The Bible and
Government
Part 1: The American
Dream and Philosophies of Government
by Dr. Phil Stringer
(Florida)
Posted November 14, 2004
THE AMERICAN DREAM
Jonathan Mayhew (1720-1766) preached the following to the Council of
House of Representatives of New England in 1749:
It is hoped that but few will think the
subject of it an improper one to be discoursed in the pulpit, under a
notion that this is preaching politics instead of Christ. However to
remove all prejudices of this sort, I beg it may be remembered that "all
Scripture is profitable for doctrine, for reproof for correction, for
instruction in righteousness.
Why, then, should not those parts of
Scripture which relate to civil government be examined and explained
from the desk, as well as others?... It is evident that the affairs of
civil government may properly fall under a moral and religious
consideration.... For although there be a sense, and a very plain and
important sense, in which Christ's Kingdom is not of this world, His
inspired apostles, have nevertheless, laid down some general principles
concerning the office of civil rulers, and the duty of subjects,
together with the reason and obligation of that duty.
It is proper for all who acknowledge the
authority of Jesus Christ, and the inspiration of His apostles, to
endeavor to understand what is in fact the doctrine which they have
delivered concerning this matter....
Civil tyranny is usually small at the
beginning, like "the drop of a bucket," till at length, like a mighty
torrent, or the raging waves of the sea, it bears down all before it,
and deluges whole countries and empires....
The modern idea that government must be based on secular principles
is just that—a modern idea. Among the people that founded the United
States it was common to believe that there was a specific Christian
doctrine of government. Even Deists like Thomas Paine accepted the idea
that there was a Christian doctrine of government. Of course, there was
much debate concerning the details of that doctrine, but it was nothing
compared to the modern idea of secular government.
THE PHILOSOPHIES OF GOVERNMENT
Throughout recorded history there have been two basic philosophies
about government.
• One is that government is the source of
man's rights and is the solution to man's problems.
Whether expressed as Communism, socialism, a dictatorship, the Divine
right of kings, or the modern welfare state, this philosophy puts
government in the place of God. According to this view, the only limits
on government are the limits that government places on itself.
Proponents of this philosophy feel that the bigger the government the
better it is. Every problem involves a government solution.
• The Christian idea of government
recognizes that all rights come from God, that a limited government is
responsible to enforce those rights, and that the answers for man's
problems are spiritual in nature.
It is obvious from reading the Scriptures that God has ordained three
institutions:
• the
home,
• the church, and
• civil government.
The individual Christian's responsibility to each of these
institutions is crucial to his daily life. Each institution has a sphere
of responsibility given to it by God and is vested with the necessary
authority to carry out its responsibilities. Scripture clearly warns
that rebellion against divinely instituted authority is very serious
(Deuteronomy 21:18-21; 1 Samuel 15:23; Jude 8).
Romans 13:1-7 sums up the role of civil government and the
Christian's responsibility to civil government:
1 Let every soul be subject unto the
higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are
ordained of God.
2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the
power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall
receive to themselves damnation.
3 For rulers are not a terror to
good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power?
do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:
4 For he is the minister of
God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for
he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minster of God, a
revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil
5 Wherefore ye must needs be
subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.
6 For this cause pay ye tribute
also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very
thing.
7 Render therefore to all their
dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear
to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
This passage points out clearly that civil government is ordained of
God. It points out that the jobs of civil government are "to be a terror
to evil works" and "to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil." It is
the job of civil government to restrain evil:
• from without
(national defense), and
• from within
(provide law and order and punishment for criminals).
The government has the right to use force to accomplish these
objectives.
Only a government has the legal right to initiate force. This is why
Dan Smoot refers to force as the "business end of government."
Self-defense is to protect yourself from force used against you, your
family, or your property. Initiating the use of force violates someone
else's freedom, and it is the government's job to stop this.
In return for this protection by civil government the Christian is to
obey (1 Peter 2:13-14), to pay taxes (tribute), and show proper respect
for government officials. Christians who do not fulfill their
responsibilities are warned of a guilty conscience and facing wrath from
the government. Rulers are to be treated as God's ministers, and
Christians are commanded to pray for those in authority (1 Timothy
2:1-2).
It is very important to note that the sphere of authority given to
civil government by God is a very limited one. Civil government is to
protect from evil. Civil government is not in authority over the home or
the church. It is not the job of civil government to control the
economy, to educate, or to solve personal problems.
Even Paul (whom the Holy Spirit used to pen Romans 13:1-7) refused to
obey civil government when it tried to exercise authority over the
church (2 Corinthians 11:23-27), and he was often imprisoned. When Peter
and John were commanded to no longer speak of Jesus, they replied,
"Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than
unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have
seen and heard" (Acts 4:19-20). Paul and Peter were eventually martyred
by a civil government that was not doing the job given to it by God.
