When it comes to COVID-19 restrictions, Christians must obey their government authorities. Local, municipal and federal governments have put into effect certain restrictions on physical gatherings such as social distancing, hand washing and wearing masks. These restrictions should be honored as God instructs us in this way:
Romans 13:1-14 – Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.
The Bible is very clear that we must obey our government authorities and not rebel or incite rebellion against them or their orders. Any Christian who is doing so, is going against God’s word. This is especially significant in today’s global COVID-19 pandemic.
Titus 3:1-2 – Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, 2 to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.
1 Peter 2:13-17 – Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. 16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. 17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.
We are not meant to be rebellious citizens who incite disobedience against the government. We are meant to pray for our leaders, that God will show them the way to the truth. That way, they may repent and be saved from their wrongdoing by seeing the truth, which is the teachings of Jesus.
1 Timothy 2:1-6 – I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.
If the government is opposing the principals of the Bible, and instructing us to do things that go against the teachings of Jesus, it is only then, that we must choose to obey God over the orders of man. This is a fine line that must not ever be crossed unless the premise is completely sound. Here is an example:
Acts 4:18-20 – Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! 20 As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
Acts 5:29 – Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings!
In the instance of Peter of John, this is an obvious example where the leaders were instructing them not to teach/preach in the name of Jesus. Being in contravention to Jesus’ command for all Christians to preach the gospel, Peter and John ignored their request:
Mark 16:15 – He [Jesus] said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.
Here are 3 more examples of men of God and one example of women of God who disobeyed their government/leaders in order to obey the commandments of God.
- The first is the case of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego:
Daniel 3:1-30 – King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2 He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up. 3 So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it.
4 Then the herald loudly proclaimed, “Nations and peoples of every language, this is what you are commanded to do: 5 As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.”
7 Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the nations and peoples of every language fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
8 At this time some astrologers came forward and denounced the Jews. 9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “May the king live forever! 10 Your Majesty has issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, 11 and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. 12 But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.”
King Nebuchadnezzar had made an order that was in clear violation of the commandments of God.
Exodus 20:3-6 – “You shall have no other gods before me. 4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
Exodus 20:23 – Do not make any gods to be alongside me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold.
Deuteronomy 5:7 – You shall have no other gods before me.
Deuteronomy 6:14 – Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you;
Psalm 81:9 – You shall have no foreign god among you; you shall not worship any god other than me.
2 Kings 17:35 – When the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites, he commanded them: “Do not worship any other gods or bow down to them, serve them or sacrifice to them.
Exodus 32:8 – They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’
Isaiah 42:8 – I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
Jeremiah 25:6 – Do not follow other gods to serve and worship them; do not arouse my anger with what your hands have made. Then I will not harm you.”
Jeremiah 35:15 – Again and again I sent all my servants the prophets to you. They said, “Each of you must turn from your wicked ways and reform your actions; do not follow other gods to serve them. Then you will live in the land I have given to you and your ancestors.” But you have not paid attention or listened to me.
God specifically instructs the Jewish people not to worship idols or bow down to them. Doing so would arouse God’s anger. From these scriptures, we can see that King Nebuchadnezzar’s instructions were against God, when he decreed for the Jews to bow down before an idol. By refusing to worship the golden image, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were upholding God’s commandments.
Daniel 3:1-30 continued…13 Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, 14 and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? 15 Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”
16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual 20 and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. 21 So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. 22 The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, 23 and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.
24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.”
25 He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”
26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!”
So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, 27 and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.
28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.”
30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.
- The second example is that of Daniel, the prophet:
Daniel 6:1-28 – It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, 2 with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss. 3 Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.
4 At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. 5 Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”
6 So these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: “May King Darius live forever! 7 The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den.
Once again, this new King, Darius, has put forth a decree that would prevent Daniel from praying to God and require him to pray to the King instead. This of course, would be idol worshipping, a clear violation that would be against God’s law once again.
2 Kings 17:35 – When the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites, he commanded them: “Do not worship any other gods or bow down to them, serve them or sacrifice to them.
Continued: Daniel 6:1-28 – 8 Now, Your Majesty, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” 9 So King Darius put the decree in writing.
10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.
Daniel takes no notice of the King’s order because it is in direct contravention to God’s law.
11 Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. 12 So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: “Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human being except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the lions’ den?”
