AFTER the TEMPTATION
Throw us in the Furnace
1 Peter 2:13-17
In these verses, Peter emphasizes that our conduct shapes how others perceive the God we serve. Because our behavior reflects on His character, believers are called to respect governing authorities and live in obedience to the laws of the land. It’s our civic responsibility, and in some respect our duty, it’s what God expects from us, and our actions ultimately points back to Him.
“For God’s sake submit to all human governing authorities, whether it’s to the king himself as the supreme authority, or to the governors or the representatives sent by them, because they are sent to punish the criminals and praise those who are doing right. For the will of God is that you obey their rules by doing what’s appropriate, thereby silencing their foolish criticism of you with their stupid talk. Live as the free people but never allowing that freedom as an excuse for any indiscretion but always act as servants of God. Show respect to all, love your brothers, fear God, honor the king.” (1 Peter 2:13-17)
In other words, silence any reckless accusations from those who seek to discredit you, by living with integrity and respecting the rules imposed by the civil authorities where you reside. Even though we have certain freedoms through our faith in Christ, be careful, everything we do reflects on God, so even if there is something we know we have the freedom to do, but may appear questionable, don’t do it!
God calls us to love our brothers and sisters and to revere Him. And He also would like us to show respect for the authoritarian institutions created by man, not necessarily out of loyalty to these governmental authorities themselves, but out of obedience to God. Ultimately, God desires that we abide by the local laws and obey the regulations that govern our communities, making society safe and orderly, and to me, all this makes perfect sense.
Part One – The Issue
But there is a nuance here that creates a real tension: what do we do when the instructions or rules from these authoritarian institutions don’t align with the word of God? How should Christians navigate that? Some interpret these passages as if the Scripture commands blind obedience to whatever the rulers, government officials, or even what politicians say in whatever country you live in, and then they elevate those comments or human directives to the level of gospel truth.
Think about that, ‘in whatever country you live in,’ and if that’s the intended interpretation of the verses, then it also doesn’t specify any particular qualities or moral considerations, that any of these countries should have as characteristics, it just said governing authorities, their representatives and the King, not mentioning a country, so one would assume it did mean whatever country you live in, China, Russia, etc. and I do agree that is what it means, but to assume that it actually means to show allegiance to any particular country, I believe that kind of reading, misses the heart of the text entirely.
I genuinely feel some frustration when I end up in a conversation, especially with a seasoned Christian, about the current immigration issues facing our country today. My position is simple and is straight forward: what our government is doing is wrong, the mistreatment of these individuals is not scriptural, and we should stand against it.
And to be clear, I’m not talking about securing the border, which is for a separate discussion, nor am I talking about arresting and deporting the evil violent criminals who are here illegally, which we all unanimously agree.
I’m talking about the housecleaner, the gardener, the laborer, the people who have lived here for years, unable to resolve their immigration status, frequently due to the indecipherable administrative bureaucracies in our civil management, even though they are allowed by other government bureaucracies to pay taxes and still others to get needed licenses to work and be allowed to drive legally on our highways, and most these folks have families, some are Christians with American‑citizen children.
Then to violently arrest them, sometimes in front of their kids at schools and churches, and throw them in jail and then deport them, often without any jurisdictive adjudication, and sometimes deported to a prison that’s not even in their country of origin; and what do these Christians say, they’ll shrug their shoulders and say, “I feel bad, but that’s what the Bible says, we’re supposed to follow the law” while pointing to this verse, or one similar to it, and that’s the entire substance of their argument… I can’t accept this.
To that I say two things.
First, the Bible contains far more than a couple of verses, and anyone making such sweeping claims should probably take the time to investigate the scripture a little more thoroughly on what it teaches us about the subject, which we will do some of that shortly.
Second, they should examine their heart. Jesus told the Pharisees that it was because of the hardness of their hearts that they constantly misinterpreted Scripture with such judgmental and merciless conclusions.
This is exactly the dynamic Jesus confronted at the celebration in Matthew’s house after his conversion. The room was filled with people the religious elite dismissed, including sinners, the poor, tax collectors, prostitutes, and likely immigrants and others who were pushed to the margins of society. When the Pharisees grumbled about the company he kept, Jesus explained to them that he came for those who needed healing, not for those who believed themselves spiritually healed. And he let them know just how he felt about their judgmental and merciless conclusions and said to them in Matthew 9:13: “Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy, not sacrifice.”
