I’ve entitled our message this morning, “Fear God and Honor the King,” and we’re going to be looking at what the Bible has to say about government, law and order, and the Christian’s behavior in a civil society. I’m going to let you know up front that I’m going to be quoting from numerous commentaries, as this is a subject matter in which it’s good to rely on the wisdom of other godly men; and all of the sources that I’m going to be quoting are completely removed from what we’re seeing today, many of which were written during the 1970’s and 1980’s, yet whose words fit today’s circumstances.
Also, before we begin, I want to direct your attention to 1 Peter 2:11; and here’s what we read: “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul” (1 Peter 2:11). The passage we’re going to view today must be seen in the context of Christians being strangers in a foreign land, or perhaps as having dual citizenship. We are citizens of the land in which we were born, such as America; but we are also citizens of the kingdom of God. As we consider our behavior in a civil society, we must keep in mind that the laws of the kingdom must always take precedence over the laws of the land; but as we’re going to find out, being good citizens of the kingdom of God will lead to being good citizens of the country in which we live.
The Christian and Civic Law (vv. 13-17)
13 Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, 14 or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men – 16 as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. 17 Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
In The Broadman Bible Commentary, Ray Summers, writing from the 1970’s says, “There is no question about the meaning of verses 13-17. They refer to the Christian in their relation to civic law . . . [and] reflect a situation in which the state government was regarded as beneficial to the Christian and not hostile to them. They were, therefore, urged to obedience to civic law and prayerful support of the government.” (1) “In this passage in 1 Peter, civil authority stands for the same thing for which Christianity stands, i.e., the highest good for all men. Civil law, properly constituted and exercised, guarantees for all alike that which is good and protects all alike from that which is bad.” (2) So, the New Testament views law and order as being a good thing.
Let’s look at verse 13a. “The words ‘submit yourselves’ are the translation of a Greek military term meaning ‘to arrange in military fashion under the command of a leader.’ One could translate, ‘put yourselves in the attitude of submission to.’ The exhortation is . . . to create and maintain that attitude of heart which will always lead one to obey [the ordinances].” (3) Now, the word translated “ordinance” simply means “institution.” It does not refer to each individual law, but to the institutions that make and enforce the laws. (4) It’s important that we make this distinction, because some individual laws might trample on our religious freedoms.
Commentator Warren Wiersbe, writing from the 1970’s, says that even though we should, for the most part, submit to the institutions, or the governing authorities, that there might be times in which we will have to disobey certain individual laws that run contrary to our faith. (5) Consider the example of Peter and the other apostles shortly after Pentecost in Acts chapters 4-5. Wiersbe points out that “the Jewish council commanded them to stop preaching in the name of Jesus, but Peter and his associates refused to obey (Acts 19:19, 5:29). They did not cause a rebellion, or in any way question or deny the authority of the council. They submitted to the institution, but they refused to stop preaching. They showed respect to their leaders even though these men were opposed to the gospel.” (6)
Peter and the other apostles did not even assemble and protest. Now, we have that right today here in America, according to the First Amendment, but they were living in a different time and place. According to Wiersbe, they were not trying to incite a rebellion; they just simply continued to do what they were called to do by God on an individual level, not in group protest, and not trying to publicly defy or humiliate the authorities. He adds that “it is important that we respect the office even though we cannot respect the man or woman in the office. As much as possible, we should seek to cooperate with the government and obey the law; but we must never allow the law to make us violate our conscience or disobey God’s Word.” (7)
Here’s a thought. As Christians, when we obey God’s law, we actually fulfill the majority of man’s laws. In Matthew 22:37-40, Jesus said, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” So, if you try your hardest to obey the commands of the Bible, and especially when you love God and sincerely love other people, then you fulfill the law – that is, every law except those that run contrary to God, and that run contrary to a biblical understanding of love.
Wiersbe says that “we must never allow the law to make us violate our conscience or disobey God’s Word.” That’s the only time we might choose to disobey; when mans’ law violates our Christian beliefs. But we will only disobey that which contradicts the teachings of the Bible; the Scripture being our moral compass. The same cannot be said of unbelievers. When they refuse to violate their conscience, many of their beliefs have no moral foundation. They are just personal opinion based on selfish motives, many of which actually lead to harming others and suppressing people’s rights.
