Of the Civil Magistrate by Pastor Bob Burridge ©2001 Fast Link: to the newest section of this chapter Westminster Confession of Faith 23
God's appointment of Civil Authorities
Authority in the home is entrusted to the husband of each family. Together with his wife they exercise authority over their children as parents (Colossians 3:19-21, Ephesians 5:22-6:4). In the workplace the employers, business owners or masters are given the duty of being responsible leaders over their employees on the job. (Colossians 3:22-4:1, Ephesians 6:5-9). In the church, authority is entrusted to the duly called and ordained elders. They oversee the business of the church and the spiritual care of all its members (Acts 20:28-32, 1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9). Authority in society is vested in civil governments. Its their duty to provide for civil order (Romans 13:1-7). Its their office, not their personal merit, or power to subject others, that is to be respected. God administers his kingship in human affairs by his appointed servants. This chapter of the confession concerns itself with defining the area of God-appointed authority which rests with the civil magistrate. Its authority is secondary to the greater authority of God who is King of kings and Lord of lords. We must obey God rather than men when the two are in conflict. Those who rule over a civil jurisdiction rule as agents of God. They answer to him and must submit to all of his laws as they carry out their duties. No government has the rightful authority to infringe upon the authorities given to other levels of leadership assigned in scripture in the home, work place and church, except where abuses of those endanger the civil order.
Observations from Romans 13:1-7
All proper human authority is delegated by God himself. To disobey those he puts in charge, is to disobey God himself. Everybody must be in subjection to their civil governors. There are no exceptions, not even for the Jews, who looked on them selves as a privileged people. They figured that since Rome was not honoring God, they didn't have to honor Rome. Their civil unrest soon caused all Jews to be expelled from Rome. Their bold rebellion finally brought about their final destruction in 70 AD when Rome destroyed Jerusalem, tore down the ancient Temple, and ended Jewish dominance in the region. Their distorted hope was that the Messiah would come as a political revolutionary to overthrow the Empire, putting the Jews in charge. Many Jews who came to accept Jesus as the promised Messiah brought those same ideas over into the church when they became Christians. Some Gentile converts also thought that by coming to Christ they were released from civil duties. Even today, some think that since leaders are corrupt, they don't have to honor them. But that is not what God's word teaches. Paul uses a very general term here. He called them Governing authorities or higher powers. He didn't just mean Rome, or the Sanhedrin of Jewish Elders. The Bible doesn't prescribe a specific form of government or political system. Whether its a monarchy, an empire, a republic, a social democracy, tribal elders, or a dictatorship God uses the civil authorities for his own purposes, even if they don't recognize that what they are doing fits into God's plan. God uses even our always imperfect and sometimes corrupt governments to maintain limits on social behavior, and to ensure a common peace and safety. All authority is from, and is established by, God
Human authority does not come from the consent of the people, from social contracts, from traditions, or from the power of the military. It comes from God who sovereignly appoints every human to his place of power. Even the wicked King Jeroboam is said to have been appointed by God over the ten tribes. When Paul wrote this passage, it was pagan Rome that ruled the civilized world. Some Emperors came to power by violence, some by the vote of the senate, some by the power of an army, and some were illegal successors to the throne. It should be remembered that no Roman Caesar honored Christ or the Scriptures as God's law. Yet Paul could say that all existing governing authorities are established by God. God establishes different governments to accomplish different purposes. The civil leaders may be a blessing or a curse. They may bring honor or dishonor. But always they receive their power to rule by God's wise providence. Wicked governors are appointed by God sometimes as a just reward for rebellion, and sometimes to execute his temporal judgments. He raised up Babylon to judge wicked Israel. He raised up the Pharaoh of Egypt to reveal his power to deliver his people and to display his holiness in judgment. God explained the rule of Pharaoh saying,
Dr. Robert Haldane wisely said, "No tyrant ever seized power till God gave it him." The Bible is filled with absolutely clear statements of that fact. For example, the Psalmist wrote,
Even the sufferings of societies justly show us God's Kingship. Daniel, writing from captivity said,
The prophet Jeremiah records what God himself said,
We should keep this in mind even while we pray for believers undergoing persecutions. Sometimes the church has defied rightful government and brought God's wrath upon them. Dr. Haldane warns,
There is only one biblical limit: we ought to obey God, rather than men (Acts 5:29). If governing authorities overstep their delegated boundaries to force us to defy God, we are duty bound to respectfully disobey. There is a grave danger that comes from insubordination to governing authorities:
Since God, in his providence, appoints every one who is in civil power, good or evil, then to resist that authority is to resist God, and such behavior deserves to be condemned. Its very serious when we break a civil law. The danger is not just that we may get caught by police, fined or put in jail. Its not that our reputation might be damaged, or that our social status might be brought down. Its that breaking civil law is disobedience against the ordinance of God. Its so easy to get discouraged about government corruption when we lose sight of this. No matter who wins an election, or what disgraces are done by our leaders, or what turmoil and damage their rule might bring about, we need to remember what the Bible says ...
