Bible verses about "politics" | Goodspeed

¹⁸ And Jesus came up to them and said, "Full authority in heaven and on the earth has been given to me.

¹¹ in striving to live quietly and mind your own affairs, and work with your hands, as we directed you, ¹² so that you may have the respect of the outsiders, and not be dependent upon anybody.

¹⁷ Treat everyone with respect. Love the brotherhood, be reverent to God, respect the emperor.

²⁰ But the commonwealth to which we belong is in heaven, and from it we are eagerly awaiting the coming of a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

²⁴ No slave can belong to two masters, for he will either hate one and love the other, or stand by one and make light of the other. You cannot serve God and money.

²⁹ Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men.

¹⁷ So give us your opinion: Is it right to pay the poll-tax to the emperor, or not?" ¹⁸ But he saw their malice, and said, ¹⁹ "Why do you put me to such a test, you hypocrites? Show me the poll-tax coin!" And they brought him a denarius. ²⁰ And he said to them, "Whose head and title is this?" ²¹ 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!"

⁹ But have nothing to do with foolish controversies, pedigrees, strife, and wrangles about the Law, for they are profitless and futile.

¹ First of all, then, I urge that entreaties, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for all men, ² for emperors and all who are in authority, so that we may live tranquil, quiet lives, with perfect piety and probity.

¹ 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, ² 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. ³ 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, ⁴ 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. ⁵ You must obey them, therefore, not only to escape God's wrath, but as a matter of principle, ⁶ just as you pay your taxes; they are God's ministers, devoting themselves to this service. ⁷ Pay them all what is due them—tribute 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.