Chapter # 13 Paragraph # 1 Study # 8
November 15, 2020
Humble, Texas
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Thesis: Paul's "insertion" of "conscience" into his argument regarding submission to human authorities is a real "turning of a corner".
Introduction: As we have seen throughout our studies of Paul's instructions regarding the believer's relationship to human governmental structures, his "large" big picture within those instructions has been "wrath"; i.e., "retribution for disobedience". But, now, as we move into
13:5 we find a "wherefore corner" that brings another issue to the table. That "other issue" is what Paul calls "conscience". The interesting thing about "bringing another issue to the table" is that nothing, so far, has said anything directly about the new issue, yet Paul uses an "
inferential coordinating conjunction" to bring it to the table. That it is "inferential" means that there is a
direct inference in the preceding text that allows Paul to "mention" this new element.
Thus, we are going to look more closely into Paul's mindset this evening to see how "conscience" is directly inferred by Paul's words.
- I. The "Majority Focus" Upon Wrath.
- A. There is a fundamental reason for a focus upon "wrath" in Paul's instructions.
- 1. The insertion of "wrath", as we saw in earlier studies, is a direct "threat" of bad things coming for those who refuse the instruction.
- a. As a "direct threat", "wrath" brings self-interest bubbling to the top of Paul's readers' concerns.
- b. As a root of self-interest, "wrath" is shown, over and over in the Scriptures, to be an ineffective tool of "obedience".
- 1) "Wrath" engenders rebellion (Romans 4:15 compared with 8:7) -- the entire history of Israel and the complaints of the prophets is a record of rebellion against "the rules".
- 2) "Wrath engendered obedience" is not "obedience"; at its very best, coerced obedience is hypocrisy.
- 2. The reason for the focus upon "wrath" is that the alternative, and effective, instrument of genuine obedience is the selflessness of Love, an attitude that takes a good bit of time to develop with a host of disobediences involved in the run-up to it.
- 3. And, the very idea that Paul had to "instruct" the believers in Rome to be "submissive to governing authorities" means that those believers were not very far along in their participation in the Love of God.
- B. As we have said in earlier studies, "wrath", as "threat" and "experience", is a necessary, intermediate, stop-gap as Paul clearly teaches in Galatians 3:19-24.
- II. This "Late" Insertion of "Conscience".
- A. At the foundational level, "submission" is "necessary" (3:5a).
- 1. The term translated "necessary" is a word that means that there are certain forces at work that make "some other choice" foolishly destructive.
- 2. It is this "destructiveness" that Paul is seeking to avoid.
- B. Thus, there has to be a sufficient motivation to make the "necessary" choice(s) palatable.
- 1. Paul identifies that sufficient motivation by his insertion of "conscience" without expounding upon it.
- 2. The reason for the absence of emphasis and further explanation is that anyone who has experienced redemption already knows how important a clear conscience is in its place in the "relational universe" of "harmony between men and God".
- a. Paul is not hesitant to emphasize the importance of a good conscience in other places.
- 1) In Romans, there are only three references to "conscience" by use of the word itself.
- a) In 2:15 Paul claims that people who were never subjected to the Mosaic form of "Law" yet possess the essence of that Law within themselves because it has been "written upon their hearts" in such a way as to bring "conscience" to bear. This means that "conscience" is the awareness of the distinction between "right" and "wrong".
- b) In 9:1 Paul pulls "conscience" into play in order to firm up his "unbelievable" claim to be willing to go to eternal condemnation for the sake of his "brethren" (enemies). The claim is so over-the-top that he knows it will not be taken seriously unless he firms it up with three substantial claims: "I am telling the truth"; "I am not lying"; and "my conscience, in harmony with the Holy Spirit, is clear in this claim".
- c) And in our current text, the conscience becomes a primary motivation for "submission to human authorities" (without really saying why this is so).
- 2) In other places, Paul reveals "why this is so".
- a) In 1 Corinthians 8:11 Paul says that a person who violates his/her "conscience" is "ruined" (apollumi -- destroyed).
- b) In 1 Timothy 1:5 Paul says that "Love" is the product of three factors: "a pure heart"; "a good conscience"; and "a sincere faith". Thus, a violated conscience destroys the ability to "love". Then, in 1:19 he says that those who jettison "a good conscience" "suffer shipwreck in regard to their faith". "Deacons", says Paul in 3:9, must be men of "a clear conscience", and goes even further in 4:2 by claiming that a person's conscience can be "seared" (as though having a hot iron applied to it to burn it beyond functioning), thus guaranteeing their "ruin".
- c) And Acts 24:16 is the capstone: maintaining a clear conscience is the only good foundation for hope of a good outcome in the resurrection of the dead.
- 3) And Peter, in 1 Peter 2:19, agrees that service to God requires a good "conscience" especially when suffering unjustly.
- b. At this point, Paul really puts "wrath" in its place as an inadequate motivator because its consequences are not nearly as bad as what happens when "conscience" is violated.
- 1) The issue of self-interest is still present, but it is diminished by the fact that one who seeks a good conscience before God is seeking a solid relationship with Him (for whatever reason, selfish or not).
- 2) Since "a good conscience" eventually leads to function by the Love of God (1 Timothy 1:5), Paul's expressed development in "Love" as per Romans 9:1 signals a process that eventually leads to the complete absence of self-interest. A true absence of self-interest is manifest by the degree of sacrifice one is willing to make to accomplish some other-oriented objective (Romans 5:8). Eventually, a pursuit of a clear conscience before God will accomplish in man what God has always intended: pure Love and genuine Faith.
