The following student report was submitted by Ambassador League Agent Richard P. during the 2009-2010 League.
Mission: Research on Civil Government
It's almost like it didn't fit. After reading chapters 12 and 13 in the book of Romans, I was unsure if the material flowed. Chapter 12 ends with a discussion of love: "love must be sincere...be devoted to one another in brotherly love...practice hospitality...do not repay anyone evil for evil....do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good." Then Romans 13 begins and says, "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established." After seven verses Romans takes us back to love: "...love is the fulfillment of the law." How does this flow?
There are pitfalls in taking a short passage of scripture and drawing conclusions from such a small clip of God's Word. While something can be gained from such an approach, the main point of the passage can be missed. Those involved in Hebrew studies, while translating Scripture and the Talmud, don't translate individual words or sentences. Instead, they typically translate what are called "thought passages." This minimizes the risk of misinterpreting God's Word. In the same way, scriptural passages need to be taken from a larger point of view before being dissected.
With this in mind, these abrupt changes in Romans make sense. After reading the passages surrounding the 13th chapter of Romans, I now understand that there's more here than first meets the eye.
Back in Romans 12, Paul begins a portrait of what righteousness ought to look like in the life of a Christian. He begins on a personal level: "offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship." Working with other Christians is next. In each paragraph he widens the scope of influence; from the individual to the world. This is where Romans 13 comes in. After learning how to live with other Christians you learn how to operate within the jurisdiction of the civil government.
I've always had a slight problem with this particular passage. Not only did it not seem to fit, there also is no mention of the church's function within government. In the context of righteousness this passage fits perfectly. The righteous man won't have any problem fulfilling the law, "...he who loves his fellow man has fulfilled the law" and understands his place inside the law. After examining life within the church, it's only logical that Paul discusses life in the world.
Then he goes back and covers some of the exceptions. He talks about the weak and strong inside the church. Speaking about the weak he says, "Who are you to judge someone else's servant?" The strong he addresses with, "We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves." In preparing to sum up this particular passage Paul says, "May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus..."
I find it extremely telling that Paul is able to structure the strong-weak segment of his letter around the subject of food. To Paul, everything had to do with Christ; nothing is left out of the picture. As a Roman citizen, privy to special privileges envied throughout the known world, he would find omitting civil government nearly impossible.
This study gave me a much broader scope of civil government. I must submit to the authorities that God has put in place and give them respect. I am expected to conduct myself with absolute righteousness in all settings. Love is the universal theme here. "God so loved us so we ought to love one another" is stamped all over these passages. Everything goes back to love, including civil government.
