Taken out context
that is supplied by other scriptures, this apostolic counsel becomes a call to obey
Caesar who (no matter how depraved he may be) is “ordained of God,” with minions
who are “God’s ministers” that are only considered a terror by those who are “evil.”
And whoever resists this power—without apparent qualification—is also resisting
“the ordinance of God” and as a result, “receive to themselves damnation.” It is
no wonder why dictators and despots have long availed themselves of this
contextually bankrupt interpretation. Sadly, many disciples of Christ have
formed from these verses a general perception that God demands we obey whatever
the government tells us to do, and that failure to do so is sin.
Did Paul truly imply
that total submission to the state is required by God? This is extremely
unlikely, since Paul was a student of scripture and was familiar with plenty of
situations in which a righteous person defied secular authority. Moreover, Paul
was himself attacked and arrested for acting contrary to Caesar’s imperial
edicts (Acts 16:19-24; 17:5-7). Christians will typically and correctly
concede, then, that obedience is not required to “the higher powers”—translated
as “governing authorities” in the New International Version of the Bible—when Caesar
commands something that Christ prohibits. “Of course one’s allegiance to his
nation is always subservient to his loyalty to God,” the conventional wisdom
goes, “and whenever the two come into conflict, obedience to the Lord takes
precedence.” But this qualifier is so exceptional that only in cases of egregious
conduct do most Christians consider whether their support for Caesar is theologically
problematic.
Sure, a good
Christian should still pray, even if it is banned by the government. And a good
Christian should refuse to steal from others even if commanded to do so. But how
often do exceptional circumstances such as these occur? The reality is that
Christ and Caesar come into conflict far more often than is generally believed
and it is in these matters where the misinterpretation of Paul’s counsel causes
problems. Should a Christian submit to having taxes taken from them to fund
unjust war? Should we refuse to operate a lemonade stand without a $200
permission slip from the county health department? Should we not take a
casserole to a neighbor without first obtaining a food hander’s permit? Should
we send out children to Caesar’s schools? OR what about using Caesar to steal
from others to benefit our business or future retirement? Conflicts such as
these are common, yet many Christians have ignored them and accommodated Caesar’s
culture in their modified worship, just as God’s people have long embraced
idolatrous identities as part of their own.
All the angst that
these verses have caused Christians in centuries past seems not only from misinterpretation
and lack of context, but also mistranslation. Further revelation clarifies and
corrects high “higher powers” are being referenced, restoring the passage’s
original intent: “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is
no power in the church but of God” (Joseph Smith Translation Romans 13:1).
Further, the payment of “tributes” is modified to be “consecrations” to God’s
ministers (Joseph Smith Translation Romans 14:6). The entire controversy
dissolves when it becomes clear that Paul is speaking about being subject to
religious authority—ministers of Christ, rather than minions of Caesar.
A person who asserts
that Romans 13 demands subservience to Caesar has to come to terms with Paul’s
own words in the same epistle. One chapter earlier, Paul counsels us to bless
those who persecute us (Romans 12;14) and to not recompense evil for evil
(Romans 12:17). We are told to avoid vengeance (Romans 12:19), which is the
Lord’s, and to overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21). All of these are consistent
with Christ’s teachings of love and forgiveness, even and especially to our
enemies. On the other hand, Caesar’s very nature is to respond to evil with
more evil; threats are his language of choice, and violence his basic behavior.
Paul invites us not to participate in or subject ourselves cheerfully to these corruptions,
but actually to avoid them entirely as Christ’s teachings inherently require.
We must overcome evil with good, and so side with Christ over Caesar. (Connor
Boyack, Christ Versus Caesar: Two Masters, One Choice [Springville,
Utah: CFI, 2020], 74-76)
