"Are men the property of the state? Or are they free souls under God? This same battle continues throughout the world today."91

His way or ours.

      Throughout history there has been what might appear to be a conflict between Government and God. If such a conflict does exist its nature must rest in a conflict for position or more precisely, one of possession. Through possession government is able to claim the right of dominion or as it is sometimes called authority.

"Possession is, as it were, the position of the foot."92

      It has been said that, "All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights... That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."93 On the other hand all governments are not endowed by their creators with unalienable rights and therefore, all governments are obviously not created equal. Rights shall differ from one governmental authority to another. For a government's authority to be just must it be by consent?

      The question asked should be, "What is Caesar's and what is God's?" How did the emperors and governments obtain their right to govern? Is it by force alone that the empires and governments of the world have grown in size and authority?

"What is mine cannot be taken away without consent."94

      "As banker James Warburg, the son of Council on foreign Relations' founder Paul Warburg, confidently told the United States Senate on February 17, 1950: 'We shall have world government whether or not we like it. The question is, whether world government will be achieved by conquest or consent.'" 95

"He is not presumed to consent who obeys the orders of his father or his master."96

      The practice of the leaders of government and rulers of a nation being called father was a common everyday occurrence in the days of Augustus, Tiberius and Jesus. The Emperor was called patronus and Senators called pater or father.

      "Patronus (Lat.) In Roman Law. A modification of the Latin word Pater, father. A denomination applied by Romulus to the first senators of Rome, and which they afterwards bore."

      "A person who stood in the relation of protector to another who was called his 'client.'"97

"Excise (tribute), in its origin, is the patrimonial right of emperors and kings."98

"Protection draws to it subjection; subjection protection"99

      The governments, at least in America, knowing that they had no just power except by consent began their expansion and growth by offering services and benefits to individuals that wished membership in their political and legal society. Seemingly free services have always come with a price in a myriad of subtle ways.

      "The real destroyers of the liberties of the people is he who spreads among them bounties, donations and benefits." 100 For, "No one is obliged to accept a benefit against his consent. But if he does not dissent, he will be considered as assenting."101 Because, "Every man is presumed to intend the natural and probable consequences of his own voluntary acts."102

      In Genesis 10:9 the word hunter is from the Hebrew word tsayid103 which is more often translated provision, food, food-supply, or victuals. The word paniym is translated before in the sense of face or in the face of, before or in front of.104 So, it could be said that Nimrod was a mighty provider before the LORD or instead of the LORD.

      Yet, we find God has said, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me."105 The words "gods" and "God" are translated from the single word 'elohiym106 in the plural. 'Elohiym is defined "rulers, judges"107 and "occasionally applied as deference to magistrates"108 while in the New Testament the word God is translated from the Greek word theos which figuratively means "a magistrate."109

      God goes on to expound upon this command that, "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness [of any thing] that [is] in heaven above, or that [is] in the earth beneath, or that [is] in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them:" (Exodus 20:4, 5)

      So, it could be said that God doesn't want His people to have any ruler instead of Himself or to make anything with our own hands a ruler over ourselves other than Him. And He doesn't want you to beseech or appeal to that creation of our hands or put ourselves in bondage to it, serving it with our labor for we belong to Him.

      Why did God, meaning Ruling Judge, make these conditions and commands for his people to remain free to serve him only?

      In Egypt the people had been delivered into bondage to a governing body under the leadership of the Pharaoh but God, 'elohiym, brought the people out from under that ruler and became their Ruler or Lord God, Jehovah 'elohiym "the self-Existant or Eternal"110 "Ruler."

      In today's society when someone says the word world we might picture a blue planetary globe hanging marble like in the blackness of space as photographed from the moon but when the gospel was preached the perceptions and viewpoints of men had not reached such astronomical heights. There are three different words in the new testament that are translated into the single English word world. The first, from which we get the word aeon, is aion which means an unbroken age and is far more often translated into variations of the word age. Another Greek word used is oikoumene which originally meant "the portion of the earth inhabited by the Greeks, in distinction from the lands of the barbarians" but at the time of Christ because of the conquest of the Greek city states and the rise of the Roman empire just prior to Jesus' birth it had come to mean "the Roman empire," and "all the subjects of the empire." In John 1:10 the word world is translated from the word kosmos which means "an apt and harmonious arrangement or constitution, order, government." It probably came from the word komizo meaning "to care for, take care of, provide for" or "carry off what is one's own,"111

      Let us look again at another notable moment in the history of man's turning to rulers other than the LORD Ruler.

