bible verses about what god intended government to be

abril 09, 2022 Postar um comentário

If you're a political junkie, this is a fascinating week to sentry the debates in and around Congress. Democrats and Republicans are wrangling with each other (and inside their parties) over a spending neb, which among other items, involves a controversy surrounding immigration policy. Members of Congress have different spending priorities based on their political philosophies, their districts, and, in many cases, their concerns nigh re-election. If Congress doesn't have an agreement by this Friday, Jan. nineteen, the government will "shutdown."

What should the government really exist spending money on? The respond to that question flows from your view of the role of authorities. Equally Christians, we can look to scripture for some guidance on this upshot.

In my last post, I argued that government is an establishment ordained by God. Today, we will explore what the Bible says about what government should do.

Punishing Evil, Promoting Adept

Co-ordinate to Romans 13:4, government is supposed to punish the evildoer. It is a "minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the ane who practices evil."

Romans 12:17-19 tells the believer to, "never…pay dorsum evil for evil," and "never have your own revenge." It's not that God is telling u.s. to forget or ignore injustice. God will exercise vengeance now or later, and the regime is one of his tools for doing this.

To borrow a term from political theory, the government is filling a "negative" role when it punishes evil. This role involves punishing bad behavior in order to protect citizens in their pursuit of something legitimate. For instance, past punishing evil, the government is protecting a citizen'due south ain pursuit of private property, health, and life. In contrast, government plays a "positive" role when it straight provides something to its citizens—like healthcare, food stamps, or low-interest student loans.

Romans 13:three mentions the government's positive function: "Do what is adept and you will accept praise from the same [dominance]."

Annotation that this passage does non call the government to play a positive role past creating rights, goods, or services, but to give praise to those who actively do good. This praise could be giving special recognition to those who are serving in exemplary ways or merely acquittance, official or otherwise, for being a good denizen. John Murray writes in The Epistle to the Romans that,

The praise could exist expressed by maxim that proficient behavior secures good standing in the state, a status to be cherished and cultivated.

This passage does non prohibit government from providing appurtenances and services, merely strongly puts the emphasis on upholding the rule of law and encouraging good behavior.

Similarly, 1 Peter 2:13-14 says,

Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human establishment; whether to a king or one in authority, or to governors every bit sent by him for the penalisation of evildoers and the praise of those who do correct.

Note over again that this summary of government's role gives primacy to the dominion of law, or punishing evil. Regime is also to requite praise to those who do correct, rather than doing the skillful itself.

Giving to Caesar What Is Caesar's

Jesus rejected the political pathway to inaugurate his coming kingdom, and so should we. He said his "kingdom is not of this world." He as well acknowledged Caesar's place in this earth, commanding his followers to "requite to Caesar what is Caesar's," while nevertheless recognizing God as the ultimate potency of the universe (Matt. 22:twenty-22). In his sermon "Arguing about Politics," Tim Keller comments on how this passage addresses the role of regime:

This was the very first theory of limited regime in the history of the earth…Give Caesar the money because information technology'due south his coin—he printed it—merely don't give him the allegiance…What Jesus Christ is saying is that you may requite Caesar some of what he wants, which is his money, but you cannot give Caesar ultimately what he wants, which is to completely accept his organisation of coercion, his organisation of injustice, his organisation of exclusion…but we tin can't give him that.

When standing earlier Pilate, Jesus acknowledged Pilate'south authority over him, simply said, "Y'all would have no authority over Me, unless it has been given you from higher up" (John 19:11).

Another indicative passage is i Timothy 2:1-2:

I urge that prayers…be made…for kings and all who are in dominance in order that they may live a tranquil and placidity life in all godliness and dignity.

Annotation that the prayers are for the secular authorities to provide a rule of police force so that there might be safety and security. In A Biblical Case for Limited Authorities, an IFWE research paper, scholar J.P. Moreland says this passage calls for prayers to "sustain stable social society in which people can live peacefully and quietly without fearfulness of harm."

The higher up passages are so important because they set up along the New Testament perspective toward secular regime. The One-time Testament had established a theocracy where Israelite kings were expected to adhere to the Old Attestation law. Today, however, virtually people live in societies more similar to the pagan nations found in Amos 1 and two, than to Israel. Moreland argues that the biblical laws for Israel are more applicable to the mod day church than the secular government. He points out,

The prophet chastises these [infidel] nations and rulers for violating people's negative rights, e.g., for forced deportation of a population, torturing and killing pregnant women, stealing, forced slavery, and murder. There is no expectation in the passage that the nations and rulers were to provide positive rights for people. This is typical of the prophets and their understanding of the responsibilities of infidel rulers and nations.

While none of these New Testament passages support ane form of authorities or another (or, as we observe this week in Congress, one spending bill over some other), they practice imply that government'south primary role is "negative" not "positive"—focused more than on punishing evil and praising skilful behavior and less on providing goods and services.

Editor'due south note: Read more about what the Bible says near the role of government inCostless Indeed: Living Life in Light of the Biblical View of Freedom.