Week 45 Romans
After a letter filled with some pretty theoretical religious content Paul changes gears in chapter 13 and talks to the church-people in Rome about government: what government is & what a person’s behaviour to government should be & what his responsibilities are. Paul says things like this:
Obey the government (since) God is the one who put it there
All governments have been placed in power by God
Refusing to obey the laws of the land basically means you’re refusing to obey God
If you resist the government expect to be punished
Government authorities don’t frighten people who are doing right
Government authorities do frighten people who do wrong
Do what the government says and you’ll get along okay
Government authorities are sent by God to help you
If you’re doing wrong you’ll be punished since governments are set up by God to punish wrong-doing
Obey the government to keep yourself from being punished
Obey the government to keep a clear conscience
Pay your taxes…you even owe the government respect & honour.
Hmmmmm…. I sit thinking about what I would be sitting thinking about Paul’s Paragraph on Government if I lived in a country north of Mongolia. Or in one south of Mongolia. Or north of South Korea. Like that. It’s pretty easy reading it today here in Medicine Hat Alberta Canada. Not so easy other places.
Note: quotes & mhj-paraphrases from Romans 13:1-7 (NLT)