It’s often said that there are two subjects to avoid in polite conversa­tion — religion and politics. A warn­ing: I’m going to be impolite. My subject is religion and politics. The apostle Paul addresses these sub­jects in this chapter. Since the be­ginning of chapter 12 the apostle has been teaching us how we should live as Christians. He has taught us about our relationship to God (12:1-2); our relationship to ourselves (3-8); to one another (9­-16) and to our enemies (17-21). Now in this chapter he instructs us in our relationship to the state and to governing authorities.

Between the time of writing and the time you read this article I anticipate a general election and a change of government. Perhaps it would be wise to wait and see what the new government will be and who the new Prime Minister is? I’m not game to predict the outcome. The opinion polls at the minute are 50/50. However, no matter the out­come, no matter what colour the new government will be, I’m confi­dent I won’t need to change a thing. The remarkable thing about these instructions is that they embody principles that apply no matter what kind of government we have, no matter who is in government, no matter where or when we live. These are universal and timeless principles.

The relationship between the church and state has been a thorny one down through history. Different positions and political theories have been held. These can be ex­pressed as follows:

Erastianism — currently in China and Russia. This is the theory that the state is supreme and controls the church.

Theocracy/clericalism — popular in the middle ages and in Muslim counties today. This is the theory that the church should dominate and determine the state.

Strict Separation — this is the popular view today. This is the be­lief that church and state are totally separate entities.

Partnership — this is the view that church and state should recognize each other’s distinct God given roles and responsibilities in a spirit of mutual support. This is the posi­tion which best accords with the Bible’s teaching. There are two le­gitimate powers (civil and spiritual); they are different but there are ar­eas of overlap. Jesus stated it con­cisely in answer to a curly question when he said, ‘Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s’ (Matt. 22:21). This is the position we adopt in our church. We sometimes refer to it as the ‘Establishment Principle.’ Every office bearer in our church is asked:

Do you believe that Church and State are distinct and separate institutions, that both are ac­countable to the Lord Jesus Christ ... that the mutually helpful relationship between Church and State does not imply subordina­tion of one to the other in its own sphere, and, in particular, that the civil authorities have no ju­risdiction or authoritative con­trol in the spiritual affairs of Christ’s Church?

Church and State are two distinct divine insti­tutions, each independent in its own sphere, but ought to cooper­ate for the glory of God and the welfare of society.

Andrew Melville’s famous admoni­tion to James VI of Scotland in 1596 illustrates the point. Melville apparently took the king by the sleeve and told him to listen to what the ministers had to say.

Sir, there are two kings and two kingdoms in Scotland: there is King James the head of this commonwealth, and there is Christ Jesus, the King of the church, whose subject James VI is, and of whose kingdom he is not a king, nor a head, but a member. We will yield to your place, and give you all due obe­dience; but again I say, you are not the head of the Church; you cannot give us that eternal life, which we seek for even in this world, and you cannot deprive us of it. Permit us then freely to meet in the name of Christ, and to attend the interests of that church of which you are a chief member.

As Christians we are both mem­bers of the church and citizens in the state. So what kind of citizens should we be? What should we do and not do?

1. We Should Recognise the Authority of Government (1-2)⤒🔗

‘There is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God’ (1). ‘By me kings reign and rulers make laws that are just; by me princes govern, and all nobles who rule on earth’ (Prov. 8:15-16).

The power of government does not come from the electors; or from its leader; but fundamentally and ulti­mately its power is from God. Even governments that we have not elected or endorse are there by God's authority. Remember the words of Jesus to Pilate, ‘You would have no power (authority) over me if it were not given to you from above’ (Jn 19:11). Even the positively wicked government of Babylon was there by God’s com­mand to do His will (cf. Hab. 1). A.A. Hodge wrote, “Some have supposed that the right or legiti­mate authority of human govern­ment has its foundation ulti­mately in the ‘consent of the gov­erned,’ ‘the will of the majority’ or in some imaginary social pact.”

