![]() Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. Next, Grudem turns to the New Testament, where he examines Romans 13:1-7 and 1 Peter 2:13-14. ![]() Ps 82:2-4) and (3) Government should execute swift punishment as a deterrent to crime (cf. Gen 1:26-28).įrom this passage, Grudem lists 3 principles: (1) Anarchy is a highly destructive evil (2) Governments should execute justice and defend the weak (cf. Thus in establishing a basis for government, Grudem points out that from the very beginning, God was a law-maker, who entrusted men to rule well on the earth–this after all is part of what it means to be made in the image of God (cf. Because man is made in the image of God, harm done against another human is a criminal act, and is punishable by death, says the Lord. The Lex Talionis established degrees of punishment, but it goes back to this fundamental teaching in Genesis 9. In time, this ideal would be fleshed out in the law of Moses. By extension, Grudem extrapolates, “Once this principle is established, then the imposition of lesser penalties for crimes is also validated” (78). ‘Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image” (Gen 9:5-6). From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of a man. It says, “And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. Genesis 9:5-6 is the foundational passage in the Bible for the role of government to wield the sword. He begins with three keys texts, he wrestles with the laws of Old Testament Israel applied today he expounds what the goal of government should be, he makes a biblical case for democracy, and he discusses some of the issues regarding church state. This is how Wayne Grudem introduces his third chapter, “Biblical Principles Concerning Government.” In the pages that follow, Grudem offers a positive view of politics from the Bible. Where did the idea of government come from? What should be the purpose of government? How should governments be chosen? What kind of government is best? What are the responsibilities of governmental rulers? (77) īefore we can examine specific political questions in light of the teachings of the Bible, it is necessary to study what the entire Bible teaches about civil government.
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