“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.”
Romans 13:1 NIVUK
The page turns, the subject matter changes. A new chapter emerges. Paul now looks outside of the bubble that surrounds the Roman Christians towards the government of their day. The governing authorities in place within the Roman Empire were not renowned for their kindness and compassion. They brutally suppressed any form of dissent, and Christians were sometimes perceived as a threat to their rule. So Paul would not have been very popular when he said that everyone “should be subject to the governing authorities”. He made things potentially worse when he wrote that “The authorities that exist have been established by God”. I can imagine those early Christians wondering if Paul really knew what they had to endure. Could God really be behind the civil persecutions?
In those early days, and with a number of Jews, now Christians, in their midst, there would still perhaps have been a belief that there was no ruler except God Himself, and because of that they would be released from an obligation to be under the authority of the local civic rulers. The local government set the laws that provided cohesion in the society of that time. So thieves would face punishment if caught. Civil unrest would be dealt with. All the usual safeguards would have been in place to prevent the society descending into anarchy. The early Christians may have not liked the situation all that much, certainly from the perspective from how they were treated, but Paul told them to get over it and move on in their faith.
But there would have been those in Paul’s day who rejected this earthly kingdom and its laws, the society in which they lived, and it was to those that Paul was directing his teaching. We mustn’t forget that just a few verses earlier, Paul had written to the members of the church in Rome advising them to “Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18). So the early Christians had to really work out their role of being in the world but not of it.
What about today? Are we pilgrims subject to our “governing authorities”? Do we cherry pick the laws and customs that we want to follow and reject the rest? It is easier to follow laws that are in harmony with what we believe and what the Bible sets out. But what about those customs and laws that are in direct contradiction to Biblical teaching? In our Western societies, the legislators have brought in laws that must upset God deeply. Laws, for example, that legalise abortion or allow same sex marriage. But as we read just a few verses ago, God will deal with such evil in the fullness of time. However, at the present time, there is no law that forces a Christian to make a choice between God’s way and society’s way, causing them to personally disobey the authorities, but the trend is ominous. Though Christians can worship today without breaking the law, there is legislation being discussed that would make it illegal for pastors to pray with, or for, anyone around issues such as gender. Such a law has already been passed in Australia. How can we be subject to such a law that flies directly in the face of what God has ordained?
There will come a time when Christians in the West will be subject to the same draconian suppression that can be found in places like North Korea, where Christians are locked up, mistreated and even killed for their faith. Christians there are subject to the governing authorities and suffer the consequences if they choose to have faith in God. But God knows what they are suffering, and one day they will receive a reward for their faith.
We pilgrims pray, and continue to be obedient to both God and the authorities. But when there is a conflict, God is the higher power. The authorities have been established by God, but when they go against His Word and will, there will be consequences. Paul wrote in the previous chapter in Romans, “Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord” (Romans 12:19).
We can choose to be subject to the government, a choice made easier because that is what God wants us to do. So the next time we see a politician on TV and feel rebellious thoughts arise, we must remember that, objectionable that they may be, God put them there. Hmmm…
Father God. You have blessed those of us who live in the West with stable societies. They are not perfect we know, but You have ordained them, for which we thank You. Please help us to remain in Your will, honouring and obeying those You have placed in authority over us. Amen.
Being a Pilgrim 