Oct 22 2017 The Christian, the Church, and Government and Politics - 1 Timothy 2 - by Mike Marette

The Christian, the Church, and Government and Politics
Lord, thank You for the opportunity to worship You – and all those who served yesterday. We pray that as these boxes go out over the next 6 months – that people would come to Christ as a result of the gospel messages that go in these boxes. Some will go on to serve in Christian ministry – and we pray that even though we plant little seeds, they can grow into big fruitful plants. We ask You to go before us, and these, prepare the souls to hear Your word. Even as we talk about Government – which can be controversial, give us understanding so that we might be better witnesses for you.
When you go through a book of the Bible – you come across controversial stuff – and you can either skip it – but then you feel guilty – like, am I fully preaching God’s word? So then I share what the scripture has to say about this. As I talk about this – I will share my best understanding of how Christians should relate to Christianity and politics – and the most important thing I might say today is this: Good Christians differ on this subject. I will give you my best understanding. The reason this is important comes down to how we read the Bible. It is so important to have an understanding of how we each read scripture. Most never think about it. And the church has failed, and we tell people – “Read the gospel of John” – and then no one tells them anything else! It is helpful to think about how to think about this. We are going through Timothy – and this is where we are this week – and if it is there, it is probably there for a reason.
When we are reading a book like Timothy – it is kind of like, I heard it described as listening in on a phone conversation – just on one side.
Like if I am talking to one of my kids and Cindy is there – she tries to figure out what is being said and gives me questions to ask – and I’ve realized its best to just let her speak first!
But we are only hearing one side of the story – and so we must ask questions to know what is really being said – and this takes work to come to a clear understanding. Therefore, it is important for us to either do that work, or to step back and say – this is what I think, but there are so many others out there figuring out how this should work. That is a good thing – to have conviction – but to know that others hold to a different conviction – therefore, we need to hold to our convictions with humility and respect.
Some call reading the Bible devotional reading.
Anyone can read the Bible – some are written to the 3rd grade level. The Greek that it was written in was the most common language – and therefore was probably to a 3rd grade level as well. The point is that anyone can read the Bible to understand how to live – from the youngest Christian to the oldest – we need to allow God to speak into our lives and hearts.
There is a second way to read the Bible – to understand doctrine and theology – orthopraxy. We read it – some so that they can tell others how to live. We should not do that unless we have spent significant amount of time doing our best to understand what the Bible says – and trying to understand those who hold differing views.
James said – let not many become teachers – those who are urging others to live their lives in such a way – it is imperative that we do the work to understand. That does not mean that we should be hesitant to share what we are learning with one another. Paul and James were addressing those who wanted to tell others about God but weren’t doing it well.
1 Tim. 2:1 First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all people, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.
First of all then – can also mean – therefore. So Paul is making a bridge from what he was saying in chapter 1 – the goal of instruction is love – and the importance of this agape/God-like love. Since there is conflict in the church and disagreements in theology – there are so many conflicting visions and differences in theology – the first thing we need to do is pray. How Christians should conduct themselves. The church is in desperate need of prayer. So the first instruction of the book is – we need to pray. And there are differing ways to pray: with entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings – we won’t look into the differences among those today, but you can do that on your own.
Then Paul includes kings – those in authority – and for us – that means our president, our congressmen, senators, city councilmen, mayor, etc.
Two underlying basic principles in relationship to the institution of government – and they appear to be in conflict and opposition to one another – they are both in the Bible and are clearly taught – and they seem to be in disagreement with each other! The first is this:
First, Government is established by God for the purpose of promoting human flourishing and the good of society and for the purpose of maintaining order in an evil dark world. – This comes out of Romans 13 – and it is important to note that it is referring to Romans who were living in Rome under the nose of the Roman Empire – that even an evil government like the Roman Empire is established by God for good and to bring order to an evil world. So that is the first principle.
