When Should Christians Obey the Government?

As I sit down to write this article, our world is in chaos. A pandemic rocks the globe, not only taking hundreds of thousands of lives and infecting millions more but also impacting the government, economy, and social structure of every nation on earth. In such a time, we must encourage one another in the Lord, recognizing that all things still work together for good because of His perfect sovereignty. At the same time, we believers still wonder how we should act in His service. This is even more so as churches everywhere feel the blow of government restrictions on gathering together. As Christians, how does loyalty to Christ impact our relationship to earthly governors? To what extent should believers submit to government?

The Source of Government’s Authority

Most Americans, if they took the time to ponder the subject, would think that government officials have their positions of authority because of the vote of the people. In other instances, elected officials appoint officials who are not directly accountable to the people, yet they, too, have authority. God’s Word shows us that election or appointment are merely the means, not the true source of their authority. The Lord Himself is the One who establishes rulers. In John 19:11, the Lord Jesus told Pilate that the earthly ruler’s power came to him “from above.” He could do nothing apart from what the Lord allowed. The apostle Paul expressed this truth in more detail in Romans 13:1:

“Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.”

“No Power but of God”

I think that many of us, at some time during this pandemic, have criticized those in authority over us. Perhaps we viewed them as taking away our rights as American citizens. Perhaps we disagreed with the laws that they passed or the orders that they gave. Or perhaps we’re simply tired of wearing face coverings and social distancing from one another. Whatever the cause, many of us have criticized our government authorities. It seems needful, then, to remind ourselves that whatever authority our government officials exert, they are only exerting that power which the Lord has given to them. Romans 13:1 reminds us that no authority exists except those “of God.” All government authority derives from God’s authority.

Focusing on our Role as Believers

That is not to say that government officials have unlimited authority. If they promoted evil or discouraged good, we would see that they overstep the bounds of their authority (see Romans 13:3-4). But the purpose of this article is not to examine how a government should operate. Rather, my concern is with how believers respond to a government even if it is not concerned with biblical values. I think it is crucial that we differentiate between governing biblically (i.e. how we vote) and living biblically under a mostly unbiblical government. In the latter case, our first step is to see that the authority to rule comes to government officials from God Himself.

“The Powers that be are Ordained of God”

The apostle Paul states in Romans 13.1 that authorities are appointed by God. It is worth noting that Paul wrote the book of Romans during the reign of Nero and, moreover, that Paul wrote this epistle to believers living in Rome under the very nose of that infamous emperor. Rome formerly was a republic, but the power of the Roman people crumbled under Nero’s predecessors. Here Paul, himself a Roman citizen, reminds believers that all government authorities, no matter how vile and autocratic they may be, owe their position of power to Almighty God.

Thus, all government authorities, whether our President, governors, or other national, state, and local leaders, have their positions and authority from God Himself.

The Biblical Obligation to Obey Government Authorities

In the last section, we considered the biblical fact that government officials’ authority and position are the appointment of God. My intent in this section is to consider the three biblical passages that command believers to obey government authorities.

Romans 13:1

The apostle Paul gave this command to the Roman believers: “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers” (Romans 13:1). In the context, Paul had just finished telling of the great salvation that we have in Christ (Romans 1-11). Having received such undeserved grace from God, Paul urges believers to give themselves to the Lord as “a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1). In the remainder of chapter 12, he explains what sacrificial, transformed living looks like in the body of Christ. He turns, then, in chapter 13 to how believers should live in society. Committed Christians are willing to submit to their government.

Titus 3:1

Paul later commanded Titus to remind the believers in Crete “to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work” (Titus 3:1). This verse is in the context of good works which those “which have believed in God might be careful to maintain” (Titus 3:8).

1 Peter 2:13-14

Paul was not alone in commanding believers to submit to government authorities. Peter, also writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, called believers to this obligation as well: “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well” (1 Peter 2:13-14). Peter emphasizes in the context the need for believers to be above reproach — so that critics have nothing to say against us. But perhaps his strongest admonition is in the phrase “for the Lord’s sake.” We must submit, not simply because our President, governor, or mayor told us to, nor because Paul or Peter said so. We must submit for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is His reputation at stake when we refuse to submit to government authorities.

