“CHRISTIAN DUTY UNDER CORRUPT GOVERNMENT”
“A Revolutionary Commentary on Romans 13:1-7”
Reviewed by A. Ralph Johnson
Book published by: Mission to Israel Ministries, P.O. Box 248, Scottsbluff, Nebraska 69363,
Library of Congress Number: 96-94961
The book was written by Ted Weiland, who is associated with Pete Peters in the Identity Movement of national ill-repute for its anti-Semitism and attacks on U.S. Government. This book is primarily focused on the latter. Both Weiland and Peters were at one time associated with Churches with which we are acquainted in Colorado and Nebraska.
This is much more than just a review of a book. It is a review of a whole system of thinking that has pervaded churches in the mid-west with the concept that we are not obligated to pay taxes and obey the government. The discussion focuses on the meaning of such passages as Romans 13 and 1Peter 2:13-17.
Reviewed by Ralph Johnson[1] of the Glen Acres Church in Seattle Washington, at the request of Bill Paul, Minister at the Crown Hill Church in Seattle.
EVANGELIST TED WEILAND’S CREDENTIALS
Based on the section, “About The Author” (page 95), and information from other sources, Ted Weiland seems to have no credentials of substance. He “attended” a small ministerial school, Christian Leadership Bible College[2], in Denver, Colorado, from 1975-1978. He received no degree from it or any other college.
The rest of the information in the “About The Author” section seems to be a rather strained attempt to muster some credibility.
He pastors a church in Scotsbluff, Nebraska known as Christian Covenant Fellowship
He is married, with four children.
He was reared in Colorado, graduated from high school, and rode in a Rodeo Circuit.
He says he was “nominated” as one of 1983’s “Outstanding Young Men of America” “for his achievement and exceptional service while serving four years as an evangelist and youth leader at a church in Aurora, Colorado.” No details are provided as to who nominated him, the organization to which he was nominated, or the identity of the church in which he served.
He is “evangelistic head” of Mission to Israel ministries (No details provided as to the founder, its size or its purpose).
He “has a national and international audio tape ministry,” which seems to mean he will sell tapes to people both inside and outside this country. No indication of any recognition by any credible neutral institution is given.
He claims to be a columnist for the national Christian newspaper Jubilee in California. The paper is not one that would be generally known and no information is provided as to the number of subscribers, it’s years of publication or the qualifications of its staff.
“He lectures frequently throughout the United States.” Wherever he can get an audience.
“He also appears as a guest speaker on television and radio programs.” I am sure he does when he can.
“He is the author of the nationally and internationally acclaimed God’s Covenant People: Yesterday, Today and Forever.” On page 94, under “BOOKS” he says it “Addresses Israel’s modern-day identity. Thoroughly documented and will serve as the foremost reference work on this topic for years to come.” No information is given as to who acclaims him.
He tries hard to make this sound impressive but it is not a particularly strong basis for recognition of his credibility as a Bible scholar. However, at least he didn’t list any serious crimes.
May we also add a little footnote. He has been a long-time associate of Pete Peters, a fanatical advocate of the old white-supremacist “Identity Movement,” [3] and rabid Jew-basher, who fans the fires of bigotry through such thoroughly discredited claims as the fraudulent “Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion.”[4]
GENERAL FORMAT OF THE BOOK
The book appears to be reasonably well written, with good organization, helpful headliners, variety of type faces, and is heavily documented with quotes he feels support his case. It has a useful Table of Contents, Source Notes Section, Bibliography, Authors Index, and Subject Index. The Author’s Preface gives some insight into his reasons for calling it “Revolutionary.” The book also contains a list of tapes and books for sale, that reveal some of the concepts he endorses. One interest-catching feature is the number of pictures throughout that highlight his points. I give him an “A” in this category.
From here on, things begin to get a bit fuzzy.
The book purports to be a commentary on Romans 13:1-7.
However, instead of presenting an objective study of the text, as a legitimate commentator should, he begins by launching into an emotional diatribe against what he terms, “one of the most destructive doctrines that has come out of Judeo—Christianity,” which he defines in a footnote as, “that vast segment of Christendom that has been heavily influenced, often unknowingly, by the Talmudic religion of Judaism.”
One wonders about the soundness of such an all-inclusive indictment. Upon what basis may we accept his claim that it is “one of the most destructive doctrines”? Particularly questionable is the claim that the interpretation of the text by the “vast segment of Christendom” has been “heavily influenced, often unknowingly, by the Talmudic religion of Judaism.” That seems to be far beyond Evangelist Weiland’s capacity to know, but his anti-Semitic bent is unmistakable.
Most of the book runs along a similar vein, with a lot of passionate venting of personal biases, and very little actual analysis of the text.
A prominent feature of his style is how he cites many sources to back his case. They are often of questionable qualifications, other than that he thinks they agree with him. Their statements rarely relate directly to the text. Indeed, it is doubtful that many of them would admit to much of Evangelist Weiland’s theological obsessions. This would be especially true concerning his “Identity Movement” views that hold that the white Anglo-Saxon race is God’s covenant people, and his blanket accusations against Jews.
One of the most serious errors in the book is that the “vast segment of Christendom” teaches “total submission to all government authority.” He sets up this straw man and spends the rest of the book pummeling away on it, without it ever seeming to dawn on him that no reputable commentator or religious leader would maintain that we must obey tyrranic edicts, even above the will of God. The higher authority always supersedes the lesser. There is no question that Romans 13 must be qualified by the words of Peter and John, “we must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).
