Who should be
subject to civil government?
"Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For
there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of
God." Romans 13:1.
By whom are the
powers ordained?
"Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is
no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God."
Romans 13:1.
What does one
resist who resists just civil authority?
"Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the
ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves
damnation." Romans 13:2.
What are the proper
sphere and work of civil authorities?
"For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt
thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou
shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for
good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the
sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute
wrath upon him that doeth evil." Romans 13:3,4.
Who is it that
receives the enforcement of law?
"Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for
the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for
unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for
manslayers." 1 Timothy 1:9.
How should
Christians respect civil authority?
"Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to
obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work." Titus 3:1.
"Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake:
whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them
that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise
of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye
may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using
your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king." 1
Peter 2:13-17.
"For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's
ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to
all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom;
fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour." Romans 13:6,7.
In what words does
Christ reveal that there are two spheres of authority: one that belongs to
earthly governments, and another, higher one, that belongs to God alone?
"They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render
therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the
things that are God's." Matthew 22:21.
To whom alone did
Jesus say that worship can and must be given to?
"Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence,
Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him
only shalt thou serve." Matthew 4:10.
What decree did
King Nebuchadnezzar once make to all the citizens of his empire?
"That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp,
sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and
worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up: And
whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into
the midst of a burning fiery furnace." Daniel 3:5,6.
What answer did the
three faithful Hebrew captives give?
"Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king,
O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it
be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery
furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be
it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor
worship the golden image which thou hast set up." Daniel 3:16-18.
What did
Nebuchadnezzar then do?
"And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to
bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning
fiery furnace." Daniel 3:20.
After their
miraculous deliverance, what did Nebuchadnezzar then declare to everyone?
"Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered
his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and
yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god,
except their own God." Daniel 3:28.
In what way alone
were the envious leaders of Medo-Persia able to complain about Daniel?
"Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this
Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his
God." Daniel 6:5.
What religious law
did they succeed in urging the king to enact?
"All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the
princes, the counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to
establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall
ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he
shall be cast into the den of lions." Daniel 6:7.
Did Daniel obey
this new governmental edict?
"Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into
his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he
kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks
before his God, as he did aforetime." Daniel 6:10.
What was done to
Daniel for disobeying it?
"Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast
him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel,
Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee." Daniel
6:16.
What did Darius say
when Daniel was taken out of the lions' den?
"And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice
unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of
the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver
thee from the lions?" Daniel 6:20.
What was Daniel's
reply to the king?
"Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever. My God
hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not
hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also
before thee, O king, have I done no hurt." Daniel 6:21,22.
What parting
command did Christ give to His disciples?
"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the
world, and preach the gospel to every creature." Mark 16:15.
What counter
command did the Jewish authorities in Jerusalem soon give them?
"And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor
teach in the name of Jesus." Acts 4:18.
What reply did
Peter and John give to these authorities?
"But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be
right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge
ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and
heard." Acts 4:19,20.
For continuing to
preach the Word of God, after being forbidden to do so, what was the
result?
"Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him,
(which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation,
And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common
prison." Acts 5:17,18.
Did God then reveal
Himself to be on the side of governmental authorities when they did wrong?
"But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors,
and brought them forth, and said, Go, stand and speak in the temple
to the people all the words of this life." Acts 5:19,20.
When the apostles
were called before the council again, what question did the high priest
ask them?
"Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not
teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your
doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us." Acts 5:28.
What reply did the
apostles make to the authorities?
"Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to
obey God rather than men." Acts 5:29.
Who is higher than
the "higher powers" of this earth?
"If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting
of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he
that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than
they." Ecclesiastes 5:8.
Because Mordecai
refused to bow down before Haman, a leading official of Medo-Persia, what
emperial decree did Haman succeed in enacting?
"And the letters were sent by posts into all the king's
provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both
young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the
thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take
the spoil of them for a prey." Esther 3:13.
What is religion?
"The recognition of God as an object of worship, love, and
obedience." Webster. Other definitions equally good are:
"The duty which we owe to our Creator, and the manner of discharging
it." "Man's personal relation of faith and obedience to
God."
In religious
things, whom alone dare we call "Father"?
"And call no man your father upon the
earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven." Matthew
23:9.
When tempted to bow
down before Satan, what reply did Christ make?
"Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence,
Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him
only shalt thou serve." Matthew 4:10.(See also Deuteronomy 6:13; 10:30.)
To whom alone,
then, is each one accountable in religion?
"So then every one of us shall give account of himself to
God." Romans 14:12.
What do those do,
therefore, who make men accountable to them in matters of religion?
They put themselves in the place of God. (See 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4.)
Why is it, that in
areas of religion, Christ declared that men must not be called masters?
"Neither be ye called masters: for one
is your Master, even Christ." Matthew 23:10.
To whom, then, as
servants of God, are we responsible in matters of faith and worship?
"Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own
master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is
able to make him stand." Romans 14:4.
Whose servants are
we not to be?
"Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of
men." 1 Corinthians 7:23.
Where must all men
finally appear to render account of their lives and actions?
"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ;
that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that
he hath done, whether it be good or bad." 2 Corinthians 5:10.