Resisting the Politicizing of My Pulpit: Part 1

Alan Dunn

It’s Not That I’m Not Political

OK, I might not be as political as you, but I’m an American citizen and I have my political opinions. As a Christian, I endeavor to form my opinions in accordance with Scripture, and I exercise my right to vote in conscientious submission to Jesus, my Lord and King. So, it’s not that I’m not patriotic, or political. I am. And, it’s not that I couldn’t speak from the Bible into the present political moment. I could. I’ve preached on our duty to government. In 2004 during the Bush-Kerry election, I preached two sermons: “The Sovereignty of God over Governments” and “The Church’s Supplications for Government.” I preached those two sermons again in 2012 in the Romney-Obama election. Should I institute a four-year custom and preach those messages, or ones like them, every election cycle? Should I preach similarly for the elections of our governors? Senators? Congressmen? What about mayors? It’s not like I couldn’t come up with something from Scripture to say to or about our mayor.[1]

From –anities and –ologies and –itities and –isms: Good Lord, Deliver Us.

The pull into politicizing is strong because political issues press upon our consciences and the conscience is the primary faculty of faith and practice. And, of course, Scripture is the rule of our faith and practice and, yes, Scripture should and does inform the formation of our political convictions. We must, however, be careful lest even our biblically informed political convictions set the agenda for our preaching or worse, our worship. I’m averse to Americanizing Christianity and Christianizing America. I want to exercise my American citizenship as a citizen of heaven [Phil 3:20-21].[2]

I could recount numerous personal experiences that have factored into my commitment not to politicize my pulpit. One especially comes to mind. The question submitted for the Q&A session with a group of college kids in that Far East country was “Could you explain which is better: communism or capitalism?” We broke for lunch and a brief rest before regathering for the Q&A. I readily lateraled the ball to my seasoned companion. “Here, you can try to get some yardage with this one!” His answer was liable to serious political repercussions. During our break, he sat still and somber, his face fixated on his prayerful contemplations. I prayed for him. We regrouped for the Q&A and he began the session by repeating the question. And I prayed for him. “Turn in your Bibles to 1 John 