Posted on 08/27/2007 6:08:20 AM PDT by goldstategop
But think about it. There are two components to Jesus' words. We are to "render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's," but we are also to "render unto God the things that are God's." Well, everything ultimately belongs to God. But, most of all, this injunction by Jesus instructs us that government laws cannot trump God's laws – ever.
If government commands you to do evil, as a Christian you must resist. There is no alternative. Citing the "render unto Caesar" line is an apologetic for accountability to God – nothing more, nothing less.
(Excerpt) Read more at worldnetdaily.com ...
And this exact line is usually used (here on FR, plenty) to justify every kind of tax, including income tax. Because conveniently, that is exactly the context of the story.
Oh, there are so many ways Christians use Christ to justify their behavior!
You are correct.
cf. is used mainly in legal writing. It means compare. Used when it’s a useful, relevant citation to a case but is not direct support for the proposition; situations where a case has relevance to the point but isn’t dispositive. Lawyers often use it in citations to cases that could be a problem for them but feel obliged to point the judge to the relevant case or he’ll come down on them. They use the cf. to point to the case and characterize it in favor of the point they are trying to make.
IMHO, the article fails to convey the Word as intended.
Our Lord and Savior responded to those queries with a response, not a reaction.
Those who place national government above the Plan of God attempt to counterfeit His Paradise with a cosmic system of order independent of God.
The issue of sin as an impediment to a relationship between God and man was settled on the Cross as the first coming neared its completion. The issue of good and evil still has not been settled for the angelic domain.
The impediment of sin for man to have a relationship with God is settled in a moment’s notice by simply turning back to God and confessing any and all known and unknown sins by 1st John 1:9.
Good and evil must be resolved over time.
All authority is granted by God. Accordingly, believers are instructed to obey all authority (legitimate authority, not illegitimate authority), because God has granted it directly and indirectly.
There are many tests ongoing to prove without doubt that any plan independent of God will fail in the long term to produce perfect justice and perfect righteousness.
When the question was placed to our Lord and Savior as to which authority was to be obeyed, the answer was simple. By giving to God what is His, we remain obedient to legitimate authorty and by giving to Caesar what was his, we also obey legitimate authority. Caesar then becomes wholly accountable to God for his actions and decisions within the authority granted him by God. Where Caesar chooses to act independently of God, then the failures of that system of government will ultimately become evidence for all of creation to witness as testimony against any appeals trial of the Adversary.
On the contrary, there are many believers who fall into the trap of thinking that by substituting an emphasis on legitimate behavior will afford them a worldly system of justice and righteousness, thereby improving the life they live, creating a counterfeit paradise on earth prior to His return and His Kingdom.
National governance is one of four known divinely established institutions for believer and unbeliever alike, which if they obey the legitimate authority within those institutions may live in freedom with productive lives. Our Lord simply respected both the divinely established institution of national governance, while also remaining in faith with the Father.
I don’t observe so much where civil disobedience is promoted in Scripture. Obedience to legitimate authority is mandated, which if viewed from a worldly perspective, independent of God, might be interpreted as civil disobedience.
Take for example when our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus was being placed under an illegitimate trial by Pilate and the chief priests. In Matt 27:11-15, Mark 15:2-5, Luke 23:3-6, and even in John 18, we have marvelous testimony by our Lord and Savior as to how to respond, not react, to worldly pressures which might be used to tempt us to step out of faith from Him.
In each of these cases, our Lord was not disobeident to legitimate authority, but instead respected the authority given to those who attempted to judge Him. Note also, that the strength of volition of the believer doesn’t entail the believer must control events. Instead, by remaining in faith through Christ in all things, God does all the work and provides for His loved ones. Even unto death, He remains just and righteous. There have been crowns established for his believers who persevere in faith through Him to be given us at the bema seat. For every cursing, there is a blessing for those who remain in faith through Him.
You will note that “Canada” and Australia came after the “US”.
And indeed, after the Second War for Independence.
Britain learned its lesson. ;-)
Absolutely. Although, in Britain’s defense, it was a situation which had never really come up before in world history.
At what point do the state’s laws (like the over 50% taxation we are now forced to pay at the point of a gun) become evil and in conflict with God’s law?
If Ceasar says we should pay 95% taxes, are Christians to submit?
Probably true.
And Britain certainly isn’t/wasn’t the worst thing there ever was in the world.
As it is, I think Britain learned to gain more by giving more - instead of losing completely its resources, it retained some of that while granting a good level of independence. Striking some kind of balance for all concerned.
Christ pointed to the picture of Ceasar on a coin when he said render unto Caeser what is Ceasers. This implies that there is a limit to what is Caesers. What is not . . . well . . . pray before you decide to disobey I guess.
It is quite possible that same strategy would have kept the US in the Empire.
But they probably had to be whacked really hard over the head to get their attention.
That's always good advice. I'm not cheating on my taxes....yet. Kidding!
I doubt that anyone on FR uses that scripture to justify adding a tax. If someone has and I missed it, they were wrong.
The verse does say we should pay a tax if it is levied. Doesn't mean we shouldn't work within the system to try to get the tax revoked.
“Our contest is not only whether we ourselves shall be free, but whether there shall be left to mankind an asylum on earth for civil and religious liberty” Samuel Adams
I don’t disagree, but don’t see how your reply does anything more than slightly temper my remarks.
In my younger days, I read and commented of many of those early historical documents and what remains in this feeble memory bank of mine is what was posted.
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