In order to properly study what God’s word says about civil government, we must first define the word. What is government? The word govern comes from a Latin word that means to steer or pilot a ship, and thus refers to direction, control, rule, or management. Thus, the word govern, used in the English language, means to control, direct, rule or manage something.  Noah Webster defines government in his 1828 dictionary as

 

GOVERNMENT, n. Direction; regulation. “These precepts will serve for the government of our conduct.”

2. Control; restraint. “Men are apt to neglect the government of their temper and passion.

3. The exercise of authority; direction, and restraint exercised over the actions of men in communities, societies, or states; the administration of public affairs, according to the established constitution, laws, and usages, or by arbitrary edict. “Prussia rose to importance under the government of Frederick II.

4. The exercise of authority by a parent or householder. “Children are often ruined by a lack of government in parents…”

 

Note that Webster does not define government chiefly in terms of the state; his emphasis is on self-government and family government. He does not even mention civil government in the first two definitions. Contrast Webster’s biblical view of government with the following definition and we can see how far modern Americans have strayed from a biblically informed and historical understanding of government. In contrast to Webster’s 1828 Dictionary, Webster’s New World Dictionary defines government primarily in terms of the state. Government is the

 

“exercise of authority over an organization, institution, state,..an established political administration by which state, district, etc. is governed…all the people who administer or control the affairs of state of a governed territory.”

 

In all three definitions of the word, the word government is defined primarily in terms of the state.

Most modern dictionaries follow Webster’s New World Dictionary in this regard. Government is defined solely in terms of politics, The word government, as used especially in the media, has become a synonym for political government alone, usually the government at the federal or national level. Clearly, there has been a major shift in the thinking of Americans regarding the very definition of government. Webster and those of his generation believed in a multiplicity of governments. Webster’s focus of the definition of government centered on the government of an individual over his passions and temper, and of that exercised in the family. Webster acknowledged civil government, but it was by no means the focus of his definition of the word government.

Modern Americans usually do not regard government as having anything to do with the individual, or the family, but use the term primarily to refer to the state. Which view is the correct one from a Scriptural standpoint? We will see. The answer to the question is vital, for we cannot even begin to sketch a Christian view of political government, unless we first define the very term! Was Webster right in 1828, or are modern dictionaries, correct?

What does the Bible say? When modern dictionaries define government primarily or chiefly in terms of the state, they are at odds with Scripture. Scripture teaches a multiplicity of governments, and when the word government is used in the singular, it is God’s government that is being acknowledged. The use of the word government to refer chiefly to the state, is thus an indication of the success of those who advocate the centrality of the state in the life of man. The Bible teaches that there are multiple governments, not one great monolithic government. Webster and his contemporaries believed this, because they were operating on the basis of a Christian worldview.

God’s Government

The most important and fundamental government that the Bible teaches is that of God himself. As the creator of the world, God holds total autocratic power over creation and over all mankind. ( Psalm 47) As the London Baptist Confession explains succinctly:

 

“ God the good creator of all things, in his infinite power and wisdom doth uphold, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures and things, from the greatest, even to the least, by his most wise and holy providence, to the end for which they were created, according unto his infallible foreknowledge, and the free and immutable counsel of his own will; to the praise of the glory of his wisdom, power, justice, infinite goodness, and mercy.”

( Heb. 1:3; Job 38:11; Isa. 46:10, 11; Ps. 135:6; Matt. 10:29-31; Eph. 1:11)

 

The word government is used in Scripture to refer to the government of Jesus Christ, to whom God has delegated his government over all creation, a constant theme in the New Testament, and a subject of Old Testament Prophecy. This is the Mediatorial reign of Jesus Christ. ( Philippians 2:9-10; Acts 2:32-36; Psalm 110)

 

“ For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, counselor, The Mighty God, The everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”  (Isaiah 9:6-7)

 

In Ephesians 1:20, we read that God

 

“ raised him [Jesus] from the dead, and set him at his own right hand, in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.”

