THE STANDARD OF POLITICAL RIGHTEOUSNESS
1. Reformation by the Book
When King Josiah came to power the nation
of Israel was in total disrepair. His reign was preceded
by the very short reign of Amon and the very long and
wicked reign of Manasseh. The Bible records that Manasseh
was an extremely evil and murderous ruler. At this point
in history Israel was at a lower point of depravity than
the pagan nations that God had driven out before her (II
Kings 21:9-11). The nation had fallen so low that the
Word of God had been totally lost to the national consciousness.
Even the high priest had forgotten that a written revelation
from God even existed.
Into this moral cesspool was born Josiah,
a boy of remarkable spirit, who assumed the throne when
only eight years of age. In his eighteenth year he commissioned
extensive repair for the house of the Lord, which had
been grossly neglected. It was during the course of this
construction that Hilkiah the priest discovered a copy
of the book of the Law, the Bible of that day.
Upon reading the Book and consulting with
the priest and the prophetess Huldah, Josiah embarked
on the most thorough reform in the history of Israel.
He purged the land of all its idols and restored the Passover
of the Lord.
His heart for God was so great that the
Scripture says of him: "there was no king before him,
who turned to the Lord...neither after him arose there
any like him" (II Kings 24:25). His greatness exceeded
even that of David and Solomon because of his zeal to
apply the Law of God to the nation. His was a true spiritual
and cultural reformation, not simply a revival that was
limited to the internal spiritual life of the individual.
Modern America is in much the same condition
as Israel before the ascent of Josiah to the throne. The
Bible remains the world's number one best seller, gracing
the coffee tables of many of America's living rooms. However,
it is in many respects a lost book. We are clearly a society
that has lost its biblical moorings. The blood of millions
of aborted babies testifies against us.
In the first place, most non-believers rarely
open their Bibles. Sadly this is true of many Christians
as well. In the second place, many of those Christians
who do read their Bibles have been taught to read them
from a very personal and privatized perspective. The hundreds
of commands addressed specifically to civil rulers are
either ignored as inapplicable for our day or spiritualized
to the personal context.
This tendency to privatize the faith is
reinforced by the emphasis of most contemporary, Christian
literature. A 1993 study of evangelical publishing houses
found that 87.8% of the titles dealt with the "self" in
one way or another. Thirty-one percent were inspirational
or motivational and another 15% dealt with the same themes
from a New Age perspective.
This overwhelmingly personal emphasis has
created an ingrown Christianity. Until very recently,
it is a Christianity that has by-and-large buried its
head in the sand to the death throes of contemporary American
culture.
For example, God's directive for Moses to
create a bottom-up appeals court system (Exodus 18) might
be applied by a modern Christian as a call to delegate
authority on the job. While this is certainly a legitimate
application, it ignores the primary application to the
structure of civil government.
Such directives for rulers are sprinkled
throughout the Bible. If we thereby dismiss these kinds
of civil applications, the question arises, "By what standard
are civil rulers to govern in today's world?" Is the government
to be left to its own devices? Most believers would agree
that our personal lives, our churches, even our businesses
are to be governed by the Word of God. Why then do we
assume that government alone is outside the purview of
Scripture? Governments are faced with essentially three
choices in the source of authority by which they will
rule.
The first is the will of the people. The
concept of Democracy, in which the will of the majority
is supreme, is an unbiblical (and unconstitutional) concept.
Even the collective wisdom of man is insufficient to determine
good and evil. Given the franchise (vote), the majority
will usually, in fact, abuse it for personal aggrandizement
by trampling on the rights of the minority.
*The second option is the wisdom of the
ruler. Kings and rulers are no better when left to themselves.
They likewise tend to abuse their power for the sake of
personal gain. The classic biblical example is David,
a man who claimed to be wiser than all his teachers because
of his love for God's statutes. But even King David when
left to himself by God, acted as though he were a tyrant
in the matter of Bathsheba and Uriah the Hittite.
The only legitimate standard by which civil
government in every age may rule is the Word of God. God
holds civil authorities and citizens alike accountable
to His Word. First Timothy 1:8-10 declares it is a lawful
use of God's Law to publicly restrain lawbreakers. It
is the king's responsibility to uphold this Law, and the
citizen's responsibility to obey it.
But we know that the law is good, if a man use it
lawfully. Knowing this, that the law is not made for
a righteous man, but for the lawless...for murderers...
for whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with
mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons,
and if there be any other thing that is contrary to
sound doctrine. According to the glorious gospel...
Here we learn that Old Testament Law against such crimes
as murder, homosexuality, kidnaping, perjury, etc., is
applicable to civil government in New Testament times.
Modern governments are not left to improvise when it comes
to the codification of law. They are required to look
to biblical Law as the model on which to pattern their
civil law. This is in complete accord with the glorious
gospel of Christ.
