The bible verses such as Romans 13:1-7, Mathew 22:15-21, Acts 5:29, and 1 Timothy 2:1-4 are very clear on the need for the Christians to obey the earthy and heavenly authority since the responsibilities and duties of the earthly authority are an extension the rule of God upon mankind. In the book of Romans 13:1-7 and Mathews 22:15-21, Christians are expected to honor and live within the authority of the earthly leaders and even pay taxes since it is only God who has the authority to judge the activities of a fellow mankind. For instance, the role of Pharaoh in Egypt was to fulfill the desires of God upon the Israelites. It was through his role a bad leader to the house of Jacob that would free the Israelites. Despite the fact that some of the actions of Moses were not welcomes by the Israelites, they had to obey his office which God used to directly communicate to the in the wilderness. David’s hand was full of blood and in one instance even took Uriah’s wife. But God’s judgment was sent upon his household without the help of mankind. Joseph as a leader in Egypt fulfilled the desires of God for later releasing the Israelites from the bondage of slavery. In summary, in the Christian perspective, all the leaders cannot exercise independence away from the will of God who has the authority to hold them accountable for their deeds (Yancey, 2003).
The authority that resides in an office established by God is different from the official who fills the role. As indicated in the book of Mathews 22:15-21, the authority that resides in an office established by God is to exercise the will of the supernatural by exercising good governance, protection of the people of God, and using divine wisdom in leading. However, the official who fills this position may have personal weaknesses such as hatred, unwarranted violence, and inability to make sound judgments. For instance, Saddam Hussein and Hitler allowed their hunger and personal selfishness to exercise leadership outside the will of God. It is important to be able to separate the office and the officer who fills the office in order to understand the will of God upon man through earthly leadership. The offices are important in the society since they promote laws and order, love, and unity, especially when the office holders govern within the will of God (Yancey, 2003). As an individual, I fill the office of church administrator. My role is to maintain order and ensure a flow of activities within the church.
The thoughts of St. Augustine in the Just War Theory remain relevant in the Church and State. For instance, the declaration of global support to rebels fighting against the amorphous group called the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) was justified since the course of the war falls within the Just War Theory requirements. The ISIS group has displayed open disregard to rights of humanity, freedom of worship, and destruction of personal property for their own gains. For instance, Christians and Muslims who do not follow their selfish rules are denied the freedom of choice and butchered in the most inhuman ways. The world leaders from the Islamic and non- Islamic states have declared open support to the rebels fighting the ISIS. This action is in line with their roles of protecting, supporting, and ensuring freedom across the globe (Yancey, 2003).
Reference
Yancey, P. (2003). What’s So Amazing about Grace? New York, NY: Zondervan.