Hundreds of millions of people murdered. Billions of people enslaved. Trillions of dollars of property confiscated or destroyed. In the 20th century alone.

It should be easy enough to remember the three neglected themes of Romans 12-13:

The same Greek word in Romans 13 -- hupotasso -- "be subject" -- is found in 1 Peter 2:18 : "Slaves, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward." This verse does not mean that William Wilberforce was wrong to abolish the institution of slavery. We need to abolish the institution of "the State," but non-violently, taking the blows that "the State" will dish out against us the same way Christ took the blows of the State on the Cross ( 1 Peter 2:21 ).

Most Christians assume that the State is good. It is "a divine institution," we're told. Romans 13 doesn't really teach this, especially in its Biblical context.

Actually, this website is devoted to only the first 7 verses of Romans 13. If we have a "hidden agenda," however, it is to view these seven verses in the context of the entire Bible . Those who see in Romans 13:1-7 a divine approval for "the State" take it out of its Biblical context (which begins in Romans 12 , the previous chapter, but also includes the teaching of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation ). Our position is that Romans 12 and 13 must be taken together as a unit. Our chapter divisions are not part of Paul's original letter. Romans 12 says "don't return evil for evil; submit to evil, even (Romans 13) the most evil thing on the planet: the State."

But the passage is also used to justify the presence of governments which are not as bad as some, but are still offensive to God. It is the argument of this website that Romans 13 says all governments are evil (which offends tyrants and their supporters) but we are nevertheless to "be subject" to them (which offends the "Second Amendment" crowd). In other words, Romans 13 prohibits the violent overthrow of the worst imaginable tyranny, and the assassination of the most evil tyrant.

George Washington's Diaries are available online at the Library of Congress. That website introduces those writings with these words: No theme appears more frequently in the writings of Washington than his love for his land. The diaries are a monument to that concern. In his letters he referred often, as an expression of this devotion and its resulting contentment, to an Old Testament passage . After the Revolution, when he had returned to Mount Vernon, he wrote the Marquis de Lafayette on Feb. 1, 1784: "At length my Dear Marquis I am become a private citizen on the banks of the Potomac, & under the shadow of my own Vine & my own Fig-tree ." This phrase occurs at least 11 times in Washington's letters. "And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree " (2 Kings 18:31).

Under My Own Vine and Fig Tree , 1798

Jean Leon Gerome Ferris

Virginia Historical Society

Lora Robins Collection of Virginia Art Many other American Founders wrote of this ideal. " Vine & Fig Tree " is the original "American Dream." The phrase occurs a number of times in Scripture. These references are visual reminders of the Hebrew word for salvation, which means • peace, • wholeness, • health, • welfare, and • private property free from pirates and princes. When today's Americans hear the word "salvation," they usually think about going to heaven when they die. When the writers of the Bible used the word "salvation," they wanted you to be thinking about dwelling safely under your own Vine & Fig Tree during this life -- much more often than they wanted you to be thinking about what you'll be doing in the afterlife. The best place to see the Vine & Fig Tree ideal is in the book of Micah. Let's look at Micah's prophecy (on the left) and ask a few questions (on the right):



America's Founding Fathers abolished a government they described as a "tyranny." Taxes were 1/20th what they are today, and the government they abolished would never have dreamed of using tax revenue to fund abortions, remove the Ten Commandments from local schools, give foreign aid to Saddam Hussein during his war with Iran, and build more than 700 military bases around the world, all of which the government created by America's Founders went on to do.



You may be deeply offended, irritated, or worried about a proposal to eliminate all "governments." It's a radically different way of thinking. We think it's the Biblical way of thinking. A "Paradigm Shift" You hear that phrase thrown around a lot these days. Everybody wants their idea to be the next "paradigm shift." Paradigm-shifters are now mainstream. We believe Vine & Fig Tree represents a true break with the status quo, a change as momentous as that described by Benjamin Rush, Signer of the Declaration of Independence, upon hearing of Locke's rejection of the doctrine of the Divine Right of Kings: Never before had I heard the authority of kings called in question. I had been taught to consider them nearly as essential to political order as the sun is to the order of our solar system. Vine & Fig Tree really is a new "paradigm," a "Copernican revolution," a radical way of looking at politics and society. It is one step beyond the radical vision that motivated America's Founding Fathers. It is a vision so old that it appears to be utterly unprecedented. The vision of Vine & Fig Tree gives energy and hope to those who work for it. It inspires dedicated action. Lawrence Cremin writes: American Education: The National Experience, 1783-1876 ,

