Submission to Authorities
You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you. James 5:6
Resist – Is James a pacifist? Does he really intend us to offer no opposition to those who seek to harm us? He’s quite clear about the immoral behavior of the wicked. They murder the righteous. But does this verse exhort us to lay down our arms and accept what the wicked do?
I received this plea by email. “Saeed Abedini is a US Citizen and a pastor here in Boise. While on a missionary trip in Iran, he was arrested, beaten, denied attendance at his own trial, denied proper medical treatment, and denied release even though funds for his bail were offered–they were turned down. Now, after the family was told yesterday he would be released soon, he has been convicted and sentenced to eight years in prison for ‘threatening the national security of Iran’ through his leadership in Christian house churches. The evidence provided was of Pastor Saeed’s Christian activities primarily during the early 2000s, when under President Khatami house churches were not perceived as a threat to Iran. Despite Iranian law requiring a written verdict, none was given. He is now facing eight years in Evin Prison, one of the most brutal prisons in Iran, where he will almost certainly be subjected to life-threatening torture and abuse at the hands of the Iranian regime.” The story is not unique. All over the world the righteous are tortured by the wicked, apparently without consequences. The Prince of this world is having a heyday at the expense of those serving the Lord. It is not only individual travesty but also national perversion. The nation of Israel immediately comes to mind.
What should we do? Pray? Fight? Accept the temporary victory of the enemy? Why doesn’t the righteous man offer resistance, according to James?
Just to clear the air, we must note that Paul isn’t contradicting James’ statement when he talks about being submitted to authority (Romans 13:1). Mark Nanos’ analysis of that controversial passage demonstrates that read in context it is not an endorsement of any human government.[1] Paul, like James, is writing to a Messianic synagogue. Paul’s terminology must be understood within the synagogue context, not the context of the Roman Empire. So with James. It is highly unlikely that members of the synagogue are condemning and murdering the righteous. James simply notes that in the real world of the Roman Empire in the first century, bad things happen to good people. But God keeps score. The wicked lay up treasure for the Last Days. They will not escape judgment. Exodus 34:6-7 guarantees that. James’ observation is that the lack of opposition by the righteous does not move the wicked to compassion. The powerful exercise their power for their own advantage regardless of the plight of the weak. Men who are not moved by compassion do not represent the character of God in any way for God is above all else rahum (see Exodus 34:6). James is not telling the righteous to be pacifists. He is commenting on the character of the wicked. Lack of opposition means nothing to them. Their hearts are filled with stone cold rebellion against the God of life.
So, should I fight? Ah, no one can answer that question for you. “If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting,” must be combined with the actions of Daniel 3 and the words of Ecclesiastes 3. You must decide. But know this, says James. Your decision and subsequent actions will have little effect on those who slander God’s name, but that doesn’t matter. God still cares and He still counts.
Topical Index: James 5:6, resist, antitasso, oppose, wicked, pacifist
[1] Examples of exegesis that ignore context abound. Here is but one. http://www.enduringword.com/commentaries/4513.htm
Two thoughts. First, Peter and John, as James well knew, said to the authorities, “We must obey God, not men.”
Second, “As iron sharpens iron so one man sharpens another.” Write David Guzik and express your concern. I was at the Santa Monica Calvary Chapel for years (Metro Church), and those pastors are pretty even keeled. David’s been with CC for a long time so I’m sure he’ll respond well to you.
“If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting,”
This is just to be clear that “world” = kosmos in the Greek, means ” constitution, order, government.
“He” Yeshua was not “out of, from, by, away from” this kosmos. Should we be?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=cfBeRICdCcU
The You Tube video above is the narrated latest letter from Saeed.
It is a difficult choice for me, however, I have decided at this point, considering all the garbage and people set on destruction, if for no other reason than to make a grotesque recording of a signature video for YouTube.com, to conceal carry. It is a lot of work, but primarily I carry to be prepared and ready for that one possible time to defend and protect my family, my friends, and the innocent and helpless/unprotected.
I have struggled through this decision, but finally came to a definitive conclusion to do so. I carry in the same way I walk, trusting that He will guide me in my actions. I NEVER want to take a life and have decided to do everything possible to restrain from doing so. However, in the face of a life taking threat I have chosen to train as well as I can to be observant or as ready as possible to take defensive action. It pains me to even have to think of doing such that would be involved, however, to me, it is a fact of life. Defending my own life and my family, friends and innocents is something that I now think is the responsibility of each individual, not some government or outside power.
When I drive a car and see some other vehicle coming at me such as will result in damage or harm, I take defensive action. I swerve, I brake, I avoid collision as best as I can. No one would encourage me to surrender to a life threatening crash coming toward me, surrendering my life to God’s protection, when I can do defensive things, would they? I don’t think so. I learn and train and am constantly alert through defensive driving to save my life, the lives of my passengers and other drivers and pedestrians.
This is my approach with conceal carry. If lives are threatened, I will do what I can, guided and directed by my defensive training and primarily by the moral drive to save lives if at all possible. I have decided, through stressful considerations, that I would definitively take a live that was deliberately, actively, and premeditated on taking other lives. To me, anyone bent on committing such an action in my presence will be met with all the opposing force and power I have available to me, which includes concealed carry arms to be brought to bear in such a devastating situation.
There, I said it.
