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I recently read a post about about Romans 13. 

I will not link it here, or mention the author, but I must say that I disagreed with the interpretation.

The conclusion of the author was that we are supposed to obey the laws of the government.

Although this is an interpretation of that passage that *can* apply, if we leave the conclusion as such we miss the bigger picture.

Here is a portion from Romans chapter 13, verses 1-7:

>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.
2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:
4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.
6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.
7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.

The problem is that a specific type of government is being described.

>For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil.

Though all rulers may be appointed, allowed, and used of God for various reasons, the rulers that we are supposed to obey are those who reward the good and punish the evil.

Frequently though, governments around the world have not behaved in this manner.

There appears to be a current agenda to punish those who would do good in God's sight and reward, *and legislate*, the evil deeds.

The beginning of Romans chapter 13 is just a few verses contained inside the entire Bible.

To truly be *in context*, we must remember that the teachings here cannot disagree with the rest of the Bible.

Out of context, the Bible even tells us repeatedly that "**There is no God**."

"**There is no God**" (Psalm 14:1)

"**There is no God**" (Psalm 53:1)

An interesting statement to be repeated in the Bible for sure, but how is this possible?

Let's check the context though.

Psalm 14:1 states:
>The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

Psalm 53:1 states:
>The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.

Obviously, context can change everything.

## My belief is that Romans 13 teaches Christians that we should obey the laws of man as long as they *do not* come in conflict with the laws of God.

I can choose to obey the government, or myself, or God.

But, if I choose to obey God, I should obey Him more than myself, and *more* than other men, regardless of what laws the government may make.

Consider the following examples from Scripture.

## Exodus 1:15-21 : Hebrew Midwives

>15 And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:
16 And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.
17 But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.
18 And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive?
19 And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them.
20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.
21 And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.

The law of the government (Pharaoh) was that the Hebrew midwives should kill any male babies that the Hebrew women gave birth to.

> But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.

The chose to disobey.

How did not respond to their disobedience of the government?

> Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty. And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.

The midwives chose to disobey the earthly authority and not to murder the babies, and God blessed them because of it.

## Exodus 1:22 - 2: : The Parents of Moses

>22 And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.
1 And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.
2 And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.
3 And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink. 

The government had said, "**Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river**" to kill them.

How did the parents of Moses react to this unjust law?

They "**hid him three months**" and then managed to keep him alive after that.

How did God respond to their disobedience?

He used Moses to free the children of Israel from the slavery of Egypt.

## 1 Samuel 22:17 : The Servants of the King

>17 And the king said unto the footmen that stood about him, Turn, and slay the priests of the Lord: because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled, and did not shew it to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the Lord.

King Saul directly commanded his servants to "**slay the priests of the Lord**."

"**But the servants of the king would not**..."

Though no direct followup as to how God responded is given, we know that the servants chose to do the right thing by obeying God and not the king.

## Daniel 6:6-10 : Daniel

>6 Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever.
7 All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.
8 Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.
9 Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree.
10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.

The government made a law that no one could petition (pray to) any god or man besides the king.

"**Daniel knew that the writing was signed**" and prayed to God anyway, three times a day, in front of an open window.

How did the King respond?

He cast Daniel into the lions den.

How did God respond?

He kept Daniel safe and protected him from the lions, even though Daniel had disobeyed the authority.


## Acts 5:27-29 : Peter and the Other Apostles

>27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them,
28 Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.
29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

We see the same trend carry over into the New Testament as well.

The authorities (high priest and the council) had commanded the apostles not to teach in Jesus' name.

But, the apostles had continued to do so.

Peter and the other apostles even spelled it out for the religious authorities, "**We ought to obey God rather than men**."

This is the conclusion of the whole matter.

## We ought to obey God rather than men.

That is the message of the Bible to the believer.

It is not to obey whatever perverse, evil, and ungodly laws the government may create.

It is not to obey ourselves.

It is to obey God.

## We ought to obey God rather than men.

2+2=4

Thanks, @narrowminded 

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