Romans 13, Subjection To Government; Authority; Resisting; Tyrants Usurped Authority; Pacifists,...

Romans 13Subjection To Government Biblical Civil

Disobedience Which Authority The Kings Heart Resisting Authority Common Grace The Problem Of

Evil Capital Punishment Tyrants= Usurped Authority Taxes Owe Nothing To Anyone Love One

Another Civil Disobedience

Beautiful alpenglow shot taken in Galena - where the temperature is currently -15 Brant Dallas Photography

BIBLE IN FIVEPastor Dave KooyersValley Bible FellowshipBox 433Boonville CA 95415httpwwwslidesharenetdkooyers wwwValleyBibleFellowshiporg

(707) 895-2325God bless you as you examine His WordYour servant in Christ 2Cor 45

These Microsoft PowerPoint presentations are provided for the equipping of the saints for the work of service to the building up of the body of Christ (Ephesians 412-15) To help Christians to to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head even Christ So that we are no longertossed here and thereby every wind of doctrine They may be downloaded and modified free of charge

Matthew 108 hellipFreely you received freely give

Romans Outlinebull Sinners All 1-3bull Salvation is by grace alone 321-5bull Sanctification our walk 6-7bull Sovereign security and assurance 8bull Salvation privileges position promises of Israel 9-11bull Service to God 12

bull Submit to Authorities for God 13bull Stick to essentials liberty in nonessentials 14bull Serve each other singing rejoicing 151-19bull Saints to visit 1520-1627

Romans 13Troy Kreienhop sent me this

bull ldquohellipThroughout Christian history Pauls 13th chapter of his epistle to the church at Rome has been used to whip those in the pews into blind submission to government authority Lutheran pastors hid behind Romans 13 as Hitler amp the Nazis engaged in mass atrocities amp genocide Many during our own War for Independence from British tyranny waived Romans 13 as a banner against the Patriot cause Submission to government authority at all costs is biblical Or is it hellip

Romans 131Be Subject To ldquoauthoritiesrdquo

bull NAS Romans 131 Let every person be in subjection to the governing authoritieshellip

bull NAS Titus 31 Remind them to be subject to rulers to authorities to be obedient to be ready for every good deed 2 to malign no one to be uncontentious gentle showing every consideration for all men 3 For we also once were foolish ourselves disobedient deceived enslaved to various lusts and pleasures spending our life in malice and envy hateful hating one another


bull Which ldquoauthorityrdquobull NAU Luke 45 And he [the devil] led Him up and showed Him

all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time 6 And the devil said to Him I will give You all this domain and its glory for it has been handed over to me and I give it to whomever I wish 7 Therefore if You worship before me it shall all be Yours

bull NAU Matthew 48 hellipthe devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory 9 and he said to Him All these things I will give You if You fall down and worship me


bull NAU Matthew 2818 And Jesus came up and spoke to them saying All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth

bull Which authority the devil or Jesusbull NAU 2 Corinthians 44 in whose case the god of this world has

blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ who is the image of God

bull NAU Hebrews 214hellipHe Himself likewise also partook of the same that through death He might [subjunctive] render powerless him who had the power of death that is the devil

bull NAU Psalm 1101 A Psalm of David The LORD says to my Lord Sit at My right hand Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet

Romans 131Jesus Proved His Authority

bull Jesus proved His authority over demons and disease (Mark 127-34 Matthew 101) (and He gave it to His disciples Matthew 105-8 Luke 91-2 1017) Jesus proved His authority by forgiving sins (Mark 25-12) and controlling nature (Mark 439-41)

bull Jesus demonstrated his authority over religious experts and leaders by driving out the money changers in the Temple (Mark 1115-17 27-28) Jesus claim that He is ldquoliferdquo (John 146) and has the authority to raise Himself from the dead (John 218-19 1017-18) He alone has victory over death

Romans 131 Jesus Authority

bull NAU Romans 131 hellipbe in subjection tohellipGodhellipbull NAU Colossians 210 and in Him you have been

made complete and He is the head over all rule and authority

bull NAU Hebrews 1317 Obey your leaders [under

shepherds of Christ] and submit to them for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account Let them do this with joy and not with grief for this would be unprofitable for you

Romans 131ndash7Biblical Civil Disobedience

bull NAU Exodus 117-22 But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them but let the boys livehellip 20 So God was good to the midwiveshellip21 hellipbecause the midwives feared God that He established households for them

bull NAS Joshua 21 hellipRahabhellip 3 And the king of Jericho sent word to Rahabhellip 6 But she had helliphidden them in the stalks of flaxhellip

bull NAS 2 Kings 111 When Athaliahhellipdestroyed all the royal offspring 2 But Jehoshebahelliptook Joashhellipfrom among the kings sons who were being put to deathhellip


bull NAU Acts 419 But Peter and John answered and said to them Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God you be the judge

bull NAU Acts 529 But Peter and the apostles answered We must obey God rather than men

bull 1 Samuel 1445 Jonathan saved from deathbull (1 Kings 183-4 Daniel 3+6 Revelation 1315)

Romans 131 Civil Disobediencebull NAU 1 Peter 212 Keep your behavior excellent among the

Gentiles so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers they may because of your good deeds as they observe them glorify God in the day of visitation 13 Submit yourselves for the Lords sake to every human institution whether to a king as the one in authority 14 or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right 15 For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men 16 Act as free men and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil but use it as bondslaves of God 17 Honor all people love the brotherhood fear God honor the king

Romans 131Which Authority

bull NAU 1 Peter 213 Submit yourselves for the Lords sake to every human institutionhellip15 For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men

bull NAU John 1910 Pilate therefore said to HimhellipDo You not know that I have authority to release You and I have authority to crucify You 11 Jesus answered You would have no authority over Me unless it had been given you from abovehellip

Romans 131The Kings Heart Is At Gods Discretion

bull NAU Proverbs 211 The kings heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD He turns it wherever He wishes

bull NAU Daniel 521 hellipthe Most High God is ruler over the realm of mankind and that He sets over it whomever He wishes

Romans 131 Authority

Romans 132 Resisting Authority

bull NAU Romans 132 Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves

bull ldquoIf you are going to walk with Jesus Christ you are going to be opposed In our days to be a true Christian is really to become a scandalrdquo

bull --George Whitefield (English preacher who proved to be one of the vessels used by God in the Great Awakening)

Flight Is A Way To Resist Flee Evil Rulers

bull NAU Matthew 2334 Therefore behold I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes some of them you will kill and crucify and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city [they are fleeing]

bull NAU Matthew 213hellipan angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said Get up Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypthellip


bull NAU John 71 After these things Jesus was walking in Galilee for He was unwilling to walk in Judea because the Jews were seeking to kill Him

bull NAU 1 Corinthians 618 Flee immorality hellipbull NAU Exodus 215 hellipMoses fled from the presence of

Pharaohhellip (Acts 729)bull NAU Acts 145 hellipthe Jews with their rulers to mistreat

and to stone them 6 they became aware of it and fled to the cities of Lycaoniahellip

bull NAU 1 Samuel 1917 hellipSaulhellip 18 Now David fled and escapedhellip

Romans 133-5

bull NAU Romans 133 For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior but for evil Do you want to have no fear of authority Do what is good and you will have praise from the same 4 for it is a minister of God to you for good But if you do what is evil be afraid for it does not bear the sword for nothing for it is a minister of God an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil 5 Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection not only because of wrath but also for conscience sake

Romans 133 Common Gracebull NAU Romans 133 For rulers are not a cause of

fear for good behavior but for evil Do you want to have no fear of authority Do what is good and you will have praise from the same

bull The restraint of evil by government is a common grace

bull NAU Acts 1417 and yet He did not leave Himself without witness in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons satisfying your hearts with food and gladnessrdquo

bull NAU Nahum 13 The LORD is slow to anger and great in powerhellip

Romans 133 Common Gracebull NAU Matthew 545 hellipyour Father who is in heaven for He

causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous

bull God has ordained the family unit and government for all people (Gen 96 1 Cor 117)

bull ldquoThe old British preacher Martyn Lloyd Jones described common grace in the best way I have found ldquoCommon grace is the term applied to those general blessings which God imparts to all men and women indiscriminately as He pleases not only to His own people (Christians) but to all men and women according to His own willrdquordquo httpwwwbridgeshcom201112what-is-common-grace

bull Henry Ward Beecher said ldquoThe sun does not shine for a few trees and flowers but for the wide worldrsquos joyrdquo

