Questions of Authority
I’m preaching this week on Paul’s words in Romans 13:1-7, which begin “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” I’m not sure where to begin with all of the objections that come to mind when I read these words.
Where are Paul’s anti-imperialistic thoughts? Why is he not challenging Caesar as he so often does? He writes these words and yet he dies because of the rule of the tyrannical rule of Nero. How do we make sense of these words?
Its not just Paul who has been anti-establishment. Christians throughout history have stood against the governing authorities…we do remember all of the persecution, right?
Thinking through this issue led me to King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” Here are some of his words in that letter,
There was a time when the church was very powerful–in the time when the early Christians rejoiced at being deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed. In those days the church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society. Whenever the early Christians entered a town, the people in power became disturbed and immediately sought to convict the Christians for being “disturbers of the peace” and “outside agitators.”‘ But the Christians pressed on, in the conviction that they were “a colony of heaven,” called to obey God rather than man. Small in number, they were big in commitment. They were too God-intoxicated to be “astronomically intimidated.” By their effort and example they brought an end to such ancient evils as infanticide and gladiatorial contests. Things are different now. So often the contemporary church is a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound. So often it is an arch-defender of the status quo. Far from being disturbed by the presence of the church, the power structure of the average community is consoled by the church’s silent–and often even vocal–sanction of things as they are.
How would Paul feel about these words?
