This episode is a timely conversation about government and love. These are two topics that you probably don’t connect quite the way Paul does in Romans 13.

I have actually heard Christians say that “taxation is theft.” Others have told me that they don’t believe in redistribution of wealth. My standard reply is to ask if they enjoy driving on safe roads and having help arrive promptly when they dial 911. We do, in fact, except among some rather unique people who are thankfully few in number, believe in redistribution of wealth. We just don’t want to redistribute our money more so than is prudent. We want government to be wise and discerning.

Redistribution of Wealth

Paul is clear in Romans 13 about the role of government and our responsibility to honor their authority. God appoints authority, and we are to submit to it.

Paul transitions from government to admonishing us to love each other very comfortably. To enjoy collective liberty, we must each give up some personal liberty. Isn’t this foundational truth in the U.S. Constitution consistent with the biblical imperative to esteem the needs of others ahead of our own? So, this notion of liberty in society actually requires us to employ, to some extent, the biblical mandate to love our neighbor

Liberty in Society

Paul calls love the fulfilling of the law. We contemplate this and the implications of this in this episode. Loving without regard for reciprocity is the fulfilling of the law. This is radical, relentless truth.

We close this episode with a discussion of Romans 14. Paul contrasts the strong and weak in this weighty chapter. He gives us specific instructions on the way we should interact with each other. It isn’t intuitive for us to extend such courtesy and kindness while using discernment as we grow in the faith together.

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