Romans 133 The Problem Of Evil bull NAU Romans 133 hellipbut for evilhellipbull Mark 721 For from within out of the heart of men proceed

the evil thoughts fornications thefts murders adulteriesbull Ravi Zacharias says ldquoWhen the question of evil is raised it is

either raised by a person or about personshellipwhich means that the intrinsic worth of personhood is assumed in the question Can one really make that assumption within a totally naturalistic framework Isnt it not contrived and extraneous then the value Every human life is a life of worth and of a life of valuehelliprdquo

bull DLK adds ldquoI have never heard anyone complain about the evil of tornados or spiders capturing and eating insects or lions eating gazelles or ravens stealing eggs No evil is a problem only when the image of God a human is violatedrdquo

Romans 134 The Sword= Capital Punishment

bull NAU Romans 134 hellipit does not bear the sword for nothing for it is a minister of God an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil

bull Paul submitted himself to the lawful use of the sword

bull NAU Acts 2511 If then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything worthy of death I do not refuse to die but if none of those things is true of which these men accuse me no one can hand me over to them I appeal to Caesar


bull NAU Matthew 144 hellipJohn had been saying to him It is not lawful for you to have herrdquohellip10 He sent and had John beheaded in the prison

bull NAU Matthew 2651 [Peter] drew out his sword and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear

bull NAU Matthew 2652 Then Jesus said to him Put your sword back into its place for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword

bull NAU 1 Timothy 21 First of all then I urge that entreaties and prayers petitions and thanksgivings be made on behalf of all men 2 for kings and all who are in authority so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity

Gen 96 Shall His Blood Be Shed

bull Gen 96bull Whoever sheds the blood of manbull by man shall his blood be shedbull for in the image of Godbull has God made man

Gen 96 Capital Punishment

bull Ex 2013 Thou shalt not kill KJVbull Ex 2013 You shall not murder NIVbull Ex 2112-14 Anyone who strikes a man and

kills him shall surely be put to death 13 However if he does not do it intentionally but God lets it happen he is to flee to a place I will designate 14 But if a man schemes and kills another man deliberately take him away from my altar and put him to death

Romans 134Tyrants= Usurped Authority

bull NAU Romans 134 for it is a minister of God to you for goodhellip

bull When rulers oppose God and do evil they are not acting under His authority They will be judged accordingly

bull 2 Chronicles 2616-21 Uzziahbull Uzziah was a good king for 52 years then he

went bad and was struck with leprosy


bull Tyrant From Wikipedia the free encyclopediabull ldquohellipA tyrant (Greek τύραννος tyrannos) in its modern English usage is an

absolute ruler unrestrained by law or constitution or one who has usurped legitimate sovereignty Often described as a cruel character a tyrant defends his position by oppressive means tending to control almost everything in the state[1][2] The original Greek term however merely meant an authoritarian sovereign without reference to character[3] bearing no pejorative connotation during the Archaic and early Classical periods However it was clearly a negative word to Plato and on account of the decisive influence of philosophy on politics its negative connotations only increased continuing into the Hellenistic period

bull Plato and Aristotle define a tyrant as one who rules without law and uses extreme and cruel tacticsmdashagainst his own people as well as others[4] helliprdquo

Romans 136-7 Render All

bull NAU Romans 136 For because of this you also pay taxes for rulers are servants of God devoting themselves to this very thing 7 Render to all what is due them tax to whom tax is due custom to whom custom fear to whom fear honor to whom honor

Romans 136Subjection To Government

bull NAU Romans 136 For because of this you also pay taxes for rulers are servants of God devoting themselves to this very thing

bull NAU Matthew 2221 They said to Him Caesars Then He said to them Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are Gods

Romans 136 Taxes

bull Luke 2022 Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or notldquo

bull Romans 136 For because of this you also pay taxes for rulers are servants of God devoting themselves to this very thing

Romans 136 Taxes

We saw a child dishonoring his mother in the restaurant today

bull NAU Romans 137 Render to all what is due themhellipfear to whom fear honor to whom honor

Romans 138-10 Love

bull NAU Romans 138 Owe nothing to anyone except to love one

another for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law 9 For

this YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY YOU SHALL NOT

MURDER YOU SHALL NOT STEAL YOU SHALL NOT COVET and if

there is any other commandment it is summed up in this saying

YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF 10 Love does

no wrong to a neighbor therefore love is the fulfillment of the law

Romans 138

bull Romans 138 Owe nothing to anyone hellipbull This is a double negativebull BYZ Romans 138 Μηδενὶ with another

negative nohellipat all μηδὲν nothing ὀφείλετε owehellip

bull What about a mortgage a business loan or student loans

Romans 138 Love One Anotherbull 1 Peter 122 Since you have in obedience to the

truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren fervently love one another from the heart

bull Ed Young has said ldquoHorizontal relationships- relationships between people- are crippled at the outset unless the vertical relationship- the relationship between each person and God- is in placerdquo

bull 1 John 47 Beloved let us love one another for love is from God and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God

Romans 138 Love One Another

bull John 1334 A new commandment I give to you that you love one another even as I have loved you that you also love one another

Romans 139-10LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF

bull NAU Romans 139 For this YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY YOU SHALL NOT MURDER YOU SHALL NOT STEAL YOU SHALL NOT COVET and if there is any other commandment it is summed up in this saying YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELFrdquo 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor love therefore is the fulfillment of the law

Romans 1310 Love Your Neighbor But Not Like The Wicked Bible

Romans 1311-14

NAU Romans 1311 And this do knowing the time that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed 12 The night is almost gone and the day is at hand Let us therefore lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light 13 Let us behave properly as in the day not in carousing and drunkenness not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality not in strife and jealousy 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts

Romans 1311 Asleep Sleep

bull Romans 1311 Do this knowing the time that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep for now salvation [from the presence of sin glorification]

is nearer to us than when we believed

So in conclusion 10 points

bull 1 Im not saying lets go kill all the stupid people Im just saying lets remove all the warning labels and let the problem work itself out

bull 2 I changed my car horn to gunshot sounds People move out of the way much faster now

bull 3 You can tell a lot about a womans mood just by her hands If they are holding a gun shes probably upset

bull The rest next timehellip

THE END

Psalm 66 HOW TEARS POINT TO A DESIGNER creationmomentscom

bull ldquoMany men today believe that the shedding of tears is a sign of weakness They seem to have forgotten that Jesus wept when told that Lazarus had died Jeremiah is known as the weeping prophet who shed tears over a backslidden nation Even David the slayer of tens of thousands wrote that he often drenched his bed with tears Our Designer not only gave us glands to produce tears He also gave us an ingenious way to dispose of excess tears Here is how William Paley described this design feature in his nineteenth-century classic Natural Theology To keep the eye moist and clean hellip a wash is constantly supplied by a secretion for the purpose and the superfluous brine is conveyed to the nose through a perforation in the bone as large as a goose quill When the fluid has entered the nose it spreads itself upon the inside of the nostril and is evaporated by the current of warm air which in the course of respiration is continually passing over itrdquo Listen closely to Paleys next words Its easily perceived that the eye must want moisture but could the want of the eye generate the gland which produces the tear or bore the hole by which its discharged ndash a hole through bonerdquo The answer of course is no not in a billion years As any rational person can plainly see these features were designed by our Creator

bull Notes William Paley Natural Theology p 33 (The Works of William Paley DD Ward Lock amp Co London) Visual Woodcut of William Paley (1743-1805)

bull Woodcut of William Paley (1743-1805)

2 Chronicles 2614 Uzziahbull NAU 2 Chronicles 2614 Moreover Uzziah prepared for all the army shields spears helmets

body armor bows and sling stones15 In Jerusalem he made engines of war invented by skillful men to be on the towers and on the corners for the purpose of shooting arrows and great stones Hence his fame spread afar for he was marvelously helped until he was strong 16 But when he became strong his heart was so proud that he acted corruptly and he was unfaithful to the LORD his God for he entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense 17 Then Azariah the priest entered after him and with him eighty priests of the LORD valiant men 18 They opposed Uzziah the king and said to him It is not for you Uzziah to burn incense to the LORD but for the priests the sons of Aaron who are consecrated to burn incense Get out of the sanctuary for you have been unfaithful and will have no honor from the LORD Godrdquo 19 But Uzziah with a censer in his hand for burning incense was enraged and while he was enraged with the priests the leprosy broke out on his forehead before the priests in the house of the LORD beside the altar of incense 20 Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him and behold he was leprous on his forehead and they hurried him out of there and he himself also hastened to get out because the LORD had smitten him 21 King Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death and he lived in a separate house being a leper for he was cut off from the house of the LORD And Jotham his son was over the kings house judging the people of the land

bull What authority does Jesus have By Gary Meredithbull Then Jesus came to them and said All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me Therefore go and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of

the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age Matthew 2818-20bull The above Scripture passage famously called the Great Commission is the only place in the Bible fully stating that all authority in all physical and spiritual reality belongs to Jesus However many other

passages elaborate on Christs total authority or reveal specific parts of itbull Legitimate authority in the Bible is always given by one (higher) person to another The ultimate source of all authority is God Because God didnt get his authority from anyone else no one can demand that

