Romans 13: Opposition vs Resistance :: By Sean Gooding

Let us consider the context of this chapter. Jesus had been killed under the Roman government; Pilate was one of the more ruthless governors sent out by Rome. Paul suffered under Nero, as did other Christians and Jews. Unlike what we are like now, the people did not get to vote for another leader every 4 or 5 years; they just had to suffer under cruel ones until they died.

In Chapter 12, Paul tells us to be renewed in the mind, and one of these renewals is that of our relationship to earthly governments. We are allowed to oppose the current government. If it is one that openly defies God and promotes evil, as we see often in modern governments, then we are to respectfully oppose them.

Christians should be wary not to begin a resistance towards a government. If your government attacks you, it is okay to defend yourselves, but we should not be instigating anything. It is okay in our systems here in North America to promote or build an alternative party to run for power. Sadly, too many Christians have opted out of politics, and the void has been filled with Jesus-hating liberals.

Paul tells us that God puts government in place. Sometimes governments are there to bless people, and often they are there to punish people for their rebellion to God. You often get the government that you asked for. Sometimes, people have been ruled by evil people for so long, they no longer know how to accept a good government. Often, some governments have lied to their people for so long that the truth is painful to them. They rebel against a good government and vote in a bad one to be comfortable.

Jesus, Paul, and others engaged in debate with many government leaders. The last few chapters of Acts show Paul using his citizenship power to demand to be seen by Caesar. In the course of his journey to Rome from Jerusalem, he debates about Jesus, religion, and a bit of politics with several powerful Roman leaders. Jesus often debated with the Pharisees, the religious ruling sect of the Jews. He had other discussions with tax collectors and others.

This is encouraged, but in 2026, debate is being silenced. Only one viewpoint is being offered, and it is the wrong one. If one engages in debate contrary to the common line of thinking, then one is labeled and, recently, arrested and put through the court system. This is happening a lot in Europe, but it is making its way to Canada, and were it not for the Trump leadership, it would be rampant under the Democratic leadership in the USA.

Paul tells us that the government is there to protect those who do good works and punish evil doers (verse 3). Sadly, the opposite is more often true in our current governments. Right now, the government in Canada and most of the ones in Europe are actively trying to destroy their nations that they swore to protect and care for.

In the UK, rape gangs led by mostly Pakistani men are allowed to run rampant and rape hundreds of thousands of British young women. The government and the police do nothing; the courts either dismiss cases or give out lenient sentences for heinous crimes, leaving the victims with no resolution and no closure.

The US government, for now, is not that way totally. Their current administration is trying to actually revoke the power of these liberal judges and to right the many wrongs. But as I mentioned before, there are many in the US that reject this kind of law and order, and there may be enough of them to vote in a liberal government that will continue the decline that started under President Biden.

Paul tells us in verse 7 that we are to render taxes to whom they are due. The government has the right, from God, to tax us. In Exodus 30:11-16, God instituted a Temple Tax, and that was in place up until Jesus’s day. We see him sending Peter to catch a fish and pay the tax for them both. At the end of the day, Peter sums up how we are to live under evil, God-hating governments: we are to obey God rather than man (Acts 4:19).

Verses 8-10: No matter how the government treats us, we are to love our neighbors. Deal with them honestly, and obey the Ten Commandments when dealing with them. Take good care of them; look out for them. This is how we are to live no matter who is in power.

Verse 11-14: Jesus is coming soon. Live knowing that we will meet him soon; we will answer to Him soon for how we lived and not for our government leaders. They will have their day in Jesus’s court. In the meantime, we are to love and pray for our enemies, show them the love of Jesus, and speak the truth. Always seek to love in peace with ALL men; do not seek to avenge yourself. God knows, and He will deal with things.

Verse 21: In a world of evil, we are called to live out the good. We are called to be light in the midst of the darkness, and yes, that may mean suffering under tyrannical governments. Here in Canada, for sure, we have had our freedom of speech abruptly curtailed by our current government, and they are working on becoming a surveillance state with access to all of our social media. It is sad when the government becomes the enemy of the people they are supposed to serve and protect.

Lord, please help us! Jesus, please come soon!!

seangooding@yahoo.ca

Dr. Sean Gooding
Pastor of Bethany Baptist Church
70 Victoria Street, Elora, Ontario

 

15 July 2026

British police say murder of former minister Ann Widdecombe was a targeted attack
A 28-year-old man is suspected of murder and terrorist offences. “It is clear that this was a targeted attack,” said Laurence Taylor, head of the national counter-terrorism unit in the police, at a press conference. We are continuing to work to understand the extent of any planning or preparation and the motivation behind the attack.

