Law And Order

No community of people can survive for long without authority and discipline — Law and Order. God himself initiated the system of law and order and determined its finality. The first thing God did, as the Hebrews traveled into the wilderness on the way to their promised land, was to establish a system of law (Exod. 20) by which order would be maintained for all. Without this the people would not have survived.

When Paul exhorts believers to “be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates” (Titus 3:1), he is approving a system of law and order.

But it is an unwritten, universally accepted fact that rulers are to be above reproach themselves if they are to command the obedience of their subjects. A similar requirement is obvious in the command “Honour thy father and thy mother” (Exod. 20:12). IF A PARENT IS TO BE HON­OURED, HE MUST BE HONOURABLE.

Every state and country in the world has its system of law — civil, commercial, criminal, etc. — govern­ing and controlling the actions of citizens, and ensuring internal peace and order. A system of law courts exists to deal with those who break the law.

The believer in Christ is identified with Christ and his Kingdom, and the laws of God. The man of the world is identified with the State and its laws. While we must obey the laws of the country in which we live, we are also under Law to Christ, and where there is any conflict the Law of Christ takes precedence.

The Law Of Christ

There are radical differences between the rights and powers of citizens of earthly states and those of the citizens of the Kingdom of God. (cf. Matt. 5: Gal. 5:19-23).

The spirit of Christ’s teaching here is clearly one of patience and love, forbearance and forgive­ness, tolerance and mercy, meekness and peace. Jesus taught that his followers should abstain from:

1. resistance to evil (Matt. 5:39)
2. condemnatory judgements (Luke 6:37)

• seeking redress for injury or injustice received (Matt. 5:39-41).

The commandments of Christ, and his own personal example, make it perfectly clear that although a brother of his may be the submissive victim of legal coercion, he would never be in the position of the compellor. On the two occasions when Paul used his standing as a Roman citizen:

(i) to prevent himself being flogged (Acts 16:37-39); (u) to avoid a trial loaded against him in Jerusalem (Acts 25:9-12).He sought harm to no one else, but exercised a simple right entrenched in him in the Roman law.In a similar way. if the law of our land provides for Christians a right of conscience, say in time of war, or a right of remission of tax for donations to certain charities or premises, then Christians are entitled to invoke the law to secure these rights. But this has nothing to do either with law-making or with using the law to gain advantage over rivals and enemies.

Law Enforcement –

The Legal System

Police, Justice of the Peace, Jury Service, Magi­strates, Judges, etc.

Enforcement of law is an essential part of society as at present organised. There is no point in having laws unless they are enforced, but brethren of Christ cannot engage in the activities associated with the law enforcement system.

“The reasons rest on the broad principle of our relation to the world around us, while we are pilgrims to the Kingdom of God.”

Bro. L. G. Sargeant

We are involved in two distinct fields of activity— The Ecclesia and the World.

Where inter relations are involved the State’s law governs as long as it does not conflict with God’s law.

“Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.” (Rom. 13:1)

“We ought to obey God rather than men”. (Acts 5:29).

The ‘powers that be’ are a body separate and distinct from the ‘saints’.

By taking part in the judicial functions of the State, a brother of Christ identifies himself with the State and to that extent repudiates the Kingdom

of God. These two are different:

1. Two different politics — different orders, conditions, and systems.
2. two different codes of behaviour

• two different ethical principles.

The Ecclesia proceeds according to the principle of love; The State proceeds according to the principle of retribution.

“No man can serve two masters” (Matt. 6:24)

The Judicial System

“For what have 1 to do to judge them also that are without? Do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth” (1 Cor. 5:12-13).

There are higher ends to be served than judging men for their deeds. The forgiving love of God lifts a believer above the plane of justice and judgment as concerned and applied by the State. He cannot think in terms of being a party to the distribution of penalties to his fellowmen.

God has assigned to his ‘Saints’ the regulation of the affairs of the body of Christ. He has assigned the regulation of the affairs of the world to the ‘powers to be’. The judging of unbelievers is outside the province of the believer altogether. Such work is outside his field of activities. Such work is God’s; and if He delegates it to worldly governments, their laws differ from those of our heavenly kingdom and their enforcement should be left to the men of the world.

The believer is related to that perfect judicial system which “The Lord, the righteous judge”

(2 Tim. 4:8) will inaugurate at. “His appearing and His Kingdom” (2 Tim. 4:1). “He shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears”. (Isa. 11:3).

Jury Service

A jury is “a body of men, selected and sworn to inquire into and try any matter. of fact, and to declare the truth on the evidence given them on the case.”

