God establishes civil government. As Romans 13 points out, they are God’s ministers of justice, and rebellion against civil government is rebellion against God. Secondly, Jesus commands believers to pay taxes to the state (Mark 12:17). Christians, however, like most other taxpayers, are never happy to see a third or more of their earnings swept up by various governments, and more still eaten away by inflation, the not so hidden tax. Are Christians in sin for raising those objections? Of course not.
While I say, “Of course not” I can also say that virtually every single time I’ve ever raised an objection publicly to a particular tax, or tax rate, or even a particular program funded by taxes I’ve gotten this same retort. I’m accused of breaking God’s law, precisely because of Romans 13 and Mark 12. These texts are presented to me as de facto proof that I’m out of line, with no further explanation necessary. I don’t, however, roll over, and I pray you don’t too.
It is absolutely, beautifully and wondrously true that God gave us government, as His minsters of justice. For all my complaints about intrusive and expansive government, I recognize that there is one thing worse- no government at all. I’m no anarchist, and neither is the apostle Paul. It is likewise absolutely, beautifully and wondrously true that Jesus commands that we pay our taxes. For all my complaints about how intrusive and expansive taxes are, I recognize that there is one thing worse- no taxes at all, which comes complete with no government at all. I’m no anarchist, and neither is Jesus. Yet I am absolutely free, indeed called to object to rapacious taxes and government overreach.
The Bible is chock full of moral instructions about what to do in the face of injustice. Often we’re instructed to not fight back, but to leave room for God to act. Jesus tells us to go the second mile, and turn the other cheek. Surely we can see that such doesn’t make it right for someone to compel us to go one mile, or for someone to strike us on one cheek? When the children of Israel want a king like all the other nations God instructs Samuel, right in the midst of granting their wish, to warn them that the king will do the unthinkable- tax them at ten percent (I Sam. 8). Such a tax rate is wicked. It is good and right to call it wicked, even while paying the taxes.
When those in authority over us mistreat us, we are not left with only two options- deny the authority they have and engage in open rebellion, or say that all they do is right and proper. We can instead submit to the authority while speaking out against the command. In a day when the state acts as though it has a right to all our wealth, where it acts as though it has the right to control our bodies, where it acts as protectors of the murder of the unborn, we are called not to take up arms but to raise our voices. We’re called not be rebels but to be prophets.
What about finding loopholes? In a system such as ours, ripe with corruption, is it right for a wealthy Christian to find ways of paying little to no taxes at all?
We are to submit to the law. If the law leaves room to lower taxes, of course the Christian may follow the law, wealthy or not. There is nothing righteous about paying the state more than the law requires.