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A CLOSER LOOK |
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HOMEPAGE |
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BIBLE PASSAGES |
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MATTHEW 17 (JESUS AND THE TAX) |
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ROMANS 13:1-5 THE POWER OF THE STATE |
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MATTHEW 22... JESUS AND TAX TO CAESAR |
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BIBLE TOPICS |
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DID JESUS FEAR THE CROSS? |
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OUR ROCK... JESUS OR PETER |
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BIBLICAL BASIS FOR LEADERSHIP |
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CHRISTIAN LIVING |
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WIVES AND MOTHERS... THEIR HIGH CALLING |
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DRAW THE LINE |
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ROMANS 13:1-5 THE POWER OF THE STATE
This passage of Scripture is used to prove our obligation to obey the State more than any other. God does tell us in this passage that we are to obey the State, however, He also tells us the principles which guide us in our obedience. Most people don't have any idea that this is not a blank check for the State. However, it does not take much study to find out that the State is limited to it's derived authority.
I have copied 13:1-5 in it's entirety and then I examine each verse in order.
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Rom 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
Rom 13:2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
Rom 13:3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:
Rom 13:4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
Rom 13:5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.
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THE BACKGROUND
The book of Romans is actually a letter which the apostle Paul sent to Christians in Rome. The first eleven chapters are doctrinal or teaching in nature while chapters twelve through fifteen are practical in nature. The first eleven chapters basically tell us what to believe and the next chapters tell us how to live by what we believe.
The truth taught in this passage is that God has established authority and anyone who disobeys God's appointed authority is rebelling against God. This God appointed authority includes family, Church and Government. In this study we are focusing on the application of this passage to the government.
Since we have been misled in our understanding about this passage for so long and in so many ways, we will explain the meaning and repeat our position time and again. We will restate our position in different words. We will approach the same point from different angles, but the bottom line will always be the same. Though it may seem like unnecessary redundancy, we are trying to balance the truth against the multiplied times of fallacy in which this passage has been preached and taught.
The First Century Church was setting the stage and standard for the rest of the Church to follow. In chapter thirteen we are told the proper place of the State in the world and how the Christian is to relate to the State. In this study we will often use the terms, POWER, AUTHORITY, RULE, RULER, STATE, GOVERNMENT interchangeably. When the term STATE is used, it is in reference to the government, whether local, state or federal, but usually federal.
LET EVERY SOUL
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Rom 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
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Though the Book of Romans was written to Christians, this verse tells us ALL men are to be subject to the higher powers. That is, all men are to place themselves under the ruling authorities. According to Strong, when this term (to be subject) was used of the military, it meant arranging troops under the command of a leader, but in the non-military usage it meant a
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"voluntary attitude of giving in, cooperating, assuming responsibility, and carrying a burden."
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It does not say all men ARE subject, but that all men are to BE subject to the higher powers. Being subject is an act of our will. Each person decides whether they will obey the higher powers.
Notice that it says, "every soul." In other words, every person is to voluntarily submit themselves to the HIGHER POWERS. Every soul, whether Man, Woman or Child; whether Rich or Poor; whether Slave or Free; whether Christian or Pagan; whether Educated or Ignorant; (don't get tired, I am not just filling space with words, I have a point to all of this); whether Jew or Gentile; whether Black or White or Yellow or Red or Brown; whether Capitalist or Communist; whether King or Peon; whether President or Paper Boy; whether Judge or Junkie. ALL PEOPLE ARE TO BE SUBJECT TO THE HIGHER POWERS!
Regardless of our station in life, regardless of our rung on the ladder, we are all to be subject to the higher powers. In life there is an order of hierarchy, a chain of command, whether in family, church, business, military or government. In each there is a final authority. In the all of the affairs of life, the final authority is God. He is our Final Authority in everything whether personal, religious, economic, academic,medical, legal, moral, political or governmental. He is the Final Authority for everything and He is to be the Final Authority for every soul.
You may be saying, "Why, of course it means every soul. Why the big explanation?" Because some people think that the "higher authorities" are exempt from this directive to be subject to the higher authorities. These same people would say that they don't think that they think this way, but they do. I will show you.
These same people will tell us how we ought to obey the State. They will tell us; "we are obligated to obey the State even when the directives of the State are not in line with the will of God." They will excuse this by saying, "We are not responsible for what the State decides to do. We are under orders to obey the State and that is final. After all, it is the decision of the ruling authorities, Congress, Supreme Court, President, King, Parliament or whoever."
