Wrestling with law, authorities

A friend forwarded the following:

I was driving when I saw the flash of a traffic camera. I figured that my picture had been taken for exceeding the limit even though I knew that I was not speeding. Just to be sure, I went around the block and passed the same spot, driving even more slowly, but again the camera flashed. Now I began to think that this was quite funny, so I drove even slower as I passed the area once more, but the traffic camera again flashed. I tried a fourth and fifth time with the same results and was not laughing as the camera flashed while I rolled past at a snail’s pace. Two weeks later, I got five tickets in the mail for driving without a seat belt. You know you just can’t fix stupid.

My friend is not stupid, but I am sure he felt that way. We all do at times, and sometimes we are. At the very least there are times when what we are doing is not too bright. Rebelling against the law and authorities is usually one of those times.

In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul seems to carry the torch for civil obedience and respect. “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” Romans 13:1

From Paul’s perspective all governments are in place because God put them there. His argument is simple and convincing. God is about order and decency, not chaos; thus law and order are established by God.

However, if Saint Paul was standing beside us, we might want to quiz him a little on that viewpoint. “Really, Paul, are all authorities established by God? What about the mad emperor Nero? He had a habit of tying Christians to tall poles, painting them with pitch, and then lighting his gardens with them? Did God establish Nero in power for that?”

It helps me to remember that as Paul was writing one part of the Bible, someone else was writing another part. While Saint John sat on the island of Patmos, he penned a little piece of literature titled The Apocalypse, or as we call it, The Revelation.

He saw things differently than Paul. John’s villain in The Revelation is the Beast. Most scholars agree that the beast is the ruling emperor of Rome. Ironically, he was criticizing the same emperor whom Paul affirmed. Nero’s full name, Neron Kaisar, when transliterated into Hebrew corresponds to the number 666.

Two books of the Bible say two opposite things about the same emperor. Some might call that a contradiction. Instead, it is the nature of the Bible. We say this about the Bible that we do not say about any other book. “The word of God is living and active.”

The Bible itself resists orthodoxy and concrete creeds, refusing to be nailed down and restricted to one narrow view. Rome’s emperor can be both God blessed and the beast. It depends upon where you stand.

Jesus clarified that a little when he was tested by the authorities on government. “Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” The question was a trick one that left no room for an answer that did not leave Jesus vulnerable to criticism or arrest.

Nevertheless, Jesus found an answer that transcended their trap. “Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” His answer was not simply smart, it was correct. Obeying the law is the right thing to do. Yet, there are times when to obey the law is to disobey God. Wearing a seat belt is never one of those times.

Dr. Mark Ross is the pastor of Marion Baptist Church. To learn more about MBC, visit http://www.marionbaptistchurchva.com/.