 

Christ, then is not merely head over the church, but ruler of the kings of the earth, Lord of the Universe, Lord of the family, and of the life of the individual who has submitted to his Lordship. Families acknowledge God’s reign over them by submitting to the Lordship of Christ over their family, and by living according to his laws. Churches and political governments submit to Christ’s Lordship in the same way.  Although all Christians acknowledge that God rules even over the political affairs of men, too few acknowledge that political governments acknowledge the rule of God and the Lordship of Christ in the same way as families, churches and individuals, by submission to the comprehensive, total, autocratic rule of God and of Christ.

 

King Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged God’s government when he said that God “doeth according to his own will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?” (Daniel 4:35) In 1 Timothy 6:5, God is described by the apostle Paul as “the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords.” Foundational to a biblical  understanding of human government, is the fact that God is King over the earth, and  that Jesus Christ has been given all authority in heaven and in earth, and that it is through Christ that God governs all creation. The biblical doctrine of human government starts when men acknowledge their sinfulness, trust in Jesus Christ, the savior of sinners, and King of Kings, and submit to his just and gentle rein over them. It is only in submission to God and Christ, that man can now exercise authority over the earth as God intends. Our discussion of God’s government should not be construed as saying, however, that God’s government is the only government that he has established.

 

When God created Adam in the garden, God gave him the duty to dress and keep the garden. (Genesis 2:15) He was also given the task of subduing and taking dominion of the earth, even before the fall. (Genesis 1:28) This dominion task did not include the rule over men but was confined to the animals and plants. It was more about work then government; nevertheless, God did give man authority over creation. As God’s vice-regent, man is to govern the earth according to God’s laws. Most modern dictionaries define government in terms of the state, and state alone (as we have seen), but this is not the biblical definition. Note too, that as God has delegated certain governments, he has given mankind delegated authority, to govern according to his laws. The power of government is by no means unlimited. Rather, it is strongly limited. A Christian view of government recognizes four types of government, each of which have certain of God’s laws pertaining to their operation, function, jurisdiction, and authority.

 Self-Government

 

Self-government is the primary government that God had called men to. Self-Government is the most basic government known to man. When God placed Adam in the garden, he gave Adam, endowed with a free will, the command not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. (Genesis 2:17) But Adam did eat of the tree, and as the covenant head of mankind, damned all of his descendants to physical and spiritual death, by this one act. Adam failed to govern himself according to God’s laws, and he and all his descendants became slaves of sin. When a man becomes a Christian, he is indwelt by the holy spirit, and receives the fruits of the spirit, one of which is self-control. Self-government is synonymous with self-control, and refers to the governing of man’s passions and and temper, the restraining of evil desires, etc. Self-control is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 6:23). A self-governed individual who rules himself according to God’s law is one who restrains his actions and attitudes without the need for external coercion. A self-governed individual obeys the word of God from his heart, while someone who does not have self-control has to be kept in line by external restraint. Hence, those without self-control or self-government, have to be restrained by external governments, usually the state, but in the case of young children, the family. If all men self-governed themselves, there would be no need for human governments to use external force to restrain evil. There would be little or no need for civil government. This is why Scripture says

 

“…knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless, and disobedient, for the ungodly and profane, for murderers of fathers, and murderers of mothers, and manslayers, for whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for men-stealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine.” (1 Timothy 1:9-10)

 

Since self-government is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, the believer has little need of external restraint. Hence, he obeys the God ordained authorities in his life because of conscience sake (Romans 13:5) The self-governed believer having brought even his conscience itself in subjection to the word of God, it being renewed by the power of the Holy Spirit at conversion. But the Bible does not teach that all men will become believers. There will always be evil men, and men that do not govern themselves. Hence, there will always be a need, until the return of Christ, for human governments, to restrain evil men, and govern those who will not govern themselves. Self-governed individuals govern themselves according to the laws of God.

