17 Honor all people...
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As a Christian, I want to obey The Word of God, but verse 17 in that passage has bothered me for decades. How do you honor a child molester, a drug dealer, people who destroy families and lives.....? How does one “honor” them?
Then said He unto them, But now, he that hath a purse let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword let him sell his garment and buy one. Luke 22:36
Guess there never should have been an American Revolution.
“whenever, then, the ruler encourages them that do evil, and is a terror to those that do well, i.e. as soon as he becomes a tyrant, he forfeits his authority to govern , and becomes the minister of Satan, and as such , ought to be opposed.” Samuel West — Election Sermon May 29,1776 —The Patriots Handbook —George Grant PhD pp119—152 -quote from p.135. or as it is written “Cursed is the man who puts his trust in man,who makes flesh his arm,and is turned from God.”Jeremiah 17:5— or as Peter and the other apostles answered and said “We ought to obey God rather than men....”Acts 5:29( see Acts 4: and : for context.. I agree we ought obey those in authority— but -we ought NOT ever let such obedience turn us from God.
Another possibility:
Make friends with an amiable Muslim, or even one who can act the part.
Have him be “on call”. Take lunch before the last head when you see Miss Wannamancut in the waiting area.
Then have “Mohammad” (acting as barber) state in no uncertain terms that he will not touch, much less cut the hair of said woman, and that she is dressed like a whore (regardless of what she is wearing), that the Prophet declares that she should be accompanied by a husband or male relative if she insists on being in public, and that she should leave before she brings further dishonor on herself. If she still insists, have him bring out the clippers with a 3 foot extension rod and see if she stays in the chair to see what he does next.
The best way to teach this is using the example of obeying speed limits.
There are two sides to the coin with Caesar’s image. We are to render honorably both unto Caesar and to God. The Civil Magistrate’s authority comes from God; therefore all civil authority must call good what God calls good, and evil what God calls evil. The Christian is bound to honor and obey all Civil Authorities until they exceed the power given them and claim that which belongs to God. The blood of the martyr’s shed for 2,000 years; and being shed today by faithful Christians is by this simple principle: When the authorities, ordained by God, command what God forbids, or forbids what God commands; then we obey God. Scripture does not support our innocence when we obey the Civil Authorities, if that causes us to disobey and sin against God. We are not absolved of disobedience to God, so long as we can we can show we did so at the command of the State ( “ I was just following orders”).
As much as we are enjoined to render unto Caesar that which belongs to him; we are equally, powerfully required to render to God those things that belong to God.
This principle binds even secular authority to God’s Moral Order that must prevail in order for a free safe and vigorous civilization to flourish. Our Constitution separated Church to protect it from the State; in order to disciple it with God’s word and prevent a State Church while binding it’s moral authority to God.
The principle remains that the Civil Authorities; as well as those they govern must obey God first, last, and always.