But unfortunately, for some Christians, these few verses we’re discussing and a few others with the same inference, as with the Pharisees, have become their entire scriptural foundation for a very extreme and merciless position:
If someone doesn’t have the exact proper legal status and or documentation, they should be deported, deport every single one of them immediately, no matter how long they’ve lived here, what their family situation is, what their job is, who depends on them, what their relevance is in their community or even whether they’re believers themselves. None of those things matters, to these particular ‘Christians,’ if they’re deemed undocumented by our administration, remove them.
They refuse to consider any other factor, and the only thing they repeat, stubbornly and without distinction, or mercy I might add, is ‘the Bible says we’re supposed to follow the laws of our government,’ as if those few verses settle the entire moral question and confirms the bible’s complete perspective on the issue.
Maybe we should see what the bible essentially teaches us about following the law and the treatment of immigrants.
Just to make sure our framework is lying on a solid foundation, let’s take a quick look and investigate the original word in the bible used for immigrant. The version of the Bible I’m using for this writing is the CEB (Common English Bible), this version along with others translates the word as immigrant, The King James version sometimes interprets it as strangers or sojourner, other versions as foreigner or alien.
Let’s take a look.
The original Hebrew word used is ‘gare.’ And of course, like most Hebrew words, their meanings can shape-shift into various understandings, depending on the context they are used in.
According to Stong’s concordance, the one most scholars use when interpreting the original languages of the bible, states the following.
ger: a sojourner
Original Word: גֵּר
Transliteration: ger
Phonetic Spelling: (gare)
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Short Definition: a sojourner
Meaning: a guest, a foreigner
Strong's Concordance
alien, sojourner, stranger
Or (fully) geyr (gare); from guwr; properly, a guest; by implication, a foreigner -- alien, sojourner, stranger.
Brown-Driver-Briggs Concordance
H1616. ger
sojourner, temporary dweller, new-comer (no inherited rights)
In other words, someone in a land not of their origin, a non-citizen, a refugee or a migrant.
Oddly enough most Americans call these immigrants, illegal aliens.
Part Two – Follow the Law
In the letter Paul wrote to the believers in Rome, he urged them to respect and submit to governing authorities, he also made an important point: The authorities are not meant to intimidate people who are doing what is right. His entire argument assumes that the leaders are just and protect the innocent and restrain wrongdoing, as they should. So, if you’re living responsibly and abiding by local laws, you should be able to move through civic life with a sense of safety and stability, trusting that God has allowed those leaders to be in place for the sake of order and your protection, He doesn’t say for you to have blind allegiance toward them, he says to follow the rules. Here is that part of his letter illustrating that point.
‘Every person should place themselves under the authority of the government. There isn’t any authority unless it comes from God, and the authorities that are there have been put in place by God. So, anyone who opposes the authority is standing against what God has established. People who take this kind of stand will get punished. The authorities don’t frighten people who are doing the right thing. Rather, they frighten people who are doing wrong’ (Romans 13:1-3)
When Paul wrote to Timothy during his time in Ephesus, he instructed him to remind the believers of the very same principle: conduct yourselves honorably and live peaceably, respecting those in charge, even praying for them. In essence, Paul wanted the entire community to practice civility, so that their behavior would silence any criticism and reflect well on the faith they professed
“Pray for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” (1 Timothy 2:2)
We must remember when Peter wrote his letter, these believers were living amid false teaching, personal suffering, and moral decay, yet he still urged them to honor and submit to local authorities, an expectation he believed should mark the conduct of all Christians.
“For God’s sake submit to all human governing authorities, whether it’s to the king himself as the supreme authority” (1 Peter 2:13)
There is no doubt the apostles wanted the people to be law abiding citizens and reminded them that God is the one who allows those kings and leaders to rise to their positions. But he also warns those leaders, as well as the deputies who serve under them, to act impartially, uphold justice, and establish fair and reasonable laws for the people, because he is not only the God who grants authority, but he is also the one who removes it.
