Beth-El Baptist Church

04/15/2012

Greg Tomlinson


Was the American Revolutionary war going against scripture?


The Declaration of war by America against Great Britain is viewed by many as a refusal to submit to those in authority over them.


  1. Why should citizens submit to governmental authority?

Romans 13:1-7 1 Peter 2:11-14


Those who are officers of the government are placed into that position to function as servants of God. They are to ensure appropriate execution of the laws for the sake of justice and for God. In a sense, the government is to function in God's place to carry out justice or 'bear the sword' in order to ensure proper adherence to the laws.


  1. Are there limitations related to submission to governmental authority?

Deuteronomy 4:8; 25:1 Psalm 1:5-6

Leviticus 19:15 Deuteronomy 1:15-17; 16:18-20

Acts 4:17-21; 5:26-29 Proverbs 28:15-16; 29:2, 12

Isaiah 14:4-6


Since human government is expected to function as servants of God, carrying out the laws of God, there is legitimacy in questioning when and if an oppressive government ought to be removed. It is to be understood that rebellion against the government is not to be taken lightly. The violations that the government is carrying out must be gross perversions of what is right in the eyes of God and should not be carried out without first trying to correct the wickedness of the government. It is of particular importance to consider the relationship of the government and the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The government that is clearly and specifically seeking the removal of the proclamation of Jesus Christ ought to be respectfully rejected with the understanding that the life of the adherent to the Gospel may be taken from him by the wicked government.


  1. What do the Old Testament wars tell us about breaking submission to governmental authority?

Genesis 14:14-16; 15:15-16 Judges 2:18; 3:7-10, 14-15; 4:3

Judges 6:1-10; 10:7-17 Esther 7:3-4


There were many battles in the Old Testament. The ones that God tended to honor and cause the defeat of the enemy is a battle in which another people greatly oppressed the people of God. The oppressor treated the people cruelly such as removing access to food. The cruel treatment usually lasted for several years, sometimes even decades. The battle did not begin until the people of God repented of their own sinfulness and cried out to YHWH for relief. It was only after they turned to God that God provided a deliverer of His own choosing and a battle or series of battles of His design and under His direction.


  1. How did the reasons behind the American Revolutionary war line up with scriptural guidelines?

The reasons behind the American Revolutionary war are documented in the Declaration of Independence. This historic document proclaims that they are required to “declare the causes which impel” “one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another”. The source behind any such dissolution is declared to be based upon “the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God”. The justification begins with “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness – That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, – That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness”


The American Revolutionary War began because the King of Great Britain was deemed to have violated basic, essential rights that derive their existence, not from Government, but from God. Such rights include “Live, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”. Contained within the Declaration of Independence is a recognition “that mankind are more disposed to suffer”, thus recognizing the reality of life. There does come a time, however after “a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny”. This indicates that the people understood themselves as being greatly oppressed by the King and other points indicate that they did not take the act of dissolving the relationship lightly. The implication (though not specifically stated) is that they had been crying out to the LORD for quite some time.


Much of the rest of the Declaration of Independence identifies specific injustices that the King had carried out. Among those were his refusal to “Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good”. In other words, the laws applied to the citizens and not to the King. The is a history of refusal for just and timely laws to be implemented. The King did nothing to stop unjust actions on the part of the government. Being just is foundational to any government that recognizes its role as servant of God.


By comparing scripture and the Declaration of Independence, it is clear that the King was viewed to be an unjust ruler who abused the citizens in various ways. Some of the reasons for dissolution identified in the Declaration of Independence are, by themselves, insufficient cause for dissolution (such as having a representative government – nothing in the scriptures about necessitating such a government). One of the biggest issues was the King's corruption of the Justice system for his own benefit. Another was the King's plundering the seas, ravaging the coasts, burning towns, and destroying the lives of the people. The King was viewed as being highly abusive and oppressive, much like the enemies of Israel.