The word "conscience" comes from two Latin words, scientia,
"knowledge," and con, "with." Human
beings share knowledge with God. We are created in the Image of
God, have the capacity for reason,
and have His Laws written on our hearts (Romans
1:18-20; 2:15).
Even though we know the truth, we have the capacity to
deceive ourselves into believing lies, and holding a belief in
lies with genuine sincerity, even though we know deep down -- in
our conscience -- that we are doing wrong. Learn more about self-deception
here.
Another way that "conscience" arises in this
campaign for "Liberty Under God" is in the context of
Paul's letter to the Romans, chapter 13.
Paul says we are to obey evil governments "for conscience
sake." What does this mean?
Scandal and
Conscience in Romans 13
| Wherefore ye
must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but
also for conscience
sake. |
|
Romans 13:5 |
|
Something about Christianity is a “scandal” to many (from
the Greek, skandalon, skandalizo). Sin is a
scandal to God. We are to avoid scandal as much as possible
(recognizing the inescapable scandal of the Cross in the eyes of
unbelief).
(Mat
5:29) And if thy right eye offend
thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable
for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy
whole body should be cast into hell.
(Mat
5:30) And if thy right hand offend
thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable
for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy
whole body should be cast into hell.
(Mat
11:6) And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended
in Me.
(Mat
13:21) Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth
for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because
of the word, by and by he is offended.
(Mat
13:41) The Son of man shall send forth his angels,
and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend,
and them which do iniquity;
(Mat
13:57) And they were offended
in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without
honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.
(Mat
15:12) Then came His disciples, and said unto Him,
Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?
(Mat
16:23) But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee
behind Me, Satan: thou art an offence unto Me: for thou savourest not the things
that be of God, but those that be of men.
(Mat
17:27) Notwithstanding, lest we should offend
them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish
that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou
shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for
Me and thee.
(Mat
18:6) But whoso shall offend
one of these little ones which believe in Me, it were better for
him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he
were drowned in the depth of the sea.
(Mat
18:7) Woe unto the world because of offences!
for it must needs be that offences
come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!
(Mat
18:8) Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend
thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for
thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two
hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.
(Mat
18:9) And if thine eye offend
thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee
to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to
be cast into hell fire.
(Mat
24:10) And then shall many be offended,
and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
(Mat
26:31) Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended
because of Me this night: for it is written, I will smite the
shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.
(Mat
26:33) Peter answered and said unto Him, Though all
men shall be offended
because of Thee, yet will I never be offended.
(Mark
4:17) And have no root in themselves, and so endure
but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution
ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.
(Mark
6:3) Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the
brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not
his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.
(Mark
9:42) And whosoever shall offend
one of these little ones that believe in Me, it is better for
him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were
cast into the sea.
(Mark
9:43) And if thy hand offend
thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life
maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire
that never shall be quenched:
(Mark
9:45) And if thy foot offend
thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life,
than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that
never shall be quenched:
(Mark
9:47) And if thine eye offend
thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the
kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast
into hell fire:
(Mark
14:27) And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended
because of Me this night: for it is written, I will smite the
Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.
(Mark
14:29) But Peter said unto him, Although all shall
be offended,
yet will not I.
(Luke
7:23) And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended
in Me.
(Luke
17:1) Then said He unto the disciples, It is
impossible but that offences
will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!
(Luke
17:2) It were better for him that a millstone were
hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he
should offend
one of these little ones.
(John
6:61) When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples
murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend
you?
(John
16:1) These things have I spoken unto you, that ye
should not be offended.
(Rom
9:33) As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a
stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed.
(Rom
11:9) And David saith, Let their table be made a
snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompense unto them:
(Rom
14:13) Let us not therefore judge one another any
more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or
an occasion
to fall in his brother's way.
(Rom
14:21) It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink
wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended,
or is made weak.
(Rom
16:17) Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which
cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and
avoid them.
(1
Cor 1:23) But we preach Christ crucified, unto the
Jews a stumblingblock,
and unto the Greeks foolishness;
(1
Cor 8:13) Wherefore, if meat make
my brother to offend,
I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.
(2
Cor 11:29) Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended,
and I burn not?
(Gal
5:11) And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision,
why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence
of the cross ceased.
(1
Pet 2:8) And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence,
even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient:
whereunto also they were appointed.
