If the government took away guns, would Christians have to give their guns up?
Question:
I have a question. In Romans 13:1-4 "Everyone must submit to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist are instituted by God. So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God’s command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of authority? Do what is good, and you will have its approval. For government 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 government is God’s servant, an avenger that brings wrath on the one who does wrong."
Suppose the government, for whatever reason, comes in and passes a law that does take guns away from Christian gun owners. Would the Christian have to give them up? Or can we resist? Do we value our rights over our obedience to God?
Answer:
Obedience to God always comes first. There is nothing I can recall in the Bible that requires a Christian to be armed. Therefore, though it is a right under the U.S. Constitution, it cannot be claimed that there is a right to bear arms under the Law of God.
The Bible does indicate that a Christian can use weapons to defend themselves and others (See A Bible and A Gun for references), but if a government disarms its citizens, such as England has done or the Philistines did to the Israelites (I Samuel 13:19-22), then the Christian adapts to the circumstances. We don't need weapons to do God's will.
