Article 24 Civil Magistrates Series

1689 BAPTIST CONFESSION OF FAITH. ARTICLE 24 CIVIL MAGISTRATES ROM 13:1-7.

IN ROMANS 13 PAUL TURNS HIS ATTENTION TO THE ROLE OF CIVIL MAGISTRATES AND THE ROLE OF THE CHRISTIAN LIVING OUT THEIR LIVES BEFORE THEM.

1. GOVERNING AUTHORITIES ARE GOD GIVEN V1-2

A) ESTABLISHED BY GOD V2

ALL GOVERNING AUTHORITIES ARE ESTABLISHED BY GOD FOR THOSE GOVERNMENTS WHO OVER STEP THE MARK IN NOT FULFILLING THEIR PUBLIC OFFICE WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE BEFORE GOD. NATIONS FALL WHEN THEY FORGET THEIR GOD GIVEN OFFICE.

OUR NATION AND CIVIL MAGISTRATES HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED BY GOD, WE HAVE A CHRISTIAN HERITAGE RIGHT THROUGH GOVERMENT LAWS HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED WHICH ARE DEEPLY ROOTED IN GODLY PRINCIPLES – GOD WAS ONCE AT THE CENTRE OF THE ESTABLISHMENT. THE MONARCHY AT THE CORONATION VOWS TO SERVE GOD AND COUNTRY – AND BE A DEFENDER OF THE FAITH - THE HOUSE OF LORDS STILL CONSISTS (SPIRITUAL LORDS CONSISTING OF 26 BISHOPS BRINGING A SPIRITUAL AND MORAL INPUT) – CHRISTIAN MPS ARE STILL STANDING FOR JUSTICE AND TRUTH.

SADLY TODAY WE SEE A GRADUAL EROSION OF OUR CHRISTIANS FOUNDATIONS – WHAT GOD HAS ESTABLISHED. BUT THANKS BE TO GOD THEIR ARE CHRISTIANS WITHIN GOVERNMENT & OUTSIDE WHO ARE SPEAKING UP - STEMMING THE TIDE LONE VOICES –IN PLACES OF INFLUENCE.

RECENTLY LADY O’CATHIAN WHO TIRELESSLY WORKED IN PREVENTING THE EQUALITY BILL GOING THROUGH IN ITS PRESENT FORM WHICH WOULD HAVE PUT CHRISTIANS AND CHURCHES UNDER MAJOR RESTRICTIONS GOING AGAINST THEIR CONSCIENCE AND FAITH . SUCH INDIVIDUALS ARE OUR PRESENT DAY DANIELS , SHADRACH MESHACH AND ABEDNEGO STANDING FOR TRUTH – BEFORE HOSTILE GOVERNMENTS LIKE THAT OF THE BABYLONIANS.

• PRV: 14:34: RIGHTEOUSNESS EXALTS A NATION BUT SIN IS A REPROACH.

BE ASSURED ALL KINGDOMS & GOVERNMENTS ARE ESTABLISHED BY GOD (THE GOOD & THE BAD THEY COME AND GO CONSIDER THE BABYLONIANS/ASSYRIAN/PERSIAN MEDES/ GREEK/ ROMAN AND SO ON – THEY WERE ESTABLISHED BY GOD AND THEY WERE REMOVED BY GOD - AND THE SAME CAN BE TRUE FOR US. ONLY ONE KINGDOM WILL STAND FOREVER (THE KINGDOM OF GOD).

B) GODS SERVANTS V 4

PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR THE GOVERNMENT SECTOR ARE OFTEN KNOWN AS CIVIL SERVANTS AS THEY WORK FOR THE GOOD OF SOCIETY AT LARGE - THEY REPRESENT EVERY DAY PEOPLE, THAT IS A GIVEN FACT AS TAX PAYERS WE PAY THEIR SALARIES. YET A CIVIL SERVANT IS FAR MORE THAN SIMPLY A CIVIL SERVANT HE IS GOD’S SERVANT (V4).

