Most of you will remember that we are dealing with these first seven verses in Paul's

Epistle to the Romans in Chapter 13.

The most important section of Scripture as we've been seeing, unique in many ways,

because it is the classical place in which the apostle deals with this whole subject of the Christian's relationship to the state.

Now, we've been looking at it very carefully.

We've seen where it comes in in the Apostle's argument,

and we've considered the detailed meaning of the words

and the terms that he uses.

And having done that, we have proceeded now to draw out the doctrines which are renunciated

here.

Or if you prefer it in another way, we have been trying to show how the apostle deals with some of the acute problems

that face many Christian people at the present time, partly in this country, but certainly

very definitely and acutely in other countries, a problem that has confronted many Christian people

in a very grievous manner in this present century.

It is this whole question of our relationship to the state.

People in Germany before the war and in Italy had to face this in a very urgent and terrible manner.

And there are countries today, as you know, behind the iron curtain

and so on, who are very deeply involved in all this. So we are considering it as a matter of

duty. Thank God, it isn't as urgent for us, perhaps, as it is for many others. But we are

to help one another, and we are to understand one another. That's why we must go into this so carefully.

Now, we've considered the Christian's view of the state.

You've got to start with that.

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