Many Christians misquote Romans Chapter 13 however I am not going to go into that in dept today other than to say the Higher Power is God, not man. This chapter is often interpreted from the bottom up and not the top down. Many use this as a licence and excuse to do nothing or provide no resistance to governmental overreach, where are the fearless men/woman of God? If the early church had such cowards we would not have the good news of the gospel in this day and age.
Act 5: 28-29 ‘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. Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men’.
This was written at a time when they had no religious rights, no Constitution or Charter of Rights and Freedoms. We need to keep that in mind. We have rights in this country and many churches are just throwing them away like they mean nothing. Those rights one could say are written with the blood of the martyrs and it cost someone (many) their lives for that freedom we have today.
What happened to these Apostles? They were beaten and commanded by the present day Government that they should not speak in the name of Jesus and let them go. They gave them a mandate to stop meeting and gathering together and preaching in the name of Jesus.
What did they do? Considered themselves worth to suffer shame for the name of Jesus, did they stop preaching Jesus? No, they doubled down and became stronger and more resistant, they were daily in the temple, and went to every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.
To all you ‘So called’ Christians who claim we are to obey Government no matter what. Can you please tell me which Apostles in the early Church obeyed the government when they were ordered to shut down?