GODS SERVANTS THIS WORD ( GREEK - LEITOURGOS) IS USED IN OLD TESTAMENT FOR THOSE WHO SERVED IN THE TEMPLE (EZRA 7:7, 24) WHEN PAUL SPEAKS OF THESE PUBLIC SERVANTS IN THIS MANNER HE IS BESTOWING GREAT HONOUR UPON THEM AS MINISTERS OF GOD.

• SO WHEN ALISTAIR CAMPBELL WAS ONCE ASKED ABOUT CHRISTIAN FAITH AND POLITICS AND HIS FAMOUS REPLY WAS, “WE DON’T DO GOD.” WHAT HE SAID WAS IN IGNORANCE BECAUSE GOD’S WORD TELLS US THAT THE GOVERNING AUTHORITIES, “DO, DO GOD” WHETHER THEY LIKE IT OR NOT THEY ARE GOD’S SERVANTS.

ALL PUBLIC SERVANTS ARE ACTUALLY ACCOUNTABLE YES TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY TO GOD, WHETHER THEY BELIEVE IT OR NOT. THE SERVICE THEY DISCHARGE HAS BEEN GIVEN TO THEM BY GOD AND THUS ARE GODS SERVANTS. SO WE HAVE SEEN THAT GOVERNING AUTHORITIES ARE ESTABLISHED BY GOD AND ARE GODS SERVANTS WE ARE NOW GOING TO LOOK AT THE GENERAL FUNCTION OF HUMAN GOVERNMENT WHICH IS INSTITUTED BY GOD, MAY BE SAID TO BE THREEFOLD.

2. GOVERNING AUTHORITIES ARE FOR OUR GOOD V3 - 4.

A) GOVERNMENT ADMINISTER PROTECTION : V3-4

THE MOMENT ADAM SINNED IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT CIVILIZATIONS WOULD NEED SOME FORM OF RESTRAINT AND RULE TO PROTECT CITIZENS FROM THEMSELVES.

AN EXAMPLE OF THIS FUNCTION IS SEEN IN ACTS 21:27-37 ROMAN SOLDIERS STEP IN AND SAVE PAUL FROM BEING MURDERED BY HIS OWN ENRAGED COUNTRYMEN IN THE TEMPLE GROUNDS AT JERUSALEM.

WE NEED PROTECTION FROM OURSELVES AND OTHERS BECAUSE HUMAN BEINGS HAVE A PROPENSITY TO DO WRONG TO BREAK THE LAWS , WHETHER THAT IS TO STEAL, KILL, FIGHT, LIE, DEFRAUD, SPEEDING .... YOU NAME IT, WE DO IT! .OUR PRISONS ARE FULL TO OVERCROWDING. WE NEED PROTECTING FROM OURSELVES AND ONE ANOTHER.

ON 14 FEBRUARY 1989, A FATWA REQUIRING SALMAN RUSHDIE'S EXECUTION WAS PROCLAIMED ON RADIO TEHRAN RUSHDIE AN INDIAN-BRITISH NOVELIST AND ESSAYIST HIS FOURTH NOVEL, THE SATANIC VERSES (1988), WAS AT THE CENTER OF PROTESTS FROM MUSLIMS IN SEVERAL COUNTRIES. SOME OF THE PROTESTS WERE VIOLENT AND RUSHDIE FACED DEATH THREATS AND A FATWÂ (RELIGIOUS EDICT) ISSUED BY AYATOLLAH RUHOLLAH KHOMEINI IN 1989, THEN SUPREME LEADER OF IRAN. ON 7 MARCH 1989, THE UNITED KINGDOM AND IRAN BROKE DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS OVER THE RUSHDIE CONTROVERSY. A BOUNTY WAS OFFERED FOR RUSHDIE'S DEATH, AND HE WAS THUS FORCED TO LIVE UNDER POLICE PROTECTION FOR YEARS AFTERWARD.