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Many of you will hate what I’m about to say, but it’s Paul who says it. Even the modern church who holds the Bible as authoritative, will dispute Paul’s claim and create a “work around” which allows it to ignore Biblical instruction. Why is Paul’s teaching so unacceptable to us? Because Paul is taking away our favorite religion: politics.

Consider how Paul’s audience would have viewed the Roman Empire. Israel and other groups felt oppressed and overridden by the long reach of Roman authority. In fact, the main reason Jews did not believe that Jesus was their promised messiah was that Jesus didn’t restore Israel to a place of autonomous power. Paul’s message freed all comers from such religious over-identification, so they could experience the messianic reign, liberating all people from true captivity. A message that we would do well to understand today.

“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. ² Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. ³ For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval,⁴ 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. ⁵ Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. ⁶ For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. ⁷ Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.” (Romans 13:1-7)

Written in the imperative mood means Paul is not describing, but prescribing. The Greek word in (v.1) “person” is (psuché-inner self, life, soul). Paul is instructing us to place our inner selves in subjection to (éxousia úperéxo–governing, controlling, authorities, powers). This means to not merely pay lip service. This advice is not just a theological construct (v.2), but a strategy directive for society. We may love America and it’s history, along with it’s constitution and original ethos, but very few elected officials share this love, and it might be hard to appreciate that these are placed in office by God, to bring about what He wills to do. We have all voted for the corrupt “kings” we have ruling over us, none of which can or will reign in God’s Kingdom by way of political power.

Politics is our world’s most beloved religion. Our two-party political system employs a polemic media machine to spread propaganda from both sides. Not unlike a puppet master with a puppet on each hand. We are expected to pick sides and hate the opposing team. Despite decades of religious leaders indoctrinating congregations into political action, there is no “Christian” side of politics. While Jesus was inevitably pulled into political situations, he never fell for the binary. Jesus would have his followers “Love our Enemies” not create new ones. Never forget that Judas was the disciple who sought political means for Jesus’ kingdom.

Do you believe Paul’s statement that ALL governments are instituted by God? Or just America? Do you believe resisting our government is resisting God? Does your church teach you to live in subjection to the authorities and avoid protesting? If subjection is biblical for this Roman community, how is ours somehow exempt? I’m picking the scab because I want to help free you from this trap just as Paul is hoping to do.

What does it mean to live in subjection for both the sake of conscience and wrath (v.5)? The wrath part is the strategy part. We live in subjection so as not to invoke the anger of the governing powers. The conscience part ties into the “phsuché- inner self. We can know we have politics correctly weighted, when we can open our hands to any outcome, once we see Christ’s Kingdom as superior in power regardless of the earthly structure we live under. This is how the Gospel liberates all people, not just Americans and Europeans.

Politics is a religion, and its god is that of authority and advantage over others. Christ following is the only counter-intuitive alternative the world has ever seen. Instead of seeking authority from the outside in, Christ subverts politics by offering influence from the inside-out. Influence comes through love and service of all others. Christ ascends not in political majorities, but via those in whom He dwells, as each lays down their lives for others. Christ is the end of politics.

Politics is the pig-pen of “power-over” dynamics. Christ never over-powered the ‘powers that be’, but subverted them all with his Kingdom. Every institution from his family, peers, vocation, his religion and yes…his government…the latter two conspired for his death. Those who hear and love the Gospel of His Kingdom, are free from politics because we can now see political power and its effect on us as Paul called it, “light and momentary” (2 Corinthians 4:17). I can understand why the world would see this as unacceptable, but the Church should know better…and it doesn’t. We must hold to Paul’s eternal perspective.

What makes us fear the election or its outcome? Don’t say in some moralistic way: “We fear the triumph of evil.” That is a BS answer masquerading a heart that sees the “other” as evil, and not our own “otherness” as the evil itself. Evil has always existed within institutional powers because their (éxousian-power, authority, jurisdiction), has been given over to Satan (Luke 4:6). When we seek this political power, we inevitably seek its ability to give us an identity and a life of our design. Until evil is stopped in our heart, by finding ourselves in Christ and His kingdom, it will never stop in the powers of this world. Seeing evil in ourselves, is how we see others as ourself, and thereby enact the law of love rather than politics. Politics deliberately excludes others. There is no Christian politics.

Paul’s unacceptable Political strategy is humble submission and obedience to God, by way of humble submission and obedience to our governing authorities. Pay taxes, tribute, and honor (v.6-7). This is true whether we live in Ancient Rome, the USA, North Korea, Iran, or Iceland. God will not bail us out of a corrupt system anymore than He did for Jesus. Politics is a distraction from the true mission of the Gospel, it is not a means for the Gospel. The only redemptive solution is for the Kingdom of God is to subvert the authorities of this world, by transforming our inner self. Politics has no pull on those who reject Satan’s offer. Paul’s Gospel frees us to pay not plunder.

If we believe we live in a democracy, then I encourage us all to vote our conscience...but do not place your faith and hope in political outcomes. When our votes eventually vaporize (and they will) and our so called great civilization is decimated (and it will end), just remember that we’re not the first, nor the last. As great as America may be, what is the point of fighting politically for it if we are not willing to fight for and usher in the true and everlasting Kingdom of God?(Matthew 11:12) Political fighting has us hating one another and amassing enemies when God’s True Kingdom is as close as our next breath and turns enemies into family. We cast votes every day for the king we seek to rule us (1 Samuel 8:6), so when politics is our idol and a distraction from the work of the Gospel, let the Church and the world not be surprised when the Father of Lies runs our system, and rules their life.

A political Christ follower is an oxymoron. If we love politics, Christ is not the hope of the world, because we bestow that title on our next candidate. It’s seeking earthly power. We need only follow the outcomes of our politics (which we think so great) to their logical Hell, and ask ourself why we prefer it over love. What if instead of politics, we lived on mission to serve others? What if we followed in Christ’s footsteps and emptied ourselves of our power (Philippians 2:7)? Only Christ’s self-dying kingdom offers the path which ends all competition, hoarding, and vilifying and we reject it because we can’t imagine subjecting ourselves as Christ did. If we did, perhaps we would find and love each other again. We might even see the corporate salvation and cosmic renewal that Paul has invited us into.