Romans 13 & Peaceful Non-Compliance
Podcast Transcript (Listen to episode here)
Romans 13:1 ESV
1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.
This verse is the perfect example of why it is the SUM of the word that is truth not parts of the word. Any time a part is made a sum, it is deception. It was during COVID, that I heard this verse quoted more than in my 32 years of being a Christian as the reason churches shut down, submitted to mask mandates, and some are even submitting to the so-called vaccine (it’s really a gene modifier not an actual vaccine).
And, yet, n this context of submitting to governing authorities, there are numerous examples of the people of God resisting unjust government, which we’ll get into in-depth. So who is right?
In any argument, it is important to define the terms, which we’re going to do now, and then we will elaborate on who really has authority as far as the United States of America.
The word “governing” is “to exercise continuous control over someone or something” like kings, governors, etc. And please keep in mind that Paul lived under kings and rulers unlike here where we have a Constitutional Republic. Authorities is “one who has the authority to rule or govern.” And, finally, subject is “to submit to the orders or directives of someone.”
Ok. With the terms defined, you might think that all the pastors who obeyed the federal government and shut down their churches from the start are the right ones. But let’s go on.
The word “instituted” means “to cause someone to be in a state involving an order or arrangement.” It means “to place, set, appoint, arrange, order.” It’s also “to possess certain characteristics.” The idea here is that God defined and set in order proper authority and that it must possess certain characteristics. We know that righteousness and justice is the foundation of His throne and mercy and truth are always before Him; therefore, legal and proper authority is going to be based on righteousness (doing things the right way, which is His way) and justice. In addition, all righteous authority must keep truth and mercy before it or justice will become perverted and unsanctified mercy will become the deciding factor.
Romans 13:2–5 ESV
2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.
Listen to the Passion Translation:
Romans 13:1–5 TPT
1 Every person must submit to and support the authorities over him. For there can be no authority in the universe except by God’s appointment, which means that every authority that exists has been instituted by God. 2 So to resist authority is to resist the divine order of God, which results in severe consequences. 3 For civil authorities don’t intimidate those who are doing good, but those who are doing evil. So do what is right and you’ll never need to fear those in authority. They will commend you for your good citizenship. 4 Those in authority are God’s servants for the good of society. But if you break the law, you have reason to be alarmed, for they are God’s agents of punishment to bring criminals to justice. Why do you think they carry weapons? 5 You are compelled to obey them, not just to avoid punishment, but because you want to live with a clean conscience.
These passages were considered in the founding of our nation and defined the role of government—punish those doing evil with weapons and protect the rest of society. But what if civil authorities are corrupt and begin to go after the good? What then? Or what if they create laws that directly contradict God’s laws? All you have to do is read the books of Kings and see the disastrous rule of wicked leaders to see that what Paul wrote is the ideal original intent of God and yet it doesn’t always happen.
By the way, Paul then addresses taxes.
Romans 13:6–7 TPT
6 This is also the reason you pay your taxes, for governmental authorities are God’s officials who oversee these things. 7 So it is your duty to pay all the taxes and fees that they require and to respect those who are worthy of respect, honoring them accordingly.
What Do You Do When Government Goes Bad?
With the terms defined and the original intent of God established, let’s look at examples of government gone bad and the response of the people of God. I’m going to summarize with the scripture references for your own study.
Joseph. The best example is Joseph and Pharaoh. After Joseph interpreted the dream Pharaoh had plus advised the Pharaoh on what to do, he was appointed as second-in-command over all of Egypt. When the drought the Pharaoh dreamt about arrived, Egypt became the world’s superpower and Joseph’s family moved to Egypt. Pharaoh gave them the land of Goshen, a very fruitful and beautiful piece of land. And the Israelites prospered and grew until a new king “who did not know Joseph” came into power and began to fear how powerful the Israelites were. He feared that they might join any enemies in a war; therefore he enslaved all of Israel but that didn’t stop them. He then told the Hebrew midwives to kill all of the newborn male children. This coming from the king was a law and must be treated as such. If we go with the mindset of many today, they should have aborted the male children. Listen to their response: “ But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live.” The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ex 1:17). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles. God blessed the midwives and gave them families, too. The Pharaoh commanded all his people to throw every Hebrew male into the Nile. God was not about to let the murdering of children go. He planted Moses in Pharaoh’s house, the very one that would bring down the world’s superpower was raised in that house. The midwives practiced peaceful noncompliance. Gen. 41-Exodus 1.
