So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard."
Acts 4:18-20
Last time we said that we are to obey the God-ordained civil authorities except when they command us to do what God forbids or forbid us to do what God commands. We pointed out that we must be wise in discerning whether the civil authorities are actually commanding us to disobey God, or if there are ways to abide by government regulation and obey God. If we can do both, then I believe we must. Why? Because if we can, we are not being commanded to disobey God.
In the case recorded in Acts 4, the command the Apostles could not obey was clearly religiously motivated (v.17-18). In the case of the current virus, the government is telling us to worship outdoors for health purposes. This does not mean we cannot worship together. It means we must be flexible and creative. It means we may have to do some things differently from the way we are accustomed. It means we may have to set aside our traditions, but it does not mean we must disobey God by not worshiping together.
Some sincerely believe that the current requirement for churches to meet outside is a command to disobey God and is therefore a form of religious persecution. I respectfully disagree. Here are two reasons:
These regulations are not aimed exclusively at churches, but also to many other establishments (e.g., restaurants, theaters, etc.)
These regulations are not permanent. We have already seen the state’s willingness to ease restrictions when the virus seemed to be waning. They were reinstated when the virus began spiking again.
If or when churches were targeted exclusively, or if the regulations became permanent (not tied to the pandemic), we must and would have cause to say “No.”
Whether we agree with the way the government is handling this pandemic (many of us do not), does not give us the right to disobey their regulations. Would we be at liberty to disobey the speed limits if we did not believe that driving the speed limit is necessary?
Ask Christians in countries in which believers are expressly persecuted for their faith, if they would be happy to meet outside unmolested by the authorities. They would be delighted!
While individuals and churches may choose to defy the current regulations, another serious matter arises when believers disagree over these matters. More on that next time…