Any dissension? If so, I love you and honor your right to do so. It won’t change my mind. I even suspect knowing my concealed carry status, if you and I were together in a dangerous threatening situation, I suspect you would be getting behind me because I would be moving toward the offending party in order to see if there was any possible contribution I could make in stopping the nature of the onslaught in a way to protect as many lives as possible, even the perpetrators life. My intent would be to stop him/her with their lives intact, but if not possible, they have communicated to me by their fatal actions that they desire to surrender their life trying to inflict pain on someone else, deserving or not. I’ve decided I cannot allow that if it is in my power to do so, even if it means sacrificing my life to pain of possible wounds or even death in defending against the threat. I’m not ex-military or anything of the sort. I’m not a sack-o nut job drooling to pull out a weapon and wave it around. Just the opposite. I am easy going, laid back and just want to enjoy God’s world and the people He has allowed in my life. I NEVER want to EVER hurl small fast lead objects at ANYBODY, EVER. But, I WILL, if dumb stupid people show themselves in my presence by threatening my life, my family’s lives, my friends lives or anybody’s else life. It is no one’s option to arbitrarily decide to kill someone. However, I definitely think there is a solid place to defend one’s self and one’s fellow man. Life threatening actions are horrendous and require horrendous responses, unfortunately.
I do offer one question Michael. Most people in this nation see the US government and local “authorities” as being there to protect our rights.
What if the were ordered to come and confiscate your weapons? What if the government decided that anyone who was follower of Jesus was a threat to “national security” and needed to be placed in a camp for the safety of the rest of the nation.
Before you think that this last scenario is far fetched the DHS actually had a document on line during the Bush administration that listed several categories of people whom they considered potential threats to national security. Among them were Christians who believed that Jesus would one day return and establish a Kingdom on the earth.
This might be a tough one because a Yeshua said those who live by the sword wil die by the sword. That, of course has nothing to do with their place in the Kingdom only their physical life but it is a consideration. Does one “go out in a blaze of glory”?
Personally, I am coming to believe that something inside of us is changed at the DNA level when we are born again and that Yeshua was the second Adam. We will be like Him when we see Him but what is to say we wait to see Him when He physically returns and not before?
Certainly the two witnesses will be shrouded in Glory why not others as well? Why would not others be walking in power over cities and even large regions? I am sure I may cause a great deal of controversy here but I do not believe we were intended to sit on our waiting for the sweet by and byes.
We were told to occupy. Armies occupy. Getting people saved and putting them in nice little churches where they “witness” to their neighbors, maybe, is not occupying. There is an Army arising and it will begin to take back what the enemy has stolen. I have several friends who carry but they also carry the Spirit and the Roar of the Lion is the first thing that will come out of them before they draw their weapon.
Blessings
E
Arturro Marquez: He’s here! I *know* he’s here!
That’s him, I’m telling you that’s him! You hear me? I’m telling you it’s *Keyser Soze*!
Hmmm
In the movie, The Usual Suspects, the extremely evil Keyser Soze
Strikes fear into the hearts of the most hardened criminals
Keyser Soze is a charismatic leader, so intelligent that he seems almost psychic and all powerful
We learn right away that he would track down and kill any man that even thinks about crossing him
In my view, Jesus is the polar opposite of Keyser Soze
As a leader, Jesus is all good and deserves all our love
James and Paul and the so called apostles held up Jesus as their model
And Jesus models a kind of non-violent activism for his followers
Benjamin Netanyahu is also a Jew and a great leader by many standards
But Netanyahu is no Prince of Peace
On a personal note, if I had to kill a person to save my children I would
My sentiments precisely, Michael.
“What should we do? Pray? Fight? Accept the temporary victory of the enemy? Why doesn’t the righteous man offer resistance, according to James?”
I have a novel idea Skip! Why don’t we (by we, i mean all of us at this, God’s Table) fund scholarships for those lurkers who want to join the conversation but don’t have funds? If what i read is correct, any contribution amount is apt to enable. Then you won’t have to field all those emails you get
Who would like to be the treasurer and take charge (no pun intended, LOL) of this? I know! What about Rosie the Ezer K? I’ll put God’s money where my mouth is.
Hope you don’t mind Skip. Great minds think alike you know.
Shalom and coin(s) in the mouth of a fish!
Some people in the community already do this for specific others, but to provide a fund for all who wish to join defeats one of the real purposes of At God’s Table. If it were only about getting the information, then this would be appropriate, but it is not about the information. It is about the transformation that occurs when someone takes an active step. That means you must have skin in the game. To allow someone else to just pay for you means you haven’t accepted the “cost” of discipleship. I don’t think that there is a single person who has a computer and internet who cannot afford to offer something to the community. I think that (with some very few exceptions) most people just expect it for free or they just don’t think about the fact that someone else is supporting them on this site.
So while I appreciate your willingness, I believe without personal accountability the point of At God’s Table – to pledge to care for those in the community – is overlooked.
Well Skip, since U are the host here at God’s Table, i suppose there are some things that He’s gotta work. i don’t mess with that. i’m just a handmaiden.
Have a blessed day!
Shalom,
moi
” It is about the transformation that occurs when someone takes an active step. That means you must have skin in the game. To allow someone else to just pay for you means you haven’t accepted the “cost”
AMEN. This “handout/entitlement” mentality describes our depraved nation as a whole… and it’s deadly.
Thank you, Skip, for being a good steward of At God’s Table.