He explain what right He has to do anything (Isaiah 459 648 Romans 920-21) Therefore anyone who can prove that their authority for what they do comes from God must be obeyed So it was and is with Jesus

bull During his earthly ministry Jesus gave hints of that mystery little by little gradually revealing the mind-boggling truth of his authority in ways no witness could rationally deny He began with his teaching presenting lessons that were new and original (though solidly grounded in the Old Testament) This surprised the people who were used to Bible teachers who cited other human teachers for their authority (Matthew 828-29 Mark 127)

bull Jesus next revealed his authority over demons and over disease (Mark 127-34) which He had the authority to give his disciples (Luke 91-2 1017) He greatly upset religious experts by his authority to forgive sins which God alone has (Mark 25-12) Then he astonished his disciples with his authority over nature when he ordered a storm to be quiet (Mark 439-41)

bull Things really came to a head with the religious experts and leaders in Jesus final days on earth when for the second time He asserted his authority over the Temple in Jerusalem driving out the merchants and money changers (Mark 1115-17 27-28) Jesus had done the same thing at the start of his ministry when most startling of all He claimed as future proof for all his other claims the authority to give up his life and take it back again mdash to die and rise from the dead (John 218-19 1017-18)

bull But the religious leaders refused to acknowledge Jesus authority or its Source many times even to the point of blasphemy (Matthew 1224-32) though God made it clear and undeniable to them (John 940-41) They did the same after his resurrection (Acts 45-7 16) Their unbelief was in stark contrast to the Gentile Roman centurion who in simple faith grasped the truth about Jesus authority and believed it (Matthew 85-13) That is why Jesus so highly praised the man telling his followers Truly I tell you I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith (Matthew 810)

bull When Christians today say we are acting in the name of Jesus it is the same as claiming that we are acting under the authority of Jesus Christ mdash an awesome responsibility never to be taken lightly or flippantly (Exodus 207 Acts 1913-16) All our authority to serve God comes from Jesus Himself (Matthew 2818-20) because He is the only authority in all heaven and earth to bring people to salvation by faith (John 1232 146 Acts 412) to raise them to eternal life (John 639-44 54) and to judge their entire lives (2 Corinthians 510)

bull Jesus has all authority including over heaven and earth good and evil human and demonic authoritiestweetbull One last point All authority on heaven and earth includes good and evil human and demonic authorities The authority of evil human rulers comes from God Who gives it and can take it away (Daniel 424-

26) That includes the authority God gave Pontius Pilate to crucify Jesus (John 1911) and of all worldly authorities who have governing power over us and all people (Romans 131-7) This is also true of the authority God gave Satan to harm Job but not kill him (Job 112 26) and to possess all nations in the world until Christ comes again (Luke 45-7 James 44) authority which Satan delegates to a variety of rulers authorities and powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 612) At the end of time God will judge every ruler according to how they used the authority He gave them (Revelation 615-17) In the end all authorities good or evil earthly or heavenly will acknowledge the ultimate total authority of Jesus over them (Philippians 29-11 Revelation 511-14 1714) as Jesus in turn hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion authority and power (1 Corinthians 1524)

bull So too God will judge each of us for how we used whatever authority He gave us whether little or much (Luke 1248 Matthew 2514-28) as for example parents teachers coaches mentors or bosses And so our aim in life should be to use the authority God gives us in such a way that at the end we will hear Him say to us Well done good and faithful servant (Matthew 2521)

Romans 134 Pacifists Pacifism

Romans 131ndash7 rdquoWhen is civil disobedience allowed for a Christianrdquo

GotQuestionsorgbull Question When is civil disobedience allowed for a Christian

bull Answer The emperor of Rome from AD 54 to 68 was Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus also known simply as Nero The emperor was not known for being a godly person and engaged in a variety of illicit acts homosexual marriage being among them In AD 64 the great Roman fire occurred with Nero himself being suspected of arson In his writings the Roman senator and historian Tacitus recorded ldquoTo get rid of the report [that he had started the fire] Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations called Christians by the populacerdquo (Annals XV)

bull It was during the reign of Nero that the apostle Paul wrote his epistle to the Romans While one might expect him to encourage the Christians in Rome to rise up against their oppressive ruler in the chapter 13 we find this instead

bull ldquoEvery person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities For there is no authority except from God and those which exist are established by God Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior but for evil Do you want to have no fear of authority Do what is good and you will have praise from the same for it is a minister of God to you for good But if you do what is evil be afraid for it does not bear the sword for nothing for it is a minister of God an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection not only because of wrath but also for consciencersquo sake For because of this you also pay taxes for rulers are servants of God devoting themselves to this very thing Render to all what is due them tax to whom tax is due custom to whom custom fear to whom fear honor to whom honorrdquo (Romans 131ndash7)

bull Even under the reign of a ruthless and godless emperor Paul writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit tells his readers to be in subjection to the government Moreover he states that no authority exists other than that established by God and that rulers are serving God in their political office

bull Peter writes nearly the same thing in one of this two New Testament letters bull ldquoSubmit yourselves for the Lordrsquos sake to every human institution whether to a king as the one in authority or to

governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men Act as free men and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil but use it as bondslaves of God Honor all people love the brotherhood fear God honor the kingrdquo (1 Peter 213ndash17)

bull Both Paulrsquos and Peterrsquos teachings have led to quite a few questions from Christians where civil disobedience is concerned Do Paul and Peter mean that Christians are always to submit to whatever the government commands no matter what is asked of them

bull A Brief Look at the Various Views of Civil Disobediencebull There are at least three general positions on the matter of civil disobedience The anarchist view says that a person can

choose to disobey the government whenever he likes and whenever he feels he is personally justified in doing so Such a stance has no biblical support whatsoever as evidenced in the writings of Paul in Romans 13

bull The extremist patriot says that a person should always follow and obey his country no matter what the command As will be shown in a moment this view also does not have biblical support Moreover it is not supported in the history of nations For example during the Nuremberg trials the attorneys for the Nazi war criminals attempted to use the defense that their clients were only following the direct orders of the government and therefore could not be held responsible for their actions However one of the judges dismissed their argument with the simple question ldquoBut gentlemen is there not a law above our lawsrdquo

bull The position the Scriptures uphold is one of biblical submission with a Christian being allowed to act in civil disobedience to the government if it commands evil such that it requires a Christian to act in a manner that is contrary to the clear teachings and requirements of Godrsquos Word

bull Civil DisobediencemdashExamples in Scripturebull In Exodus 1 the Egyptian Pharaoh gave the clear command to two Hebrew midwives that they were to kill all male

Jewish babies An extreme patriot would have carried out the governmentrsquos order yet the Bible says the midwives disobeyed Pharaoh and ldquofeared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them but let the boys liverdquo (Exodus 117) The Bible goes on to say the midwives lied to Pharaoh about why they were letting the children live yet even though they lied and disobeyed their government ldquoGod was good to the midwives and the people multiplied and became very mighty Because the midwives feared God He established households for themrdquo (Exodus 120ndash21)

bull In Joshua 2 Rahab directly disobeyed a command from the king of Jericho to produce the Israelite spies who had entered the city to gain intelligence for battle Instead she let them down via a rope so they could escape Even though Rahab had received a clear order from the top government official she resisted the command and was redeemed from the cityrsquos destruction when Joshua and the Israeli army destroyed it

bull The book of 1 Samuel records a command given by King Saul during a military campaign that no one could eat until Saul had won his battle with the Philistines However Saulrsquos son Jonathan who had not heard the order ate honey to refresh himself from the hard battle the army had waged When Saul found out about it he ordered his son to die However the people resisted Saul and his command and saved Jonathan from being put to death (1 Samuel 1445)

bull Another example of civil disobedience in keeping with biblical submission is found in 1 Kings 18 That chapter briefly introduces a man named Obadiah who ldquofeared the Lord greatlyrdquo When the queen Jezebel was killing Godrsquos prophets Obadiah took a hundred of them and hid them from her so they could live Such an act was in clear defiance of the ruling authorityrsquos wishes

