Role of government is limited
So all that being said, what about our final point. The role of government is limited by the Bible. I guess if you were going to translate that sentence into your and my reality, you would say, “When do I not submit to the government?” We already established that our primary relationship to the government is to submit to it. But when can I not submit, according to the Bible.
Acts 5:28-30 28 saying, “Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!”
29 But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree.
So here’s Peter and the other apostle’s of Jesus, standing before the Sanhedrin; the ruling 70 of the nation of Israel. This was essentially the Supreme Court in the Israel of that day. You can hardly get a higher government authority higher. The only higher authority for the apostles would have been the Roman government. But the Sanhedrin were both a civil and religious authority. And they told the disciples to quit teaching in the name of Jesus. And they not only continued to teach in the name of Jesus, they were preaching that the blame for Jesus’ crucifixion fell on the Sanhedrin themselves. They railroaded Jesus to the cross.
The apostles did not submit to the ruling authorities. Now, let me make a quick note here. Notice that they would not quit preaching, because God had commanded them to do that. But, when the authorities from the Sanhedrin came to arrest them, they did not resist arrest. They just went with them. That means that they were submitting to the authority that the Sanhedrin had to arrest them, but not to the authority that told them to quit preaching.
Now notice what they said, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” There are two things I want to do with this point. First, I want to remind you of times in Scripture that people obeyed God rather than government. And we can take these as examples of when you should obey God rather than man. And second I want to give you my list of areas where I believe you have a Biblical basis to break the law.
A. Examples of defying government in Scripture
1. Worshipping other gods
a. Earliest example: Mosaic law
Deuteronomy 13:5 But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has spoken in order to turn you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of bondage, to entice you from the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. So you shall put away the evil from your midst.
b. Elijah/Ahab—the contest between Elijah and the prophets of Baal
c. Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego---worship this golden image or be thrown into the fiery furnace Daniel 3
21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.—came dressed well
2. Self-defense
a. Flee to the next city
Matthew 10: 23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
b. Paul and Silas in Philippi—earthquake, prison doors flung open—jailbreak---jailer---what must I do to be saved----who does it endanger
3. Protecting other people
a. Moses hidden as a baby—Hebrew midwives
b. David protected from Saul by Jonathan, others in the army--(interesting--David protecting Saul---would not lift his hand against the Lord’s anointed)
c. Obadiah hiding prophets
1 Kings 18:2-4 2 And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab. And there was a sore famine in Samaria.
3 And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly:
4 For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)
d. Esther put her life on the line to save her people---it was unlawful for anyone to approach the king without being called---she did it
4. Telling the truth
a. Nathan confronting David about his adultery
b. Elijah confronted Ahab for killing Naboth to take his vineyard
c. John the Baptist confronted Herod about his marriage to his sister-in-law
d. Stephen confronted the Sanhedrin with the crucifixion
5. Prayer/faith
a. Daniel-diet, prayer
b. He was Polite and reasonable—did not call for government overthrow. In the diet issue, he approached the man in charge with a plan to test the diet. In the lion’s den he surrendered to the punishment.
6. Evangelism-Paul defied the law everywhere he went—He was pursued by Jewish authorities. Preaching things contrary to Jewish law.
7. So, as much was possible, submit—Jesus even paid temple tax, and quietly went to the cross.
B. My list of what warrants rebellion
I read an article on line about the Chinese government putting surveillance cameras in the churches. Would that be reason to rebel? I have two thoughts; 1st, it would most definitely lead to immediate arrest. 2nd, they would at least hear the gospel one time. I don’t think I would resist. Protest, try to persuade, not resist. So here’s my list, based on the passages we just talked about, and the rest of Scripture. It is by no means meant to be exhaustive. In fact, if you think of something more, let me know.
1. Fleeing-Martin Luther fled the Roman Catholic church and was hiding in Germany.
2. Worshipping only God through Jesus Christ
3. Evangelism
4. Telling the truth
5. Prayer
6. Personal or family corruption—raise children knowing the Lord/not educating according to the world
7. The Bible—possession, study, teaching
8. Protecting people—snitching laws (spying) Jews, underground railroad—slaves were kidnapped, China 1-child law—kill your child, or someone elses
9. Onerous restrictions in history—allowed protestant churches, but only so many miles out of town, pastors couldn’t be educated
10. Restriction of what is preached or taught
11. Loyalty oaths—hold up fist—BLM –communist Marxist
12. Church—hiring laws, membership laws, marriage laws
13. Having worship services
MacArthur church—rules in California—if it were China—I wouldn’t sing
Work within the system---our system—court levels—when we see something at a local level that violates a higher law, we are justified in violating the local law—but we have to do so peacefully, and let the system work—seats on the back of the bus—appeals to higher court---that’s what Mac church is doing—take it to federal court eventually Supreme Court
Paul used his position
Stay above blame
Be peaceful and cooperative