Taxation
Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
I don’t think He could have been any clearer! If we choose to serve the Creator then we shall only serve the creator.
1 Corinthians 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
1 Corinthians 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
Income Tax is a taxation on the labour of our bodies. So, if our bodies belong to the Creator, then where lies our obligation to pay income tax to Rome?
Luke 20:24 Shew me a penny. Whose image and superscription hath it? They answered and said, Caesar's. 25 And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's, and unto God the things which be God's.
This verse if read correctly should indicate that taxation to Rome is not lawful. However, the vast majority in Christian theology do not understand the principals being taught or the context behind these famous words from the Messiah.
The context of the chapter is essentially the chief priests, elders and scribes questioning the jurisdiction of the Messiah. They are asking Him very hard questions in the hope that they can trap him in his words. They ask a very cunning question to the Messiah so they can to deliver Him to the Roman Governor for possible execution. This question is a two-edged sword. The question of whether it is lawful to pay tribute (tax) to Caesar is a trick question. If He answers no, then He will be delivered to the Roman Governor and possibly killed. Alternatively, if He says yes, He will lose credibility with the people of Judah. His answer is brilliant and leaves the chief accusers lost for words.
We do not belong to Caesar. However, Rome has created the ALL CAPS SURNAME which does belong to Caesar.
The surname in all capital letters is the entity that has the obligation to pay taxes to Rome and this entity is not you.
