A Revolutionary Reading of Romans 13: A Biblical Case for Lawful Subjection to the Civil Magistrate and Dutiful Resistance to Tyrants

Does Romans 13 command Christians a near unqualified obedience toward the civil magistrate? Is there an appropriate occasion and even a duty to resist tyranny, even if the tyranny is not sinful, per se? The aim of this book is to shed light on the fact that Paul's appeal for submission to governmental authorities in Romans 13 is far narrower than it so often gets treated. The many events and crises of 2020 revealed the broad brush strokes Christians often painted with it and thereby abuse of it. It is here argued that the apostle Paul wrote Romans 13 within a specific historical context, a pastoral occasion if you will, to take up the matter of warding off the common Jewish revolutionary spirit so pervasive in that period. Such a sentiment of private revolution among church members of Rome would have undermined a Gentile government and thereby destroyed the gospel influence of the Christian church in Rome. In this way, this book offers a revolutionary reading of Romans 13—that Paul opposed private revolution among private citizens. Therefore, rightly understood, Romans 13 teaches lawful subjection to the civil magistrate while at the same time affirming a Christian's duty to resist tyranny.

Publisher: Founders
Type: Hardback
ISBN: 9781943539581

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The Lord granted Pastor Timothy Decker repentance and faith when he was 19 years old. After attending Bible college and meeting his wife Liz there, he started his first pastorate in eastern NC. He has also ministered in Honduras as well as the mountains of Virginia. During those times, God was constantly reforming him. On November 11, 2018 Timothy was ordained as an elder at Trinity Reformed Baptist Church. Along with his pastoral ministry, Dr. Decker is also a professor of New Testament and Greek at Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary, International Reformed Baptist Seminary, and the Blue Ridge Institute for Theological Education. He and Liz were married August 6, 2005 and have 4 children.

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‘By placing Paul’s famous pericope about believers and the civil magistrate into contextual perspective, Dr. Decker has provided God’s people with a helpful analysis of Romans 13:1–7. With exegetical acumen supplemented by historical sensitivity, the reader will better understand how this text fits the larger context of Scripture and will be aided by careful application.’ James M. Renihan, President, International Reformed Baptist Seminary