average_bitcoiner
· 3d
What is the biblical perspective of politics? Or more broadly, power games in general? Christ wasn't a conqueror so what does that mean for apprenticing under him? I know there is Romans 13 about subm...
There's no one idea of Christian politics. The gamut ranges from Monarchy to Anarchism and everything in between. I think Judges (decentralized self-governance) vs Samuel (two kings, one righteous, one unrighteous) is instructive. I think the ideal form of government is probably dependent on history, culture, geopolitics, where in the civilizational cycle you are, etc.
I do think that the stronger the government, the more important (and difficult) it is to cultivate a strong folk culture that doesn't care what the government does. This to me is Christian Anarchism — not fighting resisting the government, just doing our own thing outside of it. This is how I understand Romans 13 and 1 Peter 3: in light of Mark 12. Submit to the governing authorities, pay your taxes to Caesar, but give to God what is God's — i.e., yourself. If the government claims your allegiance, it is over-reaching. But if it claims your stuff that's ok because your treasure ought to be in heaven.
I think Christians (even Christian Anarchists) can be in positions of civil authority (although being that close to the machine can be morally hazardous). But being in authority and exercising power isn't inherently wrong; the soldiers in the New Testament are generally praised as examples of faith, and are not instructed to quit their job (Luke 3, Matthew 8, Acts 10).
