CIVIL

DISOBEDIENCE

When is civil
disobedience allowed
for a Christian?
 Act 5:27  And when they had brought them,
they set them before the council: and the high
priest asked them, 
 Act 5:28  Saying, Did not we straitly command
you that ye should not teach in this name?
and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with
your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's
blood upon us. 
 Act 5:29  Then Peter and the other apostles
answered and said, We ought to obey God
rather than men. 
 God has established three
institutions:

 the home (Gen.2:18–25),

 the government (Gen. 9:1–17),

 the church( Matthew 18, Acts 2).

 Under our Almighty God and King,
He has established three spheres
of human government and earthly
authority/sovereignty.
 The family sphere of
authority
 Family “is for the upbringing and education of children, as well as for
the nurturing of orderly human relationships in honour, discipline and
love. The family is the basic unit of society (Eph. 5:22–6:4; Deut. 6:4–9
).”  The family symbol of authority is the rod of correction, the very thing
being outlawed by godless state governments (Prov. 13:24; 22:15;
23:13-14).  
 Think of God’s design for the family as, ‘The Ministry of Health,
Education and Welfare’, as responsible for the care of both soul and
body.  From food, clothing and shelter, to curfews, beliefs, and choosing
a spouse and career – never in Scripture are these tasks assigned to
the state, but always to the family (Gen. 18:19; Deut. 6:7-9; 1 Cor. 7:36-
38; Eph. 5:22-6:4; 1 Tim. 5:8),.  Nowhere does the Bible hold secular
governments responsible for universal healthcare.  Always that is listed
as a family duty first, and then secondarily a church duty in caring for
her widows and orphans (1 Tim. 5:1-16; Jam. 1:26-27).
 2.The church sphere of
authority
 “Church government is for the spiritual well-being and ministry of God’s people (1 Cor.
12:12-27; 1 Thess. 5:12-15; Heb. 13:7,17).  The local church’s God-given symbol of
authority are the keys of the kingdom – admitting and excluding members based on the
gospel of Christ alone.  Consider God’s design for the church as, ‘The Ministry of the Word
and Sacrament’.  Scripture calls the church’s main focus to be, not the care of bodies, but
souls (Heb. 13:17).  Only King Jesus gets to complete this sentence, ‘You may worship
if….’
 Right now in churches around the world, a crisis of spiritual authority is occurring that is
testing believer’s understanding and application of this 2nd biblical sphere.  Members are
watching to see how their leaders handle Covid and lockdowns, and should keep praying
much for them.  God’s Word is clear:  “…be subject to your elders”; “Obey your leaders and
submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account” (1
Pet. 5:5; Heb. 13:17).  It is a sad day when the body of Christ is paying more attention to
Caesar’s fallible regulations than to Christ’s infallible Book and the loving counsel of their
spiritual leaders who know and care for them. 
 2.The church sphere of
authority
Duly appointed church leaders are God’s legitimate authorities over the
spiritual health of their flock, and all of their biblical instructions must be
obeyed, whether one agrees with them or not.  Of course members can
appeal, clarify, and engage with their leaders; but mutiny or divisiveness is
not an option (1 Thess. 5:12; Rom. 16:17; Eph. 4:1-6; Tit. 3:10-11).  More
than ever, believers need to turn off the media and sit at the feet of their
own godly, wise, proven shepherds who are called to “understand the
times” and teach the saints (1 Chron. 12:32; Tit 1:9; 1 Tim. 3:2; 2 Tim. 2:24-
4:5).  
 The flock are being bombarded by today’s popular narratives; they
urgently need to hear the calming, clear voice of their Good Shepherd
through His appointed under-shepherds expounding His Word (John
10:16; 1 Pet. 5:1-4).  Members can rest in knowing that, in the end, their
leaders are the ones who will answer to Christ for how they’ve led the
flock (John 20:15-19; Acts 20:28; 1 Pet. 5:4; Jam. 3:1).
 3.The government sphere of
authority
 We see government first established by God after the flood to institute
the death penalty on murderers and establish the value of human life
(Genesis 9:6).  In the Old Testament we get to see God governing a
nation directly through theocratic laws, judges and kings.  In the New
Testament the apostle Paul makes it clear that even a godless state is
a servant of God and is sanctioned for a particular purpose. The main
function of the state is to punish evil (Gen. 9:6; Rom. 13:1-7).
 It is for the well-ordering and protection of society; this includes the
appropriate punishment of criminals (Rom. 13:1–7).”  The state’s
symbol of authority, as Romans 13 makes clear, is “the sword”, clearly a
tool for punishing criminals (v. 4).  The focus of the state is not the care
of souls (as in the church), or both souls and bodies (as in the family),
but is focused on the protection of bodies, specifically of the human
rights of its citizens.
 3.The government sphere of
authority
 In Scripture, the entire modus-operandi of the church and state stand in stark
contrast to one another.  As Paul Hartwig writes:  “The State has a coercive
and forceful function; the Church has a non-coercive and persuasive one.” 
People attend worship services freely and voluntarily; people pay their taxes by
necessity, right?  In the church ‘you ought to’ is the motive; but in the State it is
‘you must’.  
 This is why any compelling ‘must’ commands issued by the State over church
affairs are an alien intrusion into the nature of the Church and contrary to how
she functions. If the armed response came to your door and insisted that you
should let them in to nurse your children, you would say, “No entry.  Please stay
outside and guard the property.”  Their presence in your home would be a threat,
as much as it is a blessing outside.  In the same way, the government as a
“servant of God for our good” (Rom. 13:4) may warn churches about a possible
threat and appeal to them to temporarily cease congregating; but the
government must not bring its sword into the church mandating when and how
we will worship.   
 3.The government sphere of
authority
 This passage calls us to godly civil obedience based on Christ’s sinless,
selfless example of trusting God and submitting to wicked and unjust
rulers (1 Peter 2:21-25).[7]  Christians must submit to legitimate rulers
giving lawful commands whether they agree or not, or like it or not.  Even
if we don’t agree with the amount of taxation, we pay our taxes. Even if
we don’t like the speed limits, we follow them.[8] 
 Yet unqualified Christian obedience to government cannot be taught
from texts which explicitly limit the boundaries of government authority
and the extent of our submission.  God Himself clearly restricts the role
of government, not giving it unlimited authority: it acts “for the
punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right” (1 Pet.
2:14).  When rulers reverse that, as often happens, by praising evildoers
and punishing those who do right, they violate their delegated, God-given
authority and transgress their divinely established boundaries and
assigned jurisdiction.  
 3.The government sphere of
authority
 We obey our rulers, not for their own sake or just
because they say so; no, we submit “for the Lord’s
sake” (I Peter 2 v. 13), out of obedience to a much
higher authority, King Jesus. God has clearly put a
hierarchy in place, and we dare not circumvent or
reverse that. When an earthly authority clashes
with our highest, majestic and supreme heavenly
authority, we must disobey Caesar and obey Christ,
every time.
 Let’s ask five key questions of Romans
13, allowing the text to speak for itself:

 (a) Who is writing this text? Clearly it was penned by the Apostle Paul
(Rom. 1:1), the same man who says earlier in this same epistle that for
the Lord “we are being put to death all day long…considered as sheep to
be slaughtered”, i.e., executed by the state. Romans 13 is written by the
same Paul who would was publicly charged as a treasonous, seditious
troublemaker and threat to the empire. The same Paul who got
arrested countless times and wrote many of his epistle from state
prison, in chains for his Lord (Eph. 3:1; 4:1; Php. 1:7,13-17; 2 Tim.
1:8,12,16; 2:9, imprisoned “as a criminal”). Clearly then, Paul wasn’t
writing Romans 13 thinking of absolute, unconditional submission to
government.
 Let’s ask five key questions of Romans
13, allowing the text to speak for itself:

 (b) When was Paul writing?  Scholarly consensus is that this is early in

Nero’s reign, before his persecutions began.[15]  Contrast this to the
Apostle John’s view of civil government in Revelation 13, writing during
Domitian’s fierce persecution (about AD 90).  John describes the
beastly, demonic, evil and murderous character of pagan government in
persecuting Christians (just as Daniel depicts in Dan. 7-8).  
 A whole-Bible view of politics requires both Romans 13 and Revelation
13 (and the rest of Scripture).  On the one hand, when government is in
line with God’s will and fulfilling its purpose of rewarding the right,
punishing the wrong and not clashing with God’s Law, it must be
obeyed.  But when government rewards evil, punishes the right and
requires us to disobey God, it has become a beastly tool of Satan and
must be resisted.
 Let’s ask five key questions of Romans
13, allowing the text to speak for itself:

 (c) To whom will all rulers give an account?

