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Part Two of Seven
by
A. T. Jones
(All emphasis added)
Chapters 0ne - Four
Introduction
Christian patriotism, loyalty to the law and government of the Most High, is the loftiest aspiration that can ever come to any soul.
The separation of religion and state is one of the most important questions that any people can ever be called upon to consider in connection with Christian patriotism, because the union of religion and state has marked the greatest apostasies from God, and has caused more miseries than any other thing in all history.
The complete separation of religion and state is Christian.
Unswerving loyalty to this principle is Christian patriotism. This is not a mere sentiment or side issue of Christianity; it is one of the fundamental principles and chief characteristics of Christianity.
The Bible, not merely the New Testament, but the whole book, is the book of Christianity. The New Testament is not a revelation new and distinct from the Old. It is the culmination of the revelation begun in the Old Testament. The Old Testament and the New are one book - one consistent, harmonious revelation of God through Jesus Christ, because Jesus Christ is the revelation of God before the world was made, when the world was made, and through all the history of the world from beginning to end.
The first chapter of Genesis is Christian as certainly as is the first chapter of John. [See "The Gospel in Creation" by E J Waggoner]. The book of Genesis is Christian as really as is the book of Revelation or any other book in the Bible. We repeat, therefore, that the whole book is the book of Christianity, the book of the Christian religion, the revelation of God through Jesus Christ. And the separation of religion and the state is one of the great thoughts of this book. It is one of the leading principles of that book which for man is the source of all sound principles.
Many people think that the two or three expressions of Christ as recorded in the New Testament are all that the Bible contains on the subject of the separation of church and state; and many others are disposed to even argue against these passages, and to modify them by other passages from the Old Testament. But separation of religion and the state is one of the original thoughts of the Bible, and reaches from the beginning to the end of the book; and neither the book nor this subject can be fairly understood in reference to this matter till this is clearly defined in the mind.
We purpose here to give a series of studies of the Bible from beginning to end on this great subject of Christian patriotism, or the separation of religion and state. Being one of the great thoughts of the Bible, one of the great thoughts of God and of our LORD Jesus Christ, this subject is of vital importance to men everywhere in their relation to God, and not merely in their relation to the state. It is a principle that is involved in the DAILY experience of the Christian in his relation to God, and not merely an abstract question that man can stand, as it were, apart from and view as a speculative question of relations between religion and the state.
The ways of God are right. His Word is the only certain light, the only sure truth. The principles which He has announced are the only safe principles for the guidance of men. We hope, and shall seriously endeavour, to make each study so plain that every reader can easily see and readily grasp the truth of it in every principle.
We shall begin at the beginning.
oooOooo
The first of all the commandments
The first of all the commandments is, "Hear, O Israel, The LORD our God is one LORD; and thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength." This is the first commandment.
And the second is like [unto it], namely this, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." There is none other commandment greater [than] these. [See Matthew 22:37-39].
These two commandments exist in the very nature and circumstances of [the] existence of any two intelligent creatures in the universe. They existed thus in the existence of the first two intelligent creatures that ever had a place in the universe.
When the first intelligence was created and there was no creature but himself; as he owed to his Creator his existence; as he owed to God all that he could be, heart, soul, might, mind and strength: it devolved upon him to render to God the tribute of all this, and to love God with all his heart, and all his soul, and all his mind, and with all his strength. And this is the first of all the commandments. It is the first in the very nature and existence of the first, and of every other, intelligent creature.
But the second of these would have no place if there were but one intelligent creature in the universe, for then he would have no neighbour. But when the second one was created, the first of all the commandments was first with him equally with the other one. And now the second great commandment exists in the very nature and existence of these TWO intelligent creatures, as certainly as the first great commandment existed in the nature and existence of the first one. Each of the two created intelligences owes to the LORD all that he is or has, and all that he could rightly have. Neither of them has anything that is self-derived. Each owes all to God. There is between them no ground for preference. And this because of the honour which each owes to God; because to each, God is all in all. Therefore the second great commandment exists as certainly as the first; and it exists in the nature and circumstance of the very existence of intelligent creatures. Consequently, "There is none other commandment greater than these".
These two commandments then, exist in the nature of cherubim, seraphim, angels and men. As soon as the man was created the FIRST of all the commandments was there, even though there had been no other creature in the universe. And as soon as the woman was created, these TWO great commandments were there. And there was none other commandment greater than these.
Now, if these two great commandments had been observed by man on the earth; that is, had man never sinned, there would always have been perfect and supreme religion: and there would never have been a state. God would always have been by everyone recognised as the only Ruler; His law as the only law, His authority. There would have been government, but only the government of God. There would have been society, but only the society of saints.
