Obey Them that Rule???

Originally Posted by Actaeon

it's not: Obey Them that Rule???

it's: Obey them which have the rule over you

Heb 13:17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

Another way of saying: Have confidence in those that are in leadership in your life and surrender yourself to their leadership because of your confidence and trust in those leaders.

Obedience w/o confidence is of little value.

I disagree with your interpretation. I think it's telling us to obey those whom God has placed over us, and telling us not to be a source of grief to those whom God has placed over us. There is nothing in that passage about us needing to have "confidence and trust" in those leaders. Your interpretation is a typicially American (self-centered, "I'm sovereign over my own life") one. We really need to avoid trying to interpret scripture through the eyes of a wicked worldly culture and interpret scripture through the eyes of OUR culture (the kingdom of Heaven, not America, Canada or some other earthly nation).