 Look back at our text and count how many times the name
of God appears.  Six times it is emphasized that God is the
one who establishes governments and uses them as His
servants.  Every last ruler and cop will answer to the
Almighty.  No human authorities are ever absolute, no
matter how powerful or terrifying.  Ask Nebuchadnezzar
what happened when he forgot that, and had to learn about
God’s supremacy the hard way! (Dan. 4). As the saying
goes, ‘Rulers who don’t fear God will try to be God.’
 Let’s ask five key questions of Romans
13, allowing the text to speak for itself:

 (d) Why has God appointed them to govern?

 Notice again, just as we saw (Part 3) in 1 Peter 2:14, so also in Romans 13, the
text itself contains clear limitation clauses showing the God-ordained
boundaries around the government’s sphere of authority:  “For rulers are not a
cause of fear for good behaviour; but for evil…a minister of God for your good…
an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil” (vv. 3-4; cf. Ps.
101:8; Prov. 20:8; 29:4).  Yes, these are descriptive clauses, not conditional
ones; but still they put boundaries upon government authority.  (Answering to
what extent we submit to abusive authorities is not an easy question, nor the
purpose of Paul’s teaching in Romans 13:1-7; but this blog series seeks at least
to establish some biblical principles as a starting point for the discussion.)
 God calls government to a focused, limited role of mainly criminal justice and
protection of human rights, not universal parenting in a nanny state.  As a friend
of mine recently said, “When law-abiding citizens are more afraid of the police
than criminals are, government is outside of its God-given role.”
 Let’s ask five key questions of Romans
13, allowing the text to speak for itself:

 (e) Who defines “good” and “evil”? 

 Look again at Romans 13:3-4:  Three times Paul speaks of “the good”, and three
times he speaks of “the evil”.  But who defines and who decides what is “good”
or “evil”?  Secular society today defines morality by political correctness, the
LGBTQ agenda and censorship of all ‘hate speech’, and by all that is pro-
abortion and anti-marriage.  In communist countries, “good” is atheism, racism,
worship of the state, rejection of all private property, and resulting genocide;
“evil” is any opposition to the state or political treason.  
 But that cannot be how God defines morality in Romans 13 or anywhere in His
holy Word and His perfect Law.  In the very next verses (vv. 8-10), Paul proceeds
to show that God’s absolute and objective Law defines our ethics, not any
manmade subjective or situational standards.  From the Garden of Eden, to
Mount Sinai, to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, God has made clear that His
character and Law are the fixed, universal standard for “good” and “evil” (Exod.
20; Lev. 19; Micah 6:8; Matt. 5:17-20).  
 Let’s ask five key questions of Romans
13, allowing the text to speak for itself:

 Scripture makes clear that submission to authority is not agreement. 

