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THIS PAGE LAST UPDATED 05-10-2009 Prayer, Submission, and Our New President by Greg Williamson (c) 2009
UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ALL SCRIPTURE QUOTATIONS New American Standard Bible. NOTE: HOVER POINTER OVER BIBLE REFERENCES FOR POP-UPS
On Tuesday, January 20, 2009 Barack Hussein Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America. For his supporters it was an occasion soliciting much adulation. For Obama's critics, however, it was somewhat otherwise (to put it mildly). For everyone it marked the beginning of a time of much uncertainty.
In his comments on the apostle Paul's call for Christians to submit to the governing authorities (see below), J. Vernon McGee defends our form of government while indicting corrupt leaders who see it as little more than a custom made tool for pushing personal agendas and furthering political careers.
While the precise extent to which Christians should work to improve society is a matter of much debate, McGee's is a much-needed reminder that a Christian's full allegiance is to God alone and his/her top priority should be the Gospel. It may just be time for Christians (of every variety) living in America to face the hard truth that we have allowed ourselves to be seduced into relying on power, wealth, and political influence. [REF] Is it then any wonder that we are now facing a society-wide crisis involving our economy and the leaders of our government? Is it any wonder that we now have a President who is an ultraliberal supporter of abortion, gay wrongs, and a socialistic form of government? We must stop putting our trust in people, plans, and policies, and instead commit to the hard work of praying and sharing the Gospel. Our only real hope, and the only change we can really believe in, is for God to have mercy on America and turn our hearts toward him.
All that is not to say, however, that we should throw up our hands in despair and quit the American political process altogether -- as tempting as that may be at times. The main point is that we are never to put our ultimate hope and trust in human government or look to human leaders to create a utopian society. It is a balancing act, to be sure, but one made necessary by the fact that ours is a representative form of government dependent upon its citizenry for the promotion of truth, justice, and liberty. As one theologian has put it: "[W]e must be careful to avoid making a Messiah out of any ruler or state between now and the eschaton. ... We should be active as much as possible in political solutions, but we should always keep a certain emotional and ideological distance, knowing that the ultimate political solution to every human problem will be riding a white horse (Rev. 19:11), and he will not need the 'evangelical vote.'" [REF] Notice the Bible says that our Savior will be mounted on a white horse ("a symbol of Christ’s triumph over the forces of wickedness in the world" [REF]) -- not moving into the White House.
Beginning in the days and weeks leading up to Barack Obama's inauguration, prominent Christian leaders have been calling for the faithful to be in prayer for our new President, often times referencing the apostle Paul's exhortation to pray for "all who are in authority" (1 Timothy 2:2). Such calls have not come without dissent, however, due mainly to the fact that our new President's agenda -- both past and present -- is in many ways very much anti-Christian (see here and here).
The remainder of the verse noted above tells why we are to pray for our leaders: "so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity." The meaning is not that Christians are to live lazy, unproductive, self-centered lives. Rather, as the next few verses make clear, "the idea is this: freedom from disturbances, such as wars and persecutions, will facilitate the spread of the gospel of salvation in Christ to the glory of God," including allowing Christians to demonstrate the life-changing impact of the Gospel by living morally upright, respectable lives before their ever-watching neighbors. [REF] One source applies a slightly different, but appropriate, interpretation: "The text should read, 'That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life with the utmost reverence and respect.' This respect is for governmental authority. Respect can best be realized when rulers are competent and rightly discharging their duties. Otherwise, it is difficult to respect rulers when they are incompetent and unjust." [REF]
Another source notes some helpful historical detail regarding praying for those in authority:
In 1 Timothy 2:4 we are told that God desires all men -- yes, even pagan rulers -- "to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth." And so as regards both President Obama and all our other government officials, we are to pray -- with prayers that are "specific, reverently brought to God, bold, and grateful" [REF] -- that they not be allowed to persecute or harass the Church, and that they come to a personal, saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. The other side of that coin, of course, is the sobering responsibility every Christian has to proclaim the Gospel in both word and deed. Lest we ever forget, the increasingly popular notion that there are many paths to God is patently false, as 1 Timothy 2:5 makes clear: "For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity -- the man Christ Jesus" (NLT).
