414
T h e K i n g ’ s B u s i n e s s
September 1932
OCTOBER 30, 1932 THE CHRISTIAN" AND LAW OBSERVANCE P rov . 23:29-36; R o m . 13:1-7; 1 C o r . 9:19-27; G a l . 6:1-10; 1 P e t . 2:11-17
Third, it is to represent God in all a f fairs of the state and secular life. The government is as much the representative o f God as is the preacher in the pulpit, only in a separate sphere. One rules in the sec ular, and the other in the spiritual sphere. For this reason, there can be no such thing as union between church and state. The head o f the state is appointed to represent God in civil ’ affairs, and as such he has authority derived immediately from God. The minister in the pulpit has the same authority from God. They both are truly ordained ministers o f God. The support o f the government is re vealed in verses 5 to 7. Before stating how the government is to be_ supported, the writer speaks o f the reason for being in submission. It is a twofold reason: for conscience’ sake, the moral reason, and for fear o f wrath, the natural reason. The support o f the government comes through taxation (v. 6). This, too, has been arranged by God. Hence, to withhold taxes from the government is to withhold them from God. There are many Chris tians who do not hesitate to get the better o f the government in the matter of paying their taxes, but this is actually stealing from God. The extent o f the submission runs down through all the list o f officers of the gov ernment from the highest to the lowest. W e are to render to all their due. Even our Lord paid His taxes without a ques tion, and that too when the government in power was anything but holy and right eous. The exhortation of our lesson was written when a Nero was upon the throne. W e are to pay personal taxes, export and import duties, reverence to all rulers, and respect to all officers. Obedience to this portion o f Scripture would go far toward eliminating most of the evils o f our present civil state. II. T h e P e r s o n a l C o n s id e r a t io n ( G a l . 6:7-10). The section o f Galatians from which these verses are taken contains a discus sion o f the power and sufficiency o f Paul’s gospel. Among other things in which its power is seen is that it provides a guard against selfishness in money matters. It is with this that our lesson has to do. Hence, it has no bearing on the main sub ject of today’s lesson, that o f temperance. But the matter is most important and should not be overlooked in the classes. The passage is addressed to saints con cerning their selfishness, not to sinners concerning their sinfulness. Verse 7 is pe culiar to the gospel; there was nothing like this under the law. This verse therefore should not be picked out as though it stood alone, but it should be read in connection with its context. When so read, it will be seen to be spoken to those who thought they could receive spiritual blessing from God and not support the channel through which the blessing came (v. 8). One might take knowledge away from a meeting and become puffed up by it, but unless he was ready to support with material things the minister through whom the knowledge came, he could not take real blessing away; it would turn to corruption in him. The truth taught here is that those to whom spiritual things are ministered must fel lowship in material things with the min ister. Lesson Questions Rom. 13:1-7. What is the chief reason for respect o f civil government? Did Jesus
Lesson Text: Rom. 13:1-7; Gal. 6:7-10. Golden Text: “Whatsoever a man sow- eth, that shall he also reap” (Gal. 6 :7 ). Roman Government T the time when the Apostle Paul wrote the advice contained in our lesson today, Rome controlled the entire civilized world. The Romans had a genius for organization. There had been laws in various lands before this, but no
God does not, of course, ordain the wick edness of the powers that be, but He does ordain their authority. To take away this authority would plunge us into anarchy which is wholly opposed to a God of de cency and order. The state must answer to God for the use of its authority, as well as for its wickedness. The Christian is to look to the constituted authority as he would look to God, and whatever the o f ficer may be, he is to be honored because of the office which he occupies. Resisting the government, therefore, is resisting God. Obedience to a bad law may be refused and the penalty accepted, and thus submission would be rendered and the government honored. The mystery of why God should allow evil rulers to be in places of authority is not for us to solve; we are to learn to trust God even in His mysterious providences. Resisting the government would bring condemnation by the government. Verse 2 does not mean that resisting the govern ment would bring eternal damnation to the soul, but that it would bring the punish ment appointed by the civil authority. The main teaching o f these two verses, how ever, is that government on earth has its source in God; it is He who ordains the powers that b e ; therefore, Christians are to be in subjection to them. Verses 3 and 4 state the purpose of these powers: First, to punish evildoers, that is, the lawbreakers. The very laxness of the civil powers in fulfilling this purpose is a sign o f the decadence o f the human race and its rebellion against God. The God who raised them up and gave them author ity is forgotten, and every time an evildoer goes free from the just reward o f his crime there is an insult offered unto God. The so-called “sob sisters” who send flow ers to criminals may think they are show ing sympathy, but in reality, they are show ing rebellion against God. The judge who overlooks crime and allows the evildoer to go without punishment manifests the same rebellion against God. The real purpose of the government is to punish the evildoers; it is appointed for this very thing, and when it fails, God’s purpose is set at nought. Second, it is to reward the law-abiding citizen. This is done through the punish ment of evildoers. The ordinary citizen cannot take the law into his own hands; he must turn his injury over to the civil power for satisfaction. But when the civil power does not thus take the part o f the law-abiding citizen, then the cause must be left directly in God’s hands for adjust ment. In this we have the example o f our Lord Himself (cf. 1 Pet. 2:19-23).
people had been able to codify them and ad minister them so ef ficiently as the Ro mans. Not many gen erations b e f o r e the time of Paul, Rome had been a republic. A representative gov ernment was in force, and every one who was a Roman citizen enjoyed equal priv
ileges, whether he was rich or poor. In the century just preceding the time of Christ, some powerful leaders had taken over the government, and gradually it had been changed into an empire. In Paul’s time, the emporer was well nigh supreme, and his word alone was law. There was a gov erning body in Rome known as the Senate, but it had little authority over the em porer. Thus, when Paul writes to the Ro mans, he calls the emporer, or “king,” su preme. He had the power of life or death over any subject in his empire. Many times he appointed local rulers and magis trates to rule in certain localities. In each case, however, they were responsible di rectly to him. Just before the emporers took unto themselves unlimited power, a citizen in an outlying province might ap peal to the Roman Senate if he felt that he had not obtained justice in his own country. In the days of Paul, the em peror himself was the court of last appeal. Thus, when Paul desired the highest judg ment on his case after he had been appre hended in Jerusalem, he appealed to Cae sar. His Word was a law which every one observed upon pain of death. Outline and Exposition Law observance is really submission to constituted authority. The absence of such submission is the root cause of all the ills to which man is heir. The first man went astray just at this point. Refusing to obey, he came into bondage, a bondage handed down to the race, and from which there seems no escape. Only in the measure that we recognize the authority over us do we enter into freedom. That authority is God, but He governs through human agencies as far as our civil life is concerned. r. T h e C h r is t ia n a n d t h e S t a t e ( R o m . 13:1-7). The source of government is stated in verses 1 and 2. It is God who has ordained that civil government shall exercise au thority in all civil affairs. Therefore He says, “ Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers.” W e are to remember that while we are not o f the world, we are still in it; and though our citizenship is in heaven, we are not yet there. Until we are there, we should live in subjection to the government of the state in which we may find ourselves.
BLACKBOARD LESSON TONINGLITTLE - REAPING MUCH
U P COM ES S T E M LEAVES
“»vo F L O W E R ,
' / ,
LATER TO SCATTER M A N Y MORESEEDS.
S O W O N E SEED.
/
I l É p
'i
SO W A N U N KIN D TH OT REAP A N U N KIN D W O R D
S O W A N U NKIND DEED REAP ENDLESS REGRET
„
S O W A N UN KIND W O R D R E AP A N UNKIND DEED
* i*
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs