Faith and Politics

Session Four: Church and State

In our second class, we stated that the purpose of the State is to (1) punish evil, (2) reward good, and (3) create a stage for mission of the church.

In our last class, we examined how Christians must bring their faith into the Public Square—all legislation is a legislation of morality, the only question is whose morality will be legislated. All politics implies morality: this is the way you should live. The question, therefore, becomes: what is the basis for your moral vision of society? Why this law, and not that one? Christians, as those to whom are given a vision or righteousness and justice from the Divine Lawgiver, therefore, should seek to influence the public square with their vision of morality.

But that brings us to the question of the relationship between Church and State.

The Politics of the Church

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” - Matt 28:18-20

  • The mission of the Church: Go, make disciples, baptize them into the Triune name, and teach them to observe all that Christ has commanded.
  • The means of the mission: The one with all authority (vs. 18) is with us (vs. 20). We speak and act on behalf of the King of Kings.
    • Our message is political—Jesus, and no one else, is king! See John 19:7-12
    • Our message bears authority since it comes from King Jesus
  • But is the mission **of the church to and the mission of the state one and the same? No
  • The mission of the State: Rom 13:1-7; 1 Pet 2:13-14; 1 Tim 2:1-4
  • The means of the State: The Sword, coercive authority.

The Embassy of Heaven

Identifying the What and the Who of the Gospel

What

He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” - Matt 16:15-19

  • Peter is the right confessor, confessing the right confession. He, a man on earth (flesh and blood), is speaking on behalf of heaven.
  • The Keys of the Kingdom are given to bind and loosen —> to interpret and judge what is on earth, in the name of heaven. Here, it is being given as Peter gives correct confession, speaks what is doctrinally true about Christ.

Who

Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” - Matt 18:18-20

  • Note: “You” in these verses are all plural, referring not only to Peter, not even to the disciples, but to the church mentioned in vs. 17—that is, to us.
  • Where the keys of the kingdom were first demonstrated to declare what the gospel was, here they are being used to identify who a real believer is or is not, what a life submitted to Christ looks like or not. It speaking on earth on behalf of heaven.
    • Where do you get that kind of authority?
  • Note the connection with Matthew 28:18-20. All authority in heaven and earth… When you baptize someone you place the name of the Triune God on them, identify them as a Christian. When you baptize someone, you baptize them into the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:12-13), the church. When you gather in Jesus’ name, Jesus is there…I am with you always

The gathered church functions like an embassy of heaven on earth, here to identify who is and is not a citizen of heaven. We are a time machine from the future, here to declare to the world what is to come, to make more disciples, and to be a model home of the New Heavens and New Earth as we wait for Jesus to return. The mission of the church is to make disciples, baptize them, and teach them—to identify who and speak authoritatively what the gospel is.

This means that the mission of the church is decidedly not the mission of the State. We wield the keys, not the sword. The church’s authority is eschatological.

The mission of the state is penultimate, the mission of the church ultimate.

“If Two of You Agree”

When a church speaks as an institution, with binding authority, it is built upon the united agreement of regenerate believers under the supreme authority of Jesus. This is true gospel, that is a true believer.

But, what about when Christians disagree?

We must agree on first order issues to affirm each other’s profession of faith (essential for salvation)

We must agree on second order issues to be members of the same church (essential for discipleship)

But third and fourth order issues? We can disagree

Disagreeing and Politics

All politics implies morality. Christians, out of a desire to submit to Christ, must see that there political implications to their faith. But that does not mean that all Christians will agree on how their faith is applied in every political situation.

Straight and Jagged Lines

  • Straight Lines: Applications that we draw a straight line from Scripture to application. Example: Thou shalt not murder, or, pay taxes to whom it is owed (Rom 13:7).
  • Jagged Lines: Applications that are an implication, or based on a principle derived from Scripture. Example: What taxation rate should the Federal government use? What method should be used to end abortion?

Churches, when speaking with institutional authority (from the pulpit, requirements for membership, statement of faith, etc.) should bind Christians’ consciences on straight line issues, but not jagged line issues.