Hello Everyone,
This one is a keeper. I enjoy a good writing on the depth of Romans 13, and this is certainly a good one. Imagine that, me agreeing with a lawyer.
This is a two part writing, both included here.
Veritas Vos Liberabit
Gill Rapoza
Part 1
by Timothy_Baldwin
January 28, 2010
I find it quite amazing that a person who claims to believe in the Bible and who actually studies it would ever hold the position that Christians should (or must!) submit to government’s laws contrary to the Natural and Revealed Laws of God relevant to justice, judgment and equity. What is their main support for this position? It is Romans 13. Let us consider these verses and the Bible’s confirmation that our duties to God and man necessarily mean that we not submit to laws contrary to God’s laws. For purposes of this discussion, this article is limited to “What Is ‘Good’ and ‘Evil’,” in context of Romans 13.
Romans 13
Romans 13:1-6 says:
“Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.”
First, let us recognize that the Old Testament likewise declares government’s purpose to be identical to Romans 13’s description.
“A divine sentence is in the lips of the king: his mouth transgresseth not in judgment.” Proverbs 16:10
“A just weight and balance are the LORD’S: all the weights of the bag are his work. It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is established by righteousness. Righteous lips are the delight of kings; and they love him that speaketh right.” Proverbs 16:11-13
“Mercy and truth preserve the king: and his throne is upholden by mercy.” Proverbs 20:28
There is nothing new about Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2. It is as old as the oldest written book in the Bible–the book of Job. As will be seen here, it is as old as God’s immutable laws formed at creation. Thus, one cannot refer to Romans 13 as a justification for their pacifist and slavish position, because Romans 13 does not contradict the Old Testament explanation of our relationship to government, but rather confirms it.
Notice how God instructs every Christian to submit himself to “higher powers.” Some would have us believe that this instruction is an absolute command, without regard to legitimacy, authority and purpose of government. But the Bible commands otherwise. God conditions our submission to “higher powers” to the following. Government must:
1) be ordained of God (the authority of God),
2) punish evil and not good (the laws of God),
3) be a minister to the citizens, not the other way around (the purpose of God),
4) not be arbitrary, but must be based upon God’s notions of good and evil (the direction of God),
5) be a minister to God, according to God’s laws (the responsibility to God),
6) be accomplish the ordained purposes of God (the accomplishment of God).
These are God’s expressed qualifications, determinations and conditions upon the subject matter, “higher powers” (i.e. authority of civil government) and “every soul” (i.e. citizens in the jurisdiction of civil government). Nothing in these verses even suggests that our duty to submit is without reference to God’s laws first and foremost. Thus, the questions arise from these verses, since these verses do not define the words themselves: what is (1) ordained of God, (2) evil, (3) good and (4) minister of God to the citizens?
These definitions are found in no other place than in the laws of God. It cannot be denied without insulting and contradicting the Scriptures itself (and America’s founding history) that God in fact created immutable laws at His creation of the universe and mankind. They are called the Natural Laws of God. The Declaration of Independence refers to them as “the Laws of Nature and Nature’s God.”
Man’s Laws Are Not God’s Laws
We know that man’s laws do not equate to God’s laws, for the Bible tells us that “we are to obey God rather than man.” Acts 5:29. And even if you insisted on the blasphemy that man’s laws equated to God’s laws, 1 Peter 2:13-14 states the same thing as Romans 13:1-6:
“Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.” (emphasis added).
Here we see that an “ordinance of man” has the same qualifications and determinations of God as do the “higher powers”: to punish evil and praise them that do well. So, you cannot get away from God’s requirements for de jure, God-ordained civil government, and thus, the inquiries remain as raised above.
God-Ordained Government: Punish “Evil” and Praise “Good”
For brevity’s sake, I feel at liberty to combine the question of “what government is ordained of God?” into the question of “what is good and evil?” for how can one reasonably argue that God ordains evil actions by government? If you in fact hold that position, then there really is no talking truth to you. Thus, when we ask, “What government is ordained of God?” we necessarily conclude that it is government that fulfills the God-ordained qualification that government punish evil and praise good.
Amazingly, there are many Christians that believe that government can do virtually anything it wants, without right of the citizen to resist, as long as it does not interfere with the “preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ,” meaning the message that Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth; lived a sinless life, was crucified on the cross for man’s sins; was buried in a tomb; rose from the dead on the third day; and ascended to heaven thereafter. To these Christians, this is the only thing government has no authority to regulate. Oh, they might throw into the mix that government cannot legalize abortion or homosexuality. But it stops around that point.
It saddens me that there are sincere Christians who think that God’s created laws, relevant to our duty to each other, our family, our community and God, are limited to those matters, which really have little to do with the operation of government. Indeed, to admit that government has limits at all necessarily requires one to inquire about all the limits of government and what they are.
