The Law, the Church, and the State – The Kingdom Curriculum II (5)

The Law, the Church, and the State

For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. 1 Corinthians 5:3-5

In this episode of the young man who was sleeping with his father’s wife (not his mother, and not a member of the church), Paul gives us clear insight into how Christians in community are to practice the Law of God so as to know the full benefits, personal and corporate, of the promises of God. We also begin to gain some understanding into the working under God and within the Law of two crucial entities of the Kingdom era, the Church and the State, both of which are ultimately accountable to God.

Let us make four observations. First, it is clear that the community of Christ’s followers is to submit itself to the Law of God as its primary guide to ethical conduct. The young man in this situation had transgressed the Law (Lev. 20:11; Deut. 22:30), specifically, the seventh commandment. He must be judged. But, second, judging one another is not an individualistic activity; rather, it is a function of the community. Church discipline must be followed, as Jesus explained (Matt. 18:15-20). The assembled body must agree that the offense exists and on the judgment which must be pronounced. Third, that judgment must be shaped by the spirit of the Apostles and carried out in the power of God’s Spirit. We must look to the New Testament to guide our understanding of the Law. And we must call upon the Spirit in His power to bring agreement, conviction, and reformation as needed (Jn. 6:63). Finally, the Church must not bear the sword and thus encroach on the prerogatives God has given to the State (Rom. 13:1-4). The Church can only remove offenders from the assembly of the people (Lev. 20:1-5), a judgment – excommunication – which is as though the unrepentant sinner had died to his fellow believers (1 Cor. 5:11). The “destruction of the flesh” – judgment exacted in violent and physical forms – must come, if it is to come, from the State only, not the Church. And, since it was from the beginning God’s intention that men should live full and abundant lives before Him, we must pray for the offender that he may be recovered from his way before the judgment of death befalls him.

Thus when we come to a specific application of the Law of God the Church must consider the situation according to the commandments and statutes of the Law, in the light of the New Testament and the teaching of Christ, waiting on the Spirit to guide the judges of the people into all truth and to empower the assembly to take the necessary action. Then we must judge unrepentant offenders according to the grace of God, praying fervently for their restoration, knowing, at the same time, that God may exact more severe punishments against them if they continue in their sin (Rom. 1:18-32).

We shall examine the State’s responsibility under God and within His Law in a later section of this series.

Order your copy of The Law of God today. Go to www.MyParuchia.com, Publications, Waxed Tablet, to place your order and take up the Kingdom curriculum of our Lord.

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“In the Gates” is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T.M. Moore

T. M. Moore is editor of the Worldview Church. He serves as dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He is the author or editor of twenty books, and has contributed chapters to four others. His essays, reviews, articles, papers, and poetry have appeared in dozens of national and international journals, and on a wide range of websites. His most recent books are The Ailbe Psalter and The Ground for Christian Ethics (Waxed Tablet).

Scripture quotations in this article are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (c) copyright 2001,2007 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Editor’s note: The use of a translation other than the Authorised Version in an article does not constitute an endorsement in whole or in part by The Christian Observer.