42 Bible Verses about Authority, of human institutions

Therefore God also gave them over to the lusts of their own hearts for uncleanness, to contaminate their own bodies between themselves, who changed the truth of God into a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for all ages. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto shameful affections, for even their women changed the natural use into that which is against nature;

And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

In those days there was no king in Israel; each one did that which seemed right in his own eyes.

for he is a minister of God for thy good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain, for he is a minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that does evil.

Let every soul submit itself to the higher powers. For there is no power but of God, and the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resists the power, resists the ordinance of God, and those that resist shall receive condemnation to themselves.

For surely your blood which is your souls I will require; at the hand of every animal I will require it and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother I will require the soul (or life) of man. Whoever sheds man's blood in man, his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God is man made.

and it is he that changes the times and the opportunities; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom unto the wise and knowledge unto those that know understanding:

By sentence of the watchmen is the matter resolved, and the case by the word of the holy ones to the intent that the living may know that the most High takes rule over the kingdom of men and gives it to whoever he will and sets up over it the man who is the lowest.

O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father the kingdom and the greatness and the glory and the magnificence: and by the greatness that he gave him, all the peoples, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him; whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he humbled. But when his heart made itself arrogant, and his spirit hardened itself in pride, he was deposed from the throne of his kingdom, and they took his glory from him:read more.
and he was driven from among the sons of men; and his heart was put with the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they made him eat grass like an ox, and his body was bathed with the dew of heaven until he understood that the most high God takes rule of the kingdom of men and that he appoints over it whomever he will.

Jesus answered, Thou could have no power at all against me, unless it were given thee from above; therefore he that delivered me unto thee has the greater sin.

Therefore, be subject to every human ordinance that is of the Lord, whether it be to a king or to a superior,

Thus saith the LORD to his Messiah, to Cyrus, whom I have taken by his right hand to subdue Gentiles before him and to loose the loins of kings. To open before him the two-leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut:

behold, I will send and take all the families of the north wind, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my slave, and will bring them against this land and against its inhabitants and against all these nations round about and will utterly destroy them and make them an astonishment, and a hissing, and perpetual desolations.

And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my slave; and even the beasts of the field I have given him that they might serve him.

and say unto them, Thus hath the LORD of the hosts, the God of Israel said; Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my slave and will set his throne upon these stones that I have hid, and he shall spread his royal pavilion over them.

For this cause ye also pay them tribute, for they are God's ministers, attending continually to this very thing.

for kings, and for all that are in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and integrity.

and unto governors as unto those that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those that do well.

Let every soul submit itself to the higher powers. For there is no power but of God, and the powers that be are ordained of God.

Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar or not? But Jesus perceived their wickedness and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Show me the coin of the tribute. And they presented unto him a denarius.read more.
And he said unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Caesar's. Then said he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's.

And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art a man of truth who regards no man; for thou dost not look upon the appearance of men, but dost with truth teach the way of God; is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar or not? Shall we give or shall we not give? Then he, understanding their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? Bring me the coin that I may see it. And they brought it. And he said unto them, Of whom is this image and inscription? And they said unto him, Of Caesar.read more.
And Jesus, answering, said unto them, Render that which is of Caesar unto Caesar, and that which is of God unto God. And they marvelled at this.

Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar or no? But he, perceiving their craftiness, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have? They answered and said, Caesar's.read more.
And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's and unto God the things which are God's.

Therefore it is necessary that ye be subject, not only for punishment, but also for conscience sake. For this cause ye also pay them tribute, for they are God's ministers, attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.

Admonish them to be subject to dominion and power, and to persuade those who have authority, that they be quick unto every good work.

Therefore, be subject to every human ordinance that is of the Lord, whether it be to a king or to a superior, and unto governors as unto those that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those that do well.

My son, fear the LORD and the king, and do not meddle with those that are given to change,

Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.

Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.

Then Peter and John answered and said unto them, Judge whether it is right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God.

But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them but gave the men children their lives.

And Naboth replied unto Ahab, The LORD keep me from giving thee the inheritance of my fathers.

But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not worship thy god, nor honour the statue which thou hast raised up.

Then they went and spoke before the king concerning the royal decree; Hast thou not confirmed a decree that whoever shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Media and Persia, which does not change.

They say unto him, Caesar's. Then said he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's.

And Jesus, answering, said unto them, Render that which is of Caesar unto Caesar, and that which is of God unto God. And they marvelled at this.

And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's and unto God the things which are God's.

By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months by his parents because they saw he was a beautiful child, and they were not afraid of the king's commandment.

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men, for kings, and for all that are in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and integrity.

And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it; for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.

And when it was day, the magistrates sent the sergeants, saying, Let those men go. And the keeper of the prison made these words known unto Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go; now therefore depart and go in peace. But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out in secret? no indeed; but let them come themselves and fetch us out.read more.
And the sergeants returned and told these words unto the magistrates; and they feared when they heard that they were Romans. And they came and besought them, and bringing them out, asked them to depart out of the city.

And they gave him audience unto this word and then lifted up their voices and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth, for it is not fit that he should live. And as they cried out and cast off their clothes and threw dust into the air, the tribunal commanded him to be brought into the fortress and bade that he should be examined by scourging that he might know why they cried out so against him.read more.
And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman and uncondemned? When the centurion heard that, he went and told the tribunal, saying, Take heed what thou doest, for this man is a Roman. Then the tribunal came and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yes. And the tribunal answered, With a great sum I obtained this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born. Then straightway those who should have tormented him departed from him, and the tribunal was also afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman and because he had bound him.

Now when Festus was come into the province, after three days he ascended from Caesarea to Jerusalem. Then the prince of the priests and the principals of the Jews informed him against Paul and besought him, asking for grace against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem, they placing an ambush in the way to kill him.read more.
But Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea and that he himself would depart shortly there. Let them, therefore, said he, who among you are able, go down with me and accuse this man, if there is anything in him. And when he had tarried among them no more than ten days, he went down unto Caesarea and the next day, sitting on the judgment seat, commanded Paul to be brought. And when he was come, the Jews who came down from Jerusalem stood round about and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove. While he answered for himself, Neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar have I sinned in anything at all. But Festus, willing to ingratiate himself with the Jews, answered Paul and said, Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me? Then said Paul, I stand at Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be judged; to the Jews I have done no wrong, as thou very well knowest. For if I am an offender or have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if there are none of these things of which these accuse me, no one may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar. Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Hast thou appealed unto Caesar? unto Caesar shalt thou go.