When the Bible teaches submission (1 Peter 5:5), we must understand that there are times when disobedience to otherwise legitimate human authority is not only appropriate but is also the only way to obey God.
Take, for example, a Christian medical student who is directed to participate in abortion, or a Christian pharmacy manager who is required to dispense abortion drugs, or a pregnant teenager whose parents insist she must get an abortion.
What are we to do if an authority figure directs us to commit an immoral act contrary to God’s Law? Tragically, many people make the wrong decision when faced with this dilemma and live to regret it.
When Obedience to God Necessitates Rebellion to Man
The Bible clearly shows that a person under authority is not expected to mindlessly obey all authority.
When the Hebrew midwives were commanded by the Pharaoh of Egypt to kill all male babies, they disobeyed. “But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive” (Exodus 1:17).
Daniel defied King Darius by praying to the only true God (Daniel 6:1-28), and Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego defied King Nebuchadnezzar by not bowing to the golden image as he insisted (Daniel 3:1-30).
Whenever an authority commands something that God forbids, or forbids something that God commands, Christians have a duty before God to resist.
Some say Romans 13 requires unlimited obedience to civil government. But Romans 13 actually underscores the limited jurisdiction of civil government officials as “ministers of God.”
God does not give politicians a blank check to govern however they please with their own definitions of justice. In fact, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles and 2 Chronicles all detail political leader’s actions stating whether they were morally right or wrong according to God’s transcendent standard. Alex Newman observed, “the Bible says more about government, than about Heaven.”
It is noteworthy that this principle of individual responsibility was invoked in the Nuremberg trials that convicted Nazis of war crimes. That court did not accept the excuse that “I was just following orders.” Obedience to a commanding officer did not excuse the atrocities committed by Nazi officers.
What about Christian Government Officials?
What if you are a policeman, or a county commissioner? Do you have a greater duty to use your office to provide opposition to unjust laws?
Our founding fathers and many Christians throughout history would not hesitate to say, emphatically, “Yes!” They understood the role of lower ranking government officials (sometimes called “lesser magistrates”) to be vital in protecting people from tyranny and immoral policies. This concept was called Interposition or The Doctrine of the Lesser Magistrate.
The doctrine of the lesser magistrate declares that when the higher-ranking civil authority makes an unjust or immoral law or decree, the lower ranking civil authority has both the right and duty to refuse obedience to that higher authority. If necessary, the lower authority may even actively resist the superior authority.
This is not lawlessness or anarchy. Lower magistrates submit to the higher law (God’s law) and provide order and structure when it becomes necessary for the higher authority to be defied.
Matt Trewhella, Pastor and author of the book The Doctrine of the Lesser Magistrates writes:
The primary duty of the lesser magistrates… is threefold. First, they are to oppose and resist any laws or edict from the higher authority that contravene the law or word of God. Second, they are to protect the person, liberty, and property of those who reside within their jurisdiction, from any unjust, or immoral laws or actions by the higher authority. Third, they are not to implement any laws or decrees made by the higher authority that violate the constitution, and if necessary, resist them.
To put it another way, “Lesser magistrates can provide relief and refuge, protection and support for the distressed more readily than can ordinary individuals… Lesser magistrates have the best chance of resolving injustice, without upheaval or bloodshed,” writes Trewhella.
Pastor Trewhella recently visited Georgia and gave a lecture on interposition in Cherokee County to a packed hall where he presented the biblical and historical support for the lesser magistrate doctrine and numerous examples of how it is being applied today. He said:
“There are two times when we can oppose authorities: When they openly contradict the Law of God, or – since we live in America – the Constitution, when they exceed the limits of their authority.”
For example, the lesser magistrates, in Yadkin County, North Carolina (county commissioners), took an initial step a few years ago in becoming a safe county for pre-born children by unanimously passing a resolution affirming their support for the sanctity of life and willingness to defend children in their county.
Personhood Alliance has developed resources to equip pro-lifers to establish a safe city or safe county in their hometown based on the doctrine of the lesser magistrate concept.
It’s Not Too Late
Yadkin County’s resolution was the appropriate remedy that should have been followed immediately after the Supreme Court handed down the wicked Roe v. Wade decision. Governors across the nation should have immediately declared their refusal to allow murder in their state, and county and city government leaders likewise.
Since Georgia’s Heartbeat law still allows for legalized murder of some children, there is still a need for county and city governments to courageously defy this injustice in their jurisdictions.
This is why the work of Georgia Right to Life and its members is so vital. We are seeking more courageous, godly leaders to step up and run for office in their community. We equip Christians to become informed and civically engaged so they can provide support to courageous government leaders and defend their community from injustice.
To find out more about how you can help your county become a Safe County for Life in 2025, contact stateoffice@grtl.org or connect with your local GRTL chapter leader.
Sources:
The Holy Bible, KJV
https://defytyrants.com/store/book-the-doctrine-of-the-lesser-magistrates/
Abigail Darnell
Georgia Right to Life
Vice President