“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.

Therefore whoever  resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.” Romans 13:1-2

 When Paul wrote this under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Roman Empire included modern day Spain, France, parts of Germany, Austria, Romania, Greece, Turkey, Syria, Judea, parts of Egypt and Libya and many other smaller countries. When Rome conquered a country they introduced  “Pax Romana”. The term literally means “Roman peace” and        refers to the time period from 27 B.C to 180 A.D. throughout the Empire, which spanned from England in the north to    Morocco in the south and Iraq in the east. During the Pax Romana, the Roman Empire reached its peak in terms of    land area and its population swelled to an estimated 70      million people.

What did this Roman peace mean for a conquered people? The empire protected and governed individual provinces, permitting each to make and administer its own laws while accepting Roman taxation and military control. They were also required to supply men for the legions. These provinces had no fear of being attacked and the people could begin to prosper. The Romans also built roads to move their legions around the empire. These very roads where used by the early Christians to spread the Gospel. At the time the book of      Romans was written in 58 A.D. Nero was emperor and he was no friend of Christians. Yet, God commanded    all believers then and now to obey the governing authorities.

However, there are times when it is justified for a believer to disobey the government. Daniel is a good example from the OT of when it is permitted to defy those government           authorities. When some jealous public officials looked to     get rid of Daniel they petitioned the king, Then these high officials  and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever! All the high officials of the       kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions (Daniel 6:6-7).

Daniel served the King faithfully but when the command     contradicted the Word of God he could not and would not obey. So he was thrown into the lions den.  Daniels response    is a lesson for all of us, Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths,     and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.” Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because    he had trusted in his God (Daniel 6:21-23). Don’t miss the point, because he trusted God he was protected.

Even though Christians were being arrested, imprisoned,    beaten, and even killed during Nero’s reign in Rome, God      never gave Christians permission to rebel against the             government. If we believe that the Book of Romans is God’s Word then it is applicable today just as it was in the time of Paul.

Your shepherd,

Pastor Mark