But there would have been, and could have been, no state.
Therefore it is certain that the observance of these first two of all the commandments, at any time and everywhere, which is simply Christian loyalty, means the absolute separation of religion and the state, in all who observe them. And thus the principle of separation of religion and the state inheres in the very existence of intelligent creatures.
But, man did sin.
And, having sinned, having departed from God, mankind did NOT love God with all the heart, nor their neighbour as themselves. Christianity was introduced to bring man back to the position and the original relation which he had lost. "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them". Ephesians 2:10. And Christ has suffered for us, "the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God". 1 Peter 3:18.
It being, then, the one great purpose of Christianity to restore man to his original condition and relation to God, its purpose is to restore him to the condition in which he CAN love God with all the heart, and with all the soul, with all the mind, and with all the strength, and his neighbour as himself. It is to restore him to obedience to these first two of all the commandments.
It is to restore him to perfect and supreme religion.
We have seen that such a condition maintained from the beginning would have been the absolute separation of religion and the state, because, then, there never could have been any state. And now, as the one great purpose of Christianity is to restore man completely to that condition, it follows with perfect conclusiveness that Christianity in its very essence, from the beginning to the end, and everywhere, demands the absolute separation of religion and the state in all who profess it. And it must not be forgotten that the complete separation of religion and the state in those who profess religion, can be maintained only by these persons themselves being separated from the state. For it is so plain as to be indisputable that if the professor of religion is himself a part of the state, then IN HIM there is at once a union of religion and the state.
Back to "What is Heaven like?"
The origin of the state
It is certain that if the two greatest of all the commandments had always been observed by all men, there never could have been a state on the earth. There would have been society, but no state. The government would have been altogether the government of God [and] He, the only King of the government on earth even as [it] is in heaven.
There would have been society but no state because men, loving God with all the heart, and all the soul, and all the mind, and all the strength, and their neighbours as themselves; the will of God would have been done on earth even as in heaven. All would have been one united, harmonious, happy, holy family.
There is an essential distinction between a society and a state.
"Society is the union which exists between men, without distinction of frontiers - without exterior restraint - and for the sole reason that they are men. The civil society or STATE is an assemblage of men subject to a common authority - to common laws - that is to say, a society whose members may be constrained by public force to respect their reciprocal rights. Two necessary elements enter into the idea of the state: LAWS and FORCE". Elements of Morals by Janet, p143.
This distinction, however, though clear and easily evident, is seldom recognised. Indeed it is not recognised at all by those who are anxious to secure the union of religion and the state.
But men did not observe these two "first of all the commandments". They would not love God with all their heart; they would not love their neighbour as themselves. They rejected God as their only Ruler, their only Sovereign, and became ambitious to rule over one another.
And thus originated politics and the state.
This Scripture outlines the story of this;
"When they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things ... And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind". Romans 1:21-28.
Note that the first men DID KNOW God. But they CHOSE not to glorify Him, not to honour Him, not to give Him the first place in all their thoughts and actions. Knowing God, they did not like to retain Him in their knowledge. The next step was that they became vain in their own imaginations. They professed themselves to be wise, OF THEMSELVES. The consequence was that they became fools; and their foolish heart was darkened. In their vain imagination they made gods of their own. And then to assist themselves in their worship they made images of the gods which they had imagined.
The image was always the outward, tangible form of the god which they had already conceived in their imagination. Imagining is simply mental image-ing. The outward form of the god, whether it be the shining sun in the heavens, or a hideously shaped block of wood or stone, is only the outward form of the imageing that has already been performed in the imagination.
Thus, from the knowledge of the true God they went to the worship of false gods. From the light they went into darkness; from righteousness they went into wickedness.
This is the truth. And the records of the earliest nations witness to it. The earliest records - those of the plain of Shinar - witness that the people at first had a knowledge of the true God. The records of the next two of the earliest nations, Egypt and Assyria, bear witness to this same thing. In all these places the earliest records testify that the gods were their first rulers and the real kings, while men, in the places of authority, were but the servants, the viceroys, of the gods who were held to be the real kings.
For instance, one of the earliest records from Shinar runs thus:
"To (the god) Ninridu, his king, for the preservation of Idadu, viceroy of Ridu, the servant, the delight of Ninridu".
Another: "To (the god) Ninip the king, his king, Gudea, viceroy of (the god) Zirgulla, his house built".
Another: "To Nana, the lady, lady splendid, his lady, Gudea, viceroy of Zirgulla ... raised". Empires of the Bible, Ch 6 pages 3-4.