First Timothy 2:1-7 deals with public worship in the larger context of "the relation of the church to the state." [REF] What is said there must be weighed against what is taught elsewhere in Scripture regarding our Christian responsibility to submit to the governing authorities, as well as to challenge those same authorities if and when their laws contradict God's. Certainly we should avoid the let-us-rally-around-the-President-for-the-good-of-the-country approach advocated by some of President Obama's supporters (although, it might be added, not during President Bush's time in office). At the same time, we must not lose sight of the fact that God can, will, and does use even pagan rulers to bring about his good and perfect will.
"The key New Testament passage on the subject" of a Christian's responsibilities toward the governmental authorities is Romans 13:1-7. [REF] (Other passages include 1 Timothy 2:1-4; Titus 3:1; and 1 Peter 2:13-17.)
A Vital Issue Submission to the governing authorities is an issue of perennial concern. Bible commentator of yesteryear Albert Barnes (1798-1870) suggested several practical reasons it was such a pressing issue for the early Church -- reasons that remain relevant for today's Christian: [REF]
A General Principle "Paul is not arguing for the divine right of kings or for any special form of government, but for government and order. Nor does he oppose here revolution for a change of government, but he does oppose all lawlessness and disorder." [REF] Paul presents a general principle of submission to authority. The "subjection" of which he speaks "denotes that kind of submission which soldiers render to their officers. It implies 'subordination;' a willingness to occupy our proper place, to yield to the authority of those over us. The word used here does not designate the 'extent' of the submission, but merely enjoins it in general." [REF] Paul has in mind not so much specific rulers as the authority of human government -- the right to rule -- which is established or ordained by God.
"'Submission' is the recognition of the sovereignty of God over all the affairs of this world and over our own individual involvement in it." [REF] There seems to be a subtle but important point made in Paul's choice of "submit" (/"be subject"/"be in subjection") rather than "obey" (Romans 13:1, 5),** which is a stronger term, in that "the believer may find it impossible to comply with every demand of the government. A circumstance may arise in which he must choose between obeying God and obeying men (Acts 5:29). But even then he must be submissive to the extent that, if his Christian convictions do not permit his compliance, he will accept the consequences of his refusal." [REF] Hence "Paul’s demand that Christians submit to government means simply that they recognize government’s rightful place within the hierarchy of relationships established by God, a hierarchy at whose pinnacle is God. When, therefore, government usurps its place, and commands us to do something contrary to our ultimate Lord, we are free -- indeed obliged -- to disobey." [REF] This idea fits well with the New Testament's command to submit in the context of other relationships: slavery, in which the slave was to submit to his/her master (with employment often cited as a modern equivalent); marriage, in which the wife is to submit to her husband; and the local church, in which members are to submit to their church leaders. In all these situations, submission has more to do with self-giving love than power and status. [REF] {** HCSB, NIV, NLT = "submit"; ESV, ISV, KJV & NKJV, NASB, NET, RSV & NRSV = "be subject"/"be in subjection"}
"God established human government because man is a sinner and must have some kind of authority over him." [REF] While this is true, it is important to note that the very first instance of government came prior to the fall of Adam and Eve. Governing authority is God's providential provision for humankind, as first seen in God's sharing of his authority via his mandate for humanity to govern God's good earth (Genesis 1:28). Fundamental to God's commission is the fact that humanity is created in his image. As one theologian has noted: "As the image of God, man is divinely authorized to serve as his representative (not representation) and charged to function as his deputy (cf. Gen 1:26-28; Psalm 8). According to Genesis 1 and 2, man was endowed with the needed qualities to govern creation on God's behalf as he would were he personally and physically present." [REF]
The next example of governance comes after the flood, when God re-commissions humanity (in the form of Noah and his family) to rule over the earth (Genesis 9:1-7). This time around capital punishment is added in recognition of the fact that humanity is created in the image of God: "If anyone takes a human life, that person’s life will also be taken by human hands. For God made human beings in his own image" (Genesis 9:6, NLT). This is often cited as the first example of human government. For example: "In essence, then, this covenant [with Noah] was established to ensure the stability of nature. It helped guarantee the order of the world. People would also learn that human law was necessary for the stability of life and that wickedness should not go unchecked as it had before. So human government was brought in." [REF]
Specific examples of God's people submitting to and/or supporting the existing government include the following.
That said, we should also recall that both the Bible and Church history are replete with examples of believers who disobeyed the civil authorities in order to obey God -- and sometimes paid a very high price for doing so.
Albert Barnes offers a comment that seems especially poignant in light of our current political situation:
While America's system of government does not include a king and a throne, there certainly is everything else: a national leader; parties and party politics; and election results that many see as the unjust result of deceit and manipulation. None of that, however, changes the fact that, as a general rule or principle, Christians are to submit to the governing authorities, and not seek to overturn them through violence or other illegal means.
