Romans 13 and dictators

[SPB1987]

Romans 13 reads: Every [a]person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except [b]from God, and those which exist are established by God. 2 Therefore [c]whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.

Does this mean that God also instituted the governments of individuals like Hitler?

 

[Lukaris]

Romans 13 reads: Every [a]person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except [b]from God, and those which exist are established by God. 2 Therefore [c]whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.

Does this mean that God also instituted the governments of individuals like Hitler?

No, it is meant to be a loyal citizen in a general sense. The example of the Lord saying to respectively render unto Caesar & unto God in taxes & tithes applies here. When government oppression became too great, the early Christians were executed but they did not rebel just like Jesus Christ was crucified by the secular & religious authorities.

 

[Johnnz]

That was written during Nero's early rule at which time he was a good emperor. Christians enjoyed relative freedom and the common language and rule of law assisted the spreading of the Gospel. A few years later Nero blamed Christians for the great fire in Rome and there was a time of persecution.

In Revelation we see a different situation, where John wrote to prepare and encourage the church in the face of impending persecution. Rome would wage war against God's people, but eventually the Kingdom of the Slain Lamb would triumph.

In Nazi Germany Bonhoffer opposed the State out of Christian principles, and eventually was killed. We are not to simply co-exist or 'roll over' to whatever path any government follows. Sometimes we can do that in safety, other times it will be more costly.

John
NZ

 

[paul1149]

This is not always a simple thing to decipher. If you read Romans 13 more thoroughly, you'll see that Paul was making the express assumption that the authorities were on the side of promoting good and punishing evil. In that case, our submission is clear cut.

But what happens when government itself violates its charge and turns evil? Reason would dictate that, all else being equal, there are limits to our submission in such a case. Indeed, the Faith chapter, Hebrews 11, lauds the Egyptian midwives and the harlot Rahab, both of whom disobeyed their ruling authorities. Modern examples could include the likes of Corrie Ten Boom, who saved hundreds of Jews from Nazi death camps.

Christians have wrestled with the problem of unjust governments and our potential duty to resist them, and have come up with a set of principles known as Just War Theory.

 

[Sketcher]

Romans 13:3-4 clarifies this: "For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. "

The ruler then, does not have the right to bring the sword upon the good, or to do good to the wrongdoer. Any government then, that knowingly rewards the corrupt or oppresses those who do good, is outside the bounds of what God gave it authority to do, and is in rebellion against God.