18 Bible Verses about Government

To the angel of the Church in Laodicea, write. These things says the Amen, the witness, faithful and true, the beginning of the creation of God. I know your works, that you are neither hot nor cold. Would that you were either cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am about to spew you out of my mouth. read more.
For you keep saying, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and do not know that you are the wretched one, and pitiable and beggared and blind and naked. I advise you to buy of me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich; and white raiment to clothe yourself, so that the shame of your nakedness may not be made manifest; and eye-salve to anoint your eyes, in order that you may see. All whom I love I reprove and discipline; therefore be full of zeal and repent. Behold, I am standing at the door and knocking! If any one listens to my voice, and opens the door, I will come to him, and sup with him, and he with me. To him who overcomes, I will grant to sit down with me on my throne, as I myself have overcome and have taken my seat with my Father on his throne.

But God's message is no prisoner. That is why I endure everything for the sake of the chosen, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. Faithful is the saying. "If we have died with him, we shall also live with him. If we endure suffering, we shall also reign with him. If we disown him, he too will disown us.

"The Son of man indeed goes on his way, as it has been determined; but woe to that man by who he is betrayed." And they began to question among themselves which of them it could be who was going to do such a thing. And there arose also a dispute among them as to which of them could be considered the greatest, read more.
and he said to them. "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who have who have authority over them are called Benefactors. "But you shall not be so. But he who is greater among you let him become like the younger; and he who is leader like him who serves. "For which is greater, he who sits at table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at table? But I am in your midst as one who serves. "You, however, are those who have stood by me in my trials. "And I promise you a kingdom, even as my Father has promised me a kingdom; "so that you shall eat and drink in my kingdom, and you shall sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

And to the angel of the Church in Thyatira, write. These are the words of the Son of God, who has his eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet like burnished brass. I know your works and your love and faith and service and endurance; I know that your last works are more than the first. But I have this against you, that you are tolerating that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she is teaching and leading my slaves astray, leading them to practise immorality, and to eat food which has been sacrificed to idols. read more.
I have given her time for repentance; but she is determined not to turn from her immorality. Behold, I will lay her on a sick bed, and bring great distress upon those who have committed adultery with her, unless they turn away from her works. And moreover, her children will I kill with pestilence. And all the churches shall know that I am he who searches the hearts and souls of men. I will give to each of you according to his works. But to the rest of you in Thyatira, those who do not hold his teaching, and who do not know the "deep things" of Satan (as they call them), I say that I am imposing upon you no fresh burden; only hold fast what you have till I come. To him that overcomes and perseveres in my works to the end, will I give authority over the nations. And he shall shepherd them with a rod of iron, shattering them like earthen vessels (as I myself have received from my Father), and I will give him the Morning Star."

They answered, "You were wholly born in sins, and do you teach us?" Then they cast him out.

and he began to explain to 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 put to death, and after two days rise again.

And when the morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus, how they might put him to death. After they had bound him, they led him away, and handed him over to Pilate, the Roman Governor.

When he had entered the Temple courts, and was teaching, the high priests and elders of the people came to him and asked him, "By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?"

As soon as it was down, after the high priests had conferred with the elders and the whole Sanhedrin, they bound Jesus, and took him away, and handed him over to Pilate.

Then the chief priests and the elders of the people met together in the court of the palace of the high priest who was called Caiaphas, and they plotted together to get Jesus into their power by a trick, and to put him to death; but said they, "Not during the feast, for fear of causing a riot among the people."

If any one is hungry, let him eat at home, so that your meetings do not bring condemnation upon you. The other matters I will adjust when I come.

The apostles and elders met to consider the matter;

"For it has seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;

For if a man does not know how to rule his own household, how shall he take charge of a church of God?

