615
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
October 1928
Internat iona l Lesson Commentary H eart o f th e Lesson —K . L. B. Outline—David L. Cooper :: L ittle Folk—M abel M . H ope
can only state his reasons for not wishing to accede, humbly submitting to the pun ishment, whatever it may be. Such an action God is bound to bless. “Rulers are not a terror to good works but to evil" (v. 3). It will be found that rulers, as a class, have been found on the side o f public order and decency. Civil authority, in its most distorted form, sel dom has favored wrong as wrong or pun ished right as right. Even behind Nero’s persecution of Christians, was the theory of the preservation of order. • “He is the minister o f God to thee fo r good” (v. 4). This does not mean that a drunken official is to be looked upon as the vice-regent o f heaven, but that rulers are instruments of-'God in the maintaining o f order in society, and their authority is authorized of God. / “ He beareth not the sword in vain.” This is a Greek phrase, used to express the power of magistrates. The sword was carried before them in processions and on special occasions, as the /Symbol o f authority. This very old custom still prevails, in some eastern coun tries. Mr. J. P. Welles of our Institute, recently, related to me seeing Chinese criminals' being escorted by officials to execution. The executioner carried a wooden sword on which the name of the criminal was inscribed. The words “in vain” indicate that rulers bear not the power of capital punishment “ without credentials.” This would seem to be a clear New Testament warrant for the practice of capital punishment. “ Ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but fo r conscience’ sake'’ Ay. 5). There is no escape from such words.'. Re member that Nero was shortly to be burn ing Christians as torches, yet they were to support the pagan state, even at the cost of martyrdom. Can aiiyone deny that God made use o f their willing submission .to the penalty o f a law which they could not conscientiously keep, in order to multiply the Gospel seed in every direction? 'VerseS 6 and 7’ should help believers to joyfully pay their taxes. Here we are told that taxes are in line with the plan of God (cf. Mt. 17:24-27). Christianity certainly should not unfit any man for his duties on earth or make him a sour citi zen. He who lives “ in the heavenlies” should remember that he has certain re sponsibilities upon earth. The precept of paying what we owe to rulers is now expanded into a general rule. “ Owe no man anything but to love one another: fo r he that loveth another hath fulfilled the laud’) (v. 8 ) , There is surely an application here to money-debts. A Christian should live within his means. If some should pay up all they owe, they would be greatly Surprised to find how few people would write to them for a whole month. One man was called “a human dynamo” because everything on him was charged. It is a sad fact that many _whp make high professions of Christianity are in debt on all hands and
N ovember 4, 1928 Temperance Sunday Text: Rom. 13:1-14 L esson in O utline I.. Subjection o f Civil Authorities. Vs. 1-7. 1. Christiansmust' be > subject to rulers according to the will of ' God. Vs. 1, 2. ■ ; / . / / A / / / 2. Civil governments ordained of God to keep peace and to punish evil doers. Vs. 3, 4. 3. Obedience enjoined because of ■conscience. V. 5. 4. Christians obligated to meet all duties and responsibilities. Vs, 6 , 7. II. Love the Fulfillment of the Law. . Vs. 8-10. ' 1. Love to others the only debt per mitted to' Christians. V. ■ 8 . 2. Love expressed itself in actions and attitude towards others. Vs. 9, 10. III. Purity o f Life Enjoined. Vs. 11-14. 1. The nearness of the morning of the Day of Christ. Vs. 11, 12. 2. Exhortation tgiscease walking ac cording to flesh. V. 13. 3. Exhortation to s u b j e c t i o n to Christ. V. 14. —o— T HE precepts concerning civil duties found in the, opening verses of this chapter were probably indispensable at the stage o f the church when they were writ- might have felt themselves called to clean out the government, and had they made such an attempt, they would have perished. The regulations here given by divine in spiration are of equal force for Christians today-and were they more faithfully ad hered to by Christians, the church would be saved from many an embarrassing de feat. The church is not commissioned to set up any form of government, but is to be free to enter as a spirit of good into any existing form. Nor should its leaders depart from the divine program of preaching the Gospel and teaching its pre cepts to engage in “lobbying” or to resort to worldly methods of influencing legisla tion. Where true Christianity is taught and lived, it will naturally tend to influence officials and abolish hurtful laws and in stitutions. The fundamental principle of Christianity is living for the good of others and contending for the equality of all men before God. Regardless of what ten. Believers had been taught to throw off the bondage of legalism and there ; was a natural ten dency to feel that they need not bow to any ruler other than C h r i s t . Others
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form of government a country may have, a ,consistent Christian is bounql.to be a good citizen of it. . He wills be engaged in “ every) good work” (Heb. 13:21) and will be found on the right-side of every moral issue,- / -When this chapter was written, Nero was on the throne. Roman imperialism was God’s order for that day. Paul ac knowledges this, for himself and enjoins it upon the church.; “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. , . . The powers that be are ordained o f God.” To the same effect is Peter’s word (1 Pet. 2: 13 - 14 )®“ “ Submit yourselves to every or dinance of man fo r the Lord’S sake.” A Christian leader who defies the existing authorities and ordinances, even though he considers them unjust, ’is going contrary to fundamental teachings and cannot hope for the Lord’s approval. There seem to be extremists who look upon civil authorities as of the devil, not to be recognized by those whose “ citizen ship is in heaven.” Such have a low.idea of their public duty. Civil laws and. gov ernments are pf God. Without them the race would / be little/better than beasts. While it may be true that many unworthy men hold public office and many laws may not be in accord with Scriptural teaching, Christians are to .adjust themselves to the situation, accepting it as God’s present will for them. God often deals with a nation by giving it hard taskmasters, and good ultimately results. Would it not be difficult to see God back of a Nero? Yet Paul says: “ Who soever resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance o f God” (v. 2), “ They shall receive to themselves condemnation.” Here revolutionary action is positively for bidden so far as Christians are concerned. Action against unjust laws and rulings within the limits of the existing constitu tion may be justified, but defiance of au thority is not the part of a true Christian. It is assumed that when an official com mands that which God’s Word pronounces sin, obedience to God must take prece dence, for a Christian should not do evil for any' man. In such a case, however (which is extremely rare), the Christian
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