Church and State

Jesus established two spheres of authority, the power of Caesar and the power of God.

Both are important and have their place but what do we do when the power of the state goes against biblical principles.

Welcome to the Bible study our radio and Internet broadcast with Dr. James Boyce preparing you to think and act quickly. Although human government was created for our good. And while human government serves a legitimate purpose. The illegitimate exercise of that authority is often clearly evident joint Dr. Boyce as he examines the sometimes conflicting roles of the church and the state and suggests how the believer is to live in the midst of that tension in a lesson from John chapter 19 we been talking together about the city of God in the secular city as we make that contrast. The contrast, at least on the surface is very clear and absolute are two areas of ambiguity. However, one of these is what I have called secular church because although the church should be sacred. It's nevertheless often quite secular in the sense that it operates according to the world's principles is formulated by the world's wisdom worlds theology world's agenda in the world. Methods secondary of ambiguity is the state they ambiguity the concerns the state is reflected in Scripture. On the one hand, or told in many significant passages of the New Testament, particularly that behind earthly powers understand heavenly powers, which are identified with the demonic, but on the other hand, turned passages like those in the book of Romans 13, where Paul is speaking of the state and he says the powers that be are ordained of God, nor again for the good purposely maintaining of justice that in order in this life, and therefore he says Christians should pray for those who have authority over them. Even in the secular world and say well he explained that ambiguity, the answer is simple, but simply that although the state is created for a good purpose. It doesn't always serve the good purpose. So while it has a proper function which should be encouraged by Christian people. It can also very easily simply because it secular fall over into the demonic side of things and serve a very ungodly or unholy or unjust purpose. For this reason, Christians are always in somewhat of a state of tension over against the state respectively pray for it.

They recognize that they have. Also, the obligation to speak to the state on the basis of the revelation of God and to challenge the state when it goes in a way that's contrary to what God chose in his word. The state is to do. Probably the text of Scripture that is best known in dealing with the church state question is that passage from the 22nd chapter of Matthew's gospel in which our Lord was asked a question about taxes was a trick question asked whether it was lawful to pay taxes to Caesar what they thought they were going to do was get them to say yes or no if he said yes they say well he's just a collaborator with the Romans.

What kind of a leader is not the Messiah isn't going to encourage that kind of servility to wrong. On the other hand, if he said no, not lawful. Don't pay taxes they could go to Pilate and say look, you have a troublemaker on your hand. He's trying to stir people up and keep them from paying taxes to Caesar last there question they waited smugly see what price would answer and as usual he was just too much for them and asked them to bring a coin they showed in the going ask whose picture it was well it was one of the emperors Caesar. So, our Lord said render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's is money after all if he wanted part of it back. It was his right to require it, but he said maybe at that point he flipped the coin over what I'm the God that is the true God things that are God's. So he obviously was establishing what people since it recognized is to spheres of authority. Nevertheless are two distinct spheres. Christians of always operated in this church state matter with that particular text in mind as even that is somewhat ambiguous, we say well here. The question about taxes and Jesus answers the question about taxes directly yes pay taxes, then we ask what what about other areas. Suppose the state is doing things that are unrighteous is the Christian obliged to follow the leading of the state do what the state requires.

Suppose the state is conscripting people in the service for a war which is an unjust war.

Christians stand in that kind of a situation somewhat of a question there may say, however, that there is one thing, the Christians must not pass over to likely in this quite simply is that Caesar does have a legitimate authority given to him by God to remind ourselves of that because we are sinners like everybody else. In one aspect of said one manifestation of it is that we resist authority.

Now if you like to drive fast. It is certainly easy to think of 55 miles an hour as an illegitimate use of the authority of the state, but it is not state has a right to do that and so we have to recognize that we must be very very careful when we find ourselves coming the position where we disobey the state's authority. I think there's far more help given to the church state problem in the trial of the Lord Jesus Christ before the chief representative of the Roman authorities in Palestine, namely Pilate, is recorded in all four of the Gospels early in the trial issue would come up whether Jesus was king… What was a threat to Caesar and Pilate examine Jesus on that charge, he found them to be innocently tried to set them free people, and wanting free, however, that was simply one charge.

