The Holy Apostles Peter and Paul Vis-à-vis Pagan Authorities

Bishop Klemes of Gardikion

[Currently Metropolitan of Larissa and Platamon]

 

 

1. The Church, as the “new creation,” [1] as the “body of Christ,” [2] faithful to Her universal and eternal mission and to Her Theanthropic character, from the outset showed Herself distinct from the spirit of the Roman state. [3] She was and has remained a purely spiritual and religious entity, and not a political movement.

However, in Her advent in history, it was necessary that She be incorporated peaceably into the social environment, for the purpose of transforming and sanctifying it. She was dispersed throughout a world that it was Her calling to conform to the Church, within a universal Empire. This secular power was at times indifferent towards her—this was usually the case—and at times at enmity with Her; and this resulted in difficulties in the shaping of Her relations with the power structures and forces of the surrounding world.

The establishment of relations between the members of the Church and the pagan state was a delicate and difficult matter, for which the Holy Apostles, with the aid of the Holy Spirit, had to formulate various general principles of outlook and behavior toward the state.

Relations between Church and state, we might say, were pro forma, based as they were upon the well-known pithy words of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Gospel: “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s.” [4] What does this saying mean?

To those who posed to Him the question as to whether or not they must pay tribute to Caesar, with the purpose of ensnaring Him, our Lord gave a silencing answer filled with Divine wisdom and inspiration, of value and importance even in our times.

He exhorted subjects to submit to their respective rulers only in that which is required, namely, payment of taxes and, in general, faithful observance and fulfillment of one’s obligations to the civil authorities, without compromise in matters of faith. [5] At the same time, He emphasized the obligation of offering up to God whatsoever belongs to Him, namely, faith, obedience, and adoration. The obligations of subjects toward the state are not necessarily at odds with devotional duties toward the true God. Obligations toward the state and one’s duties before God must be combined, and these two clearly distinct spheres, state and Church, need not be incompatible; because the authority of Caesar, as long as it is not given equal weight, can be considered not contrary to, but consonant with, the order of human affairs permitted by God. [6]

Indeed, in practice, when rulers are good and conscientious, the Lord’s injunction is easily put into practice. However, when bad rulers abuse their authority and show open hostility toward the Divine Law, and when, in general, the civil authorities fight and speak impudently against God, the Church will ineluctably be at conflict with the state, either through passive resistance or overt defiance, that the Divine commandment be neither breached nor trampled upon. [7]

One must not forget that our Lord said also that, “I have not come to bring peace, but a sword,” [8] which in this case means that, when the state demands for itself that which is proper to God, then peaceful cooperation and submission to this unlawful demand are no longer permissible. The state is not an illimitable and Divine institution, such that it can place itself on the same level as the Kingdom of God, but a temporal reality, [9] with a mission that is relative rather than absolute, inasmuch as it sees to the administration of human affairs of this transitory life.

2. In view of the foregoing, we may more easily trace the solution that the Holy Apostles—indeed, the chief Apostles Peter and Paul—gave on the issue of defining relations between the Church and the pagan state, and may also correctly grasp its significance.

We may note at the outset that the imperial and polytheistic Roman state showed a general tolerance toward various religions, but a specific kind of religious tolerance. It impressed upon its subjects its organizational structure and its emphasis on establishing justice and on the safeguarding of what was known as the Pax Romana, or the peaceful and undisturbed life of the people under its rule. This was seen as a way to maintain stability, but it was also an impediment to the manifestation of the mystery of iniquity. [10]

However, the Roman state was at the same time inseparably bound up with religion, and the Emperor was deemed worthy of being accorded divine honors on the part of his subjects, since the Romans had inherited and developed the theocratic idea of the divinization of the secular authorities, which was prevalent in the East. [11] This was of course completely unacceptable to Christians, and when an attempt was made to impose emperor- worship on them, they preferred rather to undergo glorious martyrdom.

