When Rights Clash
The Rights of The Individual vs That Of The State
A Christian Perspective by
John Edmiston
First Scenario
A Christian family believes in disciplining their child by using firm but fair corporal
punishment. A law is passed outlawing all corporal punishment in the home. What should they do?
What should we do when Scriptural obligations to be respectful to governments and those in
authority clash with what we see as our clear duty as parents ?
Second Scenario
An unemployed person with a large family refuses the offer of a well paid job because he can get
more on the dole and because he prefers his "chosen lifestyle". Can we expect the state to
support us in our "chosen lifestyle". Is this theft?
Third Scenario
After the Port Arthur massacre in Australia the Australian government banned all automatic and
semi-automatic weapons. Access to firearms was tightened and made on the basis of demonstrated
need. Was this a right and responsible action or a violation of individual rights?
Postures Taken In Scripture
There are seven basic postures that we see exercised between men and women of
God and the State in Scripture. To make it easy I have started them all with the
letter R.
Rapport - Orderly and godly government - Nathan, Priests & David and Solomon
Respect - Orderly pagan government - Daniel & Nebacudnezzar, Darius
Rebuke - Significant systemic sin - the prophets and most of the Kings of Judah
Ridicule - Despicable , disorderly and profane government - Daniel &
Belteshazzar, Jesus and Herod.
Resistance/Civil disobedience - Anti-Christian authority - Peter and the
Sanhedrin, Roman persecution.
Reformation/Restoration - Idolatrous government - Ahab, Jezebel vs Elijah,
Elisha &Jehu. OT reform movements.
Revolution/War - Oppressive and evil government - Moses & Pharaoh,
Maccabees & Antiochus Epiphanes.
This leaves us with the problem of how to select the appropriate response for the times
we are in. Most of us live under "orderly pagan government" deserving of respect most
of the time and godly confrontation on others. We do not need to resort to military
action in most Western democracies. There are two indicators for the Christian that help us
select the right response: 1) The style of the government we face (as listed above) 2) The
promptings and leadings of the Spirit. This will be dealt with in the next paragraph.
The Christian Response - Flesh or Spirit?
Our responses to injustice need to be of the Spirit not of the flesh. We are not to revile in
return or to curse. We are to accept most injustice with joy. Outbursts of anger, wrath
and dissension are not to be part of the Christian response. Spiritual
responses and fleshly responses can look similar but in fact be miles apart. Passive
acquiescence to the regime of Ahab and Jezebel was simply not God's will. God's will
in this case involved the killing of Ahab, Jezebel and 800 false prophets! The flesh can
be more "submissive" than the Spirit when self-interest is involved. For example the
unprotesting acceptance of an unjust status quo on the grounds that we are to be
"submissive to the government". Christians have upheld great evils such as apartheid
by compliance with evil. Spiritually sensitive people have protested against such
entrenched injustice (eg Amos). We need to be careful especially if the injustice
operates in our favour. The Spirit may lead different people to respond in different ways
e.g. the Hasidic and Maccabean responses to Antiochus.
Jesus Christ as Basileus
Jesus Christ has all authority in heaven and on earth and is the Christian's only true
allegiance. Matthew particularly indicates that He is a King with a Kingdom.
Revelation sees Him as establishing a theocracy where "He will rule the nations with a
rod of iron". The early Christians were martyred for seeing Jesus Christ as their true
Basileus (Lord) in contrast to Caesar. This was so pronounced that the Roman Empire interpreted
the Lordship of Jesus Christ as a political statement regarding the subject's loyalties and
somehow as a tangible threat to Rome's dominion. At Christ's trial it was His claim to Kingship
that caused Pilate to feel threatened. True Christianity is a plotical as well as a spiritual
reality.
Suffering unjustly
While the State has no right to be unjust or capricious, if it is unjust and if it does
persecute Christians for their faith, then we should rejoice in our sufferings. This is our
glory and the way the prophets of old were treated. The State will be judged for its
oppression by God. The first response of the Christian to the enactment of unjust laws
should be defiance followed by suffering. Matthew 5:10ff, 1 Peter etc.
The dangers of Dominion theology
There is no indication in Scripture that the Church is to be a triumphant political
Kingdom before the return of Christ. There are great dangers in trying to use military or
other means to advance the earthly power of God's people.
Antiochus Epiphanes ...calling the unholy holy.
Where God's people are being asked to profane themselves or defile their faith and to
call the unholy holy there may be a case for an armed response as in the case of the
Maccabbean revolt against Antiochus Epiphanes which seems to have been of God.
God's people divided then over the issue of armed resistance and would also divide
now but in retrospect both the pacifist and non-pacifist groups were doing so "unto the
Lord" and were blessed by God in their own ways.
Taxation - Jesus' perspective and Paul's
At no point do the Scriptures advocate withholding taxes as a means of protest.
The overwhelming burden of Scripture is to "render unto Caesar the things that are
Caesars".
Mission and evangelism - obeying God rather than men
Acts indicates that the proclamation of the eternal gospel is of a higher priority than
obeying religious or civil authorities but that discretion should be used to avoid inciting
unnecessary confrontation.
Separation of Church and State
Depends on how it is interpreted. The American High Court interpretation gives
dominance to the State and relegates religion to a backwater. Biblically the State is
accountable to the Church which has the right to anoint Kings or uproot governments
but not by military power but through the power of God manifested through the
actualisation /fulfilment of the prophesied Word.
Military service
There are no Biblical prohibitions against military service or records of exemptions being
asked for on the grounds of conscience. It was an expected duty of all citizens. The limits
placed on soldiers include not using their force/power for exacting unjust gain. Military
service is never condemned as such. Warfare is defiling but not sinful.
The miraculous answer and the alternative Kingdom.
Moses' answer to an unjust regime was a clear demonstration of the power of God in
miracles that finally persuaded Pharaoh to let them go. The power of the Kingdom of
God was manifested in Jesus and the early apostles and is the best preparation for and
answer to persecution. Our answer must not be fleshly but spiritual in the demonstration
of the Spirit and of power and of Christ's character. It was their godly character and joy -
that left the deepest impression on those observing the persecution of the early Christians. God
is a delivering God and has saved His people from many persecutions down the centuries (see
Esther) when our rights are violated then we must look to the Lord, not to our own
anger for a
solution.
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