Biblical View of the Law from the Perspective of Paul - Research Paper Example

?Full A Biblical View of the Law from Paul’s Perspective Introduction Religion and government so often come in conflict with each other. Power, perhaps, is the most influential factor causing this conflict. Sometimes, it is so disappointing to see religions fighting for power, fame, and control, because it is perceived to be the foremost advocate of peace programs. Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that through generations, there have been conflicting interests between governments and religions, so that one cannot help but wonder what is supposed to be the role of the government separate from the church. Therefore, it is not surprising that there have been those who tried to combine the government and the church in order to pursue a peaceful leadership. The church cannot be denied to have such power as to gather people as a force which can go against the government when the church does not agree with the leadership. Likewise, the government could be a strong force which could dissolve a church. Thus, the two oftentimes have to come up with solutions to bridge the gap and bind their forces to promote good leadership. America once experienced leadership under the government and the church and also witnessed many changes as the state tried to separate itself from the church. In this respect, it is interesting to look into this matter and examine the biblical principles concerning the government, which circumscribe the law and the role of the church or religion. In this paper, the focus will be on the perceptions of one man who was an expert in law—not only the Jewish law but also the Roman law, and at the same time converted to Christianity— Paul the Apostle. The Law As a Right Paul had always been a zealous Jew who, according to the Bible, became a persecutor of the early Christians. In fact, before he was converted to Christianity, he stood approving the demise of Stephen who was stoned to death by people, believing that he was teaching things contrary to Jewish laws (Archeological Study Bible, Acts 7.60). When Paul was arrested after his conversion, he presented himself before Agrippa and confessed how he had been a Pharisee from childhood. He said that he did not simply persecute the followers of Jesus Christ but also imprisoned and killed them. In his argument before the Roman ruler and the Jewish officials, Paul not only presented the circumstances of his conversion but also used his knowledge of the Roman and Jewish laws to show that he was not worthy to be imprisoned. From this, it could be concluded that Paul looked at the law as a God-given mandate which should also be followed even by the great workers of the church, whether it is to their advantage or disadvantage. He presented his case before the appropriate audience whom he believed would be able to do something about his situation, and took advantage of his knowledge of the rules and regulations of the government and the church in order to show his innocence and demand an appropriate action. As a result, he was able to convince Agrippa with his speech about his innocence, so that the latter thought Paul could have been freed if only he had not appealed to Caesar. In addition, when Paul was arrested together with Silas in Philippi because Paul drove out the spirit of divination from a servant girl, he refused to be released without being escorted. Paul argued that he was a Roman citizen who was wrongly imprisoned because he did not undergo the lawful process of being heard. Therefore, since he was put to public shame for being imprisoned, he claimed for his rights as a roman citizen. During his time, Romans were considered a special breed of human beings who had extensive privileges. They were not supposed to be abused or manhandled the way ordinary people were treated (Vos 551–552), just as the imprisonment suffered by Paul. As a Jew turned Christian and as a Roman citizen, Paul did not simply let go of the circumstances and play his part passively. Rather, he took advantage of his being a Roman citizen to be cleared of the accusing stares of people. He demanded for his rights in accordance with the law. From this situation, one can see that Paul teaches that the law should benefit the people as long as it is not abused. The Law as a Means to Glorify God Paul did not just look at the law as a means to justify actions, maintain peace and order, or control people’s actions. Rather, he considered the law as a way to glorify God. Paul argues that those who teach the law should keep the law as well (Romans 2.17–24). This is done not only to show off and make other people know that a teacher is righteous in his ways by doing what he teaches, but also to obey the law to glorify God. For instance, the law says that one should not steal or kill. Avoiding stealing and killing is not only an act of conforming to what the law says but should also be, first and foremost, a way of honoring God who made man in his own image and likeness and who, first of all, gave the commandments of not stealing and killing. The law is a well-defined regulation that gives physical punishments or rewards as consequences in accordance with one’s actions. Although such consequences may not always be acted upon as in the case of one who commits a crime but is not caught, the punishments defined in the law somehow control criminal acts. Therefore, in this relation, Paul suggests that obeying the law should be an act of obedience to God because whether a person is caught or not in his crime, there is always an Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent God who will bring punishment to the guilty. Submission to Authorities One of the present-day controversies between the government and the church is submission to authorities. People often contend that they cannot definitely obey the law in a world wherein the lawmakers, lawgivers, and those who administer the law are not actually law-abiding citizens. Many countries today are bringing out stories of corrupt officials, which make this argument stronger. Nevertheless, one cannot remove the fact that the law is ordained by God as it reflects what one needs to do and not do. Paul mentions about this, “…by the law, is the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3.20). When one goes against the law, he is considered a criminal in the face of the law, and before God he is also a sinner. This means that a criminal does not only hurt the government and the people but also harms God because the criminal did not just reject the law of men but also the law of God. In reference to the argument presented earlier, when one does not obey the law, he does not obey or glorify God, and no man is exempted from this responsibility regardless of the financial, religious, or political status. However, a servant might say, “How can I not steal my master’s money when he stole it from the government? Does the Bible not say, ‘Do unto others what you want others do unto you (Luke 6.31)?’” The servant might defend