Within this political and religious context and atmosphere, the Apostle Paul, a Roman citizen who had for the most part gained a rather positive impression of the Roman authorities’ conduct, had recourse to the authorities when he was relentlessly persecuted by the Jews. [12] In so doing, he wished to accomplish something significant that would delineate the [proper] stance toward the civil authorities. Since the Church was in Her infancy and many newly-converted Christians were somewhat hostile toward the pagan state and had revolutionary tendencies—especially on account of economic and social setbacks—the Apostle to the Gentiles was not slow to stress, in his Epistle to the Romans, the Divine provenance of secular authority and one’s duty to submit thereto. [13] For, if there were to be a revolutionary movement against it involving Christians, the penalties and consequences would be frightful. [14] For this reason, the Apostle emphasizes tellingly:

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. 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: for he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. 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. [15]

In this passage, the Divine origin of secular power is portrayed as deriving indirectly from God, and not, of course, being Divine by nature, since it belongs to the natural order of this world. [16] The existence of authority and power, according to St. Isidore of Pelusium, is “a work of God’s wisdom..., that the world might not descend into chaos.” [17] Hence, the Christian is obliged to submit to it, because it is permitted by God and exists for the sake of order and justice, for the purpose of punishing only transgressors, and not those who keep the law.

However, it is worth noting that it is not the person of the ruler, but the impersonal institution of the state, that draws its authority from God, as an organization necessary for the maintenance and preservation of society; the holy Chrysostomos expresses this lucidly: “He did not say, ‘There is no ruler who is not of God’; rather, it is the act he speaks of, saying, ‘There is no authority that is not of God.’ [18] For, if some “wicked man” (as St. Isidore expresses it) should rise to power by whatever means possible, it does not follow that such an individual has been instated or “ordained” by God! [19] That there should be civil authority, therefore, is a work of God, while the election and instatement of rulers is a human task. This is why, when the persecutions of Christians began after a few years, the first Apologists and Martyrs of the Faith by no means accepted their persecutors as having been instated by God. Furthermore, in the sacred Apocalypse [20] the Roman State, by this time no longer tolerating, but openly and relentlessly persecuting the Church, is identified with the Antichrist.

It is clear that the Apostle Paul respects the state, within the spirit of the Gospels, yet does not treat it as absolute, considering it rather an entity of secondary importance for the present life, because he emphasizes that our true commonwealth is in the Heavens, [21] in the city to come, [22] in so far as, in the Church, we become “fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God.” [23]

The divine Apostle elsewhere exhorts that prayer be made for all mankind, and especially “for kings and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” [24] For, when the rulers thrive and prosper, the subjects receive benefit, and peace and welfare will prevail.

However, the Apostle Paul, despite all that he asserts, does not pardon the evil and depraved state, supposedly spuming resistance against it, as one might think.

Elsewhere he dissuades Christians from having recourse to secular tribunals to resolve their differences; [25] this clearly signifies resistance against the depraved state, whose juridicial authority he does not acknowledge, [26] or, at any rate, he views it as unworthy and unfit to resolve differences between believing Christians.

Furthermore, in another place he urges the faithful, “Be not ye the servants of men”; [27] i.e., do not trust and obey the commands of ruthless men whose desire it is to divert you from the path of the Lord, [28] even if such disobedience brings penalties.

In yet another place, the Divine Apostle says categorically, “[F]or if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ”; [29] he sacrificed all things in order to be pleasing to God, and not to men opposed to the Divine teaching.

Yet again, “the word of God is not bound,” [30] even if some ruthless secular power desires to silence and eliminate it.

The Holy Apostle also urges his disciple Titus: “Put them [the faithful] in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work”; [31] blessed Theodoretos of Cyrrhos interprets it as follows: “One is not required to obey the rulers in everything; but to offer them tax and tribute and show them due honor, and yet to object forthrightly if they give an impious command.” [32]

All the things that the Apostle Paul mentions in the Epistle to the Hebrews are also well-known as a clear description of the resistance “through faith” [33] of the righteous of old even to the point of martyrdom at the impious commands of oppressive authorities. [34] And the martyric end of the Apostle himself in Rome shows plainly his resistance unto death under the godless secular authority, toward which there can be neither compromise nor acquiescence.

