18 Bible Verses about Government

And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write, These things says the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God, I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot. Because therefore you are warm, and neither hot nor cold, I am about to spew you out of my mouth. read more.
For you say, I am rich and have become rich and have need of nothing, and know not that you are miserable, and pitiable, and poor, and blind, and naked. I advise you to buy of me gold purified in the fire that you may be rich, and white robes that you may put on, and the shame of your nakedness not appear, and an eye-salve to anoint your eyes that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; be zealous therefore and change your minds. Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one shall hear my voice and open the door, I will enter in to him, and feast with him, and he with me. To him that conquers will I give to sit down with me on my throne, as I conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.

Therefore I endure all things for the elect, that they may obtain the salvation in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. The saying is true, For if we died together we shall live together; if we endure patiently we shall reign together; if we deny him he will deny us;

for the Son of man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed. And they inquired among themselves which of them it was who was about to do this. And there was a contention among them as to which of them should be the greatest. read more.
And he said to them, The kings of the nations exercise lordship over them; and those having power are called their benefactors. But you shall not be so. But let the greater among you be as the younger, and the chief as he that serves. For which is greater, he that reclines, or he that serves? Is not he that reclines? But I am with you as he that serves. And you have continued with me in my trials, and I appoint you, as my Father has appointed me, a kingdom, that you may eat and drink at my table, in my kingdom, and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write, These things says the Son of God, he that has his eyes like a flame of fire and his feet like fine brass, I know your works and love and faith and service and your patience, and your last works more than the first. But I have against you that you allow your wife Jezebel, who says she is a prophetess and teaches and deceives my servants to commit fornication and eat things offered to idols. read more.
And I gave her time to change her mind, and she will not change her mind from her fornication. Behold, I will cast her on a [sick] bed, and those committing adultery with her into great affliction, unless they change their minds from her works. And her children will I kill with pestilence, and all the churches shall know that I am he that searches the minds and hearts, and I will give you each one according to your works. But I say to the rest of you in Thyatira who have not this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I will put on you no other burden; but what you have, hold fast till I come. And to him that conquers and keeps my works till the end, I will give power over the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, and crush them like earthen vessels, as I also have received of my Father, and I will give him the star of the morning.

They answered and said to him, You were born entirely in sins, and do you teach us? And they cast him without.

And he began to teach them that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, and the chief priests, and the scribes; and be killed, and after three days be raised again.

AND when it was morning all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to kill him. And having bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate, the procurator.

AND Jesus having gone into the temple, the chief priests and elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority do you do these things? and who gave you this authority?

And immediately in the morning, the chief priests taking counsel with the elders, and scribes, and all the Sanhedrim, bound Jesus, and brought and delivered him to Pilate.

Then the chief priests and the elders of the people were assembled in the court of the chief priest, who was called Caiaphas, and they took counsel to seize Jesus by stratagem, and kill him. But they said, Not at the feast, lest there be a tumult among the people.

If any one is hungry let him eat at home, that you come not together for judgment. The other things I will arrange when I come.

And the apostles and elders were assembled together to see about this matter.

For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to put no greater burden upon you except these necessary things;

Rebuke not an aged man, but entreat him as a father, the younger men as brothers,

Jesus answered and said to him, If any one loves me he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our mansion with him. He that loves me not, keeps not my words; and the word which you hear is not mine, but the Father's that sent me. I have said these things to you while yet continuing with you, read more.
but the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, which the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and remind you of all things which I have told you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you; not as the world gives give I to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. You heard that I said to you, I will go away and come to you. If you loved me you would rejoice because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it occurs, that when it occurs you may believe. I will not speak with you much more; for the ruler of this world comes and has nothing in me;

But if our gospel is vailed it is vailed among the lost, in whom the god of this life has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the likeness of God, may not shine.

But I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I should go away; for if I do not go away, the Comforter will not come to you; but if I go I will send him to you. And when he has come, he will convince the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they believe not on me; read more.
and of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and you behold me no more; and of judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

But we speak wisdom among the perfect, but not the wisdom of this life, nor of the rulers of this life, who are destroyed; but we speak a wisdom of God hid in mystery, which God appointed from eternity for our glory, which none of the rulers of this life knew, for if they had known they would not have crucified the Lord of glory;

AND in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being procurator of Judea, and Herod tetrarch of Galilee, and Philip his brother tetrarch of Ituria and the country of Trachonitis, and Lysanias being tetrarch of Abilene,

AND after five days the chief priest Ananias, with the elders, and a certain orator, Tertullus, went down and gave information to the procurator against Paul.

And having bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate, the procurator.

A man that is a heretic, after the first and second admonition, reject,

of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.

I PAUL also exhort you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in appearance am humble among you, but being absent am bold towards you;

to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.

I have said before, and I now foretell as if present a second time, although absent, to those who have already sinned and to all the rest, that if I come again I will not spare;

AND I saw a great white throne and him that sat on it, from whose presence the earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them.

