Is it better to serve God or man?
HE COMMANDED US TO DO BOTH:
Matthew 22:16-22 (CSBBible)
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16 [/SUP] So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians. "Teacher," they said, "we know that you are truthful and teach truthfully the way of God. You don't care what anyone thinks nor do you show partiality.
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17 [/SUP] Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not??"
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18 [/SUP] Perceiving their malicious intent, Jesus said,
"Why are you testing me, hypocrites?
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19 [/SUP]
Show me the coin used for the tax." They brought him a denarius.
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20 [/SUP]
"Whose image and inscription is this?" he asked them.
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21 [/SUP]"Caesar's," they said to him.
Then he said to them,
"Give, then, to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."
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22 [/SUP] When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.
Romans 13:1-10 (CSBBible)
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1 [/SUP]
Let
everyone submit to the governing authorities, since there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are instituted by God.
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2 [/SUP] So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God's command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves.
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3 [/SUP] For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have its approval.
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4 [/SUP] For it is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because it does not carry the sword for no reason. For it is God's servant, an avenger that brings wrath on the one who does wrong.
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5 [/SUP] Therefore, you must submit, not only because of wrath but also because of your conscience.
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6 [/SUP] And for this reason you pay taxes, since the authorities are God's servants, continually attending to these tasks.
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7 [/SUP]
Pay your obligations to everyone: taxes to those you owe taxes, tolls to those you owe tolls, respect to those you owe respect, and honor to those you owe honor.
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8 [/SUP]
Do not owe anyone anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
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9 [/SUP] The commandments, Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal; do not covet; and any other commandment, are summed up by this commandment: Love your neighbor as yourself.
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10 [/SUP] Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Love, therefore, is the fulfillment of the law.
1 Peter 2:13-19 (NKJV)
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13 [/SUP]
Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme,
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14 [/SUP] or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and
for the praise of those who do good.
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15 [/SUP] For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men--
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16 [/SUP] as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God.
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17 [/SUP] Honor all
people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
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18 [/SUP] Servants,
be submissive to
your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh.
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19 [/SUP] For this
is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully.