PREFACE: This is an article publiched in FOUNDATION E-ZIne more
than three years ago.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whm he
hath chosen for his own inheritance. Psalm 33:12
In the previous issue of Foundation, we began to study the
fundamentals of Scripture regarding politics. We learned that God
expects us as His Children to conduct ourselves politically in a
manner which is becoming to His glorious Gospel. We learned that
this conduct originates within the political community we are a
part of. This political community is found in heaven, in the
literal, physical city of New Jerusalem, constructed by Yahweh
personally for those repenting and receiving by faith His wonderful
offer of salvation. By virtue of the politics of this city in the
heavens, we are at war with all other cities which have no
permanence for us. As a result, any identification we have with any
city of this earth is nothing more than an earthly address. It lets
others know where on this earth we live. This speaks of a
separation from the world, its system and ways. God has designed
this separation and in another issue in the future, Lord willing,
the founding of this separation will be addressed from the book of
Genesis.
For now, the next issue to be addressed has to do with
questions regarding our political government and its administration
among citizens of the Kingdom of God while serving God upon this
earth. Before we delve into what's involved in the actual
administration of Heaven's Politics, the more fundamental issue of
the structure of this administration will be looked at first, as
well as where this structure has been placed by God to function on
this earth. We will also look at the relationship of this heavenly
government (and its citizens) to all earthly governments
(and its citizens).
We'll begin by looking at the Greek word used only twice in
Scripture to refer to government and its administration. The word
is found in Strong's Greek Dictionary of the New Testament
# 4174 "politeia, pol-ee-ti-ah; from 4177 ("polity"); citizenship; concr. a community." This word encompasses the idea
of citizenship, but also includes the administration of every right,
privilege, immunity, etc accompanying that citizenship. This term
may also include the state or commonwealth in which this
administration of citizenship rights occurs; hence the word
"polity." We have this illustrated for us beginning in Acts 22 when
Paul finds himself literally in a bind and about to be scourged for
preaching the Gospel. After asking the centurion that bound him
prior to scourging, "Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is
a Roman, and uncondemned," Paul was approached by the chief captain.
The chief captain said to him, "Tell me, art thou a Roman?" After
Paul answered in the affirmative, the chief captain responded,
"With a great sum obtained I this freedom." Paul told the chief
captain that he was "free born."
The word translated "freedom" in the above passage and used by the
chief captain is the same word we just defined. Its use in this
scenario reflects the chief captains knowledge of the different
rights held by different citizens, in this case, his own as well as
Paul's. Because the initial presumption in this scenario was that
Paul was something other than a Roman citizen, these officers
believed that their actions in preparing Paul for scourging were
proper procedure under Roman law for someone other than a Roman
citizen. That procedure was immediately changed when Paul pleaded
his Roman citizenship. These officers of the law knew that the
administration of the rights of a Roman citizen were completely
different. In fact, they were so different, that the officers
preparing for the scourging of Paul would have been executed under
that same Roman law had they followed through with their initial
intent. So Paul, as well as the Roman officers, knew the possibility
that two people standing beside each other could come under two
entirely different sets of laws and procedures. They could actually
be under two separate administrations of government depending upon
their citizenship status. This is a vital distinction almost
entirely forgotten among God's people today when considering their
relationship to this world and its lawful recognition and
administration of citizenship rights for all under their authority.
The only other occasion for the use of this word in Scripture is
used by Paul in his letter to the Ephesians. In the second chapter,
Paul begins by detailing the differences in a person's life before
and after saving faith in Christ. In particular, he recounts the
Ephesian believers' status before God prior to a redemptive faith
in Jesus Christ. The name applied to one holding this status is
Gentile, a term which can be and also is translated "nation" or
"nations" in different places in Scripture. Generically, this
describes a person of one of the nations on the earth. The
significance of this particular point lies in the fact that these
people of the nations are identified as being in a state or status
of unbelief toward the Messiah of mankind, Jesus Christ. Because of
this unbelief and inclusion in the nations of the earth, they were
not included within the one group which held eternal sway with the
One Just and Holy God. Paul identifies this unique group in
Ephesians chapter 2 as another nation, but not just any nation.
In verse 12, Paul names this nation as the "commonwealth of Israel."
He forthrightly informs the Ephesian believers as well as current
believers that, before they entered a redemptive relationship with
Jesus Christ through faith, they were separated from this
"commonwealth of Israel." The term translated "commonwealth" is,
once again, the term defined at the beginning of this article. And it
refers to the administration, within the community of particular
citizens (see verse 19), of the rights, immunities, and privileges
accompanying this particular citizenship.
