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"PRINCIPALITIES AND POWERS"
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A New View of Romans 13In this paper we extend that thesis to the New Testament, and especially to Romans 13. Romans 13 has traditionally been used to support the State, by asserting that it is a "divine institution," having been commanded by God to exist: "The powers that be are ordained of God."
A conservative, evangelical Christian will properly ask two questions: First, why hasn't this theory seen a lot of press in respected Christian publications? This is a good question; a theory which is not universally accepted by the Church of Christ and has not been throughout Church history deserves to be greeted with some skepticism. Briefly (and we shall return to this), at the time of Constantine, when Christianity was made the "official religion" of the Roman Empire, the Church lost much of its savor, especially with regard to the application of Biblical Law to the State. Not until Cornelius Van Til clarified the philosophical issues, and Rushdoony applied these insights to the political and social application of Biblical Law did we begin to see some reform in this area. But the current view of Romans 13 is so widely accepted. Is it wise to reject it? The dominant view of the (non-Catholic) Church at the time of the Reformation was that the Pope is "the antichrist." Only a very small minority hold that view today. Only a very small minority believe that the State is demonic; perhaps it will soon be more widely accepted. Second, some will point out that these papers on the State rely largely on liberal German scholarship, which generally denies the authority of Scripture. How can we trust such a theory, considering its source? Some might dismiss this argument as ad hominem but there is validity here. If our argument were held only by heretics in left field, we would be right to re-examine our position. Ironically, the twentieth-century scholars who have put forth the demonic theory of the state, have been concerned to let the Bible speak on this issue. Many of them, in fact, do not believe the theory themselves, they just want to be "objective" and "scholarly" in telling the academic world what the Bible really teaches! Morrison, in his book The Powers that Be, notes that this Biblical doctrine was ignored by 18th- and 19th-century scholars "because of the conviction that there actually are no such things as 'angelic powers'" (p. 21). We believe in angelic powers, and whether Morrison and others believe in them, they are at least making something of an effort to report what the Bible says without imposing their own beliefs on it. We should certainly scrutinize German theologians, but we need not dump them completely; they are created in the image of God, and are capable of gaining genuine knowledge from the Bible, even if they don't believe it, and even if they gain their knowledge on the "borrowed capital" of the Bible itself. Additionally, many Bible-believing, evangelical scholars are embracing this view. It is interesting to note that this view emerged with some strength in the early part of this century, but then vanished around 1930-1940. It quickly gained wider acceptance after that. Can you explain why? As we said earlier, the Church has often been a real yes-man around the State, especially when the State has paid the salaries of the preachers. Why did German theologians drop the demonic view of the State? Because their arms were full of Hitler and his millennial Reich!! Now that the State is padlocking churches, kidnapping Christian school students and jailing their parents, the new view of the State is appearing a little more believable. But we reject "newspaper exegesis." What saith Scripture? (Acts 17:11) Lords Many and Powers ManyIn the previous paper we examined the Old Testament view of the State and its relationship to angelic powers, as well as the Judaistic conception of the Scriptural doctrine.
Even if this is not the correct interpretation, most Bible students are unaware of the involvement of angels in the formation of the Israelite church-state. We need to consider these passages.
We can see that Morrison may have a low view of Paul's inspiration, and may attribute to Paul too much of a particular Jewish interpretation. But it is clear that Paul agrees with the Old Testament view of the interconnection between nations and angelic powers, however we may eventually understand that relationship. There is something in both the Old and New Testaments which suggests a connection, and we must understand it, not deny it. The best way to begin to understand it is to see it in action. Let us look at the way Paul speaks of "the powers" in the New Testament. This is something you ought to be able to do yourself. You should have a concordance of Greek words in the New Testament. There are English editions of these so that you need not know Greek, but you can still find out how the Greek word is used. The Greek word behind "powers," exousiai, is found in the following verses:
It becomes plain in these texts and others that "The rule of the Roman Empire was the simultaneous integrated endeavor of spiritual and human authorities. In Pauline literature 'authorities' (exousiai, including the singular used in such a way as to indicate a plurality, i.e., 'every authority') is consistently used to refer to the spiritual powers" (Morrison, p. 25). Suggesting a demonic origin and character for the State might seem to incite political revolution. But the Christian does not revolt against the Empire in violence or vengeance. Following the teachings of the Savior in the Sermon on the Mount (and elsewhere), he is not to resist evil, but to be "subject" to the powers (Titus 3:1). The powers were created by Christ (Colossians 1:16), if for no other reason than that He would triumph over them and be glorified at their expense (I Peter 3:22; Colossians 2:10). Rejection of the demonic dimension of the State has no authority in Scripture; it is clear from the use of the word "powers." Theologically, this concept is basic to the Lordship of Christ. This phrase, kurioV cristoV, "Christ rules as Lord," was basic to the Apostolic Church confession, and the word "Lord" carries a radical totalitarian claim. Morrison surveys the important work of Oscar Cullman and concludes,
The reason for the tremendous opposition to Christianity from the State (most notably in their execution of Jesus as a political revolutionary [I Corinthians 2:8]) can be found in the fact that the Biblical view of the State was held -- in a perverse way, of course -- by the ancient pagan world. They too understood the State to be empowered and guided by spiritual forces. When the Christians proclaimed that Christ had triumphed over all these powers, it was a concrete challenge of lords (I Corinthians 8:5-6). Paul's letter to the Romans was just that: a letter to Romans. To understand that letter, therefore, we must understand how Romans viewed the State. This we will do in the next paper. |
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Christian "Anarchism" is Our Goal | | All Evil is Predestined by God | | Pray for a Servant's Understanding | | Angels and God's Throne of Government | | Stars and Idolatry | | Why the State Always Encourages Immorality | | Unlucky 13 -- Romans 13, Revelation 13 and Isaiah 13 | | A Roman's-Eye View of Romans 13 | | "Principalities and Powers" | | Lakes of Fire in "Smoke-Filled Rooms" | | Romans 13: The Burden is on the Archists | | Taxation, Representation, and the Myth of the State | | Why the State is not a "Divine Institution" | | Angels and Autarchy | | 95 Theses Against the State | | Here is what a Christian Anarchist looks like after he has joined The Christmas Conspiracy. |
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