In light of that – Christians have certain responsibilities in relationship to government. The Bible teaches several things on this: First – to respect the offices of government and even those in the office of the Government. That is a hard one – but it was even harder then. Paul says to honor and respect those – and that means that there is a way to honor and respect those who are unworthy of honor. The Roman Empire – just read about those folks – totally unworthy of any honor and respect. Second – Jesus said – we are to pay our taxes. We are to obey the laws of the land…. Usually. There are times when we do not obey the laws of the land when they go against God’s greater law or even our own conscience.
Second way of viewing this– the institutions of government are under the powers of evil and darkness – and that is found in Ephesians 6 – and I think that is crystal clear.
That seems in conflict with the first principle – part of the ‘already and not yet’ of the Bible. There is this tension. To demonstrate this - Like when Satan showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and all of their glory and said – if you bow down – I will give them to you – as they have been granted to me (Satan) and it is in my authority to do so – I have authority over all the kingdoms. Jesus himself said that Satan is the king of THIS WORLD.
So there is tension. If this principle is true – there are implications for Christians. First - We live in conflict with the government we are supposed to honor. There will always be conflict with the government we are to honor and respect.
Second – at times, we will not be able to obey this government we are to honor and respect – like in Acts where the apostles asked – do we obey God or man? And the answer is God.
We live in a peculiar relationship with Government – and there will be this: we walk on a razor’s edge – and if we are not wise, prudent, and careful, we will fall off to one side or the other. And Christian history is littered with Christians and churches that fell off to one side or the other
To learn how to live in that tension, we look to Peter:
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, (temporarily residing abroad) (1Peter 1:1 NAU)
Every time Israel was captured, they were scattered throughout the world. Aliens – a good translation might be ‘resident aliens’ –
Like when they were captured by the Babylonians – they were commanded to go live there and build houses and plant gardens and pray for the city in which you live - but remember that they are from Israel and your true citizenship is in Jerusalem. This says to us – we should pray for and live for the common good of this country – to be the best citizens, but always knowing that our real citizenship is not here, but in the kingdom of God.
My daughter-in-law is a permanent resident of the United States – when she married our son, she became a permanent resident. But she is a citizen of the Philippines. Her allegiances and loyalties are there. This is such a picture for us, as our ultimate loyalties always lie somewhere else. Our greatest patriotic feelings should be to our true country – heaven.
Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. (1Pe 2:11 NAU)
For the Jewish people – as they went into exile, started this tradition – and if you have ever been to a Passover Seder – the last words: Next year in Jerusalem. For most that never happens, but it is always the forefront of their minds. As Christians, when we leave the voting booth – should say – next year – in heaven.
So back to Paul:
First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all people, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.
When he says pray for them, we think that is tame, an innocent request, but for them, that is radical! And it is not innocent, it is subversive.
NT Wright – Paul’s instruction plants a ticking time bomb
Why? so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. When I read this – and for so long I have thought this way, I think of Fiddler on the Roof:
Fiddler: Is there a prayer for the czar? God bless the czar and keep the czar far from us.
I think we think this is to pray to keep the government off our backs – but that is not it.
Politics is a reality – they come up in churches and schools and communities and the nation – we can’t just exit out of it – so when you engage - and within that reality, may these be the characteristics to demonstrate – tranquility? Does that happen today? Is this what American politics is known for? Tranquil. Quiet. Godliness. We think that is funny – but the real question is – do you approach the public debate with tranquility and godliness with dignity? Is that our reputation? I would think about that in social media and in political discussions you have at work – and your involvement in social issues. If these qualities don’t come up, you have work to do.
The first work of prayer is the transformation of the pray-er. To change us, as people, in relationship to government.
We cannot allow our political involvement and public opinions and social opinion to subtract and devalue the gospel. The gospel is first and foremost. I think we live in a world where this has happened – people’s approach to the political world has devalued the gospel – and for that we should weep.
