Romans 13:1-5

Render Unto Caesar (Part Two)

by Pastor James Lincoln on March 11, 2007

 

On April 19, 1995 Timothy McVey pressed a button on a bomb that crushed a nine-story federal building in Oklahoma City. He killed 147 adults and 19 children in day-care at the building. Janie Cloverdale, a 63 year-old grandmother, lost two grandsons, ages 2 and 5. What's this grandmother supposed to do with this horrific injustice? How does she deal with such injustice in the world? How does she respond to McVey's crime? Hold that question.

When Jesus said, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's" (Mtt.22:20, 21) he not only stunned his enemies with his wisdom, he also established God's ordination of human government, while at the same time setting its limits. It's perhaps the most profound political statement ever made. Is there a proper submission to the governing authorities? Yes! Is there a supreme submission to God? Yes! With this one sentence Jesus established that we owe an allegiance to God and we owe an allegiance to government.

In Rom.13:7-8 Paul tied his own command to Jesus' words when he said to give taxes and honor to whomever it is due. In v.13:1, submission is what is due the governing authorities. "Everyone be subject to the governing authorities..." Here Paul is dealing with only the first half of Jesus' wisdom.

THREE QUESTIONS: This morning I want to consider three questions about our text.

"Why does Paul give this commandment to this small group of Christians at this time?
"What is the task of government?
"What does this mean for us?"

First question: "Why did Paul write this command?" What are his reasons for giving the commandment? Why did he say, "Submit to the governing authorities?" Let me offer several possibilities.

First: He didn't want to see them get killed!

Rome was good at putting a quick end to zealots and revolutionaries. In Acts 5:1 when the Sanhedrin was considering what to do with Peter and John, Gamaliel reminded the Sanhedrin that Rome brought a swift end to the careers of insurrectionists like Theudas and Judas of Galilee. Rome killed over four hundred and nothing came of their movement. The Sanhedrin didn't have to lift a finger. Paul wasn't eager to see Roman soldiers wipe out this little church in Rome. Anarchy and insurrection was not God's plan to advance the gospel. Nothing good could come from that. He didn't want them to lose their heads.

Second: Christians have a dual citizenship.

Paul proclaimed that Jesus is Lord. He bore witness to the fact that all authority had been given to Jesus in the heaven and on earth. That authority included the authority of Caesar and governments of the world. He exhorted Christians to stand firm in their freedom and not to submit again to the yoke of slavery. They could easily confuse these spiritual blessings with a power and authority they had not yet been given. Just because they are under the supreme authority of Christ doesn't mean they are no longer in any submissive relationship to human authorities. Even when they are grievously deceived and almost demonic, ruling authorities still have a certain level of divine authorization.

Third: Christians aren't to assume the authority God gives to governments.

At the end of chapter 12 Paul said, "Bless those who persecute you... Don't repay evil for evil... Don't call down curses on your persecutors ... Don't repay offence with vengeance and retaliation." He cited Deut.32:35, "'Vengeance is mine,' says the Lord." This is how Christians are to act when injustice comes their way. But that raises the question, "Paul, is that all you have to say about how wicked people are dealt with in this world? Are we supposed to say, 'God is sovereign' and passively accept the injustice? Is that all God's going to do with the wicked until the final day of judgment?"

Romans 13 answers this question. Paul says, "No. There's more to say." It's true that you don't resort to private vigilante-justice or retaliation when you're treated with injustice. Janie Cloversdale doesn't go out, buy a gun and kill Timothy McVey and get justice. Instead, God calls us to acknowledge that the execution of punitive public justice is God's business. And, at least in part, God goes about that through the governing authorities of the world. Public justice is not served by private vengeance and mob rule. Individual Christians are not to take the law into their own hands. They're to trust the authorities to keep wickedness in check. Beloved, if there were no civil authority to restrain wickedness tidal waves of injustice would break over the world.

Now, Paul only gives us seven verses here. He doesn't answer all the questions we have about this. But he does deal with the first half of Jesus' wisdom by telling us to submit to the governing authorities, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar..."

And as we saw last Sunday that includes just rulers like David and unjust rulers like Nebuchadnezzar and Pilate (the ruler who above all did not reward good behavior but instead punished the only perfectly good man who ever lived). So, Romans 13:1 includes Pilate as well. However, no human authority has the right to supplant God's authority over our lives. The Hebrew midwives, Daniel and Peter and John, William Tyndale, William Carey and Corrie Ten Boon, all obeyed God rather than the governing authorities and they did so with God's blessing. Our submission to God ordained institutions is always as unto the Lord. But Jesus leaves us with this tension by saying, "Give unto Caesar what is Caesar and unto God what is God's."

So, why did Paul give the command to submit to the governing authorities? Here's why...He wanted them to live. He wanted them to know they have a dual citizenship until Jesus returns. He wanted them to leave room for the work of God through civil authorities.

What are the tasks of government?

