SUBMIT TO GOVERNMENTAL LAWS UNLESS IT CONFLICTS WITH THE BIBLE
What is the lesson to learn from the persecution of the local government?
Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honour the emperor.
Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
‘He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.’
When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. ‘He himself bore our sins’ in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; ‘by his wounds you have been healed.’ For ‘you were like sheep going astray,’ but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. 1PETER 2:11-25.
I recently read an article about the forced demolition of the “Golden Lampstand Church” in Linfen in northern China's Shanxi province by “paramilitary troops known as the People's Armed Police” using excavators and dynamites. According to the Associated Press, on 9 January authorities in northern China's coal country demolished a well-known Christian mega-church, underscoring long-standing tensions between religious groups and the officially atheistic Communist Party.
The church was built using nearly $3 million in contributions from local worshippers in one of China's poorest regions. The church was built by husband and wife evangelists Wang Xiaoguang and Yang Rongli as a permanent home for their followers around ten years ago and had since grown to a congregation of more than 50,000, and had long clashed with the government. In an earlier crackdown in 2009, their Bibles were seized and church leaders were given long prison sentences, by being charged with illegally occupying farmland and disturbing traffic order by getting together, and in the end, the church was demolished by police and hired thugs.
In China, there are an estimated 60 million Christians. While many of them worship in independent congregations like the “Golden Lampstand Church”, millions of Christians, Buddhists and Muslims are said to worship in state-sanctioned assemblies as well. However, the facts are as follows:
the surging popularity of non-state-approved churches has raised the ire of authorities, wary of any threats to the party's rigid political and social control. Freedom of religion is guaranteed under China's constitution, so local authorities are often seen as using technicalities to attack unregistered churches. Charges of land or building violations and disturbing the peace are among the most common.
According to anonymous people, the church did not hold the necessary permits and it was illegally constructed in violation of building codes, although religious groups must register with local religious affairs authorities under Chinese law. Early in their evangelisation, when they started preaching in 1996, the founders are said to have established congregations in improvised spaces such as factory dormitories and greenhouses. While authorities did not block the church's construction, the couple and other church leaders were sent to prison at a later stage.
This article reminded me of Peter’s teachings over Christians’ behaviour. As quoted at the beginning, Peter taught that Christians should behave differently to the world. Christians’ real home is in heaven and so, Christians are pilgrims on earth, i.e., ‘foreigners’ (strangers) in the world. They are accountable as the Lord’s witness to maintain an effective testimony before unbelievers and their positive lifestyle would be a powerful means of convincing the world of its sin as Christ taught:
let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven (Ma.5: 16).
Also, Christians are responsible to abide by governmental laws with the right motivation for the Lord’s sake but not from a fear of punishment. It would be a good reminder for Christians that they are to observe man-made laws as long as those laws do not conflict with the clear teaching of the Bible, by carefully judging
which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you (authorities), or to him? (Acts4:19).
According to Peter’s argument in his letter above, the organised persecution through oppressive Roman laws seems not to have yet reached the provinces of Asia Minor at that time. So then, Christians might have faced deceptions, false accusations and verbal abuse, but not torture or death yet, which means even Christians enjoyed the protection of a legal system that commended those who obeyed the law. Accordingly, a believer’s best defense against slanderous criticism was their good behaviour. Peter encourages Christ’s followers to always do good to glorify God as Christ Himself modelled in His life. Such an enduring living would be applied to any situation where unjust suffering occurs, which must be God’s will for His true followers, especially in the last days.