that he is only bringing to pass what should be the case in his master’s situation because just as he stole money from the government, his money should also be stolen from him. Nevertheless, this is not the concept that the Bible promotes. In the case of Paul, he commends that “every soul should be subject to the governing authorities because there is no authority except from God and the authorities that exist are appointed by God” (Romans 13.1). To understand this philosophy more clearly, it is perhaps the best to look deeper into the character of one of Israel’s great heroes, King David. It is known that King Saul came before David. Israel’s first king was a wrathful man who denied David of his rightful prize, his daughter Michal, after killing Goliath. When the young man served in the palace, the king attempted a number of times to take his life because he was afraid that the people would declare David as king after he killed Israel’s most feared enemy. The people sang the victory of David over giant Goliath and this made the king jealous of the young man, so he attempted to kill him. Young and able, David never retaliated. In fact, God gave David chances to kill Saul. One time, the king and his men went to a cave to attend to their needs when David went to cut off a corner of Saul’s robe but did not kill him (1 Samuel 24.4). In another instance, Saul and his men were so exhausted from pursuing David that they were not able to notice the young warrior when he went to the cave with his men and took Saul’s jug of water and spear (1 Samuel 26.7–20). Again, David spared Saul’s life. From a human’s point of view, it would have been justifiable for David to kill Saul but since the soon-to-be-declared king respected God and His appointed authority, David did not kill the cruel king. Instead, he remained respectful to him not only as the king’s son-in-law but also as a member of the kingdom. As a Jew and a Pharisee, it is believed that Paul was well versed in the story of David and Saul. His words in Romans, therefore, echo the principles he learned from the life of David (13). Even though Saul was not a very good king, David still respected him as an authority anointed by God, and this is what Paul is advocating in the aforementioned verse. Although the authority a person is submitting to is not worthy of a citizen’s faithfulness and goodness, it is already out of that person’s responsibility to see if the authority placed before him is good or bad. Whether an authority is godly or not is not a question of whether he is worthy of a citizen’s submission; rather, obedience must be seen as one’s response to God’s appointment of that authority. Lawfully Using the Law Paul also believed that the law should be followed. Nevertheless, since no one can really control and dictate other people’s actions, everyone is held responsible for his actions. As such, it has been Paul’s responsibility to teach as many people as he could, not only among the Jews but also among the gentiles. He taught among groups such as the Galatians, Romans, Ephesians and Corinthians as well as individuals such as Timothy and Titus. He told Timothy in his letter to the young man, “…the law is good if one uses it lawfully” (1 Timothy 1.8). Evidently, a government is peaceful and successful when the law is strictly followed; however, where there are corrupt officials, there is much chaos and fighting. Although it is not a person’s responsibility to judge another person on his actions, one is bound to take action in order to correct the irresponsible acts of another person. There is accountability among people. When one is abused, he or she is to report the abuse or suffer more abuse. The punishment should be left to the law, but the persons concerned should take action and become part of the solution in accordance with the law. An Argument Reading other written words of Apostle Paul, one might wonder at some of his statements which may seem contrary to the former principles mentioned earlier. For instance, in Galatians, when Paul reacted to Peter not being straightforward in his teachings, he mentions that a man is not justified by the works of the law (2.16). From this, one might argue that obeying the law is useless then. However, this is not the point of the apostle and he is not contradicting his teachings that were formerly discussed. Rather, this statement confirms his beliefs that obedience to the law should be a person’s obedience to God. Since it is God who instituted the authorities that eventually make the rules and regulations of nations, obeying the law is, in effect, an act of obeying God. However, in the sight of God, when it comes to the salvation of man, it is not in the outward obedience that God makes His judgments. Instead, God judges men by what is in their hearts. This brings one back to the argument made earlier and stating that obedience to the law should be first and foremost a show of respect to the One who established governments, laws and authorities. A Guide to Sinful Men Lastly, Paul taught the Galatians about his perceptions of the law being established as a guide to sinful men. The law was given so that they would know what they had to do and not to do. As Paul termed it, the law served as the tutor to bring men to Christ (Galatians 3.24). This means that men have been guided by the law and taught by it to become obedient so that it would be easier for them to obey God whom they do not see. Since the law gives punishment in accordance with the crime committed, it is easy for a man to understand the consequence of not obeying the law of God. Similarly, gaining respect and prestige by following the law makes a citizen understand God’s law of reward when one shows obedience and respect for God’s commandments. From Paul’s point of view, it has been presented that the law can be used by individuals to benefit them as long as it is not abused, just as the way Paul claimed for his rights by stating that he was a Roman citizen who deserved to be treated well. Claiming what is right and just is considered by Paul as lawful. Above all, he considers the law as a means to glorify God. This implies that one should respect the law in obedience to God who instituted the government, authorities and policies. Therefore, the apostle advocates submitting to authorities regardless of their characteristics. Lastly, Paul considers the law as a guide to sinful men. In all the arguments set forth above, perhaps the strongest belief of Paul about the law is that it demands things from men wherein they can exercise their God-given freedom to choose the better things when it comes to eternal punishments and rewards such as heaven and hell. Works Cited Archaeological Study Bible: An Illustrated Walk through Biblical History and Culture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Corporation, 2005. Print. Vos, Howard F. Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Manners and Customs: How the People of the Bible Really Lived. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1999. Print. Read More