A Response to the 1 Timothy 2:2 Kerfuffle

The recent US election has elicited strong reactions from apostolics, but the big kerfuffle in the Twitterverse centers around 1 Timothy 2:2, which says, “For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.”  Some use this verse to say we should pray for the sitting president.  Others contest this, saying it is preposterous to suggest that we lend prayerful support to anyone whose policies are contrary to or even in direct opposition to biblical principles.  Several have even imagined the scenario of early Christians praying for Nero to combat this notion.  But to quote my neighboring pastor, Louis Pio, “the best commentary on scripture is scripture.”  So let’s examine scriptural precedent.

Let’s start with these two verses:

But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another. (Psalm 75:7)

...he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: (Daniel 2:21)

We love to quote these when we like who’s sitting in the Oval Office, but when we don’t, well, not so much.  Nevertheless, we have a great example of God orchestrating power into the hands of someone we would not have endorsed.  Let’s read Jeremiah 27:5-8:

“I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me.
6 And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him.
7 And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son's son, until the very time of his land come: and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him.
8 And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the LORD, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.”

Did you notice how God referred to  Nebuchadnezzar as “my servant”? This was not because of the king’s policies or platform, certainly not.  It simply meant that God was using Nebuchadnezzar, with or without his knowledge, to accomplish his will on the earth at that time.  Granted, by and large, this didn’t immediately go well for most of God’s people, but (without getting into a lengthy history lesson) if you step back and examine the big picture, it had far-reaching impact and ultimately resulted in a renewed devotion among the people of God on a level not seen since the days of Solomon.  These events had a lasting effect on the Jewish people that persists even to this day.

I concede that “four more years” under President Obama may not immediately go well for most of God’s people, but he is no less a servant of God than Nebuchadnezzar was.  We just can’t yet see the full big picture that is still unfolding.

I think we all agree that “all things work together for” our good (Romans 8:28), but “all things” includes bad things, not just good things.

Also notice in the above passage that those who refused to put their neck under the yoke of the king risked punishment from God himself.  And in case you might be thinking this is an isolated Old Testament notion, consider this:

“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.” (Romans 13:1-2)

Does this mean we should support the current administration’s policies or even pray for their success?  Not at all.  It simply means we should accept their role in God’s plan, not fight against it.

A good example is Daniel and his companions under Nebuchadnezzar.  These young men were taken from their homeland, castrated, educated in the ways and language of Babylon, given Babylonian names and placed in positions of authority in the kingdom of Babylon.  Yet they seemed to recognize God’s hand in all this, for we never see them use their positions to influence the king’s policies or rally support against him.

Whenever they found themselves in direct conflict with the king’s decree, they simply took a personal stand, not against the king, but for God’s law.  There were no calls for a referendum on worshipping the golden image.  Why?  Because this wasn’t Jerusalem.  It was Babylonia.  They recognized that they were foreigners in a strange land.  They knew where their true citizenship lay.

Now see the parallel in 1 Peter Chapter 2:

“Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims...Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; or unto governors...For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.”

You see, this is not New Jerusalem.  It’s America.  Like Daniel & friends, we must know where our true citizenship lies.  Our stand should never be against administrations, but for righteousness.

Look at Daniel's response to Darius' lions' den decree:

"Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime." (Daniel 6:10)

And this brings us full circle back to 1 Timothy 2:2.  For better context, let’s include the verses before and after:

“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;”

There are a couple of aspects to this.  First of all, God is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).  Yes, Democrats have souls, too.

Secondly, we can give thanks for President Obama because we understand that he is a servant in God’s big-picture plan for our greater good (dare I say even end-time revival?).  And given the warning in Romans 13:2, we can see how doing so might result in “a quiet and peaceable life.”

So while we may be “perplexed” by recent political events, we need not be “in despair” (2 Corinthians 4:8).  If history is any indication, we are now in a better position to experience the revival in America that we have so longed for.