‘He removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wisdom and knowledge to those who have understanding.’ (Job 12:18)
“Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless.” (Isaiah 10:1-2)
There’s no question that we are called to live quiet, peaceable lives and to respect the civic authorities of the government established by the God of the nation we inhabit. Scripture affirms that order, stability, and lawful conduct are part of God’s design for human society.
Part Three – The Dilemma
But the real tension arises here: where do we draw the line, and what are we supposed to do when we sense that line has been crossed? Consider a hypothetical, admittedly extreme, though perhaps not as far‑fetched today as it once would have seemed. Imagine that, in an attempt to calm the growing religious and political divide in our country and to curb the rising hostility surrounding it, the government enacts an ordinance forbidding any public use of religious references, including speaking the name of Jesus or any other religious figure in any public setting. Under such a rule, simply mentioning His name during a dinner conversation with your spouse at a restaurant or anywhere in public, would technically make you a violator and subject to arrest. In a situation like that, what would you do?
So, what then, are we supposed to button our lips and never utter our Savior’s name again? Should we forget Acts 1:8 entirely and confine every mention of Him in only the privacy of our own homes? That would be the “obvious” answer, right? After all, it’s the law.
But setting the sarcasm aside for a moment… what would you actually do?
Would you “be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8b) which obviously would be difficult to do, while at the same time, abide by the law and keeping silent.
Staying within the framework of Scripture, as we should, let’s look at what the scripture says about what we should do. We’ve just read what it teaches about abiding by the law, and we agree that Christians should be lawful, upright and honorable citizens. Yet Scripture also speaks to those moments when obedience to human authority collides with obedience to God.
“Am I trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” (Galatians 1:10)
I once heard a pastor address this very conflict, and something he said has stayed with me ever since. When we find ourselves in a situation where it seems like the authority of God and the authority of human instructions might conflict, the principle is actually very simple: “we cannot do what God forbids us not to do, and we cannot refuse to do what God instructs us to do”. That’s where we draw the line, that’s the line we hold. That’s the boundary Scripture draws for us.
So how do we actually go about this? What does faithfulness look like in practice? What are we supposed to do when our government enacts laws that run contrary to God’s word? What if those laws pressure us to treat people in ways that oppose the teachings of the new covenant? Harshly, unjustly, without the kindness and dignity Christ commands? When human authority pulls us toward attitudes or actions that contradict the heart of Jesus, what does God say our response should be?
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” (Proverbs 31:8-9)
What should we do? Whatever we can, from serving disadvantaged communities to protesting injustices occurring in society. Vote for politicians who stand for the teaching of Jesus, whether or not they themselves are necessarily Christians, doesn’t matter, in politics it’s the policy not necessarily the people. Stand up whenever you can for any type of injustice, how far should you go? That’s, of course, different for each individual, but no one should be complacent.
Should we confront a government official or even a police officer if we witness an injustice? It depends, according to Paul’s own example, he did. When he saw a Roman officer violating someone’s rights and mistreating him without any legitimate adjudication, Paul didn’t stay silent. He spoke up.
“Paul said to the centurion who was standing there, ‘Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been found guilty?' (Acts 22:25)
I can’t help but wonder what Paul would say if he witnessed some of the horrendous treatment the immigrant communities are facing in our cities today, regardless of their immigration status. Given how deeply he loved people and how fully he understood the Scriptures, thus knowing how clearly God had issued stern commands and warnings about treating immigrants with dignity and compassion. And because he knew how much God loved immigrants, it’s hard to imagine Paul staying silent in the face of such injustice. Here are a few verses that Paul probably understood as mandates and clear instructions from his Creator to follow.