NO! NO! NO! a thousand times NO! The Bible makes it clear that there is One Judge, One Lawgiver and One King
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For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us. Isaiah 33:22
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and,
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There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another? (James 4:12).
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These verses are not just applicable to a narrow situation. These are principles upon which the Kingdom of God is established. Yes, there are other rulers (lawgivers, judges and kings), but they are to be under His Authority. All legitimate authority is derived from God. Some authority is usurped from God. Usurped authority is not binding upon those who choose to come under the Authority of God.
Let me give you an illustration. A command from an underling which is against the command of the supreme commander in the military is not to be followed. United States military people take an oath to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. This is because the Constitution is the supreme law of the land. If the Constitution is being usurped by anyone, including the President of the United States, I would think that the military has a first duty to the Constitution and would be required by oath to stand against a President who is giving commands contrary to the Constitution. The United States is founded upon the Constitution and not upon the President. The basic principle is, "Presidents come and go, but the Constitution is our Rule of Law." Even when there is no President, there is the Constitution.
This is especially true in the Divine scheme of things. The only difference is, there will always be God. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. However, His is not a derived authority but an inherent authority. He is the Final Authority. All souls are to be subject to God, regardless of the laws of man. We are to obey all laws of man when they do not usurp the Authority of God. When we are required to disobey the law of God in order to obey men, we must not follow man in his anarchy. When the apostles were faced with this kind of problem here is what happened.
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Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29).
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But remember, this is to be true for EVERY SOUL. Presidents are to obey God. Kings are to obey God. ALL MEN are to obey God. We are not exempt from obeying God even when those in authority command us to disobey God. This has never been acceptable and it is still not acceptable. Though there are more people who will follow a wicked system and then blame God Himself, I say,
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Joshua 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
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HIGHER POWERS
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Rom 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
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Paul did not write this to convince Christians to obey wicked laws, but to be willing to obey wicked men who happened to be in authority. This was not written to tell Christians that it was acceptable to obey wicked laws, but that it was acceptable to obey pagan authorities. Christians clearly understood that they should not obey wicked laws but they did not understand that they were obligated to submit to pagan governments.
The first thing we should look at concerning this word POWER, is it's meaning. There are words which are to be understood in the sense of strength or dynamite-like power, but this word in the Greek is better understood to mean AUTHORITY. From this point on in this discussion, think AUTHORITY when we say POWER.
To show the difference between AUTHORITY and POWER let me share an illustration with you. There has been an accident out on the Old Mill Road. A law officer is sent to assist the clean up. When he arrives, he stands in the middle of the road and proceeds to direct traffic. After a short while passes, coming from a distance away is a pick-up truck driven by one of the county ruffians at about 50 miles per hour. The law officer turns to the oncoming vehicle and raises his hand, indicating it should stop, but the pick-up continues to barrel down on the law officer. He raises both hands and the pick-up continues to come at him. The officer has the AUTHORITY to stop the vehicle, but it looks like he is about to be hit. That is because he has the AUTHORITY (the right) to stop the vehicle, but not the POWER to stop it. The officer waves the tow-truck to his right to pull onto the road, thus blocking the way of the oncoming pick-up truck. The pick-up slams on brakes and comes to a screeching halt. That is because the tow-truck had the POWER to stop the pick-up. AUTHORITY carries with it the meaning of "right" while POWER carries with it the meaning of "strength." And that is the difference between AUTHORITY and power. The word in this verse is to be understood as AUTHORITY.
Part of the problem in understanding this passage is in identifying these higher authorities. It is too easy to label our own governmental authorities as THE higher authority. Though it fits into the scheme of things, it is not the only "higher power" nor are they the Highest of the "higher powers." When we submit to the government we are submitting to the line or chain of command which culminates in God Himself.
Powers or authorities are to be found in both the natural and supernatural realm. It might be a mistake to draw an uncrossable line between the natural and the supernatural authorities. The authorities of this world either submit to the authority of God to do His will or they submit to satan to do his will. When the White House is doing the will of God, it is authorized to act, but when the White House is going against the will of God, it is unauthorized. The White House is expected to submit to God and when it does not, it is not the duly authorized authority. Remember, this verse says that every soul should be subject to the higher powers and that includes the President.
ORDAINED AUTHORITY
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Rom 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
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This is to be understood that God has appointed government, rule, order. He has not always appointed the ruler nor has He always approved of the use of rule, but He has appointed rule, order, government. The whole universe operates under Divine rule. There is no order or meaning without rule. Therefore, God has appointed rule, order, government, authority. God has appointed the offices of king, governor, magistrate. It does not meant that He always appointed those who occupied these offices, and it certainly does not mean that He always approves what men do in these offices.
