"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" (Romans 13:1).
Robert Jeffress, the pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas, recently claimed that God has given the President of the United States the moral authority to use nuclear weapons for the purpose of taking out the dictator of North Korea, meaning specifically North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Citing Romans 13:1-7 as his source of authority, Jeffress maintains that God gives earthly rulers (in this case the American President) the authority to use any means possible to confront evil in the world.
I would like to offer a counter-narrative to Jeffress claims because I believe them to be dangerously unwise, not to mention, they violate the very heart of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
There are some things that need to be said concerning the passage in Romans 13:1-7 cited by Jeffress.
1) Historically there has been no unanimity among Biblical scholars as to the meaning of this passage and how it may or may not apply to modern-day governments. One thing most all scholars agree upon is that Paul had no concept of the modern nation-state and how they would historically evolve. He certainly had no idea of the eventual nuclear age.
2) It would be an egregious mistake to read and interpret Romans 13:1-7 ripped from its larger context. It would be much wiser to keep Romans in close proximity to Romans 12:14-21, as well as the paragraph following Romans 13:1-7.
3) Paul’s main concern is that the civic authorities (not necessarily modern Heads of State) to which he is referring are in their place of authority only because God allows them to be there, “because the one true God wants the world to be ordered, not chaotic” (N.T. Wright).
4) At the time Romans was written Nero was the emperor of Rome and thought of himself as divine (as did other Romans Emperors). Paul was simply making the claim that all civic and governing authorities were themselves under the sovereign lordship of Jesus Christ.
5) Romans 13:1-7 does not give modern governments or dictators wholesale permission to engage in wars, or worse yet, nuclear wars. The American President does not have Divine authority to use Nuclear weapons as a means to extend American foreign policy (if there exists such a policy today).
6) Finally, Romans 13:1-7 is not the final word on the relationship between Church and State. Paul was not developing a full-scale theology of Church and State in this very brief paragraph.
I don’t know Robert Jeffress. Yet knowing where he teaches (Dallas Theological Seminary) and the theological history of First Baptist Church Dallas, it’s probable that he expects the world to be destroyed by fire in the last days. So it is quite understandable how one who holds such a negative view of the end times could suggest that nuclear war fits well within God’s overall scheme.
I vehemently disagree with his position on this issue. It is dangerous, and quite frankly, unwise for a member of the clergy to offer what may be perceived as Divine permission for anyone to use nuclear weapons.
For a pastor or a priest to even suggest that God would ordain the obliteration of millions of innocent people is beyond comprehension. To claim Divine authority for the use of nuclear weapons of mass destruction based on one small Biblical text, whose meaning is not at all clear, is unconscionable.
At the very least, it displays a poor understanding of the trajectory God has his creation heading towards. It certainly is not destruction but rather Divine renewal.
Finally, I think Jeffress misunderstands his role as a Christian minister; one who confesses Jesus only as his sovereign Lord. As followers of Christ, we are called to speak truth to power, not get in bed with it. To give advice to a nation’s leader to obliterate millions of people and to use Sacred Scripture to justify such advice violates one’s calling to be the prophetic voice to the Empire.
I would hope and pray that Rev. Jeffress has a change of mind, although I seriously doubt this will be the case short of some Divine encounter. Being so close to power can be lethally dangerous as well as intoxicating.
It is awfully tempting to be in the position of offering advice to the world’s most powerful leader. It is even more tempting to be included in the policy decisions of one’s nation. Jeffress has an opportunity to be a modern day Amos or a Jeremiah and speaks truth to power. To be a witness to the Prince of Peace, the Giver of Life, rather than being an agent of death and destruction. Jeffress has the platform available to him to offer this nation’s president an alternative solution that is more in keeping with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
One can only hope that cooler heads will prevail during this current crisis, otherwise, we may very well be in for a long and dark winter that could very well descend upon our world.
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