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***Matthew quitting his job as a tax collector***

Tax collectors in Matthew's era were generally dishonest extortionists (Lk 19:8). Tax collectors coming to John for baptism were not told to quit their jobs (Lk 3). Read carefully.

12 Tax collectors also came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”
13 “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them.
14 Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”
He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.

The admonition is to be honest, not to quit. Matthew's decision to leave (9:9) was because Jesus called him to follow Him and he obeyed even as Peter left his fishing.

***render unto Caeser what is Caesers***

How does this statement in Mark 12 support your point. Please explain in context.

***Pauls admonishment not to participate in matters of law against other Christians.***

You can certainly be a government official in manifold capacities without ever engaging in any lawsuit, much less a personal law suit against a brother in Christ (which is percisely Paul's restriction).

***I'm kind of a believer that things happen in government because they're part of God's plan.***

Interesting that drstevej, the Calvinist, is advocating activism. Doug, God works all things after the counsel of His will, by your reasoning you should find a monastery. But even your very ability to live and breathe is "Lord willing."

Got any better reasons in the face of the clear examples of Joseph, Nehemiah and Esther?

The admonition is to be honest, not to quit. Matthew's decision to leave (9:9) was because Jesus called him to follow Him and he obeyed even as Peter left his fishing.

You're right, I didn't think about that.

How does this statement in Mark 12 support your point. Please explain in context.

It really doesn't, you're right again.:-)

You can certainly be a government official in manifold capacities without ever engaging in any lawsuit, much less a personal law suit against a brother in Christ (which is percisely Paul's restriction).
Interesting that drstevej, the Calvinist, is advocating activism.

The point I was attempting to make (badly) wasn't that you couldn't have a government job, but that the general theme in scripture seems to be that they stay away from attemping to influence government. Activism is a good word.

Government for Christians is really a perhipheral, incidental neccesity. A Christian is a Christian no matter what type of goverment we happen to live under. To attempt to change our government, or the policies of that government through activism isn't part of the commission given to the disciples of Christ. Ultimately too much focus on this becomes a false God...or at least it was for me.