The Bible and the Public Arena: A Pauline Model for Christian Engagement in Society with Reference to Romans 13

In a context in which the significance of Scripture for everyday life is fading away, this article is an argument for the centrality of the Bible as the basis for a holistic understanding of reality and for an authentic Christian engagement in contemporary society. The argument is built on a twofold truth: the lordship of Christ over reality in its entirety and the public nature of the Gospel. More specifically, the paper offers an examination of Romans 13 with regard to the issue of the Christian relationship to the governing authorities. It argues that Paul offers solid theological ground on which he simultaneously legitimizes and limits the authority of the government, and presents an active and positive involvement of the Christian in the world, advocating practices that are conducive to a meaningful and peaceful life in the society at large. It concludes that according to Paul’s vision of redemption, the church, as the paradigmatic community of the new creation, is called to be actively engaged in society, to have a constructive, even if critical at times, relationship to the powers and structures of authority, confessing and witnessing the lordship of Christ over reality in its entirety, in the anticipation of the ultimate redemption of God’s creation.