What about civil disobedience?

This past Sunday, the text for the sermon began this way:

Titus 3:1-2
1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.

Noting texts like Romans 13:1 ff. and 1 Peter 2:13-17, I emphasized our responsibility to submit and obey our governmental authorities, even when we disagree with them, because they are a part of God’s order in our world.

I did mention only briefly the exception to this rule, as exemplified by Peter and the apostles, who responded to the council with the words, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:27-29). Of course, two of the most memorable stories of the Old Testament would serve here as well: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace (Daniel 3), and Daniel in the lions’ den (Daniel 6).

Someone asked me at the close of the service, “What then is the role of civil disobedience?” It seems that we do not have justification for disobeying governmental authorities, such as refusing to pay our taxes, because we disagree with them or because they are unjust or even wicked. However, if they demand that we forsake the worship of the Lord, either ceasing to practice our faith or forcing us to practice another one, then we must resist.

However, if we are to be faithful to other texts, such as Matthew 5:38-42 we will practice a certain kind of disobedience, one that does not involve retaliation. It means that we will be willing to be arrested and face punishment for the laws that we break due to our conscience and faith.

It is no secret that the teachings of the New Testament, particularly in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, influenced both Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr., in their practice of nonviolent resistance. Just as these men promoted this practice as a part of their concern for civil rights, it should characterize our own response to persecution.

I’ll end this already lengthy post with this passage from 1 Peter 2, which gives Jesus Christ as not only a teacher of this kind of attitude, but our chief example as well:

1 Peter 2:13-24
13 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. 18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.