Appendix L

THE PURPOSE OF CIVIL GOVERNMENT

The purpose of civil government is to enforce God’s laws. 

Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Greek defines the word ‘church’ (Greek ekklesia) as a group of men who meet to discuss the affairs of state.  If your church is separated from state, then you do not have a church.  Perhaps your nation has been taken captive by brutal pagan occupation forces.  Let’s take a closer look. 

Black’s Law Dictionary entry for CHURCH:

“A body or community of Christians, united under one form of government by the profession of one faith, and the observance of the same rituals and ceremonies.”

UNITED UNDER ONE FORM OF GOVERNMENT.  Do you still think church and state are separate?  Let’s take a closer look. 

Why does government exist?  The Declaration of Independence claims “... that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,...” Then the very next sentence states “That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men...”

This is the ONLY reason given for the existence of the US government.  Does this sound like separation of church from state?  Then We the People did “... ordain and established this Constitution for the United States of America.”  The word ordain is a religious term. 

God established His law to last forever (Psalm 119:152).  God alone gives man authority to rule over other men (Gen 9:6, Dan 2:20-22, Dan 4:32, Psalm 47:9, John 19:11).  Jeremiah 22:3 summarizes Gods delegation of authority: 

Do what is just and right. 

Rescue from the hand of his oppressor the one who has been robbed. 

Do no wrong or violence to the weak and powerless.

Do not shed innocent blood.  

If that doesn’t sound like your government, then perhaps your government has been overthrown.

The Bible has plenty of history to show that when righteous people turn from God they are taken captive, often by very brutal tyrants.  Even on an individual level, if you cannot govern yourself, others will govern you.

Christ has been given all authority in heaven and on earth.  He is the sovereign to whom you owe allegiance.  When the Bible speaks of the Kingdom of God, it is referring to God's government here on earth.  Not, as a self-called "Christian Lawyer" would tell you, some spiritual notion of an afterlife.  People, pay attention.  Here is proof of your Christian citizenship, here on earth:

• Philippians 3:20  (NIV) Our citizenship is in heaven.

• Matt 4:17  and 10:7 The Kingdom of heaven is at hand. 

• Mark 1:15  "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand"   [This was at the first coming of Christ.  How can you ignore this verse?] 

• Luke 16:16  Tyndale translation: "The law and the prophets reigned until the time of John: and since that time, the Kingdom of God is preached, and every man striveth to go in."    

• Acts 17:7 (NIV)   "... They are all defying Caesar's decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus."  [How can you claim that the early Christians obeyed civil authority?]

• Matt 11:12 (NIV) The kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing and forceful men lay hold of it. 

• Luke 22 at the Last Supper.  Christ confirmed in Verse 29 - "I bestow upon you a kingdom..."  Christ handed over to His disciples the keys to his kingdom.  The disciples then argued among themselves who would have the greatest authority as successors to Christ's government.   

• John, while suffering tribulation, said in Rev.1:9 that he was "in the Kingdom of Christ".  He failed to mention that it was a vision of a postponed Kingdom.

• Matt 6:10 The Lord's prayer, acknowledges a Kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth...

• Matthew 16:28 and Mark 9:1 and Luke 9:27:   I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."  [Did Christ Lie?]

• Colossians 1:12-13: Giving thanks to the Father... who has brought us [past tense] into the kingdom of his dear Son

• Ephesians 2:19 ye are fellow citizens with the saints

• Jesus promised to be with us until the end of the world.  Matt 28:20

• Jesus in Matthew 16:19:   I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.

• Hebrews 11:14 & 16  People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own....  they were longing for a better country--a heavenly one... 

• Matt 23:13:  Woe unto you ... for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

• Acts 14:22 (KJV): “we must go through much tribulation to enter into the Kingdom of God.”

• Revelation 5:10 :    You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth." 

• Christ is currently at the right hand of God (Acts 2:33, Acts 7:55 & 56, Romans 8:34, Colossians 3:1, Hebrews 10:12, and 1^st Peter 3:22).

• Martin Luther: "And if thou not be of the Kingdom of Christ, it is certain that thou belong to the kingdom of Satan, which is this evil world."

• John the Baptist, as the High Priest, was baptizing people into the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth. 

• Jesus was a man of authority.  Equal in authority to the Roman government.  Jesus had authority and he delegated that authority just like any other government leader.  He was King, and his kingdom was “at hand” and it was on this earth.  (He said in John 18:36 that his kingdom is not of this world, but he used a term that refers to an organized system, jurisdictional or “constitutional order”).  It was Rome that Jesus was not a part of.  “And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me.”  Luke 22:29.  Did Jesus lie? 

• Jesus, as the lawgiver, appointed us a kingdom.  This is our constitutional mandate.  He told us that we were not to be like the governments of the gentiles. 

Luke 22:25-26:

“And he said unto them, the kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.  But ye shall not be so; but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.”

There is nothing contradictory among the following scriptures, because there is no middle ground.  You are either for Christ, or you are against Him.:

• He who is not with me is against me.  Matt 12:30 and Luke 11:23.

• Whoever is not against us is for us.  Mark 9:40 and Luke 9:50.

Nowhere in the Bible does God give mankind the authority to legislate.  In fact it is prohibited for mankind to legislate, Deuteronomy 4:2.  The only legitimate government among mankind, is the government that enforces Biblical law.  Even Jesus corrected the apostles about Moses' law by stating that it was not so, even from the beginning. 

There is no power but of God, as Paul wrote in Romans 13.  This is NOT a command to obey counterfeit government.  The (legitimate) powers that be are ordained of God.  Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers (as contrasted with counterfeit powers).

While keeping in mind that mankind was never given the authority to legislate, let's examine a few scriptures requiring a government to administer the Lord's will: 

• All nations are required to obey His law, Psalm 22:28 , Ezekiel 14:12-23 , Obadiah 1:15

• Saul was elected as King, This was evil in the eyes of the Lord, I Sam 12:17b.

• Leviticus 24:22 (NIV):   You are to have the same law for the alien and the native-born. I am the LORD your God." 

• Deuteronomy 1:17 (KJV):   Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God's: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it. 

• Numbers 15:16 (NIV):   The same laws and regulations will apply both to you and to the alien living among you." 

• Exodus 18:20-23  (NIV):   Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform. But select capable men from all the people--men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain--and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.  Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied."