Q1120 Church & State pp.
qxp 11/21/06
CONTENTS
Walking The
Tightrope Between
Church & State . . . . . . . . 2
The Social Concerns
Of The Prophets . . . . . . . 5
The Social Concerns
Of Jesus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
The Social Concerns
Of Church History . . . . 11
Social Action That
Honors Christ . . . . . . . 18
The Challenge
Of An Increasingly
Pluralistic Society . . . . . 27
The Choice Is Ours . . . 31
Managing Editor: David Sper
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version.
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission.All rights reserved.
© 2006 RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, Michigan
5:42 PM Page 1
CHURCH
& STATE
The Social And
Political Implications
Of Following Christ
C
hurch and government
have a lot in common.
According to the Bible,
both are servants of God, both
answer to the authority of God,
and both exist for the good of
the world for which Christ died.
But there are also big
differences. Government
operates on natural law. The
church is entrusted with the
gospel and the law of Christ.
As RBC Senior Research
Editor Herb Vander Lugt
points out in the following
pages, followers of Christ need
to understand what it takes to
honor both Caesar and God—
without confusing the common
good and the distinct roles of
both church and state.
Martin R. De Haan II
Cover Design:Terry Bidgood
Printed in USA
Q1120 Church & State pp.qxp
WALKING THE
TIGHTROPE
BETWEEN
CHURCH & STATE
L
ike so many other
followers of Christ, I
am deeply concerned
about issues of public
policy. I try to be an
informed citizen who votes
for what I believe to be in
the best interest of the
common good. I’m troubled
by the fact that so many
people live below the
poverty line in a world that
has the capacity to provide
adequate shelter and food
for every man, woman,
and child on our planet.
I also know, however,
that the real needs of
humanity are rooted
in moral and spiritual
conditions that require
changed minds and hearts.
Welfare systems that do not
give adequate consideration
to human nature come with
their own set of problems.
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Throwing money at social
problems can actually raise
the misery index when
government programs
unintentionally weaken the
need for personal incentives
and self-improvement.
In addition, it is clear
that the Lord and founder of
the church wants His people
to be salt and light in their
world, and that both Old
and New Testaments call the
people of God to spiritual
influence and social action.
SPIRITUAL
INFLUENCE
From very early in the
church’s history, followers of
Jesus saw their distinct roles
as citizens of both heaven
and earth. A Christian
document from the second
century called The Epistle
Of Mathetes To Diognetus
expressed it like this:
The Christians are
distinguished from other
men neither by country,
nor language, nor the
Q1120 Church & State pp.qxp
customs which they
observe. . . . They dwell
in their own countries,
but simply as sojourners.
As citizens, they share in
all things with others,
and yet endure all things
as if foreigners. Every
foreign land is to them as
their native country, and
every land of their birth
as a land of strangers.
They marry, as do all
[others]; they beget
children; but they do not
destroy their offspring.
They have a common
table, but not a common
bed. They are in the
flesh, but they do not live
after the flesh. They pass
their days on earth, but
they are citizens of
heaven. They obey the
prescribed laws, and at
the same time surpass
the laws by their lives.
They love all men, and
are persecuted by all.
They are unknown and
condemned; they are put
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to death, and restored
to life. They are poor, yet
make many rich; they are
in lack of all things, and
yet abound in all; they
are dishonored, and yet
in their very dishonor are
glorified. They are evil
spoken of, and yet are
justified; they are reviled,
and bless; they are
insulted, and repay the
insult with honor; they
do good, yet are
punished as evildoers.
When punished, they
rejoice as if quickened
into life; they are assailed
by the Jews as foreigners,
and are persecuted by
the Greeks; yet those
who hate them are
unable to assign any
reason for their hatred.
To sum up all in one
word—what the soul is
in the body, [so] are
Christians in the world.
The soul is dispersed
through all the members
of the body, and
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Christians are scattered
through all the cities
of the world. The soul
dwells in the body, yet
is not of the body; and
Christians dwell in the
world, yet are not of
the world.
Today, so many years
later, this ancient letter still
speaks eloquently. It shows
how followers of Christ can
be an enlightening presence
in the world by being more
than good citizens, not less.
POLITICAL
IMPLICATIONS
Jesus taught His followers
to “render . . . to Caesar the
things that are Caesar’s, and
to God the things that are
God’s” (Mt. 22:21). Later,
the apostle Paul expanded
on the importance of
acknowledging the God-
given role of human
government (Rom. 13:1-7).
Jesus and Paul, however,
were not speaking to a
society that gave all of its
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citizens the opportunity to
participate in a government
“of the people, by the
people, and for the people.”
As a result, one of the most
difficult issues of our time
revolves around the
relationship of church
and state. How can we,
as followers of Christ,
participate in the political
process of free elections
and public debate without
detracting from our mission
to declare that lives are
changed not by laws but by
a life-changing relationship
to the One who died for us?
Some issues are not
difficult. Recognizing that
the role of government is
different than the role of
the church, we support
government policies that
give all citizens the freedom
to worship and have faith
in the God of their choice.
Most of us also
understand what someone
means when he says, “Your
freedom stops where my
Q1120 Church & State pp.qxp
nose begins.” But how
does that principle apply to
matters that affect the use of
public tax dollars? What if
one group doesn’t want their
taxes used to support moral
choices they believe will do
great damage to society?
Such issues are so
complex, it’s unlikely that we
will be able to resolve all our
differences. But those of us
who are followers of Christ
should be able to agree on
some foundational issues
of common conviction.
THE SOCIAL
CONCERNS OF
THE PROPHETS
W
ithin the first
pages of the
Bible, we read
of an angry, self-absorbed
man who asks God,
“Am I my brother’s keeper?”
(Gen. 4:9). That theme
resurfaces often in the
Scriptures. Much of the Old
Testament is written with a
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concern for social justice
and mercy. The prophets
spoke of a God who has a
heart for oppressed people.
Isaiah began his
prophecy by declaring that
God is angry with those who
consider themselves His
people but have no heart for
the poor. Characterizing His
chosen nation of Israel as
Sodom and Gomorrah
(1:10), God declared:
Wash yourselves, make
yourselves clean; put
away the evil of your
doings from before My
eyes. Cease to do evil,
learn to do good; seek
justice, rebuke the
oppressor; defend the
fatherless, plead for the
widow (Isa. 1:16-17).
Ezekiel also likened
his own countrymen to
the people of Sodom and
Gomorrah because of their
lack of heart for justice and
mercy. Ezekiel went even
further than Isaiah. He said
that the social sins of God’s
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people were so great that
they made the twin cities of
Sodom and Gomorrah look
good by comparison. While
the people of Israel would
have been familiar with the
violent sexual perversion
that made Sodom and
Gomorrah ripe for
judgment (Gen. 19),
Ezekiel also called
attention to the root sins
of those cities when he
quoted God as saying:
This was the iniquity of
your sister Sodom: She
and her daughter had
pride, fullness of food,
and abundance of
idleness; neither did she
strengthen the hand of
the poor and needy. And
they were haughty and
committed abomination
before Me; therefore I took
them away as I saw fit
(Ezek. 16:49-50).
While the prophets of
the Old Testament focused
primarily on the nation of
Israel, on occasion they also
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carried messages of warning
to Israel’s neighbors. Amos
pronounced judgment on
Syria for her cruelty to the
conquered people of Gilead
(Amos 1:3-5); on Philistia
for heartlessly capturing
whole communities to sell
into slavery (vv.6-8); on
Tyre for her treachery in
capturing and selling as
slaves people with whom
she had made a treaty of
brotherhood (vv.9-10); on
Edom because through the
descendants of Esau she
mercilessly attacked Israel,
the descendants of Esau’s
brother Jacob (vv.11-12);
on Ammon because to
increase her population
she killed pregnant Israelite
women to take their unborn
babies (vv.13-15).
God sent the prophet
Jonah to the citizens of
Nineveh (the capital of
Assyria). Because of their
idolatry and violence, God
told Jonah to warn them that
in 40 days their city would
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be destroyed (Jon. 3:4).
The record says nothing
about Jonah holding out
the possibility of reprieve,
but the Assyrians, led
by their king, repented
in sackcloth and ashes
(vv.5-9). God spared
the city, thus showing these
indescribably cruel people
that He is a God of mercy as
well as judgment (v.10).
Summary of what
we can learn from
the prophets:
• By calling attention
to oppressive social
conditions, the prophets
of Israel first confronted
those who professed to
be followers of the one
true God.
• By occasionally
confronting Israel’s
neighbors about their
cruelty, injustice, and
sexual immorality, the
prophets made it clear
that God also holds
people of all nations
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responsible for the way
they treat one another.
THE SOCIAL
CONCERNS
OF JESUS
J
esus was born into a
nation that understood
the politics of misery.
He lived in a land
occupied by foreign soldiers.
His nation longed for
freedom from the swords
and taxes of Rome. Yet He
gave no encouragement to
the zealots of Israel who
wanted to rid themselves
of Roman rule. Instead,
seeing their natural
inclination to want to
control and dominate
others, He gave them a
different view of leadership:
The kings of the Gentiles
exercise lordship over
them, and those who
exercise authority
over them are called
“benefactors.” But not
so among you; on the
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contrary, he who is
greatest among you, let
him be as the younger,
and he who governs as he
who serves (Lk. 22:25-26).
Earlier, Jesus had
confronted the religious
leaders of Israel for the way
they indulged themselves at
the expense of others. He
exposed the inconsistency of
the Pharisees for selectively
focusing on the tithe tax
while ignoring large matters
of “justice and mercy and
faith” (Mt. 23:23).
Jesus also angered
religious leaders by
befriending people they
regarded as unclean and
unacceptable (Lk. 15:1-2).
On one memorable
occasion, religious leaders
brought to Jesus a woman
who had been caught in the
act of adultery. They asked
Him what they should do
with her. Knowing their
hypocrisy, Jesus invited
anyone who had never
sinned to throw the first
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stone at her. Then He said
to the woman, “Neither do
I condemn you; go and sin
no more” (Jn. 8:11).
Because of what they
saw in Jesus, unprincipled
people underwent a
radical change. A
dishonest tax collector
named Zacchaeus not only
expressed regret for what he
had done, but he also made
amends to those he had
wronged:
Look, Lord, I give half of
my goods to the poor; and
if I have taken anything
from anyone by false
accusation, I restore
fourfold (Lk. 19:8).
Speaking with even
more moral authority than
men like Jeremiah, Ezekiel,
and Daniel, Jesus declared
Himself the head of a
kingdom that neither
matched Jewish expectations
nor bore the earmarks of the
Roman Empire. He offered a
rule of the heart that was
not marked by military
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might but by grace and
compassion.
When an imprisoned
John the Baptist sent
messengers to ask Jesus
if He was indeed Israel’s
promised Messiah, He
told them:
Go and tell John the
things you have seen
and heard: that the blind
see, the lame walk, the
lepers are cleansed, the
deaf hear, the dead are
raised, the poor have the
gospel preached to them
(Lk. 7:22).
In a similar way, when
Pilate asked whether or not
Jesus thought of Himself as
a king, He replied:
My kingdom is not of
this world. If My kingdom
were of this world, My
servants would fight,
so that I should not be
delivered to the Jews; but
now My kingdom is not
from here (Jn. 18:36).
With these words, Jesus
declared Himself a different
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kind of king. Instead of
encouraging revolt against
Rome, He introduced a
kingdom of the heart that
would show the world the
good that could be done by
those who gave themselves
to Him.
Jesus’ unwillingness
to get political was
confusing to those
who believed
He was the long-
awaited Messiah
and Deliverer
of Israel.
Jesus’ unwillingness to
get political was confusing to
those who believed He was
the long-awaited Messiah
and Deliverer of Israel. They
had expected their Messiah
to lead a rebellion against
the Roman Empire and to
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supernaturally deliver them
from occupation.
Even after His powerful
resurrection from the dead,
He refused to talk about a
time and place for a political
takeover. When they asked,
“Lord, will You at this time
restore the kingdom to
Israel?” He replied:
It is not for you to know
times or seasons which the
Father has put in His own
authority. But you shall
receive power when the
Holy Spirit has come
upon you; and you shall
be witnesses to Me in
Jerusalem, and in all
Judea and Samaria, and
to the end of the earth
(Acts 1:7-8).
Within a few days, the
empowered apostles began
proclaiming the good news
of a spiritual kingdom. At
that point, they were no
longer focused on big
thoughts of social reform
or national independence.
During the interim
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between Jesus’ ascension to
heaven and AD 70, Jewish
zealots made several futile
attempts to overthrow
Roman rule. But the
followers of Christ had
nothing to do with these
efforts. Instead, they spread
out through Europe, Asia,
and Africa declaring
forgiveness of sins and
everlasting life to all who
would believe in Jesus as
Savior and Lord. In the
spirit of their Master,
when they were persecuted
and mistreated, they did
not retaliate.
Summary of what we
can learn from Jesus:
• Jesus introduced a
liberating rule of the
heart that was radically
different from the kind of
political kingdom Jewish
revolutionaries were
hoping for.
• By calling for an inner
change of mind and
heart, Jesus made it
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clear that in His kingdom
the transformation of
individuals must take
precedence over the
reformation of society
C
through political means.
• By His tender concern for
dishonest tax collectors
and prostitutes, Jesus
showed that we must
view morally bankrupt
people as individuals
who need to be loved
and changed rather than
despised and rejected.
• By healing the sick,
raising the dead, and
feeding the hungry,
Jesus showed us that
even though His main
concern was their
eternal salvation, He
was also concerned
about their physical
and material welfare.
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THE SOCIAL
CONCERNS
OF CHURCH
HISTORY
hurch history
shows what happens
when national
governments wage war or
establish public policy in the
name of religion. Yet even
during those times when
the distinct lines between
church and state were
blurred, many individuals
continued to recognize that
the kingdom of God was first
and foremost a realm of the
heart. Over the centuries,
followers of Christ have
reached out to their
neighbors with the gospel
while sacrificially caring
for those in need.
In his book Human
Rights & Human Wrongs,
John Stott quotes the
American missiologist
R. Pierce Beaver:
Social action in mission
can be traced from the
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time of the apostles. . . .
The itinerating missionary
carried with him a bag of
medicines, new or better
seeds and plants, and
improved livestock.
Nevius introduced the
modern orchard industry
into Shantung. The
Basel missionaries
revolutionized the
economy of Ghana
by introducing coffee and
cocoa grown by families
and individuals on their
own land. James McKean
transformed the life of
Northern Thailand by
eliminating its three
major curses—smallpox,
malaria, and leprosy.
Wells and pure water
often came through the
help of missionaries.
Industrial schools were
stressed through the
nineteenth century,
and industries were
established. In addition,
the missionaries . . .
played a very important
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part in the abolishing of
forced labor in the Congo.
They resisted blackbirding
in the South Pacific. They
fought fiercely for human
rights in combating
opium, foot-binding, and
exposure of girl babies in
China. They waged war
against widow-burning,
infanticide, and temple
prostitution in India, and
above all broke the social
and economic slavery of
the caste system for the
low and outcast peoples
(Baker Books, 1999,
p.21).
Such activity reflects the
hearts of the early Christians
who expressed social
concern by being good
citizens, by caring for their
widows (Acts 6:1-7), and by
raising money to help their
persecuted and displaced
spiritual family in Jerusalem
(2 Cor. 8–9). They lived out
Paul’s encouragement to
care for the needs of others
when he wrote:
Q1120 Church & State pp.qxp
As we have opportunity,
let us do good to all,
especially to those who
are of the household of
faith (Gal. 6:10).
Until the fourth century,
the church was relatively
small and often troubled
by both the Jews and the
Romans. But when the
Roman emperor Constantine
converted to Christianity,
the church was embraced
by governmental authorities
and granted social influence
and political power.
Even when the church
split into Eastern Orthodoxy
and Roman Catholicism
in the middle of the 11th
century, both groups were
generally state-sponsored.
This union of church
and state undoubtedly
contributed to the rapid
spread of Christianity
throughout Europe, but
it also produced a church
that began placing more
emphasis on political power
than on its spiritual mission.
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Even though the
emergence of a “state
religion” compromised
the moral integrity of the
church, the Christian
faith continued to have a
beneficial role in society.
With its belief in a
morally and physically
ordered universe, the
Christian faith provided a
basis for modern science
and technology. In The
Victory Of Reason, Rodney
Stark, professor of Social
Sciences at Baylor
University, argues that
the Genesis account of
human origins and dignity
led to the demise of slavery
throughout Europe. By the
10th century, slavery had
almost disappeared on
the continent, only to be
restored a few centuries
later.
Stark also carefully
documents the fact that
many monasteries, while
maintaining their spiritual
disciplines, helped to
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alleviate the poverty of the
masses. They transformed
swamps into gardens, taught
the poor how to farm, and
then turned the improved
land over to them.
Some of the monasteries
from almost every order
gradually became business
enterprises and began to
compete with one another.
This early form of capitalism
raised the living standard of
thousands, even in the
repressive society of the
times.
In the 18th century,
Christian influence
continued to expand. The
preaching of John Wesley
and George Whitefield
brought spiritual renewal
to England and America.
Thousands came to
personal faith in Christ and
to a new concern for social
justice. John Stott quotes
from J. Wesley Bready’s
book England Before And
After Wesley:
The true nursing mother
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of the spirit and character
values that have created
and sustained Free
Institutions throughout
the English-speaking
world, indeed the moral
watershed of Anglo-
Saxon history, was the
much neglected and oft-
lampooned Evangelical
Revival. . . . The deep
savagery of much of
the 18th century—the
wanton torture of animals
for sport, the bestial
drunkenness of the
populace, the inhuman
traffic in African negroes,
the kidnapping of
fellow-countrymen for
exportation and sale
as slaves, the mortality
of parish children, the
universal gambling
obsession, the savagery
of the prison system and
the penal code, the
welter of immorality,
the prostitution of the
theatre, the growing
prevalence of
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lawlessness, . . . the
political bribery and
corruption, the
ecclesiastical arrogance
and truculence, the
shallow pretensions of
Deism, the insincerity
and debasement in
church and state—such
manifestations suggest
that the British people
were then as deeply
degraded as any people
in the history of
Christendom (Human
Rights & Wrongs, p.18).
John Wesley was both
a preacher of the gospel
and a prophet of social
righteousness. He would
undoubtedly have been
pleased to know that not
long after his death in 1791,
slavery and the slave trade
were abolished, the prison
system was humanized,
conditions in the factories
and mines were vastly
improved, cruel child-labor
practices were outlawed,
education was made
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available to the poor, and
trade unions were formed.
After referring to this
new social conscience,
Bready indicates that the
Evangelical Revival “did
more to transfigure the
moral character of the
general populace than
any other movement
British history can
record” (Ibid., p.18).
A group of wealthy
members of Clapham Parish
Church near London who
had been profoundly
influenced by Wesley also
played a major role in the
social reform of this time
period. Led by the newly
converted politician
William Wilberforce, and in
cooperation with members
of the House of Commons,
they inaugurated a vigorous
campaign against the slave
trade, dueling, drunkenness,
gambling, and cruel animal
sports. By 1787, 4 years
before Wesley died, those
inspired by the Clapham
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Parish group had built a
settlement of freed slaves
in Sierra Leone. In 1807
they abolished the slave
trade, and in 1833 they
secured the emancipation of
all slaves. In addition, they
changed the legal system for
the benefit of the mentally
ill, child workers in factories
and mills, and boys used
as chimney sweeps. They
improved conditions in the
mines, the plight of the
homeless in the city slums,
and the educational
opportunities for the
children in poor families.
Historian David O. Moberg
quoted with approval
A. A. Cooper’s claim
that “most of the great
philanthropic movements
of the century have sprung
from the evangelicals.”
Social concern declined
in Great Britain and America
during the 19th century and
plummeted in the 20th
century. A number of
factors contributed to
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this weakening of social
conscience: (1) Many
evangelicals overreacted to
Modernists, who substituted
social action for the gospel of
personal salvation in Christ.
