Romans: The Heart of the Gospel – The Christian as Citizen

Peter Barnes | Romans 13:5-7

SERMON  NOTES
THE  CHRISTIAN  AS  CITIZEN
(Romans  13:5-7)

1.  We  are  subject  to  the  authorities  not  just  for  the  wrath  but  for  the  sake  of  conscience.

– 13:5;  it  could  be  God’s  wrath  or  the  authorities’  wrath  or  both

– second  motive  is  conscience –  1 Pet.2:13;  Acts 24:16

2.  We  are  to  pay  our  taxes.

– 13:6;;  Tacitus  says  that  in  A.D. 58  there  was  agitation  in  Rome  against  taxation.

– taxation  authorities  are  like  priests!  (Rom. 15:16;  Heb.8:2)

– Calvin  says  that  authorities  should  regard  revenue  as  public  property.

3.  We  are  to  carry  out  all  civil  duties.

–  13:7;  two  tangible  items  and  two  less  tangible  ones;  not  only  to  a  just  state.

– Augustine:  ‘Therefore if anyone thinks that since he is a Christian he should not have to pay taxes or tribute, nor to show the respect due those authorities who look after these things, he errs greatly. And likewise if anyone thinks he ought to be so submissive that he holds some officer superior to him in administering temporal matters as authoritative even over his faith, he lapses into greater error. But one ought to serve as the Lord himself prescribes, by rendering to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s (Matt.22:21).’