Does such a one believe that government may, under ordination of God, take your property? Do you even believe that God gives man the right to private property? Does such a person believe that government may violate, under ordination of God, the compact (constitution) that the citizens created to control government action? Do you even believe that God requires government to honor such a compact? Do you even believe that man has the God-given right to enter into contracts with other persons? Would any right-minded person deny these rights and responsibilities given and imposed by God?
When you get down to it, most who hold this philosophy simply do not want to get involved personally and think that God is somehow going to save them from oppression simply because they are a Christian and God is somehow obligated to shield their ignorance and indifference from tyrants. This is such a distortion of reality and truth as revealed in nature and scriptures that it is almost unconscionable, for God clearly states that for peace to be achieved, God’s laws must be followed. And of course, laws do not follow themselves, but are made for people to follow. Thus, when government’s purpose is to punish evil and praise good, those who facilitate the contrary result contradict God’s laws, purpose, ordination, direction and limitations on government.
Part 2
by Timothy_Baldwin
January 28, 2010
What is “Good” and “Evil”
Shortly put, those things are good which comply with God’s laws; those things are evil which do not comply with or contradict God’s laws. This definition conforms to the enlightenment exposition of what good or evil action is: “the formal character of goodness and badness consists in a bearing…to a directive norm which we call a law.” Samuel Pufendorf, Two Books of the Elements of Universal Jurisprudence, (Indianapolis, IN, Liberty Fund, 2009), 235 (emphasis added). Scriptures confirm as well that God’s creation contains and perpetuates the very essence of God’s wisdom, which carry forth into all matters of God’s creation, including what is “good” and “evil”:
“The law of the Lord is perfect.” Psalms 19:7;
“The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.” Proverbs 3:19.
God’s creation of natural laws was designed to provide mankind with the blessings of life, liberty and property. “Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” Psalms 34:14. “Great peace have they which love they law.” Psalms 1119:165. “Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.” Leviticus 18:5. These laws were made for God’s will and purpose and when followed, allow even the atheist to reap the blessings of life on earth, even though he lacks a spiritual life with God. “One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.” Exodus 12:49.
God’s Laws Immutable
These laws are immutable and are based upon the eternal essence of God’s character and human nature. As Samuel Pufendorf says,
“[The] immutability of the laws of nature is derived merely from the supposition that man’s estate will persist in the same tenor.” Pufendorf, at 218. Similarly put, “The Decalogue…are in fact civil [laws]…But when those are considered with the condition of human society, and so obligate all men, even apart from their promulgation by Moses, they are in fact laws of nature. And it makes no difference.” Ibid., 210.
William Blackstone confirms the same:
“For as God, when he created matter, and endued it with a principle of mobility, established certain rules for the perpetual direction of that motion, so, when he created man, and endued him with free-will to conduct himself in all parts of life, he laid down certain immutable laws of human nature, whereby that free-will is in some degree regulated and restrained, and gave him also the faculty of reason to discover the purport of those laws.” Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England, 28–29, (emphasis added).
So says Scriptures: “He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works.” Psalms 33:15 (emphasis added).
Natural Laws of God
Scriptures confirm that God created laws (distinguishing “good” and “evil”), which are natural to the existence and nature of man. While I know there are well-intentioned and intelligent people who claim that natural laws are not superior to God’s revealed laws, one must conclude that Scriptures nevertheless confirm their existence and never contradict them.
In the story of the first human beings on earth, Adam and Eve, we see how God made man capable to know what is good and evil without any civil laws being presented by man or God himself. (Indeed, God never revealed positive laws to man until scores of generations passed. Did no justice exist during that time?) “You [Adam and Eve] may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Genesis 2:16–17 (esv). Indeed, Satan was correct when he told Eve, “God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened…you [will know] good and evil.” Genesis 3:5 (emphasis added). Mankind did not need a set of laws passed to determine what is good and evil, which is why Cain fled for his life after having killed his brother, Abel, without cause: he knew justice required his life, for his murderous act. What told him this? His conscience, based upon the natural laws of God.
We see that one of the reasons God gave His positive laws to mankind was to add to the certainty of God’s natural laws, which existed at creation (to bring man to Christ): “What then is the law [as given to Moses]? It was added because of transgressions.” Galatians 3:19 (asv) (emphasis added). Indeed, how can there be transgressions except there already be a standard of good and evil? Moreover, how can positive laws be added, when nothing else existed before it? This also confirms that God’s laws were added, and did not contradict or terminate God’s natural laws.
During our founding era, men preached on the natural laws of God, and added them to their expositions on the Bible. Consider infamous Bible commentator Matthew Henry’s recognition that “the law, considered as the law of nature, is always in force, and still continues to be of use to convince men of sin.” Matthew Henry and Samuel Palmerl, An Exposition of the Old and New Testament, vol. 6, (Philadelphia: Haswell, Barrington, 1838).
For this reason, the apostle Paul writes:
“For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them.” Romans 2:14–15 (esv).