Moses. The entire confrontation of Moses against Pharaoh along with the 10 plagues was resisting unrighteous government to end slavery among his people and birth a nation. Moses was the first abolitionist. Exodus 3-14.
Rahab. She is another example of peaceful noncompliance. Fast forward to post Moses. Joshua is now the leader getting ready to take the Israelites into the Promise Land. But before crossing, Joshua sent two men (not 12 probably to avoid Moses’ mistake) to spy out Jericho. They lodged with Rahab, a prostitute. When the king found out, he demanded that she release the spies into his custody. Instead of obeying the king, she hid them and told the king that she didn’t know who the spies were and that they had left through the gate the night before. She then helped them escape Jericho with the promise that she and her family would be spared. Why? Because she had heard all that the Lord had done so far and she feared Him. She practiced peaceful noncompliance. Joshua 2.
Daniel and his friends. There are several examples of Daniel and his friends not obeying unrighteous and unjust government. The first started with the Babylonian’s National Nutrition Plan. The king assigned a daily portion of food and wine that Daniel determined not to defile himself with. He approached the chief eunuch with his dilemma and requested vegetables only. The chief agreed even at the expense of his own life by disobeying the king. Another example (and one that shows how crazy unjust rulers can be) is Daniel’s friends refusing to comply to Nebuchadnezzar’s law demanding everyone worship his image. When Darius became ruler, his wicked leaders persuaded him to create a law that said no one could pray to any god but Darius for a specific time. This appealed to his ego and he decreed it. Here’s what the Bible says, Daniel did, “10 When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.” The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Da 6:10). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles. Daniel practiced peaceful noncompliance. When he was arrested, the king could not save him because he couldn’t revoke his own law. Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den but God saved him. Daniel 1; 3; 6.
Mordecai. We see another example of the Medo-Persian practice of making laws that cannot be revoked in the story of Esther. Mordecai practiced peaceful noncompliance with Haman, which provoked him to wrath. He convinced the King to write a law that would allow all Jews to be exterminated. Once this evil plot was exposed, the king couldn’t revoke his own law but made another that empowered the Israelites to take up arms and defend themselves. Suddenly no one wanted to fight them. The Book of Esther
The Apostles. The book of Acts is filled with peaceful noncompliance and the use of citizenship as an aide to protection. The first instance is right after Peter and John healed the lame beggar. As Peter preached the gospel of the kingdom, the priests, the captain of the temple (same ones that arrested Jesus that night), and the Sadduccees came to see what was going on and were incensed. They brought them before the same council and leaders that crucified Jesus and asked them by what “power or by what name did you do this?” The implication is basically in whose authority are you doing these things. Peter preached to them and they admonished them not to speak the name of Jesus again. Peter and John said, “But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, 20 for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ac 4:19–20). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles. Acts 3 and 4.
Later they were arrested and put in prison. An angel set them free and told them to go preach at the temple directly opposing the religious leaders’ charge not to preach the name of Jesus. When the leaders found them disobeying them, they said, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.” The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ac 5:28–29). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles. Acts 5.
You have Paul and Silas arrested in Philippi. After the Lord sent an earthquake to free them, they remained there and converted the jailer. They then questioned the authorities if they had a right to beat uncondemned men who were Roman citizens. Of course, they didn’t and set them free with an apology. All of these practiced peaceful noncompliance and here with Paul used his rights as a citizen for his defense. Acts 16:35-40.
The antagonist in ALL of these stories were unrighteous government with some unrighteous religious leaders thrown in. Some laws are no law before God. And some rulers are no rulers before God.
Hosea 8:4 ESV
4 They made kings, but not through me. They set up princes, but I knew it not. With their silver and gold they made idols for their own destruction.
1 Samuel 8:5 ESV
5 and said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.”
1 Samuel 8:18 ESV
18 And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”
Later we’ll get into voting and how important it is for us to vote, but as you can see from these three verses, it is possible to install leaders that are not God’s choice. We must beware of Christian Buddhists (JC Hall).
