Gary concludes his talk on 2 Timothy 3 on today’s podcast.
The Christian worldview does not apply only to religious topics, it applies to every area of life and every situation. Truth is manifestly opposed to error and there is much error being promoted and taught today. The Christian worldview is necessary to correct and direct right thinking and living.
King David is confronted by Nathan the Prophet (2 Sam. 12), Solomon is shown violating nearly every biblical admonition regarding kings, leading to his abandonment of the covenant (1 Kings 10–11), and kings are given direct instructions on what standard they should use in making decisions of a civil/political nature (Deut. 17), even to the point of not being mentally affected by wine or strong drink (Prov. 31:1–9). Early on, Moses is given instructions on the implementation of a decentralized civil system (Ex. 18).
In the New Testament, Israel was controlled by the Romans. Only Roman citizens had political standing (Acts 16:37; 22:25–29; 25:9–12). Jesus had a political trial because the Jews did not have the authority to put Him to death (John 18:30–31). [1] His accusers brought false civil charges against Him (Luke 23:1–2) to force Pilate’s hand (John 19:12).
This is all to say that the conditions in Israel during the Roman occupation of Israel did not lend itself for non-Romans to influence the government. Over the centuries, however, Christianity impacted the civil sphere so that the citizenry had a voice in civil government. The development and signing of the Magna Carta (1215) are good examples of this principle.
Historian David Carpenter has written that the Great Charter “asserted a fundamental principle—the rule of law. The king was beneath the law, the law the Charter itself was making. He could no longer treat his subjects in an arbitrary fashion. . . . The Church in England was central to the development of legal and human rights centuries before the French Revolution…the first parties to the charter were the bishops—led by Stephen Langton of Canterbury, who was a major drafter and mediator between the king and the barons; and its first and last clauses state that ‘the Church in England shall be free.’” [2]
Our duty as citizens is to see that civil government stays within its jurisdictional boundaries. This is exactly what Paul did when he questioned the authority of a civil official regarding his rights as a Roman citizen (Acts 22:23–30).
Restoring the Foundation of Civilization
There are many Christians who will not participate in civilization-building efforts that include economics, journalism, politics, education, and science because they believe (or have been taught to believe) these areas of thought are outside the realm of what constitutes a Christian worldview. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Buy NowPeople ask why young people are leaving the church. In some cases, it’s because they don’t see any real-world relevance. Yes, when they die, they’ll go to heaven, but what do they do until then? God created the world and established its boundaries and rules for living in every area of life. The justice system we have today was at some time largely based on biblical law. The laws that are being overturned today for the most part are laws that Christians spent centuries implementing. The Christian worldview is comprehensive and speaks to every topic. It is as true and authoritative today as it was thousands of years ago.
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[1] “The Jews had lost this power since the time that Archelaus was deposed, and Judæa became a Roman province (AD 6 or 7). The Talmud speaks of the loss of this power forty years or more before the destruction of Jerusalem.” This didn’t stop the Jews from inflicting punishment without a trial (Acts 7:54–60; 14:19; 16:22; 2 Cor. 11:24–25)
[2] Eric Metaxas, “Why We Celebrate the Magna Carta,” Christian Headlines (June 15, 2015): Article here.