So, why are we supposed to submit to the ordinances, or the governing authorities? Verse 13 says, “for the Lord’s sake.” The Southern Baptist scholar A.T. Robertson, writing from the early 1900’s, says the reason we should submit is “for Jesus’ sake,” and he states “that [this] is reason enough for the Christian not to be an anarchist.” (8) An “anarchist” is “someone who believes in or tries to bring about anarchy, and the definition of “anarchy” is “a state of disorder due to absence or nonrecognition of authority.” As believers, we are to respect authority and not incite rebellion and anarchy. If we feel like we’ve got to speak up, then we must use the proper route established by the law, such as going to court, or by means of peaceful protest, but nothing extreme and nothing violent.
Let’s now look at verses 13b-15. Commentator William Barclay, writing from the 1960’s, says, “Nothing is farther from the thought of the New Testament than any kind of anarchy . . . Paul was certain that those who governed the nation were sent by God, and held their responsibility from God, and that they were no terror to the man who lived an honorable life . . . The instruction of the New Testament is that the Christian must be a good, and useful, and faithful citizen of the country in which life is set.” (9)
“Peter named the offices we are meant to respect. ‘The king’ meant ‘the emperor.’ In democratic nations [today] we have a president . . . The ‘governors’ are those under the same supreme authority who administer the laws and execute justice. Ideally, they should punish those who do evil and praise those who do good.” (10) Ray Summers says, “This most certainly reflects a time before Rome and some of her emperors became enemies and persecutors of the Christians.” (11)
So, let’s look a bit further at verse 14, where it says that those within these offices “are sent by [God] for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good.” In Romans 13:3, we read, “For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same.” In a civil and just society, good is rewarded and evil is punished; and when you do good you will fulfill the requirements of the law. But what happens when rulers flip flop, and they become a terror to good works?
How are we to respond should we live in such a time such as Isaiah described, when he declared, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness” (Isaiah 5:20). We must continue to do what is moral and right, and continue to do what our faith demands, even if we are punished, jailed, or killed for our beliefs. Remember, Summers said that this passage “most certainly reflects a time before Rome and some of her emperors became enemies and persecutors of the Christians.” From the time of Nero, in A.D. 64 and onward, Christians were martyred for their faith.
But when we adhere to our faith, while living under authorities that persecute those who do good and reward those who do evil, we need to be both respectful and smart, which means sometimes staying on the down-low. Paul said in 1 Timothy 2:1-2, “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.” We should not only pray for our rulers, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, but we need to be quiet and peaceable. Let’s not become a spectacle by publicly defying the authorities – if we can help it.
“Two phrases are important [here]: ‘the will of God’ (v. 15) and ‘the bondservants of God’ [down in verse 16]. When we do something in the will of God and as the servants of God, then we are doing it ‘for the Lord’s sake’ (v. 13a). God has willed that we silence the critics by doing good, not by opposing the authority.” (12) “The words ‘put to silence’ (v. 15) are the translation of a Greek word which means . . . the muzzling of an ox. It means here, ‘to reduce to silence’ . . . The word ‘ignorance’ (v. 15) in the Greek text speaks of want of knowledge . . . [and] the word ‘foolish’ (v. 15) is the translation of a Greek word speaking of lack of reason, reflection, and intelligence.” (13) So, if you want to silence the ig-nernt critics, then do what’s good.
But what if society is seemingly collapsing all around us, with people burning and looting our cities, and beating and killing those who do good? And what if the violence happens to come to our own house and the people we love? As hard as it might be, we must ask, “What would Jesus do?” In Matthew chapter 5, Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also . . . You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” (Matthew 5:38-40, 43-44).
Let’s now finish up with verses 16-17. We are told that though we live as free, we shouldn’t use liberty as a cloak for vice. As U.S. citizens we are free, but that freedom does not extend beyond the rule of law. The expression “freedom isn’t free” doesn’t just refer to the cost of human life to maintain freedom. It also means that certain individual freedoms must be scarified for the good of all, or for overall law and order. A.T. Robertson says, “There is no such thing as absolute freedom (or personal freedom), for that is anarchy.” (14)
What Robertson is saying is that we might sometimes understand freedom as meaning “not being bound to any rules or laws,” but that is actually the definition of anarchy. Barclay says, “The New Testament holds that a man cannot accept the privileges with which the state provides him without also accepting the responsibilities and the duties which the state demands from him. A man cannot in honor and decency take everything and give nothing.” (15)
You know, Christians sometimes do this spiritually. Paul asked in Romans 6:1, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?” In Galatians 5:13, he said, “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh.” Some Christians will conclude that since they are now saved and forgiven, and since God offers mercy and grace for our sins, that they can continue sinning in however which way they want, and that all they have to do is ask for God’s forgiveness, and then it’s all good. This kind of thought-pattern and behavior is spiritual anarchy. It’s shows contempt for God’s law and God’s authority, and it demonstrates a lack of reverence and fear for God’s holiness.