      It was the voice of the people that called for a man to be ruler over them. This was not a new problem for the LORD for he said, "According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee." Turning from God to other gods is the antitheses of repentance.

      Today men do not seek the wisdom of the prophets for they are wise in their own eyes.

      So the LORD God did not choose to make the government of Saul and David but through him that government began to exist because the voice of the people cried out for a new ruler so that they could be like the other nations and because they had forsaken the Lord as their Ruler.

      The Latin word pater means father and as we have seen the word was used everyday as a title of address in reference to the Senators of Rome and of course the Emperor and before him the pro council was referred to as the father of the senate and therefore the Empire. Also in the Greek text of the bible we find Pater112 meaning father. So we can assume that the people of the day when they heard the word pater they thought of one of several ideas. Either they were talking about their genetic father or their fathers in Rome or their father in heaven.

      To make such a statement was a shock to those who thought man's governments and the Roman political and judicial system, its peace and commerce was good for society and business. It would be like saying call no man on earth president.

      "If we will not be governed by God, then we will be ruled by tyrants."113

      As God allowed Samuel to choose a king for His people because they had already turned from God, so also He allows man to choose his own rulers if he does not choose to be ruled by God. In the hearts and minds and souls there is a turning away from The God. Everyday men make other men their father through application, service and adoption. Instead of their Father, the LORD God Eternal Ruler, in the Kingdom of Heaven on earth, they turn to other rulers being reborn to new fathers.

Return 91 Cecil B. DeMille in The Ten Commandments.
Return 92 Possessio est quasi pedis positio. 5 Coke, 42.
Return 93 Declaration of Independence.
Return 94 Quod meum est sine me auferri non potest. Jenk. Cent. Cas. 251.
Return 95 New World Order by William T. Still p174 secondary from Griffin,Descent Into Slavery p.214
Return 96 Velle non creditur qui obsequitur imperto patris veldomini. Dig. 50.17.4.
Return 97 Black's 3rd Ed. page 1338.
Return 98 Vectigal, origina ipsa, jus Caesarum et regum patrimoniale est.
Return 99 Protectio trahit subjectionem, subjectio protectionem. Coke, Littl. 65.
Return 100 Plutarch, 2000 years ago.
Return 101 Invito beneficium non datur.Dig. 50.17.69; Broom, Max.3d Lond. ed.625.
Return 102 1 Green. Evid. . 18; 9 East, 277; 9 Barnue. & C. 643; 3 Maule & S. 11, 17.
Return 103 Strong's No.06718 tsayid {tsah'-yid}
Return 104 Strong's No. 06440 paniym {paw-neem'}
Return 105 Exodus 20:3
Return 106 Strong's No. 0430 'elohiym {el-o-heem'} plural of 433
Return 107 On line Bible and Concordance. Woodside Bible Fellowship.
Return 108 Strong's Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary.
Return 109 Strong's Greek Dictionary of the New Testament.
Return 110 Strong's No. 03068 Yehovah {yeh-ho-vaw'}
Return 111 On line Bible and Concordance. Woodside Bible Fellowship.
Return 112 Strong's No. 3962 pater {pat-ayr'} 1) generator or male ancestor2) metaph.2a) the originator and transmitter of anything; the authors of a family or society of persons animated by the same spirit as himself; one who has infused his own spirit into others, who actuates and governs their minds 2b) one who stands in a father's place and looks after another in a paternal way 2c) a title of honour; teachers, as those to whom pupils trace back the knowledge and training they have received; the members of the Sanhedrin, whose prerogative it was by virtue of the wisdom and experience in which they excelled, to take charge of the interests of others 3) God is called the Father. On line Bible and Concordance. Woodside Bible Fellowship.
Return 113 William Penn.
Return 114 Strong's No. 3340 metanoeo {met-an-o-eh'-o} from 3326 and 3539; vb AV repent (34) 1) to change one's mind, i.e. to repent; to change one's mind for better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one's past sins .
END OF FOOTNOTES

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