Commentary on "The Election of Grace"

MARK MARTIN

 

Day 4: Tuesday, September 14, 2010 - Relationship to Government

 

Overview

Romans 13:1-7 says 

“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” ESV

 

Observations

Of course our ultimate authority is God and His Word and if we are asked by any other earthly authority to disobey God we “must obey God rather than men.”

It is significant to note that the Seventh-day Adventist Church has gone to extreme measures to not defy authorities as Ellen White exhorts:

“We are not required to defy authorities. Our word, whether spoken or written, should be carefully considered, lest we place ourselves on record as uttering that which would make us appear antagonistic to law and order. We are not to say or do anything that would unnecessarily close up our way.” The Acts of the Apostles, p. 69.

This kind of extreme passivism and reluctance to take stands on issues may have been the cause for some of the darkest moments in Adventist history. It was in the desire to not defy or appear antagonistic towards authorities that Adventists in Germany ignored the horrors of Hitler’s monstrous regime.Some Adventists dutifully turned over fellow church members of Jewish descent to the Nazis.

 

See:

• http://www.history.ucsb.edu/projects/holocaust/Research/Proseminar/corrieschroder.htm
• http://www.everythingimportant.org/seventhdayAdventists/NaziAdventists.htm
• http://www.adventistreview.org/article.php?id=92

Christians must understand when to take stands on moral issues and lead the charge.

 

Summary

1. Our subjection to authorities never requires us to be immoral.
2. We must obey God rather than man.
3. The Adventist church has historically gone to extremes to avoid defying authority.
4. This extreme passivism has led to some the darkest moments of Adventist history, for example, the Adventists’ siding with Hitler during WWII in Germany to the extent that some Adventists turned over fellow members of Jewish descent to the Nazis.

 

GO TO DAY 5

 

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Official Adventist Resources

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