Wiersbe states, “If we are sincerely submitted to authority ‘for the Lord’s sake,’ then we will show honor to all who deserve it. We may not agree with their politics or their practices, but we must respect their position. We will also ‘love the brotherhood,’ meaning, of course, the people of God in the church . . . One way we show love to the brethren is by submitting to the authority of the ‘powers that be’ . . . ‘Fear God’ and ‘honor the king’ go together, since ‘the powers that be are ordained of God.” (16)
Solomon had the same counsel. In Proverbs 24:21, he said, “My son, fear the LORD and the king.” “We honor the king because we do fear the Lord. It is worth noting that the tenses of these verbs indicate that we should constantly maintain these attitudes. ‘Keep loving the brotherhood! Keep fearing God! Keep honoring the king!” (17)
Time of Reflection
I want to close our message by pointing out the most significant truth about submitting to authority, but I have to preface it with an account about Jesus; so, if you would, please turn with me to Luke 7:1-10:
1 Now when He concluded all His sayings in the hearing of the people, He entered Capernaum. 2 And a certain centurion’s servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die. 3 So when he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Him, pleading with Him to come and heal his servant. 4 And when they came to Jesus, they begged Him earnestly, saying that the one for whom He should do this was deserving, 5 “for he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue.”
6 Then Jesus went with them. And when He was already not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying to Him, “Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof. 7 Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8 For I also am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
9 When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, “I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!” 10 And those who were sent, returning to the house, found the servant well who had been sick.
Here, we see a Roman centurion, the commander of 100 Roman soldiers. Here was a man who understood authority and rank. Any soldier who would have been under his command, obeyed the centurion, for the centurion was the higher authority. But the centurion was subject to the commander of the Roman legion; and even the centurion recognized himself as being subject to a higher authority – especially a higher spiritual power – and somehow, he recognized Jesus as the spiritual authority, and as being over him. As one who understood authority, he realized that all Jesus had to do was give the order and his servant would be healed. And what was Jesus’ response? He said, “I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!” (v. 9). We then read, “And those who were sent, returning to the house, found the servant well who had been sick” (v. 10).
The most significant truth here is that we cannot receive healing unless we submit to God’s authority; and that includes spiritual healing. If you are someone who has a hard time dealing with authority, such as teachers, bosses or even law enforcement, then you probably have a hard time with the church, and even with the Bible and Christians. Why? Because they represent authority – not their own, but God’s – and God, in His authority, has laid down certain laws and morals by which to live, which run contrary to our sinful human nature; and so naturally people rebel!
But I will say it again; we cannot receive spiritual healing until we, in faith, submit to God’s authority, and His authority has been entrusted to Jesus Christ. In Luke 10:17, we read, “Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name’.” But it’s not just the demons who are subject to Christ; we all must be. Paul said in Philippians 2:9-11, “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
If you want to be healed spiritually, and be forgiven of your sins and receive eternal life, then you must submit to the authority of God and His Son, Jesus Christ. According to the Bible, Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords (1 Timothy 6:15). In submission you must admit your sins; believe that Jesus is God’s Son, who died for your sins on the cross and rose victorious over sin and death; and you must confess Jesus as Savior, King and Lord of your life. Romans 10:9-10 says, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
NOTES
(1) Ray Summers, “1 Peter,” The Broadman Bible Commentary, vol. 12 (Nashville: Broadman, 1972), p. 157.
(2) Ibid., p. 157.
(3) Kenneth Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament, vol. 2 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1970), pp. 60-61.
(4) Warren Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor, 1989), p. 405.
(5) Ibid., p. 405.
(6) Ibid., p. 405.
(7) Ibid., p. 405.
(8) A.T. Robertson, “The First General Epistle of Peter,” Word Pictures in the New Testament, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1960), p. 101.
(9) William Barclay, “The Letters of James and Peter,” The Daily Study Bible (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1960), p. 243.
(10) Wiersbe, p. 405.
(11) Summers, p. 158.
(12) Wiersbe, p. 405.
(13) Weust, p. 61.
(14) Robertson, p. 102.
(15) Barclay, p. 243.
(16) Wiersbe, pp. 405-406.
(17) Ibid., p. 406.