 

Juxtaposed against the Biblical idea of self-government is autonomy, with which self-government must not be confused. The word autonomy comes from two Greek words: auto which means self and nomy which means law. The word, therefore, means, not self-government, but self-law, or a law unto oneself. Autonomous individuals are a law unto themselves. This is diametrically opposed to Christian self-government. Indeed, it is wholly opposite to it. An individual who is self-governed is one who governs himself according to the law of God. He lives according to the law of God but has no need of an external authority to constrain him to do so. An autonomous individual, by contrast, is one who is a slave to his own passions and lusts. He lives by his own law, having rejected God’s law, in favor of his own sin nature. He lives according to his own self-devised moral code. Such individuals are those who need external restraint to constraint them. They must be ruled by men, because they cannot rule themselves under God. God’s law therefore, is perfect liberty. When men reject God’s law in favor of being their own lawmaker, they become slaves to their own lusts, and must be ruled and micro-managed by other men, because they lack the ability to practice true liberty, freedom to walk in the perfect law of the Lord. Self-government is foundational to, and undergirds, the other governments that God has established in this earth. This is especially evident concerning leadership in the other spheres of government that God has established.

 

The qualifications for elders in the New Testament (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus: 1:5-9) include many qualifications concerning a man’s ability to rule his own temper and passions. If one cannot govern himself, he cannot govern others. This is why Paul says that if one cannot rule his own household, how can he govern the household of God? (1 Timothy 3:5) One must rule himself before he can rule others. Thus, self-government is foundational to all other governments. It is not only leadership that requires self-government, however. Political liberty is incumbent upon self-government. For a nation of individuals that are not self-governed will need ever increasing laws and regulations to act as a restraint upon their evil nature, and to keep them from trampling the rights and liberties of their neighbor. Self-government thus is vital to the wellbeing of society and is necessary as a foundation for the other governments that has God has established in this world. The mathematical rule that the whole is equal to the sum of its parts is worth repeating at this point. The institutions of family, church and state, will only be as good and non-corrupt as they are made up of people who are good and non-corrupt. Self-government is imperative to liberty.

Civil Government one of Three Institutional Governments

Thus far, we have looked at the government of God and of self-government. However, God has also established three great institutions for carrying out his purposes in the world. These are the family, the church, and the state. (By the word institution, we are simply mean: a group of people that have been founded for a particular purpose. God has instituted three institutions to govern in an appointed sphere to give order and structure to human society). All three of these institutions have governments, to which their citizens, or subjects, owe allegiance and obedience. (Ephesians 5:22; 6:1; Hebrews 13:17;1 Peter 2:14-15) They have far more similarity with each other than they do with the government of God, (which is unlimited in scope and jurisdiction), and with self-government (merely self-control).  Each of these governments or institutions are also covenantal in nature, and each has the authority to mete out it’s sanctions for violating the law of God as it relates to its particular sphere. Scripture is filled with laws that relate to each particular sphere of government, and it is the duty of rulers in all three spheres to apply the law of God as it relates to their sphere to their subjects. Each government has rulers, sanctions, jurisdictions, is founded by covenant, limitations on its power,  and wealth to fund its God ordained functions.

 Family Government

The second government that God established among men is family government. (Genesis 1:28) Note that it was established before sin entered the world. Adam and Eve were tasked with reproducing and having children. Adam and Eve were the first parents of the first family. The family’s purpose and function is tied to dominion. The purpose of parents in raising children is to raise up a godly seed. They are to raise their children in the fear and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4) and teach their children the law of God. (Deuteronomy 6:6-9). Authority and Leadership in family government is vested in the husband and father. Wives have authority to “guide the house” under the authority of the husband. Like to the other two governing institutions of church and state, God has ordained to the institution of the family the authority to punish disobedience to his law. We shall note the characteristics of government as they apply to their family.

 

The Covenant of the Family: Like the other two covenantal institutions of church and state, the family is established by covenant. At marriage, a man and woman vow to each other before God and before witnesses, to perform certain duties to one another. They enter into covenant (a mutual binding agreement) to carry out these duties. If the husband or wife breaks covenant by adultery, the other party is freed from the covenant and can end the marriage through divorce. Similarly, if one of the covenanting parties dies, the other party is free to remarry. Thus, the home is a little republic. For the wife chooses the man who would rule over her. The children do not get a vote, because they must first learn to submit before they can choose their leaders.

