As we continue to seek to "rightly divide the Word of Truth" (2 Tim 2:15) and to "compare the things that differ," (Phil 1:10) we take up the issue of obedience to government authorities and compare how pare deals with it during the Acts age and then after in his Post Acts epistles.
All of you must obey those who rule over you. There are no authorities except the ones God has chosen. Those who now rule have been chosen by God. 2 So whoever opposes the authorities opposes leaders whom God has appointed. Those who do that will be judged. 3 If you do what is right, you won’t need to be afraid of your rulers. But watch out if you do what is wrong! You don’t want to be afraid of those in authority, do you? Then do what is right, and you will be praised. 4 The one in authority serves God for your good. But if you do wrong, watch out! Rulers don’t carry a sword for no reason at all. They serve God. And God is carrying out his anger through them. The ruler punishes anyone who does wrong. 5 You must obey the authorities. Then you will not be punished. You must also obey them because you know it is right.
Romans 13:1-5
In context of the Acts Age, we see Peter referring to the rulers of the “people.” In context, the people there are a real, live, living Israel.
“Rulers and elders of the people! Are you asking us to explain our actions today?…”
-Acts 4:8b-9a
Peter in Acts 5 and the Apostles to the Circumcision tell them that they must obey God first.
“Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? Yet now you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring on us this Man’s blood.” Peter and the other apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers [Israel] raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging on a tree…”
After the grafting in of Gentiles into Israel in Acts 10, Paul is sent to Jews and Gentiles and has to instruct them on how to deal with the rulers in light of the soon coming age. Paul will write in that age that the time is at had, the day is near, the time is short, etc. His Gentile readers were seeing the rulers in Israel and the civil authorities. In the time immediately preceding the expected tribulation and establishment of the Kingdom in Israel (Acts 1:3-7), they were to obey the Jewish and Roman authorities so long as they did not contradict God's instructions for them
We have to compare Romans 13 to the "churches." which was written to believers expecting the Tribulation and Kingdom on earth within their lifetimes, to a Body looking only for blessings in the heavenly places. This is stated in different ways, but here is just one example from Romans 13 itself:
The night is far spent, the day is at hand.
-Romans 13:5
And here is a similar example from 1 Corinthians:
But this I say, brethren, the time is short…
-1 Corinthians 7:29
We note here that this is why the instructions for young women and widows in regard to marriage and childbearing differs between 1 Corinthians 7 and 1 Timothy 5. In 1 Corinthians the instructions for marriage reflect the troubles of the age and Paul recommends that no one marry if they can handle that truth. He adds (as Christ does in Matthew 24) that children will be a particular burden when the tribulation arises. Conversely, in 1 Timothy with no tribulation at hand, Paul advises young women not only to marry, but also to bear children.
When we turn to the Post Acts epistles (1 Timothy), as we see with marriage, we see an adjustment to the exhortation about leaders:
First, I want you to pray for all people. Ask God to help and bless them. Give thanks for them. Pray for kings. Pray for everyone who is in authority. Pray that we can live peaceful and quiet lives. And pray that we will be godly and holy. This is good, and it pleases God our Savior.
Since Adam it has always been true that we must obey God rather than men. This was true even under Israel’s evil Kings who called for worship of pagan gods. We see this clearly in Daniel and the three young men who disobeyed the law and faced death for it.
Paul, even late in the Acts, recognized still the leaders in a very real Israel who were still his people.
Paul looked at the Sanhedrin and said, “Brothers, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.” [Paul still observed the feast days, etc.] The high priest Ananias ordered those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit judging me according to the law, yet order me to be struck contrary to the law?” Those who stood by said, “Do you criticize God’s high priest?” Paul said, “Brothers, I did not know that he was the high priest. For it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of the ruler of your people…’
-Acts 23
Let's consider the difference between the obedience to the rulers spoken of in Romans 13 and Paul’s Post-Acts instructions in 1 Timothy is the times in which they lived and who constituted the “governing authorities” (Rom 13:1).
In 1 Timothy prayer is to be offered for those in power, including Kings and any in authority over us specifically “that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and honesty.” That does not mean that we cannot resist any power that infringes on that goal (or obviously any which make us disobey God). Since the time is not "short" nor do we face the events of the Day of the Lord, our approach is different.
I do not look to Romans 13 and force myself to agree that Pol Pot and Mao were somehow God’s servants and that resistance to them constituted resistance to God (as Romans 13 states). Rather, I would say to those believers being threatened by men like Mao that they should pray for him with the goal of leading quiet and peaceful lives.
If the government says to me I must sign up for Digital ID or something else for which there is no specific biblical prohibition, does that mean I must obey as though God ordained it as Romans 13 instructs ("So whoever opposes the authorities opposes leaders whom God has appointed. Those who do that will be judged)?
I believe the answer to that question is "no." This because the imposition of Digital ID is something government doing that I have determined will not lead to a quiet and peaceful life. On the other had, if the government says I can't drive 95mph through my neighborhood, should I obey? Well, "yes," as that is something intended to create a society based on a quiet and peaceful life.
Driving according to stated laws also fulfills the second part of that admonition, that is, that we can live in godliness and honestly. So, it is both halves that need to be considered.
- Is obedience meant to be so I can live a quiet and peaceful life?
- Does obedience move me to live in godliness and honesty?
The American Founders wrote the Olive Branch Petition which was sent by the Continental Congress to King George on July 5, 1775. That was an attempt at a peaceful solution. In light of its rejection (despite them pledging allegiance to the Crown) the events that led to July 4, 1776 followed.
One of the complaints of the colonies was the quartering of soldiers, for example. Such a thing was not for their good and did not move them to a quiet and peaceful life.
How we respond must also be according to the new nature. The colonists sought a peaceful solution in reverence of the Crown. It was only upon forceful rejection of that approach that they had to determine to what degree they would seek an end that would lead to a quiet and peaceful life.
That may not be the best example, but I use it in part as it exposes the complexity of life in the current age. The great degree of liberty we have comes with great responsibility. We must act in accordance with the leading of the Spirit in the new nature.
