04.37. LESSON 37

LESSON 37 The preceding "Study" held that the state is an expedient, ordained by God for those who are not in his church. As a student in the Nashville Bible School, I heard David Lipscomb teach this. and in mutual brotherly kindness debated the matter with G. G. Taylor of Louisville, Kentucky. I have since read adverse reviews of Brother Lipscomb’s book on the subject, but my conviction that his position with respect to the origin of civil government is scriptural has never been shaken. Alexander Campbell wrote to the effect that the best government on earth, be it "English or American" said he, had within it the seeds of its own destruction, for it acknowledged not that God had set Christ upon his throne. The Twofold Function of the State

Neither the kinds of government, such as monarchy and republic, nor the moral character of individual governments and officers is discussed in Romans 13:1-14, but the source and function of the state itself as an institution. While it is true that God ordains civil government as an avenger for wrath to evil doers and true that, should all men become Christians, it would automatically cease to be, it is also true that the state "Is a minister of God to thee (a Christian) for good." Or as Peter puts it, "For praise to them that do well." Why should not rulers feel kindly toward Christians? They are submissive, law-abiding, loyal citizens in everything Caesar has a right to expect (Matthew 22:21), for in God’s over-all government of his universe two sources of ultimate authority with clashing laws is impossible. Do not church and state bear much the same relationship to each other in time that heaven and hell bear to each other in eternity? "God is one" (Deuteronomy 6:4; Galatians 3:20), and has built into his creation the constitutional principle that physical and spiritual forces are so geared together for his long-range purpose that the universe is one orderly, logical, closely related, moral whole, with all things in both nature and religion working together for good to those who love him—both nature and religion are kind to obedient men, but harsh to others. Does not all this bear eloquent witness to "The riches of his grace," and unto "The praise of his glory," wisdom, foresight, power, and goodness? The Scripture, "Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee (God): the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain" (Psalms 76:10), throws clear, strong light upon the workings of God’s government of the world. Though the inhuman monster and matricide, Nero, was emperor of Rome when Peter and Paul wrote, they feared no evil, for they knew the watchful eye and the almighty, overruling arm of God would not suffer the "wrath" of Nero to go far enough really to hurt them and the church. Even in the event of their martyrdom, they would depart and be with Christ which was very far better (Php 1:23). No matter what happened, Nero would be "A minister of God... for good" to them. "I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong" (Paul). "Who is he that will harm you, if ye be zealous of that which is good" (Peter? "When a man’s ways please Jehovah, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him" (Solomon). The Relationship of Christians to the State As I understand Christianity, the three rhyming words, "obey," "pay," and "pray" comprehend a Christian’s duties to his state. Romans 13:1-14 shows that he must obey all laws and pay all taxes. Prayer is treated in 1 Timothy 2:1-4 : "I exhort... prayers... be made for all men; for kings and all that are in high place; that we may live a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and gravity..." This passage considers the whole church as a "holy... royal priesthood" praying for the world of lost men (none of whom can pray adequately for themselves), particularly for kings and other rulers, that they may "come to a knowledge of the truth" in Christ. And just as Aaronic priests received a portion of the offerings of men whom they represented before God, so praying Christians are to be blessed with considerate rulers, under whom they may live in peace, as their portion. Such seems to be the import of this great Scripture, which thus furnishes another example of God’s orderly, integrated, supreme rule over the whole earth. In his monumental history of the Roman Empire, Gibbon, admitting his perplexity as to why Rome persecuted Christians, writes: "Christians yielded the most passive obedience to the laws, though they declined the active cares of war and government. They were a singular people who held an inoffensive mode of faith and worship." This, an unbelieving historian testifies concerning Christianity before it became so worldly and perverted that the nominally Christian emperor, Constantine, who delayed his baptism until on his deathbed in 337 A.D., made political use of it in 325 A.D. to strengthen the Roman Empire. In this manner, the gospel lost its superhuman sanctifying power, and the Medieval Dark Ages came on apace.

Early Christians who "declined the active cares of war and government" were simply following, as Peter exhorted them to do, in the steps of their Master, "Who when he was reviled, reviled not again." Surely, Christ said and did enough in the few hours between his arrest and death to cause their declining active participation in duties of state. When he said to Peter, "Put up the sword into the sheath: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword," did he not "unbelt," as Tertullian says, every soldier who would his disciple be? "What can war but endless war still breed?" (Milton). "A man in armor is his armor’s slave" (Browning). And did not Christ forever repudiate force as an agency to establish or propagate his kingdom when he added: "Or thinkest thou (Peter) that I cannot beseech my Father, and he shall even now send me more than twelve legions of angels?" See the deep, impassable gulf he put between his kingdom and the kingdoms of the world when he said to Pilate: "My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is not my kingdom from hence." As Father Abraham "became a sojourner" in Canaan, so Christians, whose "citizenship is in heaven," become "Strangers and pilgrims on the earth... for they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly." Let poor men, who have no "Spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ," attend to the state. For them, does God ordain it, as the best he can do for them. But for Christians, he ordains a better way in which to honor him and to help a rebel world.

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