We submit “for the Lord’s sake” to every human institution, no matter
our opinion or preference.  Any time a legitimate authority gives a
lawful command, like it or not, we must trust God and submit, no matter
how irrational or unreasonable it seems.  
 But whenever we are commanded by an illegitimate authority (out of
their biblical sphere) or an unlawful command (against the Law of God),
we “must obey God rather than man” (Acts 5:29).  Biblical civil
disobedience is required anytime we are commanded to do what God
forbids (e.g., Exod. 1; Dan. 3, etc.), or told not to do what God requires
(Dan 6; Acts 4-5).[25]  
 WHAT IS CIVIL
DISOBEDIENCE?
 Merriam-Webster defines civil disobedience as “refusal to obey
governmental demands or commands especially as a nonviolent and
usually collective means of forcing concessions from the government”.
 For Christians, civil disobedience is the act of intentionally disobeying
governing authorities because of a higher conviction to Scripture. When a
Christian engages in civil disobedience, they are doing so out of a
conviction that the ruling authorities are commanding them to do
something that is in direct contradiction to a command in Scripture.
 It is important to note that civil disobedience is not a convenient loophole
for policies or procedures with which you may simply not agree. It is to be
reserved only for situations that command you to act in contradiction to
God’s Word.
 WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY
ABOUT CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE?
 As mentioned previously, civil disobedience is something that has existed
since the days of the early church. Believers throughout the years have
been called to stand up for their religious beliefs in the face of government
opposition. While we are privileged to not experience this often in
America, I believe a time will come where we are required to stand up for
our religious beliefs.
 The Bible shares many examples of civil disobedience from Daniel to
Esther to the Hebrew midwives. We will take a look at these examples in
greater depth but, for now, let’s unpack what the Bible says about civil
disobedience in the life of a Christian.
 CHRISTIANS ARE CALLED TO
SUBMIT TO GOVERNING
AUTHORITIES
 The book of Romans covers many important topics. It is no
surprise that civil disobedience is covered in great depth. Romans
13:1-3 says, “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers.
For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained
of God”.
 The passage continues, “Whosoever therefore resisteth the power,
resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to
themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works,
but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that
which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same. 
 CHRISTIANS ARE CALLED TO
SUBMIT TO GOVERNING
AUTHORITIES
 And later in Romans 13:6-7, “For for this cause pay ye tribute
also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this
very thing. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom
tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear;
honour to whom honour. 
 Christians are called to submit to governing authorities,
understanding that God has placed them in their unique positions
of leadership. This can be a challenging calling when we do not
agree with the laws or policies that governing authorities are
putting into place. However, when we are challenged by the
rulings of our leadership, we must remember that by submitting
to their leadership, we are honoring God.
 OUR ULTIMATE ALLIANCE IS TO
HEAVEN
 Acts 5:27-29 reads, “And when they had brought
them, they set them before the council: and the
high priest asked them, Saying, Did not we
straitly command you that ye should not teach in
this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem
with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's
blood upon us. Then Peter and the other apostles
answered and said, We ought to obey God rather
than men.
 OUR ULTIMATE ALLIANCE IS TO
HEAVEN
 At all times, it is important to remember that our
ultimate alliance is to heaven, not the leaders of this
world. This is why civil disobedience is of great
importance to Christians. If the government is calling
you to do something that is in direct contradiction to the
Word of God, you must remember that your allegiance
is to God. As citizens of heaven, we are called to
Biblical submission to authorities unless it directs us to
compromise our religious beliefs and convictions.
 CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE ONLY
APPLIES TO ISSUES THAT
CONTRADICT GOD’S WORD
 There are many topics with which you may not agree. However, the
majority of these issues are disagreements on a personal level. It is
important to note that Christians can not use civil disobedience as an
excuse to disregard laws or rulings with which they simply do not
agree.
 Civil disobedience only applies to issues or rulings that directly
contradict God’s Word. For example, while you may not agree that
Americans should pay taxes on their income or property, it is simply a
personal opinion. Paying taxes does not contradict God’s Word. Thus, it is
not a time where civil disobedience is permissible. 
 It is also important to realize that Christians must work to take steps to
remedy the issue before resorting to civil disobedience. For example, while
Christians believe that abortion contradicts the Word of God, we do not
have to disobey the government to fight for the rights of unborn children.
There are legal ways to work for change in this area. 
 If, however, the government commanded you to abort your child, this
would be in direct contradiction to God’s Word. In that type of situation, 
 CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE ONLY
APPLIES TO ISSUES THAT
CONTRADICT GOD’S WORD
 There are many topics with which you may not agree. However, the
majority of these issues are disagreements on a personal level. It is
important to note that Christians can not use civil disobedience as an
excuse to disregard laws or rulings with which they simply do not
agree.
 Civil disobedience only applies to issues or rulings that directly
contradict God’s Word. For example, while you may not agree that
Americans should pay taxes on their income or property, it is simply a
personal opinion. Paying taxes does not contradict God’s Word. Thus, it is
not a time where civil disobedience is permissible. 
 It is also important to realize that Christians must work to take steps to
remedy the issue before resorting to civil disobedience. For example, while
Christians believe that abortion contradicts the Word of God, we do not
have to disobey the government to fight for the rights of unborn children.
There are legal ways to work for change in this area. 
 If, however, the government commanded you to abort your child, this
would be in direct contradiction to God’s Word. In that type of situation, 
 CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE
EXAMPLES IN THE SCRIPTURE
 Civil Disobedience of the Hebrew Midwives
In Exodus 1:15 – 16, the Egyptian Pharaoh gave the clear
command to two Hebrew midwives that they were to kill all male
Jewish babies. An extreme patriot would have carried out the
government’s order, yet the Bible says the midwives disobeyed
Pharaoh and “feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had
commanded them, but let the boys live” (Exodus 1:17). The Bible
goes on to say the midwives lied to Pharaoh about why they were
letting the children live; yet even though they lied and disobeyed
their government, “God was good to the midwives, and the
people multiplied, and became very mighty. Because the
midwives feared God, He established households for them” (
Exodus 1:20–21).
 CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE
EXAMPLES IN THE SCRIPTURE
 Civil Disobedience of Rahab