(2) Others shared the general
pessimism about the
prospect for societal change
brought on by two world
wars less than 25 years
apart. (3) With the rebirth
of Israel in 1948, many
evangelicals believed
the stage was set for the
fulfillment of endtime
prophecy. Anticipation of the
any-moment return of Christ
became a reason to focus on
getting the gospel to as many
as possible in the short time
that remained. Many saw
social reform as a waste of
energy and resources—“like
cleaning the staterooms of
the Titanic after it has hit the
iceberg.” (4) Evangelicalism
gradually took on the
characteristics of a middle-
class group that was inclined
to protect its current status
Q1120 Church & State pp.qxp
and quality of life. A natural
blend of political and
doctrinal conservatism led
many to devote themselves
to strong doctrinal preaching,
missionary zeal, and
evangelistic endeavor.
Concern for people who
were oppressed by racial
prejudice and economic
poverty was regarded by
them as a liberal agenda.
The answer is
not for followers
of Christ to either
promote the gospel
or to help those
in need.The
answer is
to do both.
There is much that can
be said about the value of
these trends. Evangelicals
in the 20th century can be
commended for their zeal to
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defend and propagate
the message of personal
salvation in Christ. But
every overreaction comes
with its blind side. The
answer is not for followers
of Christ to either promote
the gospel or to help those
in need. The answer is to
do both.
Summary of what we
can learn from church
history:
• When the distinction
between church and
state is lost, both
compromise their distinct
God-ordained callings.
• Sometimes, for the good
of those in need, the
church must lovingly
and courageously lift
its voice against the
policies of the state.
• Followers of Christ
exercise an uplifting
force in society when
they combine zealous
propagation of the
gospel, social concern
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for the poor, and a love-
filled burden for doing
good in the name of
Christ.
• Social change often
comes when those
who discover life
in Christ see that the
well-being of others is
more important than
their own comfort and
self-protection.
SOCIAL ACTION
THAT HONORS
CHRIST
A
s church history
has shown, social
concern may or
may not involve attempts
to change public policy.
Many human needs can
be met by individual or
church-sponsored acts of
compassion and advocacy.
But sometimes the extent
of the problem requires
appealing to governing
authorities. For example,
missionaries in India
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protested the practice of
burning a dead man’s living
wives on a funeral pyre. By
a strong voice of reason and
human compassion, they
convinced many that this
cruel and inhuman practice
was wrong. But abolishing
it required legislation
that made it illegal and
punishable. Similarly, it
took changes in the law
to abolish slavery, prohibit
cruel child labor, and secure
safety standards on the
highway, in the air, and
in the workplace.
Unfortunately, the church
has not always been on the
right side of social reform.
Although many of her
people have led in the fight
for the emancipation of
slaves, equal rights for
women, and government
safety standards for business
and the environment, too
many of her leaders joined
their secular counterparts in
resisting these efforts. In
fact, some church leaders
Q1120 Church & State pp.qxp
became so involved in either
left- or right-wing partisan
politics that they neglected
the primary calling of the
church.
From such mistakes we
are reminded that if our
social concern is to honor
Christ we must: (1) focus
on our primary mission,
(2) remember the distinct
roles of church and state,
(3) learn and use the art of
honorable compromise, and
(4) maintain a prophetic
voice.
THE PRIMARY
MISSION OF THE
CHURCH
Shortly before His
ascension, the resurrected
Christ left His followers with
these words:
All authority has been
given to Me in heaven
and on earth. Go therefore
and make disciples of all
the nations, baptizing
them in the name of the
Father and of the Son
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and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe
all things that I have
commanded you; and lo,
I am with you always,
even to the end of the
age (Mt. 28:18-20).
Three years earlier, His
disciples could not have
anticipated those words. At
that time, they thought they
had found the Messiah who
was about to give Israel
national deliverance from
a long history of Gentile
domination. Yet now, after
3 miracle-filled years, Jesus
was leaving them without
throwing off the Roman
yoke of oppression and
without giving them
instructions to do so.
Instead, He challenged
them to proclaim the
message of salvation to
people of all nations.
Ten days after Jesus
ascended to heaven, on the
Jewish Day of Pentecost, the
Holy Spirit came upon the
disciples, giving them a new
19
Q1120 Church & State pp.qxp
spiritual power to carry
out their commission.
Enlightened by the Holy
Spirit, they explained what
Jesus had accomplished
through His sinless life,
atoning death, and
triumphant resurrection.
Thousands believed and
their lives were transformed.
They learned to love one
another and saw God
perform miracles. They were
instructed by the apostles
and other spiritually gifted
men and women. But the
history recorded in Acts and
the content of the letters
Paul wrote to the churches
make it clear that these
believers still possessed
an inclination to revert to
some of their old ways. This
explains why Paul wrote:
Nevertheless the solid
foundation of God stands,
having this seal: “The
Lord knows those who are
His,” and, “Let everyone
who names the name
of Christ depart from
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iniquity” (2 Tim. 2:19).
Paul indicated that after
leading people to Christ, the
first responsibility of the
church is to teach the
principles of God and to
hold accountable those who
profess a relationship with
Christ. He stated this in his
first letter to the Corinthians:
I have written to you not
to keep company with
anyone named a brother,
who is sexually immoral,
or covetous, or an idolater,
or a reviler, or a drunkard,
or an extortioner—not
even to eat with such a
person (1 Cor. 5:11).
