AUTHORITY AND RULERS

By  Savvas Iliades, Teacher

Source:   https://www.ekklisiaonline.gr/

In his Epistle to Romans, in the thirteenth chapter, The apostle Paul writes:

'Let every soul submit to the higher authorities; for there is no authority unless it is under God; as for the existent authorities, they are coordinated by God'.

The status quo of a state, therefore, is in accordance with God’s plan, Who created man to live socially. Therefore the existence of authority essentially puts into practice what God had thought of for man - for his sociality.

Saint Chrysostom comments:

'That authorities do exist, and some are rulers and others are ruled, I say is the work of God's wisdom, so that all things are not done negligently and without care, rendering the world in disarray - like the waves that move here and there.'

Also, when referring to submission to rulers, not simply to their persuasion, he says:

‘The apostle Paul speaks much about submission to rulers, wishing to show that Christ did not introduce His laws in order to overthrow the common polity, but to render it a better one.'

And Saint Isidore of Pelusium continues:

'Anarchy is in every case extremely insufferable and the cause of confusion and disorder.'

Authority denotes an office. That is why the apostle Paul said:

‘…for there is no authority unless it is under God;’

 We notice again that Saint Isidore of Pelusium did not say:

'There is no ruler’, but had spoken about the office that is held.

And Ecumenius adds:

'The Apostle does not speak about each and every ruler, but about the position, about the office that he serves.'

We now come to Saint Theofylaktos of Bulgaria, who makes a subtler distinction between 'ruling' – that is, the authority, the office, the position, the characteristic borne by the ruler – and the ‘ruler' per se – that is, the person who is elected to serve the position; however the Saint also indirectly gives an answer to the responsibilities that we have when electing rulers. He writes:

'In His Providence for common orderliness, God made provision for the existence of rulers and ruled, by placing a fear towards rulers, towards authority, as a bridle (so to speak).  But we need to be aware that God has provided so that there be rulers and ruled (according to the apostle Paul), and not if one or the other will be ruler; because unjust rulers are not elected by God'.

We can see here that, by having the discernment of the Holy Spirit, but also as ones 'wearing flesh and inhabiting the world', the saints become practical guides for all the issues in people’s lives. Indirectly but clearly, they tell us that we are the ones responsible for the rulers that we elect.

What criteria do they propose to us, when electing them?  In interpreting the words 'let every soul submit' Theodoretus writes:

'Obviously we must submit, if it is to piety. Otherwise, rulers’ oppositions to the commandments of God forbid us to compromise with them.’

In his Epistle to Titus, the apostle Paul writes:

'Remind them to submit to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work'  (Titus 3:1).  

Theodoretus  comments on this verse:

“We must not bestow discipline to rulers in everything, rather (we must) pay duties and taxes and extend them the appropriate honour (when) owed; but if they give us a command to do irreverent things, (we must) immediately react vigorously.'

The positions of the saints are simple and clear. They help us to vote freely. And freely means with an unattached sentiment, and a will that is aligned with the will of the Gospel and its commands.  That way, we will never have any regret, because we will have have done God's will and our conscience will be at peace, no matter how much the world pressures and influences us.

'Our conscience belongs to no one else - only to God. It is God's exclusive right to claim our entire inner cosmos and bind even those thoughts and our inner decisions. Our submission to rulers, however, entails respect and showing them honor, obedience to their laws and commands, as long as they do not interfere with our piety and our duties to God'. (P. Trembelas)