As pagan King Nebuchadnezzar learned,
This passage in Romans puts an awesome price on this disobedience. It tells us that it brings God's condemnation. As startling as this may seem, even evil governments serve God's purpose. No human government is ever perfect. They all enforce some wrong laws. There is no greater abuse of authority imaginable, than the crucifying of Jesus Christ. The Roman authorities and the Jewish elder/priests put to death the one who appointed them. Hellenistic paganism was a state religion. The Roman Empire was oppressive to God's people. The Jews, even the faithful ones, were restricted by its intrusive laws. The early church became its target too. After Nero, many were tortured and put to death. Yet it was to this oppressive Empire of lustful, egocentric pagan rulers, that Paul called his readers to obey in the civil realm. He commands this even though Rome would soon jail him, and later, its believed, execute him. This totalitarian state of Rome was to be honored and obeyed as God's appointed servant. God still uses even such imperfect states to restrict evil to the degree that it serves his purposes. It protects against the outbreak of total chaos, mass murders and lootings. It restrains large scale brutality against the church, the taking of its property, the killing and defiling of its people. Even poor courts limit the flow of oppression, though often motivated by political power and personal greed. Sometimes the corruptions show God's people their own failures and provoke them to obedience. In times of martyrdom the church often grew in strength, though its numbers were diminished. God used not only Rome, but also Egypt, Babylon, Syria, Canaan, Midian, Philistia, and many more. But God's people under oppression, are not to work to overthrow or provoke disobedience, against that which was instituted by the authority of God. Even in captivity under Babylon, the captured Jews were told to pray for the cities.
The duty of civil governments is plain in God's word:
Romans 13 Since civil leaders are ministers of God for good, there should be no fear to those who obey their laws. But those who do evil, who defy the laws God gave them authority to make and enforce, have reason for fear, not just a fear of jail or fines, but also and more so, a fear of God's wrath. The word here for minister which is applied here to civil magistrates is the Greek word, diakonos. Its the same word meaning servant that is used of the deacons in the church. Government's job is to administer good in the civil sphere, and to keep the civil order for all who obey the civil laws. It is to preserve our creation rights of life, work and ownership, marriage and family, and liberty of conscience to obey God. They do not bear the sword in vain, that is, they do not have the power of the sword entrusted to them for no purpose, for nothing. Governments have a right to use physical force against criminals. Bearing the sword is most often connected with the execution of capital punishment. It's not murder when the state executes a convicted murderer. God's word makes that a capital crime because of the absolute dignity of human life. This is how God ordains to carry out his wrath in this world. So government, through its courts and under the limits of due process and the laws of evidence, are the only rightful avengers in society. No one may take the law into his own hands. Even the Apostle Paul when under arrest agreed with that principle as it applied to his own case,
The result is an absolute moral duty on us all as Christian citizens,
Our subjection is mandated here. Peter had learned this lesson since that impetuous moment in Gethsemene when he drew his sword. Later he wrote to the church,
And later Paul wrote to Titus saying,
Therefore government has specific areas of proper God-given authority. They are to ensure public safety and to preserve life and property. For example, they enact laws against: robbery, theft, assault, murder, rape, incest, perjury. For safety against irresponsible citizens they regulate traffic with speed laws, they license drivers, mandate us to register our vehicles and to keep them safe for use on the public roads. If we think some laws are unwise, we can work to change them. But like it or not, we must obey them exactly as long as they don't require us to sin. Governments are to provide for the national defense. For example they may prosecute people for: treason, aggression, terrorism, or espionage. They might use the military to protect us against evil aggression from other nations. Just as personal self-defense is justified, so also international self-defense is honorable in God's eyes. But government may not intrude on the rightful authority God gives to others. They cannot do the work of elders to control church membership, worship or doctrine. They cannot do the work of parents to take over education and discipline of children. They cannot do the work of masters to take over industry or businesses. Yet today we see many in government trying to do just that. But abuses do not free us to disregard the authority God puts over us. If government is invasive, perhaps its God's judgment upon us who have neglected our own responsibilities in raising our children, caring for our employees or in staying within the boundaries set for church authority. No society is so perfect that it can be certain that the immorality and corruption of its civil leaders is not to some degree a judgment of God. We are to be in subjection for wrath and conscience sake. Not only so that we can avoid judicial wrath when we break rightful laws. But also so that our conscience is clear from disregarding the delegation of authority by God himself. Government must be provided for so that it can do its work effectively:
