Here in the United States, Christians have been labeled domestic terrorists by the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department. Don`t be unequal with unbelievers. After all, what partnership does justice have with anarchy? Or which community has light with darkness? I therefore call you, brothers, through God`s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, who is your spiritual worship. Do not adapt to this world, but transform yourself through the renewal of your Spirit, so that you can know by trial what God`s will is, what is good, acceptable, and perfect. For by the grace given to me, I say to all of you who must not think of yourself higher than they should think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body, we have several members, and the members do not all have the same function, so that we are, although numerous, one body in Christ and individually members of another. . Beloved, if our hearts do not judge us, we trust in God; And whatever we ask for, we receive from Him because we keep His commandments and do what Pleases Him. Jehoshaphat, his son, ruled in his place and stood up against Israel.
He stationed troops in all the fortified cities of Judah and set up garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim, which Asa had conquered from his father. The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he was walking in the previous ways of his father David. He did not seek the Baals, but the God of His Father, and walked in His commandments and not in the customs of Israel. Therefore, the Lord established the kingdom in His hand. And all of Judah paid homage to Jehoshaphat, and he had great wealth and honor. . However, this did not mean that Christians simply had to obey unjust laws or laws that violated God`s higher law. This peaceful resistance led to the martyrdom of many Christians.
Be prepared to punish any disobedience when your obedience is complete. Look at what`s in front of your eyes. If someone is convinced that he belongs to Christ, he should remember that, just as he belongs to Christ, so are we. For even if I praise a little too much the authority that the Lord has given to edify you and not to destroy you, I will not be ashamed. I don`t want to give the impression of scaring you with my letters. Because they say, “His letters are heavy and strong, but his physical presence is weak and his speech is meaningless. The Bible makes it clear that Christians must obey the laws of the land as long as those laws do not violate God`s higher law. God is the ultimate and final authority. It must be obeyed at all costs. Scripture distinguishes between the laws of the land and the laws of God. Neither Jesus nor the apostles interfered in any way with the earthly rulers. They taught Christians to respect those with authority and not to resist an established law unless they are contrary to God`s laws.
Acts 5:29: “And Peter and the other apostles answered and said, `We shall obey God, not men.`” (Also Acts 4:19.) So they looked at him and sent spies who pretended to be sincere so they could catch him in something he said to hand him over to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor. So they asked him, “Master, we know that you speak and teach correctly and that you are not biased, but that you are really teaching the way of God. Is it legal for us to pay homage to Caesar, isn`t it? But he noticed their cunning and said, “Show me a penny. What image and inscription does it have? They said, “Caesar. “The land should not be sold forever, because the land belongs to me. For you are strangers and travelers with me. The Bible speaks decisively about this. Romans 13:1-2 says, “Obey the government, for it was God who put it there. Nowhere is there a government that God has not brought to power.
Those who refuse to obey the law of the land refuse to obey God, and punishment will follow. Thus, those who resist the authorities will resist what God has ordained, and those who resist will suffer judgment. “These are the laws and rules that you have given yourself to possess in the earth that the Lord the God of your fathers has given you in all the days that you live on earth.” Whoever takes a human life will certainly be killed. Whoever takes the life of an animal should do it well, life for life. If someone hurts his neighbor, as he did, it will be done to him, fracture fracture, eye by eye, tooth by tooth; any injury he has inflicted on a person shall be inflicted on him. Whoever kills an animal will do it well, and whoever kills a human will be killed. . Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth can be stopped and the whole world can be held accountable to God. And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, if not the Lord your God, to fear, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord that I give you today for your good? This was usually done in the form of a small pinch of incense on a public altar. For Christians and Jews, such an act was unthinkable.
This was clearly the sin of idolatry. Therefore, navigating the laws could be very difficult for believers in the one God of the Bible. This verse addresses three themes: that it was God who influenced the election and elected our officials; we must follow the law of the land; And if we refuse to obey, punishment will follow. When a government has just leaders, they make just laws that keep things in order. Crimes are punished. Those who harm their neighbors suffer the consequences. Such laws are in accordance with the Word of God and should be followed by Christians. Even if I say to evil, “You will certainly die,” but if he turns away from his sin and does what is right and just, if the evil one restores the vow, returns what he has taken by steal and walks in the statutes of life without doing injustice, he will certainly live; he will not die. None of the sins he committed should be recalled against him. He has done what is right and just; He will certainly live.
But your people say, “The way of the Lord is not just,” if it is their own way that is not right. If the righteous turn away from his righteousness and do evil, he will die for it. . For he is God`s servant for your good. But if you hurt, be afraid, for he does not carry the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who is angry with God over the evildoer. And they sent him some Pharisees and some Herodians to keep him captive in his speech. And they came and said, “Master, we know that you are true and that you don`t care about anyone`s opinion. For you do not allow yourself to be influenced by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it legal to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay them or not? But knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why put me to the test? Bring me a penny and let me look at it. And they brought one.
And he said to them, “Who is it?” They said, “Caesar.” Jesus said to them, “Give Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” And they were amazed at him. 13 Let all be subject to the governing authorities, (A), for there is no authority other than that which God has instituted. (B) The authorities that exist have been appointed by God. 2 Therefore, whoever rebels against authority rebels against what God has instituted(C) and those who do will pass judgment on themselves. 3 For leaders have no terror for those who do the right thing, but for those who do evil. Do you want to be free from the fear of the one who has authority? So do what is right and you will be praised. (D) 4 For he who holds authority is the servant of God for your good. But if you hurt, be afraid, for leaders do not carry the sword for no reason. They are God`s servants, agents of wrath to punish the evildoer.
(E) 5 It is therefore necessary to submit to the authorities, not only for possible punishment, but also for reasons of conscience. (F) “If a man takes a woman and marries her, then she finds no favor in his eyes, because he has found a certain indecency in her, and he writes her a divorce certificate and puts it in her hand and sends her out of her house, and she leaves her house, and when she leaves and becomes the wife of another man, and the latter hates her and writes her a divorce certificate and puts her in his hand and sends her out of his house, or if the latter dies, who thought she was his wife, then her former husband, who sent her away, must not make her his wife again after she has been contaminated, because it is an abomination before the Lord. .