The king answered, “The decree stands—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” 13 Then they said to the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, Your Majesty, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day.” 14 When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed; he was determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him.
15 Then the men went as a group to King Darius and said to him, “Remember, Your Majesty, that according to the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or edict that the king issues can be changed.”
16 So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!”
17 A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed. 18 Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep.
19 At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. 20 When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?”
21 Daniel answered, “May the king live forever! 22 My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”
23 The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.
24 At the king’s command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions’ den, along with their wives and children. And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.
25 Then King Darius wrote to all the nations and peoples of every language in all the earth:
“May you prosper greatly! 26 “I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. “For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end. 27 He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.”
28 So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.We must obey the government but not when it directly contradicts the will/word of God. We must also be very careful when determining whether a government’s order is against the word of God or not. There is a very fine line between carrying out the will of God and rebelling against your government, which the Bible tells us not to do.
- This brings us to the third example which is that of the Jewish woman during the time of Moses’ birth:
Exodus 1:6-14 – Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, 7 but the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers and became so numerous that the land was filled with them.
8 Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt. 9 “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become far too numerous for us. 10 Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.”
11 So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. 12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites 13 and worked them ruthlessly. 14 They made their lives bitter with harsh labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly.
Here is an instance of a fine line. Although the Israelites were being treated harshly by their Egyptian government, they did not rebel or incite violence in any way, shape or form.
This is the same situation as when the Romans were oppressing Israel. At no time, did Jesus incite violence or advise the Jewish people to rebel against their Roman conquerors, who effectively, were their government. In fact, he did the opposite and told them to comply with the Romans.
Matthew 5:41 – If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.
During Jesus’ time, the Romans occupied Israel and had special laws. One of those special laws and privileges of being a Roman soldier, was that he could compel a Jewish native to carry their gear for one mile.
We see this general principal in action in the account of Jesus carrying the cross:
Matthew 27:32 – As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross.
Mark 15:21 – A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.
Luke 23:26 – As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.
Simon of Cyrene was a Jew, and as such, he was forced by the Romans to carry the cross for Jesus.
Acts 6:9 – Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia—who began to argue with Stephen.
Acts 11:20 – Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus.
Acts 13:1 – Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
The gear of the Roman soldiers was heavy and they could easily weigh in excess of 100lbs. Nevertheless, Jesus tells the people to not only comply with this law, but to go above and beyond, by going an extra mile! Even with this harsh and unfair law, Jesus does not advise the people to rebel in any way, shape or form. Instead, he says to comply because although it is harsh and unfavorable to them, this special law did not contradict the word of God. It is not against God’s word to carry a backpack or do hard labor.
He also told the Jewish people to comply and pay the Roman tax.
Matthew 22:15-22 – Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. 16 They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. 17 Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?”
18 But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? 19 Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, 20 and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”
21 “Caesar’s,” they replied. Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” 22 When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.
This account is repeated in the Gospel of Mark:
Mark 12:13-17 – Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. 14 They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”
But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” 16 They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they replied.
17 Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” And they were amazed at him.
And also in the Gospel of Luke:
Luke 20:20-26 – Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be sincere. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said, so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. 21 So the spies questioned him: “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. 22 Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
23 He saw through their duplicity and said to them, 24 “Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied. 25 He said to them, “Then give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” 26 They were unable to trap him in what he had said there in public. And astonished by his answer, they became silent.
At no time, did Jesus incite rebellion or violence against the government.
Mark 14:48 NIV – “Am I leading a rebellion,” said Jesus, “that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me?
Mark 14:48 New Living Translation – Jesus asked them, “Am I some dangerous revolutionary, that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me?
Matthew 26:55 NIV – In that hour Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me.
Matthew 26:55 New Living Translation – Then Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I some dangerous revolutionary, that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me? Why didn’t you arrest me in the Temple? I was there teaching every day.
When Government Orders Contradict The Bible
Exodus 1:15-16 – The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, 16 “When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.”
At this point, the line has been crossed when the government directed the Israelite midwives to commit murder, which is against God’s law. So the Israelite midwives refused to obey their government, and obeyed God instead.
Exodus 20:13 – You shall not murder.
Deuteronomy 5:17 – You shall not murder.
Continued…Exodus 1:17-21 – The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live. 18 Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?”
19 The midwives answered Pharaoh, “Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive.”
20 So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous. 21 And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.
