“Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.”
Romans 13:7 NASB1995
God again picked a timely verse, considering that Monday (April 15) is Tax Day. These words from Paul from his epistle to the Romans are reflective of the words of Jesus in Luke 20:25, Mark 12:17, and Matthew 22:21, where He said “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” when asked by the scribes and chief priests whether it was lawful to pay taxes to the Roman government or not.
This section of Romans is titled “Be subject to government,” and the first verse sets the tone: “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.” (Romans 13:1)
Paul says that we should give the government the money (taxes), honor, and proper respect (custom and fear) which they are due, but we also reserve our right to give God what He alone is due. Elsewhere in the New Testament we are reminded that we are to disobey openly ungodly commands — Acts 5:29 (“But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.”) has the apostles directly opposing the Jewish leadership that had ordered the death of Jesus.
August Diehl as Franz Jägerstätter in the Terence Malick movie “A Hidden Life” (2019)
Barb and I have been watching a lot of movies about World War II recently, and one perfect example of both respecting the government and openly disobeying it in favor of following God’s law is “A Hidden Life”. It is the true story of a devout Catholic man named Franz Jägerstätter who willingly joined the German army when he was called upon to do so, but was imprisoned and eventually executed for refusing to make an oath to Adolf Hitler.
By following the orders to join the German army, Jägerstätter was rendering custom and fear to the government as Paul states here in Romans 13:7. His refusal to pledge his life to a maniacal dictator was in perfect accord with Acts 5:29.
One can ask the question if rebellion against government is ever justified. David Guzik in his Enduring Word commentary says
d. In light of this, is rebellion against government ever justified? If a citizen has a choice between two governments, it is right to choose and to promote the one that is most legitimate in God’s eyes — the one which will best fulfill God’s purpose for governments.
i. In a democracy we understand that there is a sense in which we are the government, and should not hesitate to help “govern” our democracy through our participation in the democratic process.
I take exception to Guzik’s reasoning for one very compelling reason: Jägerstätter did what he could. Since he was not living in a democracy, but a dictatorship, there was no way for him to “participate in the democratic process”. He rebelled against the Nazis in a very Christian way; by refusing to fight; enduring humiliation, imprisonment, and torture; and finally dying at the hands of the state to stand up for his beliefs.
How would I respond under similar circumstances? I found myself asking this very question after watching this movie, and the answer kept coming back as “I must obey God rather than men”. The true test would be how I’d respond when lined up against a wall in front of a firing squad. I pray that I would obey God and accept my eternal reward rather than support an oppressive regime.
How would you respond? Or, in light of our growing anti-Christian government, perhaps a better question is “How will you respond?”
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Heavenly Father, You are the ultimate source of all authority. In the words of 1 Timothy 2:1-2, I pray that all of Your followers pray for “all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.” May our prayers be acceptable to You, and may we all have the opportunity to worship You freely and live our lives obeying You and Your commandments. In the name of Your Son Jesus Christ, who willingly died to redeem me from my sin, I pray. AMEN.