While Christians are instructed to be obedient to authorities, God also is strongly opposed to tyrannical oppression. The American Revolution was a response against Britain’s tyrannical rule.
American revolutionaries argued that resisting King George III was justified under biblical principles of opposing tyranny and injustice.
Before resorting to war, colonists claimed they had exhausted legal and peaceful means to address grievances, aligning with biblical calls for justice.
The colonists saw their actions as self-defense against tyranny, balancing submission to authority with biblical principles of preserving freedom and justice.
Based on Scripture, how can I discern between submitting to authority and standing against injustice in my own life?
Reflecting on the American Revolution, how do I reconcile the biblical call to obey authorities with the recognition of God's opposition to tyrannical oppression?
In what ways can I engage in peaceful and lawful means to address injustices or grievances in society today, while maintaining biblical integrity and respect for authority?
How did the American Revolutionaries justify their actions biblically, and what lessons can we draw from their arguments, considering Romans 13 and other biblical teachings?
Considering current events, how do we navigate situations where governmental actions are unjust, or seem that way? How do we balance biblical submission to authority with the call to oppose oppression?
What are the ethical implications of the American Revolution for Christians today, particularly regarding civil disobedience, resistance to tyranny, and the role of faith in political activism?
Romans 13:1–7 instructs Christians to submit to governing authorities, yet the letter was written when the evil Nero ruled over those same believers. Romans 13:1–3 tells Christians to submit to governing authorities because God ordained their rule. God established human government as a means to thwart evil. Resisting God's plan for human leadership is resisting God. Verses 4–7 tells Christians that governmental authorities are to punish lawbreakers as an extension of God's justice. Subjects should pay taxes, respect, and honor to those to whom it is owed.
However, many accounts in the Bible show governmental authorities (kings and such) being held accountable for their actions—sometimes by God's direct action, sometimes by His followers, and sometimes by circumstance. Peter and John acted against the Sanhedrin's wishes (Acts 4:19; 5:29), Hebrew midwives refused to kill babies in Exodus 1:15–17, and Daniel's friends disobeyed Persian law by refusing to bow to Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 3:8–12). Hebrews 11 lists several revolutionaries as heroes of the faith, including Gideon, Barak, Samson, Rahab, and Jephthah.
So, what about the American Revolution? Did it violate Romans 13? Colonial revolutionaries gave many justifications for their revolt. Some discerned between governmental authorities and tyranny. There was no desire to spread anarchy or establish a society with no rule. They revolted against an evil ruler, not against being ruled, they argued. Christian revolutionaries saw King George III as the one who violated Scripture by not acting as God's servant. "Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God," said Mayhew in 1750.
Colonists believed they had exhausted all legal, civil, and peaceful avenues to set things right. England sent military forces and revolutionary fighters initially acted in self-defense.
Some Christian revolutionaries pointed to 1 Peter 2:13 as placing submission to authorities as secondary to submitting "for the Lord's sake." They reasoned that they could not submit to what they perceived as evil rule for the sake of the Lord.
American Christians at the time struggled with revolution, and not all joined the side of the revolt. Some of the revolutionary reasoning was biblically flawed; Romans 13 does not give exceptions to its instruction. However, some of arguments hold biblical merit, such as self-defense. Either way, the leaders of the American Revolution seem to have acted in good faith and believed they were honoring God. And it would seem that God has brought about many good things from the freedoms lauded by the American Revolutionaries and the way many of those freedoms have persisted not only in the US but in other countries today.
Today we can take the same principles to heart, submitting to our governing authorities, knowing that God has allowed them to come to power, while also standing up to oppression.
He is a cross pendant.
He is engraved with a unique Number.
He will mail it out from Jerusalem.
He will be sent to your Side.
Emmanuel
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