LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2016, Page 193

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IV. THEOLOGICAL DOCUMENTS­­—COMMISSION ON THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS

importance of a stable state as a guardian of religious liberty.”35 Whatever political views might be
evoked by that statement, a stable government may—at least in comparison with a failed state—provide a
measure of freedom from persecution. Even the most stable government, however, is not a guarantee of
religious freedom. The Lord Jesus, the apostles, and the earliest Christians lived in first century Palestine,
a conquered territory occupied by the forces of the Roman Empire. Proud of its enforced “peace,” the
empire might have considered itself a stable state and, during the early centuries of the Church, Christians
did enjoy periods of peace within the Roman Empire. Yet living under the “peace of Rome” they also
endured waves of persecution at the hands of citizens or government officials.
At creation God commanded the people He made to subdue the earth and have dominion over it (Gen.
1:28). He put His creation in their hands to keep and manage—and to govern: “The heavens are the
LORD’s heavens, but the earth he has given to the children of man” (Ps. 115:16). With the fall into sin,
that management became subject to corruption and selfish ambition. While human dominion may often be
exercised with justice and mercy in governments that enjoy varying levels of stability, states will always
fail. All earthly governments, stable or failed, owe their existence and authority to God. The apostles
Peter and Paul most likely suffered martyrdom under Nero, an emperor known for his personal instability.
Yet believers owed to the emperor, for the Lord’s sake, honor and obedience. Paul wrote, “Let every
person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that
exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has
appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment” (Rom. 13:1-2). Peter said, “Be subject for the Lord’s
sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him
to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good . . . Fear God. Honor the emperor” (1 Pet.
2:13-14, 17).

On a number of occasions the apostle employed his citizenship rights in the service of Christ and the
Gospel—and to his own advantage. Unjustly beaten and imprisoned in Philippi, Paul and Silas refused to
depart quietly when the magistrates decided to let them go. Paul responded: “They have beaten us
publicly, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now
throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out” (Acts 16:37). The frightened
authorities apologized and released the two missionaries, a small victory that may well have encouraged
the local believers.
Arrested in Jerusalem, Paul used his citizenship rights to escape a flogging and, in the process, thoroughly
frighten a Roman tribune. Tied up to be beaten, Paul asked, “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a
Roman citizen and uncondemned?” (Acts 22:25) It was not lawful, and Paul, although still a prisoner, was
treated with greater respect and received frequent opportunities to speak in his own defense and in
defense of the Gospel. Finally, Paul appealed to Caesar, and the Roman governor Festus replied, “To
Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shall go” (Acts 25:10-12). Paul’s citizenship rights extended
only so far, and in Rome he was “an ambassador in chains” (Eph. 6:20). Still, he was able to describe the
way in which even his chains served the cause of Christ: “I want you to know brothers, that what has
happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the
whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ” (Phil. 1:12-13).
When and where we enjoy the liberty provided by a stable government, we may, like Paul, employ our
rights as citizens in the cause of the Gospel, in public proclamation, private witness, and service to our
neighbor. Martin Luther wrote:
Since a true Christian lives and labors on earth not for himself alone but for his neighbor, he does
by the very nature of his spirit even what he himself has no need of, but is needful and useful to
his neighbor. Because the sword is most beneficial and necessary for the whole world in order to
preserve peace, punish sin, and restrain the wicked, the Christian submits most willingly to the
rule of the sword, pays his taxes, honors those in authority, serves, helps, and does all he can to
assist the governing authority, that it may continue to function and be held in honor and fear.
Although he has no need of these things for himself—to him they are not essential—nevertheless,
he concerns himself about what is serviceable and of benefit to others, as Paul teaches in
Ephesians 5 [:21-6:9].36

Read Romans 13:1-7 and 1 Peter 2:13-17. What details do these passages reveal about governments and
their authority? How might these verses help us in responding to persecution and hostility against the
Church?
Whatever illusions they may have about the source of their own power, even unbelieving rulers receive
their authority from the hand of God. Christian and pagan kings alike are subject to the King of kings.
King Darius the Mede, distressed because his faithful servant Daniel was condemned to death by the
king’s own decree, “labored till the sun went down to rescue him” (Dan. 6:14). Darius spent the night
fasting, no doubt hoping that the lions in the den with Daniel were doing the same. Impressed with the
God who saved Daniel, Darius commanded his people “to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel”
(Dan. 6:26). God called the Persian king Cyrus “my shepherd,” the one who “shall fulfill all my purpose”
(Is. 44:28) and says of him, “I equip you, though you do not know me” (Is. 45:5). Under God’s direction,
Cyrus permitted the exiled Israelites to return to their land and rebuild Jerusalem and the temple. When
the fullness of time had come, a decree of Caesar Augustus was instrumental in the fulfillment of the
prophecy that from Bethlehem would come forth the “ruler of Israel” (Micah 5:2). The Lord told the
apostle Paul, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must
testify also in Rome” (Acts 23:11). Then, directing the efforts of various Roman tribunes, governors,
centurions, and the Roman legal system, God brought Paul safely to Rome, where His apostle and
ambassador would testify before Caesar.
Stable governments, as opposed to failed states, often grant basic rights to their citizens, including the
freedom of worship. As Christian citizens, we may make use of these rights—wherever and whenever we
have them—to demonstrate love for our neighbor and extend the kingdom of God through the
proclamation of the Gospel. The apostle Paul, although a Jew, was born a citizen of the Roman Empire.

