God and Government
God and Government
Christians have always had a uniquely challenging relationship with civil government. We live under different forms or rule in different areas of the world. Some provide a high level of freedom, others are openly oppressive and even hostile to the Christian faith. Laws and regulations vary from place to place as well.
Therefore, it is next to impossible to think that every Christian in every nation can live in the exact same way with the governments that rule over them. That is not what Peter is saying here. What he is doing is giving us broad principles that do apply universally, but might look different in how they are lived out in different places.
The idea that under girds everything here is that our ultimate and highest allegiance belongs to Jesus Christ. Even when Peter commands submission, he does so with a Christ-centered reason. It is “for the Lord’s sake,” “to silence foolish men” (people who are arguing against the gospel), and as “bond servants of God.” Peter is not calling for dual allegiance here. He is calling for submission to the “ordinances of man” as an act of submission to the will of God.
As always, we should read passages like his in the context of the whole of Scripture. Peter, I believe, is assuming those Christians who read this will understand that. He is not suggesting that we must always obey every law in every circumstance. If obeying a law of man would cause us to disobey a law of God, we might always chose God’s law over man’s.
So, Peter is not going into every possible scenario and circumstance that Christians might find themselves in throughout the long span of history. He is giving us principles to help guide us and to use as a foundation for how we live in this world under human government.
Live for Christ.
Submission to government ordinances is more often than not good.
Your submission can lead to people thinking well of Christianity and to silencing its critics.