 

The Government of the Family: Leadership and Authority in the family is vested in the husband and father. (Ephesians 5:23; Ephesians 6:4) The upbringing of children, and rule of the household is under his command. The wife is the husband’s assistant in the government of the family. She has authority to guide the house and manage the household under the authority of her husband. Both father and mother wield authority over the children, A good example of the biblical family structure is that of the army squad made up of ten privates, one corporal and one sergeant.  The privates are to obey both the corporal and the sergeant, but the corporal only wields authority under the authority of the sergeant, who is his delegate. If the sergeant falls in combat, leadership devolves upon the corporal. Similarly, in the family, the mother is in charge, when the father is away. Also, the corporal in the analogy has power inherent in his rank as corporal, not only power devolved upon him as the delegate of the sergeant. Likewise, the wife has authority over the children inherent in the fact that she is their mother. (Proverbs 1:8; Ephesians 6:1) The children are not only to obey her simply because she is the wife of their father. The father has the duty of both physical and spiritual leadership.

 

As King of his home, he is to rule in the fear of God. The father has the duty of primary provider, protector and priest of his family. As provider, he makes sure that his family has a roof over their heads and food on their table. As protector, he protects his family from spiritual and physical threats to their wellbeing. As priest, he represents his family as covenant head, knowing that he will stand before God and give account of what he allowed to occur under his roof. As wives have authority to guide their house, husbands must be careful not to micro-manage their wives and allow them the liberty given by God’s law to do so. There is a division of labor within marriage. The husband is to take dominion by “tilling the soil,” taking dominion of the earth through the cultivation of its resources to the Glory of God and for the provision of his family. (Genesis 3:17) The wife has the responsibility of birthing and bringing up children. (Genesis 3:16; 1 Timothy 5:10)

 

The Limits of Family Government The authority of the husband and father, and wife and mother, has limits, like all human governments. (God’s government has no limits). Being bound to the law of God, and accountable to rule in accordance with it, fathers may be resisted and disobeyed if obedience to them would require disobedience to God. (Ephesians 6:1). Unlike the Ancient Roman Father, the Christian father does not have the power of life and death over his family. If a man is physically abusing his family, he may be resisted by his wife and children, who may flee from his reach, or even physically resist him to preserve their own lives. If a man commands his son to rob the corner gas station, his son must refuse; he is only to obey his father in the Lord. Robbing the corner gas station is not in the Lord.

 

The Jurisdiction of Family Government. The Jurisdiction of the Family Government is very broad. The education and upbringing of children belongs to family government, as does the welfare of it’s aged and destitute members. Inheritance, business, social relationships, and the discipleship of children into the faith all fall under the jurisdiction of the family. It has a far broader jurisdiction then that of the church and state combined. A major problem of our day is that many aspects of life that fall under the jurisdiction of the family have been surrendered to the church, and especially the state. The state educates the children (public schools) cares for the aged (social security, medicare), nullifies inheritance and the generational accumulation of wealth by taxing income and inheritance (income taxes and inheritance taxes), and provides for the needy (welfare programs). To the church has been surrendered the discipleship of children (youth groups, Sunday schools). The family must take back those areas of life that fall under its jurisdiction.

 

The Sanctions of the Family. God has given the family the authority to mete out punishment on the subjects of family government for infractions of his holy law as it relates to the institution of the family. To the father has been given the rod of correction. (Proverbs 23:13,14; 13:24) This is not a symbolic weapon, but a real one; namely, it is to be used for spanking the behinds of children who fail to follow the law of the household. Fathers have another weapon at their disposal, however, and that is reproof. (Proverbs 6:23) They can rebuke erring members. It seems that the rod is to be used for younger children, and the reproof for older children.

 

The Wealth of the Family. In order to carry out its God ordained functions, the family, as an institution and government, needs money to fund its activities. For the family, this money is provided by the family’s dominion labors and work (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-12), through business, and through inheritance, as wealth is passed down the generational line generation after generation. (Proverbs 13:22) The income tax and inheritance tax cripples the biblical family and hinders it from being able to accumulate and pass on wealth for Godly purposes. As such, they are prime examples of the war of the state against the biblical family which is a threat to the totalitarian state by acting as a check on its power.

