Romans 13:1a (NASB)
"Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities."
This is an almost impossible verse to understand. Written by a man that the governing authorities found fit for execution. And he was a follower of Jesus, who Pontius Pilate had executed. So clearly, obedience to the governing authorities does not include denying Christ. Presumably it does not involve sinning either. (See Daniel) Still, the rest of the verse and the next few verses do seem to suggest that you need to obey - in fact, disobedience is equated with disobeying God. God put the rulers in place though there's the chance they were put in power to act as a scourge.
Still, what of the American democracy? That is, it seems clear that presidents are put in power by 51% of people who decide to vote, not by an accident of birth.
More importantly (since it isn't that difficult to say God still controls who becomes president, or rather that God allows certain rulers, etc) what do we do with civil disobedience? Do we say that Martin Luther King did wrong though there are obvious benefits to the entire nation and generations of people? What would Paul have advised King if this were the civil rights era? Don't march? Don't sit-in? Don't protest?
Maybe that Christians should stay out of politics and sit home examining themselves in preparation for the establishment of God's kingdom on Earth. But that hardly seems likely. Paul didn't fear controversy. He didn't back down from a fight. He asserted his rights as a citizen of Rome.
No doubt a brighter mind has puzzled this all out in some book, but for me, it remains a hard verse to take hold of.
This is an almost impossible verse to understand. Written by a man that the governing authorities found fit for execution. And he was a follower of Jesus, who Pontius Pilate had executed. So clearly, obedience to the governing authorities does not include denying Christ. Presumably it does not involve sinning either. (See Daniel) Still, the rest of the verse and the next few verses do seem to suggest that you need to obey - in fact, disobedience is equated with disobeying God. God put the rulers in place though there's the chance they were put in power to act as a scourge.
Still, what of the American democracy? That is, it seems clear that presidents are put in power by 51% of people who decide to vote, not by an accident of birth.
More importantly (since it isn't that difficult to say God still controls who becomes president, or rather that God allows certain rulers, etc) what do we do with civil disobedience? Do we say that Martin Luther King did wrong though there are obvious benefits to the entire nation and generations of people? What would Paul have advised King if this were the civil rights era? Don't march? Don't sit-in? Don't protest?
Maybe that Christians should stay out of politics and sit home examining themselves in preparation for the establishment of God's kingdom on Earth. But that hardly seems likely. Paul didn't fear controversy. He didn't back down from a fight. He asserted his rights as a citizen of Rome.
No doubt a brighter mind has puzzled this all out in some book, but for me, it remains a hard verse to take hold of.
posted by Steven at 11:05 AM
2 Comments:
Paul is an interesting figure to study. I know a lot about him, but still don't feel like I can claim to know anything about his inner workings. He's like a foreigner to me because he was never a student of the Master.
Anyway, Peter also says something similar -- to "honor the emperor." But he explains his reasoning: that men are measured by how they respond to persecution. We are supposed to honor our authorities, yes. But if they persecute without previous cause and/or unjustly, then we must respond by doing good (i.e. the authorities were given love, it wasn't enough, so they need to be given more).
And how do we define love? It's certainly not evidenced by being the proverbial pin-cushion. Love is measured by sacrifice, and sacrifice -- in the short term -- is measured by suffering (it's just the perception of it). Think about Jesus -- the consummate giver of love (Ghandi also works here too, except that he wasn't a Christ).
What did he do when he met persecution? He admonished the Pharisees, but never condemned them. When they challenged his spiritual authority, he stood up for himself. When he was asked to pay taxes to Caesar, he did. When God asked him to augment the Law of Moses, he did -- disregarding every other terrestrial authority and answering to the One.
Forget about Paul. Decide for yourself what is right. If you make His will your own, then God is always with you.
This, in the simplest terms, is God's structure of order. We are to obey those who have the rule over us and remember God has placed these people in the positions they have. The process of us obeying these, unless they go against God, "We ought to obey God rather than men." Acts 5:29 KJV.
We need to see this from God's point, when we obey Him by obeying those over us, we show submission to Him.
Those who have the rule over us have the greater responsibility, they must obey what they dictate as well as causing us to obey.
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