Today, I'm celebrating #TheologyThursday with a nice, in-depth theology post. Below is a revised version of a paper I've recently written on what I believe is an appropriate Christian response towards government authority. Since it is quite long, I've added in headings to help you navigate to topics that pique your interest. Enjoy!
-Chloe
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| photo credits: www.theblaze.com |
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Introduction
Government in the United States in 2016 is nowhere near the extreme oppression experienced under totalitarian regimes, yet there are numerous elements of government corruption throughout everyday American life. The National Security Administration constantly peers further and further into the private lives of every American, and airport security is becoming increasingly invasive. It is no wonder that many Christians are confused about how to appropriately respond to government. Jesus commands His followers to love both God and others, and that love is to shape every aspect of life. Out of that love, Christ calls for all to live lives of obedience to governing authorities; but when those authorities defy God, Christians are to stand up to them.
The Christian’s Role in the World
Before Christians can determine how to appropriately respond to government, they must first understand an appropriate response to life in general. In Matthew, Jesus gives His two greatest commandments, summing up how Christians should live life. The verses read, “Jesus replied: ‘Love The Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Holy Bible: New International Version, Matthew 22:37-38). Jesus taught that all of Christian life could be lived correctly by simply loving God with everything and loving other people unconditionally.
In addition, Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world…. Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:13-15). If Christians live to truly love God and others, their “light” will shine before for all to see, glorifying God as a result. Above all, one of the greatest goals of the Church is to spread the name of Christ across the Earth. Before Jesus ascended back into heaven following His resurrection, He commanded His disciples to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20a). This command to “go and make disciples” should utterly saturate the way Christians behave within the Church, in evangelistic ministry, and in personal life.
Christians must understand the fact that this world is not their home. Jesus calls His followers to love Him and others and to minister to the world, but one day, all Christians will leave this Earth to live for eternity in heaven. Through trials and tribulations, those who trust in Jesus can hold on to this truth. At Jesus’s arrest, He said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place” (John 18:36). Jesus recognized that His purpose was not yet to establish an Earthly government; His job was to build up a heavenly kingdom. As Christians aim to love God and reach this world, they must all keep this in mind as Jesus did.
A Christian’s Behavior Towards Government
If love for God and others is so important to Christian life, love should impact every aspect of it– including behavior towards government. The Assemblies of God (AG) believes “that civil government is ordained by God and should be supported by all citizens including Christians” (“Government and Political Parties”). This belief is based on the passage from Romans 13, which reads, “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience” (Romans 13:1-7). This passage teaches that God is in control over the establishment of earthly governments, and because of this Christians should act in obedience to authorities. It is absolutely necessary to be submissive to government.
In Mark 12, people began to question Jesus about whether or not it was appropriate for God-fearing people to pay taxes to the ruler Caesar. Verses 13-17 read, “Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch Him in His words. They came to Him and said, ‘Teacher, we know you are a man of integrity. You aren't swayed by others because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not? Should we pay or shouldn't we?’ But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. ‘Why are you trying to trap me?’ he asked. ‘Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.’ They brought the coin, and he asked them, ‘Whose image is this? And whose inscription?’ ‘Caesar’s,’ they replied. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.’ And they were amazed at Him” (Mark 12:13-17). In this passage, Jesus makes a clear distinction between government and God; however, since God institutes government, His servants are to be obedient to it.
Even though God’s rulership and the rulerships of this world are two very different entities, Christians should not shy away from their ability to impact government. The Assemblies of God expands upon this truth, stating that the distinction of the two “does not mean that the laws and moral values of God are not to touch or impact government. To the contrary, when God’s moral laws are observed and applied within government, society benefits” (“Government and Political Parties”). The United States operates on the premise of a “separation of church and state,” but allowing God’s values to coincide with society’s may have positive effects. In addition, all Christians are called to impact the government through prayer. The Apostle Paul said, “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be made for all people– for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” Since God ordains government, Christians can and should support it through prayer. This ensures that all Christ followers will be able to continue to “live peaceful and quiet lives” that abound “in all godliness and holiness” (1 Timothy 1:1-2).
The AG backs up this belief in government support, saying, “Since we Americans have a participatory form of government, it is the Christian’s spiritual duty to participate as a citizen in that system” (“Government and Political Parties”). The AG holds to a stance of loyalty towards the government, unchanged even in times of war. Members of the AG are called to exercise “civic loyalty” based on the first verse of Romans 13, which again says, “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities for there is no authority except that which God has established” (Romans 13:1). It is out of submission to God that Christians choose to submit to government.
Because this world has been corrupted by sin, governments are occasionally required to use force. In that case, Christians are still to support them because the Bible says, “[A ruler] does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer” (Romans 13:4). Nonetheless, people within the AG are free to have their own opinions about war and may serve in combat, non-combat, or conscientious objector positions as they see fit. In support of this freedom of choice, the AG cites Romans 12:14, which says, “Each of us will give an account of himself to God.” In whatever stance each individual Christian takes, he or she should be completely convinced of it and act accordingly (“War and Conscientious Objectors”).