bull In 2 Kings the only apparently approved revolt against a reigning government official is recorded Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah began to destroy the royal offspring of the house of Judah However Joash the son of Ahaziah was taken by the kingrsquos daughter and hidden from Athaliah so that the bloodline would be preserved Six years later Jehoiada gathered men around him declared Joash to be king and put Athaliah to death

bull Daniel records a number of civil disobedience examples The first is found in chapter 3 where Shadrach Meshach and Abednego refused to bow down to the golden idol in disobedience to King Nebuchadnezzarrsquos command The second is in chapter 6 where Daniel defies King Dariusrsquo decree to not pray to anyone other than the king In both cases God rescued His people from the death penalty that was imposed signaling His approval of their actions

bull In the New Testament the book of Acts records the civil disobedience of Peter and John towards the authorities that were in power at the time After Peter healed a man born lame Peter and John were arrested for preaching about Jesus and put in jail The religious authorities were determined to stop them from teaching about Jesus however Peter said ldquoWhether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God you be the judge for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heardrdquo (Acts 419ndash20) Later the rulers confronted the apostles again and reminded them of their command to not teach about Jesus but Peter responded ldquoWe must obey God rather than menrdquo (Acts 529)

bull One last example of civil disobedience is found in the book of Revelation where the Antichrist commands all those who are alive during the end times to worship an image of himself But the apostle John who wrote Revelation states that those who become Christians at the time will disobey the Antichrist and his government and refuse to worship the image (Revelation 1315) just as Danielrsquos companions violated Nebuchadnezzarrsquos decree to worship his idol

bull Civil DisobediencemdashConclusionbull What conclusions can be drawn from the above biblical examples The guidelines for a Christianrsquos civil disobedience can

be summed as follows

bull bull Christians should resist a government that commands or compels evil and should work nonviolently within the laws of the land to change a government that permits evil

bull bull Civil disobedience is permitted when the governmentrsquos laws or commands are in direct violation of Godrsquos laws and commands

bull bull If a Christian disobeys an evil government unless he can flee from the government he should accept that governmentrsquos punishment for his actions

bull bull Christians are certainly permitted to work to install new government leaders within the laws that have been established

bull Lastly Christians are commanded to pray for their leaders and for God to intervene in His time to change any ungodly path that they are pursuing ldquoFirst of all then I urge that entreaties and prayers petitions and thanksgivings be made on behalf of all men for kings and all who are in authority so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignityrdquo (1 Timothy 21ndash2)

Romans 131-7 Illegal immigrationbull Question What does the Bible say about illegal immigration

Answer Note We wholeheartedly believe that Christians are called to be compassionate and merciful towards immigrants (Exodus 2535 Leviticus 1033-34 Matthew 2535) We also believe that the United States should have a more compassionate and merciful immigration policy However that is not the question at hand The question at hand is whether it is wrong to violate a nations borders and transgress its immigration laws

Romans 131-7 makes it abundantly clear that God expects us to obey the laws of the government The only exception to this is when a law of the government forces you to disobey a command of God (Acts 529) Illegal immigration is the breaking of a governmental law There is nothing in Scripture that contradicts a nation having immigration laws Therefore it is a sin rebellion against God to illegally enter another country

Illegal immigration is definitely a controversial issue in the United States (and some other countries) today Some argue that the immigration laws are unfair unjust and even discriminatory ndash giving individuals justification to immigrate illegally However Romans 131-7 does not give any permission to violate a law just because it is unjust Again the issue is not the fairness of a law The only biblical reason to violate a governmental law is if that law violates Gods Word When Paul wrote the book of Romans he was under the authority of the Roman Empire led by perhaps the most evil of all the Roman emperors Nero Under that reign there were many laws that were unfair unjust andor blatantly evil Still Paul instructed Christians to submit to the government

Are the immigration laws of the United States unfair or unjust Some think so but that is not the issue All developed countries in the world have immigration laws some more strict than the USA and some less strict than the USA There is nothing in the Bible to prohibit a country from having completely open borders or to have completely closed borders Romans 131-7 also gives the government the authority to punish lawbreakers Whether the punishment is imprisonment andor deportation or even something more severe it is within the rights of the government to determine

The vast majority of illegal immigrants in the United States have come for the purpose of having a better life providing for their families and escaping from poverty These are good goals and motivations However it is not biblical to violate a law to achieve something good Caring for the poor orphans and widows is something the Bible commands us to do (Galatians 210 James 127 22-15) However the biblical fact that we are to care for the unfortunate does not mean we should violate the law in doing so Supporting enabling andor encouraging illegal immigration is therefore also a violation of Gods Word Those seeking to emigrate to another country should always obey the immigration laws of that country While this may cause delays and frustrations these reasons do not give a person the right to violate a law

What is the biblical solution to illegal immigration Simple ndash dont do it obey the laws If disobedience is not a biblical option what can be done in regards to an unjust immigration law It is completely within the rights of citizens to seek to change immigration laws If it is your conviction that an immigration law is unjust do everything that is legally within your power to get the law changed pray petition vote peacefully protest etc As Christians we should be the first to seek to change any law that is unjust At the same time we are also to demonstrate our submission to God by obeying the government He has placed in authority over us

Be subject for the Lordrsquos sake to every human institution whether it be to the emperor as supreme or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good For this is the will of God that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people Live as people who are free not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil but living as servants of God (1 Peter 213ndash16)

Recommended Resources Hard Sayings of the Bible by Kaiser Davids amp Brauch and Logos Bible Software

Romans 131Question How should a Christian view gun

control bull ldquoAnswer The recent shootings across the United States have caused much heartache The senseless and tragic incidents

have also renewed the intensity of discussion regarding American gun laws Politicians sportsmen and theologians have all weighed in on the issue of gun control Guns are readily available in the US and ownership is protected by the Constitution How should a Christian view gun control What does the Bible have to say that would apply to gun control

bull The Bible was written long before the invention of any type of gun so the phrase ldquogun controlrdquo will not be found in Scripture However the Bible records many accounts of wars battles and the use of weapons Warfare is presented as an inevitable part of living in a fallen world (Mark 137 James 41) and weaponry is a necessary part of warfare Weapons in the Bible were also used for personal protection In some parts of Israel robbers were common (see Luke 1030) and many people carried weapons when they traveled Carrying a weapon for self-defense is never condemned in the Bible In fact it was mentioned in a positive light by Jesus Himself on one occasion (Luke 2235-38)

bull Christians are called to submit to governing authorities and they are to obey the laws of the land (Romans 131-7 1 Peter 213-17) This would have to apply to gun laws too If American gun laws change American Christians should submit to these changes and work through democratic means toward any desired alternatives The Bible does not forbid the possession of weapons and neither does it command such possession Laws may come and go but the goal of the believer in Jesus Christ remains the same to glorify the Lord (1 Corinthians 1031)

bull Another biblical principle to consider is that ldquoall who draw the sword will die by the swordrdquo (Matthew 2652) Jesus said this to Peter when Peter tried to mount an imprudent ldquodefenserdquo of Jesus against the mob that had come to arrest Him Peterrsquos actions were not only futile against such a ldquolarge crowd armed with swords and clubsrdquo (verse 47) but his rash behavior also belied Jesusrsquo submissive attitude (verse 50) and worked against the fulfillment of Scripture (verse 54) There is ldquoa time for war and a time for peacerdquo (Ecclesiastes 38) and Peter confused the two

bull Christianity supports personal freedom Romans 141-4 indicates that when Scripture does not clearly address a particular issue there is freedom for individual choice America has historically embraced the concept of personal freedom that resonates with this principle and the founding documents guarantee wide freedoms regarding firearms Some point to Matthew 59 in which Jesus pronounces a blessing on the peacemakers and apply it to the issue of gun control The idea is that guns are antithetical to peace This may be more of a philosophical or political idea than a theological one however There is nothing theologically or even logically that links guns to a lack of peace sometimes guns help maintain civil peace

bull Debates over whether to control guns or how much to control them depend largely on political and philosophical arguments not moral ones This is not to say that there is no moral component to the issue Obviously the gun itself is amoral an object that can be used for good or for evil More important is the morality of the person wielding the gun and that is too often the missing consideration in the gun control argument The fact that some sinners use guns to commit sin does not mean guns are the problem Sin is the problem and thatrsquos a moral and spiritual issue Since the very beginning of humanity people have been killing other people with and without weapons (see Genesis 4) Taking a certain weapon out of circulation might make murder more difficult but by no means impossible

bull As far as the Bible is concerned the use of guns is a matter of personal conviction There is nothing unspiritual about owning a gun or knowing how to use one There is nothing wrong with protecting oneself or loved ones even if it involves the use of weapons We need not pretend there is never a need for guns but pointing a gun at a person should always be a last resort We should seek to neutralize threats without violence whenever possible

bull So how should a Christian view gun control With the authority God has entrusted to it the government has the right to allow or disallow gun ownership to whatever degree it deems right We as citizens are called to submit to whatever gun control laws the government institutes This is not however a statement on the wisdom of gun control There are good reasons to allow law-abiding citizens to own guns Ultimately guns are not the problem Sinful people are the problem

bull Recommended Resources Politics - According to the Bible A Comprehensive Resource for Understanding Modern Political Issues in Light of Scripture by Wayne Grudem and Logos Bible Software

