- King's College Seminary
- Posts
- Derek Hong on Romans 13
Derek Hong on Romans 13
Gerard Seow
November 10, 2021
[Editor’s note: Pastor Derek continues to grow and develop gifted individuals who must now go and do likewise. Derek Hong continues to restore dignity to the pastoral call when rightly put above (not below) our careers. In this exhortation, Pastor Derek shows he is willing to redraft the plan and align it toward the heart of the Father, to move forward again in the right direction]
“Nowadays, whenever Christians discuss how governments are handling the Covid situation, one passage of Scripture is often bandied around:
“Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same.”
“The point here is just submit and obey. That normally ends further dialogue and silences all uncomfortable questions. This state of things has troubled me greatly. Both in the Bible and history, many Christians have not simply bowed and complied. So I did some research on this. Here are my findings.
“There are two Greek words that are translated as “submit” or “obey” in the New Testament. The first is hupo-kouo. It literally means to conform, to follow a command, or to kowtow to an authority. This word was used twenty-one times in the New Testament as in the relationship between children and parents or slaves and their masters (Eph 6:1 and 6:5).
“The other Greek word is “hupo-tasso”, which literally means “respectfully in an orderly manner underneath”. It’s a passive state or posture. This is the word used in all the verses regarding submission and obedience to government authorities (Rom 13:1-3; Titus 3:1; 1 Peter 2:13) It reflects God’s concern for order and respect. The point is social orderliness, but its application has become obscured by our English translations.
“Governing authorities are necessary for keeping the peace. God is a God of order – not anarchy or chaos. Peter and Paul used this word in the context of the Christian’s relationship with governing authorities.
“In the Bible, submit is not the same as obey! They are two separate actions or postures.We must not miss out verse 4 when we quote Romans 13. “For he is God’s minister to you for good….”
“What happens when a government becomes corrupt or are led by people who have conflicted interests instead of doing good?
This is clear from the Bible”
“In the book of Exodus, the Hebrew midwives refused to carry out the Pharoah’s repugnant order to murder new-born babies. Daniel and his friends refused to eat food prescribed by a powerful tyrant nor bow before idols. Jesus deliberately broke Pharisaic laws. Paul, Peter and countless other disciples stood against rules and regulations that hindered the preaching of the Gospel. They deliberately disobeyed laws that were in conflict with God’s commands. However, they still submitted to the authorities by accepting the so-called legal consequences of their actions. Many disciples of Jesus today are in prison or are murdered for disobeying government decrees to deny or not preach Jesus.
“Here’s a key principle. Man-made laws cannot be our moral guide. Slavery was once lawful. The holocaust was legal. Segregation and apartheid were sanctioned. Many laws are created to protect institutions, corporations, dictators and powerful people with vested interests rather than for the good of ordinary people. Laws do not determine our ethics. God does.
“When Christians break unjust laws and policies, they usually don’t struggle against arrest. They don’t act violently or promote chaos. In this way, they submit to the governing authorities for their actions.There are circumstances when Christians have no choice but to speak up, break unjust laws to highlight and protest against injustice.
“This was what Christians did to save Jews from Nazi barbarity. Yet, they submit to the punishment for breaking such laws. John Wesley, the great revivalist preached and wrote against slavery in the city of Bristol, the foremost trading port for slaves. His life and those of his disciples were constantly under threat as even the church of England endorsed the practice.
“Furthermore, we need to search our hearts and examine our motives. When we are compliantly obedient to authorities, are we really doing so because we are solely obeying God? Did you also consider what you, or a loved one, may lose if you object to something questionable? Do you distance yourself from those who object to questionable policies in case you are seen to be part of it and suffer loss?
“Think about Christians holding high office who endorsed legalizing gambling, abortion and LGBTQ activism. Can you honestly believe they did not include personal interests in their decision to comply? I was told of a certain church where the pastor confronted a congregation member for delaying her vaccination, not because it’s about health, but she could not attend the physical church service and give her tithes! At least this pastor was honest about her personal agenda!
“During the AWARE saga, I received a letter from a prominent Christian leader who accused me of being a bigot. Later I found out he has a son who was homosexual. So, was his angst towards me based on God’s Word or because he wanted to demonstrate empathy for his son?
“The question we must answer before God: Is my submission before anyone (pastors included here) based on God’s Word and truth, or is it because of convenience (“I don’t have time to think about this”), expediency (“I or my loved one may lose something”) and political correctness (“I don’t want any trouble”)?
“Certainly, we must give leaders the benefit of doubt. That’s part of our respect for their office and responsibility. We think the best of them and pray God’s wisdom upon them. But after according them all that and things still go seriously wrong, especially when it’s coupled with suppression of voices calling for transparency, we must be willing to lay everything down to obey God rather than man.
“We know the saying:“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. Indifference is the opposite of love.
“Conversely, when we object to certain government directives, do we do so purely from principle? Is it possible we have an ax to grind? Perhaps we are resentful over some other issue which has caused us or a loved one some serious loss; so now we take umbrage over a totally unrelated matter to get one back.
“We follow a God of order and respect for one another and the governing authorities. At the same time, we are commanded to stand for truth, justice and the values of His Kingdom, whatever the cost.
“In this respect, Isaiah and many other prophets are clear: Isaiah 1:17 (NLT) Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.”
With permission from Pastor Derek Hong, Singapore from his Fb post this morning: https://www.facebook.com/100003340103860/posts/4481592261962066/?d=n