Oct. 13, 2022

177. Bible Questions: How does God expect us to act toward political leaders and others in authority?

177. Bible Questions: How does God expect us to act toward political leaders and others in authority?

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177. Bible Questions: How does God expect us to act toward political leaders and others in authority?

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Transcript

Our attitude and behavior toward politicians, police, pastors, and parents

Transcript

How does God expect us to act toward political leaders and others in authority?

How should we view those in authority over us politicians, policemen, our pastors and parents? It was a snow day. In about 1972, I got together with a friend of mine who was a year older. We'll just call him Tim to keep this simple. We had some time on our hands and some perfect for making snowball snow, so we got up to some no good. We tried to make it look like a snowball fight between each other, but what we were really aiming for were two special needs adults walking between us. Thankfully, that little shameful battle was brought to a quick halt by a local police officer and my mom apologies quickly followed.

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What happened on that snowy day is what happens when there's no authority and folks, I'm not the exception here. I'm the rule. Scripture teaches through example and doctrine what happens without authority. In episode 22, we looked at Genesis chapters four and five, two chapters in the Bible that explain how low we can go when boys, whether young or old are left to their own devices. At the end of Genesis chapter five, it describes the scene as follows. Every inclination of man's heart was only evil all the time.

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That's what brought on Noah's boat and the universal flood. Speaking of Noah Genesis tells us Noah's righteous soul was tormented by what? By that quote, lawless deeds of those around him. We fast forward to Exodus chapter 32. Moses, the leader of God's people, the children of Israel is up on Mount Sinai. He's getting God's family rules and the blueprint for the tabernacle down below at the base of the mountain, his kids are having a little snowball fight of their own. As we studied in episode 40, while God was chiseling the 10 Commandments into tablets, they were down below breaking several of them.

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Why The one in authority was not on site. A few centuries later, we get to the book of Judges as we learn in episode 48 and 50. The theme of the book of Judges is, in those days there was no authority, no king in Israel, and everyone did what was right in their own eyes. While my snowball fight on that snowy day lasted maybe three minutes, the period of the judges lasted 330 years. In episode 65, we looked at the destruction of the 10 Northern tribes by the nation of a Syria that's in Second Kings 17. God explains why they were destroyed.

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It was this, after repeated warnings from prophets to turn from their evil and to keep the laws and statutes, these people despise those statutes and they abandon all the commandments. In other words, they refuse to live under the authority of God. A word that is repeated, especially in the New Testament, is lawlessness. It's used 19 times. Jesus like this word. In episode 97, we studied the sermon on the Mount, his greatest sermon, his summary of what it would be like for his citizens if he truly were king. He describes a group of people who think they're in the kingdom but are not, and he states this.

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Then I will declare to them, I never knew you, leave me, you who practice lawlessness. He goes on to say in Matthew 13, that one day he will send forth his angels. He will gather out of his kingdom the ones who shouldn't be in there. He describes those as the ones who are stumbling blocks and who commit lawlessness. In episode 1 0 9, we looked at Jesus' scathing rebuke of religious leaders. In Matthew 23, near the end of this diatribe, he says to them, You guys appear outwardly righteous to people, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and wait for it lawlessness.

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And in episode one 10 describing for his disciples the signs of his return or his coming, he states that one of those signs is the love of people will become cold. Then he pins it down to why lawlessness will be increased. The New Testament letters also deal harshly with this idea of not living under the authority of politicians, policemen, pastors, and parents. Titus two 14 is one example. Paul states, Jesus gave himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed and to purify for himself a people for his own possession, eager to do good deeds.

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The implication is deeds that are in keeping with the law. It is because of lawlessness that Christ had to die. Paul puts the gloves on about lawlessness too. In Roman six, he describes us as presenting our bodies as slave to impurity into lawlessness. And in second Corinthians six, he asks, What does righteousness and lawlessness share in common? They have about as much in common as light and darkness. Then in Second Corinthians chapter two, while describing what sounds like a person of unbridled evil, perhaps anti-Christ, Paul repeatedly calls him lawless, the man of lawlessness, the lawless one, and if that is not enough to warn us first, John three, four sums it up This way, Everyone who practices sin practices lawlessness and sin is lawlessness.

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There's one more teaching portion from Paul, Romans 13, one through seven, which is riveting, which must be understood in this question. How should we view those in authority over us? In the letter to the Romans, Paul writes for 11 chapters, How We lawless Sinners are made right with the Holy God in chapters 12 through 15. Paul applies this with principles of how those who've been made right with God should live it out. When Paul gets to chapter 13, he gives us this vivid way to do that very thing. I'm gonna read it from the text, Chapter 13, one through seven. Here's the Apostle Paul's answer to our Bible question.

