Government Authority
“Therefore, whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.… for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.” Romans 13:2, 4
The apostle Paul’s instructions about the role of human governments are intriguing in light of the current conflict in the nation of Israel. Paul affirms a common New Testament theme, that God establishes governments for the good of society. One should do good, not only for the sake of conscience, but to avoid the wrath of the authorities. Do good and obey the law, says Paul, for civil authorities “do not bear the sword in vain.”
When we think about the conflict in Israel through this lens, there are some obvious points of connection. The terrorists who attacked southern Israel were clearly disobeying the civil authority of the nation of Israel. Why were they willing to do so? The answer is in part because a large percentage of the Arab world, at least the people on the street, rejects the legitimacy of the existence of the nation of Israel. As an oppressed and dispossessed people, many Palestinians believe they have the right of armed resistance.
One problem, however, is that the acts of barbarism committed by the terrorists go beyond mere resistance. They completely disregard life and are meant to terrorize. How can civilized people do such things? Sadly, Islam, as a political and religious system, is susceptible to such aberrations. It has within it threads of thought that encourage the killing of “infidels.” Over the years, “jihad” has been defined by Islamic leaders in different ways, some of which allow for the indiscriminate slaughter of innocent people. Some in the Arab world see such slaughter as a legitimate form of jihad and a righteous expression of Islamic faith.
Paul recognizes the power of civil government in his words in Romans 13. In his day this meant the Roman empire, which certainly exercised its power strongly and sometimes ruthlessly. Though Paul certainly must have understood that civil powers can abuse their rights, he saw their political necessity and their theological legitimacy. When someone did wrong, says Paul, the civil authorities are the servants of God, to avenge his wrath on the wrongdoers.
The nation of Israel, as the civil authority in the land of Israel, is in the process of exercising its power and doing so strongly. They are going to avenge the wrong done to them. Is this the will of God? Paul says that civil authorities who punish wrongdoers act as the servants of God to inflict his wrath. Those who perpetrated the atrocities in Israel deserve severe judgment. Israel is going to be God’s instrument for that temporal judgment.
We should pray for those in harm’s way, both soldiers and civilians. There will no doubt be much loss of innocent life and some excesses. It is a tragic idea for a group of people to think terrorism leads to their best interests. It never does and will not in this instance.
On that first Palm Sunday, Jesus recognized that the people of Israel were missing their opportunity for a just and lasting peace. We pray for the best possible outcome that will lead to both peace and justice for all the people in the land. We know, however, that there are many struggles ahead.