Holding politicians personally and collectively accountable has clear biblical foundations. Each and every politician and government employee “is God’s servant for your good, … an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer” (Romans 13). What happens, then, if the politician does bad instead of good, or carries out wrath against someone who does no wrong?

Texas Scorecard, one of the most important organizations fighting for liberty in Texas, has several principles which guide their operation. One of those is don’t make it personal.

Michael Sullivan, Texas Scorecard’s CEO, applied this principle to how citizens should approach politics in a recent commentary:

We need to step back, for the sake of our Republic. We must dial down the emotion in our reckoning of political actors’ official actions. Citizens must approach government professionally, even if the politicians do not. We need to stop personalizing our relationship with the elected officials whose names appear on our ballot – even if we actually do know them personally.  And we must never take personally their unwillingness – or inability – to deliver on our expectations.

Despite the focus on not making it personal, Sullivan’s group does not hesitate to talk critically about individual politicians:

In this sense alone, SD 30 is a massive loss to Austin’s swampy, lobbyist-controlled culture. It revealed that the citizens were not interested in what they were being told to buy. The lobby-favored candidate, of course, was State Rep. Drew Springer (R-Muenster). His most notable achievement to date had been (unsuccessfully) helping a Chinese drone manufacturer. Under the Capitol dome, he’s most known for doing what he’s told by whoever happens to be in power.

Yet, there is no conflict here.

Sullivan is warning us not to take things personally, not to let our emotions get the better of us, not to act like a victim. He understands, though, that in one sense all politics is personal because politics–like everything in the world–involves individuals; individuals that are personally affected by government policies and individuals that should be held accountable for those policies.

When we look at the behemoth (more than 24 million federal, state, and local workers, contractors, and grantees) that is American government today, it is easy to forget that at its core “government” is simply a collection of individuals. And the actions of government are nothing more than the collective individual actions of the people that make up government.

Some people squirm when they see Texas Scorecard and others comment on the actions of individuals in government. Trained by the “feelings are reality” culture we live in, they see commenting on the individual, official actions of an individual in government as personal attacks. Rather, properly done, such comments are an effort to hold political entities and individual politicians and bureaucrats accountable for the actions they are taking.

Holding politicians personally and collectively accountable has clear biblical foundations. Each and every politician and government employee “is God’s servant for your good, … an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer” (Romans 13). What happens, then, if the politician does bad instead of good, or carries out wrath against someone who does no wrong?

They must be held accountable. Such was certainly the case for mighty King Nebuchadnezzar when he went mad after saying, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” (Daniel 4:28). The same was true for King Herod, who was “eaten by worms and breathed his last” when he accepted the praise of his audience: “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” (Acts 12:22-23).

God also spoke critically of the rulers of Jerusalem collectively. Jesus especially took the priests and other rulers to task throughout his ministry:

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel! (Matthew 23:23-24 ESV)

And:

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you desolate (Matthew 23:37–38 ESV).

But biblical accountability for those in government does not come just directly from God. Nathan spoke critically of King David and his adultery. Yes, Nathan was a prophet. But, thanks to the saving grace of Jesus grace, today so are all believers. Similarly, Shimei son of Gera cursed David on the road to Bahurim.

On a broader scale, God did not institute His government of Israel over the people until they had consented to it: “All the words that the LORD has spoken we will do” (Exodus 24:3). He also agreed to hold himself accountable–actually torn asunder–to Abraham and His chosen people should He fail in obligations as ruler (Genesis 15:12-20). And while there is no legitimate criticism of God’s governance of the world, He still has allowed complaints about how His plans have unfolded (Psalm 13, etc.)

Clearly, there is a place for godly criticism of government rulers. Individually and collectively.

But what are we to do when it comes to rulers of the church? How are pastors, elders, deacons, priests, bishops, and popes to be held accountable?

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