Aaron’s Rod Blossoming by George Gillespie speaks of mans relationship between church and state. Lex Rex is about the individual’s relationship with the state. The rod that blossomed became the symbol of authority among the leaders of Israel. George recognized that the head of the church in England is unbiblical. Church, state, family was the Catholic position. The pope was the leader. The puritans rejected this. The Erastian view had the state, church, and then family.
The reformation position was that every jurisdiction had a sign of enforcement. The family had the rod of correction (Proverbs 13:24, 22:15). The state had the sword or authority for capital punishment (Romans 13:1-8). The church carries the keys (Matthew 18:19). Three separate jurisdictions. All under God’s authority and Law (Psalm 103:19).
The state may not spank children. The church may not spank children. The family may not execute evildoers. Only the state has the authority to execute evildoers. The state cannot punish a man for thinking adulterous thoughts. The church has ecclesiastical authority to deal with heart issues. The state deals with the external manifestations of breaking of crimes. It deals with behavior. The state can only punish those areas in which the Word of God says. One sign that the state may have a particular right in a particular area are whether God gives sanctions. Sanctions are a clear sign that this is a legitimate civil responsibility. The church shepherds and oversees the people of God in heart matters. The family trains the children both in action and in heart. The church does not have authority to choose the path of training for children. The state has no authority to tell you that you can’t baptize your children or adults. The state does not speak to matters of church doctrine.
Three circles of jurisdiction side by side are all under God’s Law. The state is under God’s law. The church is under God’s law. The family is under God’s Law. One does not have preeminence over the other.
The family has limitations. Children are to obey their parents in the LORD. There are some commands a parent could give but they would be required by God to disobey. For example, if you lived in Thailand and your parents told you to engage in prostitution you would be right to disobey your parents. And by the way, that’s what happens. Children are not honoring God by submitting to moral crimes against God.
No one has the absolute right to do anything. Husbands don’t have an absolute right. The church doesn’t have an absolute right. The state doesn’t have an absolute right. All of our rights are under God and are bound by the limitations that scriptures gives to us.
The church can speak to everything in one since but that doesn’t mean it has the authority to supervise in every area. Churches or elders are not to love wives as husbands love wives.
What are the limitations? Where are the boundaries? Who has the jurisdiction? Who has the signs of authority?
We need to go back to the reformation position that gave us the 1st amendment. Congress shall make no law establishing religion. Congress shall make no law. No law. We can still have establishment of religion. We are never to give up the jurisdiction of the church to the state. When the state says we must bring in members who are homosexuals, we may never do that. We are bound by the law of God; the state cannot speak to the church; on how we govern the church.
The reformation position was that every jurisdiction had a sign of enforcement. The family had the rod of correction (Proverbs 13:24, 22:15). The state had the sword or authority for capital punishment (Romans 13:1-8). The church carries the keys (Matthew 18:19). Three separate jurisdictions. All under God’s authority and Law (Psalm 103:19).
The state may not spank children. The church may not spank children. The family may not execute evildoers. Only the state has the authority to execute evildoers. The state cannot punish a man for thinking adulterous thoughts. The church has ecclesiastical authority to deal with heart issues. The state deals with the external manifestations of breaking of crimes. It deals with behavior. The state can only punish those areas in which the Word of God says. One sign that the state may have a particular right in a particular area are whether God gives sanctions. Sanctions are a clear sign that this is a legitimate civil responsibility. The church shepherds and oversees the people of God in heart matters. The family trains the children both in action and in heart. The church does not have authority to choose the path of training for children. The state has no authority to tell you that you can’t baptize your children or adults. The state does not speak to matters of church doctrine.
Three circles of jurisdiction side by side are all under God’s Law. The state is under God’s law. The church is under God’s law. The family is under God’s Law. One does not have preeminence over the other.
The family has limitations. Children are to obey their parents in the LORD. There are some commands a parent could give but they would be required by God to disobey. For example, if you lived in Thailand and your parents told you to engage in prostitution you would be right to disobey your parents. And by the way, that’s what happens. Children are not honoring God by submitting to moral crimes against God.
No one has the absolute right to do anything. Husbands don’t have an absolute right. The church doesn’t have an absolute right. The state doesn’t have an absolute right. All of our rights are under God and are bound by the limitations that scriptures gives to us.
The church can speak to everything in one since but that doesn’t mean it has the authority to supervise in every area. Churches or elders are not to love wives as husbands love wives.
What are the limitations? Where are the boundaries? Who has the jurisdiction? Who has the signs of authority?
We need to go back to the reformation position that gave us the 1st amendment. Congress shall make no law establishing religion. Congress shall make no law. No law. We can still have establishment of religion. We are never to give up the jurisdiction of the church to the state. When the state says we must bring in members who are homosexuals, we may never do that. We are bound by the law of God; the state cannot speak to the church; on how we govern the church.