Romans 131 Civil Disobediencebull Question Do Christians have to obey the laws of the land

Answer Romans 131-7 states ldquoEveryone must submit himself to the governing authorities for there is no authority except that which God has established The authorities that exist have been established by God Consequently he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves For rulers hold no terror for those who do right but for those who do wrong Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority Then do what is right and he will commend you For he is Gods servant to do you good But if you do wrong be afraid for he does not bear the sword for nothing He is Gods servant an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer Therefore it is necessary to submit to the authorities not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience This is also why you pay taxes for the authorities are Gods servants who give their full time to governing Give everyone what you owe him If you owe taxes pay taxes if revenue then revenue if respect then respect if honor then honorrdquo

This passage makes it abundantly clear that we are to obey the government God places over us God created government to establish order punish evil and promote justice (Genesis 96 1 Corinthians 1433 Romans 128) We are to obey the government in everythingmdashpaying taxes obeying rules and laws and showing respect If we do not we are ultimately showing disrespect towards God for He is the One who placed that government over us When the apostle Paul wrote to the Romans he was under the government of Rome during the reign of Nero perhaps the most evil of all the Roman emperors Paul still recognized the Roman governmentrsquos rule over him How can we do any less

The next question is ldquoIs there a time when we should intentionally disobey the laws of the landrdquo The answer to that question may be found in Acts 527-29 ldquoHaving brought the apostles they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest We gave you strict orders not to teach in this Name he said Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this mans blood Peter and the other apostles replied lsquoWe must obey God rather than menldquo From this it is clear that as long as the law of the land does not contradict the law of God we are bound to obey the law of the land As soon as the law of the land contradicts Gods command we are to disobey the law of the land and obey Gods law However even in that instance we are to accept the governmentrsquos authority over us This is demonstrated by the fact that Peter and John did not protest being flogged but instead rejoiced that they suffered for obeying God (Acts 540-42)

Recommended Resource Hard Sayings of the Bible by Kaiser Davids amp Brauch

bull httpwwwgotquestionsorg

Romans 131 wwwcompassorgbull Dear Compassbull Regarding the GML about paying taxes to the corrupt United States government how could you make so light of the question You say we are to

submit to the authority and I say it needs to be questioned or we frogs will soon be boiled There are serious problems at hand and you make no mention of it

bull Another wrote this is a head-in-the-sand comfort-zone approach bull Still another wrote This country was founded on great Christian principles I wish it were the same today bull

ANSWERbull Jesus said we are to pay taxes the government imposes He didnt say not to pay taxes if it were corrupt In fact the particular tax Jesus paid from the

coin in the fishs mouth was an illegal tax He didnt owe but paid it anywaybull He said Yes And when he came into the house Jesus spoke to him first saying What do you think Simon From whom do the kings of the earth

collect customs or poll-tax from their sons or from strangersrdquo And upon his saying From strangers Jesus said to him Consequently the sons are exempt But lest we give them offense go to the sea and throw in a hook and take the first fish that comes up and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel Take that and give it to them for you and Me mdashMatthew 1725-27The government in Jesus time the Roman Empire was one of the WORST governments of all time In its worst day the United States doesnt hold a candle to the Roman Empire Yet He said to pay taxes to themThey said to Him Caesars Then He said to them Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are Gods mdashMatthew 2221Obviously if the government asks us to personally violate Scripture thats another storyThen they approached and spoke before the king about the kings injunction Did you not sign an injunction that any man who makes a petition to any god or man besides you O king for thirty days is to be cast into the lions denThe king replied The statement is true according to the law of the Medes and Persians which may not be revoked Then they answered and spoke before the king Daniel who is one of the exiles from Judah pays no attention to you O king or to the injunction which you signed but keeps making his petition three times a day Then as soon as the king heard this statement he was deeply distressed and set his mind on delivering Daniel and even until sunset he kept exerting himself to rescue him Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king Recognize O king that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or statute which the king establishes may be changed

bull Then the king gave orders and Daniel was brought in and cast into the lions den The king spoke and said to Daniel Your God whom you constantly serve will Himself deliver you

bull mdashDaniel 612-16We didnt comment on whether or not the government could be improved It could be and should be By the grace of God we in the United States CAN change our laws and leaders But this incredible opportunity has not been exercised to the degree possible as less than 50 percent of evangelical Christians voted in the last presidential election For whatever His reasons God gave the citizens of the US exactly who He wanted to be PresidentLet every person be in subjection to the governing authorities For there is no authority except from God and those which exist are established by God mdashRomans 131There have also been several emails over the past few months that indicate a longing for the good ol days But God saysDo not say Why is it that the former days were better than these mdashEcclesiastes 710God isnt as concerned about your circumstances as He is your response to your circumstances

bull wwwcompassorg

Romans 133 Question What is common grace

bull Question What is common grace

AnswerThe doctrine of common grace pertains to the sovereign grace of God bestowed upon all of mankind regardless of theirelection In other words God has always bestowed His graciousness on all people in all parts of the earth at all time Although the doctrine of common grace has always been clear in Scripture in 1924 the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) adopted the doctrine of common grace at the Synod of Kalamazoo (Michigan) and formulated what is known as the ldquothree points of common gracerdquo

The first point pertains to the favorable attitude of God toward all His creatures not only toward the elect ldquoThe Lord is good to all he has compassion on all he has maderdquo (Psalm 1459) Jesus said God causes ldquohis sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteousrdquo (Matthew 545) and God ldquois kind to the ungrateful and wickedrdquo (Luke 635) Barnabas and Paul would later say the same thing ldquoHe has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joyrdquo (Acts 1417) In addition to His compassion goodness and kindness God also sheds His patience upon both the elect and the non-elect While Godrsquos patience for His own is undoubtedly different from His patience with those whom He has not chosen God still exercises ldquolongsufferingrdquo toward those whom He has not chosen (Nahum 13) Every breath that the wicked man takes is an example of the mercy of our holy God

The second point of common grace is the restraint of sin in the life of the individual and in society Scripture records God directly intervening and restraining individuals from sinning InGenesis 20 God restrained Abimelech from touching Sarah Abrahamrsquos wife and affirmed it to him in a dream by saying ldquoYes I know you did this with a clear conscience and so I have kept you from sinning against me That is why I did not let you touch herrdquo (Genesis 206) Another example of God restraining the wicked hearts of evil men is seen in Godrsquos protection of the land of Israel from being invaded by the pagan nations on their border God commanded the men of Israel that three times a year they would leave their plot of land to go and appear before Him (Exodus 3423) To ensure the protection of Godrsquos people from invasion during these times even though the pagan nations surrounding them desired their land year-round God promised that ldquono one will covet your land when you go up three times each year to appear before the Lord your Godrdquo (Exodus 3424) God also restrained David from taking revenge on Nabal for scorning the messengers that David sent to greet Nabal (1 Samuel 2514) Abigail Nabalrsquos wife recognized Godrsquos grace when she pleaded with David not to seek vengeance against her husband ldquosince the Lord has kept you my master from bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own handshelliprdquo (1 Samuel 2526) David acknowledged this truth by responding ldquoAs surely as the Lord the God of Israel lives who has kept me from harming youhelliprdquo (1 Samuel 2534)

This second point of common grace not only includes Godrsquos restraining of evil but also His sovereignly releasing it for His purposes When God hardens the hearts of individuals (Exodus 421Joshua 1120Isaiah 6317) He does so by releasing His restraint on their hearts thereby giving them over to the sin that resides there In His punishment of Israel for their rebellion God gave ldquothem over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devicesrdquo (Psalm 8111-12) The passage of Scripture best known for speaking of Godrsquos releasing of restraint is found inRomans 1where Paul describes those who suppress the truth by their wickedness God ldquogave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one anotherrdquo (Romans 128)

