18. How does David extol the greatness of Jehovah the Superior?

¹⁸ The wise inferior is at all times mindful of his relationship to his great Superior, Jehovah God. He ever seeks to ascertain God’s will and then diligently sets out to conform himself to this wise course. Such a faithful servant of God joins King David in his exclamation as to the greatness of Jehovah God and as to the desirableness of rendering him fear in following his law. “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge. The law of Jehovah is perfect, restoring the soul: the testimony of Jehovah is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of Jehovah are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of Jehovah is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of Jehovah is clean, enduring for ever: the ordinances of Jehovah are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the droppings of the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: in keeping them there is great reward.” “Let all the earth fear Jehovah.”—Ps. 19:1, 2, 7-11; 33:8, AS.

Subjection to Superior Authorities

“Let every soul be in subjection to the superior authorities.”—Rom. 13:1, NW.

1. What are the two superiors confronting Christians today? Is this something new?

CHRISTIANS today find themselves confronted with two superiors. This situation is not new.a Christians during the first century A.D. were similarly situated; and so were the Israelites after 607 B.C., when they had lost their national sovereignty to the non-Jewish nations. In all three instances the one superior is an assumed, temporary, tolerated superiority, that of the limited superiority of the man-made Caesar governments of this old world. The other superior is the genuine, absolute, everlasting superiority, that of the unlimited superiority of Jehovah God. In this overlapping period before Armageddon Jehovah’s witnesses are clearly able to determine their legal relationships and duties to the two sets of governing superiors, both of which bring obligations upon Christian inferiors. Their legal position is invincible. This is by reason of their being heirs of the many sound legal doctrines and principles recorded in the Scriptures and of the many legal precedents of Biblical cases which are currently applicable.—Titus 3:1, NW.

2. What was the situation as to superiors during Jesus’ ministry, and what did he testify as to Caesar’s superiority?

² Jesus Christ, the Greater than Moses, was undoubtedly the greatest judge and lawyer ever to walk this earth. For this reason his legal pronouncements are not only of persuasive value but of binding force upon Christians. Jesus conducted his great ministry in a time when the Roman Caesars literally held domination of the Promised Land of Palestine and in a time when the law covenant of Jehovah God was still binding upon the Jews. Hence two superiors existed who brought obligations upon Jesus and all the Jews. At the close of his ministry when Jesus conducted his own defense before Rome’s governor Pilate on the false charge of sedition, Pilate sought to remind Jesus of Rome’s superiority when he said, “‘Do you not know I have authority to release you and I have authority to impale you?’ Jesus answered him: ‘You would have no authority at all against me unless it had been granted to you from above.’” (John 19:10, 11, NW) Thus we have the clear evidence that Caesar’s superiority over God’s servants was merely a tolerated one on the part of the true Sovereign Superior, Jehovah God.

3. How did enemies of Jesus seek to trap him?

³ Religious enemies of Jesus tried to entrap him on the issue as to whether Jews in covenant relationship with God should lawfully render tribute to Caesar. In this manner they thought to get him to advocate overt acts against Roman authority and thus bring upon himself a charge of sedition. “Then the Pharisees went their way and took counsel together in order to trap him in his speech. So they dispatched to him their disciples together with party followers of Herod, saying: ‘Teacher, we know you are truthful and teach the way of God in truth, and you do not care for anybody, for you do not look upon men’s outward appearance. Tell us, therefore, What do you think? Is it lawful to pay tribute to Caesar or not?’ But Jesus, knowing their wickedness, said: ‘Why do you put me to the test, hypocrites? Show me the tribute coin.’ They brought him a denarius. And he said to them: ‘Whose image and inscription is this?’ They said: ‘Caesar’s.’ Then he said to them: ‘Pay back, therefore, Caesar’s things to Caesar, but God’s things to God.’”—Matt. 22:15-21, NW.

4. What does the sound legal doctrine pronounced by Jesus mean to Christians today?

⁴ On the above occasion Jesus pronounced a sound legal doctrine. That doctrine is simply stated, ‘Pay back Caesar’s things to Caesar, but God’s things to God.’ Thus Jesus grants that the “Caesar” governments may set upon their Christian inferiors or subjects certain duties of paying tribute which are proper to be paid back to them for services rendered. But, mind you, in the temporary systems of things in which “Caesar” operates, “Caesar” may only exact return payment for those limited services for which Christians are dependent upon the state. This was underscored by Jesus in his reference to Caesar’s coin, which was called a “tribute coin”. Therefore in this binding legal doctrine Jesus drew a clear line at which one’s duties to the state end. Beyond that line commences the Christian’s duties toward his God. Note that Jesus did not shut out of the picture these greater duties to be paid by Jehovah’s witnesses to their sovereign God, for he completed the legal pronouncement by saying, “Pay back . . . God’s things to God.”

5. What course do Christians take when there is a conflict between the requirements of Caesar and those of God? What precedent do they follow?

