Whether We Like It or Not

13 Nov

Whether We Like It or Not

When Paul stood before the High Priest, Ananias, he did not know who it was in front of him. There were no electronics back then and no visual news platform for him to have seen Ananias or to know who he was unless someone had pointed him out on the street or in the temple prior to this incident. At the command of the chief captain of the Roman military contingent in Jerusalem, Paul had been pulled from the middle of a riot and taken into the fortress where he avoided a proposed beating because he was a free-born Roman citizen. The next day, the captain commanded the religious leaders to appear before him so he could find out of what Paul was accused (Acts 22:22-30).

When Paul said, “Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day” (Acts 23:1), the High Priest was angry: “Then said Paul unto him, ‘God shall smite thee, you whited wall. Do you sit to judge me after the law and command me to be smitten contrary to the law?” And they that stood by said, ‘Do you revile God’s High Priest?’ Then said Paul, ‘I did not know, brethren, that he was the High Priest. For it is written, ‘Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people’” (Acts 23:3-5).

Other apostles also confirmed in their own experiences the mandate to honor those whom God has placed in authority over us, except as it defies obedience to God:

“And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the High Priest asked them, Saying, “Did we not earnestly command you that you should not teach in this name? And, behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.’ Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, ‘We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you slew and hanged on a tree. Him has God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, in order to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses of these things as is also the Holy Ghost, whom God has given to them that obey him’” (Acts 5:27-29).

“And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said unto them, ‘Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.’” (Acts 4:18-20).

Jesus, Himself, was the example for appropriate respect for authority without betraying our allegiance to God :

“The High Priest then asked Jesus of His disciples and of His doctrine. Jesus answered Him, ‘I spoke openly to the world. I ever taught in the synagogue and in the temple, where the Jews always resort, and I have said nothing in secret. Why do you ask me? Ask them which heard me what I have said unto them. Behold, they know what I said.’ And when He had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, ‘Do you answer the high priest so?’ Jesus answered him, ‘If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil. But if I have spoken well, why do you smite me?’” (John 18:19-23).

Peter makes it clear that our attitudes toward and submission to the government need to be respectful, not so much to make life easier for ourselves, but in order to “show forth the praises of Him who called us out of darkness…” (1 Peter 2:9-10) and to bring glory to God because we are not citizens of this world. We are, instead:

a chosen race
a royal priesthood
a holy nation
a people for his own possession
the people of God
called out of darkness into His marvelous light

I know this is not a popular subject. I too often balk at certain things regarding honoring those in authority over me, as well. The struggle, as with so many facets of our Christianity, is between what I want to believe the Bible says and what God actually has written in His Word. Jesus told us to “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar’s, and unto God the things which be God’s” (Luke 20:25). What we handle and hold onto here on earth has to do with earth and is not permanent. Instead we are called to a life of faith as citizens of Heaven, subjects of God’s Kingdom (Phil. 3:20), the realm of the imperishable. Luke 12:34 reminds us that “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” 2 Corinthians 5:20 tells us that our position on earth, now that we are born again into the kingdom of God, is that of ambassadors. We are here to serve God and advance His kingdom.

Since we are ambassadors of God’s Kingdom, and as Jesus and His disciples demonstrated, the place where our obligation to government diverges from our mandates from Heaven is the only place where we have to choose to obey God, not those with authority over us. Our biblical directive to honor the authority of those who govern us except when it disobeys God, no matter what side of the aisle we subscribe to, is required by God. Jesus never preached a political platform, only the gospel in both actions and words, and that is what we are both called and enabled to do.

Therefore, “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake…” (1 Peter 2:13).