Well, it is everywhere in the Old Testament, but not in the New Testament, which defines Christianity. The NT says we should respect authority, because authority is from God, but it means morally justified authority. The unrighteous cannot claim their authority is from God. [hint: it is from the devil]
To do so fits right into the whole false argument on this thread by the Calvinsits: that the righteous and the unrighteous, one way or another, obey God's will.
Well, it is everywhere in the Old Testament, but not in the New Testament, which defines Christianity. The NT says we should respect authority, because authority is from God, but it means morally justified authority. The unrighteous cannot claim their authority is from God.
Pilate was obviously NT. In addition, throughout the NT Christians were persecuted and martyred, IOW, dominated. This had to have been the will of God. The faith continued to grow. The alternative is to say that satan's will dominates God's will here on earth.
[continuing] To do so fits right into the whole false argument on this thread by the Calvinists: that the righteous and the unrighteous, one way or another, obey God's will.
This isn't a matter of conscious obedience to God's will. This is a matter of whether or not God's will is actually done on earth. How many billions of prayers have been said to that effect? Did God command us to pray for that in vain?