DOJ Crackdown Reveals More Noncitizens Charged with Illegal Voting
A small town Kansas mayor born in Mexico. A Filipino senior citizen living in Hawaii. Two Pakistani men residing in New Jersey. An Aussie in Louisiana. And a Chinese student studying at the University of Michigan. They all have one thing in common. Each has been charged in the last year with illegally voting in U.S. federal elections as foreigners, part of a sudden wave of prosecutions led by the Trump Justice Department for a crime that used to be among the rarest in the federal court system.

China funds American judges’ training on how to use climate change to shut down USA oil companies
The Environmental Law Institute, or ELI, has trained more than 2,000 American judges on environmental law through its Climate Judiciary Project. ELI takes Chinese money, advises Chinese regulators tied directly to the CCP intelligence. They then turn to weaponise the American court system against the USA’s own energy companies, Leslie Eastman writes.

Scientists Reveal How China Could Beam Energy Across the Moon With Laser Precision
Future lunar settlements may depend as much on reliable electricity as on rockets and habitats. According to research published in the Journal of Deep Space Exploration, Chinese scientists have developed a concept for transmitting energy across the Moon using a network of laser-powered stations. The proposal addresses one of the greatest obstacles facing long-term lunar exploration: delivering continuous power during the Moon’s roughly 14-day-long nights, when solar panels alone cannot generate electricity.

Johnson scores win as conservative rebels end House floor blockade over voter ID bill
House conservatives ended their weeks-long blockade of the House floor Tuesday, handing Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., a key victory after the rebellion brought legislative business to a standstill for nearly a month. The conservatives had blocked all major House legislation since late June in an effort to force GOP leaders to hold floor votes on the Trump-backed SAVE America Act and a sweeping border security bill. Given House Republicans’ slim majority, Johnson could afford to spare just a handful of GOP defections.

Hamas’ supposed gov’t ‘dissolution’ hasn’t changed Gaza situation, as first int’l troops arrive 
A week after Hamas announced it was dissolving its government to allow for the transfer of authority to the technocratic National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), that body remains in Egypt, and Hamas remains in power in the Strip, despite the arrival of the first contingents of the international force meant to provide security instead of the terror group.

The man behind Israel’s enemies: Qatar’s former Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa dies at 74 
Qatar’s former Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, whose rule from 1995 until the handover of power to his son in 2013 saw the rapid transformation of the tiny Gulf emirate into a regional powerhouse and a strident, though covert opponent of Israel, passed away at age 74 on Sunday. When Hamad seized power from his father in a coup in 1995, Qatar was a gas-rich but politically meaningless appendage of the “brotherly” kingdom of Saudi Arabia. However, together with his wife Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, he initiated a series of power moves that safeguarded the gas riches through an alliance with the U.S.,

The Church of England almost called Israel “genocidal” and blamed the Jews for October 7, but ran out of time
The Church of England’s General Synod gathered in York this week to vote on a motion that would formally commit the Church to “engage with” a document accusing the Jewish state of genocide, colonialism, and ethnic cleansing. After a full day of debate, the vote never happened. Synod ran out of time before members could cast a ballot, and the motion now sits with the Business Committee, which will decide when it returns to the floor.

A bizarre and troubling case out of Canada
Some might call it a sign of the times: A homosexual couple is suing the surrogate mother they employed for refusing to abort their baby because tests indicated the child might have a cleft lip and other birth defects. The two men have filed suit against the woman in what amounts to a “wrongful birth” case.

At Dimona reactor: Netanyahu’s not-so-subtle warning to Tehran
Addressing Tehran directly, Netanyahu said: “We are prepared for every scenario. I can tell you one thing, and I’ll say it to Iran’s leaders: don’t count on things staying quiet if you attack us. Don’t count on a rerun. Because this will not be a rerun, and the last one was powerful enough.

ICC prosecutor Khan loses appeals on UK legal bar suspension
International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan lost an appeal to lift his suspension as a barrister, Britain’s legal regulator said on Tuesday, as misconduct allegations against him continue to roil the court, Reuters reported. The Bar Standards Board said Khan, 56, remains suspended from legal practice pending the outcome of disciplinary proceedings. Khan has denied the sexual misconduct allegations. Khan was suspended on June 8 by the ICC’s governing body, deepening a leadership crisis at the court, which is also facing U.S. sanctions tied to investigations involving the United States and Israel.