Government has a right to collect reasonable taxes. God says that is their due so that they can carry out their duties of law enforcement and defense. Sadly taxes often go to pay for many things beyond those biblical responsibilities. Biblical taxes include a flat tax on each citizen and their property. But taxes on income and death infringe upon other clear biblical principles. And taxes are used sometimes for things that are in themselves evil, just as they were in ancient Rome. But Paul says we are to pay nevertheless. And Jesus himself said,
Taxation is not a simple matter. But the abuses are charged by God against corruptions government, not against the citizens. So we must not cheat or withhold taxes just because we believe they are wrong. We can work within the law to change them. But we do not have the right to openly and defiantly disobey. Custom must also be paid. These are duties on imports and exports, taxes on items or services purchased or sold. And we are to render these payments in humble respect. That is in fear of the awesome power God has entrusted to our leaders, and with the honor due to the office they hold from God. We have a duty that should be obeyed every day. We are to pray for those over you in civil authority Paul wrote to Timothy reminding him,
The police, the sheriff's deputies, the mayors, governors, congressmen, the president and all those in civil authority represent the kingship of God on earth. To disobey or to dishonor them is to defy God and call down his judgment. The church must instruct the public to know these limits. Christians Serving in Positions of Civil Authority
As we work to bring Christ's lordship into every area of life, committed and talented believers ought to get into government work. We need statesmen of integrity and principle rather than mere politicians. It is lawful for Christians to accept and execute the duties of a magistrate, when called to civil office. Who is better qualified to maintain the godly conditions described in this paragraph of our Confession? Those who love God's word and who are regenerated to spiritual life by the power of the Holy Spirit have a foundation for civil rule that would be a great benefit to society.
The Relationship of the Church and the State
When the American Presbyterians organized into their own presbyteries, synods and a General Assembly, many of the elders and pastors could not in good conscience subscribe to some of the statements in the original confession regarding the powers of the King over the administration of duties God entrusted particularly to the church. The original Confession was adopted but exceptions were permitted until the sections in question could be amended. This modified form is the one used today by the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, the Presbyterian Church in America, and others.
The Powers of the Civil Magistrate
Areas forbidden to the civil magistrate
The American Version of 1788 added that the civil magistrate may not, in the least, interfere in matters of faith. This confirmed a rather clearly marked out separation of church and state. The separation is not one of isolation, but of distinct responsibilities and authority.
Areas assigned to the civil magistrate
In the 1648 version the state has the authority and duty to preserve the unity and peace of the church, to ensure that the truth of God is kept pure and entire, to suppress all blasphemies and heresies, to prevent or reform corruptions and abuses in worship and discipline, and to duly settle, administer and observe all the ordinances of God. To accomplish this oversight the civil magistrate may call church synods, to be present at them, and to make certain that the church council remains faithful to the mind of God. The American churches struggled with this blending of the powers of the state with those given to the elders in Scripture. The Synod of Philadelphia was organized by 17 ministers as the first American Presbyterian denomination in 1715. In 1729 an unanimously received Adopting Act recognized the Westminster Confession and its Catechisms as the confession of the churches. However, they permitted the elders and pastors to state their exceptions to the sections of the confession having to do with the powers of the Civil Magistrate. These included this third section of the Confession chapter 23, and section two of chapter 31 describing Synods and Councils. Later, this conviction brought about an amendment to chapter 23 to conform to the conscience of those who did not believe the Scriptures granted these powers to the state. The amended version was drawn up in 1788 and became the official confession of the church when the Synod divided into four Synods and met as the first General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the USA in May of 1789. The new version limited the role of the state toward the church. The civil magistrate was to protect the church without preference to any denomination, and without interfering in its internal spiritual powers. The state was to guarantee the freedom of the church to discharge its own authority without violence or danger. It was to provide for the safe assemblies of the church without molestation or disturbance.
Recommended reading:
Subjection to the Civil Magistrate's Authority
The material in this section has been covered in our previous consideration of Romans 13:1-7 under the first section of the se notes.
Discussion topics on WCF 23:
2. Can revolutions against a civil magistrate ever be justified, or the forming of a new state by breaking ties with a former civil authority? How does this apply to the American Revolution and the Declaration of Independence of 1776? 3. Should the first four of the Ten Commandments also be enforced by the Civil Government, or is its responsibility limited to the last six? On what Scriptural basis do you rest your position on this matter? 4. Was there a separation of powers and authority evidenced in the state of Israel under the laws of Moses? return to the top of this page |