Any authority that government has is from God. All authority proceeds from God. He has delegated his authority to the civil government — in whatever form it may take — for our good. The Bible nowhere legislates the particular form of government — whether monarchy, republic, de­mocracy, dictatorship, or whatever. Many today believe that democracy has come down to us directly from heaven. I think we would have diffi­culty supporting that belief biblically. The government’s authority, how­ever, is not absolute. It is not free to do whatever it likes. There are limits and boundaries to its jurisdic­tion. The government has no au­thority, for example, to dictate what parents teach their children at home; the government has no au­thority to dictate to the church how it should or should not worship. The government should not dictate who the church should employ, and so on. While under all ordinary circum­stances we should recognise and submit to the government’s author­ity there may be occasions for civil disobedience if the government re­quires us to do something contrary to God’s commands.

Just as we should recognise the God given authority of government — so those who are in government should also recognise that their au­thority ultimately comes from God. Their mandate is not from the peo­ple, nor from their majority, but from God. Our Prime Minister, whoever he will be in October this year or next year or any year, has a moral obligation to acknowledge that the authority of his government is from Almighty God. The message of Psalm 2 emphasises the foolish­ness and futility of rejecting the Lord’s righteous rule exercised through His anointed Son, Jesus Christ.

2. We Should Recognise the Re­sponsibility of Government (3-4)←⤒🔗

The ruler is described as, ‘God’s servant’ (4a, 4c and 6). The word used is ‘diakonos’ (verse 4) and ‘leitourgos’ (verse 6: servant/minister). The concept survives today when we call our government officials, ‘public servants’ i.e. they serve civilians. Stott writes, ‘Those who serve the state as legisla­tors, magistrates, police, social workers, or tax collectors are just as much ‘ministers of God’ as those who serve as pastors and teachers and evangelists.’ Is that how we think of them? Is that how they think of themselves? Rulers are servants of God — to serve the people.

We should understand that Paul is not developing here an advanced theory of civil government. That’s not his purpose. He emphasises however, two responsibilities of gov­ernment that have relevance to be­lievers. Governments may do many other things – but they ought to, at least, do these i.e. ‘To promote and reward the good and to re­strain and punish the evil’. Peter also agrees; ‘be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human insti­tution whether it be to the emperor as supreme or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good’ (1 Peter 2:13-14). Government exists to serve the good of the people. The Westmin­ster Confession states, ‘God, the supreme Lord and King of all the world, hath ordained civil magis­trates to be under him over the people, for his own glory and for the public good’ (23:1). The good should not be narrowly defined as the economic and material good — but what is altogether good — which includes the moral and spiritual good. That’s the question every government should be asking itself everyday: ‘Is this for the overall good of the people’? Is, for exam­ple, legislating for same sex mar­riage good?

It is the state’s duty to punish the wrongdoer — the murderer, the thief, the fraudster, and all who commit a crime. We as individuals have not the authority to take the law into our own hands (cf. Rom. 12:19). That’s what the state is for. The state is an instrument of God to curb and punish evil. The state ‘bears the sword’ (4). This was no mere metaphor — but literal. It’s the ancient equivalent, I suppose, of the cop’s revolver. The phrase implies that the state has authority to use force (though not exces­sive) and physical punishment when required. It’s also implied that the state has authority to im­pose the severest sanction of all — capital punishment. God justified capital punishment in Gen. 9: 5-6. Paul in Acts 25:11 recognised this authority as he stated before a Roman tribunal, ‘If I be an of­fender, or have committed any­thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die.’

The sword also implies that the state has authority to defend itself against a hostile aggressor. ‘The state may lawfully wage war upon just and necessary occa­sions’ (WCF 23:2 and cf. Luke 3:14, Matt. 8:9-10, Acts 10:1-2). Because of nuclear capability nowadays, every effort should be made to solve political differences by political means.