Trump threatens infrastructure strikes on Iran unless Tehran negotiates deal
Speaking in an interview with Fox News, Trump stated, “We’re going to hit them very hard tonight, we’re going to hit them very hard tomorrow night, we’re going to hit them very hard the night after, and then next week it gets really bad for them because next week comes the power plants, next week comes the bridges.”

Commander of Battalion 47: We are also preparing for an October 7 scenario
Lt. Col. V., commander of the 47th Battalion, “Lions of the Valley,” discussed the security challenges facing the sector under his command … He explained that the battalion operates across two main arenas – the eastern arena and the western arena, which includes, among other areas, Jericho and the surrounding villages. Addressing the border with Jordan, he said that the events of October 7 have influenced the IDF’s approach to preparedness, despite the peace agreement between Israel and Jordan.

Iranian strikes cause ‘massive’ explosions in Kuwait, drones strike US military in Jordan
The report noted that six teams, backed by the army and National Guard, responded to the strike, with no injuries reported and damage limited to material losses. Iran struck a critical facility in Kuwait on Wednesday, causing multiple “massive” explosions and starting a fire, according to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Kuwait’s KUNA State News Agency reported that the blaze had been brought under control.

Marco Rubio Vows to ‘Dismantle’ ICC, Blasting Controversial Court for ‘Waging War’ Against US
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced a sweeping effort to weaken the International Criminal Court (ICC), arguing on Monday that the tribunal has exceeded its mandate by targeting American personnel and Israeli leaders while undermining the sovereignty of democratic nations. In a video address and an accompanying opinion essay in the Wall Street Journal, Rubio said the administration would pursue a comprehensive strategy to diminish the court’s influence, including urging allied nations to reject the ICC’s jurisdiction and considering additional sanctions against individuals or governments that assist investigations involving the US or its allies.

Israeli envoy accuses Rep. Khanna of staged provocation
Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter accused Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) of orchestrating a “cheap, anticipated provocation,” after the congressman was briefly stopped in a restricted military zone. In a statement posted to X late Monday, Leiter said Khanna ignored offers to thoroughly coordinate his visit with the Israeli government and the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem. The ambassador stated that the Israel Defense Forces had no prior knowledge of the congressman’s whereabouts when IDF soldiers halted his unfamiliar vehicle in a suspected closed military zone.

US renews naval blockade and attacks military targets in Iran ‘to destroy emerging threats’
The US launched new strikes on Iranian military targets as its renewed naval blockade of Iranian ports took effect, while Iran reported explosions across the Gulf; Kuwait said it intercepted missiles and drones and Bahrain confirmed it was attacked. After days of exchanges of fire in the Persian Gulf between Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and the U.S. military, the renewed blockade of Iranian ports announced Monday by U.S. President Donald Trump is set to take effect Tuesday at 11 p.m. local time.

Erdogan’s neo-Ottoman vision takes shape across Africa
While public and media attention remains focused on the Middle East, Ankara is quietly and systematically building a strategic axis of influence across Africa. Through defense agreements, infrastructure projects, military bases and expanding religious and cultural influence, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s neo-Ottoman vision is taking shape across the continent.

Christian Parents In Europe Seek Help From Washington After Swedish Gov’t Seizes Their Children, Calls Church Attendance ‘Religious Extremism’
Christians and Romanian protesters rallied at the Swedish embassy in D.C. in support of Daniel and Bianca Samson whose children Sara and Tiana Samson were seized by the Swedish social services in December 2022. Sara was 11 and Tiana was 10 at the time. Even though prosecutors found no evidence of abuse, the government refused to return the girls,

Huckabee: Americans Fail To Grasp The Threat Of Iran… But We Are Foolish To Ignore Them
“The Strait of Hormuz is a vital maritime corridor for global trade. Iran does not control it,” a statement from CENTCOM read. “U.S. forces are postured and prepared to ensure that freedom of navigation remains available to commercial shipping despite Iran’s continued unwarranted aggression, harassment, threats, and arbitrary declarations.” Over the past year, the U.S. involvement in the Middle East has largely centered on Iran’s threats against Israel. This time, however, Israel does not appear to be a party to the conflict, which, as U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee pointed out in an interview on “This Week on Capitol Hill” on Saturday, is probably a good thing.

