“Paul addresses
Christians rather than the authorities [Romans 13], but he does this certainly
not because the way this world is ordered is so good, but because its good or
bad qualities are irrelevant compared to the only thing that is truly important,
namely, that the church-community submit and live according to God’s will. Paul
does not intend to instruct the Christian community about the tasks of those in
authority, but instead only deals with the tasks of the Christian
community toward authority” (page 224).
Let’s remind
ourselves that the chapter in Discipleship which we are considering is The
Visible Church-Community. Bonhoeffer is writing about the “space” that the
church-community occupies in the world and what we ought to look like, how we
ought to live as God’s People.
The “we” is
critical here because this is about “us” and not about “me.” Yes, of course it
is about me in the sense that I am a member of the visible church-community but
the operative issue, the critical testimony, is how we as the Body of Christ
live and stand in the world, including in our posture toward worldly authority.
“The framework
for all of what Paul has to say regarding authority is summed up in his
introductory admonition: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with
good” (Rom. 12:21). The passage on authority does not deal with
the question whether a given authority is good or evil; its concern is that Christians should
overcome all evil” (page 225).
If Bonhoeffer’s
understanding of Paul in Romans 13 is true, then we ought to take what he
writes seriously, and if we take it seriously we ought to question the mindset
of American Christians with regard to government and politics and so-called
worldviews – for are we not (American Christians) engaged in a perpetual critique of and involvement in political activities?
When Bonhoeffer
writes, “The passage on authority [Romans 13] does not deal with the question
whether a given authority is good or evil,” we can restate his perspective by
saying, “We ought not to be critiquing worldly authority, we ought to be
evaluating ourselves, the church-community. Are we truly the City set on a hill?
Are we distinct from the political, national, economic, and social movements of
the surrounding culture? Are we overcoming evil with good?”
Bonhoeffer is not
writing about what earthly government ought to look like, but what we, the
People of God, ought to look like, for we are called to occupy a distinct space
on earth, we do not share space with the governments and authorities of this
present age, we represent a kingdom not of this world, not of this age;
our citizenship is in heaven; we maintain our own space.
Do we take our
cues from the news and the rulers (and want to be rulers) of this age, rather
than from the Word of God and our Lord Jesus Christ?
Are we living in
the community of Christ and affirming one another in Him as we wear the white
robes of His righteousness, or do we live in communities of red, blue, and
purple?
Are we affirming
that we are a transcendent community without borders in Christ, or do we define
ourselves in terms of national, economic, social, ethnic, and racial identity?
Let us again
consider what Bonhoeffer says, “Its [government’s] good or bad qualities are
irrelevant compared to the only thing that is truly important, namely, that the
church-community submit and live according to God’s will… The passage on
authority [Romans 13] does not deal with the question whether a given authority
is good or evil; its concern is that Christians should overcome all evil.”
In a forthcoming
reflection Bonhoeffer will speak to conflict between the governments of the
world and the church-community, a conflict that occurs when we are faithful to
Christ and which, I think, is inevitable. As I have written elsewhere, the Son
of Man has no where to lay His Head in this world, this is true of the Only
Begotten Son and it is true of the many-membered Son, it is true of the
church-community. The lap of Delilah has many forms, it is clothed in many
colors, she will do all she can to seduce us. O dear friends, let us not forget
that Babylon deals in “the souls of men” (Rev. 18:13).
Please allow me
to make two observations as we wrestle with Romans 13 and Bonhoeffer. The first
is that it is quite difficult to be faithful to Christ, to be wedded to Him (2
Cor. 11:1 – 3), and live in the United States. (I focus on America because this
is where I live and because most of my readers are American, however, this is
also true for my international brothers and sisters – we all have this
challenge.)
We have allowed
politics, current events, culture wars, worldviews, economics, and nationalism
to mold our souls…not to mention what Francis Schaffer termed “personal peace
and affluence.” This is what we talk about, it is what we think about, it is
what rules our emotions, it defines what we love and hate, it colors
relationships, and it has invaded congregational life.
We have
exchanged the Head of the Body for the talking heads of media and politics, and
rather than be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ we are now conformed to
the image of worldly “leaders.”