Church Government

 

The newest form of government that God has established is church government. The institution of the church is the only one of the three institutions, (family, church, and state) that will outlast the world. The others are temporal and will cease with the end of the world. The church comprises many local congregations. The Greek word for church, ekklesia, literally means assembly, and was used to refer to a legislative gathering of representatives in governments. Thus, a church is a group of chosen (by God) people who  who assemble themselves regularly under the oversight and leadership of church officers for the worship of God, the feeding of God’s word and the equipping of the saints to carry out the cultural mandate, bringing every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5) and spreading God’s kingdom (his rule over every area of life and thought) throughout all the earth.

 

The Covenant of the Church. Like the family, the church is a covenantal institution. It is established by covenant. Church leaders and those they shepherd enter into agreement (written or unwritten) with each other, before God, to perform certain duties. The leaders to preach and teach the word of God, contend against false doctrine, and equip the saints for ministry, the congregation to submit themselves to the authority of the elders, and to accept their rebuke and discipline, if necessary. Believers in a church also fulfill covenantal duties to each other, irrespective of positions of authority, submitting to each other in love. If the leaders break covenant with the congregation, they can be voted out of office by the church members. If members of the congregation break covenant, they can be disciplined by the church elders. (An erring church leader can be disciplined as well) Every member of the congregation is thus in covenant to walk in love with his brethren and perform his biblically mandated duties to them.

The Government of the Church.  Authority and leadership in the church is vested in biblically qualified elders, who shepherd and lead a church with the assistance of biblically qualified deacons. (1 Peter 5:1-3; Hebrews 13:17; Acts 20:28; Acts 6:1-7; 1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-16) Elders have the duty of overseeing the church (Acts 20:28), ruling the church (Hebrews 13:7), and feeding the church (1 Peter 5:2). Deacons have the task of assisting the elders in their work, especially concerning the practical needs of service that are required (Acts 6:1-7). Deacons, and by inference, elders, are chosen by the people of the church (Acts 6:3,5). Elders and deacons must be vetted and screened according to certain and particular qualifications before they are put into office. (1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-16) If they do not meet these qualifications, then they are not be to chosen for the positions of government in the church.

The Limits of Church Government. Church government, like the institutions, of family and church, is limited to those areas that fall under its jurisdiction. The church must recognize the jurisdiction of family and state and must not encroach on them. Churches may not bind the consciences of their members, usurp the jurisdiction of family and state, or trample self-government. They may be disobeyed if they exceed their biblically defined jurisdiction and lord it over the flock (1 Peter 5:3) Tyrannical church authority may be resisted by congregants through removing tyrants from the eldership, or leaving to another assembly through biblical means. The authority of elders over their congregations is much more limited than that of a father’s over his household, being limited to constraining sin, instructing in the ways of God, and leading his worship. However, their authority is over a greater number then that of a father; it is over all the saints who are members of the church they lead.

The Jurisdiction of Church Government. The jurisdiction of the church is much more limited in its scope then that of the family.  The government of the church has authority to keep the church pure from evil behavior (1 Corinthians 5:1-2; 6:1-11) and false doctrine (1 Timothy 4:6, 11; 6:3-5) to make offenders aware of their need for repentance. (Matthew 18:15) They may excommunicate the unrepentant offender, (1 Corinthians 5:2). They may comprise church courts and arbitrate cases between believers (1 Corinthians 6:1-2).  They oversee the church’s ministry, administration of the ordinances, and discipline. As church ordinances, baptism and communion fall under the jurisdiction of the church and should only be administered by the church. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26; Acts 8:38; 1 Corinthians 1:14-16) As the education of children does not fall under the jurisdiction of the church, churches should not maintain church schools. The discipleship of youth, likewise, is not primarily, the domain of the church.

