The problem of reconciling the claims of civil government upon the individual Christian, with the claims of the divine government, especially when these conflict, no longer remains in the realm of theory for our men in the army. They are confronted by this problem with increasing frequency. And they turn, in constantly larger numbers, to their spiritual leaders for a solution.
How are obedience to rightful human authority and obedience to God always to be fulfilled? What is a faithful believer in God to do when civil authority, to which God admonishes him to be in subjection, demands of him the performance of an action or the adoption of a course, which if he obeys, makes him disobey God? What, to be exact, is the duty of a conscientious Christian noncombatant when he is given an order by lawful authority, which to obey involves disobedience to God, and thus compels him to violate his conscience?
It is just as well, at the present time, not to attempt an answer, of ourselves, to these searching questions. But it is quite all right for God to answer them, and for us to accept and pass on His answers. His answers may be found in the instruction contained in the word of God.
Writing to Titus about the believers in Crete, Paul said, "Put them in mind to be in subjection to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready unto every good work, to speak evil of no man, not to be contentious, to be gentle, showing all meekness toward all men." Titus 3:1, 2, R.V. Here is emphatically stated, by divine authority, the supremely important principle of obedience to human authority.
Nor are we left in ignorance of the basic reasons for this principle of relationship and action. This same writer, Paul, in addressing the believers in Rome, declared with inspired conviction: "There is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. . . . He is the minister of God to thee for good. . . , He is the minister of God. . . . Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience' sake." Rom. 13:1-5.
Here is set forth with utmost clearness the very heart of the whole matter. The Christian relationship and attitude to authority must always be determined in the light of these positive and basic principles. Lawful authority must not be resisted. Such resistance involves resisting the ordinance of God, for lawful authority has been established by God and ordained of God. Rulers are His ministers.
This does not mean, and it should not be construed to mean, that there is never a time when obedience to a government order should be refused. There is plenty of evidence in the Inspired Word to demonstrate that God's people are justified in disobeying commands which would override their consciences, and force them to disobey God. To obey God, they may be required to disobey the commands of men, even of lawful authorities. Even so, they are to remain "in subjection to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient," and are not "to resist the power."
In the Bible we are given such examples of disobedience to constituted authorities as the three Hebrews in the fiery furnace, and the refusal of the apostles of Christ to obey when the authorities in Jerusalem "commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus" (Acts 4:18), and their historic reply, which sets forth the foundation principle for the guidance of all God's servants —"We ought to obey God rather than men." Acts 5:29.
In these instances, which are for our learning, orders that conflicted with God's wile were refused obedience—and yet without resistance to constituted authority. How can these seemingly conflicting things be harmonized? There is but one adequate and true explanation, and that, too, will be found in the revelation God has made in the Bible.
The Bible makes plain that all authority is of divine origin. Civil government is ordained of God. He says so Himself. "The powers that be are ordained of God." Rom. 13:1. Therefore, while it is true that a few rule over the many, this is not to be attributed to the theory advanced by some—the world-wide usurpation of the rights of the many guileless and weak by the selfishness of a few of the crafty and strong. Such a contention provides no adequate or true explanation to the universal relations that exist between governors and governed.
Nor is civil government the result of some primeval -"social compact," in which the weak and helpless voluntarily surrender some of their rights in order to have the protection of the strong and capable. There is no justification of such a theory either in the records of the past or in the essential facts of man's nature.
God's explanation of civil government is the only true one : Civil authority is of divine origin. This was the declaration of the forerunner of Jesus : "A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven." John 3:27. And this was the declaration of Jesus Himself, when Pilate claimed to have power of life and death over Him: "Thou couldst have no power at all against Me, except it were given thee -from above." John 19:11. Power to make a wrong decision against the Majesty of heaven—that power was declared to be God given ! So also the power of the heathen governor over the bodies of men, as well as the power of the crucified Saviour over the souls of men, is from the same source—God Himself.
