“Never forget what Jesus did for you. Never take lightly what it cost Him. And never assume that if it cost Him His very life, that it won't also cost you yours.”
~Rich Mullins

Jul 26, 2012

If All You Had Was The Bible....


.....how would you set up a government?

Think about it. You've just escaped from the tyrannical rule of Great Britain and you're now on your own in a brand new country...with the daunting task of figuring out how to rule all the people looming over your head. What would you do? Where would you start?

There is a general mold for a Republican government. An executive power (be it a president, a king, etc.) with one or more other powers put in place to act as checks and balances. Obviously, in America, we have the judicial and legislative powers consisting of the Supreme Court, House of Representatives, and the Senate.



But is this the right way?

Most of us in the "Christian, conservative, homeschooled" circle are trying to go back to the Bible in everything we do. We ask ourselves, "if all we have is the Bible, how would we parent?", "if all we had was the Bible, how would we do church?" etc.

So...if all you had was the Bible, how would you set up a government?

My thoughts are in no way settled on this subject, but it has been something that has been consuming my thoughts lately as I read through the Federalist and Anti-Federalist Papers for school and talk to a friend who is doing the same thing for school.

In the Bible, the government that we see set up is a series of judges. Judges of tens, fifties, hundreds and thousands. Yes, Israel dissolved into a monarchy, but that was plainly because they turned away from God.

While reading through the Federalist and Anti-Federalist Papers, I have been really surprised at how little they refer to God as the basis for their government. Of course, I know these men were so Godly, and so Biblically literate, but this struck me as odd. They refer to a Creator and the like off and on, but when they are arguing whether or not an idea will work, it is all based on temporal and pragmatic reasons.

In the Anti-Federalist Papers, Patrick Henry (my newest hero) makes a very interesting point. Before this point in time (about 1788), there had been a very minimalistic government. But the group of men who came together to write the constitution, came together because they believed the existing government was weak and not active enough. Henry's point was:




"The Confederation; this same despised Government, merits, in my opinion, the highest encomium: It carried us through a long and dangerous war: It rendered us victorious in that bloody conflict with a powerful nation: It has secured us a territory greater than any European Monarch possesses: And shall a Government which has been thus strong and vigorous, be accused of imbecility and abandoned for want of energy? Consider what you are about to do before you part with this Government. Take longer time in reckoning things..."






Later, he literally claims that the Constitution could prove a fatal threat to liberty.

That's serious!!

So did "big government" get its foot firmly in the door when the North won the Civil War, or when the Federalists won and ratified the Constitution?

It's a scary question. Especially when many Christians cry "It's Un-Constitutional!"

What if the Constitution is Un-Biblical and a threat to liberty?


"For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant. Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men." 1 Cor 7:22-23


Your thoughts?!?!?


6 comments:

  1. You know my thoughts - far too well. :)
    Ultimately, that's what it comes down to though - how does the Bible say we should govern. We know we can't go and do something outside the Bible for salvation, yet for some reason we arrogant humans think we can go outside of the Bible when it comes to government, either because we know better, or worse, because "it doesn't speak to such topics".
    The one thing we can never forget in an of this is that scripture is sufficient for everything, so it and it only can be our source book for government - not the latest republican theory. Honestly, I see no mention of anything like our republican system in the Bible.
    I'll get down from my soap box now.......:D

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  2. Okay, firstly, I know that our government, as it is now, is very unBiblical. The Bible does speak to such topics, if people would only look. Scripture is sufficient, and if people would stop relying on what other men say, and only on what the Bible says our government would be in a much better situation right now.
    I don't really know what you mean about the Constitution being anti-Biblical, but I do admit, it was written by fallible men, though they were Christian men, and of course it can be flawed. But I would say you re-read it again, and judge it by the Bible before totally condemning it.

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    1. Lisa, I do want to clarify, I just re-read this post again, and I realize you aren't saying that the Constitution is un-Biblical, but you are asking if it is. I really am just as much in the dark as to the answer to that question as you are. I would like to hear more of your thoughts on this though, and I need to go grab our copies of the Federalist and Anti-Federalist Papers. ;)

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    2. Fine, if she won't say it, I will.
      I BELIEVE THE CONSTITUTION IS UNBIBLICAL.
      There, I said it. Any hard-core constitutionalists can proceed to huck all projectiles in my direction. I'll just pretend they are clay-pigeons. :D
      Seriously though, just go through the constitution and ask yourself in every point "does the Bible give the government that power? or how about that? Does the Bible say we are to regulate that?" and the suchlike. Over and over and over again, the answer I found was an overwhelming NO.
      So, there is my opinion. ;)

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    3. I'm not going to throw any projectiles, or clay pigeons at you. I am sure you have prayerfully studied this out like you do everything else. I haven't in this area. So I have no argument against you. I am going to study this out with my family though. And when Daddy gets back from the job he is on this will be on the top of the discussion list.

      Just to let you know. I have always grown up believing that the Constitution was sound and Biblical, and that just over time the government has taken this country over and ruined all the hard work the founding fathers had done to make the this country that it was. A God fearing, God honoring, without Him there *is* no Liberty, nation. But I am open to studying it with my family, and when I am sure of where I stand, I'll be sure to tell you. :)

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  3. Cowgirl, you are COOL!
    Country Boy, you are COOL!
    More please!

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