This is Paul:
Romans 13:
13 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.
6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
Our our governing authorities doing the will of God?
What about the governing authorities in Pauls day? Nero? Caeser? Didn't they want to be worshiped as God?
Quoting: ToyTV Conspiracy has taken you a bit to far, I think. It's all about rebellion with conspiracy with this crowd. This is why God said in Isaiah 8...
Fear God
11 The LORD spoke to me with his strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people. He said:
12 “Do not call conspiracy
everything that these people call conspiracy ;
do not fear what they fear,
and do not dread it.
13 The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy,
he is the one you are to fear,
he is the one you are to dread,
14 and he will be a sanctuary;
but for both houses of Israel he will be
a stone that causes men to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall.
And for the people of Jerusalem he will be
a trap and a snare.
15 Many of them will stumble;
they will fall and be broken,
they will be snared and captured.”
16 Bind up the testimony
and seal up the law among my disciples.
17 I will wait for the LORD,
who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob.
I will put my trust in him.
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Paul is not telling us here to bow down and worship Caesar or anything like that. He's just telling believers to be good people as Christ would want us to be.
Even Jesus when asked about taxes said, "Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's...". He even had a coin appear in a fish's mouth for Peter so he could pay both their taxes.
So there you go. Paul is just repeating and expounding upon what Christ said.
It's not an issue of whether the govt is evil or not. It's an issue of living our lives among the heathen so that they will not have excuse to talk bad about us and therefore bring slander on the name of Christ.
Don't let the rebellious spirit of conspiracy grip you in such a way that it clouds your understanding of the truth of scripture. This is so important or you will be swayed into unbelief which is the end goal of conspiracy and one of the reasons it was brought out into the open.
To destroy trust in anything and therefore throw truth to the ground and trample on it.