In Joshua 2, Rahab directly disobeyed a command from
the king of Jericho to produce the Israelite spies who
had entered the city to gain intelligence for battle.
Instead, she let them down via a rope so they could
escape. Even though Rahab had received a clear order
from the top government official, she resisted the
command and was redeemed from the city’s destruction
when Joshua and the Israeli army destroyed it.
 CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE
EXAMPLES IN THE SCRIPTURE
 Civil Disobedience of the Subjects of King Saul
The book of 1 Samuel records a command given by
King Saul during a military campaign that no one could
eat until Saul had won his battle with the Philistines.
However, Saul’s son Jonathan, who had not heard the
order, ate honey to refresh himself from the hard battle
the army had waged. When Saul found out about it, he
ordered his son to die. However, the people resisted Saul
and his command and saved Jonathan from being put to
death (1 Samuel 14:45).
 CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE
EXAMPLES IN THE SCRIPTURE
 Civil Disobedience of Obadiah
Another example of civil disobedience in
keeping with biblical submission is found in 1
Kings 18. That chapter briefly introduces a man
named Obadiah who “feared the Lord greatly
v.3.” When the queen Jezebel was killing God’s
prophets, Obadiah took a hundred of them and
hid them from her so they could live. Such an act
was in clear defiance of the ruling authority’s
wishes.
 CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE
EXAMPLES IN THE SCRIPTURE
 Civil Disobedience of Jehoiada
In 2 Kings 11, the only apparently approved revolt
against a reigning government official is recorded. 
Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, began to destroy the
royal offspring of the house of Judah. However, Joash
the son of Ahaziah was taken by the king’s daughter and
hidden from Athaliah so that the bloodline would be
preserved. Six years later, Jehoiada gathered men
around him, declared Joash to be king, and put Athaliah
to death.
 CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE
EXAMPLES IN THE SCRIPTURE
 Civil Disobedience of Jeremiah
Jeremiah – Jeremiah 38:1-6
 Poor Jeremiah often fell afoul of the authorities of the
day. In this passage we learn about how Jeremiah defied
the Jewish officials, telling the Israelites – including the
soldiers – not to remain in Jerusalem, but to go with the
invading Babylonians. As a result of his disobedience,
he ended up being thrown into a miry pit by the
officials, with King Zedekiah’s approval.
 CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE
EXAMPLES IN THE SCRIPTURE
 Civil Disobedience of Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego and
Daniel
Daniel records a number of civil disobedience examples.
The first is found in chapter 3 where Shadrach, Meshach
and Abednego refused to bow down to the golden idol in
disobedience to King Nebuchadnezzar’s command. The
second is in chapter 6 where Daniel defies King Darius’
decree to not pray to anyone other than the king. In both
cases, God rescued His people from the death penalty
that was imposed, signaling His approval of their
actions.
 CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE
EXAMPLES IN THE SCRIPTURE
 Civil Disobedience of Wise Men
The wise men – Matthew 2:1-12
 Herod had instructed the wise men to find where
the baby Jesus was and then tell him so he could
have him killed. But thankfully they disobeyed.
As we read in verse 12: “And being warned in a
dream not to return to Herod, they departed to
their own country by another way.”
 CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE
EXAMPLES IN THE SCRIPTURE
 Civil Disobedience of Peter and John
In the New Testament, the book of Acts records the civil
disobedience of Peter and John towards the authorities that were
in power at the time. After Peter healed a man born lame, Peter
and John were arrested for preaching about Jesus and put in jail.
The religious authorities were determined to stop them from
teaching about Jesus; however, Peter said, “Whether it is right in
the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be
the judge; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen
and heard” (Acts 4:19–20). Later, the rulers confronted the
apostles again and reminded them of their command to not teach
about Jesus, but Peter responded, “We must obey God rather than
men” (Acts 5:29).
 CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE
EXAMPLES IN THE SCRIPTURE
 Civil Disobedience of Peter and John
On 1 Peter 2:13 – 19 “The man who [told us to submit to the
government] was soon to be executed by the magistrate as someone who was a
grave threat to the civil order. This [is] the same man who was broken out of
jail by an angel, . . . who disappeared from the book of Acts as a wanted man.
The guards who lost him were executed because of his disappearance. This
was the man who was in jail in the first place because he was a leader of
Christians, and who earlier had told the Sanhedrin that he [would not] quit
preaching, no matter what they said. And he was the man who was writing this
letter to prepare law-abiding Christians for the time of persecution that was
coming, in which time they would be accused of being [rebellious]. So
whatever his words in chapter 2 mean, they [had] to be consistent with the life
of the [man] who wrote them.”
 CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE
EXAMPLES IN THE SCRIPTURE
 Civil Disobedience of the Apostles
The apostles – Acts 5:17-42
 Here we read about how the apostles are again arrested for disobeying the
authorities because they dared to preach Jesus. In verses 27-29 we find this:
“And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the
high priest questioned them, saying, ‘We strictly charged you not to teach in
this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you
intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.’ But Peter and the apostles answered,
‘We must obey God rather than men’.”
 Consider also what is found in verses 40-42: “And when they had called in the
apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus,
and let them go. Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they
were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. And every day, in the
temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching
that the Christ is Jesus.”
 CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE
EXAMPLES IN THE SCRIPTURE
 Civil Disobedience of Paul and Silas
Paul and Silas – Acts 16:16–40
 Here we read about how Paul and Silas were
imprisoned. It was said of them: “These men are Jews,
and they are disturbing our city. They advocate customs
that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or
practice” (vv. 20-21). Again, as throughout the book of
Acts, we see how the apostles defied the civil authorities
and were arrested for preaching the good news.
 CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE
EXAMPLES IN THE SCRIPTURE
 Civil Disobedience of Tribulation Saints
One last example of civil disobedience is found in the book of
Revelation where the Antichrist commands all those who are
alive during the end times to worship an image of himself. But
the apostle John, who wrote Revelation, states that those who
become Christians at the time will disobey the Antichrist and his
government and refuse to worship the image (Revelation 13:15)
just as Daniel’s companions violated Nebuchadnezzar’s decree to
worship his idol.
 CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE
EXAMPLES IN THE SCRIPTURE
 These twelve cases are the main biblical
examples of God’s people resisting
authorities, defying rulers, and breaking
unjust laws. These examples make it
clear that there are indeed times and
places where saying yes to God means
saying no to man and man-made laws.
 When is civil disobedience
allowed for a Christian?