Many other Christians have been executed by civil governments promoting
evil rather than restraining it.
Daniel is an excellent example for Christians. He was a high
government official in the Babylonian and Persian governments. He played
an important part in helping these governments do their proper job. But
Daniel and his friends risked their lives rather than obey when
government leaders violated the limits God put upon them. Other great
statesmen of the Bible were Joseph and Nehemiah.
Israel had a unique from of government because of that nation's
special place in the plan of God. Christians cannot duplicate Israel's
theocracy, but we can learn much from studying Old Testament government
and history in relation to Israel.
A Christian philosophy of government puts government in its proper
place—to protect form evil—and requires Christians to cooperate fully
with civil government as it does its job.
The United States government was developed as a people tried to put
the Christian doctrine of government into practice. Even though modern
America has substantially replaced its historic Christian approach to
government into practice. Even though modern America has substantially
replaced its historic Christian approach to government with a welfare
state, its foundational documents still reflect the Christian doctrine
of limited government.
The United States of America has a unique origin. Every nation that
exists has to have something that binds it people together. Such causes
include common geographical territory, tribal relationships, conquest by
a military power, or common problems. The United States became a nation
because of a common philosophy of government.
Thirteen colonies were started along the Atlantic seaboard with the
permission of the English king. This area was untamed, uncultivated
wilderness, full of hardships and danger for the colonists who came from
civilized England. The individual colonies were started for different
reasons but they all had to do with freedom—freedom to be a Puritan,
freedom to be a Catholic, total religious freedom, freedom from debtors
prison, freedom to develop economically, and the desire for adventure.
When people dreamed of going to America they dreamed of being free.
The British government did little to protect the colonist, and so
they developed local governments to protect them from evil. People from
many other countries joined the English colonists in their pursuit for
freedom. The colonies prospered and grew in size and importance. The
colonies were involved in wars between England and other European
countries.
The English government attempted to dictate the affairs of the
colonies and colonists in areas where civil government did not belong.
The English government still did not fulfill the responsibility of civil
government and protect the colonists. The government became the
aggressor instead of the protector. Some Englishmen saw the problem and
tried to remedy it. The following quotations from a debate in the
English Parliament reveal the issue:
Whig Charles Townshend:
And now wilt those American children
planted by our care, nourished by our indulgence until they are grown to
a degree of strength and opulence, and protected by our arms, will they
grudge to contribute their mite to relieve us from the heavy ...
burden...?
Wilkite Colonel Issac Barre:
They planted by your care? No! Your
oppression planted 'em in America. They fled from your tyranny to a then
uncultivated and unhospitable country—where they exposed themselves to
almost all the hardships to which human nature is liable ... actuated by
principles of true English liberty, they met all these hard-ships with
pleasure, compared with those they suffered in their own country from
the hands of those who should have been their friends.
They nourished by your indulgence? They
grew by your neglect of 'em. As soon as you began to care about 'em that
was exercised in sending persons to rule over 'em; in one department and
another sent to spy out their liberty, to misrepresent their actions and
to prey upon 'em; men whose behavior on many occasions has caused the
blood of those sons of liberty to recoil within them.
They protected by your arms? They have
nobly taken up arms in your defense, have exerted a valour amidst their
constant and laborious industry for the defense of a country whose
frontier, while drenched in blood, its inferior parts have yielded all
its little savings to your emolument. And believe me, remember I this
day told you so, that the same spirt of freedom which actuated that
people at first, will accompany them still.... The people I believe are
as truly loyal as any subjects the Kings has, but a people jealous of
their liberties and who will vindicate them, if ever they should be
violated—but the subject is too delicate and I will say no more.
The colonists had a good understanding of what proper government
should be. They declared themselves independent of the government of
England and fought to secure that independence. They determined to
establish a new nation where civil government would protect inhabitants
from evil and leave them free to regulate their personal affairs. They
determined to fulfill the American dream of freedom with a new nation
and a civil government dedicated to protection, not domination.
In both the first and second paragraphs of the Declaration of
Independence the signers acknowledged that God has given government a
proper sphere of authority. They declared that government was the
responsibility to protect from evil inflicted on the colonies by
England. They declared that the colonies would unite to form a new and
independent nation.
The American dream was that of a civil government fulfilling the job
that God had given it. This dream was fulfilled as a result of their
hard work, courage, and sacrifice. They created a civil government to
protect life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Many of the
Founding Fathers understood clearly the relationship between Christian
doctrine and the American approach to the government!
Patrick Henry wrote:
It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too
often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by
Christians, not on religion, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Jedediah Morse wrote:
Whenever the pillars of Christianity shall
be overthrown, our present republican forms of government, and all the
blessings which flow from them, must fall with them.
Dr. Phil Stringer is Executive Vice President at
Landmark Baptist College, Haines City, Florida
