Caesar

Caesar is not the name of a particular individual but a title of the Roman emperor. Consequently, "Caesar" refers to different emperors in different passages. The New Korean Revised Version renders it as Gaisa (Caesar), while the New Korean Standard Version and the Korean Common Translation generally translate it as "emperor."

Occurrences in the Bible

• With the emperor's name: "Caesar Augustus" in Luke 2:1 is the emperor who issued the decree "that all the world should be taxed," which forms the background of the birth of Jesus narrative. Luke 3:1 identifies the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius as the time when John the Baptist began his ministry. Claudius, mentioned in Acts 18:2, is the emperor who commanded the Jews to depart from Rome.
• The question of taxes: This exchange appears in Matthew 22:15-22, Mark 12:13-17, and Luke 20:20-26. The Pharisees and the Herodians ask whether it is lawful to give tribute to Caesar. Jesus asks in return whose image and superscription are on the denarius and then answers, "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's" (Matthew 22:21).
• The trial of Jesus: His accusers claim that Jesus forbade giving tribute to Caesar (Luke 23:2). The crowd pressures Pontius Pilate, warning that if he lets Jesus go, "thou art not Caesar's friend," and cries out, "We have no king but Caesar" (John 19:12, 15).
• Paul's appeal: Before Festus, Paul declares, "I appeal unto Caesar" (Acts 25:11). Later, Agrippa remarks that Paul might have been set at liberty had he not appealed to Caesar (Acts 26:32). Other references include the accusation in Thessalonica that the believers acted "contrary to the decrees of Caesar" (Acts 17:7) and "they that are of Caesar's household" in Philippians 4:22.

Background

"Caesar" was originally the family name of Julius Caesar. Beginning with his adopted son Octavian (Augustus), it became established as a title designating the emperor. The German Kaiser and the Russian tsar are also generally understood to derive from this word. In the New Testament era, Judea was under Roman rule and paid taxes to the emperor. Roman citizens could appeal to the emperor for judgment, and Paul's appeal is connected with his citizenship (Acts 22:25-28). The Mediterranean coastal city of Caesarea was likewise named in honor of the emperor.

Significance in the New Testament as a Whole

In the New Testament, Caesar is the name that represents the political power of this world. The Epistles teach believers to respect and submit to rulers (Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-17). At the same time, the apostles set limits on that authority, declaring, "We ought to obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29). The gospel, which confesses Jesus as King and Lord, could come into conflict with the emperor's claims, and John 19 and Acts 17 illustrate that tension. Revelation 13:1-10 does not name Caesar directly; however, many scholars read this passage against the background of the Roman imperial cult.

Interpretation and Points of Debate

• The question of taxes: This exchange is commonly read as a basis for distinguishing the spheres of the state and of faith. Lutheran tradition interprets it in connection with Martin Luther's doctrine of the two kingdoms. The Reformed tradition, as reflected in the Westminster Confession of Faith, emphasizes that civil magistrates also stand under the order established by God. The Anabaptist tradition has understood these words as calling for distance from state power. Some interpreters read the saying to mean that, just as the coin bears the emperor's image, human beings bear the image of God, and therefore people themselves belong to God.
• What the text does not state: Many hold that the coin in the exchange was a denarius of Tiberius, but the text does not name the emperor. Identifying the emperor to whom Paul appealed as Nero is likewise an inference based on chronology. The account of Paul's martyrdom under Nero comes from church tradition; the book of Acts ends with Paul remaining in Rome for two years (Acts 28:30-31).

In the Korean Church

The phrase "unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's" is frequently cited in sermons and church discussions addressing issues such as the church and politics and the taxation of clergy. It is also often cited alongside Acts 5:29 to explain cases in which the demands of the state conflicted with faith, such as the refusal to participate in Shinto shrine worship during the Japanese colonial period.