“The Higher Powers” Clarified

 4, 5. (a) How did the Bible Students view Romans 13:1? (b) What was later seen to be the Scriptural position regarding “the higher powers”?

⁴ A bright flash of light was seen in 1962 in connection with Romans 13:1, which says: “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers [“superior authorities,” New World Translation].” (King James Version) The early Bible Students understood that “the higher powers” mentioned there referred to worldly authorities. They took this scripture to mean that if a Christian was drafted in wartime, he would be obligated to put on a uniform, shoulder a gun, and go to the front, to the trenches. It was felt that since a Christian could not kill a fellow human, he would be compelled to fire his gun into the air if worst came to worst.a

⁵ The Watchtower of November 15 and of December 1, 1962, shed clear light on the subject in discussing Jesus’ words at Matthew 22:21: “Pay back . . . Caesar’s things to Caesar, but God’s things to God.” Relevant were the apostles’ words at Acts 5:29: “We must obey God as ruler rather than men.” Christians are subject to Caesar​—“the higher powers”—​only so long as this does not require that the Christian go contrary to God’s law. Subjection to Caesar was seen to be relative, not absolute. Christians pay back to Caesar only what does not conflict with God’s requirements. How satisfying it was to have clear light on that subject!