“Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good” (1 Peter 2:13-14 ESV).
The Apostle Peter’s counsel from this passage is reminiscent of a similar portion of Scripture from the Biblical book of Romans. That verse provides us an opportunity to consider our relationship to governmental leaders…
“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God” (Romans 13:1 NIV).
We can begin our review of these passages by considering the various forms of government that human beings have implemented throughout history. Those governmental structures include monarchies, dictatorships, and democracies, among many others. While some governmental models are clearly better than others, each was (and is) far from perfect. The late British Prime Minister Winston Churchill illustrated that reality when he reportedly observed, “Democracy is the worst form of government — except for all the others.”
But before we proceed with that discussion, we should first consider God’s relationship to human government. You see, Romans 13:1 tells us that God has established every governmental authority in existence. This also suggests that an accountability structure exists as well: citizens are subject to the governing authorities of their nation, while the governing authorities are subject to God who grants them authority.
Jesus illustrated that structure during His arraignment before the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. When Jesus declined to answer Pilate’s judicial inquiries, Pilate responded with the following statement…
“‘Do you refuse to speak to me?’ Pilate said. ‘Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?’
Jesus answered, ‘You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin'” (John 19:6-11 NIV).
Although Pilate failed to recognize his subjection to God’s authority, Jesus reminded him that he was subject to that authority whether or not he recognized (or accepted) it.
Finally, while the failures and shortcomings of human government are often subjected to various criticisms and complaints, one commentator invites us to consider the alternative…
“A regime might be very unchristian or even anti-christian, but any government is better than no government at all. The absence of government is anarchy, and people cannot survive for long under anarchy.” (1)
(1) Believer’s Bible Commentary, William MacDonald, edited by Arthur Farstad. Thomas Nelson Publishers Nashville pg. 2142