These are not only the earliest of the records that have been found in that land, but they themselves show that they are the earliest records that were made in that land. And they clearly testify of a time when there were no kings amongst men. The gods were the kings and the men in authority claimed only to be the viceroys of the gods who were held to be the real kings. And all this testifies of a time further back, when the people knew and recognised God as the only King and rightful Ruler of men. They show also that this knowledge of God was so recent, and still so strong upon the minds of the people, that the men who stood in places of authority had not the boldness to assume the title of king, even though they held the power.
The records of Egypt and Assyria testify precisely to those same things. And at that time, also, there was no state, [but] there was society.
There came a time, however, when even this lingering knowledge of God as King and the only rightful Ruler, was cut off, and the man himself assumed the full title and prerogative of king. The first man to do this was Nimrod. Nimrod was the first man in the world who had the boldness to take to himself the title and prerogative of king, in the face of the yet lingering idea of God as King. And the name which he bears itself testifies to the fact that his action in this was considered by men, and also by the LORD, as precisely the bold thing which is here indicated. The word "Nimrod" signifies rebellion, supercilious contempt, and is equivalent to the extremely impious rebel.
The Bible record of Nimrod is that, "He began to be a mighty one on the earth". Genesis 10:8-9. Another translation reads, "Cush begat Nimrod, who was the first to be a despot on the earth. He was an over-bearing tyrant in Jehovah's sight: wherefore the saying, Even as Nimrod, the over-bearing tyrant in Jehovah's sight". That is, Nimrod was the first one to establish the might, the power, the authority, of human government, in the form of an organised state. He was the first man to assert the power and prerogatives, and assume the title, of king over man. "And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar". Verse 10.
Consequently:
"With the setting up of Nimrod's kingdom, the entire ancient world entered a new historical phase. The oriental tradition which makes that warrior the first man who wore a kingly crown, points to a fact more significant than the assumption of a new ornament of dress or even the conquest of a province. His reign introduced to the world a new system of relations between governor and the governed. The authority of former rulers rested upon the feeling of kindred and the ascendancy of the chief was an image of parental control. Nimrod, on the contrary, was sovereign of territory, and of men just so far as they were its inhabitants, and irrespective of personal ties. Hitherto there had been tribes - enlarged families - society. Now there was a nation, a political community - the STATE. The political and social histories of the world henceforth are distinct, if not divergent". Empires of the Bible, chapter 6, page 7.
Such was the true origin of the state.
The state was, and is, the result of the apostasy of men from God. Such only could possibly be its origin for if all men had observed the two, "first of all the commandments", it would have been impossible for there ever to have been any state. There could have been no human authority exercised. All would have been equally subject to God - He would have been the only Sovereign.
Before Nimrod there was society. Respect of the rights of persons and their property was maintained. It was only when the apostasy grew, and men got further and further from God, that the monarchial idea was established and personified in Nimrod.
LET NO ONE MIS-UNDERSTAND. This is not to say, or even imply, that there should NOW be no human government, that there should be no state, nor even that there should be no monarchy. It is simply to say that which is the truth, that if there had never been any apostasy from God, there never could have been on earth a state, nor any human government.
It is true that these things are the consequences of the apostasy from God. But, men having apostatized from God, all these things, even to such monarchy as that of Nimrod or of Nero, became necessary, just in proportion to the degree of apostasy. IT IS BETTER THAT THERE SHOULD BE A GOVERNMENT, BAD AS IT MAY BE, THAN THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO GOVERNMENT AT ALL. Even such a government as Nimrod's or Nero's is better than none at all. But without apostasy there could never have been any human government at all. And without apostasy having gone to such a fearful length, there never could have been any such government as Nimrod's or Nero's.
Nimrod's example was eagerly followed by all the tribes around until they were all absorbed in it. Society had passed away. In all that region, only Abraham believed God, even his parents being idolaters. "They served other gods". Joshua 24:2. God chose Abraham then to be the father of all them that believed God - the father of all who will have God alone to be their God. Abraham represented then the religion of God, the beginning of the church of God [a new society!].
And from his state God separated Abraham. He said to Abraham, "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee". Genesis 12:1. And thus in separating Abraham from that state, from his country, God taught the people then, and through all time, the separation of religion and the state, the separation of church and state.
And it must not be forgotten that in the case of Abraham, this universal example, the separation of religion and the state was the separation of the INDIVIDUAL BELIEVER from the state. And as Abraham was at that time the church, and he was separated from the state, in this it is plainly taught that the true separation of church and state is in the separation of the individual church member from the state. Besides, it is perfectly plain in itself, that where the same individual is a member of the church and of the state at the same time, there is at once IN HIM a union of church and state.
