Conscience & Obedience_ the Politics of Romans 13 and 3 in Light of the Second Coming - William Stringfellow

Conscience &Obedience Is the Church truly bove politics? Or is it ll too oten  gullible victim of the politicl ren? The theme of ths prophetic work is that Chstans must comprehend politics f they ae to trnscend politics. In Conscience nd Obedience, Willam Stingfellow reviews the long hstor of the chuch's intepretations and msinterpetatons of Scptural texts relating to potcs The most notorous abuses have come, he sas in interpretations of Romans  and Revelaton . Stringfellow declaes that what s missng most is an understanding of eschatolog that can stand aganst an political ideolog whether of the status quo or evolution

Conscience nd Obedience challenges the reader to examne the sources of our faith and our freedom. William Stringfellow is an attoney wdely recogzed for hs epesentato o unpopular o egected pesons. Kal Barth once sad that Strngfeow was "the most conscetos ad thought theoogca md he had met  Ameica. Ameica . Strgelow has wtten more than a dozen books, ncudng A Private and Public Faith, My People Is the Enemy, ad An Ethic for Christians and Other Aliens in a Strange Land.

Cat. No 84- ISBN 084-84-

Wh h h w w   yg yg ..

Wh h h w w   yg yg .. " a eloquent a t  provocatve It  well worth  reang-Frankn  rean g-Frankn Sherman The Christian entury "Wam Strngfelow an Epcopal lawyer an theo  logan  one of the mot vgorou Chrtan wrter of our tme tmeThe The wrtng  vntage Strngfelow  freh togh to gh pngent an provocatve   A book to  rea  rea  poner poner  an ak f n my chrch ch rch 'con 'co nen ence ce  an expreon of the encaton of baptze people  wth  wt h the whole whol e of humanty humanty  John Joh n A. Lapp Provi 

dent Bok Finder "The author work wth the reaer n helpng to form a bblca hope whch both nertan a  trancen  tranc en  poltcRay  poltc Raymon mon McCallter Jr The Disciple "Strngfeow gft to   that he rae queton  whch  whc h are unenably bblca bbl ca an whch perhap epecally n the Unte State receve pathetcally ttle crutny-Charle PLut PLut Book News Letter "The author attorney an ayman once agan ha  wrtten  wrtte n a book boo k worth reang rea ng by thoe tho e concerne concer ne a  to th the e proper roe of the Chrtan church church  Partcul Part culary ary  t houl houl  be tued tue d an carefully caref ully by that boy bo y  leaer  lea erFn Fn a copy of th excellent publcaton an rea Strng Strngfell fellow ow vewp vewpon ontt for yourelf yourelf  Cecl Cecl BCurrey The Tmpa Tribune-Times "The ene of tranformng jutce may reeem not only the book bt the reaer-Rcha reaer-Rchar r F Boeke Boeke

The Churchman

b the ame ath  TH FR HRT  THR L   TRG L   RTHY MY PPL  TH MY TR   GRT TY UT T LL JY FR   T F TH  PRVT  PUL FTH

a cath with nthn wne TH TH  LF F HP PK UPT TR TH HP PK FFR

WILLIM STRINGFELLOW

Cnscience &Obediene lRE POLITS  OFOMANS13  AND EVETON 13 IN GHr GHr OF lRE lRE  SEOD OMING OMING

Wod Book, Pulhe Wco Wco,, Tex 

Firs Papeack Edition-September 1978 ISBN: 0849928435

ONSCECE AD BEENCE

Copygh© 9 y Wo, nopo, Wao Txa 63 Al gh vd. No pa of h oo y e epou n ny fo whov ep o ef quoon n evw, whou he wien pon of he puh. Sipu quoon  fo he Rvd n Von of he le, opygh 946, 9,© 9,© , 93 y he Divon of Chn uon of he onl Coun of h Chuhe of Ch n he USA n u y peon SN 08634 Ly of Conge Cong e alog  nu 63 nd in he Une  of Amia

for p ost-am ost-amer erica icans ns

oes

p e f a  e



 Te Leer of Pul o e Romns, chapters  and  Te Revelion o Jon, chapter 

bblal bbl al ex exss

2 Te Vocion of Poliicl Auoriy The Vocation of the Word of God Creation, Fal, and the Signcance of ocaton The Lodshp of Christ in Fallen Creation

hap hape e o e

5 Te Problem of Poliicl Legiicy The Abiguity of Legtimacy The Meanng of Political Authority The Constantinian Status Quo

hape wo

55 Anrcy Apoclypic Reliy nd e Anicris Poltical Authority and Emprcal Anarchy The Scope of Human Sin Bombast and Blasphemy

hapehee

5 Te Second Adven of e Lord The Signcance of the Two Advents

hape fou

y The Impendng Devastation of Poitca Aut hort Aut horty The Immnece of  of  the Second Advent

chapter fve

89

The Vocation Vocatio n of the Church as the Holy Nation o f God Trusting the Judgmet of the Word o f The Bib lica Bib lica Wtness Wtness as Advocac Advocacy y The Natonhood of the Church

epilogue

109

A Homily on the Sigicance of the the Defeat of the Saints

Prfa  e intentin in th bk i t arm a bibica hpe which cmprehend pitic and which trancend pitic

Tha hope nofar a   e gven o me o peak of   pecca grone n he ew Teamen whch ex poe he ranence of he poc of h wor b whch forebear o renonce poca nvolvemen an whch beleve he overegn of Go rng h pang age. Smaneol he bblcal wne ancpae wh exraornar eagerne an wh no le remarkable paence he en of h wor poc e perhng of h age he gmen of he naon an prncpale an all rler he nex aven of e Chr openl an rmphanl o vncae h regn a Lor. I f m prpoe appear aacomore real annonce han accomplhe am  Tha arbe however ha no nhbe he aemp whch varo even have agne o me of h book On he conrar he l gence reqre o be coheren abo he poca hope of bblcal folk n he preen me ncae he ak  cogen I became perae of h whe I wa engage n wrng An Ethc for Chrtn nd Othr Aln n  Strng Lnd. Tha eor rea he Bablon paage n The Revelaon o ohn a parabe of he falenne of he naonbe  Amerca or an oher naon or mlar prncpal In REEN he preaor characer of he naon  o emphac ha a I wel pon h rmenar reaonhp of he naon or prncpal o he power of eah  nal convnce me ha I wol have nex o ea bnl wh oher par of he ew Teamen wne whch pm fc bepoke eren vew of he naon heoogcal o emprcall ence acqanance wh An Ethc o 9

10

NENE N OEENE

Cht d Oth Al   Stg Ld  more or le preppoe here

I have choen to ea wth two bbca paage whch repreent the tenon nternal to he ew Tetamen pernent to polcal ahort: RN 13 an REEN 13. Thee are he mot famo ext pong tnghable perhap contractor attte towar the naton wthn the Bble The are alo probabl the wo mo abe ctaon among an that mght be name Boh paage are pblhe n th volme n orer o prompt thoe who rea what I have wrtten o have rect recore to hem The htorca crcmance n whch each of hee part of he ew Tetament were tere are qe erent an accont  aen of hat fac n m own comprehenon of RN on one han an REEN on the other I am not one however nclne towar ng the contonng of htor to explan awa crepanc or ncongrt n he Bble A the ame tme I harbor no complon to neatl harmonze Scrpre a I have elewhere often remare. The whole noton that the Bble mt be homogenze or renere conen  a common acaemc mpoton pon he bblcal lteratre bt t en often n an atempt o eologze the Bble n a manner whch ene the mot elementar rth of the bbcal wtne namel ha  bepea the namc an vable partcpaton of the Wor of Go n the common event of h worl. The mlant character of the Wor of Go n htor refte an canon of mere conenc n the bblcal wtne. To rea he Bble  o hear of an behol event n whch the Wor of Go  concerne attene b the partclart an o h man beng the ambgt of acta happenng An eort to rea he Bble a a treate abtractl conrce or con forme rp he gen of he Bble a etamen of the Wor of Go actve n hor. If he bblca wtne were nernall trctl cononant after the moe of eoog or phlooph the mter of reveaton n h worl wol be abolhe revelaton telf wol be caegorcall pre cle. Wha  o be expecte ntea of mpc contenc

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in lisenng  e Bble allwng r e vagaries and er limans  uman insig insig s cerence  a basc inegiy  e rd  Gd r e dely  e persnaliy  Gd  s crean I d n mean  exl ncnsisency I am glad enug  nd ne ex  e Bible wic seems  my mnd in b vius armny wi aner passage bu I d mean  cauin agains makng a rubric  cnssency a vlaes e ms essenial caracersic  e bblical winess and wic usually nurses vany in reading and using e Bible and wic nvariably issues in manipulain r versg r suppressin  cerain dimensins  e Bble. Ts is w I cme  e exs rm RN and REE N I e w seem a ddsug varian isrical siuains are  be aken serusly and wile e paraly  a persn's percepn a a given mmen as  be ac knwledgedpercance i is because ey  a dds Ta  me becmes primarly sgncan as a clue  e vialy  e rd  Gd in e wrld Te revelan  e rd  Gd is always mre manld and mre versale an uman cmpreensin. a I anicpae in e pas sages is n cnssency s muc as cerence I can live and ac as a biblical persn wu e rmer bu wiu e laer I cann live S  in e Bible and ere in RN and in REEN I lk r syle n sereype r preceden n mdel r parable n prpsin r analgue n aprsm r par adx n sylgsm r sgns n saues Te encuner wi e biblcal winess s empircal as disinguised rm sclasc and i is cnessnal raer an leralisc in eier case i ver and abve any er cnsiderain invlves e cmmn reader in arming e isrciy  e rd  Gd rugu e presen age n e bibcal era and imminenly y eseem r e biblcal winess and my apprac  e Bible suld be enug  dsclse my skepicsm abu curren ers  cnsruc pliical elgy accrdng  sme idelgical mdel. I reer r ne specc example 

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C D OD

aemps  aiclae a psedbiblical ainale  classical Maxism, wic ae laely becme pminen, ddly eng, simlanesly in b sme psindsial s cieies   Ameica and pe and in sill peindsialied egins  Asia Lain Ameica, and Aica. I is pesasie  e idelgical bankpcy  e me a anyne wld imagine a Maxism spnss a scial and ecnmic analysis elean  e cndiins  adanced ecnlgy and e ecncaic sae in e Tid Wld a leas e peailing sciey eains a semblance  se cndiins wic iginally ccasined Maxism me an a ceny ag Gien e analyical nae  e eied inees in Maxism in a cny like e Unied Saes i may be a e penmenn is mainly eical wi classical Maxism spplying a cnenien and ample lexicn wi wic  dennce e egime. O in addiin is belaed aenin  Maxis ideas may expess e pnd sains  peple wg in e decadence and bslescence,  Ameican capialism. O, is may als be an aspec  e ge  nsalgia a accmpanies e endemic appeensin  Ameicans cncening e aile  e sysem.  a be e, i is qain and paeic since nsalgia signies an ineed escalgy as sc e ms cinalized and fln pe  all. Meanwile, een in secs  e Tid Wld wee Maxism may emain analyically cgen, e aemp  elgize in biblical ems, idelgy is nenable en a ms eneable idenicain and adcacy  e biblical winess  e dispssessed and ppessed  is age des n ende e biblical peple idelgically capiaed. Te e  disingis a biblical aplgeic  Maxism is n dieen m se wic ae sg  elgize capialism clnialism, wa, and pigae cnsmpin. Waee e sbec idelgy  plicy, aemps sc as ese iialize e Bible In e wds, biblical pliics never implies a paicla elabaed pliical elgy wee i be ne ecing e sas q  ne wic aspies  ew and displace e sas q Te gspel is n idelgy and caegically

Prfc

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e gspel cann be idelged. Biblical plics always as a psue in ensn and ppsin  e pevalen sysem and  any pspecive  incpen saus qu and  e idelgies  eie egme  evlun. Bblical plics ae alienaed m e plics  s age. Le n ne ead n ese emaks gauus cm  simplisic and unespnsve answes  plical issues  enmus cmplexy suc as all e nans sue ae e manne  insance  se w ncan e name  Jesus supesusly. I is lieally pagan, unbbcal  s ece Jesus is e answe. Te Bble s me denive e biblical amain s Jess s Ld Te Bible makes a pliical saemen  e eign  is peemping all e ules and all peendes  nes and dminns sub ecing ncumbens and evluinaes supassing e dc ine and pmises  e idelges  s wld.  is ee ee unised any peex waeve  e neglec  e p  e unlbeaed   abandn men  e bblical advcacy  e ppessed and e im pisned. On e cnay, e exemplcain  edeemed umaniy in e Ldsp  Jesus is in s age means a esilien and ieless winess  cnund ebuke and und evey egme, and evey penal egime, un a mmen wen umankind is accuned ve e nains and pincipaliies in e las udgmen  e Wd  Gd. Te appac  RN 3 and REVEN 13 ee is cnessinal a is  say, a lvng cnac bewix e Wd  Gd expsed in e biblical exs and e same Wd  Gd acve nw n e siuain  e cmmn eade s a e encune n Bble sudy becmes, n isel an even caaceisically biblcal. As suc is bk is n exegeical in a ecncal sense, ug I d n imply a ecnical wk n  n ese ese passages passages is unimpan  a i is incmpable wi a cnessinal syle n Bible sudy  a i can be igned by laypesns. I am ae empasizing a s bk s pmaily a pasal endeav I seeks  lieally encuage a biblical lesyle in e pliics  e age inas e suble saescnscence and be

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C D OD

dence n church and in naon whle awaing he promp ness o he Lord Similary hough he work s abou poliics, i is no a echnical pece and does no ener he realm o olical heory or employ he jargon o he discipline o poiical scence Such polical erms as are menioned are uilized in obious connoaons and no as words o ar or o echnical deniion Perchance parcuar noce should be gien o he usage n hs book o he phrase t Wo of o. I inend his o be undersood as a name Thereby I reer no only o he Bible as he Word o God, bu simulaneously o he Word o God incarnae n Jesus Chris and, aso o he Word o God milan milan in he lie o he world world as he Hoy Spri, Spri, and, urher o he Word o God inherng in he whole o crea ion To conron he issues o conscence and obedience in church and naion n he ime being wih reerence o he esamen in R and in R inoles reaing ehics and eschaoogy simulaneousy nsead o as disnc or separaed caegories.  beliee ha i is he disabiliy wihin Chrisendom o comprehend ehics and eschaology as subecs encompassing one anoher which chiey accouns or he imairmen o he poical dscernmen o he church in Amerca as elsewhere n he presen as preiousy. I I dea n he same hough wih ehcs and escha ology, howeer i is no because I indulge eiher inaed ehics or reaized eschaology eschaology (A popular popular curren empaion s somewha derenha is he displacemen o ehics by a realized apocalypicsm raher han anasizing eschaology.) I us arm in his book he elemenary link beween ehics and eschaology, which is ha he opic o boh is op n t tonp o jugmnt. I I comprehend ehics as eschaological anicipaion or as herald o he judgmen o he Word o God in hsory, and i I oresee he eschaon as he consummae ehcal een perinen o he poliics o his age I am sayng ha hopehope now or human

Prefce

15

iehoe now or nations and rincialitieshoe now or the whole o creationmeans the imminence o udgment That is the erasie bibical theme; it is what I hear in the assages at hand in RoN and RN. In biblical aith ethics and eschatology coincide because the common history o the world is behed as the redemtie history o this world. Ths may exlain why I nd the amiliar reutations o RoN 13 and RN 13 curious The Book o Reela tion including this citation is oten ignored or suressed because it is reuted to be sc a heay eschatological utterance that it suosedy has litte contemorary sig nicance The rst seen erses o RoN 13 are commonly exemted rom context and commended as rudential guidance here and now without articlar cognizance o the imending distress distress to this world o o the eschatological reality. The more I hae lied with these two texts the more I erceie them oositely. oositely. RoN RoN  3  1 bears an exlict exlict eschatological cotext; RN 13 ocuses uon the oltics o the assing age concretely exemliying the tactics o witness o the biblica eole The timeliness o a study o both RoN 3 and R N 13 is I think seleident. ot only are the issues o conscience and obedience resecting the church and the nation in the oreront in America albeit in mighty con usion but mch the same is the case in other societies. In Brazil in Chile in Korea in China in Taiwan in the Phili ines in South Arica in Kenya in Tanzania in Sain in Italy in Poland in ast Germany in the Soiet Union and most oignanty in Israelthese are immediate matters That act shod caution American Christians not to be oguish and not to be chauinistic as so oten they hae been n the ast in attemting to coe with them. Furthermore one mst kee in mind that the ruing authorities as well as bibical eole are actie in trying to determine these isses I hae mentioned earier that I be came ersuaded to do this book while engaged in writing An Ethc for Chrtn nd Other Alen n  Strnge Lnd

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EE  OEEE

Tha was o cocusion absracy reached. I was maily occasioed by he acua poiical siuaion i which An Ethc was wrie On he ery day ha aie Berrigan, SJ, hen a poiical ugiie because o his opposiion o he war i Souheas Asia and his resisace o he war regime was seized a he home o Anhony Towne ad mysel o Block Isad by he ederal poice, I was ypig he manuscrip o ha book. Subseque o Berrigan's cap ure Towe and I were subeced o harrassmen ocial deamaion ad sureiace by he auhoriies, incudig a remarkabe inciden in which a goernme age once agai inruding upon my work on An Eth sough o ierrogae me abou heology ad poliics. He bega he ineriew his way  r. Srigeo Srigeow, w, youre a heoo he oogian gian  (I hough his iroi ainly sarcasic) oes he Bible say you mus obey he mperor? His query sarled me I admi o so much or is hrus as or he eidece i gae o how miuey he ruig powers scruinize ciizes. I could o concede he simpisic premise abou he Bible which his quesio assumed and I rebuked him abou his akig perhaps orye minues o do so. urig he discourse he wiled isibly and, whe I paused momearily he abruply excused himse and depared. This was some disappoinme o me, or I had oly us begun o respod o he muliarious impicaions o he issue he had raised The episode coribued o my coicion o wrie his book

Th Epphn 976 Bock snd hod snd

THE LETTER OF PAUL TO THE ROMANS

Chapte 2  l to ou thrfor brthr b th mrcs of od to rst our bods s  lvg scrc, hol d cct bl to od whch s our srtul worsh Do ot b coformd to ths world but b tsformd b th rwl of o md tht ou m rov wht s th wll of od wht s good d cctbl d rfct. Fo· b th grc gv to m  bd vr o mog ou ot to thk of hmslf mor hghl th h ought to thk but to thk wth sobr udgmt ch ccordg to th ms of fth whch od hs ssgd hm For s  o bod w hv m mmbrs d ll th mmbrs do ot hv th sm fucto, so w, though m, m , r o bo d  Chrst, Chrst, d dvd dvdull ull  mmbrs mmbrs o of othr. 6Hvg gfts tht dr ccordg to th grc gv to us lt us us thm f rohc  roorto to our fth; 7f srvc  our srvg; h who tchs  hs tchg h who xhorts  hs xhortto; h who cotrbuts  lbrlt h who gvs d, wth zl h who dos cts of mrc, wth chrfulss. Lt lov b gu ht wht s vl, hold fst to wht s good; 10lov o othr wth brothrl cto outdo o othr  showg hoor 11 11N Nv vrr g  zl b glow wth th Srt srv th Lord. 1oc  our ho b tt  trbulto b costt  rr 1Cotrbut to th ds of th sts rctc hostlt 1Blss thos who rscut ou; blss d do ot curs thm 1oc wth thos who roc, w wth thos who w. 1Lv  hrmo wth o othr do ot b hught, but ssoct wth th lowl; vr b coctd 7

18

CNN ND ODN

1Repy n ne ev f ev bu ke hugh f wh  nbe n he gh f . 18f pbe  f   depend upn yu ve peceby wh . 19Beved neve venge yueve yueve bu e e ve     he  he wh f Gd; f   wen wen Vengence  mne  w epy y he Ld 20N f yu enemy  hungy feed hm; f he  hy gve hm dnk; f by  dng yu w hep bunng c upn h hed" 21D n be vecme by ev bu vecme ev wh gd

Chaper  Le evey pen be ubjec  he gvenng uhe. F hee  n uhy excep fm Gd nd he h ex hve been nued by Gd 2Theefe he wh e he uhe e wh Gd h ppned nd he wh e w ncu judgmen. F ue e n  e  gd cnduc bu  bd Wud yu hve n fe f hm wh  n uhy? Then d wh  gd nd yu w eceve h ppv 4f he  Gd evn f yu gd Bu f yu d wng be fd f he de n be he d n vn; he  he evn f Gd  execue h wh n he wngde 5Theefe ne mu be ubjec n ny  vd Gd wh bu  f he ke f cncence F he me en en yu  y xe xe f he  he uh uhe e e mne f Gd endng  h vey hng. Py  f hem he due xe  whm xe e due evenue  whm evenue  due epec  whm epec  due hn  whm hn  due. we n ne nyhng excep  ve ne nhe; f he wh ve h neghb h fued he w 9The cmmndmen Yu h n cmm duey Yu h n k Yu h n e Yu h n cve" nd ny he cmmndmen e ummed up n h enence Yu h ve yu neghb  yuef" 0Lve de n wng   neghb; heefe ve  he fung f he w

Pefce

9

Bede h yu kw wh hu   hw   fu me w f yu  wke fm eep F v  ee  u w h whe we  beeved; 1he gh  f ge, he dy   hd Le u he c  he wk f dke d pu  he m f gh 1e u cduc cduc ueve u eve becmgy   he dy,   eveg d dukee,   debuchey d ceue,   queg d jeuy 14Bu pu  he Ld eu Ch, d mke  pv f he eh,  gfy  dee.