However, his contentions go far beyond our right to disobey government in matters of conscience. He advocates that if the government is doing things contrary to the will of God it is no longer to be viewed as legitimate and Christians must rebel against it.
On page 14 he draws this conclusion concerning Romans 13:1.
“In other words, any civil authority not set up and sanctioned by God and not enforcing His [God’s] laws is not a legitimate authority, at least not over Christians...”
Again, on page 17 he says,
“Let there be no mistake: According to the Apostle Paul, Christian resistance or rebellion against authority is wrong, but only against lawful or God-commissioned government or authority.”
On pages 31-32 he gives a list of qualifications for civil rulers to be identified as a “minister of God to [us] for good.” He says that if America’s government consisted of officials who met these requirements, Christians would be obligated to submit to it.*
From statements such as these one might conclude that we are only obligated to obey Christians. However, the asterisk (*) refers to the following footnote which seems to muddy the picture:
“* Even unrighteous governments at times have laws in harmony with YHWH’s laws. In such cases, Christians are obligated to submit to those laws....”
On the one hand he contends that any government not enforcing God’s laws is not a legitimate authority over Christians, yet on the other, he seems to recognize that we are to obey laws “in harmony with YHWH’s laws,” even when administered by “unrighteous governments.” Question, Why, if the scriptures about governments in Romans and Peter do not apply to unrighteous governments?
This brings us back to the basic concepts held by all credible commentators –that we are to obey laws that are not in conflict with God’s will. The application of that principle will vary but is a fundamental concept of our Christian responsibility towards civil governments.
However, with this conclusion the whole case for Pastor Weiland’s book begins to come unglued. He has been vilifying “modern preachers” on an assumption that is simply not true, and putting forth a lot of effort to prove something that is not denied --“We must obey God rather than man.”
WEILAND’S “COMMENTARY”
ROMANS 13:1 RE-EXAMINED (page 3)
As we have pointed out, his contrast between the Bible and “The Modern Interpretation...” is a straw man. No credible authority would contend that we must “totally submit.”
Romans 13:1 says, “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.”
Pastor Weiland seems to deny that this has reference to Rome and other unrighteous governments. However, the fact is that no Christian governments in any form then existed. The “powers that be” were non-Christian from top to bottom.
1Pet. 2:13-17 says,
13 Be subject to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether to the king, as supreme; 14 or unto governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evil-doers and for praise to them that do well. 15 For so is the will of God, that by well-doing ye should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: 16 as free, and not using your freedom for a cloak of wickedness, but as bondservants of God. 17 Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
The “king as supreme” was non-Christian. Thus, all attempts to deny that the Bible was calling for obedience to non-Christian governments are futile.
Titus 3:1 says, Put them in mind to be in subjection to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready unto every good work. That was written to Titus in Crete. Crete was under Roman rule and a pagan king.
It might be objected that some of these rulers were Jewish. In the first place, Paul was writing to the church in Rome concerning the powers under which they lived, and Peter was writing from “Babylon.” However, even with regard to the rulers of the Jews who were unrighteous, Jesus said to obey them (Mat. 23:2-3).
On page 14, pastor Weiland attempts to make a case on the Greek words, “ei mee” in Rom. 13:1 to prove that it does not mean every authority (see previous paragraph). He says,
The second clause of verse 1 of Romans 13 reads: “For there is no power [authority, NASV] but of God.” The literal translation of the Greek words “ei mh” (ei me) is “if not.” If we replace the word “but,” as found in the KJV, with the literal translation, this verse would read: Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power if not of God....
As a Greek teacher, I fail to see how that gives any substantial difference in meaning. It simply affirms that no power can stand if not of God. However, God is the one who sets up and removes kings (even unrighteous kings) and therefore there is no power if not of God.
Dan. 2:17. God sets up kings and he removes kings.
Dan. 2:37-38. God gave Nebuchadnezzar, who worshipped pagan gods, his kingdom, power, strength and glory.
Dan. 4:17. The most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.
There are many other such scriptures but these are more than sufficient to show that wicked men can and do rule by authority of God. This is conceded by Pastor Weiland on page 27 where he says “Clearly, God as Sovereign can and has used the worst of men for His purposes.”
Thus, as long as God willed for them to continue, anyone who resisted the authority, even of Pagan Rome, resisted God. It is not enough for us to “guess” that they have no right to rule because we do not approve of them.
Indeed, pastor Weiland’s own citation of Jer. 29:1-14 counters his premise. God had placed the Jews under the unrighteous government of Babylon and they were to submit and make the best of it until He removed it. His citations claiming it is our right and even our duty to rebel against unjust governments clearly fail to stand up in the light of scripture.
ROMANS 13:2 RE-EXAMINED (page 15)
2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
This is plainly saying that, because rulers are in power through the authority of God, therefore those who resist them are resisting God.
Pastor Weiland attacks this conclusion by citing a lot of people in the Bible who resisted various authorities (p.15). He ignores the obvious fact that if God sets up the powers then His laws supersede them. Shiprah and Puah (Exodus 1) obeyed the higher law. There appears to be nothing about disobedience of Amram and Jochebed in pastor Weiland’s second citation (Exodus 2), though Heb. 11:23 says that by faith they did not fear the king’s edict. Concerning Moses, Heb. 11:24-27 says that what he did was by faith. And so on through his list. Nothing is said of them disobeying in areas not in conflict with God’s will.