Bonhoeffer’s
teaching on Romans 13 is nearly impossible for us to accept, we have reason
after reason why it does not apply to us, why Bonhoeffer and Scripture must be
wrong.
Let us
remember dear friends, that the early Christians were not so much persecuted
because they worshipped Jesus, but rather because they would not also worship the
Emperor, they would not participate in the Imperial Cult. Christians who belonged to guilds in order
to practice their trades and earn a living for their families, were not expelled
because they worshipped Jesus, but rather because they would not also worship
the patron idols of the guilds. Economic and social hardship was not an
excuse for disobedience in the Early Church.
I have been in
churches and small groups which were so politicized that anyone with an
alternate political viewpoint, including the perspective that we ought to
follow Jesus Christ and Him alone as citizens of heaven, was not welcome…and
I have observed worse than I have experienced.
To follow what
the Bible teaches can be very hard and it can be quite lonely. The way is straight,
the gate is narrow…there is only One Way, one color of robe in Christ. For sure
when we have encouragement from other brothers and sisters we are strengthened,
even to know just a few others in the koinonia of the Trinity makes a
significant difference; but there are times, such as with Nehemiah, when there
are few building the wall of the City – if so, we must accept that and remain
faithful to Christ and His Temple, His Kingdom, His Church.
The second
observation is that in order to see the full import of Romans 13 that we should
consider its context. Romans 13 is placed within a portrayal of the visible
church-community. This portrayal begins in Romans 12 and extends into Romans 16
(or we might say that it begins in Romans 9, but for our purposes it is simpler
to begin in Romans 12).
There is a sense
in which Paul speaks to us as individuals in chapters 1 – 8, writing of
justification, sanctification, sonship, and reconciliation. Then in chapters 12
– 16 (or 9 – 16) he speaks about the Body that is a result of chapters 1 – 8.
In other words, in light of our redemption as set forth in chapters 1 – 8, how
should we live together in Christ? The answer is in the second part of the
letter to the Romans.
Chapter 12
begins with us offering ourselves as living sacrifices, and then we see the
result of that in the balance of the chapter – living as the visible
church-community.
Why then the
shift from the visible church-community in Chapter 12, to our relationship to
worldly authority in 13:1 – 7? Why this seeming interruption?
I think a facet
of the answer is that there are two kingdoms on the earth, God’s kingdom and
man’s kingdom. Since Paul is writing about the visible Kingdom of God, he will
acknowledge the other kingdom in time and space, the kingdom of man (which
nevertheless operates under the ultimate authority and control of God – a mystery
indeed!). Just as government and power politics and military might permeate our
lives today, so it was in ancient times under Rome – and this was especially
true in the city of Rome where the recipients of Paul’s letter lived.
No doubt living
in the city of power, near the center of gravity, had the same temptations in
Rome 2,000 years ago as living in America has today, as living in a state
capital has, as living in proximity to Washington, D.C. has – the closer one is
to the center of power the greater the potential seduction and intoxication
(this is true of national government, and it is true of a local PTA). There is
a temptation to “play the game” that everyone else is playing who are enmeshed
in the world’s system.
In other words,
Paul is saying, “As you live as the visible church-community under the
authority of Jesus Christ, be aware of another entity on earth. Here is how you
should view that other entity, here is how you should critique yourselves in
relation to that other entity, the governments of this world. You live in the
seat of international power, the city of Rome, don’t get caught up in what Rome
does, focus on how you are to live in Christ.”
We would do well
to recall what Paul writes at the beginning of his letter, “I am a debtor both
to Greeks and barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So, for my part,
I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed
of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who
believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:14 – 16).
This, my friends,
is our Great Commission (Matthew 28:16 – 20; 2 Timothy 4:1 – 5). Paul desires
to go to Rome to preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1 Cor. 2:1 – 5); this
was Paul’s mission; it is our mission. The visible church-community that Paul
writes to is “in the world but not of the world” (John 17:13 – 18).
This was true of
Jesus, it was true of Paul, it is true of you, and it is true of me…it is true
of “us” in Christ.
No comments:
Post a Comment