When Government Defies God
Even though loyalty to government is supported, the AG certainly does not want trouble to be sought out and supported. Unfortunately, some times of trouble escalate to a point of contradicting the things of God. Many corrupt governments have been saturated by sin and commit horrible acts as a result. While God calls us to obey government, He never calls us to defy Himself. Jesus’s greatest commandment taught that God should be loved above all else. For those who want to obey this command, there is no room for disobedience towards God. In essence, “obedience to human laws should never force or lead a Christian to sin against God’s law” (“Law and Crime”).
Perhaps the most clear-cut example of “civil disobedience” in the Bible is found in Acts 4. Verses 18-20 say, “Then [the elders and teachers of the law] called [the apostles] in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, ‘Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to Him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.’” In this passage, Peter and John did not behave in a needlessly defiant manner, but they did recognize that God’s desires are to be held above all others. In John 14:14, Jesus says, “If you love me, keep my commands.” These two men did just that out of their love for Christ, and all Christians are still called to do the same.
While Christians should be like the apostles with a constant readiness to explain the hope found in Christ, all should share that hope with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15). Christians must never forget that “every human being, no matter how antagonistic… to the gospel, is a soul for whom Christ died,” and that even includes corrupt government officials ("Civil Disobedience"). There are times when Christians may be required to defy these authorities out of obedience to God, but such defiance should be done in a manner worthy of a Christ-follower– gently and respectfully.
Some Christians have used examples from the Old Testament “to justify violent means for a just cause.” However, Jesus laid out a new covenant for us. He lived a life evidenced by wisdom and kindness in all things. Of course He was angry at times, but “his anger and judgment were reserved for religious hypocrites who proclaimed their righteousness but cruelly judged those who did not follow their edicts” ("Civil Disobedience"). Because Jesus was not looking to establish an earthly kingdom, He placed greater importance on making sure that people were not hypocritical towards God’s laws than He did on enforcing earthly power.
At the same time, the patterns in the Old Testament cannot be ignored entirely. It is quite evident that there are times throughout the Old Testament in which God permits and even commands extermination. This seems to contradict His command in Exodus 20:13, which states quite plainly, “You shall not murder.” The AG explains this apparent contradiction this way: “The Hebrew word used here (raisach) in the ancient manuscripts is descriptive of an act of willful and personal vengeance. While the outcome may be similar to the killings of war, the motive and driving force are quite different. The language of Exodus 20:13 does not suggest that we are to disallow participation in war, even if that participation involves killing. The preservation of peace and tranquility sometimes makes this response imperative” ("War and Conscientious Objectors"). Contrary to popular belief, the Bible forbids murder of another but not killing of another. In the extremely rare and unfortunate instances in which killing is absolutely necessary to accomplish God’s ultimate purposes, it is permissible. Modern day examples of such circumstances may include war, or in even more extreme cases, assassination. Christians should exercise the utmost caution in any attempt to justify defiant acts against government. Ultimately, God desires for His people to live peaceful lives.
Be that as it may, there is another extreme of perhaps worse detriment: sitting back and doing nothing. Passiveness can hardly be considered beneficial to the kingdom of God. James 4:17 says, “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.” If a Christian is fully convinced that God desires for him or her to complete an act of defiance against the government in order to further His kingdom, then he or she ought to do so. In all things, “balance is key. Christians must demonstrate biblical commitment under the control of Christ” ("Civil Disobedience").
As Christians seek to love God in all areas, they should strive for an unrelenting obedience to Him, even if the government attempts to instruct otherwise. This does not justify seeking out trouble, but God’s commands must be held with the utmost respect. The summarizing statement of the AG reads, “We are committed to [the avoidance of war] as much as accountability, sensibility, and responsibility allow. This will be the necessary posture, until the Prince of Peace– Jesus Christ– establishes His reign over a world that is now characterized by violence, wickedness, and war” (“War and Conscientious Objectors”). Christians must keep this mindset in mind through every kind of persecution. Until Jesus comes back to establish His kingdom on this Earth, there will always be times of trouble within governments and nations. In light of this, Christians have an obligation to encourage one another all the more as the day of Christ’s return draws nearer (Hebrews 10:25).
Works Cited
"Civil Disobedience." Assemblies of God. The General Council of the Assemblies of God, n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
"Government and Political Parties." Assemblies of God. The General Council of the Assemblies of God, n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
"Law and Crime." Assemblies of God. The General Council of the Assemblies of God, n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
The Holy Bible: New International Version. 3rd Vers. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1984. Print.
"War and Conscientious Objectors." Assemblies of God. The General Council of the Assemblies of God, n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
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