The Christian In Relationship To The Governments Of This World

Issues – September 2023 – Grace & Truth Magazine

The Christian In Relationship To The Governments Of This World

What is the relationship of the Christian toward the governments of this world, and what is our responsibility, if any, in connection with them? Firstly, there are three straightforward commands given through the apostles Paul and Peter:

1. “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God” (Rom. 13:1 NKJV).
2. “Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work” (Ti. 3:1).
3. “Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors … For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men – as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God … Fear God. Honor the king” (1 Pet. 2:13-17).

It is evident from the above verses that the overall position of the Christian should be one of submission and respect. There are no exceptions stated to these exhortations given in the passages quoted. Some Christians believe and teach that we can only submit to righteous governments – those who follow the laws of God. But this is not stated by the apostles. Indeed, when Paul and Peter wrote these commands to the saints, Emperor Nero was ruling the Roman Empire. He was ungodly and wicked, as was his government; he was a persecutor of the Christians. So our submission is not to be guided on the basis of the righteousness or unrighteousness of any particular government, or of the form of government, whether democratic, authoritarian or something else. All governments, whatever their form, ultimately receive their authority to rule from God. They will answer to Him if they have abused that authority. Sometimes God will use wars or revolutions to change the type of administration which a country may have. When there has been such a change, the Christian is to continue on, faithful to his Lord.

Paul was not describing in Romans 13:1-7 how governments ought to function. He was not writing to rulers or those who want to be rulers as to how to operate or form a government. Rather, the apostle was teaching Christians about why they should submit and the purpose of government. God has given government the power of the “sword” (v.4), whether in the form of police or military, to maintain order. Otherwise, man would not be able to function due to anarchy and chaos in the land – the “sword” was given for the benefit of mankind. This extends back in time to the covenant given to Noah following the flood (Gen. 9:4-6).

The apostle Peter also gives us a reason to submit: it is “for the Lord’s sake” (1 Pet. 2:13). The Lord Jesus had taught this to Simon Peter in a very personal way during His ministry on earth in Matthew 17:24-27. There, it was in connection to the authorities of Israel, the ruling council, the Sanhedrin. The Lord told Peter that the “sons are free” (v.26), meaning the sons of God were not obligated to submit to their taxation rules for they were children of the great King of the universe. However, in order to not “offend them” (v.27) he should submit to their rule – a great lesson for Peter! This attitude is the exact lesson the apostle, as directed by the Holy Spirit, reiterated in 1 Peter 2:13-17, “for the Lord’s sake” (v.13) and as those who are “free” (v.16). Indeed the sons are free, but we must always consider how our behavior before the authorities impacts our testimony for Christ.

But are there not exceptions to submission to the governments of this world? Indeed there are. In Acts 5:29 Peter told the rulers, “We [believers] ought to obey God rather than man.” This was a case where the rulers were trying to stop the Christians from preaching the gospel and from telling people about the resurrection of Christ. We have a higher authority, God’s authority, to obey in this matter. He has commanded us to preach the gospel. When God’s authority is in conflict with man’s authority, we must submit to God rather than man. There may be other examples of this type of thing, and sometimes it may not be so clear to the believers what they ought to do in those cases. When this happens we need to cry out to God for His wisdom, and we need to exhibit grace and humility to one another.

On the positive side, there are spiritual exercises and responsibilities that should engage us: “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings be made for all men, for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity” (1 Tim. 2:1-2 NASB95). We pray for the rulers “that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life.” In other words, we pray that they may be able to maintain peace and order that we may live our lives and the gospel may continue to spread unhindered. Again, Nero was the emperor when Paul wrote these words. And further, it should be stated that Nero ultimately executed both Paul and Peter. Of course, he will give an account to God for his wickedness.

When the Lord Jesus was on earth He quietly went about preaching the gospel, healing the sick, and delivering people from the power of demons (Acts 10:38). Some of His disciples had formerly, before their conversion, been zealots, such as “Simon the Zealot” (1:13 NKJV). The Greek term, sikarioi, means “dagger men” or “assassins.” Such individuals were dedicated to the overthrow of Roman rule in Judea. But Jesus called them away from that life. Christ never once interfered with Rome and its politics. It was just the opposite, for when His enemies tried to entrap Him on this point, He told them to submit to God and to Caesar (Mt. 22:15-21).

The hypocrisy of Christ’s enemies in this was shocking and blatant: they delivered Him up on this very charge – that He was seditious to Caesar, desiring rebellion or insurrection. It was a lie! Yet, He did not protest against this unrighteous charge. Instead, He “committed Himself to Him who judges righteously” (1 Pet. 2:23), and we “should follow His steps” (v.21). The irony of the wickedness against Christ was that they asked for Barabbas, who had been condemned for sedition (Lk. 23:19). Christ was never involved in insurrection or rebellion, and neither should we be.

Christians should not be associated with political movements, especially those which disrupt the social order and peace where they live. They are to be ambassadors of another land – a heavenly peaceful one, from which its King will be revealed at the appointed time to the world in great power and glory. Then the world will finally know and understand what a righteous government really looks like. Until that time, may we exhibit features of the kingdom of God in our personal lives and in our assemblies: “For the kingdom of God is … righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 14:17)! Amen.

By Brian Reynolds