Why can two people use the Bible and come to very different political positions? Is it because the Bible is not useful for addressing political issues? No, the Bible says a lot about government, and since the Bible is God's Word, everything the Bible says is the final authority. I think the problem is in the way that the Bible is used. What often happens is that people develop their political beliefs first, then they look for justification for their beliefs from the Bible. If the Bible is true and the authority in your life, you must start with the Bible and develop a biblical understanding of what government is. Then you can think through specific issues.
Matthew 19:8 Jesus replied, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning."
Jesus introduces a principle here. The Bible tells us about the beginning of something in order to understand it's purpose. This applies to marriage, but it also applies to government, as I will explain below.
Here are seven biblical principles about government.
1. All authority belongs to God. Governments exercise authority all the time. They send people to prison and even execute others. They declare wars and collect taxes. But only God has true authority. As the creator and all powerful being, nothing happens without God's knowledge and permission.
2. God lends his authority to earthly governments for a time. This was not always the case. Although God did give people the task of ruling animals (Genesis 1:26), God did not allow them to exercise authority over other people. God protected Cain who murdered his brother from other people. God alone was to judge people. But mankind became so wicked that God's judgement did come in the form of a catastrophic flood. After that time, God allowed mankind to judge and rule over other men. God now indirectly judges mankind through governments (Genesis 9:6). Jesus tells Pilate this in John 19:10. During Jesus' trial, Pilate tells Jesus that he has the power to set Jesus free or have him crucified. Jesus responds, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above." Jesus acknowledges that Pilate has that power, but only because God has given it to him.
3. Government's purpose is to punish wrong actions and commend right ones. Peter writes that governors are sent by God "to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right" (1 Peter 2:13). Paul writes that government "is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer (Romans 13:4).
4. Governing power is a special and distinct duty. In normal interactions on a personal level, we are called to love our enemies, forgive, and turn the other cheek. It is God's place to judge. But a government is acting in God's place when it comes to judging. Governments are supposed to judge. They have the God-given power to punish those who do wrong and commend those who do right. You do not have to be a Christian to hold a position of power and serve God. Cyrus and Nebuchadnezzar are examples of God's servant's who didn't believe in the true God (at least for a time). Pilate had God-given power to execute Jesus, even though he did not believe in God. A Christian can also serve God as a judge or governor. This role is separate from how he functions in other personal relationships.
5. You are a governor! You may not hold elected office, but if you are an American citizen who is eligible to vote, you have a certain amount of governing power. That power is given to you by God. Use it to honor him!
6. Government power is limited. Just because God has given government the power to do some things does not mean that government has the power to do everything. Government cannot punish what is in a person's mind or heart. That is an area reserved to God alone because only God can see the heart. This is why Jesus commanded the church to spread the message of the Gospel through preaching, not the sword. Government cannot punish a person for having the wrong beliefs without overstepping the authority God has given it. Governments also are in error when they command something that contradicts God's commands, because they are supposed to be serving God, not opposing him. When officials ordered Peter and the apostles to stop preaching, they replied, "We must obey God rather than men!" (Acts 5:29) Although there are wicked governments and no government is perfect, the world is better off because of government. The world is better than if there were no government at all.
7. Use this understanding of government as the starting point for thinking about political issues. Can the government "legislate morality?" Absolutely, that its purpose! The government cannot force you to think that something is wrong, but it can punish you for doing what is wrong. Christians should use the Bible to determine what is right and wrong and support government that will punish those who do wrong and commend those who do right, as long as it is within the bounds of what government has been given the authority to do. What about programs for helping the poor? This is a complex area. Often the Bible is quoted to support social programs because the Bible is concerned about the poor. However, the Bible is usually speaking to personal responsibility, not governments. God gives the authority to punish those who abuse the poor, but it does not have the authority to punish people for lacking generosity. I think care should be taken to achieve broad agreement from the people when government seeks to take on roles in this area. With this in mind, I will be happy to address any questions or comments about specific issues.
Trust the Bible is a weekday radio program that begins at about 8:10 each morning on WDOG 93.5 in Allendale, SC. You can listen to previous programs online here: http://www.fairfaxfbc.org/trust-the-bible.html
No comments:
Post a Comment