PAUL'S CONCEPT OF POLITICS IN ROMANS 13:1-7 AND ITS IMPLICATIONS ON EVANGELICAL CHURCH WINNING ALL (ECWA)

Abstract

Politics is the art of governance and as such a responsibility for every citizen to participate in it. The Church in Rome finds it extremely difficult to understand the concept of politics. This may be due to the cruelty of the wicked Emperor at the helm of affair during the apostolic era. Apostle Paul’s concept of politics about Christians and civil authority is a point of reference for generations. Nigeria Constitution adjudge every citizen to be responsible to the constituted authority. ECWA as a Church denomination is quiescent about participation of staff and members in partisan politics, but gratifying the dividends.    This may not be unconnected with some part of ECWA Bye-laws that forbids active political participation especially of persons under her employment. Since no church’s Constitution and Bye-laws can be greater than biblical injunctions, the researcher undertakes to study Paul’s Concept of Politics as enshrines in Romans 13:1-7 in relations to ECWA policies on membership political participation. The study employs historical, analytical and exegetical methods. Findings reveals that ECWA policies on political participation arose from a misconstrue notion that politics is a dirty game bedeviled with devilish activities. The study concludes that since Apostle Paul admonished the Roman Christians to submit to constituted authority and play their roles in carrying out their civil responsibility to the political policies of rulers of his time, politics itself might not be as dirty as they assumed. The study recommends a review of ECWA Constitution and Bye-laws.