Caesar’s Things

Definition

In the Bible “Caesar” refers to the secular ruler or worldly government. “Pay back Caesar’s things to Caesar.” (Mark 12:17) This sound legal doctrine, pronounced by Jesus, grants that the “Caesar’ governments may set upon their Christian inferiors or subjects certain duties, but draws a clear line at which these duties to the state end. Beyond that line commence the Christian’s duties exclusively toward his God, for Jesus completed the legal pronounce­ment by saying, “Pay back … God’s things to God.”

Due Respect for Worldly Rulers Proper        

1 Timothy 2:1-4 “I therefore exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, offerings ofthanks, be made concerning all kinds of men, concerning kings and all those who are in high station, in order that we may go on leading a calm and quiet life with full godly devotion and se­riousness.”

Acts 26:25 “Paul said: ‘I am not going mad, your Excellency Festus, but I am uttering sayings of truth and of soundness of mind.’ “

Ezra 6:6-10 “That they may of­fer sacrifices of sweet savor unto the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king, and of his sons.”

Daniel 6:21, 22 “Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever.. , . innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.”

Genesis 47:7 “And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh: and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.”

Acts 23:5 “Paul said: ‘Brothers, I did not know he was high priest. For it is written, “You must not speak injuriously of a ruler of your people.”‘ “

Tribute Tax for Services Ren­dered Should Be Paid

Matthew 22:15-21 “Then the Phar­isees went their way and took counsel together in order to trap Him in His speech. So they dis­patched to Him their disciples to­gether with party followers of Herod, saying: ‘Teacher, we know You are truthful and teach the way of God in truth, and You do not care for anybody, for You do not look upon men’s outward appearance. Tell us, therefore, What do You think? Is it lawful to pay tribute to Caesar or not?’ But Jesus, knowing their wicked­ness, said: ‘Why do you put Me to the test, hypocrites? Show Me the tribute coin.’ They brought Him a denarius. And He said to them: ‘Whose image and inscrip­tion is this?’ They said: ‘Caesar’s.’ Then He said to them: ‘Pay back, therefore, Caesar’s things to Cae­sar, but God’s things to God.’ “

Matthew 11:19 “The Son of man did come eating and drinking, still people say: ‘Look! a man gluttonous and given to drinking wine, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ All the same, wis­dom is vindicated by its works.”

Romans 13:7 “Render to all their dues, to him who calls for tribute, the tribute; to him who calls for tax, the tax; to him who calls for fear, such fear; to him who calls for honor, such honor.”

Marriage Requirements of the Law Conformed To

Hebrews 13:4 “Let marriage be hon­orable among all, and the mar­riage bed be without defilement, for God will judge fornicators and adulterers.”

Genesis 24:51, 53, 64, 65, 67 “Be­hold, Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go, and let her be thy master’s son’s wife, as Jehovah hath spoken. And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah: he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things. And Re­bekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she alighted from the camel. … and she took her veil, and covered herself. And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife.”

1 Peter 3:1, 2 “In like manner, you wives, be in subjection to your own husbands, in order that, if any are not obedient to the word, they may be won without a word through the conduct of their wives, because of having been eyewitnesses of your chaste conduct together with deep re­spect.”

Colossians 3:18-21 “You wives, be in subjection to your husbands, as it is becoming in the Lord. You husbands, keep on loving your wives and do not be bitterly an­gry with them. You children, be obedient to your parents in every­thing, for this is well-pleasing in the Lord. You fathers, do not be exasperating your children, so that they do not become down­hearted.”

2 Peter 2:2, 3 “Furthermore, many will turn out of the way and follow their acts of loose con­duct, and on account of these the way of the truth will be spoken of abusively. Also with covetousness they will exploit you with counterfeit words. But as for them, the judgment of ancient times is not moving slowly, and the destruction of them is not slumbering.”

1 Timothy 3:2, 4 “The overseer should therefore be irreprehensible, a husband of one wife, mod­erate in habits, sound in mind, orderly, a lover of strangers, qual­ified to teach, a man presiding over his own household in a right manner, having children in sub­jection with all seriousness.”

Legal Social Distinctions Accepted

Ephesians 6:5 “You slaves, be obe­dient to those who are your mas­ters in a fleshly sense, with fear and trembling in the sincerity of your hearts, as to the Christ.”

