tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7876968511075812662.post1958846357441964579..comments2009-03-24T14:12:39.289-07:00Comments on Transformed Thoughts: Respect For AuthorityCatherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10458268227280746133noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7876968511075812662.post-1230759722660902622009-03-24T14:12:00.000-07:002009-03-24T14:12:00.000-07:00Catherine, LotharBot, I have to say I heartily agr...Catherine, LotharBot, I have to say I heartily agree with your take on this passage.<BR/><BR/>In my own terms, I think I'd describe it as Paul talking about respect for the God-given value in human authority, rather than some kind of inherent good in man-made organizations.<BR/><BR/>Catherine, when reading your post (er, 'entry'? I'm new to blogging), the perspective of government as "God's servant" was a section I had to re-read a couple of times. That's a tough one to swallow, especially when I try to apply it to evil governments and dictators through history. It's nearly up there with "love your enemies" and "go the extra mile" when looking at the immense wrong that humans in authority can do. You're right, though - there's something about a Godly respect, something that still somehow applies even when authority is abused and twisted into something that acts completely evil.<BR/><BR/>LotharBot, I really appreciate the reminder about the historical context, as I think it begins to help answer the question for me. It's not hard to envision Paul writing this to people who were calling for a political revolution; I think a similar sentiment is shared by some people in my own life. <BR/><BR/>For me, part of the question still stands, though: How do we handle situations where we *should* resist the actions of an authority? As Doc put it, how do we differentiate between 'principled rebellion' and 'causal rebellion'? (As I understand your terminology, the former is resistance on principle while still maintaining a healthy respect for God-given human authority.) Is the distinction solely in internal motive and respect, or is there a distinction in action taken as well? Maybe more directly, if I discover that I'm resisting authority out of a lack of respect for authority per the passage above... should I stop resisting?Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03486285707776533118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7876968511075812662.post-60884368606963056442009-03-21T09:03:00.000-07:002009-03-21T09:03:00.000-07:00Nothing deep here...just the comment that I've def...Nothing deep here...just the comment that I've definitely experienced the ways in which the government can do wrong to our family and mine, through SRS and the county attorney. Today makes it 5 months, 12 days since Adam has been allowed to be alone with our son, and it will be at least two months more before he is allowed to return to our home.DebbieDeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04980414723496398685noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7876968511075812662.post-73723227747643615582009-03-20T17:48:00.000-07:002009-03-20T17:48:00.000-07:00What do you mean by "principled rebellion"? How do...What do you mean by "principled rebellion"? How do you intend to distinguish a "principled" rebellion from a "casual" rebellion?<BR/><BR/>And even if the distinction is upheld elsewhere, what kind of rebel might continue paying taxes?<BR/><BR/>In other words, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?"nonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10534529225492049431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7876968511075812662.post-4423213776866951072009-03-20T14:44:00.000-07:002009-03-20T14:44:00.000-07:00We often emphasize God as a personal God, interact...We often emphasize God as a personal God, interacting with each of us on an individual level, in order to combat the heretical idea that a person is Christian (or is saved) if they live in a Christian nation or come from a Christian family. But this sometimes leads us to forget that God interacts not only with individuals, but with organizations and groups. The Bible contains tales of God's interactions with Abraham, Moses, and David as individuals, but also with Israel, Assyria, the churches in Ephesus and Smyrna, four generations of Jehu's family, and other groups. We, too, interact both with individuals and with groups, and we are responsible for how we treat the other, regardless of how well or poorly they treat us.<BR/><BR/>Individuals are worthy of our love because, intrinsically, they are made in the image of God. God commands us to give even our enemies our love and our prayers, not because they are good people, but because they are made in the image of God and they are God's to do with as He sees fit. We are to treat them with significantly more love and respect than we may think they deserve. We may be called to stand up to them, to fight against their wrongdoing, but if that is our calling it must be out of love rather than anger or selfishness.<BR/><BR/>I think Paul is making the same point regarding governments. Intrinsically, because they have authority, they are instituted by God as His instruments. We are commanded to respect them, not because they are good governments doing a good job, but because they are God's to do with as He sees fit! We should not casually disregard their laws any more than we should casually disregard a friend's feelings. We should not harbor hatred toward them any more than we should harbor hatred toward a person who has wronged us. We should, instead, make a conscious effort to respect the government's laws and to respect the government itself, perhaps significantly more than it deserves. If we are to fight against a government's wrongdoing, it must be out of respect for the ideal of government and a desire to make it more godly, rather than out of anger or selfishness. <BR/><BR/>Remember, Paul was writing in a situation where there was a strong undertone of rebellion against Rome (the Jews rebelled perhaps a few years after Romans was written, and Jerusalem was destroyed!) Rather than reinforce the people's ideas that Rome should be opposed, that they should subtly undermine and disrespect and hate that authority, Paul told them to be subject to that government and to treat it as ordained by God. How different is our attitude toward a person when we think of them as "made in God's image", and how different is our attitude toward a government when we treat it as "ordained by God"! Instead of casual disregard, disrespect, and hatred, there is a level of seriousness we bring to any conflict -- a desire not to harm the other, but to build it into something that better reflects who God is. As you say, if we are to rebel, it must be principled and it must be focused on redemption or regeneration rather than mere destruction.LotharBothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06806302628374941715noreply@blogger.com