The fact that this identification and placement of Believers in Christ
is with and in the commonwealth of Israel makes many nervous. After all,
it is widely taught that Israel and the Church are distinctly separate
as well as fundamentally different. This is a very popular doctrine
around the world and its modern adherence causes many to misunderstand
the administration of God's law as applied to the Redeemed of the
Kingdom of God, whether they be the Redeemed before the death of Christ
or the Redeemed after the death of Christ. This apprehension is a
lleviated, though, when you carefully consider the words of Christ as
recorded in the books of Matthew and Peter.
Matthew records the words of Christ to the religious leaders of His day.
It must be remembered that these religious leaders were still exercising
the remnants of national authority established by Yahweh through Moses.
Even under Roman dominion, this authority was genuine and recognized by
many official personalities of Scripture, not the least of which was Jesus
Christ Himself. It is to this ordained religious hierarchy that Jesus
pronounces his Judgment. In Matthew 20, Jesus, while teaching in the Temple,
begins to deal with the "chief priests and elders of the people" in an
increasingly harsh manner. He patiently brings them to the point where He
declares to them in verse 43, "Therefore say I unto you, The Kingdom of God
shall be taken from you and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits
thereof." Needless to say, the chief priests and Pharisees were upset, so
upset that they desired to lay hands on him in a rather hostile fashion.
They didn't because they feared the reaction of the people, but they
understood the import of these sharp words. This authority they wielded in
the name of God would be snatched from them and given to another "nation."
Who was this other nation? Peter provides the answer to this vital
question in his first letter. Chapter 2, verse 9 contains the following,
"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a
peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who called
you out of the darkness into his marvelous light." Two verses earlier,
Peter calls these same people "an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual
sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." These are the same people
"Which in times past were not a people, but are now the people of God,
which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy." (vs. 10) If you
look at the context of Peter's writing, this identification of the people
is directly related to their faith in Christ. This salvation by grace
through faith in Christ has transformed the recipients of this salvation i
nto a holy, sanctified nation; a nation distinct and separate from all other
nations of the world and responsible to administer the authority of the
commonwealth of faith in Christ.
This particular passage is important to our understanding of the overall
identity of this unique nation because it is Old Testament Scripture
initially applied to the nation of Israel. We find in Exodus 19, beginning
with verse 5, Yahweh saying, "Now therefore if ye will obey my voice indeed,
and keep my covenant, then shall ye be a peculiar treasure unto me above all
people: for all the earth is mine: 6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of
priests, and an holy nation...." This commonwealth of faith is the same
commonwealth referred to by Paul when speaking to the Ephesians. And when
writing to the Ecclesia in Galatia, he refers to these citizens of faith as
the "seed of Abraham" and, ultimately, calls them "the Israel of God."
(Gal. 6:16)
It is important to note that God's revelation that His Ecclesia is
"the Israel of God" is not as earth shattering as some would make it out to
be. Yahweh"s Ecclesia of today is nothing more than His continuing
administration of the law of grace to His People. The greater part of this
administration of care is carried out through His People, though He is not
above using this World to meet the needs of His saints. This administration
of the law of grace is also aimed at this lost World. As Ambassadors of this
administration of grace, we have the responsibility, individually and
corporately, to present our bodies a living sacrifice to God in such a manner
which demonstrates, through word and deed, the glorious Gospel of our Lord
Jesus Christ. This administration is not unique to us in this age. It has
simply been transferred to us by Christ from the nation of Israel, the nation
of Israel having land with recognized borders, borders which were established
by God Himself (as He has done with all nations- Acts 17:26) And since
"Israel" means "to rule as God," we are doing nothing more than obediently
carrying out the administration of grace's faith, with Christ as the Head of
His Own Body Politic. This Body Politic had its beginning when Yahweh allowed
Cain to found the World's Body Politic under the auspices of ruling evildoers,
initiated upon the rebellious departure of Cain from the blessed presence of
Yahweh. This willful separation by Cain, coupled with the faithful obedience
of Abel, created the dichotomy present on this earth till this day. Both Body
Politics are administered under the lawful sanction of the only Holy and Just
God, with each one operating under a separate set of laws. The Body Politic
of this World is under the letter of God's law, the law of justice. The Body
Politic of Christ abides under the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus,
freeing us from the condemnation justice requires. The Two Body Politics are
as different as night and day, which each ably demonstrates to those with ears
to hear.
