The Politics of Biblical Submission

Is it possible that “political expediency” dictates our understanding of God’s instructions concerning submission?

            Submission implies an authority to which you must submit.  If you are the one in authority it is a prerequisite that someone is submitted to you.  After all, “A leader without any followers is just a guy taking a walk.”^Unknown   A leader is someone who: Goes before, Makes the hard decisions, Takes things in hand, Has his eye on the situation.  All of these snippets remind me of another quote, “…the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.”^Serpent 

            But you say, “Doesn’t the Bible teach that we are to submit to the authority that God has put over us?” 

• A side note: What is learned in Church about “authority/submission” directly depends upon the translation of the Bible and thus indirectly upon the translation committee’s theology, politics and culture.

Our effort will be to examine several passages and how they relate to  “biblical authority and submission.”

Case study #1

            In this examination of Holy Scripture we will attempt to examine the Master’s command concerning submission to “worldly” authority.

^{1Peter 2:13}Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, ¹⁴or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. ¹⁵For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men.
^NIV

Or a better translation:

            ^{1 Peter 2:13}You must be associated with every human establishment for the sake of the Lord, whether with a king as being elevated ¹⁴ or with leaders, as for His sake they being sent, avenging those doing ill but praising ones exerting beneficent influence. ¹⁵That in this way it is the will of God, exerting beneficent influence to restrain the ignorance of those thoughtless men. ^JWET

            It is important to set the context as Peter’s letter.  He begins by identifying the recipients as those who belong to God-the Master of all.  God has given to us a “new birth” (1:3) through His pleasure as Monarch.  This mercy is based on Christ’s resurrection from the dead.  Therefore as “sons” we have both obligations and privileges.

            Another part of this context is the “Roman World.”   The “father” or paterfamilias held a position both cultural and legal in Roman society that has no equivalent in Western societies.   There was only one “father of the family” per “gens” or what might be called a clan.

The paterfamilias had the “power-authority” over the family.  He was head of all slaves, servants and members of the extended family.  This power was a near absolute authority over those in his gens and he was also responsible for the good order of the family and liable for the wrongs the family members committed. 

In the context of 1 Peter, the “sons of God” only were submitted to God and not to any other paterfamilias!  But the permission to associate with other “families” was permitted for the purpose of the Paterfamilias. 

^{1 Peter 1:16}…for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."^NIV  What some might misconstrue as an injunction against any association with the ungodly, is explained by 1 Peter 2:13-15 JWET.  Be holy but be associated with those of other gens in order to influence for your Paterfamilias-God.

Are there any examples of this concept in the Old Testament?  The answer is yes.

1.     Daniel

a.     Nebuchadnezzar

b.     Belshazzar

c.     Darius

2.     Esther

a.     Ahasuerus

Daniel was successful with two out of three kings in influencing them for the good.  We know that he did not submit when it was contrary to his Paterfamilias-God.  Esther also influenced the king for the salvation of her people.

Is there anything detrimental in teaching that we are to submit to the rulers of this world? 

1.     The answer is definitely. 

a.     The harm is a “confusion” of allegiance.  I am “always” submitted to my paterfamilias never to another. 

b.     I am hindered in my influence of the “political” system when I think that I am to submit to it instead of associating with it for God's purpose. 

It is time to associate to influence for “good.”  Think about it.

We will deal with “women submit to men” in another place.