This is in reference to authority appointed by God. God is the Author of order and not chaos, righteousness and not wickedness. Whatever true authority exists, exists because God has placed it there. This does not put God's approval on that which God disapproves. God did not ordain the killing of Christians by the Roman government, He did not put His approval on the killing of the Arabs and the Jews in the Crusades and Inquisitions, He did not put His approval on the killings during the wars of Martin Luther and John Calvin, He did not put His approval on the killing of the Jews under Hitler and the Christians under Russian and Chinese rulers. He does not put His approval on the killing of the unborn by the so-called Supreme Court of the United States. Nor are any other actions taken by the State if those actions are not according to His will. Yes, God has appointed authority, but No, He has not appointed wickedness in high places.
RESISTANCE DENOUNCED
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Rom 13:2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
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Whoever resists authority is resisting God. Clear enough, right? Then why do so many people have a hard time understanding it? The way it is almost always explained is by saying, "Christians who do not obey the government in every way are resisting God.? SAY WHAT? The verse does not say that. It does not imply that. We cannot be allowed to understand it that way. The verse says and means,
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Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God.
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Whoever means whoever. Whether Christian or pagan or.... Well, you get the picture. The Greek word for "resisteth" means to set up oneself in array against another, as in a military fashion. When anyone resists the order of God, he is resisting the ordinance of God or His plan for orderliness and that is the same as resisting God. We are called to submit to the governments of this world, whether they are Christian or not. There is not a particular kind of government which we are to obey, but rather any and all kinds of governments. Never are we to go against our knowledge of God, but we are not to be so committed to one kind of government that we resist another kind of government. God is not the Author of confusion and anarchy is confusion. God does not approve of confusion, therefore God does not approve of resistance to authority.
Just as God does not approve of Christians resisting authority, neither does God approve of nations resisting authority. One nation has no right to overthrow another nation because of political or economic reasons. Remember, this is not saying that Christians are not allowed to resist authority, it says than NO ONE is allowed to resist authority. I don't know that modern and western Christianity can understand this passage with all of it's westernized world view of things. I don't know that American Christians understand that we have no right to impose our economic and political views on other nations.
We Americans are constantly quoting Romans 13 as proof that people ought to obey the government, no matter what the government says. Then they go out and break the laws of other countries for political and economic reasons and encourage others to break the laws of other countries in service to God. But as soon as our own country calls us to do something which is in disobedience to God, we are told to obey the government.
How serious is it to resist the powers or authorities which God establishes? God said that those who resist will be condemned, judged. To disobey God's appointed authority is to sign up for judgment from God. There are no exemptions and there are no exceptions. Those who resist God's ordained authority are deserving of God's judgment. Those who resist God's ordained authority will receive God's judgement.
RULERS PROTECT THE RIGHTEOUS AND PUNISH THE WICKED
Let me introduce this section with a very simple thought. God created man to be righteous and to live righteously. God ordained man to be holy, pure and obedient. Mankind has deserted it's right standing with God. Man is unrighteous and he lives unrighteously. Man, in his fallen condition, has defiled himself and disobeys God everyday in word, thought and deed. THEREFORE THE RELATIONSHIP OF MAN WITH GOD HAS CHANGED.
I know, this is pretty simple. Why is it then, we can understand this, but cannot understand the same truth concerning human government? When human government revolts and disobeys God, it is not in a right relationship with God. Why do people think that government is to be obeyed when it is leading and driving it's people in rebellion? In other words, God does not put His approval on man and his ways when man is in rebellion. Why then, do we think that God puts His approval on human government when it is in rebellion? God did not ordain rebellion in individuals or in groups. Rebellion separates from God and does not enjoy His blessings. Government in rebellion is estranged from God and does not enjoy His blessings.
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Rom 13:3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:
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This verse tells us that God appointed rulers for the express purpose of protecting the righteous. This verse tells us that God did not appoint rulers for the purpose of tormenting or oppressing the righteous. There is no confusion for those who simply accept the Word of God. We learn from this verse that rulers, true rulers, God appointed rulers, are not a terror to those who do good, but rather to those who do evil. Government was established for the express purpose of protecting the righteous. If God's Word means anything, it means what It says.
