Want to post to get thoughts on Romans 13.1-5. It says all authority comes from God and they have been placed there by God. I just want to ask a few things about this and see what gets said.
1. How as believers do we navigate ungodly leadership in society, workplace and government? Especially when that leadership oppresses the message of God and those who teach/follow it.
2. Is there an acceptable time to push back against leadership? One example that comes to mind is the 2nd Amendment (try not to get too political in this but it was a good example for this conversation).
Try not to argue or belittle, I am just curious of your thought
Thanks
1 . As believers Christians have
one authority only and under him there are servants for others sake, to bring them to God servants like Paul who serves Christ the king Jesus is the one authority
“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;”
Colossians 1:16-23
What has happened to the church leadership is the gathering of false doctrines and false prophets within the church that lead the church astray we exist 1900 years after this was foretold by Paul
“For
the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine;
but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”
2 Timothy 4:3-4
and Peter
“But
there were false prophets also among the people, even
as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
And
many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.”
2 Peter 2:1-2 KJV
part of the prophetic plan of the New Testament is that the doctrine would be distorted by false teachers gathering together and parting from the truth . Offering teachings that parted from the gospel Jesus sent into the world and this would infect the church and many would follow after thier false teachings that parted from the truth and conforms to the world
This is part of the New Testament message a false and distorted church that resembles the church of Christ , but the word they believe is of the devil having rejected Gods word and distorted it through these false teachers that were to come into the church
“And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and
he had two horns like a lamb, and he
spake as a dragon.
And he
exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to
worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.”
Revelation 13:11-12 KJV
this is a false church with a distorted doctrine the word is of the devil being a distortion but it appears somewhat like a lamb . It’s purpose it to get all the world to worship the false messiah and a distorted message which leads us away from God whereas the truth of the gospel leads us to him
the world is corrupt and that corruption came into the church and got into the message through those false teachers and doctrines they introduce even today
there’s a false church in the world is my point the leadership of this false church is going to be leading them into darkness and blindness to the true gospel actually causing them to reject and deny the gospel Jesus sent for salvation by telling them it doesn’t apply
and then creating another doctrine from scattered scripture and calling thier doctrine the true doctrine but Jesus already was sent from heaven to set the doctrine straight and then the apostles warned many would come and distort it later to lead astray many in the church
what I’m saying is there’s Gods church led by the Holy Spirit through various people in the world who form groups and attend meetings and worship together but the church is every believer in the world and then there’s the other church that’s led by the dragon , offering a different form of messiah who causes us to worship a different god
I think to confront false doctrine we can only share the word of Christ in the gospel d confront it with the true doctrine I don’t think it would be wrong because these days becoming a pastor is a state sanctioned thing not requiring Gods calling or appoontement or anointing like the Bible explains but a certification from a college like the world does everything else we make monitary and a career of. There’s a worldly system Of authority and there’s the kingdom of God and his authority his authority will Never part from the word of Christ . Ultimately we should part from leaders leading us astray and either find one whomisnlesdong us toward Christ and his gospel , or
it could be God trying to raise you up to be a leader because you have a desire to confront what your seeing