3. We Should Fulfil our Duty as Citizens (1, 6-7)←⤒🔗

There are some who view the state as a necessary evil and therefore want little to do with it. That’s hardly a biblical position. As Christians we are called to be good citizens. We are required, under all ordinary circumstances, to submit to all the laws and re­quirements of the state (1). Why? Because the powers that be are ordained by God; because it’s the way to avoid punishment (3); be­cause our conscience tells us to obey (5).

There may however be occa­sions, as noted above, when a Christian will have to disobey. Whenever laws are enacted which contradict God’s law; or when the State is asking us to do something immoral. There are some notable examples in the Bible: e.g. the Hebrew midwives who refused to obey the command of Pharaoh to kill the baby boys (Ex. 1:17). Shad­rach, Meshach and Abednego re­fused to obey Nebuchadnezzar when he issued an edict that all his subjects should fall down and wor­ship the golden image (Dan. 3). Daniel refused to stop praying de­spite Darius’ decree (Dan. 6). The apostles refused to stop preaching despite the ban from the Sanhedrin (Acts 4:18ff).

In modern history during the Nazi era Christians were faced with a devilish state with anti­Christian and anti human prac­tices. German citizens were com­manded to have no dealings with the Jews ... Corrie ten Boom and her family were right to hide Jews and thus try to save their lives ... Dietrich Bonheoffer was right to speak out against Hitler, organise an underground church and strengthen its opposition and witness ... Martin Niemoeller was right to go on preaching the truth even to the point of being imprisoned for it. Another minis­ter visited him in jail and argued that he could be set free if only he kept quiet about certain subjects. ‘So why are you in jail?’ he concluded. Niemoeller replied, ‘Why aren’t you in jail?’ Quoted in Boice

We have a duty to speak out against racism, government and corporate corruption, abortion and all other moral evils of our day. The church should act as the moral conscience of the nation (cf. James 5:1-6).

Let’s face it: many of our leaders are not great moral examples. Must we submit to and respect them? This was also the apostle’s di­lemma. The emperor Nero at this time was a 17 year old stripling. Could you have much respect for a pimply teenager? Listen to the Confession again: ‘infidelity, or difference in religion, doth not make void the magistrates’ just and legal authority, nor free the people from their due obedience to them’ (WCF 23:4). We are to respect the office. We, no doubt, were disappointed about many as­pects in the personal life of our first female Prime Minister. But there is no doubt she was the subject of much personal vilification and shameful abuse which was unwor­thy of her office. Peter says, ‘show proper respect to everyone: love the brotherhood, fear God, hon­our the king.’ (1 Peter 2:17). No one likes paying taxes. But as citizens we have an obligation be­fore God to pay taxes (6-7). Tax is a legitimate debt we owe. Yet there are many tax dodgers. (Did you know that an average of 1.2 million tax payers fail to lodge a tax return each year? Did you know that the ATO is the 2nd biggest government employer — with 20,000 employ­ees?). Did you know that Jesus paid tax? He said, ‘Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.’ When Jesus said that, ‘He gave to the state a legiti­macy it had never enjoyed before, and set bounds to it that had never yet been acknowledged.’ (Lord Acton).

As citizens we ought to pray, ‘for kings and those in authority that we may live peaceful lives in all godliness.’ (1 Tim. 2:1-2). Surely this is one of the most ne­glected tasks of Christians? If we prayed as fervently and as fre­quently for them as we criticised them it would do much more good! We should be careful how we speak of our leaders. Beware of bashing politicians as the world is fond of doing. We ought to commend them when they do good and inform them when they do wrong; but we must always pray for them.

Finally, as good citizens we should be witnesses to the gospel of the Lord Jesus. Christians make an enormous contribution to society by actively living for Christ — they are effectively salt and light. We all want a better society. We can’t have a better society with better people. It’s only the gospel that can change people for good. Jesus said, ‘you shall be my witnesses.’ The greatest as­set the nation has is a faithful church throughout the land. That’s one good reason why the state should be supporting and protecting it — it’s for the public good.