Do not reprimand an aged man, but continue pleading with him as if he were your father. Treat the young men as brothers,

Jesus replied. "If any loves me he will obey my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. "He that loves me not does not obey words, and yet the words to which you are listening are not mine, but the Father's who sent me. "All this I told you while still with you. read more.
"But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and bring to your remembrance everything that I have told you. "Peace I leave with you. My own peace I give to you. It is not the world's 'Peace' I give you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. "You heard me tell you, 'I am going away, and yet I am coming to you.' If you loved me you would have been glad because I said 'I am going to the Father,' for my Father is greater than I. "And now I tell you this before it happens, so that when it does happen you may believe. "I shall not talk with you much more, for the Prince of this world is coming.

But even if my gospel, too, is "veiled," it is among those who are on the way to perish that it is "veiled." Among them the god of this age has blinded the understanding of the unbelieving so that the sunshine of the gospel of God, should not dawn upon them.

"Yet?? am telling you the truth??y going is for your good. For unless I go away the Comforter will not come to you; but if I depart I will send him unto you. And he, when he comes, will convict the world of sins and of righteousness and of judgment; of sin, because they do not believe in me; read more.
of righteousness, because I am going to my Father, and you will no longer see me; and of judgement, because the Prince of this world has been judged.

Notwithstanding, among those who are mature I do teach philosophy; though not the philosophy of the present age, nor of its rulers who are coming to nought. No, it is God's wisdom that I utter, that hidden wisdom which God had decreed before the world began, unto our glory. None of the rulers of the present age understands it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory.

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip, tetrarch of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias, tetrarch of Abilene;

Five days later, Ananias the high priest came down to Caesarea with some of the elders, and with an orator, named Tertullus. They laid information before the governor against Paul.

After they had bound him, they led him away, and handed him over to Pilate, the Roman Governor.

After a first and second admonition, refuse a man who is causing divisions;

Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have given over to Satan, so that they may be taught not to blaspheme.

Now I Paul, myself, appeal to you by the humble-heartedness and selflessness of Christ??aul who "in your presence is humble, but bold enough when he is absent"??2 I beseech you, and I say, do not make me show my boldness, when I come in the boldness with which I think I shall show my courage against some who think that I am walking on the low level of the flesh.

I have handed over such a man to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, that his spirit may be saved, in the day of the Lord Jesus.

I have said formerly, and I now forewarn you as when I was present the second time, so now when I am absent the second time, so now when I am absent, saying to those who had sinned before, and to all the rest, "If I come again, I will not spare,"

And I saw a great white throne, and One who sat thereon; from his presence fled earth and sky, and no place was found for them.

"But I say to you, swear not at all; neither by the sky, for it is God's throne;

And the seventh angel blew his trumpet; and there followed great voices in heaven, and they said, "THE KINGDOMS OF THIS WORLD ARE BECOME THE KINGDOM OF OUR LORD AND OF HIS CHRIST, AND HE WILL REIGN FOREVER AND EVER." Then the four and twenty Elders who are seated before God on their thrones, fell upon their faces and worshiped God, saying. "We give thee thanks, O Lord God, The Almighty, who art and who wast; For thou hast taken thy great power, And begun to reign.

"Receive the Holy Spirit. If you remit any one's sins, they are remitted; if you retain them they are retained."

"I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind upon the earth shall be bound in the heavens, and whatever you loose upon earth shall be loosed in the heavens."

"I tell you all in solemn truth that whatever you forbid upon earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.

And as they went on their way through the cities they handed them the resolutions which the apostles and the elders in Jerusalem had ordained for them to keep.

Obey your leaders and submit to them; for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who must give account; that they may do thus with joy and not with lamentation, for this would be unprofitable to you.

Remind them to be submissive to their rulers and authorities; let them be obedient, ready for every good work;

Every one should be in the higher authorities; for there is no authority apart from God. The authorities that now exist have been appointed by God. Therefore the man who rebels against authority is opposing the divine ordinances; and those who withstand will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are no terror to good deeds, but to evil. Would you be fearless of the ruler's authority? Do what is good, and you will have his praise. read more.
For the ruler is God's minister appointed for your good. But if you are a wrong-doer, be afraid; he does not carry the sword to no purpose; he is God's servant, appointed to vengeance upon the guilty. Wherefore you must needs be in subjection, not only because of fear, but also for conscience sake. This too, is the reason why you pay taxes; because the authorities are ministers of God's service, attending continually upon this very thing. Render to all their dues; taxes to whom taxes, customs to whom customs, respect to whom respect, and homage to whom homage is due.

