Do any other Christians have a problem with this passage?

Question

Romans 13 1-3

Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.
Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgement upon themselves.
For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same.

Would a fellow-Christian care to take a shot at explaining this one to me? i mean, the American Revolution, the Underground Railroad that helped slaves to freedom, every war protester---not to mention those who resisted hitler and stalin and mao---were they sinning?

this was not from Jesus, it was from Paul

Answer 1

I believe that what this is saying is respect the office and not necessarily the person. As far as obeying the law given, obey unless it is against Gods law, then you have a right to resist the law due to your beliefs and conscious. I may be wrong but,
I interpret this passage as far as structure of government, not as never go against something you know to be wrong. The quakers were god fearing people, but they knew slavery to be wrong, and helped slaves get freedom, not go assasinate the magistrates. Sort of civil disobedience.

Answer 2

Well, at that time Paul responding to a question concerning how Christians must react to Roman authority, especially since many questioned it because many of the Roman laws required adoration of their gods. By saying this, Paul meant that the government was supposed to keep order and good conduct in society. Since the rulers had such a responsibility, by supporting them and helping them keep order, Christians were being servants to them and in a sense being servants of God
But, and a big but...

This does not mean that we should follow the law even if it were unjust. Would think that just because the Roman law said so Christians would adore Roman gods? probably not. We follow the law because we wish to follow God, but if the law was unjust and contributed to the suffering of innocent people, then we should God's law first (remember than no government in this world is perfect). Many of those examples you mentioned ( underground railroad, resistance to cruel dictators etc.) were not just breaking the law, but responses to unjust laws that should have never been there.

Jesus stated "give to Caesar what is Caesar's" but he also said right afterward "give to God what is God's." So we mus give respect where respect is due... not too much and not too little

I hope this helps
God bless

Answer 3

I have nothing wrong with the passage, although, I do think some of the laws that exist modern day are a bit silly, to put it in the nicest way possible.

Hitler had schizophrenia, so, he really wasn't in his right mind, so to speak. But he did believe that some type of gas was NOT to be used for torture or execution or something because he had once been exposed to it and thought that no one should ever deserve to suffer that way because of how bad it was.

And, those who escaped, weren't neccessarily German and so, not directly subject to their laws. So I don't believe they were sinning.

I'm not sure why, but I think you should look up the movie; La Viva E Bella. It's a good Italian movie based during the war and the English dub is done really well. The title means Life is Beautiful, the movie won a few awards apparently, internationally too.

Answer 4

To understand this you have to understand the seperation between the people of God and the world as a whole. In Romans 8:16 Just a little ways back God says this through Paul. "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God, and if children, then heirs- heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we also be gloriied together. For I consider that the suffering of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed in us." and on to vs 29 "For whom he foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that he might be the firstborn of many brethren." Understanding that we are ambassadors for Christ, we render unto ceaser what is ceaser within the bounds of right and wrong outlined in the bible. Recognizing that we look forward to a better country a heavenly country that is soon to come. The leaders in todays world are kind of tools to bring about the end time, look at all the prophecy's being fullfilled in the middle east, and the preparation for the temple rebuilt in Jerusalem, the rising of the beast in Europe and the horde's in the east amassing as much resources as they can. I think what paul ment here is to understand that as long as you don't go against god's law in helping you should, but you should always do right, remember to try and take the Spirit of the Law and always recognize that you are a Child of God, and an Ambassador for Christ. By the ways Sin is lawlessness outlined in the bible, lawlessness as in against God, do you believe that bringing slaves to freedom is the essence of that? 1 Jhn 3:4 Matt 7:23 God bless brother hope this helps

Answer 5

You are subject to mans laws except when they violate Gods word, because everything serves a purpose. The Bible also says Psa 75:6 For exaltation comes neither from the east
Nor from the west nor from the south.
Psa 75:7 But God is the Judge:
He puts down one,
And exalts another.

