The Divinely Given Role of Civil Government

With this being a Presidential election year, there is much debate in this country about what the government ought to do. Discussions about what the next President should do regarding education, energy, the economy, and other issues are common. Christians in this country have some voice in selecting the leaders of this nation. Since we have the opportunity to participate in the process of electing leaders, our first step in making a decision must be to look to the Bible to see what role God has given civil government.

What role has God given to civil government?

1. Provide and maintain a secure environment – Paul told Timothy to pray “for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity” (1 Timothy 2:2). He then said, “This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior” (1 Timothy 2:3). Paul also told the Romans, “For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil…for it is a minister of God for you for good” (Romans 13:3-4). One of the things God expects civil government to do is provide and maintain an environment where Christians are free to live as God would have them to in peace. This, of course, means that government should not persecute Christians. It also means that government’s duty is to restrain and repel individuals or groups who would do harm to Christians.
2. Punish evildoers – Paul made this point clear in writing to the Romans. Civil government “is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil” (Romans 13:4). As we noticed in the first point, one of the jobs given to civil government is to keep the peace. This does not simply mean they make laws, but that they also enforce those laws. God has directed that those who do evil must be punished. Civil government exists to carry out this punishment. Incidentally, when Paul said, “It does not bear the sword for nothing,” this does not just mean punishment in general, but capital punishment in particular.
3. Protect the innocent – This is also related to the first point. God expects civil government to provide protection against those who would do harm to their fellow man. The evildoer must be punished (Romans 13:3-4), which also implies that the innocent must be protected. This includes many groups and classes of people; but given the current situation in our society, there is one group that is particularly important to remember – the unborn. Who is more innocent and helpless than an unborn baby? Abortion is legally practiced in this country. This is a shame! Civil government is to punish “the one who practices evil” (Romans 13:4), not turn a blind eye to it. Murder is one evil thing that demands punishment (Romans 13:9; Revelation 21:8). The Bible makes no distinction between the life of a child in the womb and one outside the womb, using the same word (brefos) to describe both (Luke 1:41; 2:12). Government ought to protect the innocent – including the unborn – and be a “cause of fear” (Romans 13:3) to those who practice the heinous crime of infanticide.

From looking at the New Testament, these are the things we see that God expects of civil government. God has appointed the governments of men to provide security to their people, punish those who do evil, and protect the innocent from those who would do them harm.

What we do not see in the New Testament is a divinely given responsibility for many of the things candidates disagree about today. Civil government is not “a minister of God” (Romans 13:4) to provide education, health care, retirement, or help to the poor. The government may provide these things and we are free to disagree about the degree to which government does these things, but these are not the God-given responsibilities of the civil government that are specified in His word (which is why we may disagree). We should, however, agree upon what the New Testament does say about the role God has given government.

I would suggest that electing men and women who understand the role of civil government is more important than electing candidates who are perceived to be of a higher moral character then their opponents. This is not to say morals are unimportant. I believe they are very important. But when someone is elected to political office, they are elected to be part of a human government, not a spiritual organization like the local church. We cannot realistically expect our leaders to meet a list of character requirements like we find given for elders in the local church (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9). In most cases, they are not even Christians in the way the New Testament defines the term. So yes, character is important; but it is vital that they recognize and respect the God-given role of government.

So, as Christians giving thought as to how we should vote, let us look for candidates who understand the primary role of government – to provide security, punish evildoers, and protect the innocent. If such candidates also agree with our opinions on other matters and are of relatively high moral character, great. However, God’s will trumps our opinion. So when we cast our vote, we ought to put what God expects of government ahead of what we would like to see from government. And remember, we are electing candidates for public government office, not for service as an elder or deacon in a local church. Character is important, but we do not need to make qualifications that God does not make.

I pray that the people of this country, as the time draws near to elect new leaders, will choose men and women who will work to carry out the divinely given role of government above everything else.