Prolegomenon
As Christians, we would not consider ourselves reactionary, or hopefully at least not as a defining characteristic. Someone who is reactionary is (by definition) reacting against something (or perhaps for something, though that seems quite rare). As Christians, we should not feel as if we are battered about by the winds of societal change, and accordingly find ourselves lashing out at what we perceive to be behind those winds. This sort of behavior would run dangerously close to what Paul described as the childlike behavior of being “tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes” (Eph 4:14).
As Christians, our response to the winds and waves of this world is one of calm assurance. We rest in the knowledge that our sovereign God is in control of all things, and we are likewise reminded that God has given us Scripture to ground us securely in our faith.
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim 3:16-17)
We are therefore people who are “complete” and “equipped” and we confront the winds and waves in an according manner. This also means that we remember the basis for our equipping – we seek to ground our every thought and response in the Word of God, as Scripture alone is the inerrant, sufficient, and final authority for the church (sola Scriptura).
Again – new, but not new
Though we do not strive to be reactionary, certain challenges require that we work through areas of our faith that have not previously required such robust attention. We learn what muscles we have neglected exercising only when the aches and pains that accompany their use compellingly remind us of their existence – the attention given to some biblical doctrines is not far off. An unforeseen challenge which presents itself is met with the same biblically-grounded response (reflecting our faith in God’s providence), yet those responses may require increased attention to otherwise unfamiliar biblical concepts.
The following is a brief summary of one such concept that we recently began to work through at Grace Community Church (video here). Very few of the conclusions drawn in what follows are unprecedented, which should be a tremendous comfort to the reader (novelty in theology is quite a tricky concept, and often worthy of a healthy dose of Berean suspicion). Specifically, we may ask the following questions: what does Scripture teach about the concept of authority? How does Scripture define authorities? And finally, how does the Christian relate to the authority of the State? None of these are simple questions, and the devil is often in the details when it comes to the myriad applications of such issues. However, it is our conviction that if we build a biblical framework from which to think and answer these questions, it will provide us with the firm footing we need to move forward.
The obvious difficulty
The difficulty for the Christian is quite apparent to most of us, as we have been confronted with these questions quite regularly in recent days. Yet we may recognize the difficulty at the outset: the difficulty is that the Christian is, at times, called to disobey authority figures. When they were charged to keep silent regarding the proclamation of Christ, Peter and the apostles answered with disobedience: “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29b). We may consider Acts 5 a rather stark example – they were, after all, charged with keeping silent about the gospel (though I wonder how many of us similarly keep silent regarding our faith at our places of employment with little thought to this verse, but that is a topic for another day). Following God, in this particular instance, meant disobeying the orders of authorities.
To cite another example, we likewise recognize that it is, at times, a sin to obey the ‘lawful’ orders of a governing authority (‘lawful’ as in ‘legal,’ though this will be discussed further in the following). Judas Iscariot was given one such 'lawful' order: “Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should let them know, so that they might arrest him” (John 11:57). Judas Iscariot’s betrayal of Christ followed the lawful orders of a governing authority, yet we would surely recognize that these actions, though technically lawful, were sinful and deserving of judgment (Scripture certainly seems to; see Matt 27:3-10).
A bit more egg in the pudding
We recognize that Scripture shows times at which people disobeyed an authority and were counted as righteous for doing so (though we will avoid the temptation here to irresponsibly proof-text this). But how do we apply that to the situations that arise in our own lives? Most of us obey posted speed limits – we agree that it is good and godly to obey, no matter how trivial or unfair some of those limits may seem to us. We also agree that it is evil to turn over groups of religious or ethnic minorities to Taliban strongmen in Afghanistan, knowing these actions would lead to innocent lives being murdered. But here is the rub – why do we agree on these examples? Both are lawful orders issued by recognized governing authorities. Both carry the force of law. Both command obedience by the citizen. Yet we know that one is evil and cannot be obeyed.
Before you dismiss my example as a straw man or a red herring, please consider that Taliban atrocities are not an isolated occurrence. Governments throughout history have committed atrocities against their own citizens, and history is littered with times that those governmental orders were defied and disobeyed on moral grounds. We often regard these extreme examples as ‘obvious,’ but the question remains – if a governing authority pursues evil intentions, how do we biblically respond to such actions (including biblically weighing what counts as an 'evil intention' in the first place)? Remember that any given atrocity in history was also lauded by some in positions of power – our personal opinions or feelings simply cannot be the final arbiter of truth in these matters.
And while we are mentioning logical fallacies, we must resist resorting to an appeal to consequences. Here is an example: “the Bible cannot really mean that I am to live a holy life, because that would mean I have to change nearly everything about my current life!” An appeal to consequences is an attempt to invalidate the premise due to the consequences (“X can’t be true, because it would mean Y”). Let us recognize this fallacy for what it is and move on accordingly. Our call is to let Scripture speak clearly – or, as Luther is credited with saying: “the first call of a Christian is to let God be God.”
One further note on this – this is also not a political discussion. I personally have a strong, almost innate aversion to political machinations and the discussions which accompany them. This is not a political discussion – it is a biblical discussion. However, it is a discussion that recognizes that Christ is the Lord of all – and that certainly includes discussions of authority.
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (Matt 28:18)
Therefore, because Christ is Lord of all, we recognize that all authority is His. That makes discussions of authority inherently biblical and inherently the territory of Christian doctrine.
Circles of Authority
Here, then, is a summary of the biblical theme of authority. Scripture reveals that there are various authorities that operate in this world. Of particular note are the biblical circles of authority given to the individual (the self or person), the family, the church, and the State (the State being those various governmental authorities who set laws and wield the sword in the commission of their duties). There is a distinction between these authorities, though we can observe occasional times that these authorities overlap.
The above graphic is not faultless, as all four circles have the potential to overlap at certain times and in limited extents. However, what is of vital importance is to recognize that these authorities have certain parameters, and God sets the parameters of these authorities. They are created by Him and for Him, and He alone dictates their parameters and function. Therefore, violating the parameters of authority is inherently wrong (we may even say immoral), as it violates the parameters set forth by God.
These authorities do not self-attest or self-actualize (though this denial of self-actualization likely offends our modern minds). That is to say, they are not free to define their own roles or parameters of authority, but they must function within those functions and parameters which God has set forth (regardless of whether they explicitly acknowledge God or not).
Regarding the authority of the person/individual/self, the individual has both rights and responsibilities. Scripture places humanity in a specific category, being made in God’s own image (Gen 1:27). This gives men and women inherent worth and dignity, and it is a tremendous blessing. Even in the exercise of the imago Dei (image of God), we recognize that the imago Dei consistently reminds us of God’s authority over us (hence, the coin bearing Caesar’s image belongs to Caesar, while the man bearing God’s image belongs to God; see Mark 12:17). This dignity and worth is why we support laws against murder, rape, or assault – and we regard those actions as inherently evil, even apart from a civil law declaring them so (on an island with no laws, murder would still be wrong). Yet this authority also carries inherent responsibilities – we must exercise personal discipline and hold ourselves accountable for our actions (see 1 Cor 9:27).
The family is a second authority recognized by Scripture, one which God instituted in the Garden:
“Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.” (Gen 2:24-25)
The family authority has rights and responsibilities that are associated with it – parents are commanded to disciple their children, children to honor and care for their parents, husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the Church, wives to submit to their husbands, and the family ultimately to honor Christ. This authority is defined throughout Scripture.
There is likewise an authority given to the Church. The Church is a living, breathing, temple of the Holy Spirit that functions to glorify God (1 Cor 6:19). It is made up of believers, and not a single believer is unnecessary (1 Cor 12:12-27). The church is therefore given elders to oversee and lead, deacons to serve and support, and it is commissioned with proclaiming the gospel and practicing the ordinances as it goes about the business of making disciples unto the glory of God. Again, this is an authority that is defined by Scripture and given clear rights and responsibilities that accompany its authority.
