by Greg Perry
Believers have absolute Biblical support that we are to pay taxes. In addition, Biblically – unless our country is at war – we have no right to rebel against our government in any way that is unlawful no matter how corrupt our country is. If at war, and the other side is the just one in the fight, Biblically we have the right to fight against our own country.
Unless at war, we should obey the laws.
Except in quite vital one situation: If our country demands we act against God’s Word, then it is our duty to violate that demand – whether a war is on or not.
How Should We Obey the Government?
Many Christians today incorrectly use Romans 13:1 to say that we are to obey the government because God “appointed actual people to be our leaders.” They use that error to say that we obey the government and pay all taxes demanded of us and never encourage civil disobedience.
To those Christians who have lost their brain cells, one should ask the following questions:
Q: Who wrote Romans 13:1?
A: Paul
Q: Who wrote Philemon, Philippians, and several other epistles?
A: Paul
Q: What are Paul’s epistles often called?
A: The Prison Epistles
Q: Where do you think Paul was when he wrote those Prison Epistles?
A: In prison
Q: Do you think Paul was thrown in prison by the authorities because he did what they wanted, because he believed the way they required he believe, because he said the things they wanted him to say, and because he never rebelled against the government and authorities?
A: No.
Q: Was Paul a hypocrite?
A: No.
We Now Know Paul was a Scofflaw
We now know that Paul believed in disobeying the civil authorities when they had no Godly authority over him.
We see excellent examples elsewhere: Exodus 1:15 (the midwives), Daniel 6, Elijah’s 50.
The Real Question: What is Caesar’s?
Just what is Caesar’s?
Well:
- Caesar does not own the innocent babies that are slaughtered in Planned Parenthood abortion mills around the country funded with taxpayer money. (When Baal sacrificed children, God said it was so horrible that the thought of ever doing such a thing did not enter His mind! (Jer 19:5) If we are to believe God – and we are – then God had no idea they were going to murder all those babies.)
- Caesar does not own your home that it has taken over through perpetuity with property taxes.
- Caesar does not own the pond on your property that Caesar’s regulators tell you that you cannot do anything with due to some perceived-rare animal species living there.
- This kind of list can go on for miles
And yet… The Roman government was almost as corrupt as America’s government.
Almost.
Why Rome Was Marginally Better than America
Rome was only somewhat less evil than America because they had taxation without representation.
Taxation without representation is better than taxation with representation.
The people can’t govern. When the people govern, they legalize adultery, stealing, abortion, and that’s what we’ve done. If we have taxation with representation, our taxes will be as huge as they are. Israel had no representation with Rome and yet Jesus told them to pay their taxes. The people were innocent in that theft – Americans are guilty in America’s theft.
So, Again: Just What is Caesar’s?
Samuel says in the Old Testament that a tax rate of 10% is tyranny. So we know two things:
- We are to pay taxes
- Taxes should be below 10%.
Still, the Roman authority was corrupt. We do not know their tax rate. I suspect it was far lower than what we Americans pay, but I don’t know for certain.
So We Pay Taxes
So we pay taxes. Biblically.
Before you get all giddy: Should we also preach the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
Yes, but not blindly!
Jesus said in 1 Timothy 5:8 that a man who does not take care of his own family – and Paul wrote this while discussing church leadership – a man, therefore who spreads the Gospel but does so at the sake of his family is “worse than an unbeliever.” So even in being a church leader or spreading the Gospel, we are not to do it blindly.
And we have shown above where Paul showed from prison that you don’t obey the government blindly.
The Solution
The solution, therefore, if we want to obey the government to the extent that Scripture tells us to, and to take care of our families which Scripture seems to make more important even than spreading the Gospel and leading churches, the answer is:
One should use every legal loophole to pay as little in taxes and keep as much in our families and keep as much out of the hands of the evil leaders of our nation.
It is our goal, our charge, our obligation to pay as little in taxes as we legally can do.
If I owned a sideline business – oh wait, I DO! I would form a Sub Chapter S Corporation before the sun rises in the morning. It enables one to keep a major portion of income sheltered – legally – from the clutches of Caesar. As a matter of fact, EVERY SINGLE PENNY I NOW EARN is earned in my Sub Chapter S corporation, including Amazon sales, eBay sales, and all my writing royalties.
I suggest other Christians with small businesses do the same. If not a Sub Chapter S Corp, a good tax advisor can suggest other ways to legally avoid letting so much leave your family and render to Caesar.
Otherwise:
YOU ARE NOT PROVIDING FOR YOUR OWN FAMILY AND YOU ARE WORSE THAN AN UNBELIEVER if you pay one penny more of your family’s income than you have to pay.
‘Nuff Said! – Amen.
