This is the first article in a series about the biblical view of government and how Christians should relate to it. For more, follow the RELATED tags within the article.
A Christian looking for a political outlook to integrate with his biblical worldview will find seemingly persuasive arguments for both left and right wing formulations of Christian politics. Despite the confusion which can come about as a result of hearing so many contradictory but well-formulated perspectives, some firm conclusions may be reached about the kind of society Christians should prefer and the role that we should seek to have in our nation’s political dialogue.
The Biblical Account of the Origin and Role of Government
To begin with, we ought to have some understanding about how the Bible views the origin and role of government. As to origin, we should note that the Bible in no place specifies any particular political scheme as the one which God favors, though it is clear that He is sovereign over kings and nations. The first king mentioned in the Bible is Nimrod (see Gen. 10), who is described as a mighty warrior. This suggests that his throne was consolidated by force. It is stated that one of the first centers of his kingdom was in Shinar (in Gen. 10:10), where the Tower of Babel was built to consolidate human power. This attempt was thwarted by God via His sending a confusion of languages upon humanity to limit the unification of political hegemony.
RELATED: PODCAST: MAKE CHRISTIANITY WEAK AGAIN
In the case of Israel monarchy was actually chosen by the people—though God and the prophet Samuel both warned Israel against this act. The biblical record is somewhat vague but at least consistent with the classical liberal viewpoint that kings emerge on the basis of the consent (even if consent is forced by subjugation) of a larger populace which is no more fit to rule as the king is.
As for the role of government, scripture gives us both the benefits and drawbacks of centralized authority. We are told in Judges 21:25 that the wickedness of Israel stemmed from their not having a monarch to organize their moral chaos, though 1 Samuel 8:10-18 also records the warning of God that a king will confiscate the property of the people and make war using their sons as canon fodder. The books of Kings and Chronicles are filled with stories of good kings who bless Israel and Judah as well as bad kings which oppress the people and lead them into moral depravity. The Old Testament also records that God judges kings for their oppression of the poor and weak:
“Hear the word of the Lord to you, king of Judah . . . : Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place. For if you are careful to carry out these commands, then kings who sit on David’s throne will come through the gates of this palace, riding in chariots and on horses, accompanied by their officials and their people. But if you do not obey these commands, declares the Lord, I swear by myself that this palace will become a ruin” (Jeremiah 22:2-5, NIV).
There is also a distinction to be made between the role of government in the Israelite theocracy and its role in every other state. For instance, in Amos we find oracles against both Israel and her pagan neighbors. Israel is held accountable for not following Torah (the law of Moses), whereas the nations are chastised for violating more basic, naturally understood directives of human decency. Gaza kidnapped people and sold them as slaves, Amon ripped open pregnant women to extend its borders, but Judah rejected the law of God and worshiped idols. God will judge these nations on the basis of what He demanded from them.
So, we know what a government should not do—oppress those in need and punish the innocent. What, ideally, will a government do? According to Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2:14, it will punish the evildoer while commending and rewarding those who do good. Paul also suggests in Romans 12-13 that governments should do this because Christians cannot, a complication for the Christian’s relationship to government which we will address later.
NEXT: A BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW OF GOVERNMENT PART 2 – LEFT VERSUS RIGHT