All Authority Comes from Christ
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Recap of Romans so far.
Last week we finished out Romans 12 with my sermon called Let Dad handle it. If you missed that - you can find it on our website.
This morning we jump into Romans 13 and I want to read it to you in its entirety.
1 Let everyone submit to the governing authorities, since there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are instituted by God.
2 So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God’s command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves.
3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the one in authority? Do what is good, and you will have its approval.
4 For it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because it does not carry the sword for no reason. For it is God’s servant, an avenger that brings wrath on the one who does wrong.
5 Therefore, you must submit, not only because of wrath but also because of your conscience.
6 And for this reason you pay taxes, since the authorities are God’s servants, continually attending to these tasks.
7 Pay your obligations to everyone: taxes to those you owe taxes, tolls to those you owe tolls, respect to those you owe respect, and honor to those you owe honor.
8 Do not owe anyone anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
9 The commandments, Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal; do not covet; and any other commandment, are summed up by this commandment: Love your neighbor as yourself.
10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Love, therefore, is the fulfillment of the law.
11 Besides this, since you know the time, it is already the hour for you to wake up from sleep, because now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.
12 The night is nearly over, and the day is near; so let us discard the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
13 Let us walk with decency, as in the daytime: not in carousing and drunkenness; not in sexual impurity and promiscuity; not in quarreling and jealousy.
14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires.
As we study the word - we want to understand context - we have to know the what’s why’s and how’s of what is going on here.
Hermeneutics - if you hear that word thrown around, by myself or other teachers - is defined as the branch of knowledge that deals with interpretation.
The supreme court of our nation is, at its core, focused on Hermeneutics.
Pastors should as a basic function be focused on hermeneutics.
It means that we look at the document, the text, the issue, the history, and anything else that contributes to the situation, and attempt to understand it - to teach it - and to apply it according to the way that it was written. It takes into consideration not only what is said, but what is meant by what is said.
Take for instance the second amendment - no matter how you feel about it, the second amendment is dictated by hermeneutics.
One side would argue that the founders of the US would have wanted reasonable restrictions - and that they had no indication that modern weaponry would have existed in the way that it does.
And the other side would argue that the point of the amendment doesn’t really care about what the weapons are - because they are supposed to exist to keep the federal government in check.
If you look at it historically - and you see the second amendment being written - the way that it was - and immediately following a war against a massive, uncontrollable government - you might start to think that second way. Whereas basic rights to bear arms might not even be sufficient, you may desire a tank in your driveway.
Now, I say all of that to get all of my patriotism out of the way - and to say this, hermeneutics matter. The way that we interpret things matters.
Especially as we study scriptures like Romans 13.
It would be easy to look at this from an American perspective and say - okay, when the right people are in office, I will definitely for sure do this.
We have to resist that - if we are to truly understand the words Paul wrote here.
1 Let everyone submit to the governing authorities, since there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are instituted by God.
2 So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God’s command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves.
3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the one in authority? Do what is good, and you will have its approval.
4 For it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because it does not carry the sword for no reason. For it is God’s servant, an avenger that brings wrath on the one who does wrong.
5 Therefore, you must submit, not only because of wrath but also because of your conscience.
6 And for this reason you pay taxes, since the authorities are God’s servants, continually attending to these tasks.
7 Pay your obligations to everyone: taxes to those you owe taxes, tolls to those you owe tolls, respect to those you owe respect, and honor to those you owe honor.
Paint the picture:
Emperor Claudius exiled Jews and many Christians from Rome approximately five years before the letter to the Romans was written.
After Claudius - Nero ascended to the position of Emperor, and is recorded as one of the worst rulers in history.
Stories say that he murdered his mother and his wife, castrated and married a male slave - who he made dress up as his wife, burned the roman capital - and killed Christians.
Paul had mixed experience with authorities.
In the Jewish community, he was one.
35 When daylight came, the chief magistrates sent the police to say, “Release those men.”
36 The jailer reported these words to Paul: “The magistrates have sent orders for you to be released. So come out now and go in peace.”
37 But Paul said to them, “They beat us in public without a trial, although we are Roman citizens, and threw us in jail. And now are they going to send us away secretly? Certainly not! On the contrary, let them come themselves and escort us out.”
38 The police reported these words to the magistrates. They were afraid when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens.
39 So they came to appease them, and escorting them from prison, they urged them to leave town.
40 After leaving the jail, they came to Lydia’s house, where they saw and encouraged the brothers and sisters, and departed.
12 While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack against Paul and brought him to the tribunal.
13 “This man,” they said, “is persuading people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.”
14 As Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrongdoing or of a serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to put up with you Jews.
15 But if these are questions about words, names, and your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of such things.”