THE REVELATION TO JOHN

Chape 13 d I w  be g u f he e, wh e h d eve hed wh e ddem up  h d  bphemu me up  hed. 2d 2 d he be h I w w ke  epd,  fee wee ke  be d  muh w ke   muh. d   he dg gve h pwe d h he d ge uhy. e f  hed eemed  hve  m wud bu  m wud w heed, d he whe eh fwed he be wh wde. Me whped he dg, f he hd gve h uhy  he be, d hey whped he be, yg, Wh  ke he be, d wh c gh g  d he be w gve  muh ueg hughy d bphemu wd, d  w wed  exece uhy f fyw mh;  peed  muh  ue bpheme g Gd, bphemg h me d h dweg, h , he wh dwe  heve 7  w wed  mke w  he  d  cque hem d u

 CNN N ON ON thority was given it over every tribe and people and tongue and nation, 8and all who dwell on earth will worship it every one whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in he book of life of the Lamb that was slain 9If any one has an ear let him hear: If any one is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes if any one slays with the sword with the sword must he be slain Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints 1Then I saw another beast which rose out of the earth; it had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dgon. J t exercises all the authoity of the rst beast in its presence and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the rst beast whose mortal wound was healed 3It woks great signs, even making re come down from heaven to earth in the sight of men �and by the signs which it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, bidding them make an image of the beast which was wounded by the sword and yet lived 15and it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast so that the image of the beast should even speak and to cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to b e sla s lain in 16 Also it causes causes all both bo th small smal l and great, great, b oth rich and poor both free and slave to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 7so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark that is the name of the beast or the num ber of its name. 8This calls fo wisdom let him who has understanding reckon the numbe of the beast for it is a human number, its number is six hundred and sixtysix

chapter one

Let every person be subject to the governing au thorities. For there is no authority except fro God and those that exist have been instituted by God. Thereore he who resists the authorities resists what God has appointed and those who resist will incur judgent. a 131 And  saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads with ten diades upon its horns and a blaspheous nae upon its heads And the beast that  saw was like a leopard its feet were like a bears and its outh was like a lion's outh. And to it the dragon gave his power and his thne and great authority One of its heads seeed to have a ortal wound but its ortal wound was healed and the whole earth followed the beast with wonder Men worshiped the dragon for he had given his authority to the beast and they worshiped the beast saing Who is like the beast and who can ght against it? eveat 131

chapte ne

he Voaon of Poal Auhoy he elementay eason why issues o conscience and obedience in eation eithe to the naton o to the chuch ae attended by constenaton s a pesumption, im plct o unstated that thee s a singua poposton in tems o whch such questons can be esoled despte dspaate cicumstances in whch they ase



Commonly it s supposed that thee inhees somewhee within the copus o the gospel a geat xed pinciple whichonce tuly appehended and appopiately omulateds capable o applicaton and implementaton when ee and wheee poblems o conscience o cams o obedience in naton o in chuch equie a stand by those aspiing to be aithul n the bblical tas in histoy This notion, whch s patculaly, though by no means uniquely, ensconced in Amecan Chistendom, and gen that ethos s cuiously chaacteistc o pietsts as well as actists is bamewothy o ustaton conusion, msche and tagedy equenty associated with that which pupos to be the Chistian wtness n the wold 3

24 OSCEC OSC ECEE AD AD BEDECE

The peuppoton  confoundng becaue t  catego cally fale. It  a adcal dtoton of the goel whch when puued, dpate the genu of the bblcal lfe n th wold Thee  no uch mpltc pncple n bblcal fath to be located, olated, appled, and mlemented n anwe to any, much le eey, queton of concence o obedence The gopel  no ueethc. The mpoton of th fale peumpton upon cap of Scptue account fo the fequent abue of ctaton fom Roman 3:17 o 1 Pete 37 o Luke 05 o othe paage whch name poltcal authoty at the behet of ule o the coutean o  the poblem obated by eotng to ocalled pomate o oonal nom, a ome uppoe; t  only theeby eaded. Intead of popoton o pncple, the bblcal wtne oe pecedent and paable. The Bble doe not opound gudelne but elate eent; the bblcal ethc doe not con tuct yllogm but tell toe; the gopel  not conned n ete but confee the ablty of the Wod of God The bblcal epone to ue of concence and obedence ae empcal and htoc o ele they ae acamental and potentou. In ethe tyle o ntance, they eemlfy and edfy decon and acton athe than pedetemnng o othewe abtactng them he cati f the Wr f G

If th dtncton eem fatdou t  becaue t  bac and chaactetc and not becaue t  ethe eotec o pedantc. The concen t gne  fo the bblcal ced blty of the ncanaton that , of the pmal tatu of the patcpaton of the Wod of God n common htoy. It  the eent of the Incanaton, at once mmnent tuth and ultmate ealty appetanng to the whole of ceaton a human beng pecee and encounte the ame, whch  dente fo the bblcal wtne n th wold It  the confeon of the mltance of the Wod of God n th tme and n th place a much a conummately whch conttute the matue

he Vocato of Poltcal Authoty

5

ehica knowedge o bibical people Thee  no no no ideal no gandoe pncpe om whch hypoheical pe conceed o petentou anwe can be deed becaue to he bibical mindthee ae no diincanate iue; thee ae only actual quetion equiing hitoc epone on he pa o peon and o pincipalte Thee ae only thoe decion and acion which ae judged, eely in the pe ence o the Wod o God in hitoy. To peak o act coneionay coheently, biblicaly, in pobem o concence o obedience n naton o chuch o hat ate, o dea n bblca tem wth ethc at all i, thu, an endeao at adical aiance o the way in whch uch iue ae poited n the wod Contay o wody conception o ehc the bbcal yle owea peemption o the oce o God doe not egn concdence wih the mind o God paently a ain o caim o pecognion o he judgment o he Wod o God. Inead o being ain, pecociou o pemaue the ehical aciity o biblical people lieally k he udgment o the Wod o God o iply ele upon God' gace o, a t mot een ial attibue eee the auonomy and eedo o God' will. Some, I a awae ay cie hee pophec adiion epecialy a tha i known in the Old Teament. Wha o hoe who cononted the poeed people o God cyng hus sath the Lod! ? I am nethe unmndul no ungae ul o the pophet, but I eceie and a he ew Tetamen Tetamen a he peecti peection on (that  to ay, copleton o ulllmen) ulllmen) o the Old Tetamen Tetament, t, o that I do no no  lten lt en o the pophe o od n a acuum a i n ignoance o he ew Tetamen. I do no nd Ao o eeah o hei pee inconguou inconguou to Jeu Chi Chi  o, uthe, to Pau o the t he autho o Reeaton and the pee I hea pophetic utteance, then and ao now, ebukng the impaence and idolay o the people expong the eigiou anity and moa legalim, and denouncing the ecacitance to the iability o the Wod o God I noce he pophet admonihing the peope tha eey ceatuea naton no le than a huan beingi ubec hee and now o God oeeigny e

26

CNN ND ODN

ieraing ha eery thoght and ac or omssn is under udgmen, and calling or tha repenance in which he new ie o the holy nation is constitted Biblicaly the mark o autheniciy, or prophetism is comprehension o he god liness o God and nbegrdged awe or he ocation o he Word o God in history. That reerence or the prerogaties o God is signied in he propheic attribtion which commonly ollows he herald Thus sath the Lord!  am he Lord hy God! In a comparable ein, he it o he law is requenly mentioned as i o ignore he way in which he law is trans gured both in the minisry o Jess and in his direc address to he subect subect in the the Sermo Sermon n on on the the Moun. Moun. (Matt. 5 78) 7 8) In he works o Jesus can be seen the ery lllmen o he law while he Sermon shows how al persons sand under the judgment o he aw o the Word o God as i is ulled in Jesus Christ This is anticipated in he propheic witness in its honor o the oce o the Word o God n history. And later i is the authoriy or Pals minisry as an Apostle and the passionate, reiterated heme o his teaching in g and and nrure o the the chr chrch ch and its its members. (C (C  Rom  0 0  1 1  Ga Ga l  3  It is the recogniion o Gods armaion o himsel in the mids o hisory in this word which becomes the introit or all issues o conscience and obedience raher han any deri ation and ormlation, howeer solemn o any ethical prop osiion or grea principle. It is tha acknowledgmen which makes ocation the subjec o ethics. It is that sensibiiy o he integrity o God as God which undoes the proound consion concerning he ocation o humans and o naions and o all other creatres creatres Repeated, Repeate d, again doctrinally (i perhaps more qainly) he aemp o cope with qestions o conscience and obedience in nation and in church begins in conession o the Incarnaion A the ouset the ocus is pon he ocation o he Word o God in his world. Yet, with that starting poin the realm o ehica actiity implicaes the ocaion o all o le

The Vocaton o Potca Authort

27

trougout creation simultaneously tics as, essentially to do wit te exercise o ocationwit name and ident cation seood and reationsip capability and unction place and purposeor institutions and autorities as well as persons. Tis means, so ar as uman beings are concerned, tat decisions and actions o conscience and obedience encompass and utilize te ull diersity o gits or talents indigenous to uman lie, wie at te same time escewing delusions o diinity wic exceed and corrupt tose ery gits and resisting te comparable pretensions o gody status insinuated incessantly by te nations or oter assorted principalities and powers. Tat etical deiberation originates ocationally and or umans engages eery capacity pertinent to liing umanly neiter more nor lesssoud, as it seems to me in itsel occasion suspicion o any etica metodology wic narrows distorts suppresses or denies any uman capability or te diersity o gits witin uman lie. In oter words any etical system wic is settled and stereotyped uniorm and preclusie neat and predictable is bot deumanizing and pagantat is, literally, unbiblical Suc scemas misconstrue te signicance o ocation in creation inating te role o te principalities wile itiating te uman ocation tey issue in baspemy to use te word RN cites so oten, in cursing and usurping te ocation o te Word o od in te present age. reat, Fa a the gcace f cat

Te compreension o ocation as eementary to etics to eery problem o conscience or obedience weter in nation or in curc cu rc recals expicitly expicitly te biblical biblica l stories o creation and o allen creation (en. 13 13  c. ietric Bonoeer, Macilla llan n 1 959)  Creaton and Fa Y: Maci I reer to tese enesis narraties as stories deliberately because te matter o teir istoricity is irreeant to te trut wic tey coney. Te perennia controersies associated wit te question o te istorical status o tese texts are it appears to me a dissipation wic wen 

28

OSCECE OSCE CE AD BEDE B EDECE CE

duged obscures what is most signicant about the Genesis stories o ceation and all namey the empirical credibility o the description they urnish o lie in this world. Furthermore those insistent upon literalistic interpretations o these passages succumb to a temptation to beitte the Word o God in their ery attempt to uphold the dignity o the Word o God To suppose that these stories happened in time denies the ranscendence o time characteristic o the relation relationship ship o the Word o God to this world wor ld which the Genesis tets bespeak. Put another way time as humans perceie and suer it is itse an aspect o alen reaity a signa o the actiity o death a most amiliar and oppressie eature o the reign o death in the world. In the participation o the Word o God in historyin timethe Word o God is not somehow diminished or can not be conned but sti retains reedom rom the parameters o time transgures time abolishes time embodies eternity in time redeems time. To reer to the Word o God in tempor tempora a terms terms (which (whi ch is the ony on y language humans now hae) is always thereore quaint and styistic a manner o speaking a metaphor a parable. In this way human beings can be spared the temptations to possess or contro restrict or dene the Word o God the mystery inherent in truth remains iabe and inehaustibe and the ecacy o the redemptie power o the presence o the Word o God in this world is respected. So it is that I urge those who would unintentionally demean or inadertenty deaden the Word o God by imposing a literalistic rubric upon Scripture to be een o earnest than they now proess to be toward the Bibe and thence to behold these stories o creation and al in Genesis as descriptions the truth o which is not contingent upon their mundane historicity but which ar more cogent than that is uniersally and repetitiously attested empiricaly in common history The truth o the Genesis creation story is not that God made human beings on the rst Saturday but that the ie o the whoe o creation originates in the utterance o the

The Voton o Poltl Authoty

29

Word o God Le n the ncepton,  a gt. In the eent o creaton each and eery creature and each and eery apect o the totalty o creaton recee e n ntegrty and relatonhp n harmony and ulment wthn the cope o God oeregnty. Peron and prncpalte all the crea ture al realte or element o creaton are named by the Word o God ach  benecary o an dentty capacty purpoe and place n conjuncton wth that o eeryone and eerythng ele. In other word n creaton voton ue rom the Word o God Stl more precey n the bblcal decrpton o creaton the ocaton o God become dente o the ocaton o human le and o that o nttuton and naton and other creature and o all thng whateer epte the aregaton o e n creaton urpang the partcular partcularty ty and detal pecuar to the arete arete o creaturehood or the derte o created tatu there  n the bblcal nght a ngular eature hared throughout cre aton. That hamark o the ocaton o the whole o creaton  the glorcaton o the Word o God a the ource o le the adoraton o the Creator the prae and grattude o creaton or the generoty o God the ceebraton o le a a gt or mply the worhp o God. The worhp o God  the eemental and conummate connotaton o ocaton or the whole o creaton and or the arou pecc orm o e wthn creaton In the bbcal tory the equaton o ocaton and worhp  expreed n the preemnence attrbuted to human le The Word o God betow upon human domnon oer the ret o creaton omnon here  not to be mtaken or domnaton the rue or goernance to whch human le  apponted n the creaton tory  one n whch the d tncte human aculte are engaged and ulled n gny ng the acte oeregnty o the Word o God to the whole o creaton o that eery other apect o the le o creaton  related and realzed It  not or the aggrandzement o human le that domnon  conerred but or the ake o the perect le o al o creaton whch  exempled a worhp The erce to human beng the enhancement o human le n ocety rendered by the ret o creaton under

30

CEE D OEDEE

uan doinion is appropraed in worspin e ree conscienious and glad conesson o uans a e lie o e wole o creaon is e gi o e Word o God. All o is s spoiled and disored n allen creaion Te biblcal sory o e all bespeaks e renuncaion o lie as a gi e rejecon o e even o e Word o God calling lie ino being and nang e creaures and everying else and vesing doinion in uan le; e abandonen o worsip and s displaceen w blaspey and idolary and e radical oral conuson as o vocaion aecing everyone and all ings n creaon I is e repudiaion o le as e grauiy o e Word o God wc describes sin in s essenal aribue e consequence o sin s consignen o dea. In sn uan doinon is los; e vocaion o uan lie s prooundly dsorened e res o creaion includng includ ng noably e prncipalies and powers) powers ) suers siilar caos Te vocaion o creaion is usurped. In e al e reign o dea is pervasve and ilian i spares no lie waever  every every relao relaonsip nsip s broken or corruped corru ped or dinsed o volence aniworsp s endeic or insiuions and naions as uc as persons ie eans conneen o e power o dea nsead o possessing donion over creaion uan le is enslaved o and donaed by e res o creaion In allen creaon e power o dea appears riupan over e esence o is world Te allenness o e naions and powers is conuncive wi e allenness o uaniy bu i s no dependen or derivaive Te princpales are auonoous n relaion o uans ey are creaed bengs or realiies in eir own rig no sply projecions o collecive uan lie and er deonc caracer as allen powers is no ere consequence o uan sin sin eer personal or corporae. ee n Ethic . . page 75) 

o e ible reas e and so I observe ey are as coon experience conrons e. I is sleadng ence, o speak o an insiuon or naon or polcal regie becoing deonc as i s allen caacer we e soeow coningen upon uan acion or ossion wic precip

The Vocaton o Political Authority

3

ae e corrupion or decadence o a prncipaiy. Furer ore, uc a view wic a ad grea vogue in oral eology in Aerican Crendo no ony denie e creaurely au o e principaliie and power, bu alo denie a e wole creaion orginae in e ord o God.  dengrae God a Creaor by exaggeraing e poency and cope o uan in. he dhp f ht  Falen eatn

