Colossians 1:15-23, Part 11

As for man in God's creation, our passage refers to "thrones or powers or rulers or authorities," so that it is fitting to say something about human government and its relation to Christ. In our culture, debates on this subject are often framed by the expression "the separation of church and state." Although the intention of a nation's founders is an argument from history that has practical importance, it has no direct bearing on a proper understanding of divine precepts and moral principles that are authoritative everywhere. Most people in the world are not Americans. So as practical as it is in some situations to debate the separation of church and state and the intention of the founders, once we transcend this very narrow focus, the only relevant issue is the source of authoritative moral absolutes, and what they say about political authority.

The word "separation" is so loaded and misleading that, it is probably better to abandon it when stating the biblical teaching on the matter. One danger posed by the word is that it tends to suggest an exclusion of God from human government, when throughout the Bible, the command of God is the only legitimate basis for human government. We could make a distinction between God and the church, so that by "separation" we intend to exclude only the church and not God. Of course there are those who wish to exclude God, but this distinction at least allows us to state our position (or something closer to our position), although it still requires careful explanation.

But our position cannot be so simply stated, for the church cannot in fact be separated from the state, unless it is affirmed that man's relation to God can be separated, even in principle, from the church. I would affirm, and on this point contrary to many believers who hold to tradition rather than to Christ, that it is possible (I do not say usual or desirable) for one's faith in God to exist and prosper in complete isolation from other believers. But a Christian's faith is often associated with the church in some way. And like the church, the state is not an abstract institution, but a group of people, so that when we refer to government, we are often referring to the people in power. Although it is correct to insist that all government officials ought to be Christians (in the sense that God commands all men everywhere to repent, Acts 17:30), it would be absurd to also insist that they are forbidden to go to church or to apply anything that they have learned from church in performing their duties, and in this way to include God but not the church in the state.

The Bible is against the separation of God and state, for he who is not for him is against him. Any state that is not a Christian state is a Satanic state. Again, the government is not an abstract institution, but it consists of people who are either Christians or non-Christians, children of God or children of Satan. So just as there is no such thing as a spiritually neutral person, there is no such thing as a spiritually neutral government. This is not to say that Christians should always disobey such an ungodly state, for all authority comes from God, not in the sense that he morally approves of what is done, but that he has established the principle of human government, and particular governments by his providence.

Proverbs 3:6 says, "In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." This is said to individuals, not abstract institutions. Because all institutions consist of individuals, this statement applies to all institutions, whether schools, corporations, or governments. When it comes to the government, only an explicit and biblical confession of Christ can provide a basis for laws that prohibit the likes of murder, rape, theft, and perjury, if these laws are to reflect an objective moral standard rather than mere preference or practical concerns.

Then, perhaps the only sense in which we can construe Scripture to teach a separation of church and state is, not in the separation of beliefs and ideals, but in a separation of roles. The major principle here is that it is the state that handles civil affairs, while it is the church that handles spiritual matters. The church is not responsible to direct traffic, collect taxes, organize drug raids, fend off invaders, or to arrest, judge, imprison, and execute criminals. On the other hand, the state does not the possess the spiritual authority of the church. That is, government officials who are operating as such do not have the authority to, for example, excommunicate unrepentant sinners from the church and order them to be shunned by the community of believers. But as Christians, these officials would have the same rights as other believers in the church. It is better to say that the church and state are different institutions with a distinction of roles, rather than to say that there is a simple "separation" between the two.

As the creator of all thrones, powers, rulers, and authorities, Christ has the supremacy over all human institutions. All things were created "by him and for him." Whether church or state, if it does not honor and serve Christ in an explicit and intentional manner, then it is a perverted, defective, and rebellious institution.