Answer 6

I agree with Andre...we should choose God's law over mans if they are not in agreement. Also at the end of the passage that you typed you mentioned to "Do what is good" so this passage is most likely referring to a 'good' or 'Godly' governing authority...not an authority such as Hitler.

Answer 7

The verse is basicaly saying that if you resist god nothing good can come of that and when you do resist, it means you are doing what the devil is telling you to do.
But the people who resisted hilter and all them, they were not resisting god they were resisting the devil, and they knew that it was the devil talking through hilter, because god would not tell someone to kill for him god punishes people him self. I hope my answer helped a little bit and I hope that you can help other people with there spiritual questions as well.

Answer 8

This text should be read in its context.

Ch 13 of Romans is speaking of God's authority. He delegates His authority but that ,in no way allows for its abuse . Google Ch 13 Romans if you do not have a bible.

You have given examples of abuse of authority in your last paragraph.

Since all authority comes from God, then these violations are not examples of authority but examples of misuse of power, or of greed etc.

Where you speak of people resisting Hitler etc., they are not exercising authority but objecting to a mis-use of authority in others.

Answer 9

Again we must look at each verse in the Bible and consider all the others that speak of the same topic. We are to obey our governments... AS LONG AS doing so does not violate the will of God.

If the government asks us to stop reading our Bibles, Evangelizing, or Worshiping, we must disobey. If the government asks us to commit sin, we must disobey.

The American Revolution wasn't about religion though, it was about $$$$ taxation without representation.

Answer 10

When it comes to Christianity, and Personal Spiritualism, I always
keep these words, in the "fore-front"."
"There is No Compassion in Business, & No Business in Compassion".
When you are able to "keep the two from being intertwined", there
is "much less confusion, in any Transactions, which take place,
between any Two Objects / Persons / Business, etc."
When you stop to think about it...How Many Gods, do we Have,
who are in "Total Control ??" Only One, the One Who "Created
ALL THINGS...and has Dominion over them", in order for them
to have LIFE !!.
Many of the "MisFortunes in Life" ARE MANMADE ONES...not
being from God...
THE EARTH AND ALL THAT'S IN IT...IS ''NOT SUBJECT TO EVIL..
BUT IT'S THE PEOPLE...WHO ARE IN IT...AND IN THE WAYS
THAT THEY ...REACT TO THE WORLD...AROUND THEM !!"
According to the Bible, "& the Bill of Rights", EACH HUMAN BEING
HAS ''EQUALITY...EQUAL RIGHTS, BY WHICH TO LIVE...AND
RESPOND TO THE WORLD...AROUND THEM !!"
We can ''respond with evil or goodness", & perhaps a little of
both, depending on How We Wish the Others to Respond to Us.
I believe, that EACH OF US, HAVE TO ''ANSWER FOR ANY WRONG, WHICH WE HAVE DONE...TO GOD'S CREATIONS, AND
THIS INCLUDES...EACH OF THE HUMAN BEINGS, NO MATTER
WHAT AGE THEY MAY BE, WHEN ...THEY MIGHT BECOME
A VICTIM TO SOME WRONG-DOING OR HAVE BECOME AN
EVIL-DOER.
"It is Not Within Each Of Our Powers...to be Required to Answer,
For the Other Person". None of us, can ever have that Power, no
matter how much we could wish it to be so.!!
Those verses, plainly tell you, that, RULERS ARE NOT...of Good
Works....(no one can Rule the World...in the end, but the One
Who Created it !!).
Having Authority "over something", does Not Necessarily mean,
that individual is a Ruler, over the Other Person or Object.
"Many individuals have abilities to Have Authority, but this doesn't
mean, they are the Ruler, over that which they have Authority",
such as...we have Authority, to "give life...but then...we are Not the
Ruler of Life...which we create..."
Personally, I do not wish to "worry about the sinning ways of the
other, because it's all I can take care of, in ...preventing myself,
from sinning". TF