Can A Christian Righteously Rebel against Government? (Romans 13)
Dr. David M. Berman
www.wakeupandsmellthetruth.com
Let me start by saying that you must read this entire article to understand my position on this question. The following passage has been used by many to teach that Christians must submit to all government. In fact during the Katrina disaster many Pastors worked with FEMA in what they call "Clergy Response Teams." If Marshall law is declared, this team is to be used by government to keep the people from rebellion (Source K.S.L.A news). It is interesting how the government decries Christian involvement in public policy while at the same time they want to use pastors to facilitate tyranny. I would take time to write about these pastors who would cooperate with government tyranny but that is for another article.
The justification for the mindset that teaches submission to government is found in the following passage:
Romans 13:1-4 "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."
This passage by itself seems to support the afore mentioned mind set, however we will see that it does not as we apply proper hermeneutic skills in understanding Scripture. Let us first understand that this passage makes it clear that Christians are to follow the laws of government in general. We are not to fight against lawful moral laws that do not violate as our founding documents say "natural laws or the laws of natures God." This is what our founders understood very well and so they gave us understanding of "inalienable rights." These rights are "self evident." Due to the brilliance of our founders they enshrined this truth in our founding documents so that we would have a nation of laws and not men. Many well meaning Christians believe that we are to submit to tyrannical leaders based on this passage. They are simply wrong. Legitimate government is there to reward good and to punish evil. It is not there to punish good and to reward evil.
The question is; "Can a Christian righteously rebel?" The answer is no! It is never acceptable for a Christian to rebel. First Samuel chapter fifteen says "rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft."Having said that, in order to really answer this question we must first define rebellion. What is Rebellion? Is it simply disobedience of an authority? The answer is this; Rebellion is the disobedience of a lawful order and a lawful authority. That is what rebellion is. Two examples would be:
1) Refusing to stop when a police car is behind you with lights on.
2) Refusing to answer a question when testifying in court (not including 5th amendment).
What is rebellion not? Rebellion is not disobedience of an unlawful authority or an unlawful order. No government has the right to give unlawful or ungodly orders. Those who believe that Romans 13 somehow gives a right to government to give ungodly and unlawful orders to its citizens are terribly mistaken. Pastors that help the government disarm the citizenry, are acting against the Constitution and the natural law of self defense. Government is not given a right to tyrannical despotic rule. Let's look at the following passage to gain more understanding of this:
Acts 5:27 "And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them"
Here we see that Peter and other Apostles were brought before the council to answer charges that they have disobeyed the authority's demand that they stop preaching salvation through Jesus Christ.
Acts 5:28 "Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us"
The authority makes it clear that they were commanded not to teach in Jesus' name. Not only were they accused of disobedience of a direct order but also of sedition in filling Jerusalem with the doctrine of Christ. The following response of Peter should give all Christians the understanding of Romans 13:1-4.
Acts 5:29 "Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men"
"We ought to obey God rather than men." This is the supreme principle concerning the question at hand. We must realize that Peter was not in rebellion against them. It is impossible to be in rebellion against an unlawful or ungodly order. If the order is ungodly we are obligated to disobey it. We are only in rebellion if the order is lawful and comes from proper authority. God does not contradict himself. He did not command us to obey him and at the same time command us to obey things that men tell us to do which oppose his moral law. For example we are given the right and responsibility to raise our own children in the Lord. We have every right to disobey any action of government that seeks to indoctrinate our children with ungodly teachings!
Our founding fathers fought against the tyranny of the King of England because they realized that the King was in violation of our inalienable rights.
The Declaration of Independence says when speaking of the violation of the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness:
"Any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute New Government." This means that if a government starts doing things that destroy people's rights, rather than protecting their rights, it is their right to change or destroy that form of government, and to institute a new one that will protect their rights"
