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