Church and the State, a Christian Debate

            It’s March of 2021 and it should be clear by now that the insanity and chaos of 2020 will continue beyond last year’s limits.  2020’s turmoil has sparked more than a few quarrels, and as is usually the case, new events reveal the Church’s blind spots.  There have been several of these in the past year, but I am going to limit this post to one of particular importance, namely our understanding of the relationship between Church and State. This dispute has often been carried out with more emotion than is helpful, and as is generally the case, when passion overwhelms reason, the Lord is dishonored.  As followers of Christ, we are required not only to speak the truth, but to do so in a gentle and respectable way. (1 Pet. 3:15) Political disagreements tend to arouse more heat than other subjects, partly because the issues extend into everyone’s lives.  Just because you are unconcerned with politics doesn’t mean politics will be unconcerned with you.  Our politically tense context, combined with the relatively unique Covid situation, has revealed a need for the Church to think through this topic more thoroughly.  Church history reveals countless examples of this trend.  A new situation arises and in response, the Church must more carefully examine a specific doctrine.  Certainly, I will only scratch the surface here, but I hope this article will do some small part in helping Christ’s Church work through this issue.  As always, we welcome your comments and input via email or on our social media pages.

Lord of this Land

            It shouldn’t surprise anyone, though I know it will, that the Christian perspective on the proper function of government is grounded in the Lordship of Christ.  We will see later how this foundational principle clashes with the dominant secular view as well as the most widely accepted “Christian” view.  In our American context, we most often see the issue of Church and State relations summarized by the phrase “Separation of Church and State.”  Originally written by Thomas Jefferson in a letter to a Baptist Association, this phrase has come to be one of the unquestioned principles of American politics.  I think there is much truth contained in this phrase, yet when taken to an extreme, it becomes problematic.  Historically, Evangelicals have maintained a distinction between areas under the authority of the Church and those controlled by the State.  If this is all that is meant by “a separation of Church and State”, then I wholeheartedly agree.  Yet, this is not what is usually meant.  Most often this phrase is taken to mean that there exists a separation between God and State.  As if there are two areas, with two rulers and each has with complete authority within its area.  It places Christ over one sphere, His Church, and the State over the public sphere.  Every Christian should remove this framework of thought from their mind.  The Great English Baptist Preacher Charles Spurgeon said it best, as usual, when he said, “Men will allow God to be everywhere except on His throne.”  By this Spurgeon meant that mankind will accept the existence of God, so long as He doesn’t meddle too much in their business.  God as Lord and Ruler is too much for the pride of man to bear.  God’s throne is a symbol of His Lordship and His right to rule His creation as He sees fit.  Christ’s claim to authority isn’t limited to the spiritual realm, the family, the church, or any other artificial boundary.  He made this clear when He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matt. 28:18).  One of the great things about serving Christ is His intimate knowledge of our hearts.  He knows us so well that He often preemptively makes clarifications for our benefit.  He knows we tend to separate the spiritual realm from the physical in our thought.  A statement from Him that “all authority” had been given to Him should be enough, but He knows our weaknesses and goes the extra step of clarifying what He means by “all.”  By adding “in heaven and on earth” He removes any path of escape from the full force of His words.  Christ has all authority, everywhere.  Even here, in America, in 2021 with all the pomp and power of our national government, Christ has claimed complete and total authority.  So, we as Christians can affirm a separation of Church and State because the Lord of both has separated them.

Subordinate Spheres

            Christ’s Lordship is not generally a debated doctrine in Christian circles.  Mostly because “Lordship” is rarely defined and the implications are left unexamined.  If we too carefully define what Lordship means, and how it should impact our lives, this apparent doctrinal unity quickly evaporates.  Blame for this can be assigned to our sinful hearts and the desire to conform.  The doctrinal truth of Christ’s Lordship produces a vast network of implications, many of which will force a Christian to swim against the stream.  Let’s begin to work this out.  Now that we have torn down the unbiblical barrier between Christ and State, we can begin replacing it.  Conveniently, we already started by laying the foundation of Christ’s Lordship.  This is the foundational truth that will uphold everything else.  On top of this foundation, we place the concept of spheres of authority.  To visualize this, imagine multiple circles that partially overlap one another.  For the sake of simplicity, we will only examine two overlapping circles, each representing areas of authority.  One of the overlapping circles represents the area of society that falls under the authority of the State, the other represents the area under the authority of the Church.  Now picture both overlapping circles entirely within another larger circle.  The larger circle that contains the other two is the authority of Christ.  In reality, there are numerous overlapping circles within this larger one, but we are only concerned with these two now.  Christ has “all authority” but has chosen to delegate some to different human institutions.  He gets to choose what authority He gives.  He is the King, and the institutions are His subjects, so wherever He draws the boundaries of their reign is where they must stop.  Christ references this concept of sphere authority when He skillfully answers an insincere question.  A Pharisee asks Him if paying taxes to Caesar is lawful.   The Lord responds, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that God’s.” (Mark 12:17) In this short reply, Christ shows us that there is an area that rightly falls under the authority of Caesar.  He also reveals that there is an area beyond Caesar’s rule.  Here we see the two institutions of the Church and the State, each with distinct authority.  Neither of these two institutions has the right to expand the area they govern.  To do so is rebellion against the Lord that rules both.

