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Question 4

David Bercot ties Romans 13:7 (“taxes to whom taxes are due”) directly to the Stamp Act—how should Christians decide whether a specific tax is a “due” they must render, and what in this chapter pushes against common evangelical instincts about resisting “unfair” government demands?

Another way to ask: How should Christians decide if a certain tax is one they truly “owe,” like Romans 13:7 says? What in this chapter challenges the common idea that Christians should resist taxes they think are unfair?

Direct Answer According to the chapter’s logic, a tax is a “due” when it is required by governing authority, and Christians should render it because Scripture commands submission—not merely because the tax feels fair. The transcript pushes against the instinct to resist “unfairness” by emphasizing God’s command to obey rulers and warning that resisting authority is resisting God.

Support from Transcript:

Bercot quotes Romans 13:7 as directly applicable: “render therefore to all their due, taxes to whom taxes are due.”
He also cites Romans 13:2: “Whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God.”
The chapter argues Christian obedience is not mainly fear-based: “for Christians, that’s not the main reason… It’s because if we resist governmental authority, we are resisting the ordinance of God.”
The Stamp Act is presented as normal within the empire: the system had been used in Britain “for more than fifty years,” and it applied to other colonies too.
Even though colonists disliked it, Nova Scotia and Quebec “paid the tax as required by Caesar’s law and God’s law,” implying the duty didn’t depend on personal approval.

Discussion Follow-ups How do you distinguish between a tax you dislike and a command that would require actual disobedience to Christ?

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