Reflection on the relation between Christians and the State

A Comparative Reflection on Romans 13, 1 Peter 2 and Revelation 13

Prepared By: Yared Ashagre

Church and State Relations in Ethiopia- CH 603

Submitted to: Afework Hailu (PhD)

Ethiopian Graduate School of Theology

February 22, 2022

The Relationship between Christians and the State

 Comparative Reflection on Romans 13:1-7 and 1 Peter 2: 13-20 with the ideas in the Book of

Revelation

The relationship between church and state has been a burning issue for centuries and is a very

relevant and timely issue for us in Ethiopia at this very time of conflicting thoughts. Even though

it is very difficult to reach a common consensus on the concept, we can at least have a general

guideline from what the Bible speaks on the issue.

Romans 13:1-7 and 1 Peter 2:13-20 are mainly the two Biblical sections speaking directly on the

issue of church and state. Paul raises the issue on another platform on his letter to Timothy in 1

Tim. 2:1-2. Even though the latter one is not as detailed as his writing in Romans, it however

gives us a good deal of his notion on the case because both are his letters and we can see his idea

in the development of time from Romans to 1 Timothy, if by any means we discover

development of conditions changed his mind or not.

As per our study on Hermeneutics, we need to see epistles in their own context. The Epistle to

Romans has its own context, historical as well as geographical, as does the 1st Epistle of Peter.

I will start with Romans and have a brief overview of the three books.

The church and the state in the book of Romans

The Book of Romans, as many agree, was written around as early as 54 A.D. and not later than

58 A.D. That was the beginning of the reign of Nero where there was relative peace and freedom

for Christians. Even though it was relatively peaceful, there were varieties of persecutions by

then, though it was not as grave as the state-sponsored ones later after the burning of Rome.
History tells us that the great persecution was around 67 A.D, 10 years after the letter to Romans

was written.

Having said that about the background, I will return to the text.

No one can disagree with the fact that the text (Romans 13:1-7) is very hard to endorse fully as a

universal principle. If we think of the Body of Christ living in different political circumstances I

don’t believe it can have a common application everywhere at its face value. Can churches living

in rogue state nations fully implement that? Does it apply to those hardline rulers when we say

“they reward them who do good and punish them that do wrong”?

“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which

God has established.” (Romans 13:1)

The first verse can be agreed upon with little difficulty. God is the sovereign ruler of the

universe. As Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 4:26, he tells him the

following:

“…the Most High is sovereign over human kingdoms and grants them to whomever he desires.”

The Babylonian king himself later acknowledges the same. This is an Old Testament truth

paramount in most of the prophets and the Kings, and the book of Chronicles too. God is

sovereign overall and He gives kingdoms to anyone He wishes.

Paul continues to tell his audience that they need not be rebellious to authorities, and not to be

afraid of rulers as long as they do right. (vv 2-3). He continues with the injunction that those in

authority are “God’s servants” for the good of those who do good and they “bear sword” to
punish those who do wrong. He concludes that they should submit not only out of fear, but out of

conscience.

The question arises when they are not acting accordingly. How about those tyrants who do

otherwise? The corrupted authorities who reward those who submit to them not out of

conscience or whatever good motive, but out of selfish motive to get the best out of those in

authority? How about the persecutors? How about Nero after 10 years?

I can’t imagine what Paul would have written in this chapter then. Not to be too speculative, and

with due respect to the Word of God, I accept this assuming that Paul had in mind those

authorities that are working according to their God-given mandate and ethical standard,

rewarding those who do good, and punishing the wrong-doers.

The church and the state in 1 Peter 2: 13-21

Peter uses an almost similar argument in that believers have to submit to those in authority as

thus:

“Be subject to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether to the king, as supreme; or

unto governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evil-doers and for praise to them that do well.”

1 Peter 2:13-14 (ASV)

Peter however takes us a step further in that though believers act thus, they may still face

persecution and suffering. Believers may suffer wrongfully, and if so, they should follow the

footsteps of Christ.
“…who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: who, when he was reviled, reviled not

again; when he suffered, threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:”

1Peter 2:23-24.

Peter writes from Rome, as many commentators agree, and he saw the impending danger of a

state-sponsored persecution coming underway. Some even say that one of the purposes of 1 Peter

was to prepare the young church for the coming hard times.

The church and the state in the Book of Revelation

The Book of revelation gives us a different version of persecution from those we find in the

letters of Paul and Peter. Bruce, Fee and Stonehouse in their commentary on Revelation give us

two possible dates, “the reign of Domitian (A.D. 81-96) or toward the end or immediately after

the reign of Nero (A.D. 54-68).” The first one (A.D. 81-96) is the widely accepted date.

The Roman Empire is depicted as “the Beast” in the writing, which signifies that there must have

been a development of enmity between the church and the state. Revelation 13:15 tells us that

the beast was given power to “cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed.” That

shows a very stressful cause of persecution.

“These references can be reasonably interpreted only in terms of the development of the imperial

cult, specifically in Asia Minor. The concept of emperor worship had a natural evolution in the

ancient Gentile world, aided by polytheism, ancestor worship, and the subsequent deification of

legendary heroes.” 1

1 Mounce, Robert H., The Book of Revelation (The New International Commentary on the New Testament), 1997,
p. 42
The Book of Revelation then has a context of the state at enmity with the Church and hence the

church under persecution. The Apostle John’s arrest is one case that proves that and the context

has been changed from the rulers rewarding those who do good and punishing those who do evil,

to those totalitarian dominant rulers who want everybody to worship them.

Summary

In summary, Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2 show us a comparatively less persecution of believers

which are not state sponsored, and hence believers will not have anything against the secular

state or government except that of submission, paying taxes and living their christian life.

The context of Revelation is a different story where the rulers were demanding an utter

submission and even interfering with the freedom of religion and worship. They demanded all

their citizens or non-citizens living in their empire to worship them or else face persecution and

execution.

To apply the Romans 13 and 1 Peter case on the Revelation scenario in view of the relation of

the Church and State will be to do the Scriptures injustice.

Believers in the Revelation case had to prepare themselves for whatever sacrifice may be needed

to live a faithful life.

Bibliography
Clowney, Edmund P. The Message of 1 Peter: The Way of the Cross. The Bible Speaks Today.
Leicester, England ; Downers Grove, Ill., USA: Inter-Varsity Press, 1988.
Davids, Peter H. The First Epistle of Peter. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 2009.
Grudem, Wayne A., Randolph Vincent Greenwood Tasker, and Leon Morris. The First Epistle of
Peter: An Introduction and Commentary. The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries 17.
Leicester Grand Rapids (Mich.): Inter-varsity press W. B. Eerdmans, 1996.
Lloyd-Jones, David Martyn. Romans: An Exposition of Chapter 13: Life in Two Kingdoms.
Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 2002.
Moo, Douglas J. The Epistle to the Romans. The New International Commentary on the New
Testament. Grand Rapids, Mich: W.B. Eerdmans Pub. Co, 1996.