Limited and Defined (Caesars Sphere)

            Christ did not give free reign to any of the subordinate institutions He established, He defined their purposes and limited their extent.  In this respect, limited government is a biblical concept.  Notice what was just said, limited government is a biblical concept, which means government is a biblical concept.  Some conservatives and libertarian-minded Americans are fond of saying things to the effect of “no government is good government”.   It is certainly easy to find sympathy with this way of thinking, we should not forget that God has ordained government.  Therefore, when government operates as God has intended it a good thing.  Government was created by God for the purpose of protecting the innocent and punishing evil.  Paul says in Romans 13:1-2 “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities.  For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.  Therefore, whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgement.” Here we see clearly that it is God who established and ordained government and it is under His authority that it functions.  Anarchy is a social system that all Christians must oppose.  Paul goes on in Romans 13:3-4 to say “For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad.  Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority?  Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good.  But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain.  For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carried out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.”  After telling us that government has God’s sanction to exist, Paul then explains the purpose God has for government.  Governments are God’s agents on earth to enforce justice, protect the innocent, promote what is good, and punish what is evil.  It doesn’t take long to realize that a government restrained by these boundaries will be extremely limited by modern standards.  Another key point here is the sword Paul mentions.   Paul is looking back to Genesis.  A flaming sword was given to the angel guarding Eden after Adam and Eve are banished.  Like the angel at the entrance to paradise, God gives an instrument of force to government.  This is a key distinction between the State sphere and the Church sphere, and one that has been lost in the past by both Church and State.  God has authorized the State to use force as it exercises its authority, not the church.

The Charter of the Church (Church’s Sphere)

                There was a time in the history of Christianity when the Church believed it possessed authority in the political sphere.  Back before, and even shortly, after the split between Protestants and Catholics known as the Reformation Church, many Popes made claims that they were the final authority in both Church and State.  Over time this was seen to conflict with Scripture and is generally rejected today.  Similar to the way God instituted government for a purpose and gave it limits, He set boundaries on the reach of the Church.  After Christ’s resurrection, He gave His followers a mission to accomplish.  Contrary to what many believe, our Lord didn’t intend this commission to be carried out by a disorganized mob.  He established a Church that is to be made up of various individuals united under His rule.  It is common to hear contemporary Christians say things like “A building isn’t the Church” and of course, in a sense, this is correct.  Yet, it is often taken too far.  Isolated, disorganized, and disconnected individuals do not possess the authority He has given to His Church.  Modern American evangelicals tend to think of the Christian life in an individualistic sense that resembles religious anarchy more than a Body with parts.  Anarchy is no more allowable in this sphere than it is in the other.  Generally, the trend in modern times is for the State to overstep its sphere and for the Church to abandon much of its.  So then, what does fall within the sphere of the Church?  In broad terms, the authority given to the Church is in matters related to the Great Commission as laid out in Matthew 28:19-20.  Christ says, “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.” Undoubtedly, there is more that needs to be addressed on this topic than this one verse, but it is a good starting point. This is Christ’s parting address to His followers.  He tells them what they are to be doing in His absence.  Earlier we saw that the State has authority to enforce justice and coerce those that refuse.  Here we see that the Church has authority to teach, train, and administer God’s sacraments.  Caesar protects the innocent and punishes evil, while the Church proclaims the Gospel and teaches disciples.  The State has authority to use force, the Church does not.  The State seeks justice, the Church reveals grace.  Each institution has been given a role by God in the functioning of society.  Without the State doing its job, the Church could not do hers.

When Caesar Crosses the Rubicon

            Now we are finally ready to address the issue at hand; when should Christians, as a Church refuse to submit to government?  The answer to this question lies in knowing the purpose that Christ has for His Church.  Christ charged His Church with making disciples, administering the sacraments, and other activities that are necessary for the Church to function.  These are areas under the authority of the Church and are therefore outside Caesar’s authority.  Whenever Caesar seeks to limit, direct, halt, alter, or control the functioning of the Church, he has overstepped his boundaries.  This is a general principle that will require qualification in extraordinary circumstances.  I don’t deny that in certain emergency situations, the government would have a legitimate role in limiting the operations of the Church.  Without getting too bogged down in specifics, suffice it to say that interference by the State in the functioning of the Church must be due to extraordinary circumstances, and for the purpose of protecting the citizenry.  It must also be limited in scope and duration.  Yet, there are some actions that are always and everywhere off-limits to the State.  Caesar is never allowed to take a role in leading the Church.  Some case studies may help show where and when the line should be drawn.  Here are a few.  When the Caesar seeks to give input on the teaching of the Church, he must be taught that he has exceeded his authority.  If Caesar tries to grasp a role in the administration of Sacraments the Church must refuse to allow him.  If Caesar commands the Church to cease gathering indefinitely, the Church must obey God rather than man.  To sum it up, if the State forbids what God demands then Christians must follow the higher authority. 

Choose Whom You Will Serve

Government overstepping the boundaries of its authority is nothing new.   The history of Christ’s Church is filled with countless examples of His Saints choosing to suffer at the hands of the State rather than disobey their Lord.  We ought not to forget that our Lord Himself was executed by a fickle and power-hungry government.  We should not be blinded by the prominent, but unbiblical spirit of the day that places a priority on remaining respectable in an ungodly society.  Disobedience in the name of maintaining a “Christian witness”, is simply cowardice in disguised.  Christ knew what He was doing when He designed His Body, the Church.  He gave it all the parts it needs.  Feet for walking, hands for serving and working, a heart for loving and caring, a brain for wisdom and knowledge, but also a backbone for courage.  Caesar often rebels against God’s authority and attempts to place himself at the head of the Church.  It then becomes necessary for the Church to remind Caesar that Christ’s Body is not an invertebrate.  Christ’s people must only bow to their Lord.  Only by His grace will we grow to be bold like Him.  As we do this rest assured, the more we resemble Him the more we will be treated like Him.  One bold Saint that refused to bow when faced with a tyrannical ruler beautifully recorded his unwavering commitment to Christ’s Lordship in a classic hymn.  Here is a portion of it:

“Let goods and kindred go,

this mortal life also;

  This body they may kill:

 God’s truth abideth still,

His kingdom is forever.”