Te biblical wine, a e Gopel according o  Jon rend, doe no end in e aga o e al Te biblica eaen i copleed in Jeu Cri. Jeu Cri ean a oug e all ruin creaion e all doe no dii pae e grace o God. Jeu Cr ean a oug uan being and, indeed, e wole o creaion reec lie a e g o e ord o God, e ord o God i no ereby reraced or reued or revoked. Cri ean a aloug aloug in allen al len creaion vocaion i dored dored and worip worip i candalized, e overeigny o God i neier diruped nor abored. Cri ean a n e all n e id o e reign o dea in ie win e coon iory o i world, e ord o God neveree ac o reore lie  o e wole o creaion. Jeu Cr ean a e ree do o God i no curaed by e al and no inidaed by e ral o dea, bu elec o redee creaion ro e power o dea Jeu Cr ean e ebodien in uan lie now, in i world of e abundance o e ord o God or alvaion ro in and redepion ro dea or all creaion Tu i a coe o pa a biblical peope eee Jeu Cri a Lord. T  no, a i oeie erroneouly uppoed a ie deignang e dvny of Cri i, raer explicily expain e uaniy o Jeu a e one wo epioize e reoraon o doinion over e re o creaion veed in uan lie by e overeigny of e ord o God during e epoc o e all Jeu Cr a Lord ignie e renewed vocaon o uan lie in reconciliaion wi e re o creaion. ence oe wo live in Cri and wo onor Cri a

32

oSCECE AD AD BEDECE

or, wo r mmr of t oy of t Cr of Crit, i in t t pr prn ntt g g   nw rtion" 2 Cor Co r 5 :  7 )  It wil  I op r tt to r n rmtion  to t nti rtr of t r in ti wy  no i imirity to t wy of mn iim, t prti of rligion or t ntrtinmnt of ption n iion. T im of t r tt it rpr rprnt nt in i n itory rtor rtion i not ontingnt t l pon irt in t r t pon t from of t Wor of Go in ti wor. It i tt I li wi i t rimntry n ontnt  of tnion tnio n n frition fritiont t  w Ttmnt omtim rfr to twn t r n t wor, pr tilrly twn t r n t ntion or t tt or otr ring prinipiti n powr At t rx of tt innt onit i t otionl i, n, onrtly, t irnmnt wi t r,  t xmplr of rnw rtion, prti onrning t otion of politil tority In tt witn t r onf on f of ry ntion or tt or rgim tt politil tority   otion  ry rtr o. T r,  it wr, rmmr tt otion n onor it y y onfng tt poiti tority i orin or ppoint y Go Yt imltnoy in t mit of t nry wi i t f, in ti priing g, wil poiti tority rmin on to t powr of t tt onfion of t otion of poiti tority lwys pol t prminn of ominion rtor to mn lif or, in otr wor, lwys rm t Lorip of J Crit Bt if t r i fitf to J Crit  Lor, n t r r pport poitil tority in tt qo?

chapter two

For rulers are ot a terror to good coduct but to bad bad  W uld ul d you ha have ve o fear fear of hi h i w ho is i  authority The do what is good ad you will receive his approval, for he is Gods servat for your good man 133a The I saw aother beast which rose out of the eath it had two hors like a lab ad it spoke like a drago It exercises all the authority of the rst rst b east i its presece, ad ad akes akes tthe he ea eart rth h ad ad its ihabitats worship the rst beast whose ortal woud was healed. It works great sigs eve akig re coe dow fro heave to earth i the sight of e ad by the sigs which it is allowed to work i the presece of the beast it deceives those who dwell o earth biddig the ake a iage for the beast which was wouded by the sword ad yet lived evelatn 311

chapew

he oblem of olal Legmay iwing  pg onrning poiil ori in RoN nd in RN in  onx of  bibli l ori of rion nd fl nd  biblil win o God rdmpi iniii in fn rion do no diol  nion or onr bwn  x. I do onnr on  i of  oion of poliil ori in  of m I do mpiz  orn of  wo pg. T rfrn in RoN o poii ori  inid b God nd  God rn rl  poliil oriong wi r or rr rr  nii nd flmn of i own ingri nd pi in lif in worip wi i o  in rogniion nd dorion of  orign of  Word of God wiin  priw of mn dominion. On  or nd  profond diorion og no obirion) obirion) of   r r oion for  fn poiil prinipii i dribd in RN in  groq imgr of prdor b rownd wi blpmo nm ring  Word of God nd l ing o wo do prof nd r  orign of  Word of God in i word.

V 

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oSCECE oSCE CE AD AD BEDECE

Te repiion of e gif of life n e onignmen o e power of e wi i e reliy of e fl,   een menione oe no er or or or eop reempion Te Wor of Go peri in fllen reionineren or reil ien or eree, en or iree myerio n ee eeni ni   f Ro Rom m 1 : 20  Jme Jme  2   ) Hn Hng g e eye o eo  preene of e Wor, or ing e er o lien o e Wor, ing e gif of iernmen i inee, e mo ignin wy in wi Criin re iingie from oer mn eing in i worl Ye ere i lo  ene in wi e Wor of Go pereern epie e fll i ee in e f fli liy y of o f lpemy in e impoene of polii oriy gin e power of e in e inpy of polii oriyno mer ow eneen or ow egiingo iee e renew of reion or o pproxime e ingom of Go or for  mer, o een implemen i own mnne ie n ieoogie. I i i onfoning of e niworip inlge y poliil oriy n y  flen prinipiie n power w proxiy onrm e ii inig  e oeregn oeregny y of e Wor of Go Go  eome eome  iorill  iorilly y noorio in e rerreion of Cri n wi in erenl erenly y ni nie e e ili ili  fi  Cr Cr  ominion i rimpn in jgmen of poliil oriy n of l rer rere e n ll ng ng wo woeer eer Rom Ro m 1 2 1 9 ) . So i i,  Kr Br remine ,  Pile, epie imelf n i poii oe, n y e Gope on, irlly eie imef, wen onfrone y Cri nme Cri  Lor Krl Br Chch and State Lonon SCM Pre Pre 1939)  Tog e i oerome y ppreenion n i e wi egrgemen, Ple erie e ion n, o it is the truth Te ery wor y wi poliil oriy on emn Cri onfe Cri' oriy Te ril efore Pile i no  ionnee inen in e me ein re e enoner eween Hero n Cr, or e ei onerning Cer n Cri, or e epioe in wi e emoni er exorim, or e elegremen of Cri in e wilerne y e inrne  e eil.

The Problem of Polcl egtmcy

37

T t or ny fign rlr of  prn g rog niz if ronilly,  Lorip of Crit i no  mr of prinrinim It i  wonro ign of ow rolt  Wor of Go in itory i of ow rnint n mpy for l i gy on n tylpmy i, n lo of ow t win of t ilil oity wi iv in ti worl in Crit i rogniz y poitil tority  riil n r n wom monimnt W I wri, r I rliz pr from t wi  om to  g  ritionl xgi of RN wr RN  n trt in  voi n pily wr RN 1 3  7  n xmin xmin prtl prtly y n  n mnwil RN 3  n ignor or ppr or m ori T ony poin to ow o pg, in rition g, v n too m iorilly oni ion RN  n intrprt in onformn wi ppo niti to nion inmn poitil rgim wr of  for ntry or of  wntit; R N  n imi  prinn jt o  rtin rt nry rgim or   n ontr  polypti fny witot itori rfrn to ny rgim Sti if my omprnion of RN in rion to RN vri from mor prvnt or omry intrprion of ir pg I o no oniv  to   mtr of ln oppo iion  of iinion wi I on ignin   wn my own nrtning n  riionl viw he mbiguity f egitimacy

Prominnt mong  iinion i  wy in wi  votionl i for politil ority i nrrow� omim to t gr t i mont to omiionto  prolm of poiil lgiimy By tt rri t oi n of Criin o poitil toriy i onition pon i o lgitimy Bt wn i poitil toriy giimt? Wn o  ntion v  tt wi my  rm  init or orin of Go? Or wn o  t v  fntion wi n  onir  rvntoo o Go? An wn r to wo rlmpror or printprimnt or poi onor no lon 

8

ONSCIENCE ONSCIEN CE AND BEDENCE

c of fr, c ty wil t wor c ty commn mn to intimit omint n corc mn ing t   mttr of concinc? Witin t Amricn to, it o  not, t  nr n trct qtion itr for to wo prof t gopl or for to wo o not T foning prmi of t ntion n lgitimcy in gornmnt ot wit rpct to  r m o onoxio to mn if in ocity tt it w to  rit n ortrown in t clrtion of Inpnnc n trftr in t limit tion pon poiticl tority n t intittionliztion of pic ccontility pi in t Contittion Accor ing to t clrtion n t Contittion politicl lgitimcy rt to ot ow politicl powr i  n to ow it i tli, incmncy in itf not ing cint to lit t xrci of poiticl tority. T mttr prmt t Amricn xprinc   ntion n ocity wit it pcir mixtr of toogy n poitic n it lty  mrg gin in t cri ttning Wtrgt n t wr in Sott Ai Hnc wn t Bil of mpcmnt w ttr gint Ricr ixon, t New ork Tmes tt tt t ntion col loo forwr wit connc to t frtr woring ot of it contittion proc for t restoton of legtmcy in t igt xcti xcti oc. T New ork Tmes Agt  197 Sc E , p. 16, 16, itic itic )  If lgitim lgitimc cy y of o f politicl tority w t t t it mt ncrily   wtr t orting of t ixon impcmnt y t pron ipn y Gr For ftr or  n p point to ccion y ixon  t ntion pri of t rtortion of gitimcy in t igt xcti oc. Or gin, t oppoition noty tt of confing Critin) Criti n) to t wr n to to t wr ntrpri in Sott Ai ring t t nintn ixti p t poition tt t criminl poicy n ncontittion conct of t wr xpo incmnt incmnt politicl politicl tority tority rt t Jonon minitrtion n tn tt of ixon)  ilgitimt It i ti mnt wic occion t witn of t Brrign rotr coming fgiti t t tim ty

The roblem of oltcl Letmcy

39

 n orr to mt to mpronmnt For tm to  olntry rrnr to gtmt torty wo  onon t. For t Brrgn  wll  otr Crtn, tr ol    no on on to gtmt  gtmt powr. It  I tn fyng to rmmr t now , mong otr tng t mn tt mny of to wo rt  o not  owr ow r or wro fr ot ot rl rl or mlontnt trtor or rl, t n ft, rt to po  qt trton w of polt gtmy T ry tzn t wr rgm w mot no to wt n py pon  fm n prt, mlt n otrz prot n pn wr to wo t to rtor lgtmy n gornmnt o tt polt torty ol  onntoly onor n t nton. T ontrton of on to poltl torty n trm of lgtmy  fmr nog n t Amrn on txt n t orgn of t nton n p to t prnt tm n tr  om pport for t n t l txt t n T RN pg frn   n t rfrn to polt torty   trror to  ont,  tt mnt w wol  nonnl f t  not ppy to t ont of poltl torty   If RN my   to gnt lgtmt polt torty, RN my   to r gtmt poltl torty. Commnttor wo mt  rpt  nrl n nntl  onntrt pon ow lgtmy n  trmn o  to t fort t prmtr of poltl on for Crtn Grot wo w on wt t mpl oton of RN wt gtmy n R RN N wt llgtm llg tmy, y, wrt wrt  T Apot trogot rfr ony to powr jtly r H o not ntr nto t jt of tyrnny n oppron" T l ttmnt onrnng on  ontngnt pon t lgtmy of pot torty om from Jon Cln' ommentry on Romns T w  wor omplt t my  gnnt to not, for Cln mlf m m  mgt mgtrt rt n Gn Gn Of RN RN  3 : 17  

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oNSCIENCE AND EDIENCE

Unde Unders rsta tand nd furt furthe her r that that powe powers rs ar are fr from God God .  . because he has appointed them for the legitimate and just government of the world For though tyrannies and unjust exercise of power as they are full of disorder are not an ordained govern ment; yet the right of government is ordained by God for the wellbeing of mankind. As it is lawful to repe wars and to seek remedies for other evils hence the Aposte commands us wilingy and cheerfuly to respect and honour the right and author thorit ity y of of magstra trates tes as as usef seful to me men n  . . To require obedience to poitical authority where there is legitimacy and to relate legitimacy to just government seems straightforward enough until it is reaized that the ambiguity associated with determining egitimacy has been transmitted to the word "ust The quandry about the indenite meaning of egitimacy is hardy resoved by the relativity of what may be deemed ust In practice of course the more specic connotations of just poitica rue are furnished situationaly or existentially in spite of the ra tionalist pretenses that pure or abstract and immutabe denitions of poitica justice can be divined At that there is some redundancy in the meaning of ust government insofar as similar circumstances recur from time to time. For exampe a minister in New England sought to be concrete about this matter in a sermon his remarks were informed by the immediate political situ ation in America which was that of 1770 when the revolu tionary cause against the British crown was fermenting With ittle amendment his homily would have been appropos in 974 when the Watergate scandal unfolded: [Rulers] are obliged to seek the wefare of the people and exert al their powers to promote the common interest This continual soicitude for the common good however depressing it may appear is what rulers of every degree have taken upon themselves and n ustice to the people in faith fulness to God they must either sustain it with delity or o r re r esign th their o o c e  . . .

he Poblem o Poltal Legtmay

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Fdely o he pubic requires ha he aws be as plai ad expci as possibe ha he less owig may udersad ad o be esared by hm while he arfu evade heir force. Myseres of aw ad a d goverme goverme may be a coa of urgh urgh e o us  es s  .  . The us ruler wi o fear o have his pubc co duc crcay ispeced bu wi choose o recom med himsef o he approbaio of every ma. As he expecs o be obeyed for cosciece sae he wil require ohg cosise wh is dc  a  e s   . (Se (Sermo of  h e R e v  Sam Sam u e  Co Co o  e  Cambridge Mass May 30 770) Somewha earlier i 750, aoher America cergyma Joaha Mayhew fe impeed because of he polica siuaio i he coloies o exegee Ro 13. (He re dered his ow rasao which some may coclude co veieced his exegesis) If oday hs vews soud famiiar  s because he bespeas a berao heology smar o ha ow aricuae hroughou he Third World  has ofe bee assered ha he Scripures  geeral ad he passage uder cosideraio i paricuar maes all ressace o prices a crme   a ay ca ca s e wh wh a ev e r . f f  h e y  u r   y r a   s  . . we mus o preed o righ ourseves uless i be by pra praye yers rs ad e ears ad hu humble e ere reaaie ies  .   The duy of ulmed obedece wheher ac ive or passive ca be argued eiher from he maer of expressio here used or from he ge e r al sc s c o p e a a d de d e s  g of he pas pas s a g e .   . If ruers are a error o good wors ad o o he evil; if hey are o misers for good o socey bu for evl ad dsress by volece ad oppresso; f hey execue wrah upo sober peaceabe persos who do her duy as members o f s o c i e  y  a a d s u  e r rich .   aves o escape wh impuiy; f sead of aedig coiualy po he good wor of advacig he pblic

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NCENC NC ENCEE AN AN BEENCE

weare- h be he cae,   pan ha he ape' argmen r bmn de n reach hem      he wh bear he e  cv rer d n perrm he dy  cv rer b ac drecy cner  he e end and degn  her ce  hey njre and ppre her b jec nead  deendng her rgh and dng hem gd hey have n he ea preene  be hnred, beyed and rewarded accrdng  he ap ap    e  a r g  men   . .  Even  ne m k  aca even  dpe vage ne and ppy ppy peccy   egmae egmae and/r   pca ahry ha de n enrey mee he ambge  hee erm here  nger r ne maer, he necey  dnghng egmacy rm awne hee are n ynnym, hgh hey are en cned, and ch cn n becme crca when  becme a acr n aemp ng  nderand RoMANs 3 r REVELATION 3. Cnder a an exampe, he regme  Gerge   eem  have been, a r gance a aw gvernmen n he ene ha  ncmbency wa acheved by aw prce, by he precrbed radn r cnn r ccen  he Brh hrne, rah raher er han by rev rev n n r cp d ea Ye aw accen  ce and pwer pwer de n n e e  enre enre ha he gvernmen reman aw. n ac, hgh prba by n ne n Bran and ew,  any, n Amerca wd have chaenged he awne  he enhrnemen  Gerge  me n Amerca and her n Bran dd cme  qen wheher he re  Gerge  wh repec  he cne vaed he ritish cnn and hereby became naw r wa  ha exen naw, regarde  he awne  he ccen ha ndeed, wa ne  he e raed n he Fr Cnnena Cngre and  wa nrdced n by advcae  Amercan ndependence b by he wh gh a way  reman ya  he crwn. Fr ha maer,  wa debaed n Paramen Meanwhe he revnary cae, a Jnahan Mayhew had rehadwed by a qarer  a cenry wa rana zed by mpng egmacy-a dnc rm naw

The Proble o Poltcal Legitiacy

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ness-o he ue of Geoge  Tha had moe o do wih heoogy han aw because i was asseed ha poiica auhoiy is o ough o be imied by ighs sefeviden and basic o human beings sancioned by God ove and above any boundaies of poiica auhoiy povided by he aw of a sociey As vigoousy as his docine was pomu gaed in he Decaaion of ndependence in he aices of some of he coonia assembies and in a pofusion of acs i was by no measue acceped as obvious o sef vaidaing and many Ameicans coninued o submi o he ue of Geoge  as egiimae as we as awfu jus as of couse mos of he Biish peope did ha do we have hee hee ? e  e nd one one hisoic egime which can be and which was in fac simuaneousy deemed egii mae and awfu and iegiimae bu awfu and egiimae bu unawfu and iegiimae and unawfu accoding o which whi ch facion in whic h coun couny y o which which e egime peains peains behods i Simia aenaives coud be menioned if one eamined he emegen govenmen in evouionay Ame ica. On one hand he ebeion woud be unawfu ye as he Ameican poemiss agued i was egiimae pesum aby Geoge  found i boh unawfu and iegiimae some Ameican Toies hough he cooniss gievances aw fu bu he evouionay wa iegiimae if howeve he evouion be assessed as egiimae wheein did i aso become awfu-hen he wa was won? hen ohe na ions accoded ecogniion? hen he Consiuion was aied? Afe he wa of 1812? Manifesy egiimacy has ie subsanive deniion apa fom ha aibued o i hisoicay accoding o he cicumsances of a specic egime o paicua ue and empiicay eaive o hose govened and whehe hey bene o sue unde ha poiica auhoiy. This has been noaby he case in Ameica when he issue of egiimacy has been conceived as uning upon he inciden of suage The noion is ha he egiimacy of poiica auhoiy is veied by he eisence of epesenaive gov enmen eeced by he peope. Consen of he govened o use a adiiona phase egiimaizes poiica auhoiy

