17 Bible Verses about Government

"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: " 'The Amen, the true and faithful witness, the origin of God's creation, speaks thus: I know what you are doing, and that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot! As it is, since you are tepid and neither cold nor hot, I am going to spit you out of my mouth! read more.
Because you say, "I am rich, I have become wealthy, I need nothing," and you do not know that it is you that are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked, I advise you to buy of me gold that has been tested with fire, so that you may be rich, and white clothes to put on, to keep your shameful nakedness from being seen, and salve to put on your eyes, to make you see. I reprove and discipline all whom I love. So be earnest and repent. Here I stand knocking at the door. If anyone listens to my voice and opens the door, I will be his guest and dine with him, and he with me. I will permit him who is victorious to take his seat beside me on my throne, just as I have been victorious and taken my seat beside my Father on his throne.

For that reason I am ready to submit to anything for the sake of those whom God has chosen, so that they too may gain the salvation that comes through Christ Jesus and brings eternal glory. How true those words are! "If we have died with him, we will live with him! If we endure, we will reign with him! If we disown him, he will also disown us!

For the Son of Man is going his way, as it has been decreed, but alas for the man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!" And they began to discuss with one another which of them it was who was going to do this. A dispute also arose among them, as to which one of them ought to be considered the greatest. read more.
But he said to them, "The kings of the heathen lord it over them, and their authorities are given the title of Benefactor. But you are not to do so, but whoever is greatest among you must be like the youngest, and the leader like a servant. For which is greater, the man at the table, or the servant who waits on him? Is not the man at the table? Yet I am like a servant among you. But it is you who have stood by me in my trials. So just as my Father has conferred a kingdom on me I confer on you the right to eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and to sit on thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel!

"To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: " 'The Son of God, whose eyes blaze like fire, and whose feet are like bronze, speaks thus: I know the things you do, your love and faithfulness and helpfulness and endurance, and I know that you are now doing more than you did at first. But I hold it against you that you tolerate that Jezebel of a woman who claims to be inspired and who is misleading my slaves and teaching them to practice immorality and to eat meat that has been sacrificed to idols. read more.
I have given her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her immorality. See! I am going to lay her on a sick bed, and to bring great distress upon those who share her immorality, unless they repent of her practices, and I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches men's hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you for what you have done. But to the rest of you at Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching and have not learned the "deep things" of Satan, as they call them??o you I say, I have no fresh burden to lay on you, but keep hold of what you have, until I come. To him who is victorious and continues to the end to do the things that please me, I will give authority over the heathen??27 just such authority as I received from my Father; he will shepherd them with an iron staff and shatter them like earthen jars!??28 and I will give him the morning star.

They answered, "You were born in utter sin, and are you trying to teach us?" So they excluded him from the synagogue.

Then he explained to them for the first time that the Son of Man must go through much suffering, and be refused by the elders and the high priests and the scribes, and be killed, and rise again three days after.

When it was morning, all the high priests and elders of the people held a consultation about Jesus, with a view to putting him to death. And they bound him and led him away and handed him over to Pilate the governor.

When he had entered the Temple, and was teaching, the high priests and the elders of the people came up to him, and said, "What authority have you for doing as you do, and who gave you this authority?"

As soon as it was daylight, the high priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes, and they and the whole council bound Jesus and took him away and handed him over to Pilate.

Then the high priests and the elders of the people gathered in the house of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and plotted to arrest Jesus by stealth and put him to death. But they said, "It must not be during the festival, or there may be a riot."

If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that your meetings may not bring down a judgment upon you. The details I will settle when I come.

The apostles and elders had a meeting to look into this matter.