Any so-called authority which becomes a terror to the good is not the authority which God ordained. Any ruler which misuses his power and authority to terrorize the righteous is in opposition to God and is not to be followed in it's wickedness. That ruler is the enemy of God and those who join or array themselves in opposition to God and His rule of law are anarchists. They will be condemned. The false teaching, that Christians should obey wicked laws in the name of Romans 13, is a doctrine of demons. Satan has told mankind from the beginning that it is all right to disobey God. Modern, western Christians are propagating this same lie when they tell us to obey wicked laws and follow evil rulers in disobeying God. A person must go against the revelation of God to say that Christians are obligated to obey wicked laws. Government, God appointed government is not a terror to good works.
The United States of America was founded on Biblical principles. The laws of the land, for the most part, were designed to protect the righteous. God blessed America abundantly as it sought to follow and obey Him. When America disobeys and revolts against the authority of God by terrorizing the righteous, it move from the Mount of Blessing to the Mount of Cursing.
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Rom 13:3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:
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Any so-called authority which becomes a comfort to the evil is not the authority which God ordained. Any ruler which misuses his power and authority to support the wicked is in opposition to God and is not to be followed in it's wickedness. We learn from this verse that rulers, true rulers, God appointed rulers, are a terror to those who do evil. Government was established for the express purpose of punishing the wicked. If God's Word means anything, it means what It says.
Laws which protect the wicked are repugnant to God. We are called to stand for justice and justice does not let wickedness run rampant. Justice speaks up and acts up in behalf of the downtrodden. We must understand that the Church is not going to set up the Kingdom of Christ in this world. That will happen only when the King comes back. Though we are not here to establish God's kingdom on earth, we are here to stand for truth and stand against wickedness. We will not seek to overthrow any government which is promoting wickedness, but we will not be forced into performing wickedness simply because some group claims the authority of God.
Christians are not obligated, Christians are not allowed to follow laws which require disobedience to God.
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Rom 13:3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:
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God's ordained plan for living a peaceful life is for the government to protect the righteous and punish the wicked. If you do not want to be afraid of God ordained government, do good. The true, God ordained government we are to follow is the government which supports, encourages, promotes and praises the righteous for doing good. Any rule and ruler which makes service to God difficult and terrorizes people for obeying God must not be seen as the ordained power of God and is not to be followed in its disobedience to God. We are not allowed to fight against that rule and ruler, but we must not allow it to chart our course. We are not obligated to follow a renegade ruler or authority.
Justice, true justice not only punishes the wicked, it rewards the righteous. If the State had dedicated itself to it's God given purpose, it would have wickedness under control and it would be in a place of rewarding the righteous. Not only is there no reward for the righteous, the State is not even protecting them from the wicked.
When the righteous are penalized for doing good, and when the evil are rewarded for their wickedness, the government, power, authority which God ordains is not in place, but has been usurped by the powers of darkness.
Other parts of the world which have been under the rule of pagan and heathen influences have not enjoyed the power, freedom and justice of those countries which have been built upon the Bible and the Christianity. No Brag...Just Fact. The suffering of the righteous in other countries today is the result of the State operating outside of the will of God for many decades, centuries and even millennia. Countries with Christian backgrounds are moving in the same direction because they are rejecting the God Who gave them their authority.
So far in Romans 13 we have not found the authority to follow a wicked leader in the performance of wickedness, but read on.
GOD'S MINISTER FOR GOOD
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Rom 13:4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
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The "he" spoken of here is in reference to the system or the ruler in the system which God has ordained. The "he" can and should be translated "it" in reference to the appointed authority. Paul takes us another step in understanding God's appointed rulers. He tells us that the authority is the "minister", "servant" of God. A minister or servant of someone else is accountable to his master or superior. In this case, the authority, ruler is under the Authority of God. He is servant to his Master, God. A servant is obligated to do the bidding of his master and is obliged to obey his master. The governmental authority is authorized to do the will of God. He is not authorized to change the commands or rule of his master. Any action contrary to the will of God is not authorized by God. Men cannot become a law to themselves and men cannot require evil laws to be obeyed in the name of God. The "powers" are servants of God. The authority of the State begins and ends where God's will begins and ends. The servant is only allowed to do that which is in keeping with the will of his master. To go beyond or fall behind the master's will is anarchy and will be judged.
In the case of the State, or the powers or the authorities or the rulers, they are impowered and appointed for the express purpose of doing good to the Christian. Though it is true that the "powers" or the State has authority over all men in their jurisdiction, they are the servants of God to do good FOR THE CHRISTIAN. Rulers which are serving the needs, desires and purposes of the non-Christian world are not fulfilling their responsibility to God. God appointed the rulers to serve the Church. Though someone may disagree with this position, the fact is God's Word says it.