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CS AD EDECE

This s an exension of Mayhew Mayhewss poson, save ha recourse o revouon s deemed obvaed by he capabiy for polca change vesed n he franchse  s an appeang dea hough quesons lnger as o wheher a regime mus hen be couned ilegimae f suf frage s eher precluded n pracice or neecua as a means of poica change By hs es, for nsance, was he Amercan governmen illegmae hrough a he me ha women were dened he rgh o voe? Or was i somewha egimae, bu illegimae so far as as women were concerne d? Similar queries mus be asked respecng he rura and he urban poor backs ndans, Chicanos, ilieraes, ceran mmgransany who have ever been barred from enfran chsemen by aw or in fac. And, f he eecualiy of vo ng s consdered, a whoe range of oher quesons mus be confroned which diue he sraghforward sound of hs es of egimacy The prncipa issue of ha sor n Amerca now s wheher here remains a signcan relaonshp beween he rgh o voe and governing powers. The answer o ha s a he leas, very dubous f one realiscally ob serves he rulng niaive of exraconsuional nsu ons lke he Penagon or he nernal poce or he Cenral nelligence Agency whch usually operae ousde he rule of law ofen n deance of he eleced governmen and s poces and seemingy, beyond accounabiliy o cizens More han ha, he emergence now of mulinaional and ransnaonal congomeraes conrolng he mos basc re sources requse o lfe and her operaon beyond he regulaory capaciies of naionsaes, may de faco repre sen he new naons of he word, he rung auhories of he words relpl supersedng he old naons lke he Uned Saes regning uery in erms of heir own aggrandzemen. f ha be he analyical ruh abou he polcal domnaion of he word by hese remarkable prn cipalies surage becomes meanngless because  is uncon neced caegorcay wh governmen he eaning f Piica uthrity

Ths s enough o ndcae why  nd he nerpreaon

The Problem o Political Legitimacy

45

f bediene  pliial auhiy a unin upn e aemen f leiimay-f all ha i i epeened a an beive e-eemely elaive heavily ambiuu an aiia aiiall and an d unneea unneeay y impii impiin n up n he biblial e and unedifyin ee he nen and inen i ine  Chi a Ld. N d he vaiable aein leiimay and illeiimay he laful and he lale in venmen eau e di ulie f i adiinal uae ih epe-pially eihe RN 3   RN 3 Te ambiuiy f plial auhiy ielf, and he em mmnly aiaed ih i, ann be ined One dmen in f hi fue pblem i eped if he uein i pu-w hat is the reality o political authority? De pliial auiy neeaily imply efeene  an aual eime  adminiain, a  he ein f e Empe Caliula   e ule f Gee    he peideny f Rihad Nin? O may i imp be  e yem- he ini uinal appaau f venmen anied puuan  a niuin  e hae   e ae in a funinal ene? O aain i he efeene  a may be deinaed e nain-he nellain f ehni eaphi u ual, ideainal elemen in hi e adiin and e f a peple in iey i uh and hene anmied? Beynd a i hee a "pii f a nain i impine upn pliial auhiy in eah  any f e nnain menned? O f a mae hen pliial auiy i named ae e pii f a nain and a nain e ad i ba iniuinaliain and, al, hi  a ii eime all implied  impliaed  an een a i i impaiable  abiay  aemp   em u and diinuih ne fm he e?  am inlined ad hi la nuin in ih mul iple denain ae imulaneuly indiaed, uh in a iven nnein ne  ane may have eae pmi nene.  d n uppe ne an peak f eample f a pei peiden and hi adminiain iu me n iune f he iniuin f he peideny in he Amei

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oNSCNC AND BEENCE

an gvrnmna sysm and f h Cnsuin and f h nans inhran sally and idlgaly and in dd f suh a raly as h sp f h Amrian nain r d  hnk i pssbl  nam h spir f h nan as absrus smgy whu sn havng  mnn hw ha spr s nvyd and rprsnd nry in h na ns radiin and syl n harr and aw n plial nsuins n sp rgims and smims in prsnain n pia inumbns Y f hs b s n mmn hugh and ak whn pli al auhriy s h sub  asns muh ambiguiy and pnial nfusin fr h mprhnsin f bibal pas sags lk hs in RoMANS and in RVLAN whih dal wih pliial auhriy Smims h nx r synax f a passag wil furnsh nghnmn as h sns in whih rms dnng piial auhriy ar usd Bu a ims dilign anin is n nugh  larfy By way f lusran h famus x n 1 Pr   1 has bn rndrd n ppuar ransan Honor all men Love the brotherhood. Fear God Honor the emperor Tha rans lain has bn rpadly invkd (pariularly by mprrs  lii unria aqusn r unqusnng bdin  h mprr ha is  a pariular inumbn rulr r rgm Hir and h lsass wh supprd h ai adminsrain in h 930s rlid haviy upn hs an  hav rad arir n his bk hw h FB sugh  inimida m by rsring  h sam x Y nsinius sharship laly yids a ransan wh sarngly dirn mplians han assrd mprrs r prai bishps r h FB impu  Firs Pr n ha ransliran h phras honor the emperor rads honor to the sovereign! (1 P  17b NEB.) f ha whih s du hnr is h svrign as disngushd frm ihr h prsn f an numbn r a pariular rgim n migh radly nd ha n rdr  hnr h mprr i bms nssary  pps h mprr Tha was in fa as  hav alrady nd h burdn f h Chrsian winss agains h war adminsrain n Amria: h ppsiin  h rgim was a way f hnring h svrign 

The Problem o Political Legitimacy

47

exose te riminality and illegality o te war was an eort to uold te Constitution te rule o law and aountability to eole. nasmu as ambiguity attends te identiation o oliti al autority so tat te term arries many meanings and allusions wi may, or may not, be abe to be euidated in ontext istorialy or inguistially or oterwise tat sould aution bot olitiians and reaers against sim listi readings o te biblial assages ertinent to ques tions o onsiene and obediene in te olitial realm Te roriety o su aution is undersored in an ediy ing monogra wi Cinton D  Morrison ublised in 1960 on RoN 13  under te title The Powers That e. Te aer deals wit te reation o eartly ruers and demoni owers and it establises tat te textual reerenes to olitial olitial auto autorit rity y in Ro RoN N  3  1 1 imly not not one or te oter o tese but both in assoiation Morrison sows tat tis multile or ambiguous meaning or olital autority in RoN is veried, in art, in te time te text was omosed in bot Jewis osmology as wel as in te agan or nonbibial osmoogies ten revaent As a matter o oular understanding, allusion in RoN to olitial autority woud not solely indiate rulers or regimes but aso be taken to reer to te demons or elemental sirits o te universe or angeli owers assoiated wit te ations and in turn wit governments and rulers. Morrison emasies te belie in a realm in reation o oitial beings was not distintive to Cristians, at te time o RoN but in one version or anoter, was generally sared. Tat magnies it seems to me, its signiane or understan understanding ding RoN 1 3  . n any any ase  believe believe biblial eole must retain today essentialy te same omre ensioneven toug oters as i more soistiated may tink it euliar Tis as already been armed in seaking o te voation o olitial autority and o te disorientation o tat voation in alen reation At tat a related exosition teologially and anaytiay is ound in An Ethic for

48 SCEC S CECEE AD AD BEDECE

Ch·istians and Othe Aiens in a Stnge and based upn he Babyln parab parable le n he Bk f Revela Revelain in (page 97 97  

 is suien nw  say hwever ha he smlgial insigh aribuable  Paul when he wre he Leer  he Rmans whih was as well ne whih his readers held and ne mre r less publly aeped (incuding incum bent bent ues ues!! )  preludes nerpreains f he rs seven verses  oMAS 13 as f hey nly had pernene  bedi ene  whaever regime happens  upy e muh less an bligain f smplis r aumai bediene  he persn f he ruler. he ntantinian tatu Qu

Paradxially subsequen  he wring  he Leer  he Rmans Chrisans have n ne hand frgen r r saken a wrldvew r mre presely drnes  reain and  allen rean similar  Pauls in whih pliial auhry enmpasses and nns he angel pwers and he numben rulers. On he her hand hey have adped arbrary r nrived rieria suh as ha f legiimay r us rule n rder  ammdae oMAS 13  1 and and sill allw asinal preex fr disbediene  plial auhriy. The resul s deeply unsasfary and has en aled  susan a nsenus wness n relan  plial auhry. Tha ndaes ha here s need  renew a bblal apprehensn  plial auhry in is manild allusns  fus as  have suggesed upn vain as he lue  nsiene and bediene n nan and in hurh. n ding s pariularly wih regard  he nsiunalain f Chrsianiy in he Wes and in urn he exisene  Chrisendm in Amera  is neessary  aun he mmenus impa  he Cnsaninan Arrangemen. By ha ammdan signaled by he nversin  he emperr and he esablishmen f Chrisaniy as he al religin  he Rman empire a my beween hurh and nan was spnsred whh in varius elabrains sill prevails in he wenieh enury. The nidens whih asned he Cnsannan Arrangemen as suh ae n as signian r nemprary Chrsians r r eiher

The Probem o Poltcal Legtac

49

hurh or sa oday as h hos spawnd and nourishd by ha omiy and h mnaiy hh has bn ngn drd and indorinad by  ovr so ong a im  s pu planly an hos whih vss h xisn o h hurh in h prsrvaon o h poiial saus quo. This inbrds a mnaliy aing vruay al prossd Chrisians and mos iins whhr Chrisians or no whh rgards  as normav or h hurh's l o b so vsd. And ha has ausd radia onusons in h rlaions o hurh and naion hurh and sa hurh and rgim  has nour agd and ounnand supid allgian o polial auhor iy as i ha wr srvi o h hurh and a otori,  o God nrab hough  b his aommodaion and h way o onving o h uaposion o hurh and po al auhoriy whih i as inuad or so vry long aouns mor han anyhng s or h proound sulariaion o h hurh in h Ws and or h inpion o Chrisndom as h worldy mbshmn o Chrisianiy To pu h sam mar h ohr way around i is h Consaninian Arrangmn whih has osrd in numr ous vrsions and drivaions hrough h nurs suh a rigioning o h gospl ha is bblial ingriy is orrupd and suh an auluraion o h hurh ha i boms praialy indisinguishabl rom h worldly prnipalis so ha boh gospl and hurh bom aduns or onvyans o ivil rligion and o a mok sanid saus o poliial auhory n onsqun onmporary Chrsians nhri h havis possib prsumpion o lgiimay avoring inumbn poliia rulrs and rgims and wh ha a supposd prmpiv duy o obdin o hm whih has bn hallngd only spasmodialy.  do no udg hav nihr voaion nor apabiliy or hah ompliaion o aors whh wighd on h sd o h hurh onuding his omiy wih h mpir On may spula spula abou various inuns h arrangmn arrangmn osnsbly brough an nd o h long ra o h hurh's prsuion or on onsidraon Morovr h mission o vangli h world migh radily hav bn supposd

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CNENE CNEN E ND OEDENE OEDENE

implmnd by h onvrson of h mpror. A a, hr hr  s s som vdn vdn n n S. Pauls Paul s arr as an vanglis vanglis as arly as wn h wro RoNa h asprd hmslf o onfron and onvr  mpror oug his apoog was ard only by lssr oals lik Fix Fsus and Agrippa and  s said o hav onvrd ony ran of Casars soldrs s aiors no Casar msf. T qury ours ndd, whhr Paul ad so srnuous an aspiraion o onvr h mpror ha hs drmind  subsan subsan of R RN N 3  3  1 1 Thr wr or nuns, oo, inludng  or, pariuary in  rs nury of h hurh o disngus islf from  Jws ss and noably from h aloi pars of Judasm n h ys of h rulng auoris. Ts ar all somn onsidraions and  do no ridul hm insofar as hy may hav bn indumns arising n  arly and aposoi ras of h hurh sanionng vnualy  Consannian Arrangmn Anyway, isory anno b undon, hs omy whr misforun or wors or no s par of h inrian of onmporary Crisiansan immnsy imporan happning w anno b rasd. Tha s wy  ra i, hr, as a polial and hologia issu and why  suggs ha, hough isory anno b rrad, h inrd poia and hooga san for  hurh, signd n h Consaninan aom modaion, mus b ransndd onmporary Crisan pop an b manpad from  ndorinaon of  Consaninian mnaliy and a bba ingry an b rnwd n h ur  onsru  Consannian omiy as h isori r vrsa of h prdn sabisd n h aposoi hurh rgarding raions wh poiial auory. n h rs nury,  mprial auors prmd a omiy wih various vario us rlgious rl gious ss (nuding hos of h Jws Jws xp x p for  aos who advoad rbllon agains  Roman rul wih safguardd h pra of rligion and r ligious prmss and prrogavs of rlgious ladrs so ong as hs wr poiiay nnouous and dd no disrup

The Problem of Politicl Legitimcy

51

o esis poliia auhoiy he huh in he aposoli peiod oud have onomed and beome a beneiay o his so o omiy and onovesy peouppied he huh and he aposes o he huh abou his One omulaion o he dispue onened whehe he huh was indeed a se o Judaism o whehe i was disin guished in a way whih equied he huhs aih and message o be dispesed houghou he wold. Muh o he delibeaion delibeaion o his issue issu e evol evolve ved d o ouse ou se aound aou nd S S  Paul and he quesion o his auhoiy as an apose and his agumens o peahing he gospe o he genies I is he pesuasion o Pau and he aepane o his aposoi auhoiy ogehe wih he vision whih S Pee sues onening oneni ng he eumenia sope o he he mission o he huh in his wold whih esabish ha he huh is no mee se among many ses and ha he huh anno aod he aommodaion wih poiial auhoiy whih he se aian omiy onveyed. Rome peeives he aling o he huh o he eumenial mission auaey o be a hea o is poliia hegemony and heeae he inimidaion deamaion and haassmen o he huh esalaes ino peseuion In his igh he pomugaion o he Consaninian A angemen epesens a evesa boh poiially and heologialy o he aposoi peeden o he uxaposiion o he huh and poliial auhoiy he issue eve sine hough boh he gloy and he agedy o he huh's pesene in he wold has been whehe he huh an be ee o he Consaninian omiy and whehe he aposoli peeden an be evived and ha no so muh o he sake o he huh as o he sake o he wold

chapte thee

ut if ou do wrong be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain; he is the servant of God to execute his wrath on the wrongdoer Therefore one must be subject, not onl to avoid Gods wrath but also for the sake of conscience man 3:b-5 And the beast was given a mouth uttering haught and blasphemous wods and it was allowed to ex ercise authorit for forttwo months; it opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blas pheming his name and his dwelling that is, those who dwell in heaven evelatn 35-6

chapte thee

narhy� oal Raly� and he ns h s anth atna f bdn t h pws that b whh has th wght f adtna sag and has aqd mh pstg thght Chstndm bas  s nvnns h mty f hh and pa ahty gnay pvant sn th Cnstantnan Aagmnt Lk th ta f gtmay t has vas vsns and ndd sm hav nvd f t as nt s mpmntay  paa t pta gmay bt as a tansan f gtmay  as a way f gvng sp dntn t gtmay wtht nng nt assssmnts abt th py  ndt f a gm  systm

T

Ths s th psn and agmnt hat bdn t pt a ahty, patay dntd as an nmbnt admn statn s qst f Chstans f h sak f th d whh pta athty mpss spvss and mantans Wtht sh bdn t s sad h wd b anahy Appa as n wd pt s typay mad  th ptn f th RoN tt whh spaks f s as a   bad nd Th Fst Lt f Pa t Tmhy 

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NCENCE NCE NCE AND AND BEDENCE

s nvkd n n th sm sm vn Fst   thn th n I ug tht suppltns pys ntssns nd thnksgvngs b md   mn  kngs nd l wh  n hgh ps tns tht w my d  qut nd pbl l gdly nd sptul n vy wy (1 Tm    Ttus Ttus s sm tms smlly smlly td (Tt 3     n pt ths suppt  th ntnhy b  plt bdn hs tn bn dnd t th xtnt  suggstng tht th d nd by  pt gm nt nly stps  punshs m  th bd ndut but dmnshs  mnms sn Tht sms t hv bn  nsdtn nuntl upn Luth wh h n b und pdxlyqung bdn  th sk  d vn n umstns wh tht mns ndun  gv nmnts dmd wkd A u t n tng th bbl pssgs n Fst Tmthy  Ttus  Rmns t gund th s  bd n bus d s sntnd by pltl uthty s hw  ths txts my b thught  s pudntl t th tm thy w wttn I thy w pmptd by  pstl nn  ths lvng und psutn  th tht  t  mpb ndngmnt thn th mpt s sgnntly td wh ths ndtns  sks d nt xst It pps smwht nmus thus  ths gumnt nnng d s th sn  bdn t th pws tht b t ttn th pmnn t hs after th Cnstntnn mdtn wth ts putd su  th   psutn  th ly huh Jnthn Myhw dt wth ths ssus nd sm  hs mks nv th gtmy  pt uthty nd th th tms  bdn t vl uls t tun upn th gudnshp  th publ p  d s wl s th dng  ust H whth wttngy  nt s  vhmnt  bltd nsw t Mtn Luths ppnt ndntn  ppssv gms I t b u duty  xmpl t by u kng my  ths sn tht h us  th publ w (whh s th ny gumnt th pstl

Anarchy Apocalyptic Reality and he Antichrist

5

makes use    llws llws by a pary pary   reasn reas n a wen e urns yran and makes s subes s prey  devur and desry nsead  s arge  deend and ers we are bund  rw  ur alegane  m and  ress and a ardng  e enr  e apsles argumen n s passage   dsnnue allegane n s ase wuld be  n w e sveregn n prmng e slavery and msery   a  sey . . . Fr a nan us abused  arse unanmusly and ress er prne even  e dernng  m s n rmnal bu a reasnable way  vn dang er lberes and us rgs rgs  .  . And  wuld be gly rmnal n em n  make use  s means  wud be supd ameness and unaunable lly r we nans  su er ne unreasnabe ambus and ruel man  wann and r n er msery And n su a ase  wuld  e w be mre ranal  suppse a ey a dd n ress an ey w dd wuld reeve  emselves damnan. Te mplan  Mayews sand s a as use s deermnave  legmay n pla aury  s als denve  rder A yranny r unus and llegmae regme s n sel a rm  dsrder plally. One s bund  ne wever a even as e arbun  Luer  lerane  ppressve r wked gvernmen r e sake  rder s paradxal s als paradx  equvalen magnude s evden n Mayew sne e advaed revun w su dsrder as revlun asns  derne r verrw rulers deemed unus Te anmales and rnes mulply prusey n e many varans w ave been prpunded  exend e ase r submssn  e rung pwers beause ey preven anary r deer rme r smew mnme sn Peraps e ms elabrae exensn w as ad very many adapans rug e enures sne e Cnsannan Arrangemen s a w supprs numben gvern