A juror is unqualified for his work and is dis­missed if he has been influenced in any way for or against the defendant. Brethren of Christ are completely unsuitable by reason of their adherence to the injunctions of Christ:

1. revenge and resistance to evil are distinctly forbidden. “Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But say unto you, That ye resist not evil; but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. And whoso­ever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain”. (Matt. 5:38-41).
2. We should correct our own faults, not assess the blame to be assigned to others: “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?” (Matt. 7:1-3)

• Christ refused to become involved: “Who made me a judge or a divider over you?” (Luke 12:13-14).

1. Recourse to legal action is forbidden: “Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?” (1 Cor. 6:1-8). Patient suffering of injustice is expected: “. . . if when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God”. (1 Pet. 2:20). “but let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evil doer, or as a busy body in other men’s matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.” (1 Pet. 4:15-16).
2. The believer’s treatment of offenders is at variance with the requirements of the civil and criminal codes of the State.

Justice Of The Peace

The position and duties of a J.P. are not com­patible with brotherhood in Christ:

• an oath of allegiance to the State is required. Thus there is a divided allegiance. “No man can serve two masters” (Matt. 6:24).
• a judicial oath is administered.

Jesus’ injunction is “Swear not at all” (Matt. 5:34). The abuse of the times is indicated in the context (Matt. 5:33-37). Jesus condemned the indiscriminate and evasive use of oaths among the Jews. He taught that men should be so obviously honest in their speech that oaths between them were unnecessary. In particular circumstances both Jesus

(Matt. 26:63) and Paul (2 Cor. 1:23) used or spoke under oaths.

James exhorted:

“but above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into con­demnation.” (Jas. 5:12).

A Justice of the Peace enters into a solemn undertaking to:

“cause to be kept all laws . . . for the punish­ment of offenders, etc. At a lower level, he performs the function of a judge.”

No brother of Christ could ever enter into such an undertaking. Laws which believers cannot approve will be placed on the Statute Book. If we place ourselves in a position of law enforcers we will be called on to enforce those laws, i.e. to force on others laws which we ourselves disapprove.

We would also find ourselves using or condoning forcible methods — violence — to enforce laws. Our attitude toward sinning men and women is not to condemn but if possible to convert and restore them to God. Every active brother or sister of Christ is a minister of the Gospel. “We are ambassadors for Christ” (2 Cor. 5:20).

Oaths

In Scripture we find oaths made by God and oaths made by men: God’s oaths are solemn assertions to His covenant people of the absolute truth of His Word in order that they may put implicit trust in His word. e.g.

“God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent: hath He said, and shall He not do it? or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?” (Num. 23:19; cf. Ise. 45:20-24).

Oaths made by men are of two kinds:

(i) A promise to God to do His pleasure on con­dition of receiving a blessing from Him — a VOW, e.g. “And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then shall the Lord be my God” (Gen. 28:20-21).

“And Israel made a vow unto the Lord and said, If Thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities” (Num. 21:2).

(ii) An invocation of God to witness the truth of a statement — an OATH, e.g.

• “Moreover, I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth” (2 Cor. 1:23).
• “For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness, God is witness” (1 Thess. 2:5).

The words of the oath which is administered in courts of law are no longer “God being my witness”, or “as God is witness”, but “so help me God”. This is a different emphasis, shifting the responsibility for what is said directly upon God. No believer in Jesus Christ can take such an oath.

Conclusion

The total group of activities which constitute the law enforcement machinery of the State, including the duties of judge, magistrate, justice of the peace, jurors, police officers, etc. is NOT for those whom God is “taking out of the nations as a people for His Name” (Acts. 15:14).

We are not ‘of the world’ and therefore should not become a part of the ‘powers that be’ and engage in the regulation of their affairs.

Jesus lived in a society embracing all the com­plexities of a wordly system which was as corrupt as any before or since. He dwelt among corrupt politicians, charlatan churchmen, cut-throats, thieves, as well as among average citizens in Israel who covered up their dishonesty with the veneer of decency. And yet . . . Jesus was able to experience complete freedom while at the same time refusing to use his ‘rights’ to defy what law and order rested in the Roman Empire and the Jewish State.

He is our example and we do ourselves eternal harm when our manner of life is not established on His pattern.

“The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master” (Luke 6:40).

“Only let your conversation (behaviour) be as it becometh the Gospel of Christ” (Phil. 1:27). “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called”. (Eph. 4:1).