Slides: Christianity and Government

Christianity and Government by David Feddes

Mayflower Compact 

• First written constitution in American colonies

• In the name of God, Amen… Having undertaken for the glory of God, and the advancement of the Christian faith…

Patrick Henry

It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ! For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here.

Samuel Adams

Human rights may be best understood by reading and carefully studying the institutes of [Jesus] the great Law Giver and Head of the Christian Church, which are to be found clearly written and promulgated in the New Testament.

George Washington

Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that National morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.

John Adams

Our Constitution was written for a moral and religious people, and it is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.

Thomas Jefferson

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.

Can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis--a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God?

John Quincy Adams

The Declaration of Independence first organized the social compact on the foundation of the Redeemer's mission on earth [and] laid the corner stone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity.

Andrew Jackson

The Bible is the rock on which our Republic rests.

Chief Justice Earl Warren

The Good Book and the spirit of the Saviour have from the beginning been our guiding geniuses… The founders’ objective was a Christian land governed by Christian principles…  I believe the entire Bill of Rights came into being because of the knowledge our forefathers had of the Bible and their belief in it: freedom of belief, of expression, of assembly, of petition, the dignity of the individual, the sanctity of the home, equal justice under law, and the reservation of powers to the people. (1954)

Jesus is Lord: the foundation of freedom

• "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." (Matt 22:21). Give taxes, not worship, to the emperor.

• Government is not God! (vs. claims of Egypt, Babylon, Alexander, Rome)

• “Jesus is Lord” vs. “Caesar is Lord”

• Christianity can flourish even when government is bad.

• Christianity has improved government.

Christians and government: changing, mixed record

• Early church: Christians faced hostility and brutal persecution from government

• Constantine: first toleration, then making Christianity the official religion

• Arians: ranked emperor above bishop, as they ranked Creator over Christ

• Charlemagne/Christendom: forcing defeated kings and soldiers to be baptized

• Crusades: some good goals, many atrocities

• Popes and bishops competing for power with emperors, kings, and nobles

• Divine right of kings

• Atheistic Communists tried to destroy Christianity, and Christians ultimately helped to bring down Communism.

• Islam mixes religious and political leadership, using government to impose Muslim practices.

Christianity and Government

• Government under God

• Rule of law

• Separation of powers

• Individual’s value and rights

• Authority to serve

• Vision of great government: defending ordinary people’s freedom to flourish

Government under God

• "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." (Matt 28:18)

• Mission of making disciples can’t stop just because a ruler gives an order: "We must obey God rather than men!" (Acts 5:29)

• Rulers can be rebuked by God’s Word.

• Rulers are not gods; they are God’s servants to do His purposes. (Romans 13)

• The Bible says to pray for rulers, not to to pray to them. (1 Tim 2:1-2)

Standing Up to Emperors: Ambrose

•  Emperor has no right to dictate church doctrine or control church property.

•  Emperor is rebuked and disciplined for killing in violation of God’s law.

Rule of law

When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law… It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the LORD his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees and not consider himself better than his brothers and turn from the law to the right or to the left. (Deut 17:18-20)

Magna Carta (1215)

•  King cannot simply impose his will and ignore the people.
•  King’s authority is defined and limited by a constitution.
•  Archbishop of Canterbury played an important part.

Separation of powers

• In Israel, temple and state were separate, each with its own sphere of authority

• "For the Lord is our judge; the Lord is our lawgiver; the Lord is our king; it is he who will save us" (Isaiah 33:22).

• Only Christ was qualified to be judge, lawgiver, and king.

• Among sinners, judicial power, legislative power, and executive power were best kept separate. No person or branch of government could be trusted with all power.

Individual’s value and rights

• Each individual matters, not just the group. The Shepherd leaves a group of 99 to seek just one.

• Jesus loved poor people and outcasts.

• Jesus the Judge takes personally the way “the least of these” are treated. (Matthew 25)

• "We must not forget that our human rights are derived from the Christian faith. In Christian terms every single human being, whoever he or she may be, sick or well, clever or foolish, beautiful or ugly, every human being is loved by his Creator." (Malcolm Muggeridge)

Authority to serve

• The greatest among you will be your servant. (Matt 23:11)

• If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.  (John 13:14)

• Rulers are to be public servants who work for the people’s good, not proud tyrants who exploit people to enrich themselves.

Pagan vision of great government

•  Big government, conquests, grand buildings

•  Slaves and soldiers are disposable.

•  People exist for ruler’s glory.

Biblical vision of great government

•  Weapons become farm tools. Every man sits in the shade of his own tree without fear, free to serve God, love family, and enjoy property. (Micah 4:2-5)

•  A ruler’s glory is free, flourishing people under God.

Christianity and Government

1. Government under God
2. Rule of law
3. Separation of powers
4. Individual’s value and rights
5. Authority to serve
6. Vision of great government: defending ordinary people’s freedom to flourish

Tyrant, or the true King?

Does it not seem monstrous that you--human beings who are God's own handiwork--should be subjected to another master, and even worse, serve a tyrant instead of God, the true king?  (Clement of Alexandria, 150-215 AD)