Was the American War of Independence an unrighteous act of rebellion against God-appointed authority or a legitimate effort at seeking peace that generally followed Biblical principles? What conclusion should we come to if we look at the American Revolution through the lens of a passage like Romans 13? In this episode, we try to do exactly that. Romans 13 is often used as the go-to passage for understanding submitting to authority, but often it is discussed very shallowly if not completely incorrectly. Early on in the discussion, we note that this passage does not say to submit yourself to the higher power (singular), but to the higher powers. And in every circumstance, there is always more than one authority that God has appointed. This is undeniably true of the American Revolution. In many ways, the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and the entire American Revolution serve as an ideal case study for this type of discussion. One reason for this is because, at least for those of us in the US, it is our own history and is not so far in the past that the details have been lost to time. Another reason is that fallen man has a natural desire to be rebellious, and even in Christian circles, American independence is often associated with rebellion and this association is often used to justify rebellion. But it’s also worth pointing out that no effort of man is without sin. Some people go so far as to whitewash the actions of the founders, casting them in a light that makes them appear to be without fault. This is also not true. As much as the devil is in the details, righteousness is also often found in the details. Please join as we discuss this important topic.

Timecodes00:00:00 Why it matters00:05:45 God on Authority00:19:22 Principles or Greed?00:36:58 Justice00:53:17 Were they appointed by God?00:57:54 Dissolving Governments01:01:39 Doctrine of Interposition01:08:21 Oppression01:14:43 ProvidenceProduction of Reformation Baptist Church of Youngsville, NCPermanent Hosts - Dan Horn, Charles Churchill and Joshua HornGuest Host: Roger BoutinTechnical Director - Timothy KaiserTheme Music - Gabriel Hudelson