Would Christ Fight The Christmas War?

[Foxfyre]

I interpret Romans 13 as Paul's admonition to submit to authority and not create problems by thwarting authority. I interpret as coming from Paul's Jewish upbringing and understanding that all that exists does exist because God wills it to exist. I interpret it as Paul being obedient to Jesus who taught to render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's. I take it as a coming from a somewhat naive small town guy who had not yet met the likes of Caligula or possibly Claudius or Nero one of which almost certainly had Paul put to death in Rome.

Later Christians would absolutely refuse to submit to Roman requirements to renounce Christ and submit to Roman Gods and instead went into the arenas with the lions or gladiators or were crucified or burned at the stake. I can't believe Paul would have faulted them for that. So that passage has to be considered and understood within its history as all Scripture must be understood.

And nowhere in Jesus's teaching, Paul's teachings, or any other early Christian leader's teachings can you find anything that would suggest that concern for the poor is the government's job.

 

[Immanuel]

I interpret Romans 13 as Paul's admonition to submit to authority and not create problems by thwarting authority. I interpret as coming from Paul's Jewish upbringing and understanding that all that exists does exist because God wills it to exist. I interpret it as Paul being obedient to Jesus who taught to render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's. I take it as a coming from a somewhat naive small town guy who had not yet met the likes of Caligula or possibly Claudius or Nero one of which almost certainly had Paul put to death in Rome.

Later Christians would absolutely refuse to submit to Roman requirements to renounce Christ and submit to Roman Gods and instead went into the arenas with the lions or gladiators or were crucified or burned at the stake. I can't believe Paul would have faulted them for that. So that passage has to be considered and understood within its history as all Scripture must be understood.

And nowhere in Jesus's teaching, Paul's teachings, or any other early Christian leader's teachings can you find anything that would suggest that concern for the poor is the government's job.

I think you are off in your interpretation, but I do not believe that matters in the overall scheme of thing just as IF my interpretation is correct, it does not matter.

Avatar made a statement that "government's don't do the work of God", yet it seems clear in Romans 13 that God puts government's in place as authority over us. I see that as being God's work. The authorities are the servants of God whether they know it or not.

Perhaps the issue here is where this discussion is going. My question was in regards to the one statement by Avatar about government not doing the work of God. What "work" are we talking about here? I did not say anything at all about charity, but perhaps, that is the "work" that you and Avatar are referring to?

I, myself, do not believe it is the job of the government to provide for the poor either, although clearly it is not the government's job to hinder the poor either. It seems to me that the Bible clearly lays out the case that charity comes from the people of God as opposed to the government.

Immie

PS: After I typed that first post, I thought about it and I think Avatar and I have had this discussion in the past. I do not remember what his answer was.