We now come to the authority of the State. The State is given authority by God in this world, and that authority is particularly laid out in two passages which I will quote for the sake of clarity:
“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 judgment. 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 carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 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.” (Rom 13:1-7)
This passage has been at the very heart of recent Christian discussions (and debates) concerning the role of government, but let me make a few passing observations that I trust we can all agree on. First, the authority of the State is from God (v1). That is to say, it is not an inherent or autonomous authority, it is authority that is from God. Second, the State exists to punish bad conduct and reward good conduct (v3), and in doing so it wields the sword (v4). The State pursues justice by avenging the victim and punishing the wrongdoer (v4). Finally, the State collects taxes (vv6-7), which is clearly its most endearing quality (though it is certainly a necessary function, and a biblical one at that).
A second passage that is often paired with Romans 13 is similar in many regards:
“Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.” (1 Pet 2:13-17)
Again, a few clear observations. We are subject to the State for the Lord’s sake. We submit to the State out of a submission and fealty to God. We likewise recognize that the State is a necessary response to human sin: there is no State in the Garden, and there will be none in the New Heavens / Earth. Humanity is sinful, and the State is an agent of authority that God has placed for our protection in this time.
Yet we also recognize that there is specific content to the descriptions of the State in both of these passages – the function of punishing evil and praising good, of punishing bad conduct and rewarding good conduct. These are not merely descriptions of the State, they are definitional parameters of its authority. Inverting these qualities therefore invalidates the authority, as it is no longer operating within its divinely-instituted limits. If a government sets out with the stated objective of punishing good behavior and rewarding bad behavior (we might think of an extreme example for the sake of clarity), we would rightly say that such a government is evil and not to be obeyed. After all, Christians cannot simply go along with the actions of evil government and claim their behavior justified solely because it was officially sanctioned (the testimonies of countless Nazi SS soldiers following World War II come to mind). The pertinent question for the Christian is why are such governments are evil? Our answer cannot rest in our opinions, nor even in the current state of public opinion on the matter – such authorities are evil for trespassing (and thus invalidating) their biblical lines of authority.
This is my Father’s world
Examples and applications are tempting here, but we must recognize an important piece of this dynamic. Every authority in this world exists for and from God. God is the sovereign King who defines their parameters, dictates their functions, and gives them permission to exist.
God holds sovereign authority in this world:
“The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.” (Ps 24:1-2)
The earth, including every authority in it, is God’s. It rests in His hand. This is at the core of the operation and mission of the New Testament Church, as we observed earlier – that Christ holds all authority (Matt 28:18).
Consider a familiar Pauline passage, and note how rule and authority are addressed:
“that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” (Eph 1:20-23)
Scripture attests that every human authority is a derivative authority – it is delegated by God, subservient to God, and allocated by God’s decree.
There is only one eternal, omnipotent, overarching authority, and that is God alone. God then holds the right to define these lower authorities and apportion their parameters – that right is God’s, not ours, nor theirs. Therefore, when an earthly authority violates its biblical parameters, it has violated God’s authority. And we, as Christians, cannot conform to unbiblical authority. We may summarize by observing that an authority has violated its biblical parameters:
When an authority forbids what God commands
When an authority commands what God forbids
When an authority commands what is not theirs to command
These first two lines are rather obvious, but the third line is where things seem to get complicated (and, perhaps accordingly, from where most of the conflicts seem to arise).
Yet this is at the heart of our discussion: Christ is the Lord of all of life, who sets all authorities and defines their parameters, to whom all authority flows. As Christians, we operate out of a supreme fealty to Christ. We recognize the circles of authority that exist precisely because we follow Christ, and He is the Lord of all authority and power in this world. We serve those authorities Christ establishes because we serve Christ, and we recognize their parameters because God has spoken in Scripture. We labor through these issues because we live coram Deo – living out our every breath in the presence of God, by the authority of God, to the glory of God. Christians are not inherently defiant people, yet we are servants of the King – and we call all the King’s subjects to honor and glorify their King in right fashion, living under the authority the King has given.
SDG,
Josh Howard
Josh Howard serves as the Elder/Pastor at Grace Community Church in Battle Creek, MI, co-hosts the Good Doctrine Podcast, and is an alumni of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (PhD, ThM).