Romans 13 Invoked at Los Angeles Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast 2010

Romans 13 Invoked at Los Angeles Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast 2010
SoCal Martial Law Alerts
February 13, 2010

LOS ANGELES – Before a crowd of about 1200 faithful, two prominent evangelical Christian leaders invoked Romans Chapter 13 at the 37th Annual Los Angeles Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast held today at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles, California.

Dr. Keith Phillips, Founder and President of World Impact, Inc., a Christian missionary organization which ministers to under-privileged children in 11 American cities, managed to work the following propaganda into his introductory remarks:

”Romans Chapter 13 commands Christians to pray for those in authority over them. ”

Moments later, Dr. Jack Hayford, who is best known as the Founding Pastor of The Church On The Way mega-church in Van Nuys, California, echoed Dr. Phillips’ earlier propaganda as he prayed for Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa:

”Let the comfort and care of your spirit attend him, as we together – on not only this day – obey your command to pray for those in authority and to commit ourselves to on-goingly doing the same.”

Which sounds innocuous enough at first blush, and yet the 13th Chapter in the book (or letter) of Romans in the Christian Bible is notorious for having been used by pastors in Nazi Germany during World War II at the behest of then-Chancellor Adolf Hitler to pre-empt opposition to, and overthrow of, his government. Under Hitler’s regime, Christian congregations were taught by their pastors the official, state-sanctioned interpretation of Romans 13, which was: To unquestioningly submit to the “governing authorities” who were alleged to be “chosen” and “placed” in their positions by God Himself. (A doctrine which, as history has shown, makes it astonishingly easy for a tyrannical psychopath to run a country – and everyone in it – into the ground.)

More and more, the above-mentioned teaching is heard being preached from pulpits all across America ever since the formation of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) so-called Clergy Response Teams (see: Feds Train Clergy To "Quell Dissent" During Martial Law).

For instance, on October 27th, 2008, Dr. George O. Wood, Assemblies of God General Superintendent said of Romans 13 and submission to authorities:

“Although we voted, nothing happens without God’s permissive will. He allows us to choose good or evil and, in a democracy, the government he gives us is the one we choose. Sometimes our vote results in leaders who fail us and they become a means of God’s judgment; other times leaders follow after God’s heart and they become a means of God’s blessing. “



On February 1st, 2009, Pastor Gary Luallin of Southside Christian Church Disciples Of Christ in Jacksonville, Florida, preached to his congregation:

“Our forefathers had some serious problems with this passage. Serious problems with this passage. They decided to rebel against King George of England. Why? Because they didn’t feel like their taxes were getting them what they should be getting them. They weren’t being represented. Right? What’s this passage say about that? Who are they rebelling against? Let’s read it again, guys. It’s right there. Do you understand? You rebel against the authorities, you rebel against God. That’s what the text said.”



On April 26, 2009, Pastor Brooks Simpson of Grace Community Church in North Liberty, Iowa:

“Do you realize that Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word, the son of God, is actually subject to a pagan authority? If anybody would have the right to say, ‘Time out. You’re a moron. I’m the righteous son of God. I don’t have to submit to you, because you’re a poor leader,’ it would be Jesus in John 19. Would it not? But he doesn’t pull that card, because he understands that what Paul is speaking here is a divinely-revealed truth. ‘Pilate, the reason you’re in authority here is because my father has given you that authority. Yes, you are unjust. Yes, you are corrupt. And you’re going to turn me over to be crucified, not because that’s what justice demands, but because you want to appease the mob.’ So, this doesn’t apply just to the godly leaders that we love and that hold our value system and uphold our views, but it applies to all leaders, everywhere in all forms of government.” (emphasis added)



Unlike Dr. Wood and Pastors Luallin and Simpson – leaders who appear to be twisting the Romans 13 passage to fit a dubious political agenda – Doctors Phillips and Hayford apparently haven’t even read the Scripture passage they so enthusiastically “quoted,” since the words: “Command,” “pray,” and “leader” do not occur in Romans 13 at all.

While there certainly does not seem to be any specific Bible scripture prohibiting congregants from praying for their leaders, conversely, there also does not appear to be a specific Bible verse, or passage “commanding” the faithful to pray for their leaders.

Regardless, one has to wonder why Doctors Phillips and Hayford would even feign to quote (or rather: grossly misquote) the politically-charged and overly-abused Romans 13 passage during a prayer breakfast that, according to Dr. Phillips, “is not a political event?” And, further, why would they do so during such an economically-challenged period of American history, especially when Congress was recently threatened with martial law?