Romans 13:1 – It’s Okay For Christians to Fight Back
William Wilberforce. Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Joan of Arc. These and others like them were righteous followers of Jesus who resisted corrupt governments and their practices. But, many believe that Romans 13:1 teaches all Christians to submit to the government blindly, because these authorities are appointed by God. They’re wrong, and I’ll prove it to you in less than 10 minutes.
When Paul wrote Romans 13:1, Christians were in an uneasy relationship with the Roman Empire. As followers of the Jewish Messiah, the Church was a part of the Jewish faith. This afforded them special privileges. But, these Christians also proclaimed, “Jesus is Lord.” This was a treasonous statement. In the Roman Empire, Caesar was Lord.
What’s the Problem?
Romans 13:1 is usually presented like this: God puts rulers into authority. Therefore, when we obey these rulers, we’re obeying God. So, resisting their rule is disobeying God. On the surface, that point makes sense.
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except by God’s appointment, and the authorities that exist have been instituted by God. (Romans 13:1 NET)
Like I said, this looks pretty good at first glance. But the practice of the early Church adds some nuance to this. The religious rulers over Israel – the Sanhedrin – demanded that the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem stop preaching the Gospel and healing in the Name of Jesus. One example of this is in Acts 4. Peter and John had been doing some pretty amazing things in the Temple, The people were responding to their message. And this threatened the religious leaders.
“What should we do with these men? For it is plain to all who live in Jerusalem that a notable miraculous sign has come about through them, and we cannot deny it. But to keep this matter from spreading any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.” And they called them in and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Whether it is right before God to obey you rather than God, you decide, for it is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:16-20 NET)
Peter and John – two of the pillars of the Church in Jerusalem – understood the ruling authorities, yet realized they were under a higher authority. They stood before the Sanhedrin and treated them with respect based on their position, while never even suggesting that their demands would be met. Essentially, this is civil disobedience.
What If the Government is Evil?
But, what about political rulers? Does the Bible teach blind obedience? Of course not. The Christian message was subversive and revolutionary. Caesar was known as the “Son of God,” the “King of Kings” and the “Lord of Lords.” The Christian claim was that the Jewish Messiah had not only come, but had been crucified by the Romans. Now, He had conquered death and the grave. He had ascended to the a throne even greater than that in Rome, and would one day return to Jerusalem to defeat His enemies, free His People and rule the entire earth. The claims of Christianity were treasonous.
Blind Loyalty is Disloyalty
So, if Paul isn’t telling the Christians in Rome to blindly submit to governmental authority, what is he saying? First, we aren’t supposed to intentionally rebel against the government. When it’s laws don’t require us to violate God’s commandments, we are expected to obey them. This is actually pretty practical. The Gospel of the Kingdom is already subversive enough.
We serve a King greater than any earthly ruler. And our loyalty is to the Kingdom of God before the nations of men. There should be tension here. But we must also remember that no earthly governments exist that aren’t under the sovereign control of our King. Our trust in Christ and His authority should cause us to submit to the ruler’s He has put in place. But, when those rulers rule unjustly, we must serve Christ before men.
Sometimes, we must be like William Wilberforce who worked within the political system for decades to put an end to slavery in England. Other times, we must be like Dietrich Bonhoeffer who publicly condemned the Nazi regime while working behind the scenes to bring it down. All the while, he fought to free Jews from the death camps. We may never be like Joan of Arc, whose faith led her to inspire an entire nation to rise up against an oppressive regime. But our loyalty to the Kingdom of God should be the same. We should be willing to die for it, if necessary.
Romans 13:1 is a practical verse for practical Christians. Paul wanted the Christian in Rome to understand that Jesus rules over the kingdoms of men. And when it’s at all possible, we should submit to their authority. But, when these earthly rulers force us to act contrary to the direct rule of King Jesus, our allegiance should be very clear.
