Breaking The Law: Biblical Perspectives On Civil Disobedience

The Bible makes it clear that Christians are expected to follow the governing authorities that God has placed over them. According to Romans 13:1-8 NLT, Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. This means that when a person breaks the law, they are also disobeying God and committing a sin. However, the Bible also acknowledges that there may be times when obeying human authority contradicts God's law, and in such cases, Christians are expected to obey God rather than human authority.

Sin is lawlessness

The Bible makes it clear that Christians are to follow the governing authorities that God has placed over them. According to the Bible, "Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God." Therefore, anyone who rebels against authority is also rebelling against God.

God has placed governing authorities in our lives to establish order, punish evil, and promote justice. When we disobey the authorities God has placed in our lives, we disobey God and will receive our just punishment. The Bible states that “all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God." So, when a person breaks the law, they are not only breaking the rules set by society or the government, but they are also going against God's will.

The Bible also emphasizes that sin is lawlessness. It is a violation of God's standard. When we break God's laws or the government's laws, we are being lawless and sinning. However, there is one exception. God does not want us to obey human authority when it contradicts His law. In Acts 4:18-19, for example, the apostles were commanded by the high council to stop sharing their faith, but they chose to obey God rather than human authority. They understood that they answered to a higher power—God.

In summary, while Christians are generally expected to follow the laws of the land, the Bible makes it clear that sin is lawlessness and that breaking God's laws is a violation of His standard. When faced with a conflict between human laws and God's laws, Christians are called to obey God rather than human authority, as ultimately, all authority comes from Him.

God wants us to obey the laws of our government

The Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, told believers to submit to the governing authorities over them. This is reflected in the letter to the Romans, written by Paul in approximately A.D. 57 when he was under Roman Emperor Nero, who ruled from A.D.54-68. Nero was described as a "barbarous individual" by a Jewish historian, yet Paul instructed believers to submit to the governing authorities.

God has placed governing authorities in our lives to establish order, punish evil, and promote justice. When we break the laws of our government, we are being lawless, and God calls this a sin. God wants us to obey our government because He establishes and removes governments. He uses them to suppress evil and promote good behaviour.

However, there is one exception. God does not want us to obey our government when it violates His laws. In Acts 4:18-19, Peter and John answered when they were commanded by the governing authorities not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus, saying, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge." In such cases, Christians have a responsibility to obey God over any human authority.

God establishes and removes governments

The Bible makes it clear that Christians are to follow the governing authorities that God has placed over them. The Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote in his letter to the Romans that "everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God". This means that God establishes and removes governments.

God has placed governing authorities in our lives to establish order, punish evil and promote justice. When we rebel against the authorities God has placed in our lives, we disobey God and will receive our just punishment. As Romans 13:1-4 states:

> "Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore he who resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath upon the one who practices evil."

Christians should follow governing authorities

The Bible makes it clear that Christians are expected to follow the governing authorities that God has placed over them. The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans, wrote:

> Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honour you. The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment but also to keep a clear conscience.

Here, Paul asserts that all authority comes from God, and that those in power have been placed there by God. Therefore, Christians must submit to the governing authorities, as rebelling against them would be tantamount to rebelling against God. The passage also highlights that the authorities are meant to punish evildoers and promote justice. As such, Christians should not fear authority as long as they are doing what is right. By following the governing laws, Christians can maintain a clear conscience and avoid punishment.

The Bible further emphasises the importance of obeying the laws of the land in 1 Peter 2:13-15:

> Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.

This passage reiterates that Christians should submit to governing authorities, specifically mentioning kings and governors as those in positions of authority established by God. By obeying these authorities, Christians can silence the ignorance of foolish men and act according to God's will.

However, it is important to note that there is one exception to this rule. Christians are instructed to obey God's laws above any human laws. In Acts 5:27-29, the apostles were confronted by the high council for sharing their faith:

> "Didn't we tell you never again to teach in this man's name?...Instead, you have filled all Jerusalem with your teaching about him, and you want to make us responsible for his death!" But Peter and the apostles replied, "We must obey God rather than any human authority."

This example demonstrates that when faced with a conflict between human laws and God's laws, Christians should prioritise obeying God. In this case, sharing their faith and spreading the message of Jesus was more important than adhering to the governing authorities' restrictions.

In summary, Christians are generally expected to follow the governing authorities as established by God. By submitting to these authorities, Christians can maintain a clear conscience, avoid punishment, and promote justice. However, in cases where human laws contradict God's laws, Christians should prioritise their obedience to God above all else.

Christians should obey God over the governing authority

The Bible is clear that Christians are to follow the governing authorities that God has placed over them. In Romans 13:1-8 (NLT), the Bible says:

> "Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God... So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished... The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good... So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience."

Here, the Apostle Paul is instructing Christians to submit to the governing authorities, as ultimately, all authority comes from God. By rebelling against the governing authorities, we are rebelling against God and will face punishment.

However, there is an exception to this rule. Christians are to obey God over any governing authority when the authority contradicts God's law and would cause a believer to sin. An example of this is seen in Acts 5:27-29 (NLT):

> "Then they brought the apostles before the high council, where the high priest confronted them. 'Didn't we tell you never again to teach in this man's name?' he demanded. 'Instead, you have filled all Jerusalem with your teaching about him, and you want to make us responsible for his death!' But Peter and the apostles replied, 'We must obey God rather than any human authority.'"

In this instance, the apostles were commanded to stop sharing their faith in Jesus, but they understood that they answered to God, who is the highest authority. By stopping sharing their faith, they would have sinned against God.

Therefore, while Christians are generally instructed to obey governing authorities, there may be times when obeying God's law takes precedence and requires Christians to peacefully disobey human laws.

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