The Sanctions of the Church. Like the government of the family, God has given church government the authority to administer sanctions for transgressing the Law of God as it relates to the sphere of the church. God has given the rod to the family, and the sword to the state; to the church he has given the keys of the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 16:19). The keys are symbolic of the church’s sanctions; the ability to bar from the Lord’s supper, and excommunication. (Titus 3:9-11; 1 Corinthians 5:11; Titus 3:10; 2 Thessalonians 3:13-15; 2 Thessalonians 3:6; 1 Corinthians 5:5; Romans 16:17-18; 2 Thessalonians 3:14; Matthew 18:15-17) The church may also rebuke erring members. (Titus 1:13; Titus 3:10)

The Wealth of the Church. Unlike the family, the church is not a wealth producing institution, and must depend upon its member families for its income. To carry on its functions, the church needs funds, and this is provided in the form of the tithe; a tax that is paid to the church to fund its activities. (1 Corinthians 16;1-2) The church is also supported through voluntary gifts. The church may use the tithe to care for the monetary welfare of its members if they are incapable of work, and if their families will not provide for them. (1 Timothy 5:5,16)

Civil Government

Civil Government is the second oldest form of government that God has established among men. It comprises civil magistrates and was ordained by God at the end of the flood, where it was given the power of capital punishment. Its function is greatly limited. It is to restrain evil, and protect its citizens from threats to their life, liberty, and property. To this end, it has been given the power of the sword.

 

The Covenant of the State. The state, like the family and the church is a covenantal institution. The instructions to Israel that dealt with the establishment of their civil government were given within broader instruction concerning their way of life that was given in the covenant that God made with Israel. (Deuteronomy 9:9-15; Deuteronomy 16:18-21) The National Government of the United States of America was formed by covenant (the constitution) between the states. And our state constitutions were drawn up by representatives of the people at constitutional conventions. When a civil magistrate swears an oath to uphold and defend this document, he enters into covenant with the people who elected him. Thus, the state, is established by covenant, as men enter into agreement with each other to live according to certain rules, and establish a particular framework of government. For more on this on point, see the next chapter.

 

The Government of the State. The government of the state consists of civil magistrates.

 

The Limits of the State. Christians are commanded to be obedient to civil authorities, (1 Peter 2:13,14; Titus 3:1) but this authority is not unlimited. Christians are to disobey if the state commands that which God forbids or forbid that which God commands. (Acts 5:29)

 

The Jurisdiction of the State. The jurisdiction of the state is the most limited of the three governments. It is restricted to the punishment of evildoers and the reward of the good. (Romans 13:3) Conspicuously absent from Scripture is any involvement by the state in welfare, wealth redistribution, the education of children, regulating business (besides laws against fraud), and the myriad of other activities in which the state is involved. On the other hand, while the jurisdiction of the state is the most limited, it is also over the greatest number of people (over whole cities, nations, and other geographical areas).

 

The Sanctions of the State. The state has been given the power of the sword by God to protect its citizens against threats to its life, liberty and property. By restraining evil men through its sanctions, it allows the church and family the ability to carry on their functions free from the threat of evil men.

 

The Wealth of the State. Like the church, the state is not a wealth producing institution. Like the church, however, it needs funds to carry out its institutions, and it receives this through taxation. (Romans 13:6)

Conclusion

Some have argued which of the three governments is the most important. That is like arguing which leg of a three-legged stool is most important. Take any one of them away, and the stool collapses. All three governments, family, church and state, is necessary in God’s plan and design.

While each of the three governments is equally important, there is nevertheless, an order of priority. The church is supreme among the institutions for it is eternal, while the family is temporal, and loyalty to the church and to Jesus Christ must come before any family loyalty or love of country or political subdivision. The family follows close behind, however, for a church is only as strong as the families that make it up. While the state, then, is perhaps last, in this order of priority, it is nevertheless important. At no time is this more evident than in our day when so many Christians are clueless as to the Bible’s very detailed and specific instructions concerning civil government. A knowledge of the jurisdiction, duties, and limits of each of the three spheres of government is vital if Christians are to faithfully carry out their duties in regard to each and mediate the rule of Christ in the earth.