God and Human Government

God and Human Government

It is assumed by many today that God has lost control over human government and believers have no business dealing with it. History tells us that seemingly, human governments are spiralling out of control and becoming more and more independent of God and His precepts. When bad leaders emerge in history such as in the case of Hitler, men are grasping for explanations if God is still able to rule over the world and if so, why is he allowing these evil rulers to wreak havoc on earth. In this post, I will talk about what the Scriptures teach on God and His dealing with human government. I will try to answer an all important question that humans ask in this age, is God able to govern history and the conduct of human governments?

Jesus attitude towards human Government
While Jesus was ministering on earth, the nation of Israel was under the rule of the Romans. Caesar Augustus was the ruling emperor and the one who issued the decree of a census to be conducted in the whole Roman Empire. This was the reason why the Jews were anticipating a king that would come from the line of David. They were expecting that this king will liberate them from the tyranny of the Romans. They have mistakenly thought that Jesus is going to establish their kingdom when He entered Jerusalem. The Jews shouted as Jesus entered the city “blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" (Luke 19:38). 

But as much as the Jews wanted to be liberated from the Romans, in contrast, Jesus showed His respect and obedience to Roman authorities. When the Pharisees asked Him if it is right to pay tax to Caesar, He said to them ‘Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's’ (Matt 22:21). When the Pharisees enticed Pilate to judge Jesus with the penalty of death, Jesus meekly submitted himself to Pilate’s judgment. In his defiance to the arrest of Jesus, Peter started to draw his sword and cut the high priest’s ear in the process. But Jesus calmly told him, “no more of this” and healed the ear of the servant. He then told the arresting parties that He is not leading a rebellion and that everything must happen so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled (Mark 14:48-50). 

All governments and earthly leaders are appointed by God
In the book of Romans chapter 13, Apostle Paul taught that all governments and human leaders are appointed by God and believers must subject themselves to them. He said further that there is no authority on earth that God did not establish and that those who rebel against the authorities are actually rebelling against God. He encouraged the early believers to do what is right so that the rulers will be delighted and commend them. Paul even called earthly rulers ‘God’s servants’ and ‘agents of wrath’ to wrongdoers and that it is imperative for believers to obey them because of their conscience. 

The extent of the believers’ obedience to Government
Church history reveals that all the Orthodox Church Fathers have subjected themselves under human government and authorities. They did not go against any of the laws of the land and they became salt and light to the unbelievers so that they may also see the light of the Gospel. They only disobeyed government and human authorities when they were prohibited to worship God and proclaim the Gospel of Christ to all people. They would rather want to be crucified upside down, like Peter; beheaded, like Paul; burnt at stake like Polycarp; stoned to death like Stephen and be exiled to a deserted island like John than deny Jesus Christ as their God, Lord and Saviour. For them, obedience to government and human leaders stops, when disobedience to God begins. Is it the same with us?