The third point of common grace as adopted by the CRC pertains to ldquocivic righteousness by the unregeneraterdquo This means that God without renewing the heart exercises such influence that even the unsaved man is enabled to perform good deeds toward his fellow man As Paul said of a group of unregenerate Gentiles they ldquodo by nature things required by the law they are a law for themselves even though they do not have the lawrdquo (Romans 214) The necessity of God restraining the hearts of the unredeemed becomes clear when we understand the biblical doctrine oftotal depravity If God did not restrain the evil that resides in the hearts of all men hearts which are ldquodeceitful and desperately wickedrdquo (Jeremiah 179) humanity would have destroyed itself centuries ago But because He works through common grace given to all men Godrsquos sovereign plan for history is not thwarted by their evil hearts In the doctrine of common grace we see Godrsquos purposes stand His people blessed and His glory magnified

Recommended ResourcesChosen But Free revised edition A Balanced View of Gods Sovereignty and Free Will by Norm GeislerandThe Potters Freedom by James WhiteandLogos Bible Software

Read morehttpwwwgotquestionsorgcommon-gracehtmlixzz38nmAZnwlbull httpwwwgotquestionsorgcommon-gracehtml

Romans 134 Gun Control Self Defense httpwwwgotquestionsorg

bull Question How should a Christian view gun control

Answer The recent shootings across the United States have caused much heartache The senseless and tragic incidents have also renewed the intensity of discussion regarding American gun laws Politicians sportsmen and theologians have all weighed in on the issue of gun control Guns are readily available in the US and ownership is protected by the Constitution How should a Christian view gun control What does the Bible have to say that would apply to gun control

The Bible was written long before the invention of any type of gun so the phrase ldquogun controlrdquo will not be found in Scripture However the Bible records many accounts of wars battles and the use of weapons Warfare is presented as an inevitable part of living in a fallen world (Mark 137 James 41) and weaponry is a necessary part of warfare Weapons in the Bible were also used for personal protection In some parts of Israel robbers were common (see Luke 1030) and many people carried weapons when they traveled Carrying a weapon for self-defense is never condemned in the Bible In fact it was mentioned in a positive light by Jesus Himself on one occasion (Luke 2235-38)

Christians are called to submit to governing authorities and they are to obey the laws of the land (Romans 131-7 1 Peter 213-17) This would have to apply to gun laws too If American gun laws change American Christians should submit to these changes and work through democratic means toward any desired alternatives The Bible does not forbid the possession of weapons and neither does it command such possession Laws may come and go but the goal of the believer in Jesus Christ remains the same to glorify the Lord (1 Corinthians 1031)

Another biblical principle to consider is that ldquoall who draw the sword will die by the swordrdquo (Matthew 2652) Jesus said this to Peter when Peter tried to mount an imprudent ldquodefenserdquo of Jesus against the mob that had come to arrest Him Peterrsquos actions were not only futile against such a ldquolarge crowd armed with swords and clubsrdquo (verse 47) but his rash behavior also belied Jesusrsquo submissive attitude (verse 50) and worked against the fulfillment of Scripture (verse 54) There is ldquoa time for war and a time for peacerdquo (Ecclesiastes 38) and Peter confused the two

Christianity supports personal freedom Romans 141-4 indicates that when Scripture does not clearly address a particular issue there is freedom for individual choice America has historically embraced the concept of personal freedom that resonates with this principle and the founding documents guarantee wide freedoms regarding firearms Some point to Matthew 59 in which Jesus pronounces a blessing on the peacemakers and apply it to the issue of gun control The idea is that guns are antithetical to peace This may be more of a philosophical or political idea than a theological one however There is nothing theologically or even logically that links guns to a lack of peace sometimes guns help maintaincivil peace

Debates over whether to control guns or how much to control them depend largely on political and philosophical arguments not moral ones This is not to say that there is no moral component to the issue Obviously the gun itself is amoral an object that can be used for good or for evil More important is the morality of the person wielding the gun and that is too often the missing consideration in the gun control argument The fact that some sinners use guns to commit sin does not mean guns are the problem Sin is the problem and thatrsquos a moral and spiritual issue Since the very beginning of humanity people have been killing other people with and without weapons (see Genesis 4) Taking a certain weapon out of circulation might make murder more difficult but by no means impossible

As far as the Bible is concerned the use of guns is a matter of personal conviction There is nothing unspiritual about owning a gun or knowing how to use one There is nothing wrong with protecting oneself or loved ones even if it involves the use of weapons We need not pretend there is never a need for guns but pointing a gun at a person should always be a last resort We should seek to neutralize threats without violence whenever possible

So how should a Christian view gun control With the authority God has entrusted to it the government has the right to allow or disallow gun ownership to whatever degree it deems right We as citizens are called to submit to whatever gun control laws the government institutes This is not however a statement on the wisdom of gun control There are good reasons to allow law-abiding citizens to own guns Ultimately guns are not the problem Sinful people are the problem

Recommended Resource Politics - According to the Bible A Comprehensive Resource for Understanding Modern Political Issues in Light of Scripture by Wayne Grudembull bull bull httpwwwgotquestionsorgbull Got Questions Ministries | 6050 Stetson Hills Blvd 254 | Colorado Springs CO 80923bull Question How should a Christian view gun control

Romans 138 Fulfill The Lawbull BGT Galatians 62 Ἀλλήλων τὰ βάρη βαστάζετε καὶ οὕτως ἀναπληρώσετε

τὸν νόμον τοῦ Χριστοῦbull bull Galatians 62 Bear one anothers burdens and thereby fulfill the law of

Christbull bull ἀναπληρώσετε verb indicative future active 2nd person plural from

ἀναπληρόω [GING] ἀναπληρόω ἀναπληρόω make complete fill up the

bull bull οὕτως adverb from οὕτω [GING] οὕτω

οὕτω and οὕτως adv in this manner thus bull bull βαστάζετε verb imperative present active 2nd person plural from βαστάζω

[GING] βαστάζω βαστάζωmdash1 pick up J 1031mdash2 carry bear

Romans 138

bull BYZ Romans 138 Μηδενὶ with another negative nohellipat all μηδὲν nothing ὀφείλετε owe εἰ if μὴnot τὸ ἀγαπᾷν infinitive to love ἀλλήλουςmiddot ὁ γὰρ ἀγαπῶν τὸν ἕτερον νόμον πεπλήρωκεν

bull

bull Romans 138 Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law

Romans 138 My Neighbor

bull Video clip of ldquoA Muslim Confronts Ravi Zacharias In Regards To Christianityrdquo

bull httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=bl9ds3W7HQ0 bull Luke 1029 But wishing to justify himself he said to Jesus And who

is my neighborbull Romans 138 Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another for

he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the lawbull 1 Corinthians 1024 Let no one seek his own good but that of his

neighborbull Galatians 514 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word in the

statement YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELFldquobull James 28 If however you are fulfilling the royal law according to the

Scripture YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF you are doing well

Romans 139 bull TODAYS CREATION MOMENTbull THE LIGHTER SIDE OF THE BIBLEbull inHistorybull Listenbull Matthew 2324bull ldquoYe blind guides which strain out a gnat and swallow a camelrdquobull Some Christians give others the idea that Christianity is a dull and joyless faith and that God is stern and humorless But God is the One Who created

humorbull For example did you ever hear of the Bug Bible Published in 1551 the Bug Bible got the name when for some unexplainable reason ldquoThou shalt not

be afraid for the terror by nightrdquo from Psalm 915 was printed as ldquoThou shalt not be afraid of any buggies by nightrdquo Human error was also presumably responsible for The Wicked Bible published in 1717 The Wicked Bible got its name because the word ldquonotrdquo was left out of one of the Commandments leaving the Commandment to read ldquoThou shalt commit adulteryrdquo

bull One of the most amusing word plays was by Jesus Himself and is found in Matthew 2324 Here Jesus warns hypocrites about straining at gnats and swallowing camels In Aramaic the language Jesus spoke the word for gnat is nearly identical to the word for camel The verbal humor which is an excellent way of teaching produced a simple slogan that was easy for the common man to remember ldquoBlind guides who strain out a galma and swallow a gamlardquo

bull Despite occasional human printing errors we can be sure that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God And despite Godrsquos sincere earnestness in calling us to Himself we can also be sure that He created humor

bull Prayer bull Dear Father in heaven through Your Word of promise fill me with true joy and a lightness of heart so that others may see that being Yours is a joyful

wonderful thing to be desired In Jesusrsquo Name Amenbull Notes bull Dr Crypton ldquoMathematics in the Biblerdquo Science Digest May 1985 p 78 Photo Close-up of the error in The Wicked Bible