"Give us your advice, then. Is it allowable to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" And Jesus, because he knew their malice, said: "Hypocrites! Why are you tempting me? Show me the tribute money." So they brought him a shilling. read more.
"Whose likeness and inscription is this?" he asked. "Caesar's," they answered. Then he said to them, "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's."

"Then give to Caesar what belongs to him," he said, "to God give what is God's."

Submit yourselves, for the Lord's sake, to every human authority; whether it be to the Emperor as supreme ruler, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evil-doers and for the encouragement of well-doers. For it is the will of God that by well-doing you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. read more.
Live like free men; and yet do not make your freedom a cloak for misconduct, but be the slaves of God. Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Reverence God. Honor the Emperor.

It was then that one of the Twelve, he who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, "What are you ready to give me for betraying him to you?" So they weighed him thirty pieces of silver;

Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that he was condemned, he repented and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders. "I have sinned," he said, "in betraying innocent blood!" "What is that to us?" they answered; "you must see to that."

In those days Augustus Caesar issued an edict for a census of the whole inhabited world.

Submit yourselves, for the Lord's sake, to every human authority; whether it be to the Emperor as supreme ruler, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evil-doers and for the encouragement of well-doers.

Every one should be in the higher authorities; for there is no authority apart from God. The authorities that now exist have been appointed by God. Therefore the man who rebels against authority is opposing the divine ordinances; and those who withstand will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are no terror to good deeds, but to evil. Would you be fearless of the ruler's authority? Do what is good, and you will have his praise. read more.
For the ruler is God's minister appointed for your good. But if you are a wrong-doer, be afraid; he does not carry the sword to no purpose; he is God's servant, appointed to vengeance upon the guilty. Wherefore you must needs be in subjection, not only because of fear, but also for conscience sake. This too, is the reason why you pay taxes; because the authorities are ministers of God's service, attending continually upon this very thing. Render to all their dues; taxes to whom taxes, customs to whom customs, respect to whom respect, and homage to whom homage is due.

So when Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but that on the contrary a riot was threatening, he took water and washed his hands in the presence of the crowd, saying. "I am innocent of the blood of this man; you must answer for it."

After that Pilate began to seek to release him, but the Jews shouted out. "If you release this man you are no friend of the Emperor. Any man who makes himself out to be king is a rebel against the Emperor." On hearing what they said, Pilate brought Jesus out and made him sit on the judge's seat in a place called the Mosaic Pavement (the Hebrew name is Gabbatha). And it was the day of Preparation for the Passover, about six o'clock in the morning. Then he said to the Jews, "Behold your King!" read more.
Then they shouted. "Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!" "Crucify your King?" said Pilate. The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar!" So then he gave him over to them to be crucified.

After deposing him, he raised up David to be their king, to whom he also bore witness, when he said, "I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, and who will obey all my will.

"Why do your disciples keep transgressing the tradition of the elders by not washing their hands before eating?"

Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy concerning you, saying. This is a people that honors me with their lips, But their heart is far from me. In vain do they worship me, While they teach doctrines that are the commands of men."

One day the Pharisees came to him in a body with some Scribes who had come from Jerusalem. They had noticed that some of his disciples were eating with "common," that is to say, unwashed hands. For the Pharisees and all of the Jews do not eat until they have ceremoniously washed their hands in obedience to the tradition of the elders;

Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Reverence God. Honor the Emperor.

So he sent at once a soldier of the guard with orders to bring his head. And he went and beheaded John in prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the young girl, and she gave it to her mother.

He was hoping that Paul would give him money, and for this reason he used to send for him often to converse with him.