I’ve been seeing Romans 13 used a lot on social media these past few weeks. I’d like to pause and look at a biblical understanding of the passage, and how to apply it during our current cultural moment, using responsible hermeneutics.
When “I follow the Lamb, not the Donkey or the Elephant” falls short
If “I follow the Lamb, not the Donkey or the Elephant” means I follow the Kingdom of Jesus and will live, advocate, and vote according to those values, and I will stand up to the Donkey and the Elephant when they aren’t, then I’m all for it.
But where I’ve most often heard “I follow the Lamb, not the Donkey or the Elephant” used is by Christians who also say things like “Just preach Jesus (and don’t talk about issues of oppression and injustice, despite what the Bible clearly commands).”
Why We Can’t Merge Jesus With Our Political Party
When we attach Jesus to our political party, it always lessens the impact of the gospel. Whether you mean to or not, you’re attaching all the baggage of your political party on to Jesus in the eyes of a watching world. As soon as you say “Jesus + Republican” or “Jesus + Democrat”, that’s exactly what non-Christians see and it’s what they understand the gospel to be.
Galatians On Adding Politics to the Gospel
Christians In Name Only??? I had to explore further and read the original tweet where Eric Metaxas retweets a callout of Jemar Tisby by name.
Ep. 106: Matthew Soerens on Understanding Immigration from a Biblical Perspective
Noah has an in-depth conversation with Matthew Soerens of World Relief and the Evangelical Immigration Table on immigration, particularly as it relates to what the Bible says and the rhetoric being used by politicians in this election cycle.
Ep. 99 & 100: Dr. David Turner on Christian Higher Education + Power & Politics at Cornerstone University
Noah has an in-depth conversation with his former seminary professor Dr. David Turner about macro trends in Christian colleges and seminaries, and deep concerns about Noah’s alma mater and Dr. Turner’s employer of 32 years, Cornerstone University & Grand Rapids Theological Seminary