Paul’s closing chapters of Romans are about how Christian relationships
should be defined. Chapter 13 answers the question how Spirit-filled people
should relate to Government. Paul’s argument is that since God has all
authority, and he allows earthly rulers to exercise some (even if God does
not condone how it is used), Christians should obey all state laws (even
those with which we might not agree) as an act of acknowledgment and
worship of God’s supremacy and lordship. And yet of course, both Paul, the
other apostles, and indeed Jesus himself disobeyed ruling authorities at
times. So then, there is a line. And for Paul the line appears to be
defined by the greatest commandments - to have no other God but Jesus, and
to love our neighbor and do no harm to them. Any law which prevents us from
doing either of these must, for the Christian, necessarily be rejected.
Ultimately Paul’s concern is who is going to be Lord in our lives. The
challenge for us is to allow Jesus to be Lord of it all - sometimes this
will require active disobedience, probably most of the time it will require
humble submission.
By Ed Flint