that they
were the high-priests, teachers, rulers in a government ordained by
God and commanding the obedience of the people; that teaching
disobedience to them was equivalent to teaching disobedience to
parents and to civil government, yes, to God himself--something in the
nature of the case not to be tolerated. Yet Paul fearlessly does so
teach, as an apostle of God and in fulfilment of God's command. How
much more would Paul oppose our popish deceivers who, without the
authority of God's Word, boast themselves heads of the Church and of
the people of God, at the same time neither teaching nor understanding
the Scriptures, but offering their own drivel as God's commands!

15. But what cause has Paul at heart that he dares so boldly condemn
the judgment of these exalted officials? It is this, according to his
own statement: There is One called Jesus Christ, of whom the prophets,
in fact the entire Scriptures, speak. Him the Jews refuse to know. He
is higher and greater than the high-priests and the rulers, greater
than the temple or the whole city of Jerusalem. And the Jews know his
coming means their passing, and their obedience to him as Lord and
Supreme Ruler. Therefore, they are inexcusable in their rejection of
Christ. Of no avail is their evasion, "God has given us the dominion
and the supreme power, and has commanded obedience to us in equal
degree with obedience to parents."

16. The fact that an individual is a lord or a prince, a father or a
mother, a child or a subject, administers authority or obeys it, will
not excuse him from being baptized and believing in Christ. For Christ
is sole and supreme Lord over all kings, princes and governors. True,
we should be obedient to parents and to civil authority, but not to
the extent of disobeying the Lord, him who has created and subjected
to himself emperors and magistrates equally with the lowliest of men.

But the gentlemen and lords at Jerusalem, like those of our day, were
unwilling to permit obedience to any but themselves. From such
conditions arises the present dispute about ecclesiastical authority.
To go counter to it in obeying God's command--this the ecclesiasts
unjustly call disobedience and sedition. But such must be our course
if we are to be loyal to our Lord and theirs, whom they deny.

17. In the matter of salvation, Caiaphas or Pope, Caesar or king,
avails naught; none avails but Jesus Christ. "Him," says Paul, "the
rulers of Jerusalem, the H