Regarding the commandment about obedience, it is an interesting question that arises regarding when, if ever, Christians are justified in rebelling. By the logic displayed in the Bible, we are instructed to submit to the authorities because God has placed them in that position, so rebelling against them is to rebel against God’s will.
However, in the case of the U.S. we do have the benefit of hindsight. The American revolutionaries succeeded in throwing off their rulers, and forming a new government, and that government has so far stood the test of time. So, an argument can be made that such is evidence that God must have placed that government in authority over us as well. After all, if God willed us to remain obedient to our previous rulers, how could our venture have succeeded?
Also, there is one clear and undeniable case where God gives us permission to rebel against the earthly authorities: when those authorities command us to disobey God. We have many examples, most importantly the lives of Jesus and the apostles, which God used to teach us that important lesson.
Uhh, not exactly.
The apostles stated they would obey God as ruler rather than men, regardless of the consequences.
Nothing there about rebelling against the rulers. Just refusing to obey them.
In America the "Obey the Rulers" command doesn't really fit all that well. All Americans share in the diffused rulership of a republic. We're all rulers and we're all the ruled.
At least in theory.
We are to submit to governing authorities, but Romans 13:1-2 refers to all governing authorities (whether civil, church, family, individual & others). Civil government can and will attempt to assign itself jurisdiction over everything, but Christians should reject this humanist concept, which effectively replaces God with civil government. Civil government has a Biblical jurisdiction largely limited to punishing crime (murder, theft and the like) and enforcing contracts. Nowhere in Ephesians 5 do I see any stipulation that my authority as a father and a husband is subject to civil government authority or permission.
I cannot speak for Ron Paul’s interpretation of the Bible, but the most committed Christians that I can think of (who have separated themselves from much of the trash that today’s self-styled Christians seem to have embraced)- the Reformed Christians known as Amish - live peaceful family lives and do not participate in foreign wars to my knowledge.
One thing I am certain of: doing anything based on lies, deception, theft, taking advantage of others is unBiblical. Any wars or conflicts fought under false pretenses and without justification are to be strictly avoided and not supported by Christians. What I perceive from modern evangelicals though, is the exact opposite: a knee jerk support for military interventionism. Moreover, by and large evangelicals seem to embrace the humanist interpretation of Romans 13:1-2.
Ultimately the Republic will not survive if Christians embrace lies and faulty theology.