The Government

​At a recent Sunday Evening Bible study session, we discussed Romans 13 – that passage where Paul tells us that everyone ought to be in subjection to the government as there is no authority but that ordained by God and this divinely ordained governmental authority is His minister to us for good.  Thus, Paul declares, we should pay our taxes in full and recognize the authority of government in other areas of our daily life. There are moments when this rubs all of us wrong. Let me summarize here what many considered to be helpful points at that Bible study.

1. ‘Subjection’ does not indicate blind obedience with our consciences checked at the door. To refuse to obey the government and willingly accept the prescribed punishment falls squarely under the ‘subjection umbrella’. Consider, in this light, the apostles in Acts chapters 4&5. They refused to obey their government’s command to cease preaching Jesus Christ. They joyously accepted the dangers and punishments that refusal brought them. They could not obey. They were in subjection.
2. There was also the Roman government (Paul was writing to the Romans) and Paul knew who Nero was. This government grew increasingly unkind to Christians – if I am allowed a huge understatement. Paul was ultimately beheaded under its authority. Do we think that, just before the ax fell, Paul wished he could go back and re-write that 13th chapter of Romans?
3. Well, as to that, let’s consider something else Paul said that ended up recorded in Acts 17. In speaking to the Athenians about their altar to the unknown god, Paul assured them that they had tripped onto something there – the real true God – and that this God had a plan at work in their nation and its history to have led them to this moment where they might ‘discover’ Him. There is a very interesting story here involving the Greek poet Epimenides but we’ll save that. Paul also claimed that this same One True God had a plan operating within all nations – in fact that God had formed all the nations, appointing when and where they would exist with their main function being this process of helping us discover Him.
4. Well, OK – but governments do a lot of evil! Are we just supposed to ignore that? Hmmm…most of us, when we stop to think about it sense something of a disconnect between Romans 13 and Revelation 13. In this portion of John’s revelation another aspect of earthly governments is examined. They are, as per the earlier visions of Daniel, the Beast – blaspheming God and totally at war with the kingdom and the saints. John’s vision so often seems better aligned with our experience! Of, if only we could get John and Paul (the apostles not the Beatles – no disrespect to George and Ringo) together to slug this out and come to a conclusion!
5. Only I don’t think John and Paul would think they were in any kind of disagreement at all. God has a plan for the governments of earth – to help us discover God. Satan also has a plan for the same governments. As per point four of my daily mantra – ‘Every plan of Satan’s is 180 degrees opposite a plan of God’s’. If God intends governments to make it easier for us to find Him, Satan will work to use governments to make that discovery harder. So, the two plans are in competition. John was not ignorant of the Romans side of the equation and Paul was perfectly aware of the Revelation side. The question is – Which plan is winning?
6. From the short term and limited view of our daily experience it can be easy to conclude that Satan’s plan has the edge. I suspect it was even easier to reach this conclusion for first century Christians at the mercy of Rome. But, point seven of my daily mantra also comes into play – God always has a bigger plan! Let’s examine that first century Rome/Christian thing for a moment. It’s quite true that Rome set out to exterminate Christianity – to put an end to the gospel. It’s also patently obvious that they failed. We’re still here! But the story is bigger than that. Rome, especially through its persecutions, became the engine that propelled the gospel into the larger world. Further, the pagan Roman Empire became the Holy Roman Empire further increasing the impact of the gospel in the world. All that remains of that empire now is the Catholic Church. Think about it for a minute: God’s purpose for governments and Satan’s – which prevails. Duh!
7. This does not justify the evil that governments do but Jesus assured us they would do these evils and that we were not to be discouraged. In fact, we were to realize that in the midst of such persecutions – we are blessed. After all, the servant is not greater than the master and if the world hated Jesus (a given) it will hate us too. This should all come as zero surprise. And Stephen, as the stones rained down on him, saw Christ seated at the right hand of God. Can you say ‘Implications’? I knew you could!
8. We do not need any illusions of a supposed constant virtue of governments to know that they have a place in God’s economy or to trust that they will continue to fill that niche no matter how abhorrent their behavior may become – at least any particular would have to get worse that Rome under Nero before it could defy the first historical example after the writing of the book of Romans. That’s a high bar.
9. Let’s finish with this: suppose Jesus had said ‘Rome stinks! I think I will throw in with the Zealots after all. Let’s launch the military revolution!’? Or, what if Paul had said – ‘Slavery just cannot be tolerated. Let’s take up arms and crush the oppressive Romans and their regime built on the backs of the slaves!’? Many of us are, in fact, sometimes uncomfortable with what Paul did say on that matter. If you find yourself in the unfortunate of being a slave, be a good one and let your testimony win others to true freedom in Christ. But then, Paul’s advice is built on a boundless confidence that the plans of God will prevail over the plans of Satan on every front – oppressive, Satanically deluded governments included.