Submission

In each passage above, the word used is a passive form of the Greek word hypotassō. This word indicates “submission involving recognition of an ordered structure.”¹ In other words, the Lord established the principle of human authority. Under governing authority, believers are in a position subordinate to the position of government authorities. The New Testament also uses this word to indicate the world’s eventual submission to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, submission of the church to Christ, believers’ submission to God, submission of the wife to her husband, and submission of believers to spiritual leaders in the church and to one another. In none of these instances is submission optional. In both Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2, the word is in the imperative mood. Thus, it behooves us as believers to recognize that God requires obedience to government authorities of us.

Exceptions to Obeying Government Authorities

Now, to be clear, there are exceptions to our obedience to the government. The clearest exception is that “we must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). When God’s commands conflict with the commands of human authorities, we must choose to follow the higher authority. Notwithstanding this exception, however, the general command of Scripture is to submit ourselves to government authorities.

Recently, several churches in California decided to continue having indoor services even though our governor has forbidden such services throughout much of the state. Are these churches using legitimate exceptions to the biblical obligation to obey government authorities? I don’t know all the details, so I cannot speak to each specific scenario. However, I do want to discuss what are and what are not legitimate exceptions to the biblical commands to obey our God-ordained authorities.

The Clear Exception

As I stated earlier, there is one exception that is clear. When our biblical responsibility to obey government authorities (or any other earthly authority) conflicts with our responsibility to obey God, we must choose to obey the higher authority. With the Hebrew midwives (Exodus 1:17); the parents of Moses (Hebrews 11:23); Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 3:13-18); Daniel (Daniel 6:10), and the apostles (Acts 4:18-20, 5:27-29), we must “obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). These individuals refused to kill the innocent or to worship idols. They refused to submit when governing authorities commanded them to cease praying to the Lord or preaching in the name of Christ. May we too have the grace to disobey government authorities when they command us to do things contrary to the clear teachings of God’s Word.

Questionable Exceptions

Violating a higher law

Some will argue that if a governing official violates a higher law, such as the United States Constitution, we then have legitimate grounds for disobeying that official. Perhaps there are legitimate times to rebel against a nation that has violated its own laws, but we don’t see the early church trying to throw off Rome’s power. The Romans were the oppressors in Israel, Crete, and Asia Minor. Nevertheless, Peter and Paul simply commanded believers to obey the governing authorities. Those who walk in the flesh are the ones who “despise government” and “are not afraid to speak evil of dignities” (2 Peter 2:10).

Separation of church and state

Some will argue for disobedience on Baptist principles of separation of church and state. I believe that the church and the state should be separate institutions that do not dictate to each other. The government should not have authority over men’s consciences. Nor should the church “bear the sword” (Romans 13:4). However, key to my perspective is another separation which I discussed in the first section: the separation between governing biblically and living biblically. As much as we can, we should use the avenues open to us, such as voting and civil involvement, to influence our government toward biblical conduct. But Scripture gives us no clear direction to disobey government solely because it violates biblical principles. Nero wasn’t one to respect freedom of conscience, yet Peter and Paul urged believers to submit to his government.

Selective enforcement

Some will argue that we only need to obey government authorities if they enforce their laws. If they simply give an order without enforcing it, we are free to consider it as optional. I believe that Romans 13:5 argues against this viewpoint: “Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.” Paul in this passage gives us two reasons to submit to governing officials. First, we should submit because of wrath. In verse 4, he uses wrath in context with the government’s authority to bear the sword and bring vengeance on those who disobey. Thus, one reason that we ought to obey government authorities is that they have the God-given authority to enforce their directives. But Paul emphasizes a clear distinction between obedience based on consequences and obedience based on conscience. The fact that a law has consequences should be inconsequential to the believer. We obey the government, not just because the government can enforce our obedience, but also because God Himself has placed government authorities in their position of power. As I mentioned earlier, we obey “for the Lord’s sake” (1 Peter 2:13).

Conclusion

We must be careful to disobey the government only when we have a clear biblical reason. Our personal convenience (for example, meeting in an air-conditioned building rather than outside in the heat) is never a legitimate reason for disobeying the government. Nor are our traditions worthy grounds for such disobedience. Do not be quick to disobey the biblical obligation to obey our government authorities. Such disobedience, without having a clear biblical basis, is itself rebellion against one of God’s institutions. Do not take Paul’s warning lightly: “Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation” (Romans 13:2).

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Josiah R. Dennis is an online student at Maranatha Baptist University, pursuing both undergraduate and graduate degrees in Biblical Studies. He resides with his parents and sister in Placerville, CA, and is a member of Bible Baptist Church.

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Photo by Joshua Sukoff on Unsplash

1. Bauer, Walter, et. al. (BDAG), A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 1042. [↩]