The purpose of government is to reward good actions and punish evil actions.

well, i got it from the Bible
it's really the only thing in-line
with people's idea of fair play

Which bible you reading digory? Mine states fairly clearly something about :

"Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s"
Matthew 22:21

Caesar in this instance clearly means worldly authorities.

seems to me that's more the role of a parent or a deity than a government. i prefer to keep them separate.

thats refering to taxes, saying: why grudge ceaser when he asks for money from you that is already stamped as his?
it is not about the general role of government at all
for that we go to

romans 13

1 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4 For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. 5 Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. 7 Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.

I'm curious how that gets translated into different Bibles. That sounds very King James Bible to me. But I don't know, and don't actually care that much. But that translation was ordered to be made to always interpret in ways that supported the monarchy and divine right wherever it could be justified.

I wonder how christians interpret that who live in nations where christianity is persecuted.

I note, too, that the passage being from Romans, it is one of the epistles, I think from Paul, who seems to me to be guessing at what Jesus meant when he said "Render unto Caesar..."

I would suggest that, to be a good christian, one should read more heavily into Jesus' words, and less into Paul's, as Paul was rather self-made and not necessarily in his messiah's image.

(for the record, that excerpt -- which is not all of chapter 13 -- looks like New King James, not classic KJV, and other versions of that passage are pretty similar. c.f. this and other versions at BibleGateway.com.)

I disagree with your interpretation, digs, and see that passage as supportive of obeying worldky authorities, as they do good, even if they are not Christian, rather than suggesting that the government should make themselves like God.

(i believe Jewish law from before Jesus also said that one should obey the local secular laws -- to the extent that one can, without interfering with religious obligations, or must, to preserve life and liberty. Paul seems to be taking it a step farther, and frankly I think it's too far. I agree, yer Holiness, that this is not an instruction to governments to act like a god, but it hink it is pretty clear in saying that people should treat government as an arm of god. which, to me, is just another example of paul being a wacko. but i'm prejudiced.)

paul didn't treat the roman government like an arm of God and he lost his head for it
so that would be a mistaken way to interpret his words

he tells us how government is
but its obvious to us and to him that government is not always that way

the only way to resolve the contradiction is to read this passage as defining true and legitimate government while saying what most government is usually like

Wait, so not treating the government like an arm of god was important enough to an apostle that he was willing to loose his head for it, and you're trying to say that he wants the exact opposite?

You're not being internally consistent.

He tells us how government is and it's obvious to me that goverment is exactly what he says it is. Not the arm of god, but something that does good things, and should be respected.(beats the hell out of the alternatives, I suppose)

Clearly your interpretation is neither the only nor the most obvious one.