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666P.
WHO OR WHAT ARE THE SUPERIOR AUTHORITIES
PLACED IN THEIR RELATIVE POSITIONS BY GOD?
Is it proper for a Christian to
support government authorities controlled by a tyrant, or
to
pay taxes to fund the killing of
those opposed to their evil rule? (There have been many such tyrants:
Adolph Hitler, Pol Pot, Idi Amin, Papa Doc, Ayatollah Khomeini, etc). The answer
is: Certainly not! On account of conscience a true Christian would never
knowingly pay taxes in support of the unlawful killing of anyone in
contravention of the "superior authorities"
that are the laws of
God. That is why Christians may only pay taxes to "public servants
constantly serving this very purpose":
Upholding the
"superior
authorities" of the Law
of God. (13:6).
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LEGAL POINTS. |
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(1) |
"Those
ruling" should be an "object of fear" only to those found
guilty of bad deeds.
They should not avenge by
corrupt laws, but
by
the
"superior authorities": The
laws of God.
(13:4). |
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(2) |
"Those
ruling" must only "express wrath upon the one practicing what
is bad." (13:4). |
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(3) |
Public
servants expressing wrath upon practicers of what is bad are
not
the "superior authorities". |
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(4) |
A
Christian pays taxes so that public servants employed to act as God's minister
express God's wrath
upon
evildoers.
(13:4,6).
We therefore
pay taxes for the prevention of
lawlessness and to maintain a
good
conscience before
God.
(13:7). |
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(5) |
Those
who administer corrupt laws in support of bad deeds are not the "superior
authorities" of God.
The "superior
authorities" placed in their relative positions by God and are
His
laws, bearing the "sword"
of justice. They are not the
men and women who administer injustice and ignore the "superior authorities"
of God
recorded
in His Holy Word. (James 4:12. 2 Tim 3:16,17).
11/3/81. |
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