Romans 13 and the State
N.T. Wright recently had a Q and A session on his Facebook page, and he responded to this question:
What would Paul say to a Christian serving in the military?
Wright’s response can best be summarized by these two statements:
This is again straight Romans 13: God wants there to be human authorities, but they are answerable to him.
It is therefore appropriate in principle for a Christian to serve in such a force [the state], basically an extension of police work.
(You can read the full response here.)
In reaction to this, Kurt Willems wrote a response showing where he disagrees. Kurt, in classical Anabaptist fashion, believes that Christians should be nonviolent, but that the state still serves a purpose. There is a separation of church and state, and the state is a necessary evil. 
(more…)
January 24, 2014 Anabaptism, neo-Anabaptism, Nonviolence, The Bible, Theology Read more >