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CoN Co NENE ENE ND OEDENE

mnt baus a supposd absn of anahy, whih politia authoity obtains nabls th huh to implmnt its mission A lassia fomuation of this whih stil suvivs in th Bitish monahy styls th had of stat as dfnd of th faith" Th basi ipoity by whih th huh submits to poitial authoity in its alm whil politial authoity suppots o potts th huh in its sph was subt to numous foms of politial oganiation and lsiastial stablishmnt in oonial Amia to all anoth pla and piod wh it has had pominn. Th lat onstitutiona spaation of huh and stat in th Unitd tats, dspit its ostnsibl igious nutality, and its staint upon politia intfn with huhs is mo auaty admittd to invov th sam kind of ipoity sav that instad of aoding gal stabishmnt to a patiula huh it nds a d fato plualisti stablishmnt of many huhs and sts t has povd ov and ov, to b but a shot stp fom th notion of politia authoity to whih agian is givn baus that os a suint o nssay od in soity fo th huh to pusu its mission to th ida that th huhs own funtion though its visibl psn and its indotination of popl, and, somtims, in its ptntion of bing th suogat of God, is to funish soital stabiity o to instill omplaisan and to tah ompian fo th politial gim It wasto mntion anoth instan at pointthis vsion of th antianahy agumnt whih liitd so muh sympathy among siastis and huh popl fo th ai aus whn it am to pow in Gmany ( I ommnd ommnd Athu Cohans The Church's Con fession Under Hitler, Wstminst Pss, 95. Pltcal uthrty and mpcal nachy

Th ational fo submission to poitial authoity as a duty of Chistians baus th stat as suh o a spi gim, is said to guaant a udimntay o minimal o povisional od in soityontolling im o, vn staining sin and, somtims, aso onsidd as failitat ing o abtting th mission of th huhfals shot of

Anahy Apoalypti Reality and the Antihrist

59

being persuasive beause i is s histrially nditined Admitedly, he argument has he aura  radiin, espe ially that whih has arued during he Cnstantinian era, but as a general rubri t inrm and determine he sane  Christians tward plitial authriy i is burdened wih suh relativiy as t be mre a sure  apstasy indul gene and mishie mst slemn han  anyhing else T remain wihin examples r allusins already ited this psiin sanined endurane  the rule  Gerge III, but, at the same ime ustied the verhrw  that same regime Or, i it has supplied a basis r ivil allegiane  the gvernment  he Unied States, it must prmply be realled hat i was readily invked n behal  he ai party and adminisratin in Germany Suh ambivalene is nt exeptinal wih respet t the lng hisry and multiarius adaptatins  this prpsitin but is redundan In Luher's time while it was emplyed  enurage he rebellin  the German prines against he emperrand he papayi was neverheless applied t suppress he peasans revlt against he prines. Beynd all his hwever, is a mre thelgially signian atr whih seems ten  be verlked ntably when disussin  the relatin  plitial auhrity  he maintenane  sial rder is pursued n an absra r pseuddtrinal level I spnsring rder in siey be the grunds r bediene t rulers and regimes then i mus be demnsrable hat plitial auhrity des in a ahieve untinal rder. I mus be n asin evident in an empirial sense tha plitial auhrity has the apabiliy  esablishing rder r  preventing anarhy Let it be nied parenhetially ha the erm anarhy is being used hrughut this bk in a generi sense and n in he ehnial meaning he wrd has in pliial siene as a thery and system whi prets an ideal siey wihu rganied gvernmenta view radial nly in its navet whih laely returns t vgue amng yunger Amerians ms disenhanted with the system. By anarhy, I reer  disrder, dysunin has nusin  elemenal indeed primrdialdimensin.

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CNENE ND OEDENE OEDENE

Jnahan Mayhew amng thers made the essenia b servain regarding he assiatin f plitial auhrity and empirial anarhy in his nlusin tha yranny represens sial disrder but that insight has elabrae and detailed ampliain as ne srutinies dierent pliial systems and adminisratins f there is any singular feaure amng he diversiies in gvernmens in the urse f many enuries it is tha he saled rder whih pliia authriy bains has referene t the enfred preservatin f a staus qu r  he enrenhmen f inumben regimes r rulers Within suh rderquite as mmnydisrde reigns. Lk a Ameria nw The experiene frm a human pint f view is ne f intense unremiting ruthless tumul strife and vilene. The empirial realiy is nt rder bu anarhy Thus if rder in siety be the vaue f gvernment the ms nrius fat abut ntemprary Ameria is ial lawessness evidened n nly in he riminaiy knavery frauduent enerprise illegal and unauthried ndut f persns in pubi enspiuus in presidents and attrneys genera and seretaries f state as well as in he lwer ehens f pliisbut als in the unnsituina unauntable utlaw and ften nspirarial perain f he ruling institutins ike he CA r the FB r the Pentagn r fr that mater he eparmen f Agriuture r the Ps Oe r he nternal Revenue ervie. Lawess auhriy whih in the Amerian experiene has always furnished the eetual rule ver blaks and ndians and sme thers is nw expsed as endemi in he paramiliariain and ver deplymen f the pie pwer thrugh ut siety and in ia prurement f rime ampanied as it is by a reentless austi pervasive ridiule f nstitut nstitutina ina rights and safe guards and f he rue f aw per se as bsruive r innvenient t pie eieny

Anarhy Apoalypt Relty and the Anthrst

Ye ere eiss n subsni prf f ple eeuiy eeui y in prsi lw enfremen enfremen n e  e nrl  nvennl e unil rime mng ny lsses f e ppun nd in eier urbn r suburbn ursdins. Mre n  e dumenn rm ple nd dmnisrive sures sws f nying, rdi dysfunin in plie wrk in ur dminisrn nd in e pen sysem. Menwile, n er, bu reled frns, enry ilies n inversin nd debsemen  nguge s   bemes unsued unsued fr eduin r er umn mmunn nd is insed ui zed  mnpule, ndin prgrm, ere, prpgndze, nd resre umn lfe. Persns re lef sled bere, nd vulnerble in  si el nd ulurl envrnmen ngesed wi rgn lsed, eupemism deepin, nerene, fnsy nd er bbel. n n enmy bsed upn win plies  inde ne nsumpin nd inerminble wr r m mere  wr, ere s grss verdependene upn verprduin f se gds nd servies wepns nd sysems w re les needed r es usefu  umn beings r wi pse e ms rmful r f penl fr umn le. Sill emplybly s nngen upn s ver kill pbiy in b nsumpin nd wr nd, geer w e pern f  redi sruure s rgle s speulve bu s essible   ieves impversmen r ndebed dependeny r prly everybdy w is emplyed Ts viimes nd enslves umn beings by s deerminin f erms f mere survvl wi re  ne ms prige nd ms meger Furermre, e envirnmen s rruped nd pllued e mens f rnsprin wrk spsmdly nd re nywy gered  e

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NSCIENCE NSC IENCE AND AND  EDIENCE

nvnin f mpus; was dmnas h dpin f sus; buaua un has pmpiv py v human nd; nsiu ina suviva dminas sia piy wh h sad naina suiy is assd  nsis f a baan f  And pia auhy ih in h sns f h sysm  in ha f a paua admnisan is pady psd as impn amids dsd s ubiquius I biv hs  b ais bsvans as  h n dn f nmpay Ama If h ahivmn f d b und h viu f gvnmn and n un h nd n pdn f Chisan bdin  pia auhy I am impd by h vwhmng vdn f h absn f d nw n Ama  nud h pqus fais Th apppia ms  haai h Amian sn day a n hs f saby  pa  h u f aw  d bu hs f disd awssnss anahy  has If ha nusin is mpiay vid hn  undss h suggsn mnnd a ha h nnain f d in h adina agumn f submissn  h pws ha b uy is h sasfain f h saus qu I s ia f us  h psn I am h bh piay and hgay ha h psn Aman has is not nvn wugh by h mpa f advand hngy n asind by hmnua vki n puia  Ama's mpa gandu n smpy a unab wihn Amian hsia umsans Th disd in Ama nw psns nn h han a paiua vsn f h ssna dsaay f fan a n Th mpia dspin f h Amian suain is in uh  uh a sp ia f h bibia bibia sy sy f h fa fa  f h unding f ain; f h upu f a anships; f h usupain f h pa and ngy f pinipais and psns and a ad hings; f h pvsiv nidn f vin; f h ss f van; f h nsignmn

Aarchy, Apocalyptic Reality ad the Atichrist

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f th whl f ratin t th ativ pwr f dath in this ag f th hati raity f ntmprary Amrian sity rrspnds t th hav f falln ratin and is nt intr dud by th mrgn f an advand thnrati stat in th Unitd Stats and if it is ny inidnta t and inidntal with th partiular prvaiing rgim thn n an lk as it wr bakward and disrn th sam l mntal disrdr in ay sity and its pitial systm whil t lk frward wuld r n ssntialy dirnt prptin f xptany stagia ds nt riv r altr th insight baus thr hav bn n pristin pisds f na tins xmptd frm th fal r spard frm aptivatin with th pwr and purps f dath at wrk in histry That is signid in th w stamnt witnss by th blunt idntiatin f th pwr f dath inarnat as th dvil as th rulr f th natins and prinipalitis in th tmptatin f Christ in th wildrnss. By th sam tkn idaism nrning th futur f this ag whih mtivats rvlu tinary auss an nt diminish r urtail falln ratin but wud ny dispa n status qu with anthr pr haps rdistributing vitims in th prss but withut disldging th rign f dath. n this pint thlgialy thr is vry littl distintin t b mad btwn ths wh ng t rstabish an ld status qu and s indulg nstalgi sntimnts and ths wh aspir fr a nw status qu and s bm rvlutinary idaists r idlgus. As t ithr th biblia witnss apprhnds thm in th sam way as an inumbnt rgim that is in trms f th disrdring f th lif f th wh f ratin during th ph f th fal. he cpe f Human n

 nt nfus this stadfastnss f th biblial witnss tward plitia authrity past prsnt r prsptiv with indirn t th pprssins f partiuar systms r administratins r with vrsight f any thr distintins whih may hav signian as amng varius atua and varius pssib rgims r with alfnss t mpirial nds fr hanginluding hang f rvlutinary mag

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OSENE AND EDENE

nud. Th hrn f h bblal apprhnn f pl al auhry ds n mpy any f hs bu aly h nrary Bu ha sam hrn s rs f a nssn upn nfrnng and psng h fulnss h awsm nss h prvasvnss h vrsay and h many f dahs rgn n hsry. Th nrduly f prfssd Chrsans n Amra s paly nrnng h vray f h bba sry f faln ran and h nsgnmn f hs ag  h lam f dah as a dsrpn f h mpral ray f hs wrd's sn sms hwvr  b nrrgbl. I adaps many psns r ampls frm ndvduas pss nnrang sunly upn a pah suppsd pr va usan  sa avss pursung vanly sm plal dlgy assumd  b mp n h gsp and applabl  h alvan f hs wrld. I d n nr hr an analyal rfun f any f hs svral abrran vws sn hs bk as a wh s a nfssna samn whh sands n rqu f h. Hwvr n hs sam nnn  s nssary  n a bas drna as bwn my wn mprhnsn and ha f many hrs as  h sgnan f h falnnss f human lf and ha f h prnpals nudng pal auhry r hr rung nsuns. Pu bdy ha ssu nrns whhr n h fall human snr h human rn f f as a gf f h Wrd f Gds prmnn and whhr hrfr h falnnss f h nans and hr nsuns and h rs f ran s nngn upn and drvav frm human sn Th rbun f suh an rardnary ay  sn n human f s  b fund n h prahng f By Graham as wl as n h hugh f Rnhd buhr hugh rn drd n qu drn syna and vn hugh prndng urly nrary pal nsquns My wn prsn undrsandng n dsnn frm bh Graham and buhr s ha h fal mpas h whl f ran n human f an and n human bngs unquly and furhr ha ah and vry raur r ra hng suffrs fallnnss n s wn rgh Thus  spak nry

Anachy Apocayptc Reay and the Antcht

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when he has f pla auhy s evden as say,  s n he exsene and dysfunn f he Penagn ehnay ha nsues a sgn f he falenness f he pnpay as suh ahe han meey he nsequene f human depavy  fay  upn ehe n he pa f ean snful ndvduals aed n he pemses f he Penagn (as Gaham mgh asse  asbed  aued leve leve human sn sn (as ebuh ebuh agued  Wha s a sakehegalyn hs dsnn s whehe ean bengs  he Wd f Gd as a unque avy Wha s a ssueplays he spe f human apably vs a vs he pnpaes and pwes whh ule hs passng age As  he helgal ssue  sugges ha he bblal w ness ams he gnan f all f fe and f eah and evey spees f fe n he Wd f Gd s ha he eaue hd f human bengs and he eauey saus  nans nsuns and sma bengs s n eah ase and knd aunmus ne fm he he hugh nne be b e aunmus fm Gd In a wd human bengs d not eae nsu ns  nans  pla sysems  he lke n ae he same meely pens f aggegaed human deas and ans These ae bblaly speakng eaues wh he wn names denes negy apables pves and as has been eale emphased vans In he fal al f ha s eeed and uned s ha he pnpaes exs haaly and vleny bu a he same me all ha peans  eauey negy s n evked bu s eaned n he vey Wd f Gd whh gnaes ean The same s ue n paallel I nfess s fa as human bengs ae nened he nfusn aahes  he sgn ane f he dmnn beswed up human fe ve he es f ean speally ve he pnpales and pwes I undesand he bbla esamen  be ha d mnn s gvenane whh n ems f he eauey vans s expessed n he wshp f Gd n euhas f he Wd  f Gd n eleban eleban f fe fe as gf Thse wh ppse ha human bengs eae nsuns wuld em

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CNENE ND OEDENE

bellsh dmnn  enmpass he human auhshp f lfe f suh eaues Tha same vany s aenaely ex pessed when he sy f he fall s menned n abung he hav and dsde f nsuns  he s  sped dmnn f humans   human sn  d n a al dmnsh he peny f sn n human lfe  ny ad mnsh ha human bengs shud n be s basful abu  nang he eeveness f he sn s as  aun f he aenan f he es f ean and hene bee he van f he Wd f Gd Ths s  beleve a muh needed aun beause  d ely aes hw he esed dmnn f human lfe exempled n hsy n he Ldshp f Jesus Chs s mpehended and enaed f Chsans fswea nvdus peensns abu he peemnene f human lfe n ean and f hey fbea vanglus nsuns f human sn peave n he fal hen hey an be enewed n sany and nsene n easm and hpe n whleness and paene as a bba mmuny n he me beng Ohe wse as has been abundany and edundany evdened n bh adnal pesm and nvenna avsm Chsans w endue he gnmny f yng  usfy hem selves  he nsenan f aemps  save he wld S  he deng assessmens f he spe f human sn d n epesen a fasdus nen The vew  uphd as dsngushed fm ha f hes nfesses hw he ha suan n nempay Amean sey s a ean f he sy f he fa ahe han a peula ndn f ae Amean hsy The fal means anahy n ean Tha is he bbal despn despn  ha is he empa ealy whehe ne assays he pesen eals ally eas he pas  behlds he fuue whu fan asy Afe all wa is has; hunge is dsganan; pllun is hav; dsease is dysfunn; yanny is anahsm; vlene is dsde Cean s truly falen f hs elemenal manne f speakng f he pfund mal nfusn n whh faen plal auhy hves sunds apalyp s be  The Apaypse desgnaes he

Anarhy Apoalypti Reality and the Antihrist

67

nd  his ishng ag h as aamiy  h us  h wd h u dsun  sysms and gms  iia auhy h agia dvasain  h gn  dah h na  im. Bu msday is imminn as w as uma S ng as m ass h aay aiy mnds un ah and vy hanng; in h vy anahy and uiiy ha mak h an inais and ws may h Aays s as and  ndd mbat and aphemy

A asn ha  nd h adina bass  Chisian sub missin  h ws ha b s dy unsaisay is ha hs agumns assssng h gimay  a auhy  hs assng ha ia auhiy vds d and vns anahy a nundd  ud m ay Y i s h sndn bwn bba ah and miia ay  say  smwha diny disnmn  h miany  h Wd  Gd inana n mn hisywhih s h gnius  h biba wi nss.  is  my mind n s muh ha h idas abu gimay  d a as in a dgma sns bu ha hy a  absa  sma   naw  am mda h gs  nvnn  ms and ias  simsi and  msading  h aihu  am unab  iumvn  am h innguy  Luhs an  yanny baus ha savs d whn h d whih is nfd in a s disd. A h sam m whn Mayhw nuns a yannia gm giima and unwhy  bdn  snd m sym ahay  Mayhw han  Luh bu  si ann abid h s  vin whih Mayhw wud adva  vhw h gima gm baus ha as s basay nnguus n h ubun and ambguus hsy  Chisndm say und h auss  h Cnsannian Aang mn suh dius as hs hav bn immasuaby m miad and aggavad by aba shisy nsuing nius dins agiay ain  bb

8

  CIC CIC  AD BDIC

lal fah ppundng us was  pmsng Chsan nans nan s (Slmn (S lmn ass n bh f hs ps anspsd lagy n h ag f h Pnagn an b fund n h Annual Defense Department Report FY 196 and FY  9T 9T Th Th p uss  abu abus ss s Luk  1   1 as a hm hm  Th gnd mayhm us mpsnmns nqus ns psuns pssns and vagad nuss n sgad and anad by hs sphsms a by nw ally nalulabl Th pnuma vn n hs hn dus gay f Chsndm s vy Chsan nfss h Haus f ha b u hn h wh pms f bdn  plal auhy basd n d  lgmay as ha has bn pnund and ppagad whn h Cnsannan hs dnd by psuddns f us wa  f Chsan nan s xpsd as dulus Th uag f h Hlaus was aus and auma nugh f humany s ha sm sns f a duy  dsby pa auhy was aulad n a wdly way n h umbg Pnps gnd n 1946 as a bass f h wa ms as af Wld Wa  Y n h sam pd f m and sn h huhs n h nans f h Ws hav mand h sn  quval ngng dsp al ha has anspd  h nhd vsd n s funshd  h huhs n h Cnannan saus qu  s n sups hn ha hs sam huhs wh bu fw xpns suvyd h gnd n nam b suy and ndud  muy And  s qualy unsupsng ha un vsns f hs sam pnus dns hav bn ggd bh n vuga bnnna s and n slmn shbblhs nnng nanal suy and h sad dsny f Ama Th mpan f suh nns s nsv  bbal fah s h mpuan ha sm hw h salvan f h wd dpnds upn h assd ma supy f Ama amng h nans  ndd upn s dnan as Zn Thf h vwhmng py f sald nanal suy h lnsng f wa and gnd and h dplymn f vkl nua apaby alng wh v pans umn f mssnas as s agns assassnain ps and a

