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
When Paul refers to governing authorities, he uses a phrase that can best be translated the powers that be.
He is not just talking about heads of state; he is talking about all levels of authority, all the way down to the local police. He tells us that the thing we must think about these governmental offices is that they are, in some way, brought into being by God himself.
I often hear people ask, Which form of government is the best? Which is the one God wants us to have?
We Americans would love to think that democracy obviously is the most God-honored form of government. But I don’t think you can establish that from the Scriptures. In fact, the Scriptures reflect various forms of government. So when you ask, Which government is the best kind? Is it a monarchy? An oligarchy? Is it a republic? A democracy?
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