The result, then, is that those who hold secular power are of God only when they fulfill the obligations that He has laid upon them. Only the government that fulfills its intended purpose can be considered to be established by God. When it acts contrary to His Divine Will, it submits to Satan, who boasted to the Lord on the Mountain of Temptation that worldly power had been given to him. [35] Hence, there is required a judgment and decision, made freely according to one’s conscience, [36] as to how much the Divine origin of the secular powers applies in any given place and time. St. Basil the Great summarizes this for us well, saying that the Christian submits only to those higher authorities “in whom no commandment of God is obstructed.” [37]

3. The other leader of the Apostles, the great St. Peter, encourages the same outlook as the foregoing:

Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well—Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king. [38]

It is clear that this is in accord with what the Apostle Paul teaches, except that here the secular powers are characterized as human inventions (human creations), while the Divine Paul views them as deriving from God.

It is worthy of note that the Apostle Peter wrote these things when the Roman state had already begun to persecute the Christian Faith. The Apostle wished nonetheless that the work of evangelization not be hindered by a negative stance toward the government; moreover, he had always before him the eloquent example of the Divine Teacher and Savior, Who surrendered Himself to the Cross with prayer and forgiveness. [39] It still had to become apparent that Christians were neither seditious nor harmful, but willing and peaceable subjects.

Yet, the Apostle Peter’s own example, when, refusing to obey and to stop preaching, he uttered the famous words, “We ought to obey God rather than men,” [40] remained a concise statement of his stance toward every authority that exceeds its bounds in demanding the violation and transgression of the Divine commandments. This is why the exhortation to submit applies only as long as the government does not encroach on the religious conscience of each of its citizens or subjects and does not, in practice or commands, move in the direction of anything contrary to the Divine Teaching. Any unlawful demand that corrupts consciences and tramples upon the Divine commandments is to be met with heroic and resolute refusal and witness. Through his glorious martyrdom, the Apostle Peter amply demonstrated the truth and validity of these views.

4. In summary, we can say, in concord with the teaching of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, that, when the secular state, in its laws and decrees, is found to be in harmony with the Divine Will and justice, then we are obliged to show obedience. When, however, its laws are unjust and clash with the natural law—or, more importantly, with Divine justice—then we must refuse to conform to them. The Christian fears God alone, and not—using Tertullian’s words—His “subordinate”; i.e., the earthly ruler. [41]

Concluding, we would like to show how these ideas are relevant to our day, pointedly stressing the following:

The Church can never—and especially not in our times—remain indifferent toward deplorable social injustice or, more generally, toward the materialistic spirit of self-gratification that impoverishes mankind physically and morally, bodily and spiritually. Indeed, for the sake of securing the benefits of the few and arousing the passions, thousands of innocent souls are becoming the victim of severe poverty and despair, especially in our homeland [Greece]—those around us! But the danger of falling to solutions driven by anger, which, however, lead to nightmarish and pagan totalitarianism or neo-Nazism, is already more than a reality.

It is of the utmost necessity that the Church, by means of its conscientious members, aside from carrying out necessary charitable works, engage in a struggle for the amelioration of corrupt political and social life through the democratic election of genuine Christian rulers who will, as servants of God and in accordance with His Will, [42] use their authority within the political domain, as it has been shaped and as it functions, to counter conditions therein that are unconducive to the Will of God. In the meantime, the misdeeds of evil and unworthy rulers must be censured, not by public ridicule, but by reproving and dissuading them, in that the Body of the Church may be enlightened to resist sinful demands from secular authorities that patently violate the Divine Will. (Take, for instance, the recent abolition of Sunday as a day of rest from work [in Greece].) This does not constitute impermissible political activity and entanglement with non-religious affairs, but a prophetic mission of redemptive significance for man, even if it brings sorrow and anguish, or even martyrdom.

 

Notes

1. Galatians 6:15; II Corinthians 5:17.

2. Ephesians 1:23; Colossians 1:18.

3. See Protopresbyter George Metallinos, “«Εκκλησία καί Πολιτεία» στην ορθόδοξη παράδοση,” in Ή Εκκλησία μέσα στον κόσμο, second edition (Athens: Apostolike Diakonia, 1999), pp. 44-45.

