Picture by Emanuel Neiconi at Creation Swap
Coming Under
Authority
What comes to mind when you think of
“authority?” Is it the local law
enforcement? Is it your boss or
supervisor at work? How about the government,
such as the President of the United States?
The word authority probably conjures up some picture of what your
experience with authority might be.
You, perhaps, might be given authority if you’re a
supervisor at work. As a mom or dad, you
also exert a certain amount of authority over your children. Believe it or not, even if you work in a
place of employment and you direct and guide customers to receive their goods
and services you also exhibit a certain amount of authority. For example, if you are a waitress and direct
a customer to sit at a table you are using the authority that you were given by
your employer to take this particular action.
Authority, however, doesn’t always carry a
positive connotation. Every one of us,
perhaps, has a memory of some type of authority that has affected us
negatively. Maybe it was a teacher who “had
it in for you” and treated you badly.
You might still be carrying those scars today into adulthood. It could have been your father who was MIA
(missing in action.) Though this kind of
affect from authority takes on a different perspective it still had/has a
profound effect on you.
Authority is a power of influence that was
instituted by God. In fact, God is the
Ultimate Authority over life and over each one of us. Authority takes on different meanings and is
important to understand if we’re to see authority as God intended. Authority, as defined by The Free Dictionary, is as follows:
1.
a. The power to enforce laws, exact
obedience, command, determine, or judge.
b. One that is invested with this power,
especially a government or body of government officials: land titles issued by
the civil authority.
2. Power assigned to another; authorization:
Deputies were given authority to make arrests.
3. A public agency or corporation with
administrative powers in a specified field: a city transit authority.
4.
a. An accepted source of expert information
or advice: a noted authority on birds; a reference book often cited as an
authority.
b. A quotation or citation from such a
source: biblical authorities for a moral argument.
5. Justification; grounds: On what authority
do you make such a claim?
6. A conclusive statement or decision that
may be taken as a guide or precedent.
7. Power to influence or persuade resulting
from knowledge or experience: political observers who acquire authority with
age.
8. Confidence derived from experience or
practice; firm self-assurance: played the sonata with authority.
So how important is authority? Or to put it another way, what happens when
authority is used incorrectly? Authority
has such a significant effect on society that if abused it can cause
irreparable harm. Given this fact
authority is often viewed badly. We may
even rebel against authority. Many
people in history have been given certain notoriety because of their complete
disregard and disdain for authority.
This is particularly true in times and places when authority was
corrupt. You may think of the old Wild
West in the United States back in the 1800s.
Or maybe the mobs and gangs of Chicago in the early to mid-1900s. Whatever your thoughts or memories, abuse of
authority has often resulted in an unpopular opinion.
Although authority is often abused, does that give
us just cause to rebel against said authority?
In our minds we may think so. If
you’re a citizen of the United States you may regard your right as an American
as a reason to rebel against authority.
If things aren’t going the way that you think it should go you may speak
out harshly against the government because they’re not doing their job. You may say that you’re a registered voter
and you’re the one that gave that power or authority to the public officials.
As Christians, this is where I think we need to be
careful in understanding our proper role in God’s purposes and plans. In studying Romans 13: 1-7, the Apostle Paul
makes it clear that God is the One who has not only established the role of
authority but has placed the ones who are in authority. This is perhaps one of the more difficult
aspects to grasp. How could God have
placed someone like Adolf Hitler as ruler and leader of the German people? Or someone like the Emperor Nero during the
time of the early church?
These are difficult questions that we may not
completely understand. However, I
believe we need to wrestle with these questions under the lenses of a Christian
worldview. One thing that comes to mind
is the fact that we live with sin natures in a sinful world. In a perfect world without sin, authority
would be perfect as well. The moment sin
entered the picture it changed everything.
The reason perhaps that authority is often corrupted and abused is to
help us as a people to understand that our most pressing and desperate need is
a Savior. If our lives were left without
problems and struggles and persecutions, would we naturally turn to God to save
us from our most pressing problem – sin?
Let’s first look at the passage for Romans 13: 1-7:
Submission to Governing Authorities
1 Let
everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority
except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been
established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is
rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring
judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but
for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in
authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4 For the one in
authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for
rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath
to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to
the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter
of conscience.
6 This
is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give
their full time to governing. 7 Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe
taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor,
then honor.
