The account of Paul’s final years of life and ministry in Acts 22-28 is given to show how God providentially worked to give him the opportunity to share the good news of the gospel with the highest government leaders of the day.

Let us not lose sight of the priority of making disciples of all nations (people groups – including government leaders) and preaching the gospel to every creature.

The “for because of THIS” (For the same reason – in ESV), appears to refer to the prior verse. The reason for paying taxes is to avoid God’s wrath. To argue that there is only one legitimate tax is reading into the text.

Verse 7 also directly contradicts your argument. Taxes and customs (toll or goods tax) are mentioned.

Your argument would seemingly lead to the position that God imposed illegitmate taxes on the Hebrews in the OT. Or that the people had the right to figure out what portion of the approximately 23% in taxes went to the punishment of evildoers and then not pay the rest. I don’t think that squares with Scripture.

Also Jesus’ point in Matthew 22 had nothing to do with the necessity of a likeness and inscription being on a coin for the payment of taxes. An obligation to fund government was due and people wer required to pay it, whether they had any Roman coins or not.

I see Romans 13 as more of a limitation upon civil government than upon Christians. One thing often lost in the tax arguments is the question of legitimate taxes. Jesus was clear that the likeness and inscription were prerequisites for taxation. Suppose they had brought him a temple shekel instead of a denarius? Would Jesus have answered that they were to pay tax on the shekel? In Romans 13, Paul states that “for because of THIS you also pay taxes.” THIS is in the singular. There is only one legitimate tax, a tax to do the only legitimate function of civil government, the punishment of evildoers. In America, government demands taxes for so many things that DON’T have their likeness and inscription. They are illegitimate taxes. Refusing to pay something that we don’t owe them in the first place isn’t stealing, but rather preventing stealing from occurring.

As to rulers being “servants” of God, I think the point of Romans 13 is often missed. Caesar was a god in the Roman system. Paul’s point was that Caesar has no authority of his own. Four times he cuts Caesar down to size by using the word for common table waiter. How many table waiters get to make their own rules? How much less all the rules of the house as it is in America?

The Supreme Court has ruled on these Tax Protesters who believe that the 16th Amendment was improperly Ratified. They found (not surprisingly) in favor of the government. I cannot site the case for you, but I know that that the Supreme’s did have something to say about it.

Jonathan

Amendment XVI
(Ratified February 3, 1913)

The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration.

As I understand U.S. law: If it is a ratified amendment, it is part of the Constitution, therefore it is constitutional.

-Bob Tempas

1- Petition our legislators to change the law. They may not do so but it is our prerogative to ask.

2- Vote for someone else in the next election.

3- Run for office ourselves. This is the underestimated choice. Most of us treat our elected officials like they are some kind of untouchable class. We think of elected office as an unattainable position. I have run for local office myself (I lost). It’s not that difficult.

If you are turned off by party politics, run as an independent. Holding elected office is a service to the people. Christians should make themselves available for that service.

Thank you for your article, it has made me think of something that has left me a little stumped.

Some people believe that the Federal Income Tax is unconstitutional (I may be one of them…but I do pay them), and thereby the Federal Government has not submitted to its ownself or its own laws. If indeed it is true that the Federal Income Tax is unconstitutional where does that put the law abiding Christian? Does he honor the Constitution or does he honor the unconstitutional law?

Any light you can shed would be appreciated.

In Christ,

Chris