The Example of John Knox
For Church State Relations Today

The Reformers, especially John Knox, are challenging examples for contemporary church leaders when it comes to church-state relations.

Has your church decided on a plan for meeting your Biblical obligation to God regarding the civil magistrate? Do new officer candidates recognize their responsibility to the civil magistrate in the present crisis.

Minister’s Responsibility
To Teach The Civil Magistrate

A paper entitled, Calvin's Covenantal Pronomianism originally delivered by Ralph Allan Smith on May 23-24, 1994 at a Tokyo reunion of Japanese Presbyterian ministers and leaders noted that, “Gillespie, who was very influential at the Westminster Assembly, states clearly that the minister of the Gospel is required to teach the magistrate from the Bible how to make just laws. Ibid., p. 33”. (Ibid., p. 33). We see this in Dt. 17:8-10 and again in I Tim. 1:8-12. According to the Timothy passage, this is in accord with "the glorious gospel."

Also in II Chronicles 19:8 it says, "And in Jerusalem also Jehoshaphat appointed some of the Levites and priests, and some of the heads of the fathers households of Israel, for the judgment of the Lord and to judge disputes among the inhabitants of Jerusalem." Counseling the civil magistrate is not optional if we believe in the whole Bible.

Examples From The Reformation

Don't these verses tell us that it is the responsibility of the church leadership to teach the civil leaders the requirement of God's law? How can we pretend that we are not obligated by God to do this? John Calvin did it. John Knox did it. Luther did not do it and higher criticism and Hitler was the eventual outcome.

How can we claim to be sons of the Reformation if we don't at least try to take the gospel and the requirements of the Law of God to our local magistrates? Calvin and John Knox were proactive in engaging the civil magistrates. John Knox was not bashful about seeking audience with the royalty in Scotland.

The evangelical church in Germany did virtually nothing as Hitler was rising to power. This was the natural result of Luther's two-kingdom theory. Are we going to follow in their footsteps? Are we not using an emphasis on "church & family" to excuse ourselves from this Biblical obligation?

Biblical Emphasis On Justice

God is clearly concerned about justice in society and insists that the kings "kiss the feet of the Son." (Ps 2). It is part of our responsibility to "disciple the nations" to insist on this too.

Jesus quoted Isaiah 61:1,2 as summarizing His mission on earth, including "to proclaim liberty to captives, and freedom to prisoners." Why do we spiritualize that and give it a privatized, Neo-Platonic interpretation?

Isaiah 59:15 says, "...Now the Lord saw, And it was displeasing in His sight that there was no justice...And was astonished that there was no one to intercede." To be honest I think that based on this verse God is astonished that so many church elders refuse to intercede in the halls of justice.

How can we ignore major portions of the Bible in refusing to do this or delaying it for some future generation? The crisis is now! When there was a crisis in the City Council of Geneva, Calvin was there -- he didn't wait for some future generation of children to be raised up. That is a cop out. When there was a crisis in the government of Scotland, John Knox was there -- he didn't pass it off to the future generations, he fought for the future generations in the present. He preached law and gospel to the magistrate.

Isaiah 2: 1-4 says, "For the law will go forth from Zion, And He will judge between the nations...." The law has to go forth first, in order that Christ may judge between the nations via His representatives on earth. It is the responsibility of "Zion" (church leaders expert in God's law) to carry the law forth to the civil ruler. We excuse ourselves, thinking we have to wait for a better time, but Elijah confronted Ahab in the worst of times.

Take Action

Are we guilty of "fiddling while Rome burns?" The crisis in America is severe and immediate and most of us are sitting on our thumbs in our Christian ghetto. It is the responsibility of the church leadership to "thrust the king out of the sanctuary" when he has overstepped his bounds, as the priests thrust Uzziah out of the temple.

But with rare exception we are doing virtually nothing to confront the magistrate, informing them that the judgment of God is upon us: how can we help? how can we serve? how can we teach?

The Protestant ministers confronted James I when he came to power in England. He ignored them, but at least they fulfilled their obligation before God and God dealt with James. Same with John Knox before the kings and queens of Scotland. But where are we? What is the church in our generation doing? Virtually nothing.

Let us make some purposeful effort to engage the local magistrates and proclaim the crown rights of the King. Let us start small -- but let us start. Who knows what God might do if we at least make the attempt?

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