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Before we seek to correct the justification of the murder of abortion doctors like George Tiller by referencing Deitrick Bonhoeffer’s plot to murder Adolf Hilter, we must remember our responsibilities to God ordained human government.

The first responsibility is to obey government as long as government does not try to force the believer to disobey God.

This principle is laid out by Paul in Romans 13:1-4.  To disobey is sin against God who created human government in Genesis 9:6. We also obey because government was created by God to protect the good (13:3-4a). The good are protected by capital punishment (13:4b). The institution of human government is transcultural and transdispensational and must be obeyed to this day.

The second responsibility is to pay taxes (13:5-7).

Jesus lived in a day of over taxation (as illustrated by the conversion of Zacchaeus in Luke 19:8) and yet Jesus still commanded “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21).

The third responsibility is to pray for our governmental officials (1Timothy 2:1-3).

Another responsibility of the believer is to confront the sins of governmental leaders as practiced by John the Baptist (Mark 6:14-18).

There is, however, a tension between being citizens of two countries with two kings we are to obey: Heaven (Philippians 3:20) and American (Romans 13:1-7).

The God or King of Heaven says life is sacred (Psalm 139:13-18; Jeremiah 1:5; and Galatians 1:15) and murder is sin and should be punished by death (Genesis 9:6; Romans 13:4) yet our human government says abortion or the murder of the pre-born is legal.

Some pro-lifers justify the murder of abortion doctors by appealing to Deitrich Bonhoeffer.

Bonhoeffer was a Lutheran pastor in Germany during World War II and was part of the Anti-Nazi Confessing Church that conspired to murder Adolf Hitler. Bonhoeffer came to this conclusion only after great struggle. He opposed Hitler’s murder of millions of innocent people and felt all legal and political resources had been exhausted and the assassination of Hitler was the only remedy. But even then he was not absolutely sure this was the right decision.

Those who would justify the murder of abortion doctors like George Tiller use Deitrich Bonhoeffer. Dr. George Tiller’s murder has been condemned by prominent pro-life leaders around America. For sure, Dr. George Tiller has the blood of 60,000 innocent humans on his hands. 

Late-term abortion doctor, George Tiller “aborted fetuses after 21 weeks when they could live outside the mother’s womb… Tiller became a millionaire doing this…only three late-term abortion clinics exist in the entire country…36 states restrict late-term abortions without violating the Constitution” (billoreilly.com).

As Janie B. Cheaney in a Worldmag.com article said, “there’s a reason why so few doctors perform late-term abortions: Few have the stomach for a procedure that involves delivering a viable infant feet-first and then crushing its head.” Nevertheless, the  murderer of George Tiller is also guilty of murder.

The comparison between the murderer of Tiller and Bonhoeffer is not accurate. The murderer of Tiller is not a Bonhoeffer. America is not Nazi Germany. According to Albert Mohler, the pro-life movement for the first time since Roe v. Wade has more supporters than opponents. America is not beyond correction like Nazi Germany.

No one can take the law in his own hands or we will become an anarchy instead of a republic. If we use the logic of those who seek to justify the murder of abortion doctors then we can also justify the murder of stem cell researchers who destroy the human embryo whom we consider human life.

Our Founding Fathers, like Bonhoeffer, felt all hope was lost against tyranny. They and Bonhoeffer rebelled not against God but sought self-defense against tyrants who possessed no respect for life or God’s laws.

The late Dr. Jack L. Arnold agreed with John MacArthur that the Revolutionary War was rebellion against God:

In our own American Revolution, Christians were divided over how to understand their responsibilities to the state and over the right to revolt. Some, especially those of the Church of England, fought on the side of the British in an attempt to be faithful to Romans 13:1. Others fled to Canada. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, was a Tory and sided with England rather than with the Colonies because of his biblical conviction. Yet the Reformed Churches, especially the Presbyterians, felt the revolution justifiable. This revolution was somewhat different from others as it did not result in a breakdown of law and order. Political, social, and economic order was maintained. In fact, the Congress of 1774 had no thoughts of revolution and tried for two years to gain equal representation by lawful means. History shows that Britain, not the Colonies, forced the issue. It was in 1776, after much prayer, that the Continental Congress decided to declare its independence. This ultimately led to the formation of our Declaration of Independence, which acknowledges God as the Creator of all men. Our Constitution and form of government were set forth to a nation that was God-fearing, Christ-living, and biblically oriented. However, this does not prove it was biblically correct to revolt…To resist government is to resist God because government is merely an instrument of God.

The Founding Fathers believed and preached two theological positions to justify their civil disobedience.