In this instance during the Covid 19 pandemic, the government is instructing us according to God’s law.
“Do to others as you would have them do to you. “ Luke 6:31
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Christians around the world should adhere to one of the most important commandments in the bible; to do to others as you would have them do to you (Luke 6:31). This advice comes straight from Jesus!
The way to love our neighbor during the COVID-19 pandemic is to socially distance from others, wear a mask in public and remain home whenever possible. Many people are disregarding this advice.
Even if you are healthy and young, you should think of others who are at risk, as if it is yourself. Thinking of the people around you who are most at risk of contracting this deadly virus and staying home, is how you can fulfill this commandment during this COVID-19 pandemic.
If we do not improve our attempts to socially distance, we are putting hundreds of thousands of lives at risk. Christians are failing to love their neighbor as themselves when we disregard the advice to social distance and not to go out if we feel sick.
According to James and Paul, loving your neighbor as yourself is the most important law and we are breaking this commandment when we don’t socially distance. We cannot fulfil the law if we break this commandment.
Galatians 5:14 – For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Romans 13:10 – Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Matthew 7:12 – So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
Galatians 6:2 – Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
John 13:34 – A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
Romans 13:8 – Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.
If we don’t love others and think of them as we think of ourselves, we are not fulfilling Jesus’ commandment. James and Paul say, the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself is the summarization of the entire law.
James 2:8 – If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.
Jesus didn’t come to abolish the law. He came to teach us how to fulfill it.
Matthew 5:17-18 – “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
Romans 3:31 – Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.
If you go out and selfishly endanger other people during this COVID-19 pandemic, you are not loving your neighbor. Attending large gatherings, visiting overcrowded shops, parks, beaches and even camping increases everyone’s chances of contracting this deadly virus. Businesses have reopened and the economy is starting back up, but walking around as if there is no pandemic is dangerous to others. Stay home as much as possible, especially if you are sick!
Ask yourself if it is entirely essential that you leave your home today. Even if you don’t get sick, you can still be a carrier without any symptoms. A person with no apparent symptoms can be more dangerous to others as they can spread the virus without knowing.
You may be a carrier of COVID-19 without any symptoms. Refusing to social distance or going out when it’s not absolutely necessary, is putting others at risk.
Everyone has been affected in some way, shape or form by COVID-19. We all want things to get back to normal but now is not the time to drop the ball. Many of us are trying to make things get back to normal and forgetting or refusing to socially distance.
We must recognize how easy it is to break the commandment of ‘loving your neighbor’. A simple, needless trip to the store is a perfect example. Once we recognize how we are falling short; only then, can we begin to change.
Humans are social creatures and we need to interact with others. Just because we can’t be together physically doesn’t mean we can’t be together in other ways. This is a perfect opportunity to take advantage of the technology we enjoy today. Stay connected with others via social media, phone calls, texts and video calls! It’s easy to keep in touch with others if you make the effort.
As Christians, let’s do our part in the fight against COVID-19 by setting a good example and staying home as much as possible. The world always has and will continue to follow the lead of Christians. The sooner we can stamp put COVID-19, the sooner we can resume our lives again!
Matthew 5:14 – “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.
Proverbs 4:18 – The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
Philippians 2:14-15 – Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.
Some Christians point to Paul’s statement about not forsaking the gathering of believers, as a reason to rebel against the government’s COVID-19 restrictions:
Hebrews 10:25 – not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
However, this statement was not written taking into account such times as these, where meeting together could actually cause people’s death due to a contagious virus. Secondly, in Paul’s day, they did not have the technology that we enjoy today, which allows us to stay in contact with each other virtually. We have the internet and social media where we can connect, teach, preach, learn, fellowship and encourage each other without physically meeting.
Hebrews 10:24 – And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds…
Paul also did not write this statement to be used to defy government orders in a time of a crisis and pandemic. He meant it as a personal examination of one’s own conduct under normal circumstances.
Some people say that Jesus walked amongst lepers, but Jesus did not have leprosy himself, where he could spread the deadly disease to others! This would have been endangering people and that is against Jesus’ message. Paul’s statement of not forsaking the gathering of believers, does not cross the line and justify disobedience to the government’s COVID-19 restrictions. This statement should not be given that kind of power as this would truly be an example of taking a scripture out of context.
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