Christian Perspectives on Government

Respect for human leaders was the norm for the early church long before the Roman Empire was “Christianized.” One example of the early Christians’ righteous pattern of support for their ruling superiors is the following prayer composed by Clement of Rome near the end of the first century. • Remarkably, this prayer was offered in the wake of severe persecutions ordered by the emperors Nero and Domitian: Guide our steps to walk in holiness and righteousness and singleness of heart, and to do those things that are good and acceptable in Thy sight, and in the sight of our rulers. Yes, Lord, cause Thy face to shine upon us in peace for our good, that we may be sheltered by Thy mighty hand and delivered from every sin by Thine outstretched arm. Deliver us from those who hate us wrongfully. Give concord and peace to us and to all who dwell on earth, as Thou didst to our fathers, when they called on Thee in faith and truth with holiness, while we render obedience to Thine almighty and most excellent name, and to our earthly rulers and governors. Thou, O Lord and Master, hast given them the power of sovereignty through Thine excellent and unspeakable might, that we, knowing the glory and honour which Thou hast given them, may submit ourselves to them, in nothing resisting Thy will. Grant them therefore, O Lord, health, peace, concord and stability, that they may without failure administer the government which Thou hast committed to them. For Thou, O heavenly Master, King of the ages, dost give to the sons of men glory and honour and power over all things that are in the earth. Do Thou, O Lord, direct their counsel according to what is good and acceptable in Thy sight, that they, administering in peace and gentleness with godliness the power which Thou hast committed to them, may obtain Thy favour.1 • Prayers of Believers 1. In the second century Justin Martyr, church father and theologian, wrote this to the emperor Antoninus Pius, “Everywhere we [Christians], more readily than all men, endeavour to pay to those appointed by you the taxes both ordinary and extraordinary, as we have been taught by [Jesus].… Whence to God alone we render worship, but in other things we gladly serve you, acknowledging you as kings and rulers of men, and praying that with your kingly power you be found to possess also sound judgment.”2 2. A later church father, Tertullian, wrote concerning Rome, “Without ceasing, for all our emperors we offer prayer. We pray for life prolonged; for security to the empire; for protection to the imperial house; for brave armies, a faithful senate, a virtuous people, the world at rest, whatever, as man or Caesar, an emperor would wish.”3 3. The remarkable thing about those statements is not the profundity of their sentiments as such, but that they were expressed in the midst of very difficult times for the church. It was attempting to survive and grow even though targeted for sometimes-vicious persecution by a pagan, cruel, anti-Christian government in Rome. 1. Accusations against Believers a. Most key Roman officials viewed Christians as simply members of a sect within Judaism. i. Therefore believers became targets of the same kind of slander and malicious rumors that the government had previously circulated about the Jews. ii. For example, Apion made this false accusation against the Jews: “In the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes, the Jews every year fattened a Greek, and having solemnly offered him up as a sacrifice on a fixed day in a certain forest, ate his entrails and swore eternal hostility to the Greeks.”4 iii. The enemies of the church also accused Christians of insurrection against Rome and against all other human authority. That’s what the Jewish leaders said about Jesus (John 19:15). iv. Some charged believers with atheism simply because they refused to worship pagan gods, including Caesar. v. Others distorted the scriptural teaching concerning the Lord’s Table and said the followers of Christ were cannibals (see John 6:51–53; 1 Corinthians 10:16). vi. Perhaps the most incredible charge aimed at the early Christians was that they had incestuous relationships with one another. That originated because pagans heard believers referring to fellow believers as brothers and sisters in Christ. vii. Unbelievers also distorted in a similar fashion the divine command to “greet one another with a holy kiss.” b. In the early decades of the church, believers were also accused of various other offenses. i. Unbelievers were upset because Christians supposedly ruined the trade in the idol-making industry (see Acts 19:21–41). ii. Because some homes were divided when part of a family believed in Christ and another part did not, the pagans blamed believers for destroying family life. iii. Then the church was accused of encouraging a slave rebellion within the Empire just because converted slaves received new life and dignity in Christ. iv. And for refusal to adopt the world’s lifestyle, believers were called antisocial. 2. A Godly Response a. With God’s help, the early church withstood that array of outrageous accusations and carried the gospel to every part of its world. i. Believers responded to relentless persecution with godly living, as 1 Peter 2:12 directs: “Having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.” ii. Such behavior left no ammunition for the ungodly to use in hurling false charges at Christians, and it served to attract the unsaved to Jesus Christ. iii. The situation is not that much different in our culture today. There is a general bias against the truth and righteousness that genuine Christianity stands for, but we as believers should nevertheless live as godly citizens who support the civil authorities. iv. In complete agreement with Paul’s earlier teaching, the apostle Peter charged his audience and us to “submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake” (1 Peter 2:13). b. We could also translate the command “submit yourselves” (from a military term for a soldier being under the authority of a superior) to read “put yourselves in an attitude of submission.” i. The world has always associated that attitude with weakness and cowardice, but Scripture declares it to be the beginning foundation for our support of government leaders. ii. “My son, fear the Lord and the king; do not associate with those given to change; for their calamity will rise suddenly, and who knows the ruin those two can bring?” (Proverbs 24:21–22). iii. That kind of strong loyalty is always a proper component of good Christian citizenship. 3. Reminders Reminders from the past and from Scripture are certainly instructive, and they provide plenty of incentive for us to please God as good citizens wherever He has placed us. But now the question arises, “Are there any reminders we need to bring before our civic officials that will demonstrate our support for them and indicate to them that we have their best interests at heart?” The answer is yes, so let’s look at what God’s Word has to say about the most important of such “godly citizen reminders.” a. Leadership Is a Divine Trust a. First of all, Christians need to periodically remind their leaders that civil responsibilities are given to them from the supervising hand of God. b. An infallible source for the truth of that reminder is the Book of Psalms with its many declarations that God is sovereign over the affairs of mankind. c. Just two of those declarations are sufficient to make the point. “But You, Lord, are on high forevermore” (Psalm 92:8). d. “The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty; the Lord is clothed, He has girded Himself with strength. Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved. Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting” (93:1–2). e. When Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon showed his disregard for this truth—“Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?” (Daniel 4:30)— f. God immediately judged the king’s arrogant attitude of self-importance. “While the word was still in the king’s mouth, a voice fell from heaven: ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has departed from you! And they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. They shall make you eat grass like oxen; and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses” (verses 31–32). g. When God’s prophetic words were perfectly fulfilled, Nebuchadnezzar was constrained to acknowledge God’s proper role, “At the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever: for His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation” (verse 34). b. God Is the Ultimate and Only Sovereign a. Emerging logically from the fact that human leadership is a divine trust is the truth that God is sovereign over this world and all its governments. b. From time to time as appropriate, we should respectfully remind our government authorities that God “disciplines nations” (Psalm 94:10, niv), and that some day “He is coming to judge the earth. With righteousness He shall judge the world, and the peoples with equity” (Psalm 98:9). c. As God’s people, Christians should “declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens” (Psalm 96:3–5). d. The founders and leaders of any good government will recognize the presence of God in the process and will not dare to exclude His principles from the conduct of governing. e. Whenever leadership is detached from God and is indifferent to or ignorant of His sovereignty, justice suffers and the overall effectiveness and efficiency of government is severely diminished, often to the point of corruption. Obviously, such a situation ought to be the last thing we as believers want for our nation.