Going back to all of the shutdowns, mask mandates, and more, it’s important to recognize that we don’t live under kings; therefore, mandates and decrees are not laws we must obey. They carry no legal authority. But let me specifically provide a verse that is in opposition to church shutdowns.
Hebrews 10:25 NKJV
25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
The word assembling is not referring to a “solitary or occasional act but as customary conduct.” So whom are we to obey? God or man? The church has more legal precedent in this country than the federal government has. In fact, it was the church that helped form many of the states, write their constitutions and bill of rights, and the Revolutionary War actually started on the church lawn of Jonas Clarke when 70 of his congregation confronted the British who opened fire on them, which takes me to the next point—who actually has the most authority in America?
The True Source of Authority in America
What exactly makes a government just here in America? It’s the consent of the people because it was the PEOPLE that began to form the colonies later termed states. A simple examination of the formation of the 13 colonies reveals a pattern of those who came over from Europe would establish governmental structure that included a constitution and/or bill of rights to protect the rights of the people in that state. All of them included religious rights. You’ll also find that most often it was either clergy who created these documents and governments or clergy working with non-clergy to do so.
Listen to the Declaration of Independence:
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
The people instituted the governments in this country TO SECURE OUR INALIENABLE RIGHTS. No state or federal constitution gives us our rights. God gave us our rights; therefore, no man is to take them away. We the people created the states; therefore, we the people possess the true authority of the states.
People > the states
After the Revolutionary War, the founding fathers recognized that we must unite as states in order to secure our posterity. At that time, we joined together to fight a common enemy but each state was independent and separate from one another (sovereign) but it was also recognized that if we were joined together as sovereign states under a common union, we would be better protected against outside enemies. Even so, many states were very, very reluctant to create a federal government because they saw how well that went in England.
The founding fathers set to work on the Constitution of the United States of America. Here is the beginning defining purpose of it:
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
There’s that “we the people again.” Here is the responsibility of the federal government:
1. Form a more perfect union (Matt. 12:25).
2. Establish justice (Rom. 13).
3. Ensure domestic tranquility (1 Tim. 2:1-3).
4. Provide for the common defense (Rom. 13).
5. Promote the general welfare (not welfare as in handouts) (1 Tim. 2:1-3).
6. Secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our children.
Most of the structure of the government and wording of our founding documents were from scripture and sermons preached back in that time. These six things are the responsibility of the federal government.
In order to pass the constitution, they needed nine states to ratify, which means “express consent.” All 13 states did provide consent but several only consented with the express demand for a Bill of Rights that clarified some of the things in the constitution. Let me quote you Amendment 10:
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
This is where the idea of “states rights” come into play. But here is an even more important key—the states created the federal government, therefore, the states have more authority than the federal government.
states > federal government
The federal government was severely limited in its powers. The states were limited in its powers by the people.
people > states > federal government
So what has happened? Ignorance of our founding documents and history is the first “what happened?”. Second came the states refusing to say “no” to federal government encroachment. And third, the people not demanding that their state-elected officials live by their own state constitution and the US Constitution. Over many many decades, we’ve lost more and more individual rights and states’ rights, which has now positioned us in a precarious state.
Urgent education is crucial in this day and hour. And just like in the beginning of this country, it is going to take the believers to save it. A just government is at the consent of the people. As believers we must ask, “Are they ruling justly according to the state constitution?” If not, we are to peacefully non-comply. And the sheriff is key to this. Every county in this nation must have a constitutional sheriff because just as the Constitution is the highest law of the land, the sheriff is the highest law enforcement of the land and has more authority than the president of the United States because he was elected BY THE PEOPLE unlike all other law enforcement officers. A sheriff that is not constitutional will carry out orders that violate our rights if he or she is not careful.
The Answer
The answer lies in local, county, and state governments because that’s where the real authority and power are located. We’ve been distracted with federal elections for decades and have almost lost this country. Urgent education, peaceful noncompliance, active engagement in local, county, and state elections, including running for office, and electing constitutional sheriffs will turn this country back around. Elect leaders only that support the constitution and get out of office those that don’t. It only takes 3.5% of a population to change things through peaceful noncompliance.
SOMEWHERE GO INTO THE CRAFTSMAN ASPECT FROM BILL JOHNSON’S MESSAGE, WHEN AT WAR, CREATE.
Page . Exported from Logos Bible Study, 2:33 PM August 9, 2024.