It wasn't their main one that was all. Charge then they shifted and said we have a lawn. The other guy because he made himself the son of God.

Now Pilate said all that's the charge claim to deity the course of that kind of seriously because the Romans pagans of the day believed in that sort of thing.

There were half human half divine beings. And so we got a little bit afraid you don't fool around with deity, even if it's only half deity and so he called Christ back in again.

He began to interrogate him once more. Are you the son of God this point.

Jesus didn't say anything reason Jesus didn't say anything.

As the pilot was entirely unqualified to interrogate him in a spiritual matter. Pilate know about deity would know to be sought because there I was standing in front of him and he was asking questions Jesus said nothing and finally got offended and said aren't you answering anything, don't you know I have power or execs to see in great authority is what it means. I'll authority to put you to death, or to set you free is where Jesus gave the sentence that I think perhaps most helpful of any sentence in the word of God in helping us formulate the stands over against the state. Jesus said you would have no power over me unless it were given to you from above. Therefore, one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin. I like to take that passage with Christ's words about authority and put it over against the more popular text in which Jesus said render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are gods and formulate the various options in this way, I think, therefore, of may take the one at a time. First of all those who would say the sole authority is God. Caesar has no authority at all. In the early church there were people like this with the anchor rights they went out into the desert to cut themselves off from any social intercourse contacted the state because they regarded it as corrupt, illegitimate, and they lived there in monastic seclusion from all of the monastic movements were born we have something like that in evangelical Protestantism in the attitude of those who say what we need to do is just about Rome on the world be a separate as possible so we shouldn't serve in politics. We shouldn't vote in elections.

We shouldn't work for a company unless it's a Christian company and so on. They try to cut themselves off as much as possible. Trouble is, Jesus didn't take that attitude all here was Jesus before Pilate and Pilate was pronouncing in Jesus case in a manner which involve life or death.

Not moments in this entire trial did Jesus suggest Pilate was exercising an illegitimate authority.

In fact, the verse I just read says precisely the opposite. It recognizes the pilot has authority and that authority is given by God but that been there no limits. Can Caesar do anything he wants Christians just have to sit back and take it no does not follow because while there is a legitimate authority. There is nevertheless an illegitimate exercise of that authority returned to the word of God for guidance, we find guidance. At several points. For one thing, were told that the state has no right to forbid the proclamation of the gospel. Jesus told us to do that going all the world teach and baptize everybody. The state says we can do that will Christians was disobey the state have an example of that. In acts four and five where the disciples were commanded by the Sanhedrin not to preach or teach in the name of Christ again and they went out and did it when they were brought back rearrested asking the question, didn't we forbid you to teach or preach in this name and they said whether it's right in the sight of God to listen to men, or God you must judge what we will do what God tells us, and we have seen Christ we are witnesses of these things, they disobey second area in which the state has limits is in the area morality, the state has absolutely no right to require immoral un-biblical conduct on the part of Christians. The state does not only the Christians have a right to disobey the state they must disobey the state of an example of Nazi Germany. There was a state daemonic in the extreme.

It was requiring those who went by the name of Christian to turn in Jews, in order that the Jews might be packed off to concentration camps and then later killed by many that it and they would've said well states the authority I want us to direct and we ought to do it and what they do with the Jews. Once I have them as their businesses upon their heads.

Some did that others didn't. They resisted it because I know what was happening and they resisted rightly so you see there's a legitimate authority and there's an illegitimate exercise of the authority but the illegitimate exercise of the authority does not deny the reality of the states authority. So we do not find ourselves in the position of saying God alone in the second position is Caesar.

