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<blockquote data-quote="ilostabet" data-source="post: 1393984" data-attributes="member: 13181"><p>Indeed, but many interpret this (and St. Paul's words on the subject of political rule and how Christians should act towards it) as, at least, tacit approval of political rule and politics - and in some even more distasteful cases, subservience. This to me is making the reverse mistake of the pharisees: whereas they wanted Jesus to be a political revolutionary to overthrow the government and implement an earthly kingdom of God but by men, these interpreters want a political appeaser of existing and future political rulers. Jesus is neither, and Christians should follow this. A Christian is to submit to political rule in the sense of not overthrowing it, of abiding by the rules and accepting the consequences if not (when the rules are clearly against God). The Christian is not to be a revolutionary and abide, but not in the sense of swearing allegiance or making the mistake that, because he is not to overthrow, he is to respect. The martyrdoms are clear indications that the path of the Christian is the middle, not one of the extremes, for what is martyrdom but refusing to respect the political rule above you, while still accepting the consequences of that attitude?</p></blockquote><p></p>

[QUOTE="ilostabet, post: 1393984, member: 13181"] Indeed, but many interpret this (and St. Paul's words on the subject of political rule and how Christians should act towards it) as, at least, tacit approval of political rule and politics - and in some even more distasteful cases, subservience. This to me is making the reverse mistake of the pharisees: whereas they wanted Jesus to be a political revolutionary to overthrow the government and implement an earthly kingdom of God but by men, these interpreters want a political appeaser of existing and future political rulers. Jesus is neither, and Christians should follow this. A Christian is to submit to political rule in the sense of not overthrowing it, of abiding by the rules and accepting the consequences if not (when the rules are clearly against God). The Christian is not to be a revolutionary and abide, but not in the sense of swearing allegiance or making the mistake that, because he is not to overthrow, he is to respect. The martyrdoms are clear indications that the path of the Christian is the middle, not one of the extremes, for what is martyrdom but refusing to respect the political rule above you, while still accepting the consequences of that attitude? [/QUOTE]

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