What is a Christian's Response to an Oppressive Government?

Defining Oppression.

Oppression is the unjust use of power at other people’s expense.

It involves protecting one’s power, comfort, security, and privilege at the expense of those with less of these than you.

Violence. Being physically strong on an individual level or militarily strong on a larger scale allows some people to simply take what they want.

Coercion. Sometimes violence isn’t necessary—the threat of violence, or the threat of negative consequences for not appeasing the powerful is enough to keep the weak in line.

Corruption. If you’re powerful enough, you can influence or create systems to keep you in power automatically.

Veneration. And if you’re really powerful, you can get people to treat you like a god. By positioning yourself as the source of everyone else’s power, security, and status, you get to define what’s right and wrong in the domain under your control. This means your followers will do the work of oppressing those who oppose you, and even the people you’re oppressing might love you.

Ezekiel 22:29 ESV

29 The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery. They have oppressed the poor and needy, and have extorted from the sojourner without justice.

God’s Love/Hate Relationship with Worldly Governments

Pharaoh’s Oppression

Exodus 9 is when Moses said, “Let my people go” and Exodus 12 is the celebration of Passover. God’s deliverance of his people from slavery

Gideon’s Refusal

The Israelites wanted to make him their king. Judges 8:23 “Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the Lord will rule over you.””

Samuel’s Warning

Samuel’s sons were corrupt and the people wanted a king. 1 Samuel 8:5 “and said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.””

Samuel will continue to provide warnings to the people concerning a King and what they demand.

Solomon’s Poor Judgement

Having the wisdom to get so many things right, this guy really got some things wrong.

Deuteronomy 17:16–17 ESV

Only he must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall never return that way again.’ And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold.

Solomon did all of this and then taxed the people heavily.

Rehoboam’s Arrogance

Solomon’s son increased the taxation on the people and it split the nation.

1 Kings 12:4 ESV

“Your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke on us, and we will serve you.”

1 Kings 12:14 ESV

he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.”

Nebuchadnezzar, God’s Servant

Jeremiah 27:6 ESV

Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, my servant, and I have given him also the beasts of the field to serve him.

Isaiah 14:22 ESV

“I will rise up against them,” declares the Lord of hosts, “and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, descendants and posterity,” declares the Lord.

The Beast

Revelation 13:1-10 show a beast rising out of the sea and gaining great power and authority.

Revelation 13:7 ESV

Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation,

If we project Rome as the Beast, then a government is a problem

Christian Submission to Governmental Rule

Romans 13:1–7 ESV

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. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

Paul knows the Romans are going to read this letter. He does not want to issue subversive language towards the government. It would only create more problems for the church and himself.

Paul wrote this and 1 Timothy 2:1-4 while Emperor Nero and Caligula were on the throne. Nero persecuted the Christians “for” burning Rome.

1 Timothy 2:1–4 ESV

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Christian’s Response to Government

1. Every Government is Established by God

John 19:11 ESV

Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.”

Romans 13:1 ESV

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.

2. God uses Sinful Governments to do His Will

Isaiah 45:1-13.

Jeremiah 25:8–9 ESV

8 “Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: Because you have not obeyed my words, 9 behold, I will send for all the tribes of the north, declares the Lord, and for Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants, and against all these surrounding nations. I will devote them to destruction, and make them a horror, a hissing, and an everlasting desolation.

Acts 4:27–28 ESV

27 for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.

3. We should pray for those who govern us

1 Timothy 2:1–2 ESV

1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

4. We should honor and submit to those who govern us.

Mark 12:17 ESV

17 Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marveled at him.

Romans 13:1 ESV

1 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.

5. All Governments will END, but God is forever

Isaiah 9:6–7 ESV

6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Revelation 19:11 ESV

11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.

Revelation 19:15–16 ESV

15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

Christian’s Response to an Oppressive Government

1. Lament

When Christians don’t lament the thousands of lives who are killed without mercy, it’s an acceptance of the status quo that makes us complicit in the culture of violence and death

Lamentation is a means to point the world to God. Sometimes, what the world needs is not someone who will preach the word to them, but someone who will grieve with them, listen to them, and walk with them through the valley of the shadow death. The world needs people who will not always try to explain their pain away but will patiently empathize with them.

2. Speak Up

Murder, greed, immorality, and violence are not social or political issues; they are moral issues!

The cross of Christ should stir up from within us indignation against evil and compassion for the oppressed.

Moses challenged the Egyptian Pharaoh as God’s representative. (Exodus 5)

Samuel rebuked King Saul for his blatant disobedience against God. (1 Samuel 13)

Nathan confronted King David for his murder and adultery. (2 Samuel 12)

Jonah preached to the king of Nineveh, which sparked city-wide revival (Jonah 3)

3. Pray

Paul wrote Timothy the words of 1 Timothy 2:1-4 following the burning of Rome and the subsequent round up of Christians to be torn apart in the “games” or burned alive on crosses to light the roads to Rome.

4. Do Something to Help the Injustice

1 John 3:18 NIV

18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

James 1:27 ESV

27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” ~Edmund Burke

Sophie Scholl, she condemned the slaughter of Jews and recognized that Germany’s moral law differed immensely from God’s moral law. However, some individuals in the Christian community decry Sophie’s opposition to the German government as a violation of Biblical teaching on submission to government. She joined a nonviolent resistance movement called the White Rose and helped it create anti-Nazi leaflets that condemned the government’s oppressive conduct. For her work, she was sentenced to death by the guillotine.

Acts 5:28–29 ESV

28 saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.

“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” ~ Dietrich Bonnehoffer

5. Make Disciples

How do we effectively change society? Through education? Through social and political reforms? Through revolution?

Genesis 6 tells us that even a global cataclysm can not stop the sinfulness of man.

Because sin resides in us all.

Romans 7:18 ESV

18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.

The way to societal transformation is for the Holy Spirit to ultimately change people’s hearts. Each of us has a role to play.

We are called to lead people to Christ and allow them to experience the power of the gospel that brings salvation, repentance, and transformation.

Then, individually and collectively, as the body of Christ, we can create a different culture

What an Oppressive Government Can Not Do

Matthew 10:28 ESV

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Concluding a discussion on persecution in Matthew 10:16-25.

Christians are in much greater danger of hell by our own sinful pride and rebellion than we are by being abused by a government. A lot of people don’t feel that. They feel like, “Wow, I think an oppressive government is more dangerous to me than my own sinfulness.” … Your own sin and rebellion and anger and bitterness cannot only make your life miserable, it can send you to hell. ~John Piper, Desiring God