The separation of church and state
When God said to Abraham, "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee", Abraham "went out, not knowing whither he went". Hebrews 11:8.
God had not yet showed to him the land or country into which he was to go, and which was to be his. So far, the LORD had only promised to show it to him. There were three things however, which Abraham must do before he could fairly expect God to show him the country which He had promised, and which was to be his.
First, he was to get out of HIS country;
Second, from his kindred;
Third, from his father's house.
He left his country: but when he did so, his father and his kindred went with him to Haran and dwelt there. There, his father died, and now, separated from his father's house he went on to the land of Canaan. Genesis 11:31-32.
But there accompanied him yet one of his kindred, Lot, his brother's son. While Lot was with him, and he was thus not separated from his kindred, though separated from his country and his father's house, the time could not come for God to show him the land, nor the country which He would give him. But there came a day when Lot should be separated from him. Lot chose all the plain of Jordan and journeyed east, and "they separated thus one from the other". Genesis 13:11. And just then it was that God showed to Abraham the land which He had promised to show him, the country which should be his. "And the LORD said unto Abraham, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward; for all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever". Genesis 13:14-15.
And the country which the LORD then showed to Abraham and which He there promised him should be his for an everlasting possession - that country embraced the world. For, "the promise that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith". Romans 4:13. Therefore, when at the word of the LORD Abraham lifted up his eyes to see what the LORD would show him, he saw "the world to come", which is to be the everlasting possession of all them which be of faith and "heirs according to the promise". Galatians 3:29. And from that day forward Abraham "sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange country", looking for "a better country, that is, an heavenly [one]", and looking for "a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God". Hebrews 11:9,16,10.
For though God promised that He would give to Abraham that [earthly] land, and to his seed after him, yet as long as he was in this world God really "gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on"! Acts 7:5.
Now note, God had called Abraham out of his original country, and thus had separated him from that. Then He gave him not even so much as to set his foot on in any other country in this world. Abraham at that time represented the religion of God. The LORD in His dealing thus with Abraham and in recording it, has shown for all time, and to all people, that it is His will that there should be an absolute separation of the individual believer of His religion from any state.
Are you walking "in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, the friend of God"? Romans 4:1-25.
Abraham, representing at that time the church of Christ, being thus totally separated by the LORD from every state and country on the earth, there is thus shown to all peoples, as an original truth of the gospel of Christ, that there should be total separation of church and state, and that the church of Christ can never have any country in this world. And in thus showing that the church of Christ can never have any country in this world, He shows that the individual members of the church of Christ can never have any country in this world. For that which composes the church of Christ is the individual membership.
So also dwelt Isaac and Jacob, heirs with Abraham of the same promise, accepting with Abraham separation from every earthly state and country, confessing, "That they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth", looking for that country which God had prepared for them, and the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. And that they accepted this freely of their own choice by faith in God is shown by the fact, as recorded: "Truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly; wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He hath prepared for them a city". Hebrews 11:15-16.
This dealing of God with Abraham, and the record of it, were for the instruction of all the people who would believe God, from that time to the world's end. For Abraham was the called, the chosen, the friend of God, the father of all them that believe. And all "which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham". Galatians 3:9. And not the least element of instruction in this account of God's dealings with Abraham, is the great lesson it teaches that the religion of God means separation of religion and the state.
Are you walking in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham? Have you gotten out of your country? Or have you still a country in this world? Is there in you a union of religion and the state?
Further: "Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He saith not, 'and to seeds' as of many; but as of one, 'and to thy Seed', which is Christ". Galatians 3:16. Therefore the promises recorded and referred to in the Scripture, "To Abraham and his Seed" are always to Abraham and Christ, and to Abraham IN Christ. And therefore, "If ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise". Galatians 3:29. And when Christ, that promised "Seed", came into the world a man amongst men, then in Him, as formerly in Abraham, there was represented the religion of God and the church of God. And as such He ever maintained the same principle of separation of religion and the state which he Himself had set before the world in the life and record of Abraham.
He refused to recognise, even by a sign, the wish of the people to make Him king. John 6:15. He refused when requested, to act the part of a judge or a divider over men as to rights of property. Luke 12:13-15. He refused to recognise the national lines of distinction, the "wall of partition", which Israel in their exclusiveness had built up between themselves and other nations. He refused to judge, or allow any others to judge, any one for not believing on Him. John 12:47-48. He distinctly declared that, though He is a King, yet His kingdom is not of this world and that it is not in any way connected with this world. John 18:36. He distinctly declared the separation of His religion from the state. "Render unto Caesar the thing's that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's". Mark 12:17.