(1
John 2:10) He that loveth his brother abideth in the
light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
(Rev
2:14) But I have a few things against thee, because
thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who
taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock
before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto
idols, and to commit fornication.
The Scandal of Non-Payment of Taxes --
Matthew 17:24-27
24. And when they were come to
Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and
said, Doth not your master pay tribute?
25. He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the
house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon?
of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of
their own children, or of strangers?
26. Peter saith unto Him, Of strangers. Jesus
saith unto him, Then
are the children free.
27. Notwithstanding,
lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and
cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and
when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of
money: that take, and give unto them for Me and thee.
The children are free, but they pay to
avoid offense.
Wherefore ye
must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience
sake.
Romans 13:5
|
Romans 12-13 counsels submission to evil. This
submission is not only to avoid the wrath of the State,
but to avoid unnecessary offense. God does not prohibit
us from having our property confiscated (Hebrews 10:34),
therefore losing our wealth to the State is no sin. We
should resist the State only when it orders us
to sin against God. In this way, the
conscience of the magistrate is without excuse.
Romans 13:5 does not prove that those who call
themselves "the State" and confiscate the
wealth of others do so with God's ethical approval, nor
does it argue that deep in our consciences we know that
conquest and tribute are ethically approved, but rather
that our duty is to avoid unnecessarily offending
the conscience of others. The believer's point is not
that the State offends me and my "rights,"
but that it offends God.
|
(1 Corinthians 10:29) conscience,
I say, not thine own, but of the other:
for why is my liberty judged of another
man's conscience?
(Acts 24:16) And herein do I exercise myself, to
have always a conscience
void of offence toward God, and toward men.
(1 Pet 3:16) Having a good conscience;
that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may
be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.
(John 8:9) And they which heard it, being
convicted by their own conscience,
went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the
last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the
midst.
(Acts 23:1) And Paul, earnestly beholding the
council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience
before God until this day.
(Rom 2:15) Which show the work of the law written
in their hearts, their conscience
also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing
or else excusing one another;)
(Rom 9:1) I say the truth in Christ, I lie not,
my conscience
also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,
(1 Cor 8:7) Howbeit there is not in every man
that knowledge: for some with conscience
of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an
idol; and their conscience
being weak is defiled.
(1 Cor 8:10) For if any man see thee which hast
knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience
of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are
offered to idols;
(1 Cor 8:12) But when ye sin so against the
brethren, and wound their weak conscience,
ye sin against Christ.
(1 Cor 10:25) Whatsoever
is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience
sake:
(1 Cor 10:27) If any of them that believe not bid
you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set
before you, eat, asking no question for conscience
sake.
(1 Cor 10:28) But if any man say unto you, This
is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that
showed it, and for conscience
sake: for the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof:
(2 Cor 1:12) For our rejoicing is this, the
testimony of our conscience,
that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom,
but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the
world, and more abundantly to you-ward.
(2 Cor 4:2) But have renounced the hidden things
of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word
of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending
ourselves to every man's conscience
in the sight of God.
(2 Cor 5:11) Knowing therefore the terror of the
Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I
trust also are made manifest in your consciences.
(1 Tim 1:5) Now the end of the commandment is
charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience,
and of faith unfeigned:
(1 Tim 1:19) Holding faith, and a good conscience;
which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:
(1 Tim 3:9) Holding the mystery of the faith in a
pure conscience.
(1 Tim 4:2) Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having
their conscience
seared with a hot iron;
(2 Tim 1:3) I thank God, whom I serve from my
forefathers with pure conscience,
that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers
night and day;
(Titus 1:15) Unto the pure all things are pure:
but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure;
but even their mind and conscience
is defiled.
(Heb 9:9) Which was a figure for the time then
present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that
could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining
to the conscience;
(Heb 9:14) How much more shall the blood of
Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without
spot to God, purge your conscience
from dead works to serve the living God?
(Heb 10:2) For then would they not have ceased to
be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have
had no more conscience
of sins.
(Heb 10:22) Let us draw near with a true heart in
full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an
evil conscience,
and our bodies washed with pure water.
(Heb 13:18) Pray for us: for we trust we have a
good conscience,
in all things willing to live honestly.
(1 Pet 2:19) For this is thankworthy, if a man
for conscience
toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
(1 Pet 3:21) The like figure whereunto even
baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth
of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience
toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: