GOOD NEWS: CITIZENS

THE GOOD NEWS IS POLITICAL.

THE BIBLICAL NARRATIVE IS THIS:

GOD IS THE CREATOR AND KING OF ALL NATIONS. GEN 1-3. PS 33.

THE NATIONS DON’T RECOGNIZE THEIR TRUE KING. (EVEN ISRAEL)

GOD WILL APPOINT A KING TO BRING GOD’S RULE OVER THE NATIONS. PS 2. ISA 11.

JESUS IS THAT KING.

JESUS’ IS NOT LIKE THE KINGDOMS OF THIS WORLD BUT IT IS FOR THE KINGDOMS OF THIS WORLD.

THE GOSPEL IS AN INVITATION TO A WAY OF LIFE - A KINGDOM.

WE ARE CITIZENS OF GOD’S KINGDOM

Philippians 1:27 ESV

27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,

ONLY LIVE AS CITIZENS WORTHY OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST

Philippians 3:20–21 ESV

20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

THE BOOK OF ACTS: THE TALE OF TWO KINGDOMS

Acts 1:6–8 ESV

6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

IT IS NOT TIME FOR THE CHURCH TO SEARCH AN EARTHLY KINGDOM. THE CHURCH IS EMPOWERED TO ENTER ALL KINGDOMS AND BRING THE KINGDOM OF GOD/HEAVENS.

ACTS 1-15 THE CHURCH EXPERIENCES GROWING PAINS AS PEOPLE FROM MANY KINGDOMS ARE MADE INTO ONE FAMILY. @ THE JERUSALEM COUNCIL IT IS MADE CLEAR THAT THE GOSPEL IS SUPRACULTURAL - NOT LIMITED TO JEWS BUT AVAILABLE TO ALL!

IN ACTS 16 PAUL FINDS HIMSELF IN PHILIPPI AND IS ACCUSED OF PROMOTING UNLAWFUL CUSTOMS FOR ROMANS.

Acts 16:16–40 ESV

16 As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” 18 And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour. 19 But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. 20 And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. 21 They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.” 22 The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. 23 And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. 24 Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. 25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. 27 When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” 29 And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. 34 Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God. 35 But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, “Let those men go.” 36 And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Therefore come out now and go in peace.” 37 But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out.” 38 The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens. 39 So they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city. 40 So they went out of the prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed.

IN ACTS 17 THEY ARE ACCUSED OF TREASON AND SEDITION BY PROMOTING ANOTHER KING IN THESSALONICA.

Acts 17:1–9 ESV

1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” 4 And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. 5 But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. 6 And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, 7 and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” 8 And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things. 9 And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.

IN ACTS 18 THEY ARE ACCUSED OF PROMOTING UNLAWFUL WORSHIP IN CORINTH.

IN ACTS 19 A RIOT BREAKS OUT IN EPHESUS AS THEY ARE ACCUSED OF ENDANGERING THE ECONOMY AND OFFENDING THE GODS.

“Early Christianity lacked any of the things that typically comprised “religion” in

the Roman world: no shrines or temple, therefore no statues of the deity, no altar, no

sacrifices, and no priesthood. This was totally bizarre in a culture saturated with

temples and gods; to deny the gods of worship was effectively to deny their reality.

The withdrawal of new converted Christians from the ubiquitous veneration of the

gods in public and family environments was seen as abrupt, arbitrary, unjustified and

deeply worrying. All of these gods governed various arenas of human life, and one’s

family, city and national gods were guardians against plague, fire, and disaster.

Refusal to participate in their worship would have been taken as disloyalty to one’s

family, city, and as disregard for the welfare of one’s neighbors.”

Destroyer of the Gods: Early Christian Distinctiveness in the Roman World

Larry Hurtado

THE REST OF ACTS TELLS THE STORY OF PAULS RETURN TO JERUSALEM WHERE HE IS ARRESTED AND ENDURES RIGGED TRIALS INT HE ROMAN JUSTICE SYSTEM. HE ULTIMATELY FINDS HIMSELF UNDER HOUSE ARREST IN ROME

ROME: IN 19 AD EMPEROR TIBERIUS EXILED THOUSANDS OF JEWS TO SARDENIA FOR HAVING TOO MUCH INFLUENCE IN ROME.

IN AD 49 EMPOROR CLAUDIUS EXPELLED 30,000 JEWS FROM ROME “..BECAUSE OF THEIR CCONTANT DISTURBANCES AT THE INSTITGATION OF CHRESTUS.” (SUETONIUS, THE TWELVE CAESARS: CLAUDIUS, CH. 25)

THE BOOK OF ROMANS: DUAL CITIZENS

ROMANS 1-11 JEWS AND GENTILE ARE ONE NEW FAMILY IN THE MESSIAH

ROMANS 12-13.

Romans 12–13 ESV

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. 3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. 9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. 1 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. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 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, 4 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 carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. 8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. 11 Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. 12 The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

KEY POINTS:

SEEK PEACE NOT VENGEANCE:

Romans 12:19 ESV

19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

SEEK PEACE GOD USES THE STATE

Romans 13:4 ESV

4 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 carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.

ABOVE ALL LOVE

Romans 13:8–10 ESV

8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Dual citizenship in the kingdom of God and human kingdoms

• Christians find themselves in diverse families, nations, and social location which also shape

their unique identity. This is part of God’s “calling” (1 Corinthians 7:17-24).

• They are called to honor the structures of authority because they are an expression of God’s

authority to promote and sustain good in the world (Genesis 1, Romans 13)

• If God’s people have the opportunity to participate in those authority structures they are

called to leverage them for the well-being of their community and for God’s kingdom (Joseph

in Egypt, Esther in Persia, Daniel in Babylon; see Romans 12:17)

• When those authority structures become corrupt and do not sustain the good, God’s people

are called to non-violent resistance and prophetic critique (Daniel).

• When those authority structures demand a loyalty that compromises their allegiance to

Jesus, they are to humbly disobey and accept the consequences (“we must obey God rather

than humans”, Peter in Acts 5:29)

THE EARLY CHURCH AND POLITICS

TIM MACKIE