16 So he drove them from the tribunal.
17 And they all seized Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal, but none of these things mattered to Gallio.
39 Paul said, “I am a Jewish man from Tarsus of Cilicia, a citizen of an important city. Now I ask you, let me speak to the people.”
23 Are they servants of Christ? I’m talking like a madman—I’m a better one: with far more labors, many more imprisonments, far worse beatings, many times near death.
Paul knew government could be good - and he knew they could be evil.
He knew Jesus suffered at the hands of authorities.
And he knew that
And yet - it is from his perspective that we have to read romans 13. Not our own. This is going to help us - throughout our lives, live according to the reality that All authority comes from Christ and do what Paul tells us to in Romans 13:1 - Submit to the governing authorities.
Especially today, in our country, this is not a super popular idea. And for believers - it is even harder.
We struggle and strife under unjust leadership all around the world. Just like the romans - christians all over the world suffer.
Paul fights against two ideas… First. is that the kingdom of God is here - I submit to no one. the other side of that is the kingdom of God is not here - so rebel so that I can bring it closer.
He tells us to strike a balance between Ignoring Cesar and Fighting Cesar - by submitting to the government that we find ourselves in.
Remember - Paul wrote Philippians 3:20
20 Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The New testament holds us in tension between being Pilgrims and being Indigenous people. We are not to conform to this world as Romans 12:2 and we are to become all things to all men 1 Cor 9:22
22 To the weak I became weak, in order to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I may by every possible means save some.
2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
1 Let everyone submit to the governing authorities, since there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are instituted by God.
So what are we doing?
Submit to authorities.
Paul tells us to submit. If there is something in scripture - as an instruction, we have to work to do it. This means that we could easily not.
We come from a line of rebellious people, all the way back to adam and eve. Simple instructions - we buck at.
Submitting to authorities is more than just doing what we are told. It is, as the ESV writes it - to be subject to.
We are to have an understanding that we are beneath them.
1 First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone,
2 for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.
3 This is good, and it pleases God our Savior,
1 Remind them to submit to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work,
13 Submit to every human authority because of the Lord, whether to the emperor as the supreme authority
14 or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good.
15 For it is God’s will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good.
16 Submit as free people, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but as God’s slaves.
17 Honor everyone. Love the brothers and sisters. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
In those passages - and in the passage we are studying today - we do find some exclusions. And I will get to them.
29 Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than people.
Why?
Government is one expression of God’s grace. It is here for Good. It is designed for justice, order, and civility.
God uses Government for his own desires.
Is it always good?
No.
There are things that the government really messes us.
Even Evil kings - God has called his servants.
Nebuchadnezzer
6 So now I have placed all these lands under the authority of my servant Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. I have even given him the wild animals to serve him.
15 The king did not listen to the people, because this turn of events came from the Lord to carry out his word, which the Lord had spoken through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat.
Even when we don’t understand it - government is placed by our God.
21 He changes the times and seasons; he removes kings and establishes kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.
When do we not:
Daniel and the Lions Den.
6 So the administrators and satraps went together to the king and said to him, “May King Darius live forever.
7 All the administrators of the kingdom—the prefects, satraps, advisers, and governors—have agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an edict that, for thirty days, anyone who petitions any god or man except you, the king, will be thrown into the lions’ den.
8 Therefore, Your Majesty, establish the edict and sign the document so that, as a law of the Medes and Persians, it is irrevocable and cannot be changed.”
9 So King Darius signed the written edict.
10 When Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house. The windows in its upstairs room opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before.
Blatant disobedience.
You will not worship your god.
Esther.
Shadrack, Meshack, and Abendego.
You will worship idols.
China / Vietnam - when we are told we cannot gather.
When we are told we cannot worship.
When we are commanded to do evil.
We resist.
Without pride, without arrogance.
Simple, peaceful, rejection of evil.
Action steps:
Submit to governing authorities, acknowledging gods design for them and thank God for the good they do.
Pray for those in leadership.
Be a good citizen. Pay taxes, obey the law, be respectful, pour yourself out for others. Serve your city.
Engage in the political process with truth and justice. Bring your convictions with you.
34 Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.
Rest in the providence of God. Realize that God is soveriegn. That was the first sermon I preached in this church, as a youth minister.
Make your ultimate allegiance to King Jesus.
As His people, as Cross bought, Jesus worshiping people, We say Yes to obeying the government and paying taxes.
We will say no to disobeying the word of God and worshipping a man or institution.
In the next few weeks we will celebrate independence day - on that day, as believers we CAN celebrate all that God has done… but our real independence day was Easter.
All authority is given, by Christ.
10 So Pilate said to him, “Do you refuse to speak to me? Don’t you know that I have the authority to release you and the authority to crucify you?”