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God told the exiled Israelites, “Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to
the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare” (Jer. 29:7). We, too, as citizens
should seek the welfare of the “city” in which the Lord has placed us, through prayer, in public speech or
political activity where appropriate, and as our faith finds expression in discussing our opinions and ideas.
We have freedom of speech, assembly, and religion. We may vote, petition for new legislation or protest
existing legislation, serve on juries or in public office, and seek help and protection through the legal
system. As individual citizens, Christians “help to shape the content and activity of the ‘market place.’
That is to say, they make known their own views in community discussion and activity with a view to
influencing public opinion in such a way as to reflect a concern for the application of moral principle to
political issues. They do so on the conviction that only where the political climate is infused with ethical
standards can justice and freedom be preserved and extended.”37
Read 1 Timothy 2:1-4. How can the stability of the state (those “in high positions”) help advance God’s
intention that all people be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth? How might you be able to use
36

35
Katherine Burgess, “Aiming for ‘Effective Anger’: The Top 50 Countries Where It’s Hardest to Be a Christian,”
Christianity Today, January 8, 2014, at http://www.christianitytoday.com/gleanings/2014/january/50-countrieswhere-hardest-to-be-christian-world-watch-list.html?paging=off .

Martin Luther, Temporal Authority: To What Extent It Should Be Obeyed (1523), Luther’s Works, vol. 45, ed.
Walther I. Brandt (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1962), 94.
Guidelines for Crucial Issues in Christian Citizenship, Report of the Commission on Theology and Church
Relations, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (1968), 4.

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your citizenship rights in service to your neighbor? How, for example, might the legal or political systems
be used for the benefit of others? When do you have opportunities to influence “public opinion,” whether
publicly or privately? Is there a line to be drawn between your faith and witness for Christ and your
particular political views and, if so, where do you draw that line? What should we ask in prayer on behalf
of our government?
Individuals often give public expression to their opinions. At certain times the church as an organization
may choose to speak publicly on issues of particular importance that are addressed in God’s Word. The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod has chosen to speak “regarding issues that it deemed to be of critical
importance for the church’s life and work, its witness, or its own moral responsibility (as church) to seek
and promote the welfare of the state and its citizens”38 The Synod has spoken against racial discrimination
and abortion, supported the traditional definition of marriage, and addressed issues of immigration and
religious liberty.39
Even the most stable state may at some point, while not becoming a failed state, lose some of its stability
or perhaps fail to defend the religious liberty of its people. A Christian may be called upon, in good
conscience, to disobey laws that violate the command of God, as the disciples did when forbidden to
preach in the name of Christ (Acts 5:29). Such “civic disobedience consists of violating a specific law in
the interest of justice and freedom, particularly as these relate to the needs of others. Such disobedience is
a responsible expression of citizenship when it is undertaken after all other means of obtaining justice
have been exhausted and in full awareness of the demonic and disruptive forces present in any given
social order.”40 Hostility and persecution may follow a decision of civic disobedience. Christians who
choose to obey the command of God rather than a civil law must be willing “to accept as a part of their
crossbearing the punitive consequences of their action (Dan. 6; Acts 5:29; Matt.5:11-12).”41

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She must do this not by futile efforts to control legislation or to direct the administration of
government, but by laboring patiently and persistently to increase the number of those within the
nation whose hearts have been regenerated by the Spirit of God and whose lives are directed by
that Spirit. Not by invading political assemblies, but by entering the pulpit with an emphatic and
convincing proclamation of the whole Gospel of Christ can the Church make a real contribution
to the political well-being of our nation.42
We enjoy the blessings of freedom in our nation, but in Christ we enjoy a greater and eternal freedom, a
freedom with purpose: “Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but
living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor” (1 Pet.
2:16-17).
Responsive Reading . . . Psalm 94

To what current issues should the church speak? How might the responsibility of the individual Christian
differ from the responsibility of the church as a corporate body? In what particular issues might civil
disobedience become a more serious option or even a necessity in our nation, either now or in the future?
Is such disobedience an example of constructing our own crosses?
Although there are a variety of ways in which we might choose to be politically active, a more critical
task lies before us. The Lord Jesus commanded us to proclaim repentance and forgiveness of sins in His
name to all nations, including our own. As Paul told Timothy, the Word must be preached “in season and
out of season” because the time is coming “when people will not endure sound teaching, but having
itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away
from the truth and wander off into myths” (2 Tim. 4:2-4). The proclamation of the Gospel, even in the
face of hostility against the Word, will influence our nation and our world and, by God’s grace, turn
people away from myths to the truth of Christ. The Lutheran theologian Carl Mundinger expressed the
way in which this influence is accomplished:
Keeping strictly within her sphere, the Church must put forth every effort that the nation within
whose boundaries she exists become more and more permeated with the principles of social life
laid down in the Word of God, the principles of righteousness, of justice, of tolerance and
forbearance, of mutual helpfulness and co-operation.
38
Render Unto Caesar . . . and Unto God: A Lutheran View of Church and State, Report of the Commission on
Theology and Church Relations, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (1995), 82.
39
Links to reports of the Commission on Theology and Church Relations concerning marriage, abortion,
immigration, and other issues are found in the list of resources at the end of this study.
40
Guidelines for Crucial Issues in Christian Citizenship, 6.
41
Civil Obedience and Disobedience, Report of the Commission on Theology and Church Relations, The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod (1966), 5.

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42
Render Unto Caesar . . . and Unto God: A Lutheran View of Church and State, 74. The Mundinger quote is taken
from “Dangers Confronting the Church Today,” The Abiding Word, ed. Theodore Laetsch (St. Louis: Concordia
Publishing House, 1946), 1:503-504.

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2016 Convention Workbook