Biblical Resistance
Were the Declaration of Independence and war for Independence just another example of Christian compromise and hypocrisy?
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except [literally “if not”] from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. —Romans 13:1–7
In addition to calling Christians to submit to authority structures which God has established, Romans 13:1-7 also defines and limits the legitimacy of those roles
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! 21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight! —Isaiah 5:20–21
Are there other parts of the Bible that confirm the existence of illegitimate political power?
The kings of the earth establish themselves, and the rulers conspire together against Yahweh and his anointed —Psalm 2:2
Israel has spurned the good; the enemy shall pursue him. 4 They made kings, but not through me. They set up princes, but I knew it not. With their silver and gold they made idols for their own destruction. —Hosea 8:3–4
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” —Matthew 4:8–9
And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. —Revelation 13:2
What other passages in the Bible confirm the Christians’ duty to resist oppressive overreach by tyrannical governments
But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. —Acts 5:29
• Egyptian midwives refuse to kill babies for Pharoah (Exodus 1:16–22)
• Prophet Nathan confronts and condemns King David (2 Samuel 12:1–15)
• Prophet Elijah confronts king Ahab (1 Kings 18:17–18)
• God’s Anointed One (Jesus) breaks wicked kings and rulers (Psalm 2)
• Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, defy king Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 3:10-30)
• Daniel defies king Darius and his court (Daniel 6:6-13)
• Jonah Confronts city of Nineveh & the Assyrian king (Jonah 3:6)
• Wise men disobey king Herod the Great (Matthew 2:12)
• Jesus’ family flees king Herod’s attempted murder (Matthew 2:13–14)
• John the Baptist confronts adulterous Herod Antipas (Mark 6:17–18)
• Jesus defies Herod Antipas (Luke 13:31–32)
• Jesus defies High Priest Caiaphas (Matthew 26:62–63)
• Jesus defies Roman governor Pontius Pilate (Matthew 27:13–14)
• Apostles defy rulers’ efforts to silence Gospel (Acts 4:19–21)
• Angel of the Lord releases apostles from illegitimate imprisonment (Acts 5:17–20)
• Paul defies magistrates and police who publicly beat him and sought to release him secretly (Acts 16:35–39)
How can we fulfill the second greatest commandment to love our neighbor if we look the other way when tyrannical authorities illegitimately use the power of the sword to terrorize, oppress, enslave, incarcerate, or extort?
If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. —James 2:8