He said that he was
not asking the church to
separate from “the people of
this world who are immoral,
or the greedy and swindlers,
or idolaters. In that case you
would have to leave this
world” (v.10 NIV). To drive
home his point that the
church is to hold its own
people morally accountable,
he added, “What business
Q1120 Church & State pp.qxp
is it of mine to judge those
outside the church? . . . God
will judge those outside”
(vv.12-13 NIV).
How important it is that
we take Paul’s instructions
to heart! If we do, our fellow
citizens will see us as
people who hold ourselves
accountable to the principles
of Christ while respecting the
rights of others and reaching
out compassionately to those
in need.
THE DISTINCT
ROLES OF CHURCH
AND STATE
Both church and state have
distinct God-given roles in
society, and history shows
that both best serve the
broad public interests when
each respects the role and
purpose of the other.
As a leader of the early
church, the apostle Paul
expressed such respect even
for the head of the Roman
Empire. Knowing that first-
century church members
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might be tempted to be
hostile to Roman leaders,
Paul urged his brothers
and sisters in Christ:
Be subject to the
governing authorities.
For there is no authority
except from God, and
the authorities that exist
are appointed by God
(Rom. 13:1).
He went on to remind
them that God established
government to maintain
order by making and
enforcing laws that
apprehend wrongdoers
and provide services for
law-abiding citizens. Paul
concluded this emphasis
by writing:
Because of this you also
pay taxes, for [rulers] are
God’s ministers attending
continually to this very
thing. Render therefore
to all their due: taxes to
whom taxes are due,
customs to whom
customs, fear to whom
fear, honor to whom
21
Q1120 Church & State pp.qxp
honor (vv.6-7).
Today, citizens of
democracies have a
different relationship to
their government. Free
elections provide an
opportunity to have a
voice in what we believe will
serve the common welfare.
Those same opportunities,
however, also call for great
wisdom. Our freedoms must
not be misused in a way
that ruins the reputation of
Christ through the mud-
slinging and cutthroat nature
of partisan politics. Nothing,
good as it may be, must be
allowed to distract the
church from her primary
mission of leading others
to faith and maturity in
Christ. Social and political
advocacy must be of a
nature that enhances the
reputation of Christ among
those who have not yet
embraced Him.
The church will fail in
her primary mission if she
is seen by the world as a
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political lobby working
for public policy that caters
to the personal moral
standards of its members.
The church will fail
in her primary
mission if she is
seen by the world
as a political lobby
working for public
policy that caters
to the personal
moral standards
of its members.
Socially and politically
active people of the church
can unintentionally hurt the
reputation of Christ if they
are not careful to pick the
right issues. As followers of
Christ, our shared credibility
suffers if we appear to be
more concerned about
threats to our own personal
Q1120 Church & State pp.qxp
liberty and insults to our
faith than we are about the
rights or economic plight of
others.
THE ART OF
HONORABLE
COMPROMISE
In addition to recognizing
and respecting the distinct
roles of church and state,
social-minded believers
who engage in the political
process must learn the art
of honorable compromise.
No, it is never right to
compromise our own
personal faith or principles.
Like Daniel, Joseph,
or Esther of the Old
Testament, we need to
be ready to give our lives,
if necessary, rather than
to deny God or to be
unfaithful to Him. But when
participating in the political
interests and policies of a
democratic and pluralistic
society, it is honorable to
respect the provisions
of our constitution that
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provide freedom of
religion to all. While we
may disagree with the
convictions of those who
embrace another faith,
unless they clearly victimize
people we must allow
others the same freedom
of religion that we value
for ourselves.
In a society that
guarantees freedom of
religion, people of faith
need to support legislation
that promotes social concern
and justice for all. When
governments try to play
God by suspending legal
rights and restricting moral
and religious choices, they
often produce either tyranny
or rebellion. By the same
token, when they fail to
recognize natural law and
broadly-held principles of
public decency, they move
in the direction of social
decay.
This tension between
legislative guarantees and
limitations on civil rights
23
Q1120 Church & State pp.qxp
is an art, not a science.
Because of the nature of
the political process, people
of faith who hold elected
offices show wisdom by
finding points of agreement
with those of opposing
interests so they can reach a
consensus. Having secured
agreement around values
that are common to a clear
majority, they can sponsor
and support legislation that
will advance the common
good while attempting to
protect the rights of others.
Many people of faith,
for instance, are willing in
their own personal lives to
endure hardship rather than
terminate an unplanned
pregnancy. Because of
deep convictions about the
sanctity of life, they believe
that aborting a child is
morally wrong. They don’t
want their tax dollars used
to kill the unborn and harm
the emotional health of the
mother in the process.
Yet such convictions
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cannot change the fact
that many of our taxpaying
neighbors believe it is their
personal right to have the
legally protected option to
terminate an unwanted
pregnancy.
Because of such social
controversy, many followers
of Christ have opened
pregnancy counseling
centers that offer women
education, understanding,
and options. By giving
mothers the option of
adoption rather than
abortion, countless lives
have been saved. Others
have spoken out publicly
and compassionately
about the danger of treating
unborn life as nothing more
than a mass of tissue
that can be conveniently
disposed of. Still others
have used the subject to
talk about the forgiveness
and mercy of Christ that is
available to those who have
already chosen abortion.