1. Rebellion against tyranny is not disobedience to human government.

The Fathers agree that citizens should obey God ordained government but not tyrants. They cited Biblical examples: Daniel, the three Hebrew children, etc., and others listed in Hebrews 11 who chose to obey God rather than the dictates of tyrants. In 1750, Rev. Dr. Jonathan Mayhew preached a sermon which was summarized in the first national motto: “Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God.”

2. Offensive war does not honor God, but defensive war or self-defense does.

Even Dr. Jack Arnold admitted above: “In fact, the Congress of 1774 had no thoughts of revolution and tried for two years to gain equal representation by lawful means. History shows that Britain, not the Colonies, forced the issue. It was in 1776, after much prayer, that the Continental Congress decided to declare its independence.”

America never fired the first shot. Not at the Boston Massacre in 1770, or the bombing of Boston and the burning of Charleston in 1774, or the attacks on Williamsburg, Concord, or Lexington in 1775.

There is a Biblical basis for “Just War.” Ecclesiastes 3:8 says there “a time of war, and a time of peace.” Jesus was not a pacifist as seen in Luke 22:36-38. Jesus told His disciples that if they did not have a sword to sell their garments and buy one. Sword were for self-defense not killing snakes.

The colonies had sought reconciliation on numerous occasions, including the “Olive Branch Petition” in May, 1776 which was rejected. Instead, King George III sent 25,000 British troops to imprison colonists which was a violation of British Common Law, English Bill of Rights, and the Magna Carta. Americans simply defended themselves and their property.

When we wave our American Flags, shoot off fireworks, grill hamburgers and hotdogs, and sing “God Bless America” we are celebrating independence not insurrection.

In my next post, I will draws some applications for us today in reference to Dietrich Bonhoeffer being compared to the murderer of late term abortion doctor, George Tiller.

On July 4^th we celebrate Independence Day, the day commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This document declared our independence from the government of Great Britain in 1776.

Great controversy between evangelicals rages concerning what the Founding Fathers did in the Revolutionary War for Independence.

Was the America Revolution civil disobedience or rebellion against God’s Word in Romans 13?

Was the Revolutionary War Self-Defense against Great Britain or Sin?

Was the War for Independence Just War or offensive war?

Was the Declaration of Independence a declaration of unbiblical treason?

Dr. John MacArthur represents evangelicals who think the Revolutionary War was unbiblical: “In America, certain violations of law, civil disobedience, and subversive attempts to overthrow the powers that be on a local level, state level, or national level have been led by people who claimed to be Christians. Some Christians have decided that since they received bad treatment from certain governments, they were justified in their war against those governments. To some people, evangelical Christianity was a proper justification for the American Revolution. They believe we had every right to load up our guns and kill Englishmen for the sake of our religious freedom. There are some Christians I know personally who refuse to pay their taxes because they believe that their freedoms are being violated. The truth is, the United States was born out of a violation of Romans 13:1-7 in the name of Christian freedom. That doesn’t mean God won’t overrule such violations and bring about good, which He did in this case, but that end doesn’t justify the means” (The Christian and Government: The Christian’s Responsibility to Government–Part 1, by John MacArthur).

I hope to show in my next post, why I disagree with MacArthur’s view that the American Revolution was a violation of Romans 13:1-7. In his article, however, there are some arguments with which I agree. He states that the church should not abandon its Great Commission and become a political Christian lobby that promotes protests and moderate revolutions. Pastors should not become politicians who give political speeches and instead of preaching the gospel. “That would be like a heart surgeon abandoning his life-saving practice to become a make-up artist.” Although I appreciate what Mike Huckabee is doing to advance conservatism, I could not step down from preaching and pastoring to be a political commentator.

MacArthur makes some powerful parallels between the world of Jesus and our generation and how Jesus responded. The world of Jesus had the socially and morally repugnant institution of slavery. Yet Jesus never spoke out against this social evil. Jesus lived under absolute dictators. Jesus’ generation had to pay high taxes and were persecuted. What was Jesus’ response: “Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21).

In his conclusion, MacArthur contradicts himself. He gives two principles. The first principle is, “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers” (Romans 13:1). This principle is, MacArthur says, unqualified, unlimited, and unconditional.

But then MacArthur gives the limitation to this unlimited principle. MacArthur is correct in saying that the principle of obedience to government is limited by other verses of Scripture like Acts 4:13-20 and Acts 5:28. In both of these stories from the early church, the apostles disobeyed government in order to obey God. In my next post, I will demonstrate that the colonists practiced the limitation of the principle of obeying God rather than man in the War for Independence from a tyrannical government.