Aachy Apocalyptc Realty ad the Atichist

6

nsiaies inevening in he nains ae auned usied These vey maes ae essenially eaed in REVEN whih may be enugh  exlain he widesea negle whih REVN has ha in he huhes In he 13h hae a he vege  he Aalyse wheein he nains ae ayed as hendus eday beass he signian em emlyed by he auh  se h ense  liial auhiy bee he Wd  Gd is blasphey.  nly is blashemy named eeaely in REVEN 13 as he uial w bu i is s named equenly elsewhee in he Bk  Revelain. I blashemy  bmbas and blashemy seem day uius symbls  nvey he weigh whih hei usage in he exs in REVEN indiae i is ehas beause nw adays we seldm sel dm hink hink  he ue uene ne  blashemy blashemy save whee we inen  ee  heavy using  bsene ueane. Rn Zeigle hen sill he esienial ess e ne exused uing he Waegae eise he ailue  he Whie Huse  unish eain ixn aes whih ha been eed by Juge Jhn Siia  be submie  he u by saing ha he aes had been delaye in hei suende beause  he ime equie  elee he blashemies.  suse Zeigle mean bseniies hugh I wuld n quael ha he was  ne a leas elling he whle uh in his emak In any ase blashemy means me han bseniy  me han lieal using as he em is used in REVEN In REVEN i denes wan n an nemuus usuain  he vey vain  G villiain  he W  Gd and eseuin  lie as lie iginaes in he Wd  G eemive aem agains he sveeigny  he W  G in his wl bue aggessin agains human lie whih nesses  aeals  he Wd  Gd. lsewhee in REVEN hee is sme seiiy abu he blasheming liy and nu  liial auhiy nably ade and wa  he eaues  imeial ganeu ae menine he vies mmnly aibued  salled

70

SCIECE SCI ECE  DD BEDIECE

permissive socieies are not enumeraedu he erm o mos comprehensive reerence, he word ha encompasses and implies everhing else is lasphem o illegiimac no anarch, no injusice, u lasphem so ha lasphem recapiulaes and relaes hese oher erms. So where here s illegiimac in poliical auhori or he dsorder o coerced order, or njusce o an degree aiced upon anone here is lasphem And when naons conceve heir own sancicaion and pronounce wars jus here s he omas and lasphem o he Anichris To sa he same hing n anoher wa he ilical winess no onl sands agains rann and oppression as such u comprehends rann and oppresson as lasphem ha is as he repudiaion and deamaion o he Lordship o Chris in common hsor  he ruling powers and poliical prncipaliies The oense agains humani which an rann or injusice represens is as  were escalaed ecause o Chriss dominion over allen creaion, so ha i is no merel an oense agains specic, conspicuous vicims u is a urden or all humani and or he lie o he whole o creaon, an aggression agains he Word o God in which ha lie s esowed, or so ha i s exposed as lasphe mous  s, hence no happensance or senmenali or even, compasson ha occasions he lical associaion o he people o God wih he impovershed, dspossessed im prisoned diseased, oucas, u ha idenicaion veries, honors and implemens he conession ha Jesus Chrs is Lord. Toda, he armen eclaraion n which he conessng church in German pulicl reuked he demonc reali o poliical auhori in he emerging azi sae is apl rememered as an exemplar winess The armen eclaraion represens ha precisel ecause i is a conession o he Lordship o Chris and he hisoric as well as cosmic signicance o he Lordship o Chris nsead o i havng een a polical or ideological ideological or religious manieso armen wen ar eond such criique o a poliics and polic as an o he laer migh make. armen means somehing quie disinguishale i conessed he gospel  o some

Aarchy Apocalyptic Reality ad the Aichrist

1

nowadas that seems quaint o ielevant o esde he poin in a naion cononted wth the specte o a totataansm, Htle and the a pat had a moe accuate peception o what he amen eclaation sgnied They knew at he tme n 93, that amen named the ai pncipalt as he Atchst and that tha was not onl an expos and euke o the a politcal auhoit ut an admonishmen tha the Wod o God is acve n judgmen n his wold It s the waning o amen o the mpendng desucton o the a egme eoe he Wod o God that expicates he u o the egime n pusuing eveone who suscied to the conesso unti eve single one o them had een executed o mpisoned o exed.

hapter fur

esides this you know what hour it is, how it is full time now for you to wake from sleep For salvation is nearer to us now than when we rst believed; the night is far gone the day is at hand Let us then cast o the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves beco becomi ngl y as as in the the d a y . . man 13113a And authority was given [the beast] over every tribe and people and tongue and nation and all who dwell on earth will worship it, every one whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that was slain f any one has an ear let him hear If any one is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if any one slays with the sword with the sword must he be slain Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints evelatin 137b-0

chapter four

he Seond Adven of he Lod he audacityad the iical autheticityo the a e witess is that it is the coessio that the Wod o God is soeeig hee ad ow that the Wod o God is actie ad ecacious i judget o the ules o this pass ig ad peishig age age  that Jesu Jesuss Chist i s the Lod



I ephasize that i this coessio the ae ecaatio is exeplay it is not exceptioa That act has ee ecogized whee ae has ee teated as a ceed ad used litugically, ate the ae i which aciet o e eale ceeds ad coessios ae ioked as deitie ad essetial i the pulic woship o God i the chuch Such taesty as thee ay e said to e i the chuchs pulic woship, today o i the past i Aeica o ese whee, aises the questio o whethe the paticipats ae igoat o eigiose ut that does ot alte the tuth coessed that the Wod o God is ot dauted detoued, de layed o diiished y the all. The powe o death ested i political authoity o othewise, is easoe, guieul, pedatoy ad as RVN 13 etios wodous, ut 75

76

CNN N ON

he power o deah  mpoen eore he Lord. Though polcal auhor perecue hoe who lve now n Chr,   powerle o capvae hem In hor or lcal peoplen he weneh cenur a armen exemple or n he r cenur a eher RoN or RVN ae n her repecve wahe ue o concence and oed ence n relaon o polcal auhor nrncall concern he overegn o he Word o God n hor and whn ha domnon exerced  Jeu Chr a Lord n h age Tha mplcae ever deal o he le and he deah and he reurrecon o Jeu, u  nvolve mo lunl and nooroul h comng no he world and h comng agan he igicace f the w dvet

The lcal reamen o oh adven, he narrave aendng Chr' rh and he emone aou he Second Comng o Chr  manel polcal Ye cur oul people have come o hear he or o he rh a apolcal and even a anpolcl whle, I venure, mo len o new o Chr comng agan rumphanl wh vague uneane or even ourgh emarramen Wha wh he ar and he heep and he ale,  ha een pole o acculurae he rh o render  ome or o paoral dll. u he cenc wonder, he aonhng v on he pecacular mager aocaed wh he nex adven have conounded he ordnar procee o ecular zaon and hu he ujec o he Second Comng ha een eher omed or kmmed n he more convenonal churche or ele exploed varoul  ecaran charlaan anac or hucker evangel. Inoar a hee allegaon are ound he mer o oh adven ha een dpaed, wherea   an armaon o he mer o oh even ha  mo needed n order o e lucd, a all aou eher adven. So I egn  armng he mer o hee happenng and urhermore,  nocng ha wha can e known o he wo adven  no more han ha evden n her  cal connecon   he coherence o one adven n he

The Second Adent of the Lod

77

her adven he rs n he secnd and, smulaeusl he secnd n he rs ha s crucal Or n her wrds, I d n knw , when Jesus was rn, here appeared a specal sar ver ehlehem, an mre han I knw wheher when Jesus cmes as Judge and Kng, he wll e seen mdar, descendng amds he cuds r d I have need  knw such hngs, he  n meas cnrl m salvan much ess he wrlds redempn Ye snce h advens are mseres, hese sles espeak hse mseres ap r s  seems  me. There s a secre n he rs adven, a hdden message n he cmng  Jesus Chrs n he wrld a crpc aspec n he uldng  Chrsmas Indeed he lcal accuns  he rh  he chld n ehehem n such quan cr cumsances, represens vruall a pard  he adven prmse. A smlar dscreenessa mes  such degree as  e rncalmarked he ere puc le  Jesus Chrs, ac crdng  he e He augh n parales nshng hs sres engmacal wh he remark you hae eas that c Ma   23 23)) When When he healed healed can hea then hea c a persn r reed a demac, he admnshed wnesses  see tha no one heas about ths. As As n Mark  3 3.) When he was accused  he regus and pcal auhr es, and cnrned  Pnus Pae he efused to answe one wod to the Goenos great astonshent. Mark

15 5) The rs chape  he Gspe  S. Jhn ells hs mser n he h e cmg   Jesus Chrs He was n he wrld u he wrd, hugh  wed s le  hm, dd n recgze hm. He eered hs wn realm, and hs w wuld n receve hm" Fr prmve Chrsans s much deamed and s en harassed and smemes savaged n rs cenur Rme, he secre  he rs adven was hugh  e n he cnsa n  he nex adven The pahs and prund asurd  he rh  Jesus Chrs was undersd  e ras

78

CNENE ND OEDENE

gured in he Second Coming o Jesus Chris The signicance o adven coud ony e reaied in he hope o he reurn o Jesus Chris.  s he ook o Reveaion which mos eagerl anicpaes he Second Comng and in REVEN one hears a recurring heme summed up or nsance in he 11h chaper a verse 5: The soveregny o he world has passed o our Lord and hs Chris and he sha regn or ever and ever! The same s repeaed again and agan and agan in REVE N n he names and ies ascried o Chris He is he ruler of the kings of the earth. He s the sovereign Lord of all He s the King of kings. He is he judge o he naons. He is he One worthy to receive all power and wealth, wis dom and might honor and glory and praise! Al o hese are poiica desgnaons and pon o he ruh rom he vanage o he nex adven ha he rs advens secre is polca And ha ruh ecomes evden n he radional sores recaled and recied in oservance o he rs adven. Thus he ourney o Joseph and he pregnan Mary ook place n order ha hey e enrolled or a special ax whch was no smpy a source o revenue or he Roman occupying regime u as all axes are also a means o poliica surveilance o poenay dissiden people. And he proound hrea which he coming o Chrs poses or mundane rulers is o e seen n Herods coopon o he Magi o locae he chd so ha Herod could slay hm When he aemp als Herod's anxe ecomes so ve hemen ha he saughers a whoe generaon o chidren n seeking o desro Chris Laer John he aps whose calng as a messenger and herad is especaly rememered n he season o adven suers erre inerrogaion and orure mprisonmen and decapiaon ecause hs preparaion or he minsry o he Chris who has come is perceved y he ruers/ as a mos awesome warning.

The Second Adent of the Lord

79

Or, agan he manger scene sel is a polcal porrai o he whole o creaon resored in he dominon o Jesus Chrs in which ever creaure ever ongue and rie, ever rule and auhori ever naion and principal s reconcled in homage o he Word o God incarnae. Amds porens and evens such as hese commemoraed cusomaril n he church he wachword o Chrsmas peace on earhis no a senmenal adage u a poliical uerance and an eschaologcal proclamaion, indeed, a pre vew and precursor o he Second Comng o Chris he Lord whch exposes he sham and spols he power o he rulers o he age Those rs cenur Chrisans, pursued and persecued scorned and eleagured, as he were ecause o heir in sigh were righ he secre o he rs adven is he con solaon o he second adven. The message n oh advens  polical. I celeraes he assurance ha n he coming o Jesus Chris he naons and he rulers o he naons are udged in he Word o God whch is a he same me, o announce ha n he ordshp o Chris he are rendered accounale o human le and o ha o he whole o creaion he mpedig evtti  Pitic uthrity

ach adven o Chris is aended  mser wha s now known o eher even is no all ha is o e known u wha s conessed  Chrsians as o oh advens s known o hem hrough he conuncon o he wo Tha which is known and armed now ecause o he rs adven and in he expecanc o he second adven s however enough o e polcall decisve ha s o sa, enough o ed choce and acon n issues o conscience and oedence wih respec o he rulers o he world. In he rs adven, Chris comes as Lord in he nex adven Chris he Lord comes as judge o he world and he worlds principaliies and hrones, in vndicaion o Hs regn and o he soveregn o he Word o God in hisor. This is he wisdom, whch he world deems oll whch ilical people

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oSCEE AD BEDIEE

ear and  which the ive as the church in the world or the time eing The message which the life and witness of the church conves to politica authorit hence alwas asicall con cerns the politica vigiance of the Word of God in judgment. That news is at once an admonishment to all earthl rulers that Christ the Lord reigns aread as the rst advent signies and an anticipation of the destruction of all worldl political authorit at the Second Coming. Judgmentilicall mean the destruction of the ruling powers and principaities of this age.  am aware that this is for professed Christians in America and in man other nations an unthinkae thought even though it e iical  Cor 5228 cf Acts 2336 Rev. 820) The Constantinian mentait which aicts the church equivocates contempation of the judgment of the Word of God. Within th Constantinian ethos the church even seeks in the name of the Word of God to roer compromises of that udgment with princes and presidents regimes and sstems The capacit of God for anger is gainsaid though it e in the face of the chaosthe war and hunger and famine and disease and trann and injusticeover which the rulers of this age in truth preside evertheess the ilica emphasis upon the udgment cannot e omitted or denied including those references most disconcerting to emperors and their lie which render udgment vehe mentl as the wrath of God or as his vengeance or retriution More than that the iica witness expects that the dev astation of politica authorit is coincident in the judgment with the fument of political authorit. Al that political authorit signies in falen creation in consignment to the power of death has its consummation and perfection in the vindication of the reign of Christ. The rue of the powers of this age which incarnates death and which is futile is un done and ended in judgment which sustantiates Christs dominon over the whoe of creation The udgment of the Word of God means that ending of time and histor which

The Second Advent of the od

81

consiues he esoaion of ceaion and, wihin ha, he eun of poiica auhoiy o is own vocaion as Gods sevan fo he bene of human ife Chisians ejoice, on behalf of al humaniy and indeed al ceaion a he pospec of he judgmen because in ha Las ay he desucion of poliical auhoiy a once sig nals is consummaion in he kingdom of God. he mminence f the ecnd dvent

The ejoicing is consan, he anicipaion is eage he eschaological expecaion is imminen Whileas has been saidhe apocalypic ealiy impends in any momen in any even in he diusion of his age so, simuaneousy he eschaological uh is epesened in any momen in any even in his wod, o hose whose eyes see and whose eas hea.  believe ha he gifs of discenmen ae undiminished oday as compaed o he day of he aposles; indeed  e gad discenmen as sill deniive of faih as well as winess. Ye I am awae ha he discening gifs ae much sconed and ofen negeced in he conempoay chuch. Tha is signicanly eviden in he absence now of he sense of eschaological imminence which he ew Tesamen epos, so agiaed he aposoic Chisians. In un insofa as ha imminen expecancy of he Second Coming of he Lod has been los he Chisian winess visvis he powes ha be has been b een disconcee disconceed d and he ej oicing has been gealy inhibied Bu I conside ha he second adven   mminen and ha Chisia Chisians ns in he h e wenie wenieh h cenuy cenu y may, and should, egad i wih as much passion and exciemen as did hose of he s cenuy. Whie saying his I know ha he pevailing view chiey sponsoed by chuch hisoians, is dieen. The usual con sucion nowadays is ha he s Chisians expeced he coming of Chis, in gloy, pompy and ha his expeca ion lapsed as ime coninued necessiaing evenualy, dasic evisions in eschaoogy, if no is suppession alogehe

82

SCECE AD EDECE

In jus hs conncon h Consannian coy is, once again, prnen bcause h loss of h convicon abou he innc of h schaon so radly abs h dpendncy of he church upon h polcal powrs and oher nsiu ions of he saus quo, in place of a raison dete of he church as he hsoric poner of h ngdo of God Fro her h descn is quc and facil ino h sophsries abou Chrsian naions" and no pagan dealis which dsors he biblical prcedn of he church A h sa e, n counrpoin, hr hav co and gon n Chrsendo assored scs assbled by fundaenals or socerous calculaons purporing o x he hour of Chriss reurn I conclude ha boh forecasers and scholasc rvsioniss isconsrue h eaning of eschaologcal innc. Bcause  nheres in he realiy of dah and bcaus he Kngdo desroys deahs reign and abolishes ie o hn and spea, a all, of he coing o he Kngdo us coprhend he sgnicanc of h ending of i A he ouse, i us be realizd hough and speech are axed because boh rean connd in  h enire vocabulary n huan usag is poral o eploy any of  o aep o lucdae h nal of i is an xraordinary, and incongruous, eor in whch words can never ean sply wha hy say Rcognzing ha uch cauons agans any siplisc lieralis or any erly hisorcally condioned nerpra ons and prays for a ore aure and profound co unicaion in whch h words, urd in , ar sacranalzd or ransgurd, and ha ngly, since he opic is h schaon Characerisically, h bblical winess in Scrpure as such and in he lf of h church, speas n arvlously versale and appropraely dvrs ways of he second adven prophically, aphorically parabolically ecsai cally, sacraenally, dogaically poecally, narraively n very ongue or syle or synax or dio avalable he bblical winess spas hus ulfariously of h cong

The Second Adent of the Lo·d

8

of he King nd his kingdom o show h he subec is inexhusibe nd one which ruy exceeds he cpbiiies of humn speech. his is n spec of he sense of imminenc bibicl peope hve concerning he Kingdom. More hn h imminence expresses eernl reiy in ime  wy of represening how he eschologicl is freed from ime, or of bespeking he ending of ime before ime hs ended he reionship in oher words beween he Word of od nd creion, even in ime, rnscends ime nd is, from  humn poin of view imminen  ny ime. n he Word of od  housnd yers re no more hn  momen. f some hve pu side he expecion i is no becuse Chris is rdy nd no becuse od hs posponed he nex dven bu becuse he consciousness of imminence s been confused or los  regrd he siuion of conemporry Chrisins s much he sme s h of our ery predeces sors in he fih so fr s nicipion of he Second Coming mers We expec he even  ny momen. We hope for i in every momen. We ive in he imminence of he schon. h is he only wy for he ime being, o live hu mnly he convicion of eschoogicl imminence which informs he winess of biblic people during his pssing ge is grounded in he insigh hey ber, on behf of he life of he word ino he poliicl secre of he rs dven which lso inheres in creion isef in spie of he fll, h is he Lordship of Chris Knowledge of he ruh hidden in he rs dven, confession of Chris s Lord, mens recogniion of he sovereigny of he Word of od cing in hisory o resore dominion o humniy in creion. he nicipion of he second dven is for he consummion of Chriss reign s Lord so h wh is secre becomes becomes noorious wh is reveed is rnsgured riumphnly, wh is winessed biblicly is pubicly vindiced n he dispension beween (s i were) he wo dvens, which is no more hn  momen for he Word of od or in he expecion of he peope of od he sk of Chrisins

