irony that Paul, too, undoubtedly appreciated. The Bible is always clear that God intends human society to be ruled by appropriate wise and just government; but all government, precisely because it wields power, has the capacity to go bad, to become arrogant, to act in ways that promote its own self-interest instead of true justice, wisdom and truth. That, it appears, is what happened at Jesus’ crucifixion. The ruling authorities had no thought that they were doing anything but getting rid of another