david m rhoads

"Because God's rule challenges all other claims to authority, conflicts ensue between those who choose to accept it as good news and those who oppose it. And while Jesus and his followers have authority to denounce human oppression, they do not have authority to stop the oppressors by force. Otherwise, God's agents would themselves be guilty of lording over others. Thus, by confronting and denouncing oppressors, God's agents invite reprisals on themselves and become victims of the very oppression they oppose. In this conflict, Jesus and his followers appear to be the losers."

David M. Rhoads