The second question I want us to consider this morning is this. What are the tasks of government? What is government supposed to do? What's the job of government? Again, Paul isn't writing a book on political science. But in these few verses he does say a lot. And the reason he lists these tasks of government is because they make up the reasons we should submit to government. This morning I'm only going to mention two tasks. The first is this:

Governments are God's Deacons

By virtue of their divine origin and calling governments are there to serve God and represent His authority.¹ Look at the words Paul used about the origins and character of governing authorities.

v. 1: instituted or established by God (tasso: design; appoint; ordain)
v. 2: appointed or ordained by God (diatage: institution; appointment)
v. 4: a minister of God or God's servant (diakonos: minister or deacon)
v. 5: ministers or servants of God (leitourgos: a temple servant with a religious connotation)

Whether they know it or not the civil authorities are God's deacons and they are there to serve Him and His purposes. Jehoshaphat told the judges,

"Consider what you do, for you judge not for man but for the Lord. Now then let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Be careful what you do, for there is no injustice with the Lord our God, or partiality or taking bribes." (2Chron.19:4).

Jesus told Pilate "You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above'" (John 19:10). I'm taken back by how bold Paul is here. He's saying that God makes an absolute claim on the lives of kings, judges and civil authorities. He ordains them. When governments act outside the will of God they are assuming divine prerogatives and missing their calling in the world. We should say the same things to our leaders. We should say, "Do you know that you are God's deacons? Do you know that you are God's ambassadors? Do you know that you are God's agents in this world and that you are God's chosen agents to bring about a justice in this world that individuals are not permitted by God to do?"

Instead of being jaded and cynical about governing leaders we are to pray for them, ask God to turn their hearts to Him and to seal this truth into their souls that they serve by his appointment and ordination. They will be held accountable to Him for what they do. Government is His institution. Governments need to know that their authority does not come primarily from the consent of the governed; it comes fundamentally from God to whom they must give an account (cf. Ps.82:1 and Isa. 3:14). And we must say these things whether they acknowledge them or not because they're true whether they acknowledge it or not.

Now, it's possible that Paul anticipates that the governing authorities as well as the church at Rome will read this letter. If they do read this, he wants them to know whose authority stands behind theirs and to whom they will be held accountable for the way they treat people.

The word says that they are God's deacons. When we resist them Paul says that we find ourselves resisting God and setting up our own rule over the rule God has ordained for us (2). This will only bring about God's judgment. Again, we don't take the law into our own hands. This is the purview of the governing authorities. Janie Cloverdale shouldn't buy a gun and kill Timothy McVey. She should acknowledge that God has ordained civil authorities to execute God's justice.

An Embarrassing Confession

Now this is about as counter intuitive to me as things can be. When I moved to Oregon and tried to get my car licensed the civil authority at the DMV didn't cooperate. The civil authority told me that she had to have the original car title to my station wagon before she could grant me an Oregon license. I told her that my bank in Washington held that in their vault in New Jersey and they wouldn't let me have it. They would gladly provide a notarized copy. She said, "Sorry, we have to have the original." "What are my choices?" I asked. She said, "I suggest that you refinance with a bank that will let you have the title." You can't believe how angry I got over this. Instead of honoring the civil authorities I willfully got one of those temporary three month licenses. And when the three months ran out I took liquid paper and a black felt pen and changed the date. I did that for a year. Now, I'm confessing here. I'm not offering myself up on this occasion as a good example. I wasn't. After about a year Debby got pulled over by a state trooper. I had changed the date so many times you could recognize it from about a mile away. Fortunately, he just told her to take care of it and didn't even give her a warning. Instead, she came home and gave me a warning that I shouldn't repeat. Eventually they discovered an old law that allowed my bank to put the title in escrow and mail it to the DMV and I got it licensed. But I didn't honor the civil authorities. I didn't pray for them. I didn't bear any submissive witness to them. I just stiffened my neck and took the law into my own hands.

Paul says that the first task of governments is that they are to be God's ordained agents (deacons) in this world even when they don't know it and even when they abuse their authority. And, God calls us to submit to them as His ordained agents to represent his authority and His will in the world.

His Deacons: For what purpose?

That brings up the second task of Government. As His deacons, what does God call them to do? What is their job? What is their task? Look in verse 3-4. As His deacons they are to serve as His agents for goodness and justice in the world (3-4).

3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.

Look, if they're doing their job of representing God's goodness and justice in the world you don't have to be afraid of them. They aren't a terror to good conduct. If you are driving along at the speed limit you don't have to worry about the state troopers. For the most part they will leave you alone. There's no fear... unless you're breaking the law. If you want to live without fear of the governing authorities do right...obey the laws...and as a rule they'll leave you alone. He doesn't go into the possible exceptions. It's a general principle. Do what is good and you'll receive their praise. They praise (not reward) you when you do what is good.