‘When immigrants live in your land with you, you must not cheat them. Any immigrant who lives with you must be treated as if they were one of your citizens. You must love them as yourself, because you were immigrants in the land of Egypt; I am the LORD your God.’ (Leviticus 19:33)
‘Because the LORD your God is the God of all gods and Lord of all lords, the great, mighty, and awesome God who doesn’t play favorites and doesn’t take bribes. He enacts justice for orphans and widows, and he loves immigrants, giving them food and clothing. That means you must also love immigrants because you were immigrants in Egypt. Revere the Lord your God, serve him, cling to him, swear by his name alone!’ (Deuteronomy 10:17-20)
I am certain that the way our country mistreats immigrants would have been completely unacceptable to Paul. And based on everything I know about him, through some fairly diligent studying of his writings, I have no doubt he would have been standing right there in the midst of the immigrant community, advocating for them and fighting for their cause
Part Four – Immigrants in God’s Lineage
If I recall in 1 Peter in the opening greeting of his letter, he implied Christians, who are in God’s ancestry through Christ, are also immigrants in this world.
‘Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as strangers, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen’ (1 Peter 1:1)
The Greek word for strangers has annotations of immigrants and foreigners:
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 3927: παρεπίδημος
παρεπίδημος, παρεπιδημον (see ἐπιδημέω), properly, "one who comes from a foreign country into a city or land to reside there by the side of the natives; hence, stranger; sojourning in a strange place, a foreigner"
Strong's Concordance
pilgrim, stranger.
From para and the base of epidemeo; an alien alongside, i.e. A resident foreigner -- pilgrim, stranger.
We should also remember that Abraham and his family spent part of their life moving from place to place, also living as immigrants some of the time.
‘When a famine struck the land, Abram went down toward Egypt to live as an immigrant since the famine was so severe in the land.’ (Genesis 12:10)
His descendants where immigrants for hundreds of years before rescued by Moses out of Egypt.
Then the LORD said to Abram, “Have no doubt that your descendants will live as immigrants in a land that isn’t their own, where they will be oppressed slaves for four hundred years. (Genesis 15:13)
and that is one reason why God said, ‘That means you must also love immigrants because you were immigrants in Egypt’ (Deuteronomy 10:19)
and after that, Moses rescued them by parting the Red Sea, and they spent the next forty years wandering through various territories, undocumented I might add, where they were always outsiders, strangers in someone else’s country.
Ruth left her land (she was a Moabite) with her mother-in-law and was an immigrant in a different land and became the great grandmother of King David and a direct ancestor of Jesus.
‘Then she bowed down, face to the ground, and replied to him, “How is it that I’ve found favor in your eyes, that you notice me? I’m an immigrant.’ (Ruth 2:10)
When Moses heard they knew he killed the Egyptian, Luke mentions in Acts 7:29, ‘When Moses heard this, he fled to Midian, where he lived as an immigrant and had two sons.’
Even Jesus began His earthly life as a refugee: Joseph was instructed to take the infant Jesus and His mother Mary to Egypt, where they lived for a time as foreigners under the protection of a nation that was not their own. In our current political environment, wouldn’t we have turned them away and denied access to them under the guise of just following the laws of our land? Seriously, when immigrant families with infants come to our borders seeking refuge from tyrants, what do we do now? Think about it! What would Jesus expect us to do?
What did Jesus think about immigrants and foreigners? His ministry gives us a few clues. He offered living water and spiritual truth to the Samaritan woman at the well, who was a foreigner and an outsider. He responded to the plea of the Syrophoenician woman and healed her daughter, honoring the faith of someone outside the boundaries of Israel. When he healed ten lepers, who was the only one who returned to thank him? The foreigner. And then there is, of course, the unwavering love he showed for the multitudes in general, which was a mixture of every type of person. His only criteria was if they love God.
All throughout the teachings of Jesus, both in His words and in His actions, He consistently cared for, defended, and stood alongside the outcast, the poor, the immigrant, and anyone pushed to the margins of society. And throughout Scripture, God commands His people to embody that same posture of compassion and justice.
It becomes clear throughout Scripture that God is the God of all people, not only including, but showing a particular concern for immigrants. And the biblical record suggests He is anything but pleased when they are mistreated, marginalized, or denied the dignity He commands for them.
‘Don’t mistreat or oppress an immigrant, because you were once immigrants in the land of Egypt.’ (Exodus 22:21)
‘Cursed is anyone who obstructs the legal rights of immigrants, orphans, or widows.’ (Deuteronomy 27:19)
Not only does God forbid the mistreatment of immigrants, but, as with the poor, he calls His people to show kindness, generosity, and genuine care toward them, treating them as we ourselves would hope to be treated if we were in their place.
