The young church found itself in an unexpected position vis-à-vis the actual powers of the first-century world. We watch in awe as the early apostles, and then Paul, navigate their way through uncharted waters, with Peter and the others telling the Sanhedrin that they had to obey God rather than human authorities, and Paul appearing to take delight in telling both the Philippian magistrates and the high priest himself how to do their jobs. We should be clear: they were not saying, in effect, that human authorities were unimportant, irrelevant or to be abolished forthwith. They were calling
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