What conclusions can be drawn from the

above biblical examples? The guidelines
for a Christian’s civil disobedience can be
summed as follows:
 When is civil disobedience
allowed for a Christian?

• Christians should resist a government

that commands or compels evil and
should work nonviolently within the
laws of the land to change a government
that permits evil.
 When is civil disobedience
allowed for a Christian?

• Civil disobedience is permitted when

the government’s laws or commands are
in direct violation of God’s laws and
commands.
 When is civil disobedience
allowed for a Christian?

•If a Christian disobeys an evil government, unless he can

flee from the government, he should accept that
government’s punishment for his actions. But, he can also
fight for his rights as a citizen like what the Apostle did
when he was accused in Jerusalem. We have record of the
Apostle Paul twice appealing to his Roman citizenship,
especially for the benefit of other believers and the
churches he’d planted (Acts 16:37-38; 22:25-28).
 When is civil disobedience
allowed for a Christian?

•Christians are certainly

permitted to work to install
new government leaders
within the laws that have been
established.
 When is civil disobedience
allowed for a Christian?

Lastly, Christians are commanded to pray for their

leaders and for God to intervene in His time to
change any ungodly path that they are pursuing:
“First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and
prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on
behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in
authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet
life in all godliness and dignity” (1 Timothy 2:1–2
).
 When is civil disobedience
allowed for a Christian?

NEBUCHANEZZAR’S DREAM
DANIEL 2: 25 – 35
DANIEL 2: 36 – 45
 When is civil disobedience
allowed for a Christian?

