Analysis of Respect, Obedience to authority as established by God
By Ben Ngwakwe, Gombe
The Holy Bible from Romans 13: 1-7 says, “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.
The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authorities is rebelling against what God instituted, and those who do so will bring judgement on themselves.
For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrong doer.
Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servant, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honour then honour.”
The problem facing society is inability to submit but the word “submit” could mean to yield completely, it means to become loyal, to respect and obey because civil authorities are ordained by God and in order to maintain a good conscience, Christians must duly honour and obey governing authority and pray for them because it is part of the civil responsibilities given to believers by God.
For they exist for the benefit of the society, to protect the general public by maintaining good order,” by the time Paul was writing the epistle the people then were pagans with different cultures, religions, ethnicity and perhaps in reasoning as well but that circumstances did not make Paul to encourage Christians not to submit to governing authorities because no authority can be, except that which is instituted by God.
We are encouraged by Holy Bible as contained in the scriptures to subject to rulers and authorities as a command, to be obedient, to be ready to do what is good but no to slander no-one; to be peaceable and considerate and to show true humility toward all men as contained in Titus 3:1-2 and Phil.3:20, urging that believers should submit to earthly government in order to promote peaceful coexistence, progress, development and peace, these not negotiable, it is a command and Christians must obey the civil rulers and support governance as demonstrated by few leaders in this generation.
Incidentally, when Peter was writing this epistle, Emperor Nero was the one on seat of power, he was well-known for his wickedness, as godless brutal emperor that has no regard for humanity and for persecuting the church. He ruled from A.D.54 to 68 and yet Peter who was addressing the church asking them to be submissive to the governing authority and it was yet at such a time that Paul was urging the church to pray for those in authority.
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Meanwhile, Christians are not known as lawless people but if now, the case is the reverse, it could be as a result of maladministration, corruption with impunity, misgovernance, lack of justice, equity and fair play that characterized the system, perhaps which came up as a result of impositions of bad rulership to the societies. Of course, obedience to the emperor or other governing authorities must never be in violation to the law of God found in the scripture.
Our obedience to the governing authorities has to be in accordance with the will of God, that is to say it must not contradict our loyal and obedience to God, anytime the governing authorities or civil rulers go contrary to God since they are humans or overstep their proper function, the Christian is to obey God rather than man (Acts 4:19, 5: 29).
When the long hands of God visited Nero’s life with tragedy: his mother, Agrippina and Octavia, his legal wife were murdered as well as many of advisors and officials of his government were either killed or exiled.
Again, tension became so great that by A.D.68, after several attempted conspiracies, the Praetorian guard revolted and Nero was forced to flee Rome and in that same year Nero took his own life at the age of thirty (30) years and “so shall the Lord God Almighty do to all our wicked rulers in Nigeria in Jesus Name.
