When Submission Becomes Silence

Recovering a Biblical Understanding of Authority and Conscience

In recent weeks, several conversations have pushed me to revisit what Scripture actually teaches about authority, submission, and the believer’s conscience. These themes matter deeply—not only in the abstract, but in the real-life situations where leaders fail, systems break down, and silence becomes complicity.

Some people assume that “submission” means keeping quiet, suppressing your conscience, or deferring to spiritual leaders even when something feels profoundly wrong. They say you can never question leadership or you might get leprosy like Miriam, as we addressed a few weeks ago. But this is not the biblical model. It may be the cultural one. It may be the convenient one. It may even be the one some leaders prefer. But it is not the one Scripture presents.

What follows is a simple attempt to bring clarity—because blurred lines here can cause real damage.

1. Submission in Scripture Is Never Blind 

The Bible does call us to submit to one another (Eph. 5:21), to honor those who serve faithfully (1 Thess. 5:12–13), especially elders (1 Tim. 5:17), and to work peaceably with leaders who shepherd well (Heb. 13:17). But none of these passages envision passive obedience or moral disengagement.

Biblical submission always has boundaries: 

• “We must obey God rather than men.” — Acts 5:29

• “Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.” — Romans 14:5

• “The goal of our instruction is love… from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith.” — 1 Timothy 1:5

  
  

Submission in Scripture is relational, voluntary, discerning, and rooted in love—not coercive, not fear-driven, and never in conflict with obedience to God. 

Certainly, within congregational government, leadership is needed. Congregational leadership can determine what color to paint the building, but they can’t come to your house and tell you what color to paint your home. They can decide who gets to work in the children’s ministry, but they don’t get to make decisions about your children—like where they go to school or when their bedtime is.

2. A Silenced Conscience Is Not Submission 

If submission means ignoring your God-given conscience, something has gone terribly wrong.

God designed the conscience to function as a moral compass, sensitive to the Holy Spirit, guided by His Word. When leaders demand unquestioning allegiance—even subtly—they are asking believers to replace God’s voice with theirs. Many of you may remember when the leaders of one of the largest ministries in the world told an employee that his mother, the president, was the “voice of God” to him at work.  

Yes, we have to obey our bosses at work. But that is not the “voice of God” in any way, shape, or form, and to suggest that is a misuse of Scripture. Let me explain. What if my boss tells me to break the law, engage in immorality, or do something that violates my conscience—I may lose my job for not obeying, but their voice is not the voice of God. 

True submission is not the abdication of conscience; it is the alignment of conscience with Scripture and the Spirit. And sometimes, hopefully rarely, that could put you at odds with congregational elders or employers.  

• We see that when Daniel chose to pray rather than obey. 

• We see it in Daniel’s three friends who chose death over worshiping an idol. 

• We see it in the apostles who rebelled against religious authority to preach the gospel. 

The wisdom of Proverbs warns us repeatedly about this: 

• “Speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves.” — Proverbs 31:8

• “Open your mouth, judge righteously.” — Proverbs 31:9

Silence, when others are harmed, is not holiness. It is disobedience.

3. Discernment Requires a Community, Not Just a Leader



Healthy submission is never unidirectional. It involves:



• The Word of God, our primary authority

• The witness of the Holy Spirit

• Conscience, purified and responsive

• The counsel of trusted believers, not just one leader or structure

  
  

When all of these are functioning together, authority becomes safe, life-giving, and Christlike. And when leadership honors the ability of each believer to hear God on their own, it creates a safer experience. As a pastor, I can assure you that people have come to me, saying that God told them this or that, and I was relatively sure that he had not. But I recognize where my authority ends. If they’re telling me that God told them that they are to preach in the next service, I have the authority to say, “Well, until He tells me that too, it’s not going to happen.” But if they tell me that God has told them to take a job in another state, which means leaving the congregation, I can give counsel, but I cannot demand submission—that they would not take the job and stay in the congregation. 

When leaders shut down questions, avoid accountability, or weaponize “submission” language, something other than biblical authority is at work. 

4. When Authority Is Misused, Silence Is Not an Option 

Throughout Scripture, God’s people are called to confront injustice—even when the injustice comes from those in power. 

• Nathan confronted David.

• Paul confronted Peter.

• Jesus confronted religious leaders more than anyone else.

  
  

Authority is not a shield against accountability; it is a call to higher accountability.

When leaders minimize wrongdoing, avoid transparency, or shut down legitimate concerns, they place the burden on the people of God to speak—even when speaking comes at a cost.

For many, that cost is relational. For others, reputational. Sometimes it’s both.

5. Biblical Submission Is Beautiful—When Practiced Biblically 

Biblical authority is meant to reflect Jesus: 

• servant-hearted

• transparent

• humble

• accountable

• willing to repent

• eager to listen

• protective of the weak

  
  

No one would deny that the believer is submitted to Jesus, but look at his example. He left the luxury of heaven to take on human flesh and die as a sinner (that is, in the form of a sinner—of course, he was not a sinner). He washed his disciples’ feet and urged them not to seek power but humility. When leaders embody that, submission becomes natural and life-giving.

But when authority becomes self-protective, dismissive, secretive, or defensive, submission becomes dangerous. At that point, believers must return to the higher call: obey God rather than men.

Conclusion: Keep Your Conscience Alive 

We are living in a time when the Church desperately needs clarity on these issues. Too many have been wounded by distorted versions of “submission” that demand silence when truth must be spoken. 

If you are in a situation where your conscience is screaming and your spirit is burdened, know this: 

You are not disobedient.

You are not rebellious.

You are not out of order.

You may, in fact, be the one person in the room listening to God.

Biblical submission is beautiful.

Spiritual abuse is not.

And God never asks you to confuse the two.