And when He sent forth His disciples with His heavenly commission to preach the gospel of His kingdom, He sent them not to one particular nation, but to "teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost". [Matthew 28:19]. He sent them to preach the gospel, not to one particularly favoured, exclusive people, but "to every creature".
Thus it is seen again that in every phase of the fundamental principle of the religion of God and the church of Christ, from the beginning to the end of the world, there is required the absolute separation of religion and the state - the total dis-connection of His church from every state and country in the world, and from the world itself!
And this total dis-connection of His church from every state and country in this world, and from the world itself, is, and can be, accomplished only by the total dis-connection of the individual members of His church from every state and country in the world, and from the world itself. "Ye are not of the world, for I have chosen you out of the world". "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world". John 15:19; 17:16.
Are you?
The renunciation of Egypt
In the beginning of Egypt the same course was followed as in the beginning of Babylon and Assyria. At first they knew the one true God, and He was their only King, their only Ruler. But they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, and therefore they went into idolatry, and from idolatry into monarchy.
The Egyptian records state that the first rulers of Egypt were the gods. After them the demi-gods. And after these the kings. In Egypt, however, the king was not content, as in Assyria, to call himself the viceroy of his god. He claimed to be the very embodiment of the god himself - the god was personated in the king. From him, it was declared, the people "received the breath of their nostrils". He was "the giver of life". Empires of the Bible, ch 7, p 38,44.
And thus, though Nimrod was the first man to establish monarchial authority and assume the kingly title and crown, yet in Egypt his example was followed to the greatest lengths, as Egypt was undoubtedly the most idolatrous nation that ever was on the earth. There apostasy of every kind culminated, so that throughout the Bible the one word "Egypt" symbolises everything that is contrary to God.
When the power of monarchy had filled the Mesopotamian plain, God called Abraham out of that country into the land of Canaan where he could be free, and thus made a separation of church and state, and preached the same to all people.
But in the process of time, and by Egypt, the power of monarchy was spread over all the countries, from Ethiopia to Ararat and central Asia. Then, as His people were obliged to live under the power of monarchy anyhow, the LORD put them where they could do the most good - He placed them at the very seat of the world's empire, in Egypt itself. And there, through all the time of the supremacy of the Egyptian empire, with Joseph and Moses beside the throne, and Israel among the people of Egypt, God held before all nations the knowledge of Himself. And as soon as the time came when the Egyptian empire must fall, God would place His people once more in Canaan, the pivot of all the highways of the nations.
To this end there must be again taught to the world the separation of religion and state, the separation of church and state. God's people must be called out of Egypt in order that they and all the nations might be instructed in the great principles of the gospel, of supreme allegiance to God, of the separation of religion and the state, of church and country.
Moses understood this and therefore he "refused to be called the son of pharaoh's daughter". Hebrews 11:24. Moses was the adopted son of pharaoh's daughter. Pharaoh's daughter was pharaoh's chief wife and queen. Moses, therefore, by the most complete claim, was heir apparent to the throne of Egypt. And as the king was then more than eighty years old, it could be but a little while till Moses would possess the throne of Egypt. The throne of Egypt was at that time the throne of the world, for the power of Egypt then ruled the world. It was the supreme state, the governing empire over all. See Empires of the Bible, ch 7.
For Moses to refuse to be called the son of pharaoh's daughter was therefore to renounce the throne of Egypt. To renounce the throne of Egypt was to renounce the power of the empire. It was definitely to dis-connect from the state.
At that time Moses was called to have charge over "the house of God, which is the church of the living God". Hebrews 3:2-5. 1 Timothy 3:15. It was in obedience to this call that he renounced the throne of Egypt and the power of the empire. It was because of this that he definitely dis-connected himself from the state. And in recording it, God designed to teach all people that conformity to His will means the separation of church and state; that it means the renunciation of the throne and the power of earthly empire - the total separation of religion and the state.
In recording it God designed to teach, and does teach, that union with His church means separation from the state.
And it was through the faith of Christ that Moses did all this. It was "through faith" that "Moses, when he was come of years, refused to be called the son of pharaoh's daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt". Hebrews 11:24-26.
Therefore, from that day to this, it has been made plain to all people that faith in God - the faith of Jesus Christ, the original principle of the gospel and of the church - means the absolute separation of church and state; the renunciation of the throne and power of earthly dominion; the total separation of religion and the state; and that uniting with the church of Christ means separation from the state and countries of this world.
And this is what faith in God, the faith of Jesus Christ, the fundamental principle of the gospel and of the church, means to all people in the world today.
On to Part Three - Chapters 5-7
To Ancient SDA's ............ To "What's New?"
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