NY: Harper & Row, 1980, p. 114-15. For Rush, who was present in the Congress as a representative of Pennsylvania, the events surrounding the creation of the Republic marked nothing less than a turning point in the course of human history. "I was animated constantly," he reflected in later years, "by a belief that I was acting for the benefit of the whole world, and of future ages, by assisting in the formation of new means of political order and general happiness."11

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11. The Autobiography of Benjamin Rush, edited by George W. Corner (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1948), p.161. We are convinced that Vine & Fig Tree will contribute to the Glory of God and the greater happiness of mankind. It will animate future leaders and captivate the hearts and minds of many. There is something here that will resonate with a broad section of Americans. Dr. Rush speaks of "a turning point," which is to speak of a turning from something to something else. From what should we turn? To what should we aspire? We must move From a world of priests and princes ruling over the immature and irresponsible, a world which is publicly "secular" and simultaneously suffused with a host of private pagan faiths

a world of priests and princes ruling over the immature and irresponsible, a world which is publicly "secular" and simultaneously suffused with a host of private pagan faiths To a world of self-governing families in which all believers are priests and kings under Christ, where the knowledge of the L ORD covers the earth as the waters cover the sea.



Americans in the 21st century would consider the Americans of 1776 to have been "radical anarchists" or even "terrorists." But, of course, even the most libertarian of the Founders was not technically an anarchist. We are. The institution called "The State" has intentionally killed nearly a quarter of a billion human beings in the 20th century -- not including abortions. That's an average of about 10,000 people per day .

. Billions of human beings are enslaved under states that claim to own all property.

Trillions of dollars worth of private property has been destroyed or confiscated by the State. This monstrous violence against people is always done in the name of "the People"; these crimes are supposed to prevent crimes. We propose a society -- indeed, a world -- of "Liberty Under God."



In spite of the monstrous evil of government violence, we have all been trained to have faith in the State. When a calm, rational, well-documented indictment of the State is offered and a proposal to embrace the world of Micah's Vine & Fig Tree vision is made, most Christians immediately shout, "What about Romans 13?"

"What are you, some kind of anarchist?!?" This website seeks to answer these questions. Vine & Fig Tree has been officially recognized by the IRS as a tax-exempt non-profit organization since 1982. This page was written before 9/11. Your donations will make it possible for us to revise it for the 21st century.



First, why oppose the State? Why even question the prevailing view of Romans 13? Micah's Vine & Fig Tree vision insists that Christians should be working toward beating "swords into plowshares." The traditional interpretation of Romans 13 has resulted in millions of Christians standing idle in the face of horrifying evil, or even waving banners to support it, or even worse, putting on one of the State's uniforms to help carry it out.

As we enter the 21st century, we look back on the most barbaric, lawless, and violent century in human history. How ironic that most Americans think of this century as a period of "progress" and "prosperity." In certain outward respects, it has been. Four decades ago in America, about 10,000 people were murdered in the span of a single year. These murders were "against the law." Overall in the 20th century, "organized governments" have ordered or legalized the murder of 10,000 people each and every day. "The State" turns out to be a far greater criminal than all the criminals it claims to protect us from. And the global "New World Order" -- the epitome of the State -- is contemplating the murder of 15,000 people per hour until the luxurious living standards of the global elite are secure. But don't blame the elite. 10,000 murders require 10,000 working-class people willing to don the uniform of the Empire and kill another human being in the interests of patriotism. This means 10,000 people who have lost touch with Christian morality. The 20th century has seen America transformed from a nation where "religion, morality and knowledge" were taught in every school, to a nation that twice elected Bill Clinton. The greatest criminal on earth is "the State."

No greater indictment can be made

against modern Christian moral discernment

than the failure to question the legitimacy of "the State."