⁵ Christian men and women dedicated to Jehovah depend absolutely upon God for life and its major needs. Consequently it is right and necessary that they render their greater duties to God at all points of dependency. Where the legal obligations of Caesar and those of God seem to conflict, then Christians follow the legal precedent set by Peter and the apostles in their defense before the Sánhedrin court in Jerusalem. The Sánhedrin judge said, “‘We positively charged you not to keep teaching upon the basis of this name, and yet, look! you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you are determined to bring the blood of this man upon us.’ In answer Peter and the other apostles said: ‘We must obey God as ruler rather than men.’” (Acts 5:27-29, NW) If Caesar thereupon applies sanctions of punishment against Christians for following this proper precedent in refusing to comply with Caesar’s conflicting requirements, then they suffer the consequences at Caesar’s hands. They do this rather than be found breaking God’s law or be found negligent in paying back God’s things to God. If Caesar’s law commands a Christian to do a thing which God’s law clearly forbids, God’s servants do not halt between two opinions but strictly adhere to the precedent, “We must obey God as ruler rather than men.”

“SUBJECTION TO THE SUPERIOR AUTHORITIES”

6, 7. Who are the “superior authorities” that Paul refers to in Romans 13:1, and why so?

⁶ The apostle Paul, a lawyer by profession prior to his becoming a zealous Christian minister, with great force points out the pre-eminent position of true superior authorities in God’s government over his servants. Paul writes, “Let every soul be in subjection to the superior authorities, for there is no authority except by God.” (Rom. 13:1, NW) These last words, “for there is no authority except by God,” are proof conclusive that the “superior authorities” Paul is speaking of could not refer to the political powers of the Caesar governments. In the Scripture at Revelation 13:2, NW, the Bible specifically states that Satan is the one who has empowered and authorized the old world Caesars. Hence the “superior authorities” in Romans chapter 13 which God commissions includes only the theocratic ruling authorities and excludes Caesar’s authorities.

⁷ The Bible clearly identifies these truly superior authorities. First of all, Jehovah God himself, who resumes his sovereign control as to affairs of the earth, is the chief theocratic authority. Of his administrative kingship it is written, “Praise Jah, you people, because Jehovah our God, the Almighty, has begun to rule as king.” (Rev. 19:6, NW; Dan. 7:13) Then, too, the Scriptures say, “Shall we not much more subject ourselves to the Father of our spiritual life and live?” (Heb. 12:9, NW) The second in command and the remaining “superior authority” is the consort King Christ Jesus, of which Peter writes, “Have honor for the king.” Paul confirms this matter by speaking of the great name or lofty office which God gave to Jesus when he raised him to the superior position as a consort authority. “Keep this mental attitude in you which was also in Christ Jesus. For this very reason also God exalted him to a superior position and kindly gave him the name that is above every other name, so that in the name of Jesus every knee should bend of those in heaven and those on earth and those under the ground, and every tongue should openly confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.”—1 Pet. 2:17; Phil. 2:5, 9-11 and Rev. 11:15, NW.

8, 9. (a) Who places the “existing authorities”, and what is the Christian’s relationship toward them? (b) Why is it a serious matter to be an inferior under God’s theocratic organization? and what warning did Paul give as to this?

⁸ Christians in this twentieth century readily bend the knee in acknowledgment as inferiors that Jehovah and Christ Jesus are the ones to whom they render primary subjection and which divine authorities have the right to lay duties and obligations upon them. Paul continues to say, “The existing authorities stand placed in their relative positions by God.” (Rom. 13:1, NW) Here again is proof that these are the “theocratic superior authorities”, because it is written that “God has set the members in the body, each one of them, just as he pleased”. Therefore a dedicated Christian delights to be obedient at all points in loyal loving subjection, and such is of concern to every servant of God.—1 Cor. 12:18, NW.

⁹ To these theocratic superior authorities are entrusted great sanctioning powers of punishment. They have power of execution of judgment upon all opposers. Warning of this fact Paul next writes, “Therefore he who ranges himself up against the authority has taken a stand against the arrangement of God; those who have taken a stand against it will receive judgment to themselves. For those ruling are an object of fear, not to the good deed, but to the evil. Do you, then, want to have no fear of the authority? Keep doing good, and you will have praise from it; for it [the authority] is God’s minister to you for your good. But if you are doing evil, be in fear: for it is not without purpose that it bears the sword; for it [the authority] is God’s minister, an avenger to express wrath [sanctions of punishment] upon the one practicing evil.” (Rom. 13:2-4, NW) Truly it is an extremely serious relationship to be brought into as an inferior under God’s theocratic organization. Never must it be forgotten that evil deeds, gross unfaithfulness and opposition to God’s theocratic governmental authorities bring fearful consequences.

10. What further facts demonstrate that the “superior authorities” spoken of at Romans 13:1 could not be the Caesar governments as claimed by the clergy?

¹⁰ The above quotations from Paul’s letter to the Romans could never have applied to the political powers of Caesar’s world as wrongly claimed by the clergy of Christendom. The Caesars of this world have never demonstrated by their deeds that they are ‘God’s ministers to you for good’. Rather, exactly to the contrary, the Caesars have done evil by persecuting God’s faithful servants. One needs only to cite the brief facts how in the Western countries between 1933 and 1946 thousands of conscientious Christians were persecuted, mobbed and unjustly imprisoned for obeying God rather than men. For example, during those years men and women, Jehovah’s witnesses, to the number of 1,600 were imprisoned in Britain; 10,000 were packed off to concentration camps by Hitler in Germany; and in the United States, 20,000 arrests and imprisonments were effected in addition to at least 1,500 mobbings. Since 1946 Russia has become notorious by imprisoning and banishing thousands of the Christian witnesses of Jehovah. It has turned out exactly as Jesus foretold. Just as Caesar and his religious allies persecuted Jesus, so modern Caesar and his