Romans 13 and Answer to Anonymous

Inquiry from anonymous to me: "Some of the more famous and egregious examples of morality in the New Testament include provisions which would have required Germans to venerate Hitler (1st Romans 13: 1-5), rejoice as he exterminated the Jews (1 Thessalonians 2: 4-5), treat women as second class citizens (1 Timothy 2:11-12), all in addition to the views you expressed on homosexuality. It seems to be the case, then, that if you are one of those chosen for an eternal reward in heaven, you have to be a really horrible person who would make an outstanding Nazi. Especially when you look at all the text that makes a virtue out of blind obedience to other men (1 Timothy 6:1, Ephesians 6:5-6, Titus 2:9-10, 1 Peter 2:18, 1 Corinthinas 7:21-24, basically all of Paul's letter to the Romans).

So my question is, if the President of the United States was promoting the ethnic cleansing of Muslims, would you obey, or would you resist the genocide understanding that you would be denying yourself a place in Heaven and securing yourself a place in hell?"





Answer: Those are horrific interpretations of those Scriptures.
Romans 13:1 says, "Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God." If this is so, what about the bad governments like the Nazis or the communist regimes where they killed millions?  If God is the one who sets up governments, are we supposed to obey those bad governments?
The answer is no.
We are to obey governments unless they violate Scripture.  Acts 5:29 says, "We must obey God rather than men." Whenever a government violates biblical teaching, Christians are obligated to disobey that government.  For example, if a government were to declare that we should kill all Asians, or immigrants, or people with Down's syndrome, we should disobey.  Governments are run by people and often become corrupt.  Furthermore, the Bible never tells us to obey governments in contradiction to the revealed word of God.

1 Thessalonians 2:4-5 "But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts. For neither at any time used we flattering words*, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness:"

I do not see anywhere in that text where it says to rejoice in the slaughtering of Jews.

1 Timothy 6:1 "Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed."
This verse is teaching to respect authority, why is that a bad thing? Do you count your boss at work worthy?

Ephesians 6:5-6: Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
Again, I see nothing wrong with servants obeying their masters. In Biblical times, a servant was a servant because he had to pay off debts.

1 Peter 2:18: Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.
Here is the verse many have problems with, but let me explain something: To be froward means to be habitually disposed to disobedience and opposition to someone or something like a law. Someone that is being forward is being willfully contrary to someone or something and is not easily managed. Similes of the word forward are crookedness, to go wrong, go crooked, backsliding, twisted, distorted, or crooked so now let’s explore what forward means in the Bible and use it in the context in which is it written. Since the word “forward” is used more often in the King James Bible that is where I will try and biblically define the word.

Since we know what forward means we can see why God detests a forward heart as the psalmist writes “A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person” (101:4) because “the froward is abomination to the Lord” (Prov 3:22) so “Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee” (Prov 4:24). If “Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord” (Prov 6:14). As far as Solomon is concerned “All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them” (Prov 8:8) because he realized that God hates a forward mouth (Prov 8:13) as “the froward tongue shall be cut out” (Prov 10:31b). For those who have not the Spirit of God it is normal that “the mouth of the wicked speaketh forwardness” (Prov 10:32). The point in this paragraph is “They that are of a froward heart are abomination to the Lord” (Prov 11:20).

Peter wrote “Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward” (1st Pet 2:18) showing that even if someone is froward of heart and mouth to us, we should not respond in kind because then we lower ourselves to their level. David wrote that “With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself unsavory” (2nd Sam 22:27) so we have a choice. We can chose what comes out of our mouth and show ourselves as being pure or we can speak with a froward mouth and show ourselves unsavory to God. Regarding any nation or people and even any person God says “I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith” (Duet 32:20) so a froward mouth or heart is an evil, wicked heart and means that they are habitually disposed to disobedience and God resists such people. For those who refuse to repent Solomon writes “Thorns and snares are in the way of the forward [but] he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them” (Prov 22:5).

As for 1 Corinthians 7:21-24, that is a bad passage to use to prove your point, this is speaking of our releasing of spiritual bondage in Christ Jesus.