For the holy Spirit and we have decided not to lay upon you any burden but this indispensable one,

Never reprove an older man, but appeal to him as to a father. Treat younger men like brothers,

Jesus answered, "Anyone who loves me will observe my teaching, and my Father will love him and we will come to him and live with him. No one who does not love me will observe my teaching, and yet the teaching you are listening to is not mine but is that of him who has sent me. "I have told you this while I am still staying with you, read more.
but the Helper, the holy Spirit which the Father will send in my place, will teach you everything and remind you of everything that I have told you. I leave you a blessing; I give you my own blessing. I do not give it to you as the world gives. Your minds must not be troubled or afraid. You have heard me say that I am going away and am coming back to you; if you loved me you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. And I have told you of it now before it happens, in order that when it happens you may believe in me. I shall not talk much more with you, for the evil genius of the world is coming. He has nothing in common with me,

If the meaning of my preaching of the good news is veiled at all, it is so only in the case of those who are on the way to destruction. In their case, the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep the light of the good news of the glorious Christ, the likeness of God, from dawning upon them.

Yet it is only the truth when I tell you that it is better for you that I should go away. For if I do not go, the Helper will not come to you, but if I go I will send him to you. When he comes, he will bring conviction to the world about sin and uprightness and judgment; about sin, as shown in their not believing in me; read more.
about uprightness, as shown by my going away to the Father, where you can no longer see me; and about judgment, as shown by the condemnation of the evil genius of this world.

Yet there is a wisdom that we impart when we are with people who have a mature faith, but it is not what this world calls wisdom, nor what the authorities of this world, doomed as they are to pass away, would call so. But it is a mysterious divine wisdom that we impart, hitherto kept secret, and destined by God before the world began for our glory. It is a wisdom unknown to any of the authorities of this world, for otherwise they would never have crucified our glorious Lord.

In the fifteenth year of the reign of the Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod governor of Galilee, while his brother Philip was governor of the territory of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was the governor of Abilene,

Five days later, the high priest Ananias came down with some of the elders and an attorney named Tertullus, and they presented their case against Paul before the governor.

And they bound him and led him away and handed him over to Pilate the governor.

If a man is inclined to a sect, after warning him once or twice, have nothing more to do with him.

like Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I turned over to Satan, to be taught not to blaspheme.

I appeal to you personally, by the gentleness and forbearance of Christ??he Paul who is so humble when face to face with you, but so bold in dealing with you when he is far away!

I have handed the man over to Satan, for his physical destruction, in order that his spirit may be saved on the Day of the Lord.

Those who have kept on in their old sins and all the rest I have warned, and I warn them now while I am still away, as I did on my second visit, that if I come back I will spare nobody??3 since you demand proof that Christ really speaks through me. He is not weak in dealing with you. On the contrary, right among you he exhibits his power.

Then I saw a great white throne with a being seated on it from whose presence earth and sky fled so far that they could not be found.

But I tell you not to swear at all, either by heaven, for it is God's throne,

Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and loud voices were heard in heaven, saying, "The sovereignty of the world has passed into the possession of our Lord and his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever." Then the twenty-four elders who were seated on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, "We give you thanks, Lord God Almighty, who are and were, because you have assumed your great power and begun to reign.

"Receive the holy Spirit! If you forgive any men's sins, they are forgiven them, and if you fix any men's sins upon them, they will remain fixed."

I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you forbid on earth will be held in heaven to be forbidden, and whatever you permit on earth will be held in heaven to be permitted."

"I tell you, whatever you forbid on earth will be held in heaven to be forbidden, and whatever you permit on earth will be held in heaven to be permitted.

As they traveled on from one town to another, they passed on to the brothers for their observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem.

Obey your leaders and give way to them, for they are keeping watch in defense of your souls, as men accountable for the trust. Make their work a joy and not a grief, for that would be the worse for you.

Remind men to accept and obey the constituted authorities, to be ready for any useful service,

Everyone must obey the authorities that are over him, for no authority can exist without the permission of God; the existing authorities have been established by him, so that anyone who resists the authorities sets himself in opposition to what God has ordained, and those who oppose him will bring down judgment upon themselves. The man who does right has nothing to fear from the magistrates, as the wrongdoer has. If you want to have no fear of the authorities, do right, and they will commend you for it, read more.
for they are God's agents to do you good. But if you do wrong you may well be afraid, for they do not carry swords for nothing. They are God's servants, to execute his wrath upon wrongdoers. You must obey them, therefore, not only to escape God's wrath, but as a matter of principle, just as you pay your taxes; they are God's ministers, devoting themselves to this service. Pay them all what is due them??ribute to the man entitled to receive it, taxes to the man entitled to receive them, respect to the man entitled to it, and honor to the man entitled to it.