From the time that God instituted human government, it was for the express purpose of protecting the righteous and punishing the wicked. Since the only ones who can be considered "righteous" are those in a right relationship with God, human government was instituted to protect the children of God. In the New Testament dispensation, the righteous ones are the Christians. Human government exist today to protect and promote Christians and the ministry of the Church.
There have been counterfeits to this model, but the counterfeit only proves the existence of the genuine. Among others, the Roman Catholic Church has set itself up as the true church of God and has pressured world governments into serving their carnal and warped religious purposes. When worldly governments did not serve the purpose of the Roman Catholic Church, it would sometimes take the sword of steel against the State. However, the misuse of power does not negate the proper use of power. The corruption of power does not excuse the State from doing the right thing. God ordained human government for the purpose of facilitating His will. The State is established to accomplish the will of God through His True Church.
This is not a call to political action on the part of the Church. We are called to a higher calling than that which has been given to the State. The Church is to obey God regardless of the rebellion among the worlds political leaders. If the State refuses to obey God in serving the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, then the State will have to answer for that decision. Likewise, if the Church chooses to follow the State in wickedness, the Church of any given area and any given time will answer to God for its actions.
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Rom 13:4 For he (it) is the minister of God to thee for good...
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God not only knew what He wanted to say, He knew how to say it. The government is the servant of God, created for the purpose of serving the Church. The "thee" in this passage is not the pagan society. It is not even the apostate Jewish community. The "thee" in this passage is the Church. This book was written to Christians. The New Testament is written for Christians. This passage which was written to Christians says that the authority is a servant of God to or for the Church.
A distinction is made in this passage between the government and the Church. It does not say that the Church is for the purpose of protecting and praising the State, it says that the State is for the purpose of protecting and praising the Church. By God's decree, the government is the servant of God and the Church.
The government does not exist to control the Church, the government exists to serve the Church. Just as laws are not made to control Christians, but rather to control the wicked, so the government was made to control wicked men and serve the Church. God not only draws a distinction between the State and the Church, He makes it clear that the State ought to protect, praise and serve the Church.
Just because you have never seen the State do its duty before God does not mean that it is excused from doing its duty. The duty of the State is to protect, praise and serve the Church. The State is the servant of the Church, not the other way around.
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Rom 13:4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good...
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There is no such thing as the State, powers, authorities or rulers being a minister of God to do evil to the Church or to Christians. It is unthinkable to say God ordains wicked laws and executes them through His ministers, servants, government rulers. Not only is the State the servant of God, it is the servant of God for the Church and it is the servant of God to do good for the Church, . I know that this is not politically correct according to the evaluation of this worlds concept of government, however, God says,
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Rom 13:4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good...
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And though we have never seen this come to full fruition, it is nonetheless the intent of God. It is part of what Jesus meant when He taught His disciples to pray saying,
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Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven... (Matthew 6:10).
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Though we have not seen this happen in this world, it is the will of God and it is to be prayed for until it happens. It will not happen until Jesus comes back and sets up His kingdom, but it is the will of God.
Let's look at this portion of the verse like this:
The State is the servant (and therefore under orders) of God. The State is not appointed to do service or the work of satan, but God. The rule of the State reflects the nature of God, who is the Supreme Commander over all other authorities. As the servant of God, the State is appointed to serve the Church. The State is not the Church, the State is the servant of God to the Church. As such, the service rendered by the State is that of doing good to the Church.
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Rom 13:4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good...
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AUTHORITY WITH POWER
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Rom 13:4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
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The State does not only have the position of protecting and praising the righteous and also punishing the wicked, it has the power to do it. Paul tells us that the State bears the sword. The SWORD indicates power. The sword is not just a symbol, it is an instrument of destruction. It is a weapon to be wielded against a foe. It is an instrument to be used in judgment and war.
God has given the power of the sword to the State to maintain order and promote righteousness. Though we live in the dispensation of grace and not the dispensation of law,
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"For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" (John 1:17).
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the need for order is still present. Wicked men do not cease their wicked deeds because of the goodness of God. The Bible tells us that sin will increase as the end of time approaches. Man's wickedness manifests itself in its inhumanity to man. All manner of violence is exercised even when there are deterrents in the law. However, justice and punishment for wickedness does deter wickedness. Often times a person will not do something wrong if he expects to be punished for it and there comes a time when the one who does the wicked deed must be executed, which ends wickedness in that particular individual. The purpose of the SWORD is to deter wickedness, punish evil doers and eliminate the most incorrigible of criminals. The fact that there seems to be less and less fear of justice and punishment for wickedness tells us that there has been less and less use of power by the State in protecting the righteous and punishing the wicked.
