By Roy E. Ciampa, Ph.D., S. Louis and Ann W. Armstrong
Professor of Religion, Samford University
How Should I Respond to Politics?
Romans 13:1–10
Respond to the government with obedience. (1–4)
Paul wrote to Christians living at the epicenter of the Roman Empire and told them to submit themselves to all governing authorities, remembering that they have been instituted by God. This was not an endorsement of a specific form of government but of the value of government in maintaining civil order.
Governments are expected to punish those who do evil and leave those who do good in peace, serving as “God’s servants” for the good of those who live lawfully and the restraining of those who do not.
Of course, governments do not always act that way. Our Lord and the Apostle Paul both suffered at the hands of the authorities of their day, as did many of the prophets before them. And Acts 5:29 reminds us that when obeying authorities would require disobeying God, “We must obey God rather than men.”
Believers are to obey all proper laws, but the command to obey does not mean we cannot protest policies and actions of the government that dishonor God. Paul himself engaged in peaceful civil disobedience when he was unjustly arrested and imprisoned and refused to walk away until he received an apology for how he was treated (see Acts 16:36–40).
Respond to the government with integrity, respect and honor. (5–7)
Governments serve society by maintaining a level of civil stability and order that permits us to live without being at the mercy of chaos and lawlessness as the fundamental reality of our daily existence.
Paul says we owe them more than basic obedience to the civil laws that provide for a just society. As God’s servants (v. 6) we also owe them taxes, revenue, respect and honor (v. 7). In Paul’s world, the good that civil leaders did for their people was expected to gain them ever greater honor as generous benefactors of their people. The services rendered by public servants should indeed be respected, honored and compensated, and the taxes necessary for the fulfillment of their responsibilities should be paid. This means treating all public servants with respect and honor, not just those of the political party we support. If Paul could write as he does about honoring pagan Roman authorities, we can be respectful of politicians whose policies we oppose as well as of those we support.
Respond to political discussions and disagreements with love. (8–10)
The ultimate obligation we have to every member of our society is the obligation to love. Paul says all of God’s commandments are summarized in Leviticus 19:18, the commandment to love our neighbor as ourself. In a remarkable use of understatement, Paul declares, “Love does no wrong to a neighbor.” On the contrary, it prioritizes the well-being and the dignity of our neighbor, treating the best interests of our neighbors as a moral and spiritual priority.
Our nation is polarized to an extent rarely seen before. People angrily insult and dismiss each other based on political disagreements. We don’t treat each other with the dignity and respect due to all those made in God’s image.
Paul reminds us that if we love Christ, we must also love our neighbors as Christ loves them. We need love to listen without insulting or demeaning those whose ideas offend us. People should recognize our love for them is not measured by our agreement with their ideas.
Our Christian witness depends on this kind of love. In a time of great contention and polarization, we are called to be salt and light and to honor Christ in how we talk to others. Our ability to show common courtesy and disagree civilly are tremendously important parts of our Christian testimony in a world gripped by anger and hate. Christ’s love and respect are always needed — especially in times like these.
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