God's Word to the Wise

A Word to the Wise

See Part One for further context.

Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. 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. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. (1 Peter 2:13-17)

“Submit to every ordinance of man?” Even taxes to an evil, corrupt, immoral government? Yep!  

For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. (Emphasis included, Romans 13:1-7)

The Lord also weighed in on this subject. When the Pharisees asked Him, “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?” He replied, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” (Mark 14b-15; 17)

How does this work with Peter and John’s, “We ought to obey God rather than man;” the battle cry for civil disobedience? (Acts 5:29b) To whom was this act of defiance directed? It was not the civil governing authority. It was the religious authority. Peter and John, like their teacher Jesus, were defying the man-made requirements of their religious practice.

It is my opinion that the determination as to what is obeying God rather than man is subjective. Many evangelicals today equate the Bill of Rights with the Bible. For instance, some argue protecting the right to bear arms is a legitimate call to civil disobedience. I am persuaded to preach/speak the Gospel indiscriminately to all, but when and where might be subject to the government’s opinion. If the apostles were forbidden to preach in one setting or place they moved on to another. If the civil authority enforced its law with imprisonment they preach to those in prison. There is not a single example in Scripture of anyone violently resisting the governing authority

. Better to be judged a martyr than a rebel. -More to Come-