Currently, there is
Q1120 Church & State pp.qxp
enough of a political
consensus that abortion
is a social evil, that we can
support laws that put some
limits on abortion—even if
those laws aren’t as strong
as we would like. But even if
there were no longer a social
consensus, we would still
have opportunities to speak
and act with honesty and
compassion.
THE PROPHETIC
VOICE OF THE
CHURCH
The church cannot hold the
moral high ground and be
indifferent to injustice and
oppression. When we see
the rights of others being
violated, the earth that has
been entrusted to us being
wasted, or lawmakers
proposing legislation that
we know will bring great
harm to society, we have a
moral obligation to offer a
well-reasoned, loving,
prophetic voice to our
society.
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It was under such
conditions that prophets
like Isaiah and Ezekiel
spoke out not only to their
own nation but also to
surrounding nations.
Sometimes they even
walked into the halls of
government and spoke
directly with persons of
power and influence.
In the process, these
prophets help us to see the
importance of the prophetic
voice in our efforts to fulfill
our function as the salt of
the earth and the light of the
world.
Ideally, men and women
who exercise the prophetic
voice of the church must
first of all speak through
the eloquence of their own
example. They will be
the kind of people Jesus
pronounced as “blessed” in
His Sermon on the Mount.
They will be marked by:
God-fearing humility,
sensitivity to their own
wrongs, meekness without
25
Q1120 Church & State pp.qxp
weakness, an honest
passion for right
relationships, a merciful
spirit, a peaceful disposition,
and a readiness to suffer
for their convictions
(Mt. 5:1-10).
The ability of the
prophetic voice to showcase
the power of loving reason—
when it is backed up by
the credibility of a good
example—should not
be underestimated.
The prophetic voice of
the church, therefore, must
first be directed to those
who call themselves
Christians (2 Tim. 2:19).
Only as we hold ourselves
accountable will we have
the credibility and courage
to call attention to the sins
of the wealthy and the
powerful as well as to the
struggles of the poor and
the weak.
A faithful prophetic voice
does not waver from timeless
values and perspectives. It
is willing to be like “one
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crying in the wilderness,”
with accountability to
God alone.
The ability of
the prophetic voice
to showcase the
power of loving
reason—when it
is backed up by
the credibility of
a good example—
should not be
underestimated.
A prophetic voice
calls for change through a
loving confrontation and
persuasion—relying on
whatever voluntary change
the Spirit of God and His
Word will make in the
hearts of hearers. It calls
for change in individual
hearts as the means of
transforming a society.
Q1120 Church & State pp.qxp
THE CHALLENGE
OF AN
INCREASINGLY
PLURALISTIC
SOCIETY
A
s a result of regional
conflicts, global
migrations, and
economic development,
many regions of the world
have become multicultural
societies. Many governments
have, in turn, formed public
policy protecting the
freedom of minorities to
worship and practice what
they believe.
Within pluralistic
societies, however, there
also has been another move
to protect minorities by laws
that restrict honest and open
discussion of the historical
claims, beliefs, and practices
of individual religious
groups. Hundreds of
journalists in some
Western European nations,
for example, have been
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arrested under hate-speech
laws for what they see as
honestly reporting the
beliefs and practices of
some minority groups.
In light of such incidents,
there is a time for followers
of Christ to appeal to their
legally granted civil rights.
The apostle Paul, for
example, stood up for his
legal privileges as a Roman
citizen when a Roman
commander was about to
scourge him (Acts 22:22-29).
He claimed his right to be
tried before Caesar to avoid
condemnation by a Jewish
council (25:11).
While recognizing
that we as Christians could
find ourselves living under
similar conditions one day,
I would not want anything
done to restrict the freedom
of non-Christians to criticize
or even insult us. Just as
important, I don’t think we
should become paranoid or
defeatist about what is
happening.
27
Q1120 Church & State pp.qxp
Look, for instance, at
what happened when The
Da Vinci Code became a
runaway bestseller and an
international phenomenon.
Even though it temporarily
shook the faith of many, its
misrepresentation of fact
actually gave the church
an opportunity to publicly
address the historical
evidence for the authenticity
of the One who said, “I am
the way, the truth, and the
life. No one comes to the
Father except through Me”
(Jn. 14:6).
Christians in almost
every Western nation enjoy
freedom of speech and
freedom of assembly. We
have many opportunities
to reach out to the needs
of others and to say to our
world that we have found
Someone who has met us
at the point of our deepest
need. He alone has given
us life for death, hope for
despair, peace in conflict,
forgiveness for guilt, and
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even love for our enemies.
The question we face is:
“How can we best honor
Christ and represent His
heart in a multicultural
society?” In summary, I’d
like to offer four suggestions.
First, I think we need to
be fair, not expecting rights
for ourselves that we would
not want to give to other
religious groups. If we want
to see quotes from the
Bible displayed in Federal
courthouses or other
government property, we
need to be ready to allow
other religious groups
to display their own
scriptures alongside our
own. If we want to restore
Bible reading in our public
schools, we need to be
willing to extend a similar
courtesy to the Jewish,
Muslim, or Hindu families
of our school systems.
Second, I believe
followers of Christ need to
resolve not to respond in
kind to those who insult us.