The entire concept of "the State" is unBiblical and supremely dangerous. Our worldview needs to exclude the whole idea that a group of people have the right to confiscate the wealth of others ("tax") to fund acts of vengeance against their competitors or "enemies." We do not allow this idea to become socially accepted in the world of business. The idea must become as socially unacceptable in the field of "government." The future of the human race depends on this conversion. With that introduction to Romans 13 and the Vine & Fig Tree vision, let's consider these frequently asked questions.



The masses have learned a subtle lesson from the teachers of the traditional interpretation of Romans 13. The message of Romans 12 and the Sermon on the Mount -- love your enemies, leave vengeance to God -- is said to apply only in our "private" lives. But as public officials, we must be "practical," "realistic," (or, as Christians might put it) "Godly" men of "dominion." We must kill our enemies and take vengeance on a massive scale through the State. Nobody wants to be "unrealistic," "impractical," or "idealistic." We all know that "public" is more important than "private." That's "the real world." And so the violent techniques of the State inexorably become imported into our "private" lives, and forgiveness and love of enemy are lost in the gossamer bedtime stories of women and children.

In 1994 " criminals " committed 7,885 bank robberies, taking $28 million . That same year, " government agencies " seized $2.1 B illion in "asset forfeiture proceedings," often without "probable cause," and often not returned when innocence was proven. Theft by any other name ... would be called "taxation."

Eight hundred years ago, Western Civilization believed without question in "the divine right of kings." Anyone carrying around a copy of the U.S. Constitution as a model of government and suggesting that an orderly society could survive without a king would have been mocked -- or executed. Ideas we take for granted today -- like "consent of the governed" -- would have shocked the conscience of our medieval forebears. In a few generations, a consistent "free market" approach to civil government will be the norm. People will shake their heads when they consider the 20th century State and the support it received from Christians in America -- a society that permitted the confiscation of nearly 75% of everyone's income by organized governments which murdered hundreds of millions of people.



Second, it must be understood that Jesus commands His followers to be "anarchists." In Mark 10:42-45, He says we are not to be "archists." This is what the word "anarchist" really means: "not an archist." The archist wants to be as god, dominating and controlling others. The follower of Christ wants to be the servant of others. When people hear the word "anarchy," they never think of a situation in which all bureaucrats and tyrants have been replaced with Christ-like servants . When people think of "anarchy" what they really think of is " polyarchy " or "multi-archy," with every individual trying to be on top, everyone striving to be his own god, no one willing to lose his life for others.



Romans 13 does not contradict

this non-archist goal. Romans 13 does not say that "archists" have a moral right to ignore Jesus' command. All men are commanded to be servants, not archists. Romans 13 in its context (Romans 12) tells us we are not to overcome archists by becoming like archists, or by being more archist than they are; we are not to render evil for evil. We are to be servants. We are to submit to evil in faith, like Job did. Job was attacked by that great archist, Satan. But Satan was "ordained by God" to attack Job (Job 2:6).



This is probably the toughest issue to come to grips with. All evil is predestined by God. Adolph Hitler did not bear the sword in vain. Saddam Hussein does not bear biological weapons in vain. Osama bin Laden does not bear suitcase-sized nuclear devices in vain. This is what Romans 13 actually teaches. But that does not mean that we are off the hook, or that God is the "author of sin" (James 1:13-17). To understand Romans 13, we must develop the heart of a servant, and see God's sovereignty over evil. If you consider yourself a Calvinist , and are comfortable with the idea of God's sovereignty and predestination of all things, including human beings, please continue reading.

, and are comfortable with the idea of God's sovereignty and predestination of all things, including human beings, please continue reading. If you do not believe in predestination, you will not understand what the Apostle means when he says the powers are "ordained" by God. Please begin your study of this issue by praying for understanding. After completing this Scriptural survey of the powers, please take a new look at the doctrine of Predestination. Both Calvinists and non-Calvinists should be open to a "Paradigm Shift." Romans 13 speaks of the State as (or in conjunction with) "the powers." This is a reference to evil angelic beings. Most Christians have given very little thought to what the Bible says about angels (good and bad). "Angels" has become another lucrative fad for Hallmark and the New Age movement. Most Americans hold a view of the world which bears a striking resemblance to the ancient religion of Baalism. Are you a Baalist? No point in reading any further if you are.