Notice in the first verse that “there is no
authority except that which God has established.” Clearly, as believers we are to submit to
these authorities, whether good or bad.
Paul lists out some reasons why we should obey the authorities that seem
logical. He even tells us that if we
rebel against these authorities that we are in effect rebelling against
God. But also notice that Paul doesn’t
condition this command by stating that we should submit to the authorities only
if we agree with them. Or submit when
there are good kings and rulers. No,
Paul doesn’t state that. But what he
does say is that “the one in authority is God’s servant for your good.”
Many times throughout the Scriptures we have
examples of God’s people submitting to authority even when those in authority were
undeserving. Joseph rose through the
ranks of authority and was given authority under the rule of Pharaoh in Egypt. David submitted to King Saul even though Saul
sought to kill him. Daniel was even
subject to King Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon that took the Israelites
captive. Jesus submitted Himself even
under the authority of Pontius Pilate, although Jesus had every right to rebel
because He was completely innocent. The
apostles during the time of the early church submitted to the governing
authorities of the Emperor Nero, a vicious ruler and persecutor of Christians
at the time.
But we also see a glaring example of what happens
when we rebel against God and His authority.
What happened to the Israelites after God rescued them from the hands of
the Egyptians? He brought them out to
the desert. It was during this time that
the Israelites complained, murmured and grumbled against God. Instead of inheriting the promise that God would
give them a land of milk and honey, they incurred God’s wrath. Those that lived during that time for 40 years
died wandering out in the desert.
Why? One of the reasons is a
complete disregard for God’s authority over them.
Another thing that we see is that as Christians how
do we respond to abusive authority? When
faced with the question of obeying authorities that are overstepping their
power, do we obey God or man? We see
this question raised to Peter when he and the apostles were brought before the
Sanhedrin. When the issue was to obey
man’s laws when they contradicted God’s commands, Peter says this, “We must
obey God rather than men.” Even
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had this to say to the ruler Nebuchadnezzar
when confronted with worshiping a false idol, which they were commanded to do:
16 Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have
no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If this be so, our God whom we serve
is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us
out of your hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we
will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.
It’s important that if we are to follow God, we
need to understand from a Biblical standpoint how and when to submit to authorities
and unjust laws. It may not always be
clear cut. It may often take prayer and
spiritual discernment. But the general
rule of thumb must be that unless it completely contradicts God’s Word, we
should submit to those authorities that God has placed over us.
In addition, when we’re the ones in authority we
should examine our own hearts and motives.
Think about the fact that God is our Ultimate Authority. When God is the One who has given us authority,
we should exercise this authority with caution.
Even the centurion who came to Jesus asking for healing for his servant
understood this concept. He understood
that though he has authority that he too was a man under authority. (emphasis mine)
The Faith of the Centurion
5 When
Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6
“Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”
7
Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”
8 The
centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But
just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I myself am a man under
authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that
one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
10
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I
tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 11 I say to
you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places
at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the
subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there
will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
13
Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it
would.” And his servant was healed at that moment.
The question for us today is how do we submit to
authority? Do we submit to President
Obama when he purposely enforces laws that go against our conscious such as
abortion and same-sex marriage? I would
say that in every situation where God has given President Obama authority we
should respect him as our President and not speak ill-will of him. In fact, we should pray that God grant him
wisdom and understanding. We want him to
do well because the country will do well if he does what is right. But in areas where laws obviously contradict
God’s commands, we respectively state that we must obey God rather than man.
What happens if we incur some persecution in response
to obeying God? Though Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego obeyed God, they were still thrown into the fire. They submitted to the consequences of their
choice. We, too, need to be aware and
willing to submit to the consequences of following Christ. Will it be unpopular? Will it cause pain? May we end up in prison or endure hardship? All of these are possible scenarios. But we must remember that we are witnesses
for the Lord Jesus Christ. It may be
through these circumstances that unbelievers witness our obedience (even unto
death) that they may be won to Christ.
Jesus often said that there is a cost of following
Him and being His disciple. He
emphasized that we need to count the cost and consider the consequences of our
choices. Jesus understood the cost and even
went to the cross on our behalf. He
endured hardship, suffering and even death.
Jesus pointed out in John 15:20, “Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is
not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you
also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.”
Are you willing to follow Christ? Are you willing to submit to authority?
