Bible Verses About Courts of Justice

Some time ago, there was a rebellion under Todah, who claimed to be somebody special; and a number of men, maybe four hundred, rallied behind him. But upon his being put to death, his whole following was broken up and came to nothing.

After this, Y’hudah HaG’lili led another uprising, back at the time of the enrollment for the Roman tax; and he got some people to defect to him. But he was killed, and all his followers were scattered.

So in the present case, my advice to you is not to interfere with these people, but to leave them alone. For if this idea or this movement has a human origin, it will collapse.

But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them; you might even find yourselves fighting God!” They heeded his advice.

After summoning the emissaries and flogging them, they commanded them not to speak in the name of Yeshua, and let them go.

But when her owners saw that what had come out was any further prospect of profit for them, they seized Sha’ul and Sila and dragged them to the market square to face the authorities.

Bringing them to the judges, they said, “These men are causing a lot of trouble in our city, since they are Jews.

What they are doing is advocating customs that are against the law for us to accept or practice, since we are Romans.”

But as they were stretching him out with thongs to be flogged, Sha’ul said to the captain standing by, “Is it legal for you to whip a man who is a Roman citizen and hasn’t even had a trial?”

When the captain heard that, he went and reported it to the commander, “Do you realize what you’re doing? This man is a Roman citizen!”

The commander came and said to Sha’ul, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes,” he said.

The commander replied, “I bought this citizenship for a sizeable sum of money.” “But I was born to it,” Sha’ul said.

At once the men who had been about to interrogate him drew back from him; and the commander was afraid too, because he realized that he had put this man who was a Roman citizen in chains.

Everyone is to obey the governing authorities. For there is no authority that is not from God, and the existing authorities have been placed where they are by God.

Therefore, whoever resists the authorities is resisting what God has instituted; and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.

For rulers are no terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you like to be unafraid of the person in authority? Then simply do what is good, and you will win his approval;

for he is God’s servant, there for your benefit. But if you do what is wrong, be afraid! Because it is not for nothing that he holds the power of the sword; for he is God’s servant, there as an avenger to punish wrongdoers.

Another reason to obey, besides fear of punishment, is for the sake of conscience.