TIMES OF THE GENTILES

GOLDEN HEAD – BABYLONIAN EMPIRE
BREAST AND ARMS OF SILVER – MEDO-PERSIAN
EMPIRE
BELLY AND THIGHS OF BRASS – GREECE EMPIRE
IRON LEGS – ROMAN EMPIRE
 When is civil disobedience
allowed for a Christian?

UNGODLY LAWS IN EACH KINGDOM

GOLDEN HEAD – BABYLONIAN EMPIRE
DANIEL 3: 1 - 7
 LAW TO WORSHIP TO THE IMAGE OF GOLD OF

THE KING NEBUCHADNEZZAR

GODLY RESPONSE
REFUSAL TO SUBMIT – DANIEL 3: 8 – 18
 When is civil disobedience
allowed for a Christian?

UNGODLY LAWS IN EACH KINGDOM

BREAST AND ARMS OF SILVER – MEDO-PERSIAN
EMPIRE
DANIEL 6: 1 – 9
- LAW ON PROHIBITION TO CALL (TRUST/TO
HAVE FAITH) UPON THE LORD
GODLY RESPONSE
REFUSAL TO SUBMIT – DANIEL 6: 10 – 15
 When is civil disobedience
allowed for a Christian?

UNGODLY LAWS IN EACH KINGDOM

IRON AND CLAY FEET AND TOES - REVIVED
ROMAN EMPIRE – DANIEL 2: 40 – 44
REVELATION 13: 15 – 18
- LAW ON WORSHIPPING THE IMAGE OF THE
BEAST AND RECEIVING HIS MARK AS RIGHT TO
LIFE
GODLY RESPONSE
REFUSAL TO SUBMIT – REVELATION 20:4
 When is civil disobedience
allowed for a Christian?

IN CONCLUSION
The thought of having to act in civil disobedience may be
unsettling for some. It is important to realize that there are
many steps we can take before we must act in civil
disobedience. By working to change laws and regulations that
infringe upon our religious freedoms, freedom of speech, civil
rights, and other issues, we can prevent these occurrences.

There may come a time where we must act as civil disobedience

out of our religious calling. We must realize that our ultimate
calling is to serve and honor God, not man. In Him our true
citizenship is secure. As Christians, we must consider it an honor
to stand up for our religious beliefs and convictions, regardless
of the outcome. In doing so, we honor God.
 When is civil disobedience
allowed for a Christian?

Christian ethicists have long debated whether or not it is ever

legitimate for believers to defy the state. This is understandable
since there are many passages, such as Romans 13:1–7, that
seem to encourage submission to the ruling authorities no
matter what. Paul, however, was not reflecting any sort of
naiveté when he instructed us to submit to the earthly
authorities. After all, as one who was often imprisoned for
preaching the Gospel, he well knew that the state could very
easily become an instrument of evil. His commands to obey the
state, as with all of the biblical injunctions to submit to the
government, carry with them the assumption that our rulers are,
broadly speaking, fulfilling the task that God has given them to
preserve life and protect the right to private property.
 When is civil disobedience
allowed for a Christian?

Yet when the state forbids us to do something the Lord

commands or commands us to do something He forbids,
believers must not submit to the decrees of the authorities.
Christians are never given the license to sin, nor are they
permitted to abandon the dictates of God in order to obey the
orders of other human beings. Christ alone has ultimate
authority, as the apostles demonstrate in today’s passage. Given
the chance to preserve their freedom and safety at the cost of
preaching Jesus to sinners, Peter and John choose to obey the
Great Commission (Acts 4:19–20; see Matt. 28:18–20). Make no
mistake, they are engaging in an act of civil disobedience, but
they are doing so in order to be faithful to the Lord. Such
circumstances alone can justify such actions.
 When is civil disobedience
allowed for a Christian?

God alone has absolute authority, none other,

regardless of what they may claim. Only the
triune LORD has inherent, intrinsic, and
undelegated authority; unlimited dominion,
unconditional and unqualified rule and reign
over all His creation and all His creatures,
including humanity. God requires permission
from no one (Matt. 28:18; Romans 13:1).
 When is civil disobedience
allowed for a Christian?

Our default position as Christians is

to bend over backward to be model
citizens. But when the demands of
God’s kingdom directly contradict
the demands of the kingdom of
men, the mandates of our heavenly
citizenship must win.