Tag Archives: Government

Romans 13: Not true for everyone

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Before jumping into the grammar of Romans 13, I wanted to state from the outset that I see this passage as being limited in application. And everyone else does too.

Everyone? Isn’t that a bit extreme? Well, if anyone takes this passage as being universal in application, I haven’t found them yet.

Some limit it by saying, “We obey the government except when that conflicts with obedience to God.” I think we see that truth clearly in the book of Acts.

Others limit it by saying that Paul’s statements about governments rewarding good behavior are merely a statement of what governments should do.

There are other minority interpretations, like the view that Paul is only referring to church government or that Paul is talking only about local authorities, not national governments.

Edit, 10:08 a.m.: (Sorry, I forgot this… it’s an important point!) Almost everyone takes with a grain of salt Paul’s statements about being blessed by the government when we do right. Or are there people who really believe that only evildoers suffer at the hands of the government? We know that is a concept that is limited in application. Otherwise, we are calling Jesus an evildoer. <end edit>

Whatever the case, the point is that NOBODY reads Romans 13 as applying to all situations at all times. That’s an important point to keep in mind as we study this passage. It’s not a question of whether or not there are limitations; it’s a question of what we understand the limitations to be.

Romans 13: Textual context

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It helps to remember that those big numbers in the Bible weren’t put there by the original authors. We see Romans 13 as a separate unit, but it really forms part of a larger unit in the book of Romans. Chapters 9-11 discuss the situation of the Jews within God’s plan.

Romans 12 starts a new section, beginning with the famous teaching: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.” (Romans 12:1) I should probably include verse 2 as part of the theme of this whole section: “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2)

Living sacrifice. Not conformed to this world. The verses that follow flesh out what that means.

The verses immediately before Romans 13 discuss taking revenge: “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.  On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:17-21)

We then have the section of Romans 13 that we will be studying, verses 1-7. Those are followed by a discussion of love, connected by the concept of debt, what is owed. Then chapter 13 ends with a discussion of the significance of the end times.

So help me study this… how does this context inform our understanding of the first seven verses of Romans 13? What connections do you see?

Romans 13: The Political Climate

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Most scholars think that Paul wrote the Roman letter from Corinth. An educated guess is that it was written in the year 57 a.d., although there is always some discussion about such dates. The emperor was probably Nero.

Previously while in Corinth, Paul had made friends with a couple named Aquila and Priscilla. They were Jews who had been living in Rome, but had been forced to leave when Emperor Claudius expelled all of the Jews from Rome. According to the historian Suetonius, the Jews were kicked out because of “their continual tumults instigated by Chrestus.” Chrestus could be a misspelling of Christ; some scholars think there were Jewish-Christian riots in Rome which led the Roman government to act against the Jews.

Not that the Romans lacked for reasons to act against the Jews. The Jewish people never fully accepted the Roman occupation of their land, especially given the worship of other gods that the Romans often brought with them. Within two decades of the writing of this letter, the Romans will have decided that “enough is enough” and will have destroyed Jerusalem and the Jewish resistance.

Nero, of course, within a decade would launch the first large-scale persecution of Christians, action taken merely to deflect blame from himself for the Great Fire of Rome in 64 a.d. Tradition tells us that Paul himself lost his life during Nero’s anti-Christian campaign.

Such was the political background of Romans 13. The call to avoid conflict with the government was a prudent one.

The powers and the Power of Death

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Before moving on from the topic of “the powers,” I wanted to mention a bit from the work of William Stringfellow. Stringfellow is another on my list of authors that I really need to read soon. Though I’m relying on secondary resources, I feel the need to recognize Stringfellow’s work in this area.

Stringfellow saw all of “the powers” as serving the Power of Death. The Power of Death is personified in Satan. On his blog, Richard Beck quoted Stringfellow as saying:

Death, after all, is no abstract idea, nor merely a destination in time, nor just an occasional happening, nor only a reality for human beings, but, both biblically and empirically, death names a moral power claiming sovereignty over all people and all things in history. Apart from God, death is a living power greater–because death survives them all–than any other moral power in this world of whatever sort: human beings, nations, corporations, cultures, wealth, knowledge, fame or memory, language, the arts, race, religion.

Human institutions come to worship this Power of Death as they fight for their own survival. Every human organization quickly comes to count its own survival as one of its principal goals. In fact, the original aims of the group become secondary to its continuing existence.

This even happens with churches. You’ve probably heard it before. A congregation loses members and comes to the point where the collection barely covers the bills. They really aren’t doing anything except meeting on Sunday morning, yet refuse to “disband” and join nearby congregations.

It happens with nations. Whatever principles and ideals were held at first take second place behind the survival of the state. The end justifies the means. Whatever it takes to survive is justified.

I’m not sure that I’m ready to join Stringfellow in identifying it as a question of external powers, but I do know that the tendency exists. What do you think?

Romans 13: The powers in the Jewish worldview

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Psalm 82
 God presides in the great assembly; he gives judgment among the “gods”:
“How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked?    Selah
Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.
Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.
“They know nothing, they understand nothing. They walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken.
“I said, ‘You are “gods”; you are all sons of the Most High.’
But you will die like mere men; you will fall like every other ruler.”
Rise up, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations are your inheritance.

The Old Testament presents a view of God that includes other celestial beings, some good, some bad. We can think back to the beginning chapters of Job, with Satan presenting himself at the gathering of the “sons of God.” Certain passages, as we saw in yesterday’s post, associate those beings with nations of this earth. Each nation has its “angel,” with Israel belonging to God himself.

For the biblical writers, there was no concept of separation of church and state. In fact, there was no separation of earthly and heavenly. The earthly state was an expression of heavenly realities.

In New Testament writings, we still see “the powers” as beings outside of this earthly realm. We can see that in some of the passages I referred to yesterday:
Romans 8:38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,
Ephesians 3:10 so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Colossians 1:16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.
Colossians 2:15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
1 Peter 3:22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.

1 Corinthians 15 tells us that there will be a time when these powers will be destroyed:

“Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.” (1 Corinthians 15:24-28)

These powers are enemies of Christ, just as death is an enemy of Christ. Their claims to authority stand in rivalry to Jesus’ lordship. Their hold over men will one day be broken. But that day has not yet come.