Separation of Church and State? Says who?

CHAPTER 24: Of The Civil Magistrate
(Parts One and Two)

God has all authority.  Why?  He is God, Sovereign over all.  He created everything, therefore, everyone and everything is subject to Him.  No exceptions exist.

God has ordained civil government and civil authorities to be under Him, and over the people they govern.  God has done this for His glory and for the good of the people.  God has given civil authorities the “sword,” meaning they are ordained to use force if necessary—including deadly force in extreme cases, to protect their citizens from evil doers.

In addition to punishing evil doers, the civil authority is to reward those who do good.  These rewards are to be in the form of establishing and maintaining necessary laws that promote the general peace, protection from evil from within the nation, and national defense from intruders from outside the nation.

The most important key to this being done correctly is that the civil authorities must understand their responsibility to God in order to discharge their authority over the people.  Sadly, that is not common because we live in a fallen world governed by fallen leaders.

Let us pray, as Paul wrote to Timothy (1 Timothy. 2:1-2), for the civil authorities (especially the ungodly ones) “that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.” 

(Part Two)

Separation of church and state.  That is a great American ideal.  (It has been repeated so many times, most think it is in the US Constitution, but it is not!).  Is the idea biblical?  Sort of, but not altogether.  Does God have nothing to say about government?  Can God be barred from any sphere?  So while the separation of church and state is a good idea (especially since while God cannot err, the Church often does!), the separation of God and state is absurd.

While the Church and the state may be separate (though there is no mandate in scripture that they must be), the state has authority to punish churches for unlawful activity.  The Church has the moral responsibility to call the state to task for sinful, and even immoral activity.

Individuals in the Church (but not the religious institution of the church), have every spiritual right to be involved in the affairs of state.  Likewise, individuals involved in the affairs of state (but not government institutions), have every spiritual right to be involved in the affairs of the Church.

It must be remembered that while in the United States we have political rights to vote, Christians in other governments do not; nor is the right to vote granted by God in scripture to all peoples of all nations.  Their recourse is not in the voting booth, but in the prayer closet.

Pare Two was written from an American point of view.  Other countries have “state churches.”  Technically, the Queen of England, for example, is the “head” of the Church of England. 

The complimentary roles of the Church and the state

CHAPTER 24: Of The Civil Magistrate
(Parts Three and Four)

God has all authority.  Why?  He is God, Sovereign over all.  He created everything, therefore, everyone and everything is subject to Him.  No exceptions exist.

God has ordained civil government and civil authorities to be under Him, and over the people they govern.  God has done this for His glory and for the good of the people.  God has given civil authorities the “sword,” meaning they are ordained to use force if necessary—including deadly force in extreme cases, to protect their citizens from evil doers.

In addition to punishing evil doers, the civil authority is to reward those who do good.  These rewards are to be in the form of establishing and maintaining necessary laws that promote the general peace, protection from evil from within the nation, and national defense from intruders from outside the nation.

The most important key to this being done correctly is that the civil authorities must understand their responsibility to God in order to discharge their authority over the people.  Sadly, that is not common because we live in a fallen world governed by fallen leaders.

Let us pray, as Paul wrote to Timothy (1 Timothy. 2:1-2), for the civil authorities (especially the ungodly ones) “that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.” 

(Part Four)

Separation of church and state.  That is a great American ideal.  (It has been repeated so many times, most think it is in the US Constitution, but it is not!).  Is the idea biblical?  Sort of, but not altogether.  Does God have nothing to say about government?  Can God be barred from any sphere?  So while the separation of church and state is a good idea (especially since while God cannot err, the Church often does!), the separation of God and state is absurd.

While the Church and the state may be separate (though there is no mandate in scripture that they must be), the state has authority to punish churches for unlawful activity.  The Church has the moral responsibility to call the state to task for sinful, and even immoral activity.

Individuals in the Church (but not the religious institution of the church), have every spiritual right to be involved in the affairs of state.  Likewise, individuals involved in the affairs of state (but not government institutions), have every spiritual right to be involved in the affairs of the Church.

It must be remembered that while in the United States we have political rights to vote, Christians in other governments do not; nor is the right to vote granted by God in scripture to all peoples of all nations.  Their recourse is not in the voting booth, but in the prayer closet. 

Part two was written from an American point of view.  Other countries have “state churches.”  Technically, the Queen of England, for example, is the “head” of the Church of England.

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