A Brief Primer on Church and State–and Oppression

“The purpose of government is to justly uphold life, liberty, and truth in order to bring increase and peace to the Kingdom of God.”

This shouldn’t be a surprise. Because every government official, every government worker, every voter, every citizen, and every subject was made for one very specific purpose: to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. High on the list of ways we accomplish this is to obey Him. Nobody gets a pass on this, whether or not they are a Christian. And it doesn’t matter what institution they work in either. Which means every human institution is to do this as well.

Of course, in the case of government and the church, both were ordained/created by God for specific portions of this task. And given specific enforcement tools–the sword–to carry it out. But they are different swords. The Church has the sword of God’s Word (Hebrews 4:12; Revelation 1:16), whereas the government has a steel sword (Romans 13:4). Which means each has different spheres where the wield their swords.

A quick look at this informs us that the church yields a spiritual sword to protect believers from apostasy–and apostates. In the process, it uses its sword to conquer God’s enemies; many of whom become God’s people! The government, in turn, yields its steel sword to protect its citizens/subject from their physical violence, which includes attacks by their “enemies” against their bodies (God’s property) and theft of their (and God’s) property.

Both the medieval church and Islam today suffered/suffer great corruption in this area, using the steel sword of government to enforce spiritual discipline. If the church and government properly use the tools given them, there will be no problem with the government seeking to impose religion on folks.

Similarly, all governments today–just like God/Samuel told us they would (see 1 Samuel 8:14-15), improperly use the steel sword in violation of God’s economy of private property. Which is the main cause of starvation and oppression throughout the world today. Why are people in Africa are hungry and in poverty today? It is not because the technology and tools for growing food and creating jobs in abundance aren’t available. It is because the technology and tools for growing food and creating jobs aren’t accessible because African governments have obliterated the property rights which are necessary to build up the capital necessary to obtain the technology and tools and enjoy their benefits. Africa doesn’t need our charity nearly as much as it needs governments that respect property rights.

Sadly, the same thing is true of the poor in America; think of all the young black men who wind up dead or in jail today. I say this in love, but the truth is obvious to all who have eyes to see: people who support the welfare and regulatory state of today are effectively inflicting poverty and oppression on millions of Americans. All for a want of meditating on and submitting to God’s Word to better understand such things. Jesus came to set the captives free, not to put them in jail for harvesting oysters out of season or for plowing a wet spot in their field or for failing to remember something correctly when talking to the FBI. Or to have the government choke them to death for selling untaxed cigarettes on the street.