Should Christians Obey the Government?

It is one of those questions Christians have discussed and debated for two thousand years. Regardless of one’s political loyalties and commitments, the question must be faced by every believer: “Should I, as a Christian—a devoted follower of Jesus Christ my King—obey the government?”

This question, of course, is much easier to answer when you live in a democracy or when the winds of governmental laws and policies are blowing in your direction. But what if you live in a totalitarian context? What if you are subjected to a cruel and tyrannical dictatorship? Or, even within a free democracy, what do you do when asked to violate Scripture or conscience?

This text appears in the midst of a series of controversies between Jesus and the religious leaders in Jerusalem. Mark 11:20-13:37 is one long day. There are five confrontations altogether:

1. The question of His authority by the Sanhedrin (11:27-33)
2. The question of paying taxes by the Pharisees and Herodians (12:13-17)
3. The question of the resurrection by the Sadducees (12:18-27)
4. The question of the greatest command by the scribes (12:28-34)
5. The question of whose Son is the Christ by Jesus Himself (12:35-37)

274Here we ask, Should we obey the government and pay taxes, especially if we do not recognize its legitimacy, disdain its policies, and are subjected by its oppression? Do we feed the monster that is eating us? Within the context of this dispute with those who will be the authors of His death, Jesus provides the answer. He also provides some practical and basic wisdom when we are confronted by those devoted to our destruction.

The Trap: Be Careful When Approached by Strange Bedfellows

Mark 12:13

It is Passover, a week of national celebration for Israel. During this celebration the Sanhedrin (see 11:27; 12:1, 12) sends to Jesus some Pharisees and Herodians. We have seen these strange bedfellows before (3:6). And as before, they are up to no good.

The Pharisees were the conservatives, the right-wingers of that day. The Herodians were the liberals, the left-wingers, advocates of big government. The Pharisees hated Jesus because He was messing with their religious agenda. The Herodians opposed Him because He was threatening their political advantage. Amazingly, Jesus brought them together! They both wanted to destroy Him.

Jesus knew they were up to something. They came “to trap Him by what He said.” The word “trap” means to capture by hunting or fishing. The idea is violent pursuit of prey. They hope to trap Him in a slip of the tongue, a public gaffe that will take Him down. “They watched closely and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, so they could catch Him in what He said, to hand Him over to the governor’s rule and authority” (Luke 20:20).

When you see sworn enemies allied as they approach you, be on guard! It is almost certain they do not have your best interest at heart.

The Setup: Beware of Flattering Words

Mark 12:14

The Bible has a lot to say about flattery. None of it is good!

275We see this sin on display when the Pharisees and Herodians attempted to “trap” Jesus. They call Him “teacher,” a title of respect, even though they had no respect for Him. They tell Him they know He is “truthful,” even though they will crucify Him as a blasphemer. They tell Him they know He is impartial, and they conclude that He teaches “truthfully the way of God.”

Even though their flattery is insincere, what they say is actually true! And since it is true, He will not be snared by their words. His ego will not inflate; pride will not cause Him to lower His guard. No, Jesus, the “wisdom of God” (1 Cor 1:30), will not be tripped up by the foolishness of men.

The Question: Watch Out for Either/or Scenarios

Mark 12:14

This trap is now sprung with a question that had been carefully crafted. Its brilliance is in its simplicity: “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay, or should we not pay?”

Wow! What a question for that day! The stakes are high, and the issue at hand is volatile. And it requires a yes or no answer. They have Him! Regardless of which way He goes, He loses.

The context of the question bears this out. The Greek word for taxes is kenson, a transliteration of the Latin word census. It refers to an imperial Roman tax. The Jews despised it because it was a constant reminder of their subjection to pagan Rome. So, if Jesus said to pay it, the people would turn on Him as a traitor, and He would be finished. On the other hand, if He said not to pay it, He could be arrested and tried by the Romans for sedition and insurrection. Silence was not an option. His enemies have trapped Him on the “horns of a dilemma,” or so they thought.

I like “yes or no” options. However, we should never allow ourselves to be backed into such a corner. “Have you stopped beating your wife?” That is a lose-lose predicament, the classic unfair question.

Jesus recognized their evil intent (11:15) and would not be manipulated by their game.

The Answer: Give to Each What They Rightly Deserve

Mark 12:15-17

The moment of truth has arrived. All eyes were on Jesus, and people held their breath to see what He would say.

276He begins by exposing their hypocrisy, something He was well aware of (11:15), with a question: “Why are you testing Me?” This is the same word Mark used in 1:13 when Satan “tempted” our Lord in the wilderness. There is demonic intent in their motivation to destroy Jesus, like the efforts of the Devil to get Him off track from His mission. And as Satan failed in the wilderness, the Pharisees and Herodians will fail in the temple.

Obey the Government as Long as You Can

Jesus asked for a denarius, the required tax and a day’s wage for a typical laborer in Israel. Ironically, He does not have one, but they do! He then asks, “Whose image and inscription is this?” They said to Him, “Caesar’s.” On one side of the coin was a bust of Tiberius Caesar with the inscription, “Tiberius Caesar Augustus, Son of the Divine Augustus.” The other side had an image of Tiberius’s mother Livia with the words, “Pontifex Maximus,” meaning “High Priest.” The Jews found this to be idolatrous: a man claiming to be a god and a woman a priest—blasphemy!