The sword is also to be wielded to protect the righteous from the invasion of foreign evildoers. When the State bears the sword, foreign powers may elect to not invade the State; if the foreign power chooses to invade the State, the State has the right to protect itself by using the sword. The State has the responsibility to protect the righteous from outside powers.
The State has the right to wield the sword in protecting the righteous of another country as well. The sword is given to the State for the express purpose of protecting the righteous and punishing the wicked. This would not excuse the State for taking military action against another country for the purpose of imposing a particular kind of government or establishing a particular ruler or advancing a specific economic system or culture or taking control of another countries resources. The State bears the Sword to deter wickedness.
Unhappily, the World system is so far away from God that God's purpose is not being fulfilled by the State. The World by nature is in rebellion against God and since the Church is so anemic, it has lost its saltiness or its preserving power, and therefore it no longer impacts the State for God. Today there is very little in the way of protecting the righteous. The State is now in the business of protecting the State and protecting the interest of the wealthy and the powerful. The RULE OF LAW which once guided the USA has been exchanged for CASE LAW and so called BEST INTEREST issues in a world of situational ethics and values clarification. The Bible has been thrown out and Christ has been labeled as a hate monger. Christians are no longer protected by the law, but are targeted and abused by the State. (This, of course is a different topic which should be looked at some other time.)
There is only a clear understanding of who the righteous are and who the wicked are, when we have a clear understanding of the Bible. The Bible explains who the righteous are and who the wicked are. Any and all other standards fall short and often warp the State in fulfilling its God given responsibility. This is why justice is replaced by injustice as the years pass. The State is removing itself from under the Authority of God and is no longer serving His purpose.
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Rom 13:4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
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Paul re-states his position that the State is the minister or servant of God. The State is not the servant of itself, special interest groups, the wealthy, the powerful, racial groups, religious or any other kind of groups. The State is the servant of God and is given the sword for the purpose of executing wrath upon the evil doers. Those who do wrong (disobey God) are to be punished for their wrongdoing.
The people of Bible days understood that servants served their masters. The State was appointed as a servant to serve God and His Church. The State was never supposed to oppress the Church. The State was never to persecute the Church. The State was to serve the Church and promote the Church in its service to God.
To me this is all so simple, and yet this passage is continually used to prove that the Church is to obey the State in any and every way even when in disobedience to God. It is not here. It is contrived by the prince of darkness who has always been in rebellion against God. He led angels in a revolt against God which resulted in the demons who serve satan; he led Adam in a revolt against God which resulted in the ruin of an entire race; and he has led world rulers in revolt against God's plan in human government which has resulted in political anarchy in the name of government. This will find its fullest expression in the rule of the anti-Christ during the Tribulation. Then we will see the plan of God at work when Jesus sets up His kingdom in the Millennium.
WHY WE ARE SUBJECT
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Rom 13:5"Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake."
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It is because of these truths we are to be subject to the State. Not because the State has been made to rule the Church, but because the State has been made to rule the world. Christians are to live under the rule of God. If they will not, they will suffer the judgments of the State, who serves God and the Church. As believers in Christ we are to live a life which does not require the State to punish us. We are not to be evil, but righteous. We are not subject to wicked laws. Though I will not go into detail on verses 5-10 at this time, we are to be subject to God's appointed authority since it serves the righteous and punishes the wicked.
How often I am told by other believers that I am to obey the State in wicked laws, laws which lead to disobedience to God. On the other hand, most of these same people only obey laws which they find to be convenient. They often will speed on the highways and streets, they will bear arms illegally. They will disobey the government for personal preferences rather than for the purpose of obeying God.
If and when a Christian disobeys the laws of man, it should only be for the purpose of obeying the law of God. Just because the State is rebelling against God does not mean the Church is to disobey God.
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Rom 13:5 "Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake."
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We as believers are to obey the State because it is in keeping with our conscience. Our conscience should condemn us when we are disobedient to God and His law, not when we are disobedient to man-made laws which are contrary to the Bible. Our obedience is to come from our commitment to Jesus, not our fear of the State. The world serves from fear of the sword, we serve from desire of the heart to please God.
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Rom 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
Rom 13:2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
Rom 13:3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:
Rom 13:4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good.
But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
Rom 13:5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.
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