for doing good? The Persian government allowed Daniel, and also Mordecai, to do good, even though this directly benefited Jehovah’s people; and it even commended Daniel and Mordecai for doing so. It approved of their doing so, as they were the captive slaves of such governments. Vengeance deservedly came upon the persecutors of Daniel and of Queen Esther and Mordecai and of their Jewish brothers.

19. How did God use Gentile rulers as his avenger against the wayward ten-tribe kingdom of Israel?

¹⁹ In the centuries before Christ God authorized Gentile rulers or “superior authorities” to act as his avenger to express divine wrath upon his chosen people because of their national failures toward him. According to Isaiah 9:8-17, God used King Rezin of Syria together with the Philistines to act as his avenger against Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria, the capital of Northern Israel. According to Isaiah 10:5, 6, 15, Jehovah also made the king of Assyria the stick or rod with which to belabor that wayward nation.

20. How did God use Gentile rulers as his avenger against Judah, Egypt and Babylon?

²⁰ According to Jeremiah’s words (Jer 25:8-11; 27:4-8), Jehovah made the king of Babylon his servant by whom to bring divine vengeance upon the nation of Judah and other nations having to do with Judah. The king of Babylon was as God’s sword. (Ezek. 21:8-23) Jehovah made the king of Babylon like his woodcutter to chop down and subdue Egypt, which had grown like a sturdy tree. (Ezek. 31:2-14) King Cyrus of Persia was made Jehovah’s anointed one to humiliate Babylon and overthrow it as a world power.—Isa. 45:1-4.

21. (a) Whom did God use as his avenger A.D. 70, and against whom? (b) May the “authority” act as an avenger only when carrying out a Bible prophecy, or when also?

²¹ In the days of Christ’s apostles Jehovah God used the Roman authority to act as his avenger with the sword in the year 70. That year was when the “days for meting out justice,” the days of vengeance, came upon the antichristian nation of Israel. So its holy city and temple of worship were destroyed by the Roman legions under General Titus. (Luke 21:20-24; Matt. 23:35 to 24:2) That was a day of judgment for Israel. However, there is no need for the worldly “authority” to wait until the judgment day of a disobedient nation before it acts as an “avenger to express wrath.” The avenger’s wrath can be expressed at any other time against any individual wrongdoer, by the law processes of the “authority.” So the truth of the apostle Paul’s words does not need to be limited to the time that God carries out a prophecy against a whole nation.

Conscience and Subjection to Authorities

1. When does the greatest benefit come to one from subjection to authorities, and who therefore receive the greatest benefit?

THE greatest benefit from subjecting ourselves to the “existing authorities” that God permits to rule on earth comes by being subject with the right motive. The motive of fear does not always keep men from doing wrong or from opposing the “superior authorities.” In all the nations and lands the persons who have the best motive for subjecting themselves are the persons who are no part of Christendom but who are Christians dedicated to Jehovah God and who follow in the footsteps of his Son Jesus Christ. Being dedicated to do God’s will, they do not take a stand against God’s arrangement concerning the “superior authorities.” So as residents in the land they keep good order, not just to avoid the wrath that could be expressed through the superior authorities, but to live by their Christian conscience, which is enlightened by God’s Word.

2. What compelling reason for subjection does Romans 13:5 give, and what do those who subject themselves for that reason avoid?

² In Romans 13:5 the apostle Paul calls attention to this the best motive, saying: “There is therefore compelling reason for you people to be in subjection, not only on account of that wrath but also on account of your conscience.” The wrath against wrongdoing is expressed directly by the earthly “authority.” But as the authority is God’s minister in a right direction, it is also God’s wrath indirectly. The person who disregards or opposes the “superior authorities” on earth is taking a stand against God’s arrangement and deserves God’s wrath also. No one enjoys punishment; but by avoiding it for conscience’ sake the Christians avoid not only outside trouble but also inward trouble from a guilty conscience.

3. What shows that the Christians’ subjection to authorities is not conscienceless, and from what suffering do they thus keep free?

³ With true Christians fear is not the main motive for being law-abiding and orderly, but their conscience is. So in their case subjection to superior authorities is not conscienceless. It is not just a patriotism. As their conscience is instructed in God’s Word, the Holy Bible, it does not let them subject themselves to earthly superior authorities in everything, say in cases where what the imperfect authorities think is right clashes with God’s commandments through Christ. This may result in suffering unjust punishment at the hands of the authorities; but thus we see how with Christians conscience is a compelling reason, since it forces them to obey God although this brings undeserved suffering upon them. If they had no enlightened conscience, they would sidestep such suffering for the sake of personal convenience. If, though, for conscience they undergo outward suffering at the hands of the superior authorities, they keep themselves free from inward suffering; their consciences do not smite them.