84 C OSCECE A BEECE

is saped by te mmet costatly mpigg, escato ogcal ope. Ad as I was sayg it s tis wc becomes ccial i decsos ad actios of cosciece ad obediece  ato ad i cc, ate ta, as s so vaily ad pesistetly spposed, te opeato of some geat pcple e etics of bbcal people coce cocess evets eve ts ot moal m oal pop p op ostios. Ad f to te wod to felow ctzes of some atio o to te lg powes te way of te bbca witess seems egmatc, icosstet sometimes appaetly cotadctoy, sspect foos, te so be it. Cistias do ot covet ayoes appoval o applase, east of al do tey seek o evy te sactio of govemets. e Cistia life as its oyad its oly possbeexpcato i te dg et of te Wod of od So bbca peope lve patety, awatig te comg of te Lod,  te midst of deats feged e ove fale ceato disceg pevasve potets of te mpedig devastatio wie beodg pofse sigs of te edemptio of fale ceato o ve ts i ope o to live by gace o to cofess te vtalty of te dgmet of te Wod of od  istoy all tese mea mea te te same tig. vdetly, may of te people of te cces do ot pa ticipate  ts ope wic tsts te dgmet, bt ae eticed by ftle opes o etapped i false opes wic betay a witess tat s cofomed ad doomed. ese ae petoa ad I make o eot to emeate o efte tem ee except to otce tat tey commoy sigify a pa tica msappeeso of te gospel a specic cofso expessg bewldemet abot te pomise of Cist's secod advet ad skepticsm abot te veacty of Cst's esectio It s typcally a witess wc acts as if te timp of te Wod of od ove te powe of deat i ts wod ad ot bee eacted ad veied i te esectio of Cst bt emas someow icomplete o icocsve so tat te task assiged to Cstias is to s o aceve tat vctoy Wat sses, i coseqece, is a expectacy tat te Kigdom maks sc a sccess I ts mae the perfection of te ·esurrection is actually substituted for the coing of Christ as udge and King If tee be sbtlety 

he Second Advent of the Lod



 noon ee  nong ble bo  mlcon  gnoe e olc ece of e  dven wle  dclly dmne e oce of God n udgmen of e wold  dene e eccy of e euecon n demon ng e ccebl ee nd now of e Wod of God enblng umn lfe o ncend e fe nd  of de, wle  do nd ne e clng of Cn nd e mon of e cuc n  ge. I my occon, vouly e cooon of ol deoogy o of nen evolony ce o of ogm fo oc nd ocl efom o dem bu  u  ded o d llegnce o e owe  be. And ee, o ny of ee e en mnmed fo e goel. Cuoly og  vnly e o conque de beng elucn o beeve e eecon of C,  cully, fy, ndeeme e we of e owe of de I uccmb o excly e emon wc Jeu efed n e wldene If ee  no eecon fom de Cn e o be ed (cf. 1 Co 5) If C  no ed e f  n vn. If, by vue of C' euecon mn beng e no oeed feedom now fom bondge o de n  wod en ee  no oe woy of mn belef  ll Bu n fc C  been ed fom e ded 1 Co.  5 : 20   C C  n n e oe umn umn beng wo wo ve ve now wn e eccy of H euecon And n e ecl wne o e owe of e eecon, Cn egely exec nd enly w e Second Comng of Jeu C w  gd nd woy knowledge  w  vndced n e dgmen  e Lod of C o e Cn nce ey e lo dged by e Wod of God

capte ve

For the same reason you also pay taxes for the authorities are ministers of God attendin to this very thin Pay all of them their dues taxes to whom taxes are due revenue to whom evenue is due, respect to whom respect is due honor to whom honor is due Owe no one anythin except to love one another; for he h e who loves his neihbor neihbor has fullled the law man 16-8 And it was allowed to ive breath to the imae of the beast so that the imae of the beast should even speak, and to cause those who will not wor ship the imae of the beast to be slain Also it causes all both small and reat, both rich and poor, both free and slave to be marked on the riht hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark that is the name of the beast or the number of its name eveatn 115-17

chapte ve

The Voa.on

•t the Chu• as

th oy Naon

e requen nun n e ur by w e g nine  Cr reurren i mpued  e Send Cmng  Cr un r e depen  e nune  e imminene  elgil eliy.



Te mer i n ne  elgl niey beue   exenve nequene r e pril pe  e wne ered by e ur  e le  ee i e bele men  e judgmen  e Wrd  Gd by e plil ruler   ge I ne de n eeem e reurrein  e deive ren r knwedgng e veregny  e Wrd  Gd n ry en judgmen  n viy  Gd  viruy ded rm e r  pl ury n i wrd I ne uppe  mew, e reurrein  innluve ver e pwer  de r i ye  be mpleed r mre ndlu rm  bb vnge  e Crn k n e wrld i mew  mpee e eurren en e rdp  Cri gniyng e regn  e Wd  Gd n iy w  nummed n e  y n e deruin nd ul 89

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OCEC OC ECEE AD AD EDECE

met of all oitia atoit, i eogate to eee o te etige of te  at i oft go, iee, o wi to ofot te ig iiaitie I ote wo, wee ti etaoia ofio tive the i meta bibia oe abot olitia atoit, e ee i te REEAO aage o te bombat a blaem of te beat, fo te amatio ow of the ov eeigt of the Wo of o a fo te viiatio of tat oveeigt i te gmet, i iae. Wie I foebea ommet abot te iete a eetial abit of Chitia, o the , tggig to o wat o a alea oe i te eetio of Cit, I aot omit ow the ofio metioe iete o et te voatioa ie, eaie ie i ti book, a how tat aet wat Citia, o te  a a o wit eet to olitia atoit Whete i a a tila itatio, Citia o te h ae fo to be ooig o otig a olitia egime o tem te bibia atoit fo te attite a atio i te voatio of oitial atoit, a well a a ote eate, i te woi of o  e voatio i to to be, a RoMA a, te evat of o fo te ake of the life of te whoe ea tio. Whete, eial, i aie o ebke i aeee o amoihmet Citia ae egage i eallig oit ial atoit to it voatioa tat, ieatl, ti, i the omig aai of Cit tat voatio i etoe to olitial atoit a the woe of fae eatio kow eemtio Maifet tee oieatio bea o how te ev eal famo oo" aage i te ew etamet ae ea, ilig te emak of e e ee to Caea the tig tat ae Caea, a to o te tig that ae o (ke 05 f ke 3. Wit te Cotatiia metait o evaet it i om mo to eite tee tet a it aoim wit a a priori amtio tat tee i eeai something e Caea whateve te imtae I o ot  a  a mtio atomatiall atomatiall tie,  tie, a a moeove moeov e I beieve a

The Vocaton of the Chuch as the Holy Naton

91

aphorisic reciaons ro he Bbe o be an abse of he bbca winess. Wha none o he exs cied rnsh raonae for ncrca sbsson o he deands for rb e by poca ahoriy. RN ephaszes his os cascay by indcain ha hose who bear no he ark of he beas w be san by he beas. rs Peer enjons honor for he soerenas dsnshed fro an nc ben ocehoderand oreoer paces ha n coninency o hree oher acions Hono all me; Love the bothe hood; ea God he as o whch is a ery drec reference o he jden. In RN he coparabe ex s os redndan on he aer of wha s de raher han wha poica ahoriy ay coand or coerce and wha s appropraey de s reaed o he ocaion of poca ahory as ordaned or nsied by God or as a nser or seran o God. When he RN passae s asey or careessy noked aphoriscay he precedin heay ason o he jden is oerooked as s he ensn coenary on he  porance o he inence o he nex aden rutg th Judgt f th Wrd f Gd

The passaes passaes proxa proxaee o o RN RN  3  17 17 are nonehe ess coony sppressed whe aenion s xed pon he seen aos erses I hae aready indicaed ha I reard ha oersih of he iedae conex an expoiaion o RN RN 1 3  17 parcar parcary y where where   s sef sefser sern n o eperors and ocas b i hen becoes necessary o nqre abo he ipac of he adjacen passaes which rnsh he sen or he rs seen erses of RN 3 Wha s he snicance o RN 12 and hen he reander o R R N N 13 for RN RN 1 3 : 7 7 ? One conceiabe response s o read he seen erses as sain a dy of sbsson n a reaey sraihforward fashon as prdena conse or he faihf. Ths is an approach of soe popariy especiay aon hose who hink ha Pa was here seekn a posie reaionshp wh poiica ahoriy whch wod obae or oresa

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oSCIEC oSC IECEE AD AD EDIECE EDIEC E

ocial hotiity toward the Chritian Sometme th i one in reation to the attendng tet, wth a chronologi cal echatology attrted to Pal, whch rationalze n derence to poitica matter and to the condton of th world n genera. he dclty with th devce  that t aert too road an nference aed pon the remainng vere of chapter 3, t one whch doe not nd pport n chapter 2, or for that matter elewhere n the writng of Pal or the new of Pal energetic mintry. Yet if Pal cannot e aid to ratonalze ndierence to thi word and to t rng power, are the tet n chapter 12 and n chapter 3 atogether to e heard a prdential conel, o that RoMAS  3     not ome interpo interpoatio ation n or ntr ntron on or nterrption? hat way oer no hep ether, a far a I can ee, ecae t render the paage adacent to the even vere argey nonencal a advice for afe condct n thi worl. Do not be conformed to this worldthat i no prden prdence ce (om (om  2 2a)  less those who persecute you ah!the wdom of the world  appeae thoe who per ect ectee yo" yo" (om (om  2  14a)  Or again, again, n n RoMAS 12 16 associate with the lowly never be conceited. Where would the chrch a we know it, e f t practce ch avce? n hort the way to contre the even vere of chapter 13 a prdental cone i s y eemptng them from their con tet in the Letter An alternative i to treat the even vere aot potical athority n ther contet in the Letter and arm the echatoogcal orentation of the whole of chapter 2 and 13. If that e the eort not only do the appeal of Pal not to e conformed to th world t tranformed, or hi menton of the e of the charimatic gft or hi ehortng ncondtoned ove, or h ntence that dgment  God' pre rogatve or hi foc on condct ecomingly a in the day have coherence, t the partclar mention of oedience to rer retan connection wth the overeignty of the Word of God, wth the mmnence of the dgment and with the vocation of poltca athorty. Or, to pt the ame vew n term of bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them how oe one le

The Voca Voc ato of the th e Church Church as as the Holy Nato

3

and no curse he predaory monser save by he reedom warraned as he passage goes on o declare by he udg men in which Gods sovereigny is vindicaed o recall poliical ahory o is vocaon as he servan or mniser o God? Frhermore i as REVEN reminds he consequence o so blessing polcal auhoriy s to be sla he characer o his reedom o bless those who persecute you as rus in he udgmen is all he more cogen Well o bring he maer o he presen ha is jus as mch he ruh abou he Barmen eclaraon  is he crical relaionship o he expecaon o he udgmen held in a sense o imminence by he bblcal com muniy o allen polical auhoriy ha promps me o search or anoher way o dealing wih isses o conscience and obedience han ha radonally rnished by he ru brics o legiimacy or order My reecion o hese cusom ary crieria is I reierae no so much ou o a concluson ha hey are alse as ha hey are bblically inapproprae and n some o heir versons msleadng They ail o ake sucienly ino accoun he sories o creaon and all hey mnimize or somemes ignore he vocaional ssue as i emerges rom hose sories hey are oo absrac oo arbi rary oo arcial oo narrow hey have become ar oo condioned by he Consannan environmen and oo con venien o is comy avoring he saus quo. They al o be empirically realisic hey are oen assocaed wih proound msapprehension o he resurrecon and hereore abou he wness gven o he church in he ime beng and abo he acve hope o Chrisans or he consummaion o hisory in whch he sovereigny o he Word o God which enables he bblical liesyle now s riumphanly subsan iaed By he same oken he aemp o ariculae an alernaive o he radional consderaons o legiimacy or order mus no ndulge emprical realism so muc ha i de resses or immobilizes he winess o he chrch i ms be wary o becoming secrely dolarous o he power o deah

9

oSCECE oSC ECE A BEECE BE ECE

s becases dea s so awesome pevasive and vesae in faen ceaon  ms no assme becase e Consan inian menaiy by now so deepy inbed n Csendom ns psde down e peceden of e aposoic cc a  dans e Hoy Sp a wo in ee e cc o e wod; and s i ms no conenance o en coage even nadveeny senimens of apay wdawa compasance o ndeence n Csians n e wod. he ibica Witne a dvcacy

A ce o me mos edfying s e advocacy caacesic of e ew esamen. s ce is eviden in evey epsode n e Gospes n wc Jess minses o e despsed e diseased e dspossessed o n wic e confons e ic e powef powef e e mgy mgy e.g Ma Ma 8  50 and 9  01 3 Ma 5 354 35433  Le Le  6 : 19 193   Jon Jon 4  4654.) 54. ) I s veied in e e compaabe compaabe Acs Acs of e  e Aposes. Acs 3  4 4  31) I  i s edn edndan dan in i n e e eoa eoaon onss o f Pa's epises epises oaby in e Coinan Coespondence I  is conmed conmed n e e ee eess of oe oe aos  As in e Lee of James o e Fis Lee of Jon I s a senos senos empas empasis is in e e Boo of eveaion ev. 21 and and 22) . In e esecion is is epiomied ween Cis seves as advocae advoc ae of a a many many ogo ogo me  cf Acs 7  2931  om om 3139) 3139)  So in is age e cc of Cis s caed as e advocae of evey vicm of e es of e age and a no becase e vicim is g fo e cc does no now ow any ae dged in e Wod of God b becase e vcim is a vicim. Advocacy s ow e cc ps ino pacce is own epeience of o f e vcoy of e Wod of God ove e powe po we of dea ow e cc ives in e ecacy of e es

The Vocto of the Chch s the Hol Nto

95

rection amidt the regn of death n th word, how the chrch epend it fe in freedom from both ntmdaton and enthrament of death or of an agence of death, how the chrch hono the overegnt of the Word of God n hitor againt the th e contercam contercam of the rng principate Thi advocac, in it ecmenca cope a we a t acta peccit, contitte the chrch potca tak, bt,  mtaneo, eempie the chrch worhp of God, a interceion for anone n need, and for the need of the whoe of creaton which epoe and confond the ba phem of predator potca athort I have been hetant, throghot thi book, to oer e ampe to itrate or ecdate, thogh the be readi avaabe, becae of the voge, whch I notce ref of redcng eampe to mode, ntead of hearng them a precedent or parabe, a f, once o charted, the mode cod be dpicated or even prefabrcated. St ntance ma be cted, name ma be commended to verf the bibica wtne a advocac a that appear n the ife of the chrch now a we a n the ew Tetament if the caton agant the indgence n modeng and roe paing  ob erved. In the potica cri n Che, foowing pon the rpa ton of contittona government wroght, a Amercan beated earned, to a great etent b awe coon of the Centra Integence Agenc, the ationa Secrt Conc the mitar etabihment and the on prei denc, the epicopate of the chrch, throgh Ra Cardna Siva Henriqez, ed a tatement It proteted the harh ppreion of cv ibertie b the Chiean regme and, gncant, armed the tak of the chrch in ocet n thi wa The Chrch mt be the voce of a epeca of thoe thoe who do not have have a voice voic e (he (he New York Tmes, Apri 2 94 p 2) Or n another intance there i the we known mntr of W Campbe a an advocate of the otcat who wa, a a white Miippan, an ear and ingar pioneer n th e trg trgg gee o f Sother Sothern n back back aga again intt racim, and an d who ha

9

CEE D OEDEE

had an extraordnar patora ntr aong folk of he Ku Kux Kan nce the becae deped and low Meanwhile for near haf a centur he exeplar eort of oroth a pereverelitera givng waer to thoe who hr cothing the naked oerng heter to he deo ate caring for thoe iproned She ha ip o he twefh chapter of o and approprate to hat chapter i a wa which ake her advocac nterceorin a anner whch render i worhp. And there are other I notice a hot of the dipered in characteritic witne And if there  tl teptaion to tereotpe the advocac nvoved then oberve the enion n o of he dverit of gft dtrbued hroughou the bod of the church in order that no vict be withou an advo advoca cate te o. o. 12 : 61) 1 )  If he wtne of advocac  condered in explict relaton to poiical authorit the fragie naure of he failar et for obedence and concience in ter of legac and order  expoed. he probe wth repect to the abiguit of legitac wa enioned n he econd chaper in cing he governen etablihed b the Aercan ev oluton. or George II and for aored Torie on both ide of the Atanic the new governent wa illegitate while t legiac wa aered a efevdent b the ounding aher and heir adheren. But wha of thoe in Aerica who were victi in varou wa of he new regethoe whout franche or acce to publc oce becaue the owned no propert hoe excluded becaue he were feale Indian for who the change in political authori if anthing ncreaed the hazard o and food uppie cuture and lfe tef or black who reained n pe of all he rheoric denouncng oppreon n chattel laver here  no wa hat the Aerican governen which cae into power in he afterath of the revouton a be regarded a other than a rege privileging whte ale propertholder and a one vctizng n paricular he poor and propertle woen Indian black or all of thee huan bengno to enton George III and hi

The Voton of the Churh  the  Nton

97

Ty adheensplal auhiy in he new nain mus be deemed egmae e , ha hee s n mmn delgia bass amng suh dispaae ineess whih may als be n n ne wih anhe; he egme s egaded as illegimae beause  eas eah f hese as vm in ne way  anhe. In hsy, n fa hee s n pial auhiy whih an aegially be named legimae and depending upn hw a gven insiuin  pesn  lass f pesns may be suaed any pal auhiy wi be seen  be legiimae and legimae indenally The fa f de pvded by plial auhiy an be nsideed in a paallel manne F he Bish wn he ebellin in he nes mean he vehw f de F hae slaves he new gvenmen epesened n me han an exhange f yannies n whih he ny de f blas s ppessin F Amean Indans, he evluin ay vy pended hasfuhe invasins and agges sins seues and upans a and gende. F ms wmen, he egime insued eed n de bu eed sevude  eamen apppiae  mindess manins F he dspssessed, hee was he anahy f pvey and indebedness and exlusn fm he plial pess whh uled hei exsene. In sh, he de pvided by he uling pwes was ha whih enfed he vesed neess f he inumben ules and ha mean dsde f hse n ules, whehe hey wee pnipales  pesns Ye f he aday eumenial ueah f Chss ineessn f he fe f ean auhzes he huh f Chis  live n advay in he wd n behaf f all ss and ndins f humany, and hs spealy s as hey be vims f peday pa auhy, hen he huh us a he neses f plal umu and nvesy If he huh s alled  advay in a bblal sense as a way f expessng s imminen eshaga insgh hen he huh ann wihdaw  eea  esape fm pli al invlvemen i ann ndulge equivain  apahy  indeene. On he nay n feedm  ae he pa f any vim, he huh s plunged n he ms adial s f pliial wness n whh he huh beses pliial