Right from the beginning when he gave Moses the laws for the people to abide by, he had the poor and immigrants in mind. Here is one of those precepts in the scrolls for the people to diligently follow.
‘When you harvest your land’s produce, you must not harvest all the way to the edge of your field; and don’t gather every remaining bit of your harvest. Leave these items for the poor and the immigrant; I am the LORD your God.’ (Leviticus 23:22)
And then there is love, what a surprise, he expects us to love them as he loves them, that of course was the foundation of Jesus’ entire ministry, that was his message, love God and love your neighbor as yourself.
‘When immigrants live in your land with you, you must not cheat them. Any immigrant who lives with you must be treated as if they were one of your citizens. You must love them as yourself, because you were immigrants in the land of Egypt; I am the LORD your God.’ (Exodus 19:33-34)
Conclusion
Then what should you do if your country’s government is instructing you to do something God forbids you to do or what if the local authorities direct you not to do something that God instructs you to do.
If the laws, rules, or instructions of human leaders ever come into conflict with the word of God, the scripture is unmistakably clear about how we are to respond.
When Luke records the challenges the apostles faced in Acts, he includes their bold declaration in the face of unjust civil commands: ‘Peter and the other apostles replied: ‘We must obey God rather than human beings!’ (Acts 5:29) The apostles weren’t being rebellious for rebellion’s sake; they were refusing to violate the mission and message God had entrusted to them even in conflict with local authorities.
In the Old Testament when Daniel’s friends were confronted with following the local laws when they conflicted with his instructions from God, the choice wasn’t difficult, here is how the conversation went between them and the king.
‘But if you won’t worship it, you will be thrown straight into the furnace of flaming fire. Then what god will rescue you from my power? “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar: “We don’t need to answer your question. If our God, the one we serve, is able to rescue us from the furnace of flaming fire and from your power, Your Majesty, then let him rescue us. But if he doesn’t, know this for certain, Your Majesty: we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you’ve set up.”’ (Daniel 3:16-18)
So, Daniel’s friends’ decision when faced with following the laws of the land they resided in or follow the instructions of the God they believed in, their answer was, throw us in the furnace! Which, by the way, God did rescue them, but He might not of, they didn’t know.
With the scriptures littered with instructions about caring for and loving immigrants and saturated with the message of love and mercy that embodied Jesus’ ministry, it’s unimaginable how anyone could interpret the horrendous mistreatment immigrants receive in our country today, as somehow God’s directive. Not only is that insane, but it also makes me wonder what kind of heart could interpret the word of God in a way that would justify that injustice.
In closing I have good news and bad news.
The good news.
When I was researching for this writing, I read this on a website, (biblestudyforyou.com) which I’m sure was written prior to the current calamity, but it really seems to make the point on what a Christian’s duty really is.
“As Christians, our responsibility is not limited to obedience; we are also called to engage with the government actively. This involves being informed about policies and advocating for justice, compassion, and righteousness. Our voices matter, and we can influence decisions that reflect love and care for those around us. By participating in discussions, voting, and standing up for the marginalized, we create a ripple effect that honors God’s intentions for leadership and authority. Let’s embrace this responsibility and engage with our governing bodies in ways that reflect our faith and commitment to love.”
The bad news.
Unfortunately, it seems like the majority of Christians appear to want to follow the political leaders who profess they are guided by the word of God, rather than actually following the word of God.
According to a recent survey by the Public Religion Research Institute, over 50% White evangelicals believe Immigrants are invading the us and over 65% think they threaten American values. I am truly perplexed and I’m not sure what’s going on. The only thing I can think of is the parable of the sheep and the goats.
‘Only, if you truly reform your ways and your actions; if you treat each other justly; if you stop taking advantage of the immigrant, orphan, or widow’ (Jeremiah 7:5-6)
Just an afterthought.
If the way that some Christians say we are to follow the laws of the country we live in, then we shouldn’t be against abortion where it is legal, right? Or should we stand against it, because it’s something God forbids us to do, irrespective of what our government says. I think you see my point, if the way we treat immigrants stands against the way the scriptures tell us to treat them, we should be against it, right? Does God tell us to treat one form of human life different than another?