If a Christian wants to hold to the belief that God’s word is true, yet also identifies as an anarchist, what are they to do about Romans 13?
Welcome to Part 5 of my series on Christian Anarchy. If you want to read from the beginning (something that I, of course would recommend) here are the links:
- Can a Christian be an Anarchist?
- All Christians Should be Socialists
- What Does the Bible Actually Say About Government?
- Render to Caesar That Which is Caesar's
Here’s the text we're looking at today:
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. 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. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.
Romans 13:1-7 (ESV)
The simple solution: Reject Paul’s writings from the canon of Scripture.
This is actually a pretty popular approach taken by Christian anarchists. The world-famous Russian author and Christian anarchist Leo Tolstoy said this in his book My Religion:
Imagine a number of men rowing a boat, a pilot steering. The men rely upon the pilot, and the pilot steers well; but after a time the good pilot is replaced by another, who does not steer at all.
If it isn’t obvious from the text, Jesus was the original and true pilot of the ship. But then Paul took the reins and let the ship run amok. The only solution therefore is to give control back to Jesus. Tolstoy and many others accuse Paul of perverting and corrupting the message of Jesus.
So there. Problem solved. Paul’s words are of no relevance to Christians and we can live in open defiance of the state. Hooray!
A Better, but Admittedly Less Simple Solution
There's a reason why Christians are commanded to obey their earthly "authorities" and it isn't because those men have the right to rule. It's not just government that we're told to obey either. In this shocking passage, and others like it, slaves are commanded to submit to their masters:
5 Bondservants,[slaves] obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ
Ephesians 6:5 (ESV)
Horrifying! I can almost hear my readers exclaim. But the passage doesn't end there.
6 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. 9 Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.
Ephesians 6:6-9 (ESV)
This passage points out where our true allegiance lies and who the real Master is. We are to render our services to those who claim authority over us with a glad heart to display God's light unto them.
We can show our masters that we are freer than they are by committing ourselves as slaves to Jesus Christ.
The apostle Peter writes in agreement with Paul's statement in Romans 13 and continues with themes similar to those we see in Paul's letter to the Ephesians:
13 Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly.20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.
1 Peter 2:13-21 (ESV)
If we act as "disobedient servants" we would create a stumbling block for our own witness. The world might see Christians as worse sinners than they are and condemn them for it. The Bible asks us to be obedient because it will help us to shine the light of Christ. If we live in love, even (and especially) through unjust suffering we will be noticed for our works and Christ will be able to advance His gospel through our actions.
This is probably a controversial opinion among believers, but the notion of being a stumbling block is dependent upon personal and cultural values of the day. If/when those values finally move away from state-worship I believe that Christians would be wholly right to reject those masters. Because by doing so we wouldn't be causing others to reject our witness. We could shine the light of Christ as members of a culture that is outgrowing it's masters. But until then, we obey.
A Brief Word About Authorities Being "Ordained" or "Instituted" by God.
These words do not mean that God has transferred moral authority. They do not mean that God has approved or blessed any sort of earthly kingship.
Do you know what else has been ordained by God? Every single thing that has happened in the history of the universe. Every person, every action whether good or evil is part of the Divine plan.
Paul refers to the state as an instrument that God uses for good - to punish the unjust and keep the good from harm. But to quote Philip K. Dick, "God's M.O. is to transmute evil into good. If He is active here, He is doing that now, although our eyes can't perceive it"
Throughout all of Scripture we see God using evil acts, evil men and evil empires to carry out his will and bring his plan to fruition. It's no different with the state.
There are Times When A Christian MUST Disobey
Paul in prison for doing the right thing and disobeying the state.
In one of the passages we looked at above, Ephesians 6, slaves are told to obey their masters not as people-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ. This means our obedience to earthly rulers only extends so far as our obedience to Christ. We cannot obey a decree to break a command of God.
That's the "loophole" that allows for civil disobedience.
1 And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, 2 greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening.
...
18 So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 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.”
Acts 4:1-3, 18-20 (ESV)
This passage is one of several examples of the apostles disobeying direct orders from the authorities. They could not obey any decree that would make them act in direct disobedience to God. In any matters of God vs. state, God wins.
Christians are NOT to be Revolutionaries
Not in the sense of rising up violently against rulers, even corrupt rulers. Let's remember that the emperor at the time of these writings was the bloodthirsty Nero. You know, the guy who turned Christians into human candlesticks.
Our revolution is to change hearts, souls and minds and bring them to Christ. To paraphrase another verse from Ephesians 6, our battle is not against flesh and blood but against the cosmic powers of this present darkness and the spiritual forces of evil in this age.
Well, I did it. I said you would have to wait until Monday, but I did it today. But the challenge isn't over. Tomorrow I'm going to be discussing the big bag of questions that is the Old Testament.
~Seth