We might pause here to note that the peaceful replacement of government officials via lawful practices such as elections, impeachment, etc., does not represent a violation of the Bible's command to submit to the governing authorities. While "Christians are never under subjection to injustice or a government of wickedness," [REF] our weapons for fighting against such are the Gospel, prayer, the legislative process and, if need be, peaceful protest. As one source puts it: "At the very least, under circumstances involving a collapse of justice, the Christian community is obliged to voice its criticism of the state's failure, pointing out the deviation from the divinely ordained pattern. Subjection to the state is not to be confused with unthinking, blind, docile conformity." [REF]
Are we to submit to laws that are contrary to God's will as revealed in his inspired, authoritative Word, the Bible? Absolutely not. In fact, the answer to that question is so obvious that Paul does not even address it here in Romans 13:1-7. Rather, Paul here lays out a general principle of submission in order to counter a general attitude of rebellion. We need only recall that Paul is writing to Christians in Rome -- the seat of the imperial Roman government somewhat analogous to our Washington D.C. -- where emperors often came to power through dishonest means.
Our system of self-governance via elected officials is certainly not perfect. As witnessed by the recent election results, charismatic politicians promising the moon and stars actually stand a good chance of getting elected, particularly when the voting public is more concerned with its bank account than with the moral and spiritual freefall in which our country finds itself. That said, however, it remains a system that is basically fair: it is still one citizen, one vote. If we strongly disagree with the current majority party's policies, we are free to vote those party officials out of office during the next election cycle. What's more, we remain free to voice our dissent to our elected officials in hopes of preventing, or at least lessening the impact of, particular pieces of legislation.
A Minister of God Paul refers to the civil government as:
Civil government has been established by God, and hence government leaders are "ministers" or servants of God "[i]n the administration of public justice, the determining of quarrels, the protecting of the innocent, the righting of the wronged, the punishing of offenders, and the preserving of national peace and order, that every man may not do what is right in his own eyes." [REF] But the fact that civil government is God's servant also means it is not God -- that is to say, it is not infallible. [REF] We cannot blame God for bad rulers or bad decisions; God is no more the cause of bad leadership than the modern automobile is the cause of death when a drunken driven is at the wheel. And of course God's using sinful human government to accomplish his righteous purposes is no more unusual than his choosing us very imperfect human-beings to accomplish his perfect will.
Despite repeated biblical injunctions to seek God and his will above all else, in many ways and on many levels we in America have turned away from God and his inspired, authoritative Word, the Bible. In its place we have substituted secular humanism, atheism, paganism, and a host of false religions and failed philosophies. In one respect we really cannot blame our political leaders, as they are simply thermometers that register the national temperature: if they are anti-Christian, it is because to a large extent America has become anti-Christian. When we experience repentance and revival all across our country, a positive change in the makeup of our national political leadership will be but one of the positive results.
That is not to let corrupt leadership off the hook, as it were. As servants of God, our elected leaders have a profound responsibility to promote good and punish evil -- as God alone defines those concepts. And while voters may choose not to hold politicians accountable for failing to do so -- and indeed may reward them for doing the very opposite -- we can rest assured that one day the Lord God Almighty will settle all accounts. As regards the citizenry, we are responsible to abide by the civil laws -- unless and until they direct us to do what is contrary to the clear teaching of God's Word. What's more, unlike the Roman citizenry of Paul's day, the U.S. citizenry has a profound responsibility to participate in the law-making process: we are to elect leaders; we are to monitor their efforts in creating and enforcing laws; and we are to call them to task if and when they fail to promote good and punish evil. This is what it means to be a self-governing society. While we do not put our ultimate trust in any human institution, nonetheless Christians are to take their civic duties very seriously.
Taxes Paul unequivocally states that taxes ("tribute" in the KJV) are to be paid (Romans 13:6-7). Note the historical context:
Paul actually refers to two types of taxes in place at the time. "Taxes," "tax" (Greek phoros, Romans 13:6-7) was "a payment made by the people of one nation to another," symbolizing "submission and dependence." [REF] This tax was "imposed upon persons and their property annually." [REF] "Custom" (Greek telos, Romans 13:7) was "usually levied on merchandise and travelers," [REF] and was collected on the local level by notoriously corrupt tax collectors or "publicans."
Many people considered the tax collection business of Paul's day nothing short of evil.
