4 Thoughts on Government

I love books. I love theology books. I especially love old books written by old dead guys. One of my instructors who was instrumental in my ministry training once told me to learn to enjoy reading Bible commentaries. I took his advice…maybe to an extreme I confess.

The past two years have had me reviewing my theology on government…actually scratch that. When the government mandates hit in 2020 I did not know what I believed about government…no serious thought had ever been given. The best I could give you was to “render to caesars what is caesars…” (Mark 12:17). And also this line: “Be subject to the governing authorities…” (Romans 13:1). What I would come to see by early 2021 is that there are important contexts to those verses which really gut it of its popular meaning…popular meaning being: If the government says jump you ask how high.

We must realize that the design God has for government is such that the government is not sovereign.

This week in preparation for Sunday I had the privilege of reading a classic on this topic. I asked numerous pastors before I started reading it and 90% said that it was a must read on the topic. I was so struck by that book that I felt compelled to give an overview on this week’s blog post.

A more accurate title to this blog would be “4 Thoughts from Abraham Kuyper on Government”. I want to share 4 thought provoking take aways that I had when I completed the dense third chapter on politics in “Lectures on Calvinism.”

Two quick notes. 1) I will be merely setting forth Kuyper’s ideas. This is not my opinion or review, but an overview. Where I interact with his ideas there will be clear distinction . 2) The term “Calvinism” in the title is much broader than thinking on election and free will. Calvinism in this book is referring to the theological view that was clarified and popularized by John Calvin that God is sovereign over all: religion and church, government and society.

Now, let us begin. (All references will be cited to this edition of his book.)

Romans 13

Paul lays down a concise and full description of government. In Romans 13:1-4 we are presented with the divine design of government, part of that being to “punish evil.” Kuyper states:

First…we have gratefully to receive, from the hand of God, the institution of the state with its magistrates, as a means of preservation, now indeed indispensable.

page 68

He refers to it as now “indispensable” because of the sinfulness of man in the heart and in every part of society. It is to restrain. Our four points will flow from the government’s role as a divine restraint on evil.

• The first two observations will be in light of the fact that government is God-given authority
• The last two will be tied to the liberty humanity was designed to enjoy from the Garden of Eden.

An Authority to Restrain Sin; An Authority Corrupted by Sin

• 1) Our first point has already been covered: God-given authority to restrain evil is indispensable due to the presence of sin in the human heart and society.
• 2) The Bible testifies to both the design of government (Rom. 13:1-7) but also the demise of it by sinful men in powerful positions. Mankind can be greatly blessed by men who “punish evil doers” yet we can also be greatly damaged by “evil doers” holding the authority. Kuyper posits that we can never give blind trust to the governing systems in this world. The design is good but at times the designated driver of that system is overtly corrupt. We receive government as an establishment of God while also being ever aware of its dangers in that hand of corrupt men.

Governing Authorities Bless Us by Reminding Us of Liberty

• 3) A tension of authority and liberty: Man has tried various paths to unify the human race/family. Generals have made military conquest. Philosophies have arisen that encourage the pursuit of Utopia. Yet, there is only One who can. Because God created man to enjoy true liberty now when he is restrained there is an unease in him. Thus we have the tension between authority and liberty.
• The very fact we are ruled over by other mere men is a constant reminder of what we lost when we rebelled against the Creator. Humanity has been trying to unite the world since Babel because it longs for that happiness and freedom it had in Eden. Yet at the same time the hunger for liberty, to no longer be under our fellow man reminds us of what is to come. A day will come when there will be only one Authority, one natural Ruler: King Jesus. Therefore, even a corrupt government can be a blessing to the Christian by turning our eyes to look to the future hope we have in Christ.
• 4) Liberty of family and church: The state has a separate role that does not exercise authority over what God created in paradise. The governing authorities are temporarily in place to restrain evil that has entered. It is not original to creation. It came later after the flood and will dissolve at Christ’s return.  

Government is not intended to be far-reaching or heavy handed. It should not be more influential than the structures first established at creation (i.e. marriage and family). Government was established for the blessing and furthering of the biblical family and its pursuit of the creation mandate (Gen. 1:28 — “Be fruitful…multiply…fill the earth and subdue it). A government mandate which hinders a natural working of what God created from the beginning is evil. It has no authority over what God created as self-governing. It merely acts as a means of grace to restrain when evil arises in those spheres that are original to creation.

My Closing and Clarifying Thoughts:

Joel Beeke notes that human “authority is always limited authority and is bordered by other spheres of authority…” So also every government in this world is designated by God to be held in check. No human authority of any sort is sovereign over all; all are limited.

We must understand that God has set up self-governing systems in this world. There is indeed overlap of various sorts between he spheres yet each sphere must not transgress the others. The governor cannot tell the father how to educate his children. The pastor cannot command kids at his church like they were his own children. A Father cannot determine the speed limit of his state. The governor, pastor, and father each have legitimate authority so long as it is exercised within it God given bounds.

Government has God given bounds. There is a God given purpose for it. We must look to the Creator’s word on this as revealed in scripture to know what those bounds and purposes are…Romans 13:1-7 is a great place to start.

We see that

1. Government restrains evil
2. Government itself can be corrupted by the evil hearts of those holding office, and therefore citizens must be aware of this great potential
3. The establishment of government reminds us of the liberty we have lost (yet will be regained for God’s children in the new creation)
4. Government is not sovereign with the ability to command the family and church. It, like every type of earthly authority, has divinely mandated boundaries and purposes. It’s authority only dwells and rightly functions there. A helpful mark to note of a government that is in line as the “servant of God” (Rom. 13:4) is that it is a blessing to the people of God.