So give us your opinion: Is it right to pay the poll-tax to the emperor, or not?" But he saw their malice, and said, "Why do you put me to such a test, you hypocrites? Show me the poll-tax coin!" And they brought him a denarius. read more.
And he said to them, "Whose head and title is this?" They answered, "The emperor's." Then he said to them, "Then pay the emperor what belongs to the emperor, and pay God what belongs to God!"

He said to them, "Then pay the emperor what belongs to the emperor, and pay God what belongs to God!"

Submit to all human authority, for the Master's sake; to the emperor, as supreme, and to governors, as sent by him to punish evil-doers, and to encourage those who do right. For it is the will of God that by doing right you should silence the ignorant charges of foolish people. read more.
Live like free men, only do not make your freedom an excuse for doing wrong, but be slaves of God. Treat everyone with respect. Love the brotherhood, be reverent to God, respect the emperor.

Then one of the Twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the high priests, and said, "What will you give me if I hand him over to you?" And they counted him out thirty silver pieces.

Then Judas who had betrayed him, when he saw that he had been condemned, in his remorse brought back the thirty silver pieces to the high priests and elders, and said, "I did wrong when I handed an innocent man over to death!" They said, "What is that to us? You see to it yourself."

In those days an edict was issued by the Emperor Augustus that a census of the whole world should be taken.

Submit to all human authority, for the Master's sake; to the emperor, as supreme, and to governors, as sent by him to punish evil-doers, and to encourage those who do right.

Everyone must obey the authorities that are over him, for no authority can exist without the permission of God; the existing authorities have been established by him, so that anyone who resists the authorities sets himself in opposition to what God has ordained, and those who oppose him will bring down judgment upon themselves. The man who does right has nothing to fear from the magistrates, as the wrongdoer has. If you want to have no fear of the authorities, do right, and they will commend you for it, read more.
for they are God's agents to do you good. But if you do wrong you may well be afraid, for they do not carry swords for nothing. They are God's servants, to execute his wrath upon wrongdoers. You must obey them, therefore, not only to escape God's wrath, but as a matter of principle, just as you pay your taxes; they are God's ministers, devoting themselves to this service. Pay them all what is due them??ribute to the man entitled to receive it, taxes to the man entitled to receive them, respect to the man entitled to it, and honor to the man entitled to it.

When Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing but that a riot was beginning instead, he took some water and washed his hands in the presence of the crowd, saying, "I am not responsible for this man's death; you must see to it yourselves."

This made Pilate try to find a way to let him go, but the Jews shouted, "If you let him go, you are no friend of the emperor's! Anyone who calls himself a king utters treason against the emperor!" When Pilate heard that, he had Jesus brought out and had him sit in the judge's seat in the place they call the Stone Platform, or in Hebrew, Gabbatha. It was the day of Preparation for the Passover, and it was about noon. And Pilate said to the Jews, "There is your king!" read more.
At that they shouted, "Kill him! Kill him! Have him crucified!" Pilate said to them, "Am I to crucify your king?" The high priests answered, "We have no king but the emperor!" Then Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus,

Then he removed him and raised David up to be their king, bearing this testimony to him: 'I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my own heart, who will do all that I desire.'

"Why do your disciples break the rules handed down by our ancestors? For they eat their bread without first washing their hands."

You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied finely about you when he said, " 'This people honor me with their lips, Yet their hearts are far away from me. But their worship of me is all in vain, For the lessons they teach are but human precepts.' "

The Pharisees gathered about him with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem. They had noticed that some of his disciples ate their food without first giving their hands a ceremonial washing to purify them. For the Pharisees and all the Jews observe the rules handed down from their ancestors, and will not eat until they have washed their hands in a particular way,

Treat everyone with respect. Love the brotherhood, be reverent to God, respect the emperor.

and he immediately sent one of his guard with orders to get John's head. And he went off and beheaded him in the prison and brought back his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother.

At the same time he hoped to get money from Paul, and for that reason he used to send for him very often and talk with him.