Jesus then said some of the most significant words in history. Their impact on Western civilization is mammoth: “Give back to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” They never saw it coming!

By His reply Jesus acknowledges the legitimacy of human government. He is no anarchist. God has ordained the family, the church, and human government. It has the right to levy taxes, and we have the responsibility to pay. It has the right to make laws, and we have the responsibility to obey. Other writers in the New Testament, especially Paul and Peter, reaffirm and expand on this statement of Jesus, even though they lived when the lunatic Nero (ad 54-68) was emperor. Note the following:

Christians have legitimate responsibilities to the government, and as long as those obligations do not interfere with our ability to honor and worship God, we are to fulfill them. It is our Christian duty.

Worship God as Long as You Live

Jesus also said, “Give back ... to God the things that are God’s.” He refused to be trapped by an either/or proposition. Once more He “amazed” them with His teachings.

If the coin has Caesar’s image on it, then it belongs to him. So give him what is rightfully his. However, as humans, you all bear the image of God (Gen 1:26-27). You must give to God what is rightfully His—your entire life. We have a duty to the government, but we have an even greater duty to God, who has created us and redeemed us. As 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for God’s glory.”

In Acts 4:19-20 Peter and John say, “Whether it’s right in the sight of God for us to listen to you rather than to God, you decide; for we are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” And again in Acts 5:29, “But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than men.’” Kent Hughes says, “The statement by our Lord was not only astound-

ing the instant it was uttered, but is even today universally acclaimed to be the single most influential political statement ever made in the history of the world” (Mark, 2:103). With one simple maxim Jesus put everything in proper perspective. He put Caesar in his place, and He placed God where He rightfully belongs in our lives as well. All the people could do was stand back and look on in amazement!

Conclusion

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Adopting something of a manifesto, I think we can say at the very least the following:

As a devoted follower of King Jesus, my Lord, my Savior, and my sovereign God, I pledge the following to the governing authorities, which are ordained by God:

1. I will be a good citizen living in subjection to governmental authority, even a pagan one (Rom 13:1-7; 1 Pet 2:13-17). I will responsibly engage the political process. If allowed, I will vote, seeking to bring my Christian convictions into the public arena (see Prov 14:34).
2. I will live internationally like Joseph in Egypt, Daniel in Babylon, and Jesus Himself on earth. My ultimate allegiance is to Christ and His kingdom.
3. I will obey the state but worship only God. And I will thank God for all the good He does through the government, praying always for all who are in authority (1 Tim 2:1-5).
4. I will acknowledge that all governmental authority is established by and comes from God (Mark 12:17; Rom 13:1, 4, 6).
5. I will acknowledge that all government serves in some measure the purposes of promoting good and punishing evil (Rom 13:3-4). Bad government is almost always better than no government.
6. I will pay all taxes levied upon me by my government, recognizing its right to do so (Mark 12:17; Rom 13:6-7).
7. I will engage in “civil disobedience” only when my government prohibits me from doing what the Bible commands, or when it commands me to do what the Bible prohibits.

This last point, while true, needs some further clarification. (1) The law being resisted must be unjust and immoral, clearly contrary to the will of God, and not just inconvenient or burdensome. (2) Legal means of changing the unjust situation must have been exhausted. Civil disobedience is a method not of first resort, but of last resort. (3) The act of disobedience must be public rather than secretive or hidden. (4) There should be some hope of success, as my intent is to produce changes in laws and institutions. (5) As I consider civil disobedience, I must be willing to accept the penalty for breaking the law.

Mark Dever says it precisely: “The legal establishment of Christianity for many nations, centuries after the apostles, reflected an already distorted understanding of the gospel and led to terrible confusion as the church279 wielded the sword” (“Jesus Paid Taxes”). The Christian has only one God: Jesus. The Christian longs for only one kingdom: the kingdom of God. The Christian has only one sword: the Word of God.

So, as a devoted follower of Jesus, I will say yes to obeying the government and paying taxes to Caesar, but I will say no to disobeying the Word of God and worshiping a man or institution. Independence Day for the Christian is not marked by a flag. No, our independence day is Easter, marked by a cross and an empty tomb.

Reflect and Discuss

1. On what points do you disagree with the government of your country? How does your situation compare with the Jews under Roman rule?
2. What groups are there in your country that can’t agree about much, but they agree to oppose Christianity?
3. What was the motive of those who asked Jesus this question? Have you encountered people who have this motive in their questions? How can you deal with them?
4. Did Jesus expect to change the mind of the Pharisees and Herodians with His answer? How do you think the crowd responded when Jesus delivered such a wise answer?
5. What is the difference between compliments and flattery? Would it be fair to say that flattery is a form of lying?
6. How can those who perform surveys bias the results by the way they formulate the questions? How can one person in a debate try to win a point by defining the nature of the question at hand?
7. How can Christians be encouraged when they hear someone deliver a wellcrafted answer to a skeptic? Is the skeptic still responsible for his motives and his refusal to repent?
8. What is the legitimate purpose of human government? What are the responsibilities of citizens?
9. What are the responsibilities of humanity, made in the image of God?
10. Is there a danger in your country for its citizens to worship the political leaders? to worship the government? to worship the country? How can you balance patriotism with Christianity?