Governing Authorities
How should a Christian think about and respond to governing authorities? In Romans 13, the Apostle Paul shows us that God himself institutes earthly authority (v1) and that Christians should obey the authorities to remain in good conscience before God and others (v5). It's good to contribute to the societies within which we live (v6). But these verses should not be used to justify Christian silence or inaction when authorities act unjustly, persecuting their own people or acting against the interests of the people they lead (see Daniel, Peter in Acts 5:27-32, Paul appealing to his Roman citizenship in Acts 16, 22 and 25). When we are tempted to grumble against our leaders, we are called instead to pray for them (1 Tim 2:1-2).
Scripture: Romans 13:1-10