For this same reason, Thomas Jefferson declared:
“Man has been subjected by his Creator to the moral law, of which his feelings, or conscience as it is sometimes called, are the evidence with which his Creator has furnished him.” Jefferson, The Jeffersonian Cyclopedia, 591.
For this reason, John Locke says:
“[T]he law of nature stands as an eternal rule to all men, legislators as well as others. The rules that they make for other men’s actions, must, as well as their own and other men’s actions, be conformable to the law of nature, i.e. to the will of God, of which that is a declaration, and the fundamental law of nature being the preservation of mankind, no human sanction can be good, or valid against it.” Locke and Macpherson, ed., Second Treatise of Government, 70–71.
Undoubtedly, “this idea of natural laws…[became] a fundamental principle in American constitutional law. Halstead Van Tyne, The Causes of the War of Independence, 230.
Natural Laws of God Determined
Enlightenment philosopher, Samuel Pufendorf, describes natural law as follows: “The laws of nature are commonly divided into principles, which [are] the fundamental laws of nature, whose truth and necessity arise directly from the very character of human nature; and conclusions, which are deduced from these principles by necessary consequence or sub-sumption.” Pufendorf, at 218. Is this not what the Psalmist said, “Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish.” Psalms 49:20 (esv) (emphasis added). Without an understanding of God’s laws, man is like an animal, unable to know evil and good, and unable to know when a Romans-13-government exists. Is it God’s will that society be treated like animals and that government perpetuate the debasement of man, family, community, society and God’s laws? God forbid.
Without the execution justice within government, government is not only contrary to God’s ordination, but it is the perpetrator of beast-like behavior, reducing citizens to mere respondents to environmental stimuli. God Himself sees our actions in just that light: if man does not attempt to understand God’s laws and consequently, does not execute justice, those men are but beasts:
“I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness. I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work. I said in my heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them that they may see that they themselves are but beasts.” Ecclesiastes 3:16–17 (esv) (emphasis added).
This is truth: one must study human nature to determine the natural laws of God relevant to what is “good” and “evil” (i.e. justice) in context of Romans 13. This construction of Romans 13 is confirmed throughout Scriptures as well:
“He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the LORD.” Proverbs 17:15 (esv).
“The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves.” Luke 22:25–26 (esv) (emphasis added).
“Truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. The LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice.” Isaiah 59:15 (esv) (emphasis added).
Consider as well that Scriptures declare that righteous persons will actually contend with or strive against those who forsake the laws of God, including government that promotes evil and punishes good:
“They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them. Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things.” Proverbs 28:4-5
“Also to punish the just is not good, nor to strike princes for equity.” Proverbs 17:26 (put inversely, “Also, to praise the just is good, and to strike princes for inequity.”)
One may attempt to ignore the direct influence the laws of God have had in the making of the United States of America, but their ignorance is merely that and proves nothing to contradict the truth of the matter. The entirety of American jurisprudence recognizes that:
God is creator of all things; God first created a single human life (not family, society or government), giving complete value of mankind into one being; Human life is a gift of God, with the natural, God-given rights of liberty and property; individual man has the power to occupy the earth and take dominion over it, creating private property in that individual; individual man has the power to create enforceable contracts by virtue of his right to control his body and property (e.g. marriage, sale or exchange of land and services, compact, etc.); individual man has the right to control his life and property in any manner not contrary to God’s natural laws; individual man has the natural tendency towards creating society for his utility, convenience and social desire; society has the power to create government upon its own will; government’s purpose is for the benefit of those who created it, not for those agents with power to administer it; given the sin nature of mankind, individual rights, liberties and freedoms will be best preserved and society’s peace and happiness maintained where government is limited to the principles of God’s natural laws and to the compact that society decides to create; violations of God’s laws and society’s compacts are null and void, with no binding effect, worthy of resistance.
For this reason, Judge Jesse Root describes America’s jurisprudence as follows:
“Whereas, the truth, in fact is, that civil government is ordained of God, for the good of the people, and the Constitution they adopt, and the persons they appoint to bear rule over them, to make and to execute the laws, the Almighty recognizes to his ministers, acting under his authority, for the advancement of order, peace and happiness in society, by protecting its members in the quiet enjoyment of their natural and civil religious rights and liberties.” Root, Reports of Cases, xv, xvi
Let us not be ignorant any longer. God requires that government be just, righteous and equitable according to those laws God created and according to the limitations placed upon it by compact. God’s instruction of submission to “higher powers” is not absolute or unconditional. It directly relates for our benefit, just as God tells us in 1 Timothy 2:1-2: “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” God’s plan for government was not that it oppress mankind, but that it supplement the liberty of man by punishing those who violate the laws of God so that WE may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all goodliness and honesty.
How dare we, especially as Christians, reject those God-ordained mandates upon government, and supplant God’s laws with our barbaric and beast-like notions of submission.
Copyright © Liberty Defense League
Gill Rapoza
Veritas Vos Liberabit
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