Along God is forced out of the picture entirely and this is the most dangerous of all, this is what the Jewish leaders did. I don't know whether they really meant it. Probably they did because when they felt that Christ was slipping from their grasp for the reason that I didn't want to execute him. I began to talk about the relationship of pilot to Caesar and they said, by contrast to pilots whom they were accusing over waffling on this point we have no king but Caesar no authority but Caesar, I say that's dangerous because when you say that what you do is eliminate any possible check on the states authority of the state needs a check on its authority say we know is Lord Acton said. The power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. And so we try to keep people from getting absolute power and in our system of government. We've established way by which that supposed to operate not only does it need to check in this human way operating on the human level.

It also needs a check on the divine level and we have to be free as Christian people when necessary to challenge the state in the name of God and remind the state the state is responsible to him from home, the power of the state, go to a country that loses an ultimate course and Court of Appeal is a very serious matter. Let me say something else. The state also needs direction exposure of the state really does one operate for the good of the people, as I believe our government does most of the time will even then it needs God. God's authority because how is the state to know what to do, especially in the area of morals apart from the kind of revelation God scriptures remind somebody says all wait a minute there now to introduce morality in the state. Don't you know the government isn't in the business of legislating morality. How many times have you heard that government is not in the business of legislating morality is nonsense. Stress tell people who say that how preposterous it is when we have government for the business of legislating morality. The governments prescribes the penalty for a person who kills somebody else. What is that with the legislation of morality doesn't have to buy the religious and philosophical presuppositions of the 10 Commandments. All of the biblical revelation, but it says there is a moral principle that we uphold what you doing but upholding morality, the right of private property. The judgment of God to his people. Thou shalt not steal. So the only question you see is what morality is the government going to legislate this point Christians in a society must argue that the Christian morality is the morality the best morality, and insofar as it is possible work that into the laws of the land. See how I'm arguing. I want to go a step further talk about God alone. Caesar alone let's take the authority of the tube out, and Caesar.

But with Caesar dominant. This is what happened pilot pilots was a secular man, but probably not without some religious convictions or overtones to his personality. When Jesus was accused of being a son of God, he got worried that means he had some idea that there may be a God.

Somewhere Jesus might be an expression of that God perhaps was a power somewhere, to which he was responsible. He recognized the sort divine authority in the world to some extent of the problem with pilot is that he feared Caesar more pilots really very pitiful at this point to remember things pilot fear the worst thing of all is not that violent feared Christ of the people violent feared Caesar and he was afraid Caesar was over him would take away his authority that he would be removed from his position of power and that was a price that he wasn't willing to pay so the turning point in the trial comes when the religious leaders say if you release this plan, you are not Caesar's friends what pilot wanted to be more than anything in the world.

Caesar's friend.

The funny thing is, he made his decision on that basis, and he wasn't a friend of Caesar at all.

Caesar didn't care at all about pilot a little while later it was removed from his authority anyway. But you see that's what happens when you recognize the authority of God and Caesar, but makes Caesar dominant any basis for true moral conduct and moral standing in the crisis when the crisis, Christian people, of course, have an opportunity to avoid that we come to the fourth point that's the authority of God and Caesar.

But God in the dominant position, you see, that's the true one. There's a legitimate authority of Caesar, but it comes from God and therefore the Christian within the church stands over against the state. Recognizing the legitimate authority of the statement at the same time recognizing that it comes from God and therefore determines in his heart, and the final crunch to serve God. Absolutely that's what we need today. One thing Christians can do is they stand over against the state is to remind the states that the state is responsible to God that one day the state and those informant will be answerable the bar of justice which God himself, over which God himself provides you say how are Christians to do that. It doesn't just happen naturally. I think there are three things that Christians have to have.

First of all, I have to be convinced deep down in their hearts that God is sovereign God is in control, not simply means that God is in control of the secular power as well is the state secular power may do many things wrong but it does so by the permission of God. God controls these events. If you don't believe that you tremble before everything that happens in your unable to take a stand second and Christians need is a knowledge of the word of God and the reason that's necessary is that we don't always know what to do or what to say or how to act, even though were convinced of the sovereignty of God is a moral situation in the country. We step in as Christians we say we know God is sovereign, yes, but what does God want us to do.

