Jesus Abolishes the State
“Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
- Jesus
My three-hour Lunch with a Friend was fantastic!
Once again, this proverb has been proven true:
“Iron sharpens iron,
and one man sharpens another.” - Proverbs 27:17
My friend (and brother in Christ) assented to my predilection for oriental cuisine, and consequently we both enjoyed delicious Kung Pao Chicken at a local restaurant that makes (in my not so humble opinion) the best there is.
While nourishing our bodies, we enjoyed an extended conversation that also fed my soul.
Such satisfaction can linger for days.
As when any two mere mortals meet, we exchanged differing opinions. This is of course part of the sharpening process of the above proverb.
After "chewing the cud" of our discussion for some time, this morning I wrote my friend an email with a more complete and extensive answer to one of his objections to a view I expressed.
What view did my friend object to?
As I study scripture, I have become more and more convinced that all existing human governments, A.K.A. 'states,' are illegitimate, corrupt, and have had no authentic authority since the day Jesus/God ascended to sit on the throne of the Kingdom of God. Scripture literally teaches that Jesus is in the process of abolishing the human state as we know it.
Consequently, I believe that my role as a Christian is to limit my involvement in state affairs to resisting, opposing, and reducing the state's illegitimate exercise of power.
Like most Christians I know,
my friend countered with the opinion that Christians should become more involved in politics, run for office, and work to reform the state. This is unsurprising; I was "that guy" myself for all too long. Most of us have grown up in churches where that is the prevailing opinion.
Trying to reform the world through political action is, I believe, an unfortunate error made by the reformers and their successors, and why we need a new Reformation.
And so, I invite you, Dear Reader, to consider my written response (below) to this misapprehension of the role of Christians in this world.
The Best Kung Pao Chicken (Source)
~Jesus Is ABOLISHING the State~
Reflections On Lunch With A Friend
by Duncan Cary Palmer
Brother!
Thanks again for joining me for lunch! And thanks for the notice about opposing the proposed Draconian law; I'm happy to sabotage new efforts to oppress. As I mentioned at lunch, I believe our proper posture toward the state is to weaken and oppose and resist it.
I hope you'll find this email a more constructive response to your perspective on being involved in the political scene, and hopefully a better explanation of why I consider such involvement both futile and counterproductive...
Almost on a daily basis,
the LORD, through scripture, has been adjusting my understanding. I'm writing to share a few passages of scripture that are strongly influencing my theology in this direction.
Of course, one of the strongest and clearest passages is, and has always been, Psalm two. Why in heaven's name would a believer want to participate in a system at which the LORD laughs derisively? :) Not only that, he promises to make all the nations the inheritance of his Son, King Jesus, who will "...break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." Why try to build up what is about to be broken to pieces?
Then there's Daniel, who in his visions saw the boulder cut out without hands come sweeping in and smashing the kingdoms of this world into dust. Again, why would we want to be part of any system that is so marked for utter destruction?
But in the New Testament,
the bankruptcy of the state seems ever so much clearer (and I don't quite understand why the church seems to have missed this, other than my thesis that it has been influenced and misdirected by our adversary). As I read the gospels, Acts, and the epistles, I keep seeing things like the following (emphasis added by me):
"Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." - 1 Corinthians 2:6-8
Paul here is clearly speaking of what I call "The Powers That Shouldn't Be," more or less ridiculing them—a la Psalm two—as the ignoramuses they are. He says plainly that they are "doomed to pass away." I'll repeat my question; Why would we want to have anything to do with them and their corrupt systems?
"Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death." - 1 Corinthians 15:24-26
So, according to Paul,
Jesus' active purpose during his present reign is to DESTROY every rule, authority, and power. These are the earthly kingdoms—we know them generically as 'states'—for example, the United States of America, and the State of California, and the County of San Diego... In the gospels, Jesus has told us that his kingdom is not a 'state,' that it is not "of this world."
Again, I will ask; Why in the world would we want to be part of these institutions clearly destined for destruction?
"Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
be not envious of wrongdoers!
For they will soon fade like the grass
and wither like the green herb." - Psalm 37:1-2
I'll briefly anticipate this question:
"But who will guide and govern society if existing governments are dismantled?"
I'm glad you asked, because Paul has the answer to that question as well:
"For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things through the agency of the church, which is his body (politic), the fullness of him who fills all in all." - Ephesians 1:15-23
BTW, I've properly re-translated the final sentence; yes, the text really says that Jesus rules the world, above all other rulers, through the agency of his ἐκκλησία (ecclesia, the word so poorly rendered as 'church'). And the churches are local (city-based) bodies. And we really need no level of hierarchy higher/wider than the local/city area. Why? Because, of course, Jesus himself is our Head, our leader... Or don't we really believe that he is in charge of, and is able to coordinate, all of the 'cells' in his body?
Finally, (and then I'll leave you in peace to enjoy your day, and perhaps ruminate on these things?)...
WHY—(as I read scripture)—
is it God's agenda to destroy, demolish, and make human states as we have known them null and void (the Greek word is καταργέω, Strongs #2673 if you want to look it up)?
I believe it is because human states exist to do the bidding of their father the devil. They are actually ruled and guided by "principalities and powers" that are ultimately guided by the "prince of the power of the air." If that hasn't been utterly clear in days gone by, it surely has become plainly evident in the past couple of years as state tyranny has ramped up.
"...in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the (evil) spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—" - Ephesians 2:2
The problem with trying to reform and restore the state is that it is utterly, irredeemably corrupt, built and based upon ungodly principles. I published an article comparing and contrasting the principles of human government as we've known it with Kingdom principles:
The State or God's Kingdom? ~ A Comparison Chart
If you compare the characteristics of existing states (left column) with the characteristics of the ἐκκλησία (right column) it should become obvious which is the superior form of governance.