4. St. Matthew 22:21; St. Mark 12:17; St. Luke 20:25.

5. “When you hear, ‘Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s,’ know that this refers only to those things that do not violate the faith” (St. John Chrysostomos, “Homily 70, On St. Matthew’s Gospel,”’ §2, Pa- trologia Grceca, Vol. LVIII, col. 656). Shortly before that, our Holy Father writes: “It is possible both to carry out the orders of men and to give to God those things He requires of us” (ibid.).

6. See Archimadrite Antonios G. Kompos [Metropolitan of Sisanion and Siatista], Θρησκευτική και Κοσμική Εξουσία κατά τήν Καινήν Αιαθήκην (doctoral dissertation) (Athens: 1969), pp. 78-81.

7. Ibid., pp. 81-82.

8. St. Matthew 10:34.

9. See Kompos, Θρησκευτική και Κοσμική Εξουσία, p. 88.

10. Ibid., ρρ. 105 and 108, with reference to II Thessalonians 2:3-10.

11. Ibid.,pp. 97-100.

12. Consider the persecutions the Apostle Paul suffered in Paphos, Philippi, Thessalonica, Corinth, Jerusalem, Rome, etc. (Acts 13:6ff., 16:35— 40,17:6ff., 18:12-17, 22:25-29, 23:10,17-35, 24:22-23, 25:3-5,11-12, 16-18,21,25-27,26:31-32).

13. Romans 13:1-7.

14. See Kompos, Θρησκευτική και Κοσμική Εξουσία, pp. 106-108.

15. Romans 13:1-7.

16. Kompos, Θρησκευτική και Κοσμική Εξουσία, ρ. 108, η. 309.

17. “Epistle CCXVI, ‘To Dionysios’” (Second Book of Epistles), Pa- trologia Grceca, Vol. LXXVII, cols. 657D-660BC.

18. “Homily XXIII, On the Epistle to the Romans,”’ §1, Patrologia Grceca, Vol. LX, col. 615.

19. “Epistle CCXVI, ‘To Dionysios,”’ cols. 657D-660BC.

20. See chapter 13, in particular.

21. Philippians 3:20.

22. Hebrews 13:14.

23. Ephesians 2:19.

24.1 St. Timothy 2:1.

25. See I Corinthians 6:1-6.

26. See Kompos, Θρησκευτική και Κοσμική Εξουσία, pp. 113-114.

27.1 Corinthians 7:23.

28. St. John of Damascus explains it thus: “The free man will not be free when he is served by men and does everything to please them” (“On the First Epistle to the Corinthians,” Patrologia Grceca, Vol. XCV, cols. 625D-628A).

29. Galatians 1:10.

30. II St. Timothy 2:9.

31. St. Titus 3:1.

32. “Interpretation of the Epistle to Titus,” chap. 3, §1, Patrologia Grceca, Vol. LXXXII, col. 868A.

33. Hebrews 11:33—Trans.

34. See Hebrews 11:35-37,12:3,25,13:6.

35. See St. Luke 4:6.

36. Cf Romans 13:5.

37. “Morals,” Rule LXXIX, chap. 1, Patrologia Gmca, Vol. XXXI, col. 860B.

38.1 St. Peter 2:13-14,17.

39. See Kompos, Θρησκευτική και Κοσμική Εξουσία, ρ. 120.

40. Acts 5:29.

41. See Kompos, Θρησκευτική και Κοσμική Εξουσία, ρ. 135. St. John Chrysostomos comments even more tersely: “Should the king require the citizen to perform some evil deed, full of wickedness, then who is a good and obedient citizen? He who not only does not yield and obey, but also endeavors to dissuade the one who gave the command, even at the risk of his life” (“On Virtue and Vice,” Patrologia Grceca, Vol. LXIII, col. 762).

42. See Kompos, Θρησκευτική και Κοσμική Εξουσία, ρ. 137.

 

Source: Orthodox Tradition, Vol. XXXII (2015), No. 3, pp. 10-18.