Pastor-teacher Don Hargrove

Faith Bible Church

Feb. 10, 2009

http://fbcweb.org/Audio.html

Salvation (Eph 1:3-4; 2:10); Sanctification (Jn 15:1-52), Maturation (Eph 3:14-20).

The Church-State Relationship – Part 3

(Series: GOD’S COVENANTS – Part 37: ML: Natural Law, Gov/State)

A. Church and State.

1. Jesus Christ was the first person who really taught the correct doctrine of separation of church in the gospels as well as in the epistles, Jn 16:12-15; Mt 22:21; Rom 13:1-7; 1 Pet 2:14-15.

2. What separation means and what it does not mean, 1 Pet 2:14-15; 1 Tim 3:1-10.

B. Human history is but a trail of misery and horror due in no small part to the rejection of BD and the failure to separate the church and the state.

1. Ancient Greco-Roman world – no separation of religion and state.

2. 33 A.D. It is Christ, not civil libertarians, who is the True Author of the concept of the separation of church and state.

3. 33 A.D. – 380 A.D (church ages of Ephesus & Smyrna). No separation of church and state as Roman religious-state persecuted the church.

4. 380-1517 (church age of Thyatira) – ascendancy of the Roman state-church.

5. 16th Century, England State-Church (Thyatira): State gains ascendancy over the Church as per the State-Church of England.

6. 1517 – Protestantism, Sardis Church Age, development of Scripturalism.

a. The Catholic view of church and state: God is over the church; the church is over the state; and the state is over believers and unbel., Mt 16:19; Lk 22:38.

b. The Anabaptist view of church and state: God is over church and believers; whereas Satan is over the State and unbelievers.

c. The Calvinist view of church and state: God is over the church and state; the church uses the state over the believers and unbelievers.

d. The Lutheran view of church and state. God is over the church & the church is over believers only; God is over the state & state is over believers & unbel.

7. 17th century: New England Puritanism – attempted return to theocracy.

8. 18th century: American Constitutionalism of late 18th-19th centuries – greatest separation of church and state; brings the freedom and blessings for both.

9. 19th century: Increased rejection and apathy toward Jesus Christ & Bible doctrine (especially in sola areas); leads to social gospel, growth of cults, the Civil War & Big Government.

10. 20th century: rejection of the sufficiency and solas of Scripturalism leads to existentialism; irrelevance of Bible to economics or politics; inventionism, Keysian economics, liberation theology, growth of cults; internationalism, return to Statism, forms of secular “jihadism,” new forms of mercantilism, highest good is no longer the individual but the State.

11. The Future return of the world Roman church-state during the Trib, Rev 17.

C. The importance orienting to sufficiency of Bible doctrine (Scripturalism) in the church and society, 2 Tim 3:16.

1. Only with Bible doctrine can we fulfill the mandates regarding being salt and light in the church as well as in society, Mat 5:13; Philip 2:15.

2. Due to rejection of sufficiency of Bible doctrine regarding government, Christians have contributed in no small part to enormous misery and the destruction of government, the economy, business, the family, charity, freedom, etc. et al.

3. Rejection of Biblical hermeneutics of Sola Scriptura, Sola Fide, and Sola Gratia has led to all kinds of paganistic syncretistic cults in Christian churches.

4. Bible doctrine teaches that believers are to offer up four types of prayers for those in authority for the prevention of political and social upheaval, 1 Tim 2:1-5.

5. Bible doctrine teaches the rule of law and equality of all men as made in the image of God, cf. Js 3:9.

6. Bible doctrine teaches that government is to be limited, 1 Samuel 8; Dt 20.

            7. Bible doctrine teaches that the only role of government is in punishing of evil and rewarding of God – not social programs, and not an economic “engine.”

8. Bible doctrine teaches us that God has authorized government to collect taxes, Rm 13:1-7.

9. Bible doctrine teaches that citizens of a country are to be patriots of their nation, cf. Dan 2:37; 1 Tim 2:1-2; Rom 13:1-7; 1 Pt 2:17.

10. Bible doctrine teaches that we should be concerned about politics, Rom 13:1-7; 1 Tim 2:1-4.

11. Bible doctrine condemns the paganism that drives ecological movement, Rom 1:18-25.

            12. Bible doctrine condemns government interventionism in the market place, 1 Pet 2:14-15.

            13. Bible doctrine teaches that it is the parents not the State and not the church that are responsible for the training of their children, Dt 6:7.

14. Bible doctrine teaches the right of the State to capital punishment, Rom 13:1-7.

15. Bible doctrine teaches nationalism, Acts 17:26; Rev 17-18.

16. Bible doctrine teaches free market economy, Ex 20:15; Mt 20:15.

17. Bible doctrine teaches that we must be careful not to allow the state to influence and so corrupt the church, Mt 5:13.

D. Guidelines on Civil disobedience, rebellion in government, Acts 5:29.

1. Obedience is to be the guiding principle, cf Dan 1-3; Rom 13:1-7; 1 Pet 2:14-15.

2. Reasons why submission is to be the guiding principle, Rom 13:1-7; 1 Pet 2:14-15.

a) To avoid punishment, Rom 13:3-4.

b) To avoid divine discipline, Rom 13:2

c) Because it is the right thing to do, Rom 13:5.

d) To provide a Christian testimony, 1 Pet 2:15.

3. Duty to disobey when to obey government is to disobey God, Acts 5:29.

4. Principles on revolution.

a) Revolution is found approximately 100x in the Bible and almost without exception they are used disapprovingly.

b) If civil disobedience is wrong, rebellion is even more wrong. For civil disobedience is an attack against one law or one policy –though it can undermine confidence in the entire legal system, while rebellion is an attack against the entire governmental system.

c) Rebellion usually does not work as it brings more disorder and bloodshed.

d) Nevertheless, there may be circumstances in which revolution is the only alternative when a government becomes so totally corrupt, so totally repressive, and so totally unjust as to destroy rather than promote the legitimate ends of government, revolution may then be justifiable either as a necessary good or as the lesser evil.

e) Revolution is only legitimate if there are concrete plans for a new government that will ensure a better government. This takes care of all the revolutionaries of the 60’s.

f) American “Revolutionary” War was not a revolution – it was a war for independence.