How can we regard an unexpected ruling to ban Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia? Is it an ominous signal of the overture of the persecution of an organised church before the Second Coming of Christ?

1. ULDAH MINISTRY
LETTER TO THE
BROTHERS AND
SISTERS IN CHRIST
【RUSSIA ISSUED A RULING
TO BAN JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES】
Let everyone be subject to the governing
authorities, for there is no authority except that
which God has established. The authorities that exist
have been established by God. 2Consequently,
whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling
against what God has instituted, and those who do so
will bring judgment on themselves. 3For rulers hold
no terror for those who do right, but for those who
do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the
one in authority? Then do what is right and you will
be commended. 4For the one in authority is God’s
servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid,
for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They
are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring
punishment on the wrongdoer. 5Therefore, it is
necessary to submit to the authorities, not only
because of possible punishment but also as a matter
of conscience. 6This is also why you pay taxes, for
the authorities are God’s servants, who give their
full time to governing. 7Give to everyone what you
owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue,
then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then
honor.
8Let no debt remain outstanding, except the
continuing debt to love one another, for whoever
loves others has fulfilled the law. 9The
commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,”
“You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You
shall not covet,” and whatever other command there
may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love
your neighbor as yourself.” 10Love does no harm to a
neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Romans 13:1-10.
平成２９年 ５月 月報
フルダ・ミニストリー
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MAY 2017
NO 259
Eternal Fellowship
News Bulletin
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2. 2
The principal messages contained in this chapter are the duties of subjection to magistrates,
through love of one another. Duties relating to the civil magistrates require obedience to them, as
verse 1 tells. The civil magistracy, or government, is in place by divine appointment, and so, to obey
them in all things of a civil nature, is to obey God. By contrast, to resist them is to resist God and so,
the apostle Paul says: ‘those who do so will bring judgment on themselves’. Paul also says that they
are the executioners of God's wrath, and so, ‘it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only
because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.’ Paul concluded Romans 13 with
an exhortation to faith in Christ, and reminds us of our goal to be a likeness of Christ, and not to
oppose the civil magistracy or government of this world.
In reality, however, the subject of the relationship between Christians and their government
explored above is not so straightforward, and is often wrought with misunderstandings. Questions
have been raised, such as “Must Christians obey their government that is corrupt?”, “How do
Christians relate to a secular government?” or “Do Christians have a dual citizenship, this world and
heaven?” In Genesis Chapters1-11, it is written that God ordained fundamental institutions; ➀man’s
free will, ➁marriage, ➂family and ➃human government. Due to the first institution, man is not a
robot. Due to the second, divine order in human race is heterosexual reproduction. Due to the third,
the responsibility for authority over the children lies in the parents, not the state, which means parents
must teach their children to respect law, order and most importantly relationship with God and others.
Due to the last, what God has commanded to be done should be observed, which Romans 13:1-7
explores.
When Christ answered the penitent criminal who was crucified beside Him, He demonstrated the
fundamental truth that all men are under authority of the government in this world and salvation for
confessed believers of Christ in the next, i.e., the other side of the present world: ‘One of the
criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and
us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the
same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man
has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your
kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise”’
(Lk.23:39-43). There seem to be quite many believers who confuse those two, i.e., the human
authority in this world and future under God’s authority.
The following article is an excerpt regarding the latest unexpected news to hit the world. The
powerful Russian Orthodox Church has spoken out against Jehovah’s Witnesses as being a
“destructive sect”. Members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses are globally known for preaching using door
to door visits, where they offer their religious literature and attempt to convert people. The article tells
us that in Russia the group has had several run-ins with law enforcement in recent years. Can we
regard this organisation’s persistent resistance to the authority as a case that Paul argued, or, is it an
ominous signal of the overture of the persecution of an organised church before the Second Coming
of Christ?
‘Russia bans Jehovah’s Witnesses as “extremist”’ (AFP) published onThursday 20 April 2017.
MOSCOW: Russia’s Supreme Court issued a ruling Thursday banning Jehovah’s Witnesses and seizing their
property after the justice ministry called on it to dissolve the Christian group as an “extremist organization.”
Supreme Court judge Yury Ivanenko said Russia had decided to close down “the administrative center of
Jehovah’s Witnesses and the local organizations in its fold and turn their property over to Russia.” The decision
comes after the ministry said it had found signs of “extremist activity” within the religious movement and
requested that it be banned. “They represent a threat to the rights of the people, to public order and public
safety,” Russian news agencies quoted justice ministry representative Svetlana Borisova as saying. The
religious movement, which has 395 centers across Russia, has vowed to appeal the decision. “I’m shocked,”
Yaroslav Sivulsky, who represents the group’s administrative center, told reporters. “I didn’t expect that this
could be possible in modern Russia, where the constitution guarantees freedom of religious practice.” … In 2004
Russia dissolved the Moscow branch of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. The European Court of Human Rights ruled in
2010 that the move had violated the right to freedom of religion and association. The Moscow branch at the time
had been accused of breaking up families, inciting its members to suicide and endangering their lives and health
by not allowing its members to have blood transfusions. (http://www.arabnews.com/node/1088171/world)