CT: ‘Jesus: Democratic King’

Here is the headline from an article currently at the Protestant site they call Christianity Today:

Jesus: Democratic King

Our most cherished democratic values are grounded in Jesus’ sovereign authority.

John Witte Jr

As regular readers of the COGwriter news page are aware, I have often take exception to positions taken by CT as unbiblical and anti-Christian. And the above headline and sub-headline are unbiblical and anti-Christian.

In a democracy, the people chose their leaders. In the Kingdom of God, God, often through Christ, chooses the people and the leaders.

Notice some of what Jesus said:

6 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. (John 15:16)

37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. (John 6:37)

44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. (John 6:44)

Jesus is not a democratic king.

Furthermore, notice what the Apostle Paul was inspired to write:

28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? (1 Corinthians 12:28-30).

11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head–Christ– 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love (Ephesians 4:11-16).

So, in Jesus’ kingdom, the people are not choosing the leaders, God is.

The same is true for the members as Jesus’ other comments indicated, but notice that they too are placed by God:

18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. (1 Corinthians 12:18)

God’s government is simply NOT democratic.

Democracy was known before the time of Christ. In ancient Greece, all the male citizens were expected to vote on the the issues facing their society. The Greeks introduced the concept of democracy to the Romans. The Romans (who were somewhat skeptical of the Greek model) set up a modified form of democracy called a republic. In a republic, elected representatives are supposed to vote for their interpretation of the will of the people. The U.S., other “democracies” of the world (with Switzerland as perhaps the most notable exception as it is more patterned after the Greek model), and even many churches are patterned after the Roman model.

Most people in western societies seem to feel that some form of democracy is the best form of government (and this seems to be the view at CT).

Would God agree? The Bible warns us, “there is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 16:25). It also warns us, “It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps” (Jeremiah 10:23).

In Genesis 2:17 God warned Adam and Eve to not partake of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But Adam and Eve did not listen to God. After listening to Satan, they decided that they did not need to listen to God but that they should decide for themselves (Genesis 3:1-6). This is the first recorded act of human democracy in action.

Nowhere in the entire Bible do we see God sanctioning democracy.

Jesus told the apostles that they would be rulers over the twelve tribes of Israel in his kingdom (Luke 22:30). Jesus chose the disciples, they did not get their positions from any form of democracy (John 15:16; 6:70). God, not man, chose David to be king over Israel originally (Acts 13:22) and has also chosen him to be king over all Israel in the world ahead (Jeremiah 30:9).

By the way, Jesus said that God the Father has reserved who will have certain positions of authority in the kingdom of God (Matthew 20:23). The rewards in the kingdom will be Jesus’ to give (Revelation 22:12); they will not be for the people to take for themselves.

Democracy will not be God’s form of government in His kingdom.

Why?

One of the many problems of voting is that no human thinks the way God does.

‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways’, says the LORD (Isiah 55:8).

When Jesus was on Earth he proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom of God and told people to repent (Mark 1:14-15). Jesus refused to participate in even the most elementary governmental decisions while he was on the earth (Luke 12:13-14).

Although Jesus taught that we were to pay taxes (Matthew 22:17-21), He also taught that His kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36). Jesus taught His disciples to go into the world and preach the gospel to everyone (Matthew 28:19,20). Jesus said that His disciples were to be in the world, but not of it (John 17:16).

Christians are not to be part of this world (Revelation 18:1-4), but are to be ambassadors for Christ (II Corinthians 5:20). True Christians “keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 12:17).

Those truly concerned about the leadership of their countries should pray (and if safely possible fast) for “The will of the Lord be done” (Acts 21:14).

Jesus is not a democratic king. But He is a wise a loving one.

Some articles of possible interest may include:

Should a Christian Vote? This article gives more of the Biblical rationale on this subject. Would Jesus vote for president? Is voting in the Bible? This is a subject Christians need to understand.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God was the Emphasis of Jesus and the Early Church Did you know that? Do you even know what the gospel of the kingdom is all about? True religion should be based upon the true gospel.
Polycarp, Herbert W. Armstrong, and Roderick C. Meredith on Church Government What form of governance did the early church have? Was it hierarchical? Which form of governance would one expect to have in the Philadelphia remnant? The people decide and/or committee forms, odd dictatorships, or the same type that the Philadelphia era itself had?
Are You Saved? Do You Love Jesus? What is a True Christian? What is the Gospel? Evangelist Richard Ames answers those important questions.