Nefarious tax collection agents notwithstanding, Paul says -- indeed, commands -- that Christians are to pay their taxes. Why? Because "the ruler (Greek leitourgos, Romans 13:6) like the priest, discharges a divinely ordained service." [REF] Put simply, government workers deserve to be paid, and their pay is drawn from tax revenue. "Paul saw in the state an instrument in the hand of God, preserving the world from chaos. Those who administered the state were playing their part in that great task. Whether they knew it or not they were doing God's work, and it was the Christian's duty to help and not to hinder." [REF]
"God has established three institutions: the home (Gen. 2:18–25), government (Gen. 9:1–17), and the church (Acts 2)." [REF] Human government has three basic functions: (1) protect its citizens, (2) punish criminals; and (3) promote the general welfare. [REF] "The man in authority may be unworthy, but the institution is not, since God wills it. Without financial undergirding, government cannot function." [REF] Like Jesus, Paul saw taxes as our way of not simply giving but, more importantly, "giving back" what is owed (see Mark 12:14, 17). [REF] [REF] Hence Paul's admonition to: "Render to all what is due them" (Romans 13:7, NASB); "Pay everyone what is owed" (Romans 13:7, NET); "Give to everyone what you owe them" (Romans 13:7, NLT).
As with our tax system today, the Roman tax system was a mixture of good and bad: "Taxes were used to finance roads and run the government but also to support Roman armies and temples devoted to the worship of the emperor." [REF] For Paul one overriding advantage of the Roman government was its making possible the spread of the Gospel throughout the empire. "In the back of Paul’s mind is his appreciation of Rome’s legal and commercial system of roads, sea-lanes, citizenship, and common Greek language that promote the spread of Christianity and are ingredients in this right moment in history ('when the time had fully come' [Gal. 4:4])." [REF] And America's government still affords similar privileges for today's Christians. Ironically, it is the bad aspects of government that testifies to the need for the Gospel which the good aspects of government enables to be carried forward.
As documented in David McCullough's Pulitzer Prize winning biography of John Adams, America's first national tax came in 1798 and was used to raise a standing army against the very real threat of war with France. [REF] National defense is, of course, one of the basic functions of government. Unfortunately, while there remain a host of positive aspects, in a number of ways the system we have today is far removed from its original intent. In particular, greed, corruption, and the immoral use of our tax dollars rightly rankles many Christians. It is especially irksome to know that a large -- and growing -- percentage of our tax dollar is being used to fund programs some of which do much more harm than good. Far from ceasing, this trend is set to mushroom in the face of the federal government's efforts to "stimulate" a badly depressed economy. Sadly -- but not surprisingly -- some political leaders see the current economic crisis as a golden opportunity to simultaneously expand government and curry favor with ill-informed voters. One basic problem is the lack of accountability, as many politicians work to promote a liberal agenda that both runs counter to the clear teachings of Scripture and is badly out of step with the values of most Americans.
What, if anything, can be done? First of all, we should remind ourselves that withholding taxes or cheating on our tax returns is not an option. Scripture commands us to pay all we owe. Equally clear, however, is our responsibility to hold both ourselves and our elected leaders to the highest possible standards. While this will be far from easy in light of our government's propensity for outrageous spending practices, we cannot afford to lose heart or quit the fight. We need to stay informed and stay involved. Practically speaking, most people do not have the time or resources to closely monitor our elected officials (undoubtedly a fact those officials count on). That is where Christian groups such as the Family Research Council come in. FRC is a full-time advocate for policies that are in keeping with our Judeo-Christian heritage of faith, family, and freedom. They interact with and influence our elected officials, and they sound the alarm when there is an effort to pass immoral or irresponsible legislation. (Click here to subscribe to free FRC e-mail updates.)
Eugene Peterson's modern-language paraphrase of Romans 13:1-7 is worth noting:
And we end with a few insightful quotes: [REF]
SOURCES (Click on the title for more information.) Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible Baker's New Testament Commentary The Baptist Faith and Message (2000) plus commentary The Bible Exposition Commentary The Bible Knowledge Commentary The Complete Word Study Dictionary Dictionary of New Testament Background Draper's Book of Quotations for the Christian World Evangelical Commentary on the Bible Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains Holy Bible, New American Standard Holy Bible, New English Translation (NET) Holy Bible, New Living Translation (2nd ed) The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament The King James (Version) Study Bible Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible New Dictionary of Christian Ethics and Pastoral Theology New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words |
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