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.  Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.  For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval,  for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.  Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.  For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing.

Historically this Scripture has literally been weaponized by evil regimes to force Christians into submission to ungodliness.   One country in particular where citizens were told that it was not permissible to gather together as believers for church.  They would then show the believers this Scripture and tell them that the rules must be obeyed according to this Word.

But Scripture must be interpreted within its greater context.  We are to obey the rules and the rulers up until what they decree opposed God.  At that point, we must disobey.  We’ve seen this throughout Scripture.

• The Hebrew midwives were ordered by Pharaoh to kill Jewish babies.  They did not (Exodus 1:15-21)
• Moses’ parents were ordered to throw their baby boys away into the Nile.  They did not (Exodus 2:1-3)
• Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were ordered by the King to bow to his statue.  They refused (Daniel 3)
• Daniel was told by the king not to pray.  He prayed anyway (Daniel 9:1-10)
• Peter and John were ordered by the government leaders to stop preaching the gospel.  They refused (Acts 4:1-22-5:29)

Are these contradictory teachings when compared against the lives of these great men and women who practiced civil disobedience?  No.

The teaching is that we are to obey and honor our leaders.  Their role is to commend good and punish evil.  What it looks like is we need to pay taxes, give respect where it is required and be good citizens.  We need to honor the land and the country we live in.

BUT, if that nation’s leaders on a federal or local level command us to do something opposite of what God has commanded, we are to place God’s commands higher.  There is a place for civil disobedience.

What did that civil disobedience look like?  It didn’t look like rioting, looting and burning down buildings.  That would be repaying evil for evil.  In almost every case in the Scripture, civil disobedience looking like simply continuing to obey God where he had commanded.

And if consequences came, then so be it.  Sometimes there were miraculous deliverances, such as with Daniel.  Sometimes there were not, such as with John being beheaded and others dying for their faith.