Romans 1314Good advice from the Bible from Maurice Turner Christian Walk Why Go To Church

Beware of false prophets because they will lead you astray (Matthew 715)

Be sure you are wearing a wedding garment (Know you are saved and clothed in the righteousness of Jesus) (Matthew 2211-12)

Know Bible prophecy so you can watch the signs (Mark 1437)

Study the Bible pray and fellowship with true believers so you can strengthen your faith and grow stronger not weaker (Luke 188)

Donrsquot be overcome by the cares of this world and be caught unawares (Luke 2134)

Watch and pray that you will be accounted worthy to escape all the things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of man (Luke 2136)

Cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light (Donrsquot live like the lost Be ready to battle Satan) (Romans 1312)

Walk honestly not in rioting drunkenness chambering wantonness strife and envying (Romans 1313)

Put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make not provision for the flesh to fulfil its lusts (Accept the authority of Jesus) (Romans 1314)

Edify one another (Strengthen and be strengthened by other believers) (1 Thessalonians 511)

Pray without ceasing (stay in touch with God) (1 Thessalonians 517)

Abstain from every appearance of evil (Avoid anything that hints of sin) (1 Thessalonians 522)

Be a Christian example for others (what you say do etchellip) (1 Timothy 412)

Study the Bible and pay attention to sound preaching and doctrine (1 Timothy 413)

Meet with other believers and exhort each other (Believers should meet to support and encourage each other) (Hebrews 1025)

Rejoice though if need be ye be in manifold temptations (Rejoice even if God thinks a little chastisement is necessary) (1 Peter 16)

Be sober (level-headed) watch and pray (1 Peter 47)

Above all things have fervent charity (love) among you (I Peter 48)

Use hospitality one to another without grudging (Help other believers and donrsquot grumble about it) (1 Peter 49)

Glorify God through Jesus in all things (1 Peter 411)

Guard against Satanrsquos temptations to sin (1 Peter 58)

Serve the Lord and donrsquot draw back (Persevere donrsquot give up) (Revelation 23)

Be an overcomer (Believer in Jesus) (1 John 54 Revelation 27 11)

Hold on to the name of Jesus and do not deny the faith (Revelation 213)

Be faithful to the end (Revelation 226)

Strengthen the areas where you are weak (Examine yourself and overcome

your weaknesses) (Revelation 32)

Live by the words of Jesus (Every knee will bow) (Revelation 310)

Romans 13123 All Authority What authority does Jesus have By Gary Meredith

bull What authority does Jesus have By Gary Meredithbull Then Jesus came to them and said All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me Therefore go and make

disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age Matthew 2818-20

bull The above Scripture passage famously called the Great Commission is the only place in the Bible fully stating that all authority in all physical and spiritual reality belongs to Jesus However many other passages elaborate on Christs total authority or reveal specific parts of it

bull Legitimate authority in the Bible is always given by one (higher) person to another The ultimate source of all authority is God Because God didnt get his authority from anyone else no one can demand that He explain what right He has to do anything (Isaiah 459 648 Romans 920-21) Therefore anyone who can prove that their authority for what they do comes from God must be obeyed So it was and is with Jesus






bull Jesus has all authority including over heaven and earth good and evil human and demonic authoritiestweetbull One last point All authority on heaven and earth includes good and evil human and demonic authorities The

authority of evil human rulers comes from God Who gives it and can take it away (Daniel 424-26) That includes the authority God gave Pontius Pilate to crucify Jesus (John 1911) and of all worldly authorities who have governing power over us and all people (Romans 131-7) This is also true of the authority God gave Satan to harm Job but not kill him (Job 112 26) and to possess all nations in the world until Christ comes again (Luke 45-7 James 44) authority which Satan delegates to a variety of rulers authorities and powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 612) At the end of time God will judge every ruler according to how they used the authority He gave them (Revelation 615-17) In the end all authorities good or evil earthly or heavenly will acknowledge the ultimate total authority of Jesus over them (Philippians 29-11 Revelation 511-14 1714) as Jesus in turn hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion authority and power (1 Corinthians 1524)


Romans 134 How to walk and when to stand by Craig L Parshall

Romans 131-5bull The Bright Line Between Submission amp Resistance To The Authority Of Government Whats A Christian To Dobull Few could argue with a straight face that Christianity is not presently under attack in These United States For the first

time in our history many have recently been confronted with the personal choice between following God or man with costly consequences We see our religious Liberty our freedom to practice our Christian beliefs the ability to run our businesses based on those biblical principles our freedom to express our Christian principles openly in the public square attacked on a near daily basis somewhere across the Fruited Plain

bull So where do we draw the line Where is it okay for the Christian to resist government authority Is it EVER permissible to resist government authority After all ALL authority is from God so shouldnt we sit down amp shut up submit to the authority no matter what amp even go underground with our Christianity if necessary

bull As is common throughout Christendom amp every other religion for that matter people too often take passages from the Good Book out of the contexts of history amp culture amp language amp the whole counsel of God making the text say things it does not Romans 13 is a classic example of that

bull Throughout Christian history Pauls 13th chapter of his epistle to the church at Rome has been used to whip those in the pews into blind submission to government authority Lutheran pastors hid behind Romans 13 as Hitler amp the Nazis engaged in mass atrocities amp genocide Many during our own War for Independence from British tyranny waived Romans 13 as a banner against the Patriot cause Submission to government authority at all costs is biblical Or is it

bull consider this carefully Did Elijah disobey Gods principle of submission to government authority when he resisted Ahab amp Jezebel How about David when he refused to surrender to Sauls troops What about Daniel when he refused to stop praying Or his 3 chums who refused to bow to Nebuchadnezzars Royal idol Did John the Baptist violate Gods principle of submission to authority when he called out Herod for infidelity Or the apostles when they were told by the state to stop proclaiming the Godpel Paul spent more time IN jail than OUT

bull More closer to home a husbandfather has authority over his household but does he have a right to abuse his wife or children An employer has authority over their workplace but does he have the right to control employees private lives We could go on amp on with examples of how God-ordained authority is limited No one has unlimited authority period And it would be ludicrous (amp unbiblical) to suggest a battered wife remain silent amp in total cowed submission to a brutal husband

bull So clearly there is a bright line in scripture related to godly resistance to ungodly application of God-ordained authority When authority God has put in place has gone awry exceeded the boundaries of His purpose in government amp authority then resistance is not only permissible it is necessary

bull Our Founding Fathers took up arms to resist British tyranny They had a collective vision of a country founded on Gods blessing of Liberty They were willing to stake their lives their fortunes amp their sacred honor to secure that Liberty They were under the abusive authority of a monarchy which was supported by a parliament bent on squeezing every pound-sterling from their American colonial subjects in order to feed the kings folly When we finally gained independence from England the Framers established a CONSTITUTIONal form of government The President amp every other elected amp appointed representative amp employee of the government of we the people takes an oath to defend the CONSTITUTION of These United States They do not swear alegiance to any individual the President or to the Office of the Presidency or any other Grand Potentate The authority of American government is seated not with an individual or body of individuals but in the United States Constitution A document founded on godly biblical principles

bull With that said lets replace the word authority in Romans 13 with the word Constitution amp see what it looks like bull Romans 131-5 ~ Let everyone be subject to the governing [Constitution] for there is no [Constitution] except that

which God has established The [Constitution] that exist have been established by God Consequently whoever rebels against the [Constitution] is rebelling against what God has instituted and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves For [the Constitution] holds no terror for those who do right but for those who do wrong Do you want to be free from fear of the [Constitution] Then do what is right and you will be commended For the [Constitution] is Gods servant for your good But if you do wrong be afraid for [the Constitution] does not bear the sword for no reason [The Constitution] is Gods servant an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer Therefore it is necessary to submit to the [Constitution] not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience

bull Puts a different light on submission to authority We are to submit to the authority of the Constitution not to e President or Cingress or a governor etc Also puts a new light on resistance when we stop seeing a President-gone-wild as the ultimate authority but the CONSTITUTION instead

