When Should A Christian Rebel Against The Government? 1 Peter 2:13-17

Should Christians rebel? If so, when? If so, how?
1 Peter 2:13-17 The focus of this study is on those passages of the Bible that inform us how we should react to government and what attitude to have about flawed government.

From the Sunday Evening Service at Hosanna Christian Fellowship in Bellflower, California.
Teacher: Mike Winger

[michaelutley]

It is ironic that I am watching this during the election and the riots. As usual, this message was timeless.

[andytpatt]

Idk if you'll see this being so late, but how does submission to authority work in America when our ultimate authority is the Constitution, yet politicians deny our constitution to serve their interests at our expense. Is it right to uphold and defend the Constitution if it means rebellion against those in governmental positions who would attack the Constitution?

[oliviahartland]

Watching this on election day 2020. This is a great reminder of how counter-cultural we are called to be.

[MrSparkums]

"Resistance to Tyrants is Obedience to God" Benjamin Franklin, inspired by Jonathan Mayhew's 1750 sermon then called “the morning gun of the American Revolution", "A Discourse Concerning Unlimited Submission and Non-Resistance to the Higher Powers"

[edwardandjessicawalsh]

good. Perfect. Thank you so much. I am so blessed to be able to have access to your teaching!! You have helped me so much!! Thank you!!! May God bless you and keep you!!

[rochellecaffee]

Mike, love to listen to you! A breath of fresh air! Thank you! PTL!

[voxmansilungan]

Hey brother! Just wanted to thank you for sharing this preaching. Helped provide a lot of clarity for me as I studied 1 Peter and preached it to my own congregation. God bless you man!

[Paul-udpt]

What do you do when those in POSITIONS of authority do not actually HAVE the authority granted by the Constitution for what they’re asking?

[Mr_Mmhhmm]

Watching this in Canada in the age of James Coates. A+

[liwanagcarldarmi]

Today is election day in my country, the Philippines and this sermon just pop up in my youtube feed. thanks pastor mike❤️

[cariwiebe]

Right now in Canada the church is so divided. The government has closed churches down over and over through mandates and even arrested pastors who are still holding meetings. Or churches are mandated to hold meetings for those who have the vax only, and they do check status before service. As someone who is trying to recover from progressive Christianity teaching it is SO hard to know what to do. I feel I really need fellowship and accountability., but that means disobeying.

[tnmtnmorning]

When I was little I thought the rhythm was gonna get me, but turns out, it's the government. Bad 80s joke 😆. Great message and one that I really needed to hear. Listening to this in 2021 and the landscape of this country is less recognizable daily.

[tntnorthtravelministriest]

Two wrongs dont make a right. Great response to question about taxes and abortion. Great response.

[mccalltrader]

Wow..we need to make dang sure that those we elect to submit to are worthy of being submitted too

Which means..we are screwed! Lol, politicians, even “good” ones, are corrupt..ain’t never met one who weren’t

[Solemn_Kaizoku]

Regarding what Mr. Mike mentions around 23:30, I think it is certainly far more than just a "practical" obedience out of fear of punishment, or even for conscience sake. Obedience to government authority should be viewed as an act of worship and submission to the Lord, recognizing He is king and His laws are better for us than what is right in our own eyes.

[matthewkeeley]

In WWII, the Royal Family of Norway went into exile; the Prince wanted to stay and defend.
He obeyed his father and followed them into Allied countries. Hitler used the scripture to obey the authority of the land. The true authority Norway commanded to fight and assisted the national underground in resistance to unlawful authority.

[MWebb-depq]

Never give up your guns if someone comes knocking on your door.

Firstly, like you said we submit to the higher authority so our government must submits to the constitution, all gun laws are illegal. We do not obey an authority that is under our 'king' that is doing something illegal. Secondly, if a father or husband gives up his ability to protect, defend, and provide for his family, this causes them to sin. And like you said you must rebel if the government demands and ungodly act.

"But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."
1 Timothy 5:8

[Stess]

So, my liberties go away if the government says this or that?
If the government tells me I can't eat a certain thing or build a swing in my backyard because they say so, I then shouldn't?

[khammer]

Can we be consistent with submission to the human institution (verse 13) if we are submitting to the Constitution as the law of the land. Constitution = human institution = ultimate authority. Peter and Paul were not under Constitutional republics. Nero had the final say for the empire, where the constitution has the final say for us.

I personally can reconcile this with my conscious as the founding framework (human institution) explicitly allows it... "That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government" -Dec of Indep. Governments have risen and fallen since instituted after the flood. God uses many vehicles to bring this about and humans are one of them. Now that is not saying we always resort to violence.

Regarding the American revolution, the people had a contract with the King. The King broke the contract by not protecting them from the hostile and oppressive British Government. I believe the colonies were within the grounds of their contract they had with the King to defend themselves.

Are these contractual obligations written out before us? I do not think it would be wrong to disobey government positions/persons that step outside of the constitutional authorities instituted by the founding fathers. To obey something that is not constitutional would cause us disobey the constitution as a human institution. i.e. submit to one rogue gov position means to NOT submit to another. The Supreme court precedent is that unconstitutional laws are not enforceable, or should not be at least.

I also believe I am biblically mandated to protect my wife and children, that my #1 earthly responsibility is my wife, and then my children. So if the government would try to take away my ability to protect and provide for my family I would have to refuse. Again, it does not have to be violent. And then of course we always would have to submit to the authority of the consequences of our actions.

I pray that God can bring us wisdom an discernment on issues like these through deep prayer. I struggled with this after studying this passage but my heart is at peace now. verse 17 says "Love the brotherhood." We as a church should be loving to other believers who may conclude differently on this issue that may not be so clear black and white as Mike said.

[ramennight]

This gets even more complex when you have conflicting laws and conflicting government powers at federal, state, and county levels. Even then, thats rather simple compared to the people in war torn areas who's government keep trading hands rapidly between coued government, original government, new rebellion, and extremists factions. Unfortunately something like that might not be that far away in America either.