Must Christians obey everything the government says?
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God. -Romans 13:1 NRSV
For the Lord's sake accept the authority of every human institution, whether of the emperor as supreme, or of governors, as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and praise those who do right. -1 Peter 2:13-14 NRSV
I have been pondering over these verses for the last couple of days. When I was preparing my children's message for Sunday, I was looking up some information on Ted Studebaker, and came across a letter which had been written to Ted shortly before his death. The letter argued that these two passages show that we must trust and obey our government. This specific letter indicates "President Nixon is a fine man...one who honors and trusts in God, one who is trying to do what is best for all Americans." This logic troubles me, both now and for some time.
Under this understanding, a good Christian is a Christian who is loyal and completely obedient to whatever government is in place in her or his country of origin. This has very troubling implications, especially in times of war. Indeed, from a theological perspective, then, ultimate authority on earth lies not in the hands of God, but in the hands of the rulers of the nations. One implication that has been running through my head of late comes from Nazi Germany. If this understanding is correct, then all Christians in Nazi Germany should have followed and supported the extermination of the Jews in Europe. Indeed, they should be praised for their zealous prosecution of these governmental policies. Yet, as a church, few would think to praise and support German Christians for supporting these policies. From many perspectives, perhaps the most notable Christian in Germany at that time was Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a member of the Confessing Church movement which opposed the Nazi government and who actively sought to bring it to an end.
If we were to continue on the path that this interpretation of these texts proposes, we would be forced to indicate that any Christian who opposed governmental policies was opposing God. Yet, let us think of the many good Christian leaders who have worked for change in the way that the government works. For example, Martin Luther King Jr. spent much of his life fighting against the entrenched understandings of racial segregation both within the culture at large and within the governmental policies that existed. King's participation in the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which was based on opposition to a law requiring blacks to give up their seats to whites, would be seen as opposing the will of God. Few would argue that this is indeed the case. Yet, followed to its logical conclusion, this common understanding of this text would seem to indicate such actions would be wrong.
As we look at our current situation, there are important implications for our lives today. If the government is correct, and the good Christian should obey the government, then all opposition to the Iraq war from a Christian perspective is null and void. However, this is not the case. As I have shown, this particular understanding of these texts is flawed. Instead of an interpretation that condones those who participated in the atrocities of the Nazis and condemns such persons as Bonhoeffer and King, we need to look for a different way of understanding these texts. I will give a brief synopsis of my own understanding of these texts. While this is my own synthesis of these texts, I am drawing on many different resources, not all of which are possible to track down at this point.
First of all, we need to understand a difference between being subject to an authority, and obeying an authority. We find many times in the Biblical tradition commands to obey the laws of God. Yet in this key text, it indicates that we are to be subject to the authorities. Subject does not necessarily indicate that these authorities are to be obeyed. Rather, for me, it indicates that when the authorities are not obeyed, we are to accept the consequences of our actions.
When we look at the text from 1 Peter 2, shortly before the verses given above comes this admonishment, "Beloved, I urge you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the desires of the flesh that wage war against the soul." (1 Peter 2:11 NRSV) We are called to live as aliens and exiles, not as the citizens of this world. Rather, we are to live as citizens of the Kingdom of God. This does mean that at times, indeed probably at most times, Christians will be in opposition to the culture and desires of this world. As such, it is indeed to be expected that there will be from time to time opposition to particular parts of our government and governments around the world.
For the Lord's sake accept the authority of every human institution, whether of the emperor as supreme, or of governors, as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and praise those who do right. -1 Peter 2:13-14 NRSV
I have been pondering over these verses for the last couple of days. When I was preparing my children's message for Sunday, I was looking up some information on Ted Studebaker, and came across a letter which had been written to Ted shortly before his death. The letter argued that these two passages show that we must trust and obey our government. This specific letter indicates "President Nixon is a fine man...one who honors and trusts in God, one who is trying to do what is best for all Americans." This logic troubles me, both now and for some time.
Under this understanding, a good Christian is a Christian who is loyal and completely obedient to whatever government is in place in her or his country of origin. This has very troubling implications, especially in times of war. Indeed, from a theological perspective, then, ultimate authority on earth lies not in the hands of God, but in the hands of the rulers of the nations. One implication that has been running through my head of late comes from Nazi Germany. If this understanding is correct, then all Christians in Nazi Germany should have followed and supported the extermination of the Jews in Europe. Indeed, they should be praised for their zealous prosecution of these governmental policies. Yet, as a church, few would think to praise and support German Christians for supporting these policies. From many perspectives, perhaps the most notable Christian in Germany at that time was Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a member of the Confessing Church movement which opposed the Nazi government and who actively sought to bring it to an end.
If we were to continue on the path that this interpretation of these texts proposes, we would be forced to indicate that any Christian who opposed governmental policies was opposing God. Yet, let us think of the many good Christian leaders who have worked for change in the way that the government works. For example, Martin Luther King Jr. spent much of his life fighting against the entrenched understandings of racial segregation both within the culture at large and within the governmental policies that existed. King's participation in the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which was based on opposition to a law requiring blacks to give up their seats to whites, would be seen as opposing the will of God. Few would argue that this is indeed the case. Yet, followed to its logical conclusion, this common understanding of this text would seem to indicate such actions would be wrong.
As we look at our current situation, there are important implications for our lives today. If the government is correct, and the good Christian should obey the government, then all opposition to the Iraq war from a Christian perspective is null and void. However, this is not the case. As I have shown, this particular understanding of these texts is flawed. Instead of an interpretation that condones those who participated in the atrocities of the Nazis and condemns such persons as Bonhoeffer and King, we need to look for a different way of understanding these texts. I will give a brief synopsis of my own understanding of these texts. While this is my own synthesis of these texts, I am drawing on many different resources, not all of which are possible to track down at this point.
First of all, we need to understand a difference between being subject to an authority, and obeying an authority. We find many times in the Biblical tradition commands to obey the laws of God. Yet in this key text, it indicates that we are to be subject to the authorities. Subject does not necessarily indicate that these authorities are to be obeyed. Rather, for me, it indicates that when the authorities are not obeyed, we are to accept the consequences of our actions.
When we look at the text from 1 Peter 2, shortly before the verses given above comes this admonishment, "Beloved, I urge you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the desires of the flesh that wage war against the soul." (1 Peter 2:11 NRSV) We are called to live as aliens and exiles, not as the citizens of this world. Rather, we are to live as citizens of the Kingdom of God. This does mean that at times, indeed probably at most times, Christians will be in opposition to the culture and desires of this world. As such, it is indeed to be expected that there will be from time to time opposition to particular parts of our government and governments around the world.
posted by Pastor Doug | 2:39 PM
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