How do we know that the only way we know that is by studying the Scripture.

And if we don't if our thoughts and our actions are not molded by Scripture. Then we run the danger of sending even greater ways than the state sends when it does, what is wrong because we sin against greater knowledge and usually with the additional sins of pride and arrogance drawn in the third thing is this, we must be willing to pay the price unless were willing to do that will never make an impact will never win will never change the course of this world, there has been no great advance spiritually or morally in the history of the human race that was not achieved by someone who was willing and didn't pay the price for that advance very impressed at this point, but Alexander Solzhenitsyn write something very interesting in the glug archipelago. He had been imprisoned. As you know, for 11 years and was delivered from this notorious prison system and the Soviet Union during those 11 years. He saw many dehumanizing practices. He saw the price the people paid for their convictions and he saw some prisoners crumble under the brutality and in humanizing treatment of the guards others triumph. He said what's the difference in here's the way talks about what the answer.

How can you stand your ground when you're weak and sensitive to pain when people you love are still alive when you're unprepared. What you need to make you stronger than the interrogator and the whole trap because his answer he says from the moment you go to prison you must put your cozy past firmly behind you at the very threshold was say to yourself, my life is over. A little early to be sure, but there's nothing to be done about it. I shall never return to freedom. I am condemned to die now for a little later, so the sooner the better.

I have no property whatsoever.

For me, those I love dying for them. I have died the day on my body is useless and alien to me.

Only my spirit and my conscience remain precious, that he makes his judgment confronted by such a prisoner interrogator will tremble, only the man who has renounced everything and when that victory. I asked the question who is better qualified and able to win that kind of a victory in the secular culture.

Those who have denied everything and picked up their cross and follow Jesus Christ see Jesus knew what he was talking about when he said if a man will come after me, follow me in holiness and righteousness, let him deny everything and take up his cross and follow me.

Christians are willing and able to do that, they'll change the culture establish righteousness when there are you listening to the Bible study hours featuring the teaching of Dr. James Boyce. Both the church and state have important roles in God's order when boundaries are crossed to work when responsibilities are neglected. Society suffers if you'd like to learn more about God's plan for human government. We like to offer you a free copy of a message on CD entitled the power of the sword.

Also, by James Boyce. This free offers our thanks to you for listening today.

Give us a call at 1-800-488-1888 will be pleased to send you a copy of the power of the sword again. That number is 1-800-488-1888 the biblical view of the roles of church and state is especially important in the age in which we live.

Yet in practice, those institutions often become muddled help keep Dr. Boyce's clear biblical teaching on this and other important issues of our day on the air and on the Internet with your gift to the Bible study our you can make your contribution by visiting our website at the Bible study our God work you might choose to call us directly at 1-800-488-1888 and that mailing addresses 600 Eden Rd., Lancaster, PA 17601. Thank you. We truly appreciate your help message you just heard as well as other content from Dr. Boyce and many reform teachers, authors and speakers is available at reformed resources God word that's reformed resources.org hi Mark Daniels thank you for listening in the modern day church is bought into a secular mindset when the tells us that were not so bad.

We can help ourselves.

Some would say we should rejoice in that newfound freedom, but is that kind of freedom, a cause for rejoicing joy. Dr. James Boyce as he explains the consequences were a church that depends of the consensus of society rather than the word of God. That's next time one Bible study hours preparing you to think and act biblically. Today's message is part of a series on church and state called a patriot of what city we're offering this special series here around our nation's 244th birthday is reminded that the secular can creep into churches and Christians and hinder both from being salt and light.

The complete messages and series are available@reformedresources.org stop now to pick up a book or some audio for your summer enjoyment that's reformed resources.org