Q1120 Church & State pp.qxp
Our Lord gave us timeless
counsel when He said:
Blessed are you when they
revile and persecute you,
and say all kinds of evil
against you falsely for
My sake. Rejoice and be
exceedingly glad, for great
is your reward in heaven,
for so they persecuted the
prophets who were before
you (Mt. 5:11-12).
If we are the people
of Christ, how can we
expect more for ourselves
than He received from His
own countrymen? While
encouraging us to follow
the example of Jesus, the
apostle Peter wrote:
When they hurled their
insults at Him, He did
not retaliate; when He
suffered, He made no
threats. Instead, He
entrusted Himself to
Him who judges justly
(1 Pet. 2:23 NIV).
By His own example,
Jesus has given us every
reason to respond to unfair
copyright 2007 RBC Ministries
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attacks with civility. If we
answer a skeptic or critic
with angry or sarcastic
words, we aren’t doing
justice to our Lord. If we
If we are the
people of Christ,
how can we expect
more for ourselves
than He received
from His own
countrymen?
end up being criticized and
even hated for our faith, we
have reason to consider
what the apostle Peter said:
Always be prepared
to give an answer to
everyone who asks you
to give the reason for the
hope that you have. But
do this with gentleness
and respect, keeping a
clear conscience, so
that those who speak
maliciously against
29
Q1120 Church & State pp.qxp
your good behavior
in Christ may be
ashamed of their slander
(1 Pet. 3:15-16 NIV).
Third, I believe that when
it comes to matters of public
policy, Christian voters or
legislators should not try to
impose distinctively biblical
or Christian standards on a
secular society. This does
not mean that we must be
silent on important moral
issues. We have the right
and duty to express our
moral convictions and
promote morality in society
without violating the rights
of nonbelievers. We can,
for example, seek consensus
for legislation and judicial
decisions that protect
children from pornography
and illegal drugs, promote
ethical practices in business
and politics, and resist
legislation that criminalizes
all honest and open
discussion of religion
and moral debate.
Fourth, I believe
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that when it comes to
participation in political
issues, we must carefully
avoid the tendency to
demonize those who
disagree with us. Instead, we
need to treat everyone, no
matter how much we dislike
their lifestyle or worldview,
as image-bearers of God
who deserve respect and the
opportunity to express their
views. We must remember
that when the apostle Paul
challenged people of the
church to separate from a
person who refused to turn
from immoral or unethical
behavior, he was not
referring to someone outside
the faith (see 1 Cor. 5:9-10).
Those who reject our
standards don’t need our
rejection. They need our
friendship. Sometimes,
those who seem to be the
most antagonistic to our
standards are frustrated
because they have an inner
hunger for truth and meaning
but still have not found it.
Q1120 Church & State pp.qxp
Regular contact with a caring
and understanding follower
of Christ may cause them to
become sympathetic to our
concerns and may even lead
them to receive Jesus as their
Savior and Lord.
THE CHOICE
IS OURS
S
omeone has wisely
observed that when
the sun goes down,
we can either light a candle
or curse the darkness.
If we look only at political
and social circumstances, it
might seem as if the sun is
going down. We need to be
realistic about the fact that
Christianity’s numerical
growth is not keeping
up with trends in world
population growth. Unless
there is a dramatic change
of tide, we will become more
and more of a minority in
our multicultural world.
But this is not a time to
withdraw from a courageous
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and compassionate struggle
for hearts and minds. If we
allow the light and love of
God to shine through us,
we don’t need to be in the
majority to influence our
world.
John Stott reminds us
of what sociologist Robert
Bellah said in an interview
recorded in Psychology
Today (January, 1976):
I think we should not
underestimate the
significance of the small
group of people who
have a new vision of a
just and gentle world.
In Japan, a very small
minority of Protestant
Christians introduced
ethics into politics and
had an impact beyond
all proportion to their
numbers. . . . The
quality of a culture may
be changed when two
percent of its people have
a new vision (Human
Rights & Wrongs, p.95).
It’s obvious that such
31
Q1120 Church & State pp.qxp
a small minority did not
transform their vision into
public policy through
sheer numbers and partisan
politics. They did so by
following the example of
Jesus and His first followers.
If we have placed our
trust in Jesus as the King of
kings and Lord of lords, then
we are, first of all, citizens of
a spiritual kingdom. While
Caesar may be a king, Jesus
is the King. He is the One
who died for us and rose
from the dead to deserve
first place in our hearts
and minds.
Good morality in
public policy is important.
But it’s not nearly as critical
as the good news that
changed our hearts and
brought forgiveness for all
the guilt and shame that
once bound us.
I will end this booklet as
I began. Like so many other
followers of Christ, I remain
deeply concerned about
issues of public policy. Even
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though I am now well into
my eighties, I want to
continue to be an informed
citizen who votes for what
I believe to be in the best
interest of the common good.
I also am more convinced
than ever that the real needs
of humanity are rooted
in moral and spiritual
conditions that require
changed hearts and minds.
Such change can
ultimately be found not
through social or political
efforts, but rather through
a relationship with the One
who, while identifying with
the weakest and most sinful
members of our world,
distinguished Himself from
all other human leaders.
Jesus, our Creator,
Savior, and King—the One
who deserves the worship of
all—wants His people to be
salt and light in the world.
He is still patiently calling
His church to be a model
society within the broader
culture.
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