But I tell you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven, for it is God's throne;

AND the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, the kingdom of the world has become our Lord's and his Christ's, and he shall reign forever and ever. And the twenty-four elders who sit before God on their thrones fell on their faces, and worshipped God, saying, We thank thee, Lord God Almighty, the Is and the Was, that thou didst take thy great power and reign,

Those whose sins you forgive, are forgiven; and whose you retain, are retained.

And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on the earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you unbind on the earth shall be unbound in heaven.

I tell you truly, that whatever you bind on the earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you unbind on the earth shall be unbound in heaven.

And when he went through the cities he gave them the ordinances to observe which had been determined by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem.

Obey your guides and be in subjection; for they watch for your souls as having to give an account, that they may do this with joy and not with grief; for this is unprofitable for you.

Admonish them to be subject to principalities, to powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready for every good work,

Let every soul be subject to the superior powers. For there is no power except from God, and the [powers] which exist have been ordained by God. So that he who resists the power resists the ordinance of God; and those who resist shall receive judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Will you not fear the power? Do good, and you shall have praise from it; read more.
for [the power] is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, fear; for it bears not the sword in vain; for it is God's minister of justice for punishment to him that does evil. Wherefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only on account of punishment, but also on account of conscience. For on this account also you pay taxes; for [magistrates] are servants of God attending constantly to this same thing. Pay to all their dues; a tax to whom a tax is due, a toll to whom a toll is due, fear to whom fear, and honor to whom honor.

Tell us, therefore, what you think; is it right to pay tribute to Caesar or not? Jesus knowing their wickedness, said, Why do you hypocrites try me? Show me the tribute money. And they brought him a denarius [14 cents]. read more.
And he said to them, Whose is this image and this inscription? They said to him, Caesar's. Then he said to them, Give therefore Caesar's dues to Caesar, and God's to God.

And he said to them, Render therefore Caesar's dues to Caesar, and God's to God.

Be subject therefore to every human government, for the Lord's sake, whether to the king, as superior, to governors, sent by him for the punishment of evil doers and the praise of those who do well; for this is the will of God, that by well-doing you may silence the ignorance of foolish men; read more.
as free, and not using freedom for a cloak of vice, but as servants of God. Honor all men, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.

Then went one of the twelve called Judas Iscariot to the chief priests, and said, What will you give me to deliver him to you? And they gave him thirty [shekels] of silver [$16.80].

Then Judas, who betrayed him, seeing that he was condemned, repenting, returned the thirty shekels of silver [$16.80] to the chief priests and elders, saying, I have sinned, betraying innocent blood. But they said, What is that to us? see you to it.

In those days there went out an ordinance from Caesar Augustus that a census should be taken of all the world.

Be subject therefore to every human government, for the Lord's sake, whether to the king, as superior, to governors, sent by him for the punishment of evil doers and the praise of those who do well;

Let every soul be subject to the superior powers. For there is no power except from God, and the [powers] which exist have been ordained by God. So that he who resists the power resists the ordinance of God; and those who resist shall receive judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Will you not fear the power? Do good, and you shall have praise from it; read more.
for [the power] is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, fear; for it bears not the sword in vain; for it is God's minister of justice for punishment to him that does evil. Wherefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only on account of punishment, but also on account of conscience. For on this account also you pay taxes; for [magistrates] are servants of God attending constantly to this same thing. Pay to all their dues; a tax to whom a tax is due, a toll to whom a toll is due, fear to whom fear, and honor to whom honor.

And Pilate seeing that he accomplished nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this man; see you to it.

From that time Pilate sought to release him; but the Jews cried, saying, If you release this man you are not a friend of Caesar; every one who makes himself a king speaks against Caesar. Then Pilate hearing these words led Jesus out, and sat on the tribunal, in a place called the Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. And it was the preparation of the passover, it was about the sixth hour [noon]; and he said to the Jews, Behold your king! read more.
Then they cried out, Away with him, away with him! crucify him! Pilate said to them, Shall I crucify your king? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. Then therefore he delivered him to them to be crucified.

and removing him, he raised up for them David for a king, of whom also he said and testified, I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who will do all my will.

Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders, for they wash not their hands when they eat bread?

Hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophecy of you, saying; This people honors me with the lips, but their heart is far from me. But in vain do they worship me, teaching teachings and commandments of men.

AND the Pharisees and some of the scribes having come from Jerusalem came together to him, 1-2 pint measures], and brass vessels, and beds. and seeing some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, unwashed hands, [they found fault]. read more.
For the Pharisees and all the Jews eat not unless they wash their hands with the fist, holding the tradition of the elders.

Honor all men, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.

And the king immediately sending an executioner, commanded him to bring his head. And he went out and beheaded him in the prison, and brought his head on a plate, and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother.

At the same time also he hoped that money would be given him by Paul; and on this account sent for him the oftener, and conversed with him.