Christ declared His innocence to Pilate and asserted His claims—but He made no protest against being tried and condemned by a pagan official, even though that official represented the power that had deprived the Jewish nation of its liberty. That official also represented the principle of law and order. As such, he was the representative of God Himself. So Christ submissively yielded Himself to the execution of the sentence pronounced by this official. Consequently, when Paul taught the Cretans "to be in subjection to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient," he was only restating what the Lord Jesus had already taught by both word and example.
It is an essential part of the Christian faith, then, to show submission to rulers and constituted authorities, and to yield willing obedience to officers of civil government, even if they should be heathen. As heathen, they are no doubt rebels against God, however little they may be aware of the fact. But as officers of the civil government they are also His delegates and ministers, however little they may be aware of that fact.
The Christian believer is, however, aware of both facts. Nor must he suppose that the first cancels the second. The officer of civil government still remains God's delegate, however inconsistent his own life may be with such a position. Therefore, not only is it right for Christians to obey him ; they are to make it a matter of conscience to do so.
Paul wrote this instruction to Roman Christians who were suffering the cruelest persecution from the government. He wrote it when the unspeakable Nero had been on the throne for twelve or fourteen years, and was mercilessly oppressing the very people to whom Paul was writing. But all this had no bearing on the matter. Christians are not to concern themselves with discussing whether rulers govern well or ill, or whether their private lives are good or bad. The one thing that matters is that rulers are to administer the law, and as such are to be respected and obeyed.
Paul makes it plain that one of the reasons underlying this instruction is that the ruler is "not a terror to good works, but to the evil, ... a revenger to execute wrath upon him that cloeth evil." Rom. 13:3, 4. Quite possibly the law which the officer of civil government administers may be unjust, or he may administer it in such a way as to work injustice. Or he may issue a command which is altogether unjust and unfair, and as a consequence good deeds are punished, and evil deeds are rewarded. Even so, in no case is good punished as good, or evil rewarded as evil.
When King Ahab murdered Naboth to gratify his own greed for his land, it was on the assertion that Naboth was a blasphemer and a rebel. When Jesus was condemned to death by the Sanhedrin and by Pilate, it was on the assumption that He was guilty of similar crimes. And it has been so with all the monstrous and iniquitous laws which have been issued against Christianity and Christians. The persecuting edict "cast out" their name "as evil."
Men believed, or professed to believe, that Christians were grievous offenders or dangerous citizens. It was for this reason that they were brought before magistrates. This has been true, too, of the religious persecutions of which Christians have been guilty against other Christians. Not a single case has been found in which a person has been condemned for being virtuous, or for having failed to commit a crime. Many have been condemned for what was really meritorious, or for refusing to do what was wicked. But in every such case, the meritorious conduct and the wicked conduct were held to be of exactly opposite character by the representatives of civil government.
Nevertheless, civil authority and its official representatives are, by profession, and generally in fact also, a terror to the evil, and supporters of the good. They are charged with the all-important duty of upholding right and punishing wrong in human conduct, a duty which they never disown. Even when through blindness or perversity they uphold what is wrong and punish what is right, they profess to be doing the opposite.
Consequently, to rebel against civil authority and resist it, is to rebel against and to resist the essential principle of moral government. This is in effect a revolt against that principle which reflects and represents the moral government of God's own ordinance.
What, then, is the duty of a Christian when lawful authority commands him to do what he knows to be wrong ? Is he to revolt against those who make this demand ? Is he to rebel and stir up opposition to constituted authority ? Not at all. He is still "to be in subjection to rulers." His conscience will not permit him to obey the command given, but he does not resist authority. He is still in subjection. He disobeys, but he quietly and unresistingly takes the consequences. He owes it to his conscience to refuse to do what his conscience condemns. But he also owes it to the representative of law and order to abstain from shaking his authority.
Civil government has the power to give commands, and the right to punish disobedience. The Christian believer has no right to refuse both obedience and punishment. If his conscience requires him to disobey the command, his conscience also leads him to submit to the punishment. To disobey and submit to the consequences of disobedience is plainly his duty.
In this way, and in this way only, will loyalty to conscience and loyalty to authority both alike be preserved. This is conscientious disobedience accompanied by conscientious submission to constituted authority in receiving the penalty of disobedience.