They are to uphold morality and justice

Notice that Paul says the civil authorities have the right to punish unlawful or bad behavior. They execute justice by way of the sword or gun, or night stick or through fines and other punishments. They act on behalf of God. They're servants of God, carrying out a measure of justice in this world against those who do wrong. They act on behalf of individuals who aren't permitted to execute justice themselves. Are you getting this? If you shoot me, I don't have the right to execute justice or punishment by shooting you back! Only God does and He has given a measure of that authority to the civil authorities.

Remember the question raise at the end of chapter 12. Will God do anything about the wicked people in this world that abuse and mistreat others? Paul says, "Yes" That's what governments are there for! First, they are His deacons. Second, they are His deacons to carry out justice: praising the good and punishing the wicked.

Notice they are to go about executing MORAL issues, of good and evil

Have you ever heard the phrase, "You can't legislate morality?" This is partially correct. Laws themselves don't make a bad person into a good person. However, almost everything we legislate has to do with what is moral, good and just against what is immoral, bad and unjust. Dr. Mark Hall writes,

"Religion does matter...with respect to politics it is particularly significant because the most interesting political questions are ultimately moral questions, and most people's moral views are tied to their religious commitments."

Paul says that governments are there to affirm public good and to punish the wicked. This is their task. And they are to do it because they have been ordained by God as His deacons to do it and they will be accountable to God for what they do and we are accountable for submitting to them.

What this means for us

Let me make two applications. First, God calls us to subject ourselves to the civil authorities. In our government that means that we do everything we can to influence our world and the world of politics, law and government with the message of God's goodness and justice. First, we do this by the way we live and then by the effort we put into passing just laws and electing just leaders. In a government, "of the people, by the people, and for the people..." we have been given a great opportunity and obligation to do just that. God has ordained government to be the place where He carries out His will for social justice, righteousness and goodness in the world. He makes an absolute claim to justice, goodness and government.

When we influence our world in this way we are not only loving God... we are also loving our neighbor. God's command, "Thou shall not steal," infers the right to property. You love your neighbor by not coveting and stealing his stuff. But you also love him by working for good and just laws that keep others from stealing his stuff and passing laws that punish thieves when they do. The same applies to, "Thou shall not murder," which infers the human right to life. We should not murder our neighbor. If we love our neighbor we will do everything we can to see that the laws of the land honor and protect life from the time it begins to the time it ends. God makes an absolute claim on justice and goodness. Our task is to make what He says about what is just and good known and work to see it implemented.

This is especially true for evangelicals who have historically built a wall of separation between the sacred and the secular. Rom. 13 knocks that wall down. Beloved we can't be content with the pursuit of personal spirituality and morality as the means for loving our neighbor and public justice. If we are to love our neighbors we'll also work for a public justice and work to influence government, the legal system and public policies with God's truth about what is good and just.

Government is just as much His institution as the church. That calls us to make the sacrifices of time, energy money, thought, education and participation and courage to get our heads in the game. It's not primarily a matter of political party or being a conservative or a liberal. It's a matter of pursuing justice, goodness in the world through the means God has chosen to carry out His will. Institutional powers can be corrupt. Pharaoh, Pilate, Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Hussein, or Islamic extremists are good examples. Institutions need to hear God's voice in the world as well as individuals. If we don't get in the game who is going to bear witness for the glory of God in these places? Are you interested in spreading the glory of God or are we content to think we have done it when we have sung about it in church?

Authentic Worship

Let me make one last application. Paul has not strayed from his original topic which began in 12:1. This is not only a matter of witnessing to His goodness and justice in the world...it goes to the heart of authentic worship. There he says to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice to God ... which is your reasonable worship. So that you can discover what the will of God is. He is still writing about worship and knowing God's will in the face of terrible injustice. It has been enormously discouraging to see worship defined today as ecstatic singing. We need to sing enthusiastically and skillfully to God with all our hearts. But any biblical definition of worship must include Rom. 12 and 13. We sing so loudly, "Glorify and magnify the Lord and His glory!" This is good. Yet, how can we sing a song about magnifying God's glory and then do so little in the world to spread His glory among the public institutions of the world that so desperately need a witness to that glory? Authentic worship will find a way to balance the songs of worship with the demonstration of God's glorious good and justice in the social order.

When you are obeying the speed limit you're worshipping God. When you pay your taxes you're worshipping God. When you get involved in politics and advance the cause of justice you are worshipping God. When you elect good people to office, politic for good laws (here and around the world), when you campaign for good judges, obey the building codes, the fire codes and submit to traffic lights you are worshipping God. When you refuse to retaliate and take the law into your own hands but instead submit first to God and then to the governing authorities you are worshipping God. When you do this you're yielding to God who stands behind the authorities and has set them up for our common good, peace, justice and well being. This is true worship. According to the Old Testament injustice is said to be equal to apostasy. It compromises God's character as a God of justice. True worship is bearing a palpable witness to the glory of our good and just God in the way we live and in the efforts we give to see His goodness and justice spread over the earth as the waters cover the sea. It's loving God and our neighbor. God is still looking for worshippers. Will He find them among us?