American Red Cross announces emergency blood shortage as supply falls 25%
Blood distributions to hospitals are 3,500 units higher per week than anticipated. Summer often skyrockets need for blood in trauma centers. Busy schedules and loss of school blood drives during summer cause donations to plummet, leading to drastic shortage. Blood has a limited shelf life, so Red Cross depends on steady donations.

6.2 earthquake strikes Pacific Ring of Fire: Normal activity or warning of a megaquake?
It struck off the coast of the Philippines Tuesday, adding to a series of recent quakes along the Ring of Fire, one of the world’s most active seismic zones. An M6 quake is strong enough to be felt widely, but doesn’t provide a reliable prediction of a future major quake. Earthquakes here are common because of the region’s geological activity.

Consequences of the Super El Niño of 2026: Thousands Dead from Heat,1-In-1,000-Year Storms, Massive Droughts and Looming Global Famine
When El Niño develops, weather is warmer, storms are more intense, and areas of the globe experience intensified drought and food shortages. Normal El Niños aren’t dramatic. But Super El Niños can be catastrophic. Example, Super El Niño ‘82-‘83 caused severe crop failures in Indonesia and India and sparked multi-year famine in Africa.

Battle for Strait of Hormuz Will Show if the World Survives Without Oil from Persian Gulf
Now we’re going to see what happens when the Strait of Hormuz is closed for an extended period of time. If the Strait remains closed for months, global energy supplies will get extremely tight, and the price of oil will go into unprecedented territory.

Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak reaches 1,926 cases in DRC as U.S. tightens travel measures
Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the Congo reached 1,926 confirmed cases and 702 deaths on July 13. The epidemic has expanded across 5 provinces as international response intensifies, experimental countermeasures advance, and the US introduces new travel measures aimed at reducing risk of international spread.

Sheriff Says Somali Youth Gangs Are Running Wild in Minneapolis
A Minneapolis sheriff has triggered an uncomfortable conversation by saying out loud what you are not supposed to talk about in Minnesota. “Out of control” gangs of Somali youths are terrorizing the city, and the mayhem is poised to get worse.

China funds American judges’ training on how to use climate change to shut down USA oil companies
The Environmental Law Institute has trained over 2,000 American judges on environmental law through its Climate Judiciary Project. ELI takes Chinese money and advises Chinese regulators tied directly to the CCP intelligence. They then turn to weaponize the American court system against the USA’s own energy companies.

Rupert Lowe: The Fabian Society is deliberately trying to wreck the UK
In a recent appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience, Rupert Lowe MP said the shadowy Fabian Society was deliberately trying to wreck the UK. “It’s the most extraordinary organization,” Lowe told Rogan. “Their emblem is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, as if that doesn’t tell you what they’re doing.

‘Rest in Hell’: Catholic University Professor, Syrian Radical Ibrahim Zabad’ Celebrates Sen. Lindsey Graham’s Death
Catholic University: St. Bonaventure prof. Ibrahim Zabad celebrated Sen. Graham’s death by branding him a “bloodthirsty bigot,” accusing him of supporting “genocide” and “ethnic cleansing,” and declaring “Rest in Hell.” He also reposted calls for “Death to Lindsey Graham,” framing the senator’s pro-Israel stance as incitement to murder.

Another Church Conquered: Allahu Akbar Rings Over Virginia — One-Way ‘Interfaith’ Replaces American Heritage
A landmark building from the 1800s, the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, with deep African-American roots and founded by a former slave, stood in the tiny riverfront town of Occoquan, Virginia.

From Lugano to America: The Muslim Brotherhood’s ‘Project’ in Action – Two Case Studies Expose the Subversive Plot Toward Islamic Supremacy
The Muslim Brotherhood’s 1982 document “The Project” is a patient, multi-generational blueprint for achieving Islamic supremacy in the West. It calls for rejection of assimilation, creation of parallel Islamic societies, penetration of Western institutions, and gradual dismantling of host societies so Sharia ultimately prevails.

British island of Jersey legalizes assisted suicide
The British Channel Island of Jersey has legalized assisted suicide. A law that allows adults who are terminally ill to commit suicide with the assistance of a doctor has been granted Royal Assent after the bill was approved by the island’s self-governing legislature in February.