2. The Lawful Use of Law
Therefore, in our handling of Scripture we should assume
continued applicability between the Old and New Testaments.
In other words, the commands of the Old Testament continue
to be authoritative unless specifically modified or annulled
by later Revelation. For example, we are told specifically
in the New Testament that the Old Testament ceremonial
observances were "a shadow of things to come, but the
body is of Christ" (Col. 2:17).
Thus, such ritual ceremonies as sprinkling the blood
of goats and bulls, circumcision, and the Jewish New Moons
and Sabbaths have been fulfilled; they no longer apply
to us as they did to ancient Israel. All of these have
been replaced or transformed in the perfect sacrifice
of Christ.
On the other hand, we should assume that judicial case
laws such as the requirement of double restitution for
theft continue to be authoritative (Ex. 22:4). Nowhere
does the New Testament or any subsequent revelation rescind
Laws such as this.
Sometimes we find that the Mosaic judicials are repeated
in the New Testament. For instance, in a single verse
(Mark 7:10) Jesus mentioned one of the Ten Commandments
and one of the case law illustrations as both being part
of the command of God not to be rejected. These were the
positive commandment to "honor thy father and thy mother"
(cf. Ex. 20:12) and the negative case law illustration:
"Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death"
(cf. Lev. 20:9).
In addition, we find other New Testament writers appealing
to Old Testament case law without apology. For example,
the Apostle Paul applied the case law regarding the ox
treading out grain to pastoral pay in I Timothy 5:17,18.
This is sometimes referred to as the "general equity"
of the Law, which is deduced from its specific cultural
setting in Israel and applied to the present.
However, it is not necessary that an Old Testament command
be repeated in order to be obligatory. We have, for example,
no law against bestiality in the New Testament. We should
rely instead on the Old Testament injunction against this
crime.
Seeking to conform our personal and national life to
the commands and Laws of God is not legalism. On the contrary,
it is obedience. Legalism has reference to a variety of
manmade traditions, as per the Pharisees. There is a popular
misperception that Jesus rebuked the Pharisees so harshly
because of their attempted conformity to the Old Testament
Law. Rather, Jesus reprimanded the Jewish religious leaders
"for laying aside the commandment of God." In its place
they substituted their own traditions:
In vain do they worship me; teaching as doctrines
the precepts of men...ye hold the tradition of men,
as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such
like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well
ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your
own tradition (Mk. 7:7-9).
The 16th century Reformers taught that there were three
lawful uses of God's Law during the New Testament era.
The first was to convict of sin and prepare the way for
the gospel as in Romans 3:20: "by the law is the knowledge
of sin." This did not mean that salvation was to be earned
by works of the law, because the same verse warns that,
"... by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified
in his sight."
According to the Reformers, another legitimate use of
God's Law in the New Testament era is to provide a standard
of personal righteousness for the believer. This is seen
in James 1:25: "But whoso looketh into the perfect Law
of liberty, and continueth therein...this man shall be
blessed in his deed."
In addition to these familiar uses, the Reformers also
spoke of the political use of the Law of God. The commands
of Scripture were to guide the civil ruler in the administration
of justice within his realm. Calvin referred to this as
the second function of the Law:
The second function of the law is this: at least
by fear of punishment to restrain certain men who are
untouched by any care for what is just and right unless
compelled by hearing the dire threats in the law. But
they are restrained, not because their inner mind is
stirred or affected, but because, being bridled, so
to speak, they keep their hands from outward activity,
and hold inside the depravity...The apostle seems specially
to have alluded to this function of the law when he
teaches "that the law is not laid down for the just
but for the unjust...."
It was this groundwork laid by the Reformers on which
the edifice of Western liberty was erected. They taught
that true liberty was impossible apart from law. Law and
grace work hand in hand. Gradually the recovery of the
gospel of salvation through faith worked like leaven,
permeating every facet of Western culture, causing it
to rise and flourish.
Conversely, Israel learned from bitter experience what
it was like to live for four centuries in bondage to a
nation that rejected the rule of Law under God. The tyranny
of Egypt was unbearable. Consequently, the case laws immediately
following the Ten Commandments, given by God on Sinai,
spelled out the guidelines for biblical servitude under
God (Ex. 21:1-17). Thus, wherever the Bible has gone true
liberty - liberty under law - has followed.
In view of all of this, Jesus cautioned His followers
not to think that He had somehow come to do away with
the Old Testament. "Think not that I have come to destroy
the law and the prophets," He warned, "I am not come to
destroy, but to fulfil...Whosoever therefore shall break
one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so,
he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven"
(Matt. 5:17-19).
When the New Testament declares that the believer is
"not under law" (Rom. 6:14) it means that he is not under
the condemnation of the law. It does not mean that he
is released from any obligation to obey the Law (Rom.
3:31; 7:12).
This is not to say that there is always a one-to-one
correspondence between the way the Jewish nation of priests
applied the Law and the way we as converted Gentiles are
to apply it. For example, what are we to do with the laws
that forbid the yoking of an ox and an ass or the wearing
of a mixed garment? In such instances, interpretative
wisdom must first be applied to discover the appropriate
meaning and application for today. In most cases the application
is unambiguous. In any event, the lack of direct correspondence
at every point does not invalidate our obligation to hearken,
interpret, and obey. For example, theologian Vern Poythress
assumes the abiding applicability of the Law, but warns
against the risk of adopting a wooden theonomy:
...the theonomists [advocates of God's Law] run
the danger of using the appeal to unchanging norms in
order to prejudice the question of whether the great
bulk of Mosaic legislation is adapted to the unique
situation of Israel...this move may make them underestimate
the difficulty and complexity of disentangling the abiding
principle from the particularity of its application
to Israel.
Summary: We have learned that Scripture rejects salvation
by works of the law, Old Testament ceremonial observances,
and manmade traditions added to the Law of God. However,
it upholds the lawful use of God's Law as a schoolmaster
to lead us to Christ and as a standard of personal and
political righteousness.
Usually the application is clear and direct. However,
honest men may disagree concerning the application of
the Law at specific points. Often this disagreement springs
from the difficulty converted Gentiles face in interpreting
and applying the equity of laws given originally to the
Jews. However, we must not allow any lack of unanimity
to dissuade us from the abiding authority of the Law of
God as the only acceptable standard for political righteousness.
REVIEW QUIZ #7 The Standard of Political
Righteousness
1.Which of these statements is true?
1 Christians today are
bound to obey the ceremonial laws, the case laws and the
Ten Commandments
2 Only the Ten Commandments
are still binding on the conscience of the Christian today
3 The ceremonial laws have
been fulfilled, but the case laws and Ten Commandments
are still obligatory
1 Someone who tries to
use Old Testament laws as a guideline for living the Christian
life
2 Someone who requires
obedience to standards other than or in addition to the
laws of God
3 Someone who studies the
history of legal theory
4 Someone who believes
that law and grace are compatible
3.To what groups does biblical Law apply?
1 Church
2 Israel
3 Lawyers
4 The pagan nations
5 All of the above
4.Which is not a lawful use of the Law
of God?
1 Conviction of sin
2 Means of justification
through obedience
3 Moral standard for
Christian conduct
4 Political use in civil law
5 Both 2 and 3
5.The Old Testament case laws:
1 Interpret the Ten Commandments
2 Were specific to Israel and irrelevant today
3 Define legal sanctions for specific crimes
4 Both 1 and 3
6.The fact that Paul applied the prohibition against
muzzling an ox to pastoral pay, proves:
1 The case laws are no
longer binding today
2 Case law applications may be extrapolated beyond their
immediate cultural context
3 The case laws are only binding if repeated in the
New Testament
7. Which is the most appropriate principle of biblical
interpretation?
1 The commands of the Old Testament Law
are presumed to be binding except where the
New Testament modifies them or sets
them aside in some manner
2 The commands of the Old Testament are presumed to be
no longer binding except where the New Testament repeats
or ratifies them .
8.What is the only appropriate standard for civil government
today?
1 The will of the people
2 The Word of God
3 The wisdom of the ruler
4 1 & 2
9.The case laws were delivered after 400 years of Egyptian
bondage. They began with laws governing bond service. This
proves that:
1 Application of biblical Law leads to
oppression
2 Liberty and law are mutually exclusive
3 There is no liberty apart from law
10. Which of these is a lawful use of God's Law?
1 Salvation through obedience to God's
commands
2 Traditional values
3 Political use
11.Who was the greatest king in Israel?
1 David
2 Manasseh
3 Hezekiah
4 Josiah
5 Solomon
12.In what sense is the Bible a lost book?
1 The original text has not been recovered
2 Too many modern translations
3 Privatized interpretation
13.The greatness of Western Civilization is rooted in:
1 Free enterprise
2 Liberty under law
3 E Pluribus Unum
4 Classical Greece & Rome
DISCUSSION GUIDE #7
The Standard of Political Righteousness
1.How do the ceremonial laws differ from
the case laws?
2.In what sense is the Bible a lost book
today?
3.How does the New Testament handle the
Old Testament case laws?
4.Why was Jesus so critical of the Pharisees?
What are the lessons for us today?
5.What is the difference between legalism
and obedience to the commands of Christ?
6.What are some of the lawful uses of the
Law of God?
7.What are some of the unlawful uses of
the Law of God?
Answer Key: 1) 3 2) 2 3) 5 4) 2 5) 4 6)
2 7) 1 8) 2 9) 3 10) 3 11) 4 12) 3 13) 2
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