A comment was made today by the speaker at church that while Romans 13:1 says we must submit to the government, that only applies to righteous government. He then referenced two stories in Daniel (chapters 3 and 6) as an argument for his statement. Taken simply on its surface, this statement opens the door to a significant misunderstanding. It is critical that we distinguish between submission and obedience.
All authority is established by God, which is Paul's point in Romans 13. Thus, submission to authority is part of God's design and command. So regardless of the "rightness" of the authority, one must submit in the sense that one is to be under it and as much as is possible, obey its decrees. This is true regardless of the righteousness of the government -- remember that Paul is writing Romans 13 not only under the Roman system, but under Nero! Hardly a righteous ruler!
However, there are times when the government's decrees come in conflict with God's law -- the story of the large image of gold which all were commanded to bow down and worship and Daniel's three friends who refused to do so (Daniel 3) and Daniel's refusal to obey a command not to pray (Daniel 6) are examples. But I must point out that in both of these instances, their disobedience included a humble submission to the consequences. Daniel and his friends all submitted to the punishments that came as a result of their disobedience, and they did so with truth and yet humility (and miraculously, were saved in both occasions). I will add that both Paul and Peter were murdered under Nero's rule, submitting to the consequences of disobeying a ruler that was evil (they were not 'saved').
Thus, the statement must be carefully nuanced if it is to avoid misunderstanding. We must always submit the government, because it is an institution of God. But at time, our submission is a submission to the consequences of disobedience, because the government has commanded what conflicts with what God has commanded, and God is the higher authority. Yet, the respect for authority means we must humbly accept such consequences. God may deliver us. He may not. He did not spare His own son!
Perhaps a bit of American rebellious culture has crept into the church and its view of our relation to the government. We would do well to reevaluate such attitudes in light of Scripture and the examples of the early church. Most were martyred for the faith because of their refusal to worship Caesar, and yet they went to their deaths, not with vindictiveness or even exulting in their rebellion, but in submission to authority -- it is the submission to the highest authority that gives one the humble confidence to accept such consequences, even death.