1 Timothy 6:1, 2 “Let as many as are slaves under a yoke keep on considering their owners worthy of full honor, that the name of God and the teaching may never be spoken of injuriously. More­over, let those having believing owners not look down on them, because they are brothers. On the contrary, let them the more readily be slaves, because those receiving the benefit of their good service are believers and beloved.”

Titus 2:9, 10 “Let slaves be in subjection to their owners in all things, and please them well, not talking back, not committing theft, but exhibiting good fideli­ty to the full, so that they may adorn the teaching of our Savior, God, in ail things.”

1 Peter 2:18 “Let house servants be in subjection to their owners with the full measure of fear, not only to the good and reasonable, but also to those difficult to please.”

Required Registrations Complied With

Luke 2:1-5 “Now in those days a decree went forth from Caesar Augustus for all the inhabited earth to be registered; (this first registration took place when Quirinius was governor of Syria;) and all people went traveling to be registered, each one to his own city. Of course, Joseph also went, up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to Da­vid’s city which is called Bethle­hem, because of his being a mem­ber of the house and family of David, to get registered with Mary.”

Working in Government’s Em­ploy Not Prohibited

Nehemiah 2:1, 2 “Now I was cup­bearer to the king. And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, when wine was before him, that I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence. And the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid.”

Daniel 3:12 “There are certain Jews whom thou hast appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor wor­ship the golden image which thou hast set up.”

Daniel 6:28, 2 “So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian…. over them three presi­dents, of whom Daniel was one.”

Genesis 41:39-43 “And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God has showed you all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou: you shall be over my house, and according unto your word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than you. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; and he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he set him over all the land of Egypt.”

Esther 8:1-15; 10:2, 3 “And Mordecai came before the king; . . . And the king took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it unto Mordecai. . . . And Mordecai went forth from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a robe of fine linen and purple.” “And all the acts of his power and of his might, and the full account of the greatness of Mordecai, whereunto the king ad­vanced him, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia? For Mordecai the Jew was next unto king Ahashverus, and great among the Jews.”

Christians Keep Laws of Caesar for Conscience’ Sake

Romans 13:5, 6, 8 “There is there­fore compelling reason for you to be in subjection, not only on account of that wrath but also on account of your conscience. For that is why you are also paying tribute; … Do not be owing any­body a single thing, except to love one another; for he that loves his fellow man has fulfilled the law.”

Acts 21:18 “In this respect, in­deed, I am exercising myself con­tinually to have a consciousness of committing no offense against God and men.”

Titus 2:6-8 “Likewise keep on exhorting the younger men to be sound in mind, in all things showing yourself an example of right works, showing incorruptness in your teaching, seriousness, wholesome speech which cannot be condemned, so that the man on the opposing side may get ashamed, having nothing vile to say about us.”

1 Peter 3:16, 17 “Hold a good conscience, so that in the partic­ular in which you are spoken against they may get ashamed who are speaking slightingly of your good conduct in connection with Christ. For it is better to suffer because you are doing good, if the will of God wishes it, than because you are doing evil.”

1 Peter 4:15 “However, let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a busy­body in other people’s matters.”

1 Timothy 3:2, 7 “The overseer should therefore be irreprehensible,… Moreover, he should also have a favorable testimony from people on the outside, in order that he might not fall into re­proach and a snare of the devil.”

Man’s Life, Worship and Alle­giance Not for Caesar to Re­quire; These Belong to God

Matthew 22:21 “Then He said to them: ‘Pay back, therefore, Cae­sar’s things to Caesar, but God’s things to God.'”

Psalm 66:8, 9 “Oh bless our God, ye peoples, and make the voice of His praise to be heard; who holds our soul in life, and suffers not our feet to be moved.”

Luke 4:8 “In reply Jesus said to him: ‘It is written, “It is Jehovah your God you must worship, and it is to Him alone you must render sacred service.”‘”

Isaiah 8:13 “Jehovah of hosts, Him shall ye sanctify; and let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread.”

Luke 12:4, 5 “Moreover I say to you, my friends, Do not fear those who kill the body and after this are not able to do anything more. But I will indicate to you whom to fear: Fear Him who aft­er killing has authority to throw into Gehenna. Yes, I tell you, fear this One.”

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