Understanding Our Government

Yesterday, we opened up the can of worms that is government. Specifically, we looked at how Christians should act and live under a government. Truth be told, it’s a tough topic to tackle. If you missed yesterday’s post, click HERE.

Today, we tackle Part 2 of Romans 13:1-7.

At the end of Part 1, I promised some historical context. The book of Romans was written between 56 and 58 AD. During this period, the people of Rome were ruled by Emperor Nero, who two years earlier had been made Emperor at the young age of 17. This would make Nero between the ages of 19 and 21 while Paul wrote the Roman Epistles.

About Nero

There are some interesting side notes about how the young Emperor Nero came to rule the Roman Empire.

1. Nero was not even the son of the previous Emperor, Claudius, but had been adopted after Emperor Claudius married Nero’s mother, Agrippina.
2. When it came time to crown the new Emperor, Nero’s mother, Agrippina, murdered Emperor Claudius’s firstborn, which bumped Nero up from second in line to first.

How would you like to be ruled not only by a teenager but a teenager that came into power through that set of circumstances? Sounds pretty corrupt to me. How does this young ruler compare to your current governing figurehead? Are you starting to think you might not have it so bad after all?

But Wait, There’s More!

Moving away from the Emperor somewhat, the Roman government also had a Senate put in place to speak on behalf of the people. However, the Senate was almost as corrupt as Nero himself. All sorts of under-the-table dealings took place to pass certain laws and judgments. At the end of the day, the Senate often spoke on behalf of their pocketbooks, not the people.

In hindsight, the Roman system was not the best system in place at the time Paul wrote to the Roman church. It would have been a lot easier for God to lead Paul to write about government within a more honorable system. Perhaps, too easy.

Join the Conversation, Share Your Thoughts

• Why would you prefer Emperor Nero over your current leader?
• What challenges do you face under your current government?
• How can Christians uphold their faith under corrupt leadership?