Bible Verses About Diplomacy

The other chiefs and the viceroys tried to find a cause for complaint against Dani'el in regard to how he performed his governing duties, but they could find nothing to complain about, no fault; on the contrary, because he was so faithful, not a single instance of negligence or faulty administration could be found.

Then these men said, "We're not going to find any cause for complaint against this Dani'el unless we can find something against him in regard to the law of his god."

So these chiefs and viceroys descended on the king and said to him, "King Daryavesh, live forever!

All the chiefs of the kingdom, along with the prefects, viceroys, advisers and governors, have met and agreed that the king should issue a decree putting in force the following law: 'Whoever makes a request of any god or man during the next thirty days, except of you, your majesty, is to be thrown into the lion pit.'

Now, your majesty, issue this decree over your signature, so that it cannot be revoked, as required by the law of the Medes and Persians, which is itself irrevocable."

So King Daryavesh signed the document, and the decree became law.

On learning that the document had been signed, Dani'el went home. The windows of his upstairs room were open in the direction of Yerushalayim; and there he kneeled down three times a day and prayed, giving thanks before his God, just as he had been doing before.

Then these men descended on Dani'el and found him making requests and pleading before his God.

So they went to remind the king of his royal decree: "Didn't you sign a law prohibiting anyone from making requests of any god or man within thirty days, except yourself, your majesty, on pain of being thrown into the lion pit?"The king answered, "Yes, that is true, as required by the law of the Medes and Persians, which is itself irrevocable."

They replied to the king, "That Dani'el, one of the exiles from Y'hudah, respects neither you, your majesty, nor the decree you signed; instead, he continues praying three times a

When the king heard this report, he was very upset. He determined to save Dani'el and worked until sunset to find a way to rescue him.

But these men descended on the king and said to him, "Remember, your majesty, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no decree or edict, once issued by the king, can be revoked."

That is, with Jews, what I did was put myself in the position of a Jew, in order to win Jews. With people in subjection to a legalistic perversion of the Torah, I put myself in the position of someone under such legalism, in order to win those under this legalism, even though I myself am not in subjection to a legalistic perversion of the Torah.

With those who live outside the framework of Torah, I put myself in the position of someone outside the Torah in order to win those outside the Torah — although I myself am not outside the framework of God’s Torah but within the framework of Torah as upheld by the Messiah.

With the “weak” I became “weak,” in order to win the “weak.” With all kinds of people I have become all kinds of things, so that in all kinds of circumstances I might save at least some of them.

But I do it all because of the rewards promised by the Good News, so that I may share in them along with the others who come to trust.