98

oSCEC oSC ECEE AD AD BEDIECE

authorty on every sde ncessantly, resenty, eclectcaly dynamcay, and wth the marvelous versatlty whch the dversty of the fts of the Hoy Sprt abundanty supples. f n the wtness of advocacy there be crcumstances where the church or some members of the body of the church, be found supportn ncumbent poltcal authorty that s a matter of temporary ratuty and not of stupd aeance to secular thrones More commony as t appears to me, the church, or the peope of the church, n ntercesson for multfarous vctms of poltca authorty are found n protest and oppos ton to the powers that be. Stl t must not be overlooked that resstance to a reme may be the recourse approprate to recan potca authorty to ts vocaton. To love the enemy or to bless those who persecute does not precude poltca resstance or dssent where the enemy s the state or the system or an emperor or presdent I have mentoned earler, how just such a wtness was nvolved n the protests aanst the crmnaty of the prosecuton of the war n et nam The potca resstance then was n part an eort to seek the restoraton of lawfu and consttutonal ov ernment Sometmes more was nvolved. I remember vv dy, partcpatn on the evenn before the second nau uraton of Rchard xon n pubc worshp, where the open ntenton focused upon the presdent and hs cptvatons wth arbtrary power and ntermnabe war When my turn came to speak that nht, I nvoked one of the churchs ancent prayers of exorcs on behalf of Rchard xon then dscernably possessed by the power of death n these dente ways The nteresson was for the restoraton of hs humanty for hs release for hs healn I dd ths, f wth some trepdaton thouh I trust, aso wth due humty because the crss for the naton had exceeded ocal crme and unconsttutonaty as far as I understood and at that pont also nvoved how ths personthe emperor hmsefhad become vctmperchance the most pathetc and dehumanzed vctm of a n the whoe ordeal of Amer ca sned by the etnam war. So I sad ths prayer whch ornated n the churchs experence n such matters lon ao, on behaf of the humanty of Mr xon. The con

The Vocton of the Church s the Ho Nton

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gegation about a thouand wee peent, etuned Amen!" and then then again Ame Amen n   and, and, then, a  f t o make  t pef pefe etly tly lea that the paye wa ther own paye, they all tood and the Amen!" wa tanpoed into a thundeou ovation. Ble thoe who peeute you ble and do not ue them" (Rom.   : 4) 4 )  hat hat meau meaue e the the outeah of the advoay of the bblal witne he ainhd f the hurch

When and whee the huh patipate n the biblial wtne n hitoy and i an advoate fo any vtm of politial authotyo fo a vtim n any othe ene of the powe of death at wok n the woldthe huh k the ueing of the vtim hat  enough to how the onne ton in the peent age between the mion of the huh and any peeuton idiule o othe hotlty whih the huh endue hat i to ay in antagonit umtane, the huh ue a a uogate fo the wold, beang the buden of the vitim and, fo that matte matt e o f the aggeo a well. hee i, unfotunately, a patheti legay of demblng about th tuation of the huh. A famla apet of it  the omantizng of the ea of Roman peeution of the ealy huh whh, n eet, lament the long of aena petale pittng lion agant Chtian a a way of ex ung the oupton and oundeng of the huh eve ne. he nfeene eem to be that the huh hould eek peeuton n ode to engende inentve to be talwat n the gopel. Suh entment ae of oue plainly efuted in the ew etament both by the aount of the mnity of Jeuthee i no evidene that he ought ui xonand by the wtne of the apotol huhthe n dation i the apotle wee vey onened to pae the huh peeution. (See (S ee the the Ft Ft Lette Lette of Pete) Pete ) he huh, anyway, need no ompulion to gain pee ution, in any iumtane at any tme n th age, beaue the powe of death inanate n the poltal pnpalite, a n othe way i tuly noigble eath  the aggeo and though the appation and fom whih the powe of

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oNCENCE oNCEN CE ND BEDIENCE

eath assumes are varieate, that oes not impl that eath can be quantie It s no lone the custom to cast Christans into ens o beasts, but that oes not mean the pesecuton has ene An, whateve ese ma be attrbute to the impress  the Constantinian arranement, its comit  not abate the hostlt whch the church where it is exemplar an avocate o le enures o the time ben in ths worl In quite the same vein, too much is mae o the witness o paticular Chstians so that it is reare as exceptional (rather than exempar an so some ew are instale as martrs as heoc ues as supeChstians An instance s oun in the oe whch has accrue to ietich Bonhoee. I o ot hesitate at all to venture that Bonhoeer wou be eepl povoke b the wa hs witness has been con strue as o unusual that it s unein to orna people o the chuch o bol that it excuses inaction ather than insprin t Anothe case in pont, wthn m rect knowlee occurre when aniel Berrian, S.J. was seize b the eeral polce at m Block Islan home while he was a uitive eon, havn esste the crimnal war polc o the incumbent reime in Ameca. In covern the event one o the Provience teevson stations interviewe John McLauhin who then was a Jesuit an a caniate or the Unite States Senate om Rhoe Islan, an who was late compensate compensate or hs eeat in in that tha t campain b appointment to the Whte House sta where, in ue couse he became the ocial Wateate casuist In the teevision intevew o Auust 11, 190, McLauhn was aske hs eaction to the actvties o his Jesut bother He ramble on or awhle about how some work o chane rom within the sstem (e McLauhin as senatoral canate whie others act outsie outsie the sstem sstem (e (e  Berrian Berrian as convicte convicte  war resst resste e  But then, concun, concun, McLau McLauhn hn eclae ecla e O O  course ou must ealize an s a o" He miht have sa martr" o kook" o pophet" or lunatc" o heo" or anatic" or ool" ool "th thee ntent ntent was the same  to schare Beran om the ealm o common human beins an to ismiss Beans wtness b stn it exceptona.

The Vocto o the Church  the o Nto

101

The poin is of corse ha here are no marrs a all in he chrch becase of he eraci of he sacrice of he ord of God in Chris for he he orld. orld. There is nohing o be added o Chriss sacrice o Chrisian in iness o Chriss sacrice olneers an sacrice of his or her on. The hole idea of here her e bein being g an an  mar marr rss for he gos gospel pel is an embelishmen misleading he chrch and is members and frnishing preex o simpl copo This hole sndrome in he conemporar chrch sponsors he noion ha hogh here ma be occasional poes fools or sperChrisians ih he alleged ending of persecion all ha remans beeen he chrch and poliical ahori are some fe isses hich ma promp inermien incidens of indiidal ciil disobedience. There are sill some Qaers on he scene pls scaered Anabapiss b in general in he conemporar chrch in America and places lie America, he qesions of obedience and conscience are sall deemed o aec indiidals no he chrch as an insiion and socie. And he decisions sch persons mae are hogh o be idiosncraic and moreoer arroganha is implicaing a claim of sperior insigh ino he ill and dgmen of God The erm conscience is sed onl rarel in he e Tesamen, and no as sch in he Old Tesamen Apar from is se in associaion ih obedience in RN here Pal maes no eqaion beeen conscience and he ill of God, b on he conrar maes clear ha conscience is sbec o jdgmen he mos noable menion of conscience is in he Firs pisle of Peer. Tha episle exponds he meaning of bapism as he sacramen of he ne and mare hmani of persons in Chris of he ne ciizenship in Chris compared o he old ciizenship nder Caesar. Far from haing eccenric denoaions conscience is an expression of he idenicaion of bapized people ih he hole of hmani. Similarl RN 12 hinges he chapers discorse on he life of he bod of Chris in he orld pon no being conformed o he orld b being ransformed b he re

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NSCIENCE ND BEDENCE

new o he mnd. In Chn h concence doe no men  pve unlel eevng moly upeo opnon held by n ndvdul dconneced om he com muny bu  bepe he eedom o ncend e o epend le o he n ueng o  deh o he e o ohe nd on behl o he wod whch  negl o becomng  membe o he copu o he chuc Concence o Chn he hn beng oly o eccenc be pe he chuch' wne o dvoccy. Le  be d h when I nme he chuch I do no hve n mnd ome deed chuch o ome demboded o unnuonled chuch o ju n ggege o ndvdu I men he chuch n hoy he chuch conued nd pecedened n hoy  Peneco he chuch whch  n ognc ey vble   communy nuonl zed   ocey I ee o he chuch   new houehod o o he chuch  congegon. Mo conceely I nme he chuch  he holy non. The chuch whch  he hoy non  no mephocl bu   he chuch chuch ced no no beng  Peneco  he chuch whch  he new Iel o God n he wold he chuch whch  boh pogeny o he bblcl don o Zon nd ponee o he ngdom o God; he chuch whch  he eemply non jupoed o ll he ohe non; he chuch whch   pncply nd nuon n cend he bondge o de n he md o len ceon; he chuch whch peen nd epeen n  copoe e ceon eoed n ceebon o he Wod o God; he chuch n whch he vocon o wohp nd dvoccy gne he enewed vocon o evey ceue; he chuch whch ncpe he mmnen nd pomp edempon o  o e The chuch cllng  he hoy non h been po oundly doed nce Peneco nd mney epeclly o unde he eg o he Connnn dene wh he ue nd egme o he peen ge Ino  hee w n he ouh cenuy dene ncenve o ene h comy n ode o eve peecuon he pupoe emn

The Vocto of the hurch s the Ho Nto

103

unaomplshd I hrsans ha bn spard h sa agry o bass or  h mor noorous ulgars o m pror worshp ha bn abad ohr orms o prsuon ha sudd and h hosly o dmon prnpals and powrs oward h hurh has no dmnshd By h wnh nury h nmy o h powr o dah o ward h hurh had om o b nad n h grandos dolary o h dsny o Brsh oona mpralsm or n h brual dasaon o h hurh ollowng upon h So Rouon or n h ruhss a usurpaon o h hurh n h nam o Grmanng or puryng hrsany so as o ha hs aompl n h pursu and n h nnraon o h ws Manwhl n Amra h purasm o rlgons and h mupy o dnomnaons ha abd h npon o  rgon whh has assord rsons bu h maor hru o whh mpus a unu moral saus o h naon a dn ndorsmn or Amra whh n s mos radal omposon dsappropras h oaon o hurh as h holy naon. Thus h hurh boms onnd or h mos par o h sanuary and s assgnd o hr poal sn or o banal ausn Pola auhory n Amra has sanond hs aommodaon prnpaly by h o nom rwards  bsows upon h hurh Th ax pr lg or xampl o whh h hurh has add has bn a praaly onus nhbon o h hurhs polal nrnon sa whr  onsss o applaus or h naons aus Furhrmor h ax prrn or poa subsdy h hurh has so ong rd has nabld prhaps mor han anyhng ls h arual o normous  unsmy wah n h Amran omy h hurh has gand so hug a proprd nrs ha s xsn has bom orwhlmngly ommd o h managmn o propry and h mannan o h lsasa abr whh ha propry aords I s a sgn rany o h dmon n nsuonal l whr h sur al o h prnpay s h domnan moraly. Tha mark s dn n ry many prossd hurhs n Amr

10 10  oNSCENCE ND BEDENCE

ca I canno magn an oh wa a hs pon o  h chuch o cov s vocaon as h xmpa pn cpal o ho naon han b nooous acs o savowal o hs ac wh polca auho Th chuch n Am ca ns o vs pop no hoa  an long an as pa o ha I ug nuncaon o h ax pvlg so ha h chuch cou b  o pacc ax ssanc. I ha pons c collson wh poca auho an nvolvs such sks as ocal conscaon o chuch popswhch  oshn m on spons s ha  pomss a wa o consolang losss Th suppsson o h comphnson o h chuch as h hol naon o as h ps among h naons whh n Amca o lswh causs I hnk h mpoanc o h spson o h chuch o b mnmz o vn ovlook   s mpossbl o conmpla h naonhoo o h chuch whou anng h sns o h schao logca mmnnc ha has bn pvousl scuss. Th mmnnc s conv wh h chuch lvs n spson houghou h wol cononng v naon an b ongu an culu as an mbass o h Kngom. Such spson s on on han ncompab wh h Consannan hos bu on h oh  vs h u cumncal al o h chuch n hs wol. Mo han ha h spson nhn n h chuchs n as h ps o naons an ounn o h Kingom s I blv mpoa as much as spaal Th chuch s sps n spac an hus nugs no pnnc upon pacula naons o gms o naons bu b s psnc sups v naon an v gm Th chuch aso mans sps n m oang o bcom vs n a spcc nsuonal mo nnl o as  n p pu bu h vn o h chuch consanl pa acus m Tha s o sa h chuch as nsuon o naon s s o al an vn o h momn gah h o h bu ha os no pmn whh o how h chuch w appa agan Th chuch s psoc n hso h chuch vs n mmnnc so ha h chuch has no pmann oca o oganaon whch pcas

The Vocto o the Church s the Hoy Nto

10

its athentcty as the chrch. Ths may seem a hectc doc trie of the chrch to the Constantiia mentalty. It is. Bt t s  o becase t sggests the ecessity of breakng away from Constantiian doctrinatio  order to arm the poise of the chrch awatig the second advent of Jess Chist

epilogue

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Romans 12:14 Also (the beast) was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them Revelation 13:7

A Hom on he Signifiane of he Defea of he Sains

. A

most obstnat msconcpton assocatd wth th gospl of Jss Chst is that th gosp s wcom in this wold h convctionndmc among chchfok pssts that, if pobms of misapphnson and misp sntaton a ovcom and th gospl can b had in its own intgity, th gospl wl b fond attactv by pop bcom popa and vn b a sccss of som sot his ida is both cos and onical bcas t s bntly contadictd in Scpt and n th pnc of th con tining bblcal witnss n histoy fom th vnt of Pntcost nto th psnt momnt h s no ncssty to cit Kng Hod o Jdas Iscaot o any notoos nms of th gospl in ths connction; aft al wh Chist was with thm no on n hs famly and not a sngl on of th discps accptd him blivd hs vocaton o lovd his gospl Aft Pntcost wh th Acts of th Apostls vinc an ndstandng and th confsson of th gospl sis tanc and stif concnng th gospl a qally in v dnc among th pion Chstans, whl th constnaton and hostilty of th wold fo th gospl was vy agtatd and qcky aggssv Fthmo th Ltts of th w stamnt bt conggations ntd n th faith amidst ntlss tmptations of apostacy and confsion and confomity Sbsqnt vnts n th if of th chch, spcially 109

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CNENE ND OEDENE

sine te ineptn f Cristendm in te Cnstantinian Arrangement and wth the instttinal spistiatn  te res nly mdfy this sitatin by mpliating t. ere is, simply n reasn t presppse tat nyone wll nd the gspel, as s, likable e ategries  pplarty r prgress r eetiveness r sess are mpertnent t the gspel hat as been mplit ere in te ert thrght ths bk t deal smltanesly (rater than separately) and nfessnally (instead f aademially) with te passages abt pltial athrty in RN and in REVEN. e matter is sgned reflly in the ntrt t RN 3 by the text, Bless thse wh persete y bless and d nt rse them" them" (m (m    14)  As As as as been been mentined mentined ts ts s n adage prmpted by sentmentalty. It s a statement  the extrardnary relatnsip between Cristans and te rling prnpalties radally nstitted n te dsernment  the immnene  the dgment  te Wrd  Gd in stry by whih Chrstians are atrized t reall pltal athrty t the vatn f wrship and relam dmnn ver reatn fr manity. It s a statement abt the impliatn  the Lrdshp  Jess Crist r the rlers  tis age.  bless te pwers that be, in te midst  persetn, expses and nnds ther blasphems stats mre gently and mre earlessly than a rse n the B  evelatn, te isse s expressed mre severely severely and mre straghtf straghtfrwa rwardly rdly tan perap per apss anywere  n te Bble Als [the beast] was allwed t make war n the saints saints and t nqer nqer them them (ev. (ev. 1 3  )  On te ae ae  it ts is nt an appealng r pplar text at may n tsel be an explanatn  why t has been s ften ignred r even sppressed by mmentatrs r wy it as seldm been mentned, m less mmended, by preaers I have read t, it seems a tsand times, and I admt that I am tempted t wsh t were nt tere r t late sme pretext t dsmss t r gansay it. I nd n way t ratnalize te verse away. Unlike sme ther passages n REVEN it des nt ard evasn  versght bease t/ s ester r enigmat. It is a mst nambgs and matterfat

Sgcce o the Deet o the Sits

111

sttement sttement t sys sy s wt wt t sys sys:: ur urn n te present present e e  te Wor o Go lows precous run utorty to we wr on te Crstns n to eet tem. For te tme ben n te er o te l untl te con summton o ts story n te ument o te Wor o Go te best knows success n nules vctory te snts suer resson n know eet. Surey te text mocks every eort unertken n te nme o te Crs tn wtness n ts worl wc s norme by ccul tons bout eectveness proress pprov ccmor ny o te vretes o success An tt not only n crcum stnces were te curc openy mttes or emutes te wy o te best but so were te clcuton pror to cton or prorm s more ueul or pretentous n cms oreknowlee o ow te mtter wll be ue by te Wor o Go. e curces n wtn tem bot socl ctvsts n prvte petsts re vrtully ncorrbe espte te monton monton o RV RV N N  3  7n prctcn prc tcn some suc elberton beore rskn ny puttve wtness. Were tt be te stuton te proesse snts succumb to te power o et by ter prooun oubt n te eccy o te resurrecton n by ter rect spute o te c tvty o ument n te Wor o Go So teyttemptn vnly to orestll or obvte eetre eete nywy nomnousy RV RV N N  3  7 contns contns no melnc melncoly oly messe messe t u tozes ope or te sntsn trou ter vocton o voccy ope or te wole o cretonwc s roune n relstc expecttons concernn ts present e enbln te curcs te rst benecry o te resurrectonto conront te u n wesome mtncy o te power o et ncrne n te ruln prncpltes n oterwse n ts wor noursn ptence or te ument o te Wor o Go n menwle trustn notn ese t l. s seemnly troublesome text bout te eet o te snts by te best s preemnently  reerence t te ccessblty o te rce o te Wor o Go or lvn now o menton te eet o te snts mens to know te bunnce o rce. An tt prompts

12

CNENE ND OEDENE

no on o o whdawal om h wod as  s, bu on h onay h mos alss and sln nvolvmn n hs wold Sn h ubs o suss o pow o smla gan a mpnn o h gospl, h wnss o h sans looks oolsh wh  s mos xmplay On Aman poal psonPhlp Bganaddssd ha haazaon o h da o h sans whn h was snnd upon onvon o ampng o dg a gav on h lawn o h Wh Hous n buk o h ul o h bas In pondng a w wods o hs oason I happnd on Paus Fs  o h Chuh a Conh     W a ools on Chss aoun (1 Co 4 :  0 )  In a mods mods ashon ashon I hav hav sough sough mmbshp n hs ompany o oos oos     Though ov 39 monhs n pson hough ong ass and bous o solay onnmn hough wo ndmns whl n al, I hav bn k ond a oo, by phaaohs and nds ak  .

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 no on nd ou oolshnss puzzlng I s as smpl as honong h 5h ommandmn, and ng oal lgmaons o mud I s obdn o h uh and ompasson o Chs o ognzng no nmy n h wod    I s as smp as spng h pan as ommon popy, as ommon g and hag Tha s h do vsonha s h summons and ask Fo ha, as Paul pomsd on sks bomng h wo  l d  s us, h h s  u m o a l l (  C o  4 4 13)     Th ools wl nv abandon hop no as o lv  Ths ooshnss o h sans, hs wnss n h mds o da s wough n h laonshp o usaon and udgmn, n whh on who knows usaon o b a g o h Wod o God s spad no aggsson o h pow o dah bu onds no bu o h pow o dah wh awang h vndaon o h Wod o od n h omng o Jsus Chs n udgmn