I'll close with one final, relevant passage:
"Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,
“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
Therefore go out from their midst,
and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch no unclean thing;
then I will welcome you,
and I will be a father to you,
and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.” - 2 Corinthians 6:14-18
Brother, if you've read this far, thanks for your patient endurance! I'm always open to—and truly welcome—correction and redirection, especially from scriptural insights.
Have a blessed day and week, Brother, and see you Sunday, God willing...
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Satisfaction... (Source)
~FIN~
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'The Kingdom of Jesus/God/The Heavens' Library Shelf
And, by all means, raise your issues, ask your questions, and engage in debate (in person if you know me) and/or in the comment section below.
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First let me say how refreshing it is to read about Brothers getting together with differing views of a topic and not almost coming to blows! I sometimes feel Christians have forgotten that we are brothers and sisters and that we are on the same team. It is perfectly fine for us to be able to fellowship and discuss our differences of opinion.
You have made some very interesting points about government and our role (or lack there of) within in it. I will definitely be praying for more wisdom on this subject and I will be spending to process all the points and scriptures you provided. It is an interesting stance to say the least.
Again, there is my favorite scripture and with it, proof of how much we need each other for counsel, edification, and encouragement!
Hey my friend!
Thanks for reading and commenting!
This will become a part of my collection of writings on the Kingdom of God. I'd love to hear your further thoughts as you think about this. FYI, you can find a lot more background for what I've said here on my Library Kingdom shelf...
Yes, we absolutely need each other! We need to communicate and learn from each other the things our LORD Jesus is teaching us from his word.
So glad you stopped by!
😄😇😉
lol it might take me awhile to process these. i am so very fearful of taking scripture out of context to fit my needs(views) rather than being led by the Holy Spirit that usually passages of scripture can take me awhile to fully get through and be comfortable with my understanding of it.
So, @papacrusher,
My understanding is that the context for any and everything in scripture must necessarily be all of scripture. And in our weakness and humanity, we have an almost insurmountable tendency to filter what we read through the lens, or the "eyeglasses," of whatever systematic theology we have grown up with or been taught. Unfortunately, if we start out being too resistant to new ideas (i.e., "Shields up! Don't confuse me with the facts, my mind is made up!"), then we never can learn anything.
When I'm confronted with a new idea that has radical consequence, I find myself reading through the bible again, trying to see whether or not that idea "fits" everything else scripture has to say. If you have a chance, check this out:
A Sola the Reformers Missed - "Sola Ecclesia"
In that article (and hopefully in a non-threatening way), I propose that readers "try on a different pair of glasses," at least provisionally. It need not be a permanent change of viewpoint if it doesn't "pan out," but the suggestion is to give the viewpoint a fair chance as you read the scriptures, to see if it "fits."
I believe this is what the Bereans did, searching the scriptures when Paul and Silas confronted them with new ideas.
That article was definitely interesting and a unique interpretation of government I had not heard before. As I was reading the article, the one thing came to mind was a passage in John:
This got me to thinking that if the power was "given" from above to Pilate, an earthly ruler representing government, it was done so with God's knowledge of how he would use it and for whatever reason Jesus and the Jews were subject under it. Please know I am not trying to be disrespectful to your thoughts or beliefs, I'm just curious about this perspective.
Fantastic observation and question! <3
So, here's my take on it, which partly has to do with the function of language and of translation...
The word Pilate uses is ἐξουσία (exousia), most often translated into English as authority and occasionally as power. Check out BibleHub for extensive details on its meaning and usage in many contexts.
Here's the thing: the English word "authority" has strong implications of legitimacy. However, perhaps not so much in Greek, though "authorization" in the sense of legitimacy can be correct, depending on the context.
I've become persuaded that (certainly in this context where Pilate is speaking) there is a clear divide between moral authority and raw power. Pilate's actions (as I believe are the actions of all earthly states) were illegitimate, an exercise of raw power, not a legitimate authority delegated by God. And of course, by Pilate's own admission, he found no fault in Jesus.
You said:
@papacrusher, thanks for the disclaimer, but it's not necessary! I truly appreciate your thoughtful questions, and would love to have more readers show up with the same attitude.
Jesus told us that he holds ALL authority on earth...
I further expound on the idea that Jesus is our only legitimate source of authority in this article, FYI... :D I believe that this is the "really good news," A.K.A. "the gospel" that the church needs to be proclaiming. We have a new boss, and he's the best possible; we don't need to pay petty earthly tyrants "no nevermind" any more...
Interesting discourse, to say the least. I definitely understand the woeful limitations on the translation as it had passed from the various languages down to us and have been shown similar "translation" issues in the past.
But with this interaction between Jesus and Pilate was in the midst of political connotations and Jesus was taken to Pilate specifically because of his authority in the region at the time under the ruling authority of Caesar. But I was also contemplating that when Jesus speaks of the only power Pilate had was given to him by God could also allude to the premise that this temporary authority was permitted by God in order for various prophecies concerning the Messiah to be fulfilled. This would not legitimize governments but have them serve a purpose for the fulfillment of prophecy.
Another thought I had that supports your original premise about earthly governments is that I know this was not the original plan of God. The Bible is fairly clear, in my understanding, that God's original government design was an evolution from the priests of the Levi tribe to the judge system put into place. The only reason a king was ever appointed was because of the moaning and groaning (as usual lol) of the people. Only then did God permit a king to be appointed and also only after several admonitions that it would be a mistake.
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