Romans: Rooted in Jesus - Civic Authority

On December 2, 1804, Napoleon entered the cathedral of Notre Dame and crowned himself king of France. Instead of being coronated by the Pope, he broke tradition, snatching the crown from Pope Pius VII, crowning himself king. This symbolized that state authority was superior to church authority, and a break from many of the principles of the French Revolution. He is supposed to have said, “I found a crown in the kennel; I cleansed it from its filth and placed it on my head." While he did some great things, re-writing the law and granting more rights to the people, he sought to establish a new monarchy based on the favor of the people and the right of power. While he was declared emperor he was labeled a tyrant. He was eventually ousted, twice!

Whether France’s Napoleon, Rome’s Tiberius, or an American constitutional president, God’s people have lived under the rule of their fellow man. God is not silent about how we interact with government or its leaders. While we have a King in Jesus, and we arrange ourselves under His rule, He commands us to submit to those in authority over us. This Sunday we’ll begin our examination of Romans 13:1-7, where the Apostle teaches us how to interact with civic authority. The text provides a lot for us to consider as we worship and obey the Lord.