bull The problem in America today has is beginning 50 years ago when the people allowed the Supreme Court of the land to abolish prayer amp scripture reading in government schools It continued when the Supreme Court found between the lines of the Constitution that a woman has the right to kill her unborn child under the guise of privacy More recently we know the Supreme Court ruled the government can force citizens into private ownership of health insurance even redefining the definition of marriage These decisions are contrary to the Constitution the product of eisegesis reading into the document that which isnt there rather than exegesis drawing conclusions out of the text of the document

bull The natural result of allowing the Judicial Branch to assume the authority of the Legislative Branch unchecked (case law v actual law) is that the Executive Branch will happily follow suit Hence President OBama is allowed by Congress to exercise his pen amp his phone in unconstitutional ways

bull This next part is the crux of the matter friends By violating the Constitution the supreme authority of These United States elected amp appointed government officials are THEMSELVES violating Gods principle of submission to authority THEY are the ones violating Romans 13 by subverting the God-ordained authority of the land the CONSTITUTION

bull So under Romans 13 we the people have a godly Christian OBLIGATION to resist those in our elected amp appointed government officials who are operating outside the bounds of their Constitutional authority making a mockery of Gods Constitutional authority

bull This is why it is so important that we only vote for individuals who have demonstrated an ability amp a passion to promote amp protect amp restore our God-given Liberty Our Constitution is the authoritative basis by which God channels His Liberty to we the people of These United States with the expectation that we extend the blessings of His Liberty to oppressed peoples around the globe

bull [I heavily plagiarized this from other sources] via Karl Poppelreiter

Romans 139LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF

bull Ravi Zacharias makes a very important valid point concerning ldquoThe Problem Of Evilrdquo in

bull Let My People Think Ravi Zacharias at Yale - Part 2

bull At 3 minutes 40 seconds in httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=TcZMO7vW0bE

Romans 13

BIBLE IN FIVE

Romans Outline

Romans 13 Troy Kreienhop sent me this

Romans 131 Be Subject To ldquoauthoritiesrdquo

Romans 131 Be Subject To ldquoauthoritiesrdquo (2)


Romans 131 Jesus Proved His Authority


Romans 131ndash7 Biblical Civil Disobedience

Romans 131ndash7 Biblical Civil Disobedience (2)

Romans 131 Civil Disobedience

Romans 131 Which Authority

Romans 131 The Kings Heart Is At Gods Discretion




Flight Is A Way To Resist Flee Evil Rulers (2)

Romans 133-5

Romans 133 Common Grace

Romans 133 Common Grace (2)

Romans 133 The Problem Of Evil


Romans 134 The Sword= Capital Punishment (2)



Romans 134 Tyrants= Usurped Authority

Romans 134 Tyrants= Usurped Authority (2)


Romans 136 Subjection To Government

Romans 136 Taxes

Romans 136 Taxes


Romans 138-10 Love

Romans 138


Romans 138 Love One Another (2)

Romans 139-10 LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF

Romans 1310 Love Your Neighbor But Not Like The Wicked Bibl

Romans 1311-14



THE END

Slide 44


2 Chronicles 2614 Uzziah

Slide 47


Romans 131ndash7 rdquoWhen is civil disobedience allowed for a Christ

Romans 131-7 Illegal immigration

Romans 131 Question How should a Christian view gun control

Romans 131 Civil Disobedience (2)

Romans 131 wwwcompassorg


Romans 134 Gun Control Self Defense httpwwwgotquestions

Romans 138 Fulfill The Law

Romans 138 (2)


Romans 139

Romans 1314

Romans 13123 All Authority What authority does Jesus have

Romans 134 How to walk and when to stand by Craig L Parshal

Romans 131-5

Romans 139 LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF

BIBLE IN FIVEPastor Dave KooyersValley Bible FellowshipBox 433Boonville CA 95415httpwwwslidesharenetdkooyers wwwValleyBibleFellowshiporg

(707) 895-2325God bless you as you examine His WordYour servant in Christ 2Cor 45

These Microsoft PowerPoint presentations are provided for the equipping of the saints for the work of service to the building up of the body of Christ (Ephesians 412-15) To help Christians to to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head even Christ So that we are no longertossed here and thereby every wind of doctrine They may be downloaded and modified free of charge

Matthew 108 hellipFreely you received freely give
























































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Romans 136 Taxes



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Romans 138-10 Love








Romans 138













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THE END



















































































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Romans 138


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Romans 13

BIBLE IN FIVE

Romans Outline
















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Romans 136 Taxes

Romans 136 Taxes


Romans 138-10 Love

Romans 138





Romans 1311-14



THE END

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Romans 138 (2)


Romans 139

Romans 1314



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Romans 136 Taxes



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Romans 138













Romans 1311-14










THE END



















































































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Romans 138


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Romans 13

BIBLE IN FIVE

Romans Outline
















Romans 133-5












Romans 136 Taxes

Romans 136 Taxes


Romans 138-10 Love

Romans 138





Romans 1311-14



THE END

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Romans 138 (2)


Romans 139

Romans 1314



Romans 131-5












































Romans 136 Taxes



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Romans 138-10 Love








Romans 138













Romans 1311-14










THE END



















































































bull wwwcompassorg




























Romans 138


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Romans 13

BIBLE IN FIVE

Romans Outline
















Romans 133-5












Romans 136 Taxes

Romans 136 Taxes


Romans 138-10 Love

Romans 138





Romans 1311-14



THE END

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Romans 138 (2)


Romans 139

Romans 1314



Romans 131-5


Romans 136 Taxes



Romans 138-10 Love








Romans 138













Romans 1311-14










THE END



















































































bull wwwcompassorg




























Romans 138


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Romans 13

BIBLE IN FIVE

Romans Outline
















Romans 133-5












Romans 136 Taxes

Romans 136 Taxes


Romans 138-10 Love

Romans 138





Romans 1311-14



THE END

Slide 44



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Romans 138 (2)


Romans 139

Romans 1314



Romans 131-5




Romans 138-10 Love








Romans 138













Romans 1311-14










THE END



















































































bull wwwcompassorg




























Romans 138


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Romans 13

BIBLE IN FIVE

Romans Outline
















Romans 133-5












Romans 136 Taxes

Romans 136 Taxes


Romans 138-10 Love

Romans 138





Romans 1311-14



THE END

Slide 44



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Romans 138 (2)


Romans 139

Romans 1314



Romans 131-5


Romans 138













Romans 1311-14










THE END



















































































bull wwwcompassorg




























Romans 138


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Romans 13

BIBLE IN FIVE

Romans Outline
















Romans 133-5












Romans 136 Taxes

Romans 136 Taxes


Romans 138-10 Love

Romans 138





Romans 1311-14



THE END

Slide 44



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Romans 138 (2)


Romans 139

Romans 1314



Romans 131-5











Romans 1311-14










THE END



















































































bull wwwcompassorg




























Romans 138


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Romans 13

BIBLE IN FIVE

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Romans 133-5












Romans 136 Taxes

Romans 136 Taxes


Romans 138-10 Love

Romans 138





Romans 1311-14



THE END

Slide 44



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Romans 138 (2)


Romans 139

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Romans 131-5










THE END



















































































bull wwwcompassorg




























Romans 138


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Romans 13

BIBLE IN FIVE

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Romans 133-5












Romans 136 Taxes

Romans 136 Taxes


Romans 138-10 Love

Romans 138





Romans 1311-14



THE END

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Romans 138 (2)


Romans 139

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Romans 131-5




















































































bull wwwcompassorg




























Romans 138


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Romans 13

BIBLE IN FIVE

Romans Outline
















Romans 133-5












Romans 136 Taxes

Romans 136 Taxes


Romans 138-10 Love

Romans 138





Romans 1311-14



THE END

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Romans 138 (2)


Romans 139

Romans 1314



Romans 131-5





























Romans 138


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Romans 13

BIBLE IN FIVE

Romans Outline
















Romans 133-5












Romans 136 Taxes

Romans 136 Taxes


Romans 138-10 Love

Romans 138





Romans 1311-14



THE END

Slide 44



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Romans 138 (2)


Romans 139

Romans 1314



Romans 131-5


















































































Romans 13

BIBLE IN FIVE

Romans Outline
















Romans 133-5












Romans 136 Taxes

Romans 136 Taxes


Romans 138-10 Love

Romans 138





Romans 1311-14



THE END

Slide 44



Slide 47










Romans 138 (2)


Romans 139

Romans 1314



Romans 131-5


Romans 13, Subjection To Government; Authority; Resisting; Tyrants Usurped Authority; Pacifists,...

Spiritual

Transcript of Romans 13, Subjection To Government; Authority; Resisting; Tyrants Usurped Authority; Pacifists,...