4, 5. (a) Why do Christians have reason to be better citizens? (b) What does the apostle Peter show on this, and so what double force acts upon Christians toward right-doing?

⁴ A Christian conscience keeps us from doing wrong but impels us to do right, according to God’s Word. We do not want our conscience to sting us for doing what is bad in God’s sight. For this reason Christians have a restraining force that worldly people do not have against doing bad. On that account Christians have reason to be better citizens, though not taking part in politics.

⁵ A Christian’s conscience reminds him that he is no part of this old world and hence he has no business to mix in politics and try to run earthly governments or be part of the “superior authorities.” (John 17:14-16) The apostle Peter, in his first letter to Christians, talks about subjection and calls attention to conscience a number of times. He points out that it ought to be the force that deters a person as a Christian from doing wrong or meddling in things that do not concern him. (1 Pet. 2:19; 3:16, 21) So a double force, namely, Christian conscience and fear of wrath, acts upon Christians to hold them in the path of doing good, in harmony with the State laws that are good, laws that show righteousness because of the bit of conscience that still remains in worldly men as an inheritance from God’s first human creation, the man Adam.

6. What does all the foregoing prove as to the Christians’ subjection to “superior authorities”?

⁶ What does all this prove? This, that when Paul told Christians to subject themselves to the “superior authorities,” he did not mean that they must give up or squelch their conscience. He did not mean they must ignore it when there is a conflict between the laws of the authorities and God’s Word. God’s laws are right in themselves, and Christians do not have to worry about conscience when obeying all of God’s laws. Our consciences do not bother us when we keep God’s laws and do his work. Rather, they approve us and give us peace of heart. It is only when we are faced with subjection to authorities outside God’s organization that the question of conscience steps in and we have to keep our consciences alert for fear of displeasing God and breaking his laws.

PAYING WHAT IS DUE TO “SUPERIOR AUTHORITIES”

7. What does the fact that Romans 13:6 brings up the subject of taxes show regarding the “superior authorities”?

⁷ “For that is why you are also paying taxes; for they are God’s public servants constantly serving this very purpose.” (Rom. 13:6) So our paying of taxes should be conscientious. If Paul had not been talking of “superior authorities” outside the Christian congregation he would not have brought up the matter of taxes. Why not? Because the congregation overseers and their ministerial assistants do not lay taxes upon the members to make them support the overseers and their assistants. Neither does the governing body of the worldwide congregation levy taxes, nor does the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society of Pennsylvania do so. The contributions that the congregation members make are according to their own willingness and their means. They are not taxes, like taxes the failure to pay which outside in the world calls for punishment by the “superior authorities.”

8. Is there anything parenthetical about Romans 13:6, and what is the reason it gives for taxation?

⁸ Neither the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures nor other Bible translations, ancient or modern, put in parentheses the words, “For that is why you are also paying taxes,” as if these words were a parenthetical thought that was thrown in as a side thought. In fact, these words lead right on into the rest of the sentence, to show why it is that taxes are paid. We pay taxes to support those “public servants” who are clothed with authority to do good, to praise doers of good and to avenge doers of bad.

9. How, in harmony with Matthew 22:21, is it proper for Christians to pay taxes, and what is not their responsibility in that regard?

⁹ By Jehovah’s people there is no tax dodging or evading. They conscientiously pay taxes. Jesus told them to do so, in Matthew 22:21, although the Jewish Pharisees believed that they could not conscientiously pay tax to Gentile Caesar. But it is in harmony with Jehovah’s law to pay public servants or ministers for good services rendered. Taxes go to the support of our public ministers, persons who render services that the Christian congregation does not do. How these “public servants” spend all the public moneys is not the Christian taxpayer’s responsibility; it is the public servant’s responsibility. It is not something for our consciences to worry about. God does not authorize Christ’s footstep followers to go into political government any more than he authorized Jesus Christ his Son to do so. Hence in this world we Christians must pay tax like anyone else, instead of managing earthly governments ourselves.

10, 11. (a) When do individuals act as God’s public servants, and when not? (b) Despite abuse of authority, how do public servants still render service?

¹⁰ Thus these worldly men relieve the nonpolitical Christians of operating governments that benefit even Christians in