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How should we view those in authority over us? Politicians, policemen, pastors, and parents? Every person is to be subject to the governing authorities for there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore, whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause for fear, for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same. For it is a servant of God to you for good.

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For if you do what is evil, be afraid for. It does not bear the sword for nothing. For it is a servant of God and avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. Therefore, it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this, you pay taxes for rulers. Are servants of God devoting themselves to this very thing? Pay to all What is do them tax? To whom taxes do custom to whom customs do respect to whom respect, honor to whom honor?

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In those seven verses, among other things, Paul teaches, whoever resists human authority opposes God. He teaches that even secular leaders are God servants, that civil leaders are like priests of God. But some listening might be thinking, Well, that was okay in 55 AD when Paul wrote to Christians in Rome. But dude, the world has changed. It's gotten much, much worse, has it? Now let's talk about our politicians. When Paul wrote the letter to the Romans, here's a little bit about their emperor Nero, neuro schemed, his way to the throne with the help of his mother. When Claudia Niro's stepfather got cold feet about Niro, he decided to put his own son Britanica on the throne.

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Niro's mom poison Claudias. When Britanica was still perceived to be a threat, Nero poisoned him. Nero then banished his own mother from the palace. His mama became a threat, so he sent her on a little cruise on a boat designed to sink. Somehow she swam back to shore, so Niro had her killed and mourned her, quote, suicide unquote. Ni then divorced his wife on the charge that she was barring and promptly banished her to an island on a trumped up charge of adultery. Later, he had her head cut off and delivered to his mistress. Papaya, pape accidentally died of complications during pregnancy.

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Neuro kicked her in a fit of rage After draining the Roman treasury narrow had his IRS agents confiscate the estates of the wealthy on the shadiest of charges. Ultimately, he bankrupt Rome on July 18th, 64. That fire we know about broke out. It destroyed 11 of 14 districts in Rome, rumors that he started the fire spread nearly as fast as the flames themselves. So needing to blame someone. He pointed the finger at Christians. Some were sewn in the skins of animals and thrown to wild dogs. Others were covered with tar and used as human torches to light neuros courtyard socially.

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Neuro was known as a SC ball, indulging himself in every form of pleasure and excess and surrounded by some of the most wretched companions as for his sexual exploits and preferences. I will leave that to you to research. By the way, he also likely be headed, Paul. Yet, in spite of that, Paul commands believers let every man put himself habitually in subjection to authorities which hold position over them. For there is not an authority except that which is ordained by God. Hmm. What about policemen and Paul's day? Well, policemen would've been primarily Roman soldiers.

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Roman soldiers were no choir boys. Roman law allowed them to say, Hey, Jew boy, carry my stuff for the next mile. We know from episode one 14 what the Roman soldiers did to Jesus at his trial in crucifixion was unconscionable. What about pastors religious leaders? At the time? Paul wrote this in episode 1 36, we looked at Paul being arrested in Jerusalem and hauled off to Caesarea on trumped up charges. In Acts 23, Paul is being tried when Paul says, I have a clear conscience before God.

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Anne Anais, the chief religious leader, ordered someone to strike him on the mouth. Have you ever been punched or slapped in the mouth? Paul lashes back, God will strike you. You whitewashed wall. A bystander says, How dare you say that to God's high priest. Paul immediately apologizes. I didn't know he was the high priest. And then cites Exodus 2228 For scripture says, You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people. Mind you, this is the same group of people who arrested, brutalized and had Jesus crucified. And what about parents? In Paul's day under Roman law, a Roman father could decide the fate of his child by raising his thumb up or his thumb down.

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No folks, it's not worse now than it was when Paul carried along by the Holy Spirit wrote in Romans 13, being subjection to those in authority over you. Of course, I don't mean blind obedience. When Pharaoh ordered the Hebrew midwives to throw the male babies into the Nile, they didn't do it. When Neba kezer ordered Shadrock, Meach and Abednego to fall in worship before an idol, they punctuated the landscape by standing firm. When Daniel was told to pray only to Dory us, he continued to pray to his God. When the disciples were hauled before the San Hedron and told to zip it about Jesus, their response was, Who should we obey God?

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Or you tell us we should obey God rather than men. But even in these cases, they followed the words of Peter. In first Peter three, they gave a defense for their convictions with gentleness and reverence for either the person in authority or their position. How should we view those in authority and more specifically, how should Christians view those in authority? I think you know the answer to that. I think you know what happens when we don't? Those shameful snowball fights break out vulnerable and innocent people get hurt. The heart of God is wounded and his reputation suffers.

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