Paul interjects mission and gospel into the story. –
3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
When we pray for the leaders – we pray for health and wisdom – all of those things are important – but Paul is saying – first and foremost – pray for their salvation! Pray for their conversion. We pray for that, I’m sure, and we think it is nothing. But for them, that was significant. God our savior – see those words? Those are the same words as used for Caesar. To pray for the salvation of the one – … every year, every person had to say these words – “Caesar is lord.” This was the law and the Christians could not say that, because Jesus is Lord. Paul is saying – Caesar, who believes he is a savior – needs a savior – and for them – that is viewed as unpatriotic.
One commentator wrote this:
“The motive for doing this – praying for conversion – is not political. Paul’s intent here, however, is to move the worship practice of a Christian congregation in a somewhat different direction. Yes, they should pray for the salvation of their pagan leaders rather than their cooperation, so that an experience of divine grace will occasion their transformation… so that it might bring about social reform. The purpose clause describes the result sought by congregational prayers as a “quiet, peaceful, godly, and respectful life” – all terms that describe Christianity’s social manner in the public square. But the congregation’s public prayers reflect not a program of political domestication but a Christian mission that boldly evangelizes the surrounding pagan culture from top to bottom.”
For us, the election of certain people will never change society. The conversion of those people will transform it. That is the way transformation is accomplished – when revival swept through, it changed entire countries.
This does not mean that we don’t vote, but it sets our priorities on it. It is so much higher than that as citizens of a different kingdom – salvation.
5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and human beings, Christ Jesus, himself human, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. 7 And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle--I am telling the truth, I am not lying--and a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles.
None are excluded (Gentiles and Jews) – and to be clear – his focus is on salvation – that is what we must live for. We must be so much more ‘hot’ over that than we are about political and social issues. That does not mean that political and social issues are not important.
Phil 3: 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
The citizens of Philippi were not members of a Roman country – but those who were citizens who had fought for the Roman army – and Rome would set up colonies for those people. To be a citizen of Rome was hard-won. I remember talking to my Grandpa who came over from Italy – HE WAS AMERICAN! And it was hard-won!
To those people – your citizenship you paid dearly for is not here, but heaven.
Practically speaking – our priorities are to be for the gospel.
Our lives are in heaven. That is the kingdom we must live for – that must be the priority. That will, at times, bring us into conflict with our political system – and I will say – all sides of our political system – even the side you are on. In this congregation, there are those on either side of the aisle. It is easy to see how we are in conflict with the other side – but our true understanding of heaven – is that it puts us in conflict even with ‘our side’
We fall off the razor edge when we allow our politics to be conformed to the way the world does it.
Finally – part of what we do, we are called to have a prophetic voice in our culture. A prophetic voice will be critical at times and a voice of offense – As Christians, we are to speak truth to power – but what I would say about that – that is to speak truth to all sides of power – no matter which side you are on or which side is in power. There must be truth spoken to each side. If we are unable to see that, we have not grasped that our citizenship is in heaven. That is our calling – so it is okay to speak out – quiet, tranquil, godly, dignity. Then speak truth to power, even when they agree with us, because they don’t agree with us.
Eugene Peterson – “The politics of the Lamb takes the ordinary and basic elements of our obedience (offering our adoration in worship, listening to the proclaimed word, practicing a holy life), and develops them into the ultimate and eternal…”
It is our character – quiet – dignity – that transforms things. We think if we are really loud, we will transform things.
“Politics is the management of power, whether in marriage and family, business and trade, congregation and committee, legislature and convention, school classroom and executive boardroom. We are in politics, whether we want to be or not, whether anyone voted for us or not. We are in politics, whether we want to be or not.
When a single, weary hobbit, Frodo, dropped the ring into the fire, his single, private act of enduring obedience turned the tide of the large, visible fierce battle of evil against good. When we do what God calls us to do – love God and love others, cosmic realities are altered. The kingdom of this world does become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ! We live by faith, not by sight.
Let’s pray.