession of sin and receptive faith…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-c-berkouwer/god-is-hidden-from-corrupt-eyes-from-the-proud-and-disdainful-but/) [G C Berkouwer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-c-berkouwer/) > [“I am of the opinion that … one can judge soundly of the scriptural doctrine of election only when one rejects this symmetry (i.e.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-c-berkouwer/i-am-of-the-opinion-that-one-can-judge-soundly-of-the-scriptural/) [G C Berkouwer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-c-berkouwer/) > [“The hesitations and doubts that are present at many points in modern theology do not in themselves indicate a deep and final uncertainty ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-c-berkouwer/the-hesitations-and-doubts-that-are-present-at-many-points-in-modern/) [G C Berkouwer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-c-berkouwer/) > [“It is the marvel of the work of the Holy Spirit that those who really respond to the proclamation of reconciliation claim no merit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-c-berkouwer/it-is-the-marvel-of-the-work-of-the-holy-spirit-that-those-who-really/) [G C Berkouwer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-c-berkouwer/) [Explore all 71 G C Berkouwer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-c-berkouwer/) ## More Authority quotes > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. 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