The Role Of The Believer, Government Authorities, And Submission Series

Peter and John Before the Sanhedrin (Acts 4:18-20)

After healing a man in the name of Jesus, Peter and John were arrested by the Jewish authorities and ordered not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. Despite the official decree, they boldly declared that they could not obey such a command because it went against God’s will for them to proclaim the gospel.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Is known for resisting Nazi authority in Germany, exemplified this tension. He famously said, “When God calls a man, He bids him come and die.” For Bonhoeffer, the authority of earthly rulers was not absolute, and when they demanded that Christians submit to evil, he believed that resistance, even at great personal cost, was justified.

COVID 19 Shutdowns

The COVID-19 pandemic is a modern example of civil disobedience in response to government restrictions on worship. During the pandemic, Pastor Jack Hibbs of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills in California, and many others defied these restrictions, arguing that the biblical command to gather for worship and community fellowship took precedence over governmental mandates.

5. What Does It Mean to Be ‘Ministers of God’?

Romans 13:4 states, “For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.” Many traditional interpretations understand this as a reference to the authority of the state, which is supposed to punish evil. However, if we align this with the understanding that Paul speaks of spiritual authority, the “minister of God” here could refer to those appointed by God within the Church to guide and correct believers, ensuring they live in accordance with God’s commands.

Augustine wrote extensively about the role of civil authority, but he also emphasized that all authority, whether civil or ecclesiastical, ultimately comes from God and should be used for the good of His people. He was careful to argue that Christians, though subject to earthly rulers, must always obey God first. As John Calvin noted, “We are subject to princes as ministers of God, not as gods.”

6. The Call to Honor and Obey:

Paul concludes with a call to honor all people and to pay taxes and respect to whom it is due. “Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.”

This command applies to both spiritual and earthly authorities, but we must remember that our ultimate allegiance is to God. We are called to honor and respect those in positions of power, but we are never to place our trust in them. As Charles Spurgeon said, “No man can serve two masters; we must serve the King of Heaven first and foremost.”

Conclusion:

As believers, we are indeed called to be in submission to governmental authorities. Romans 13 makes clear that all authority comes from God, and our submission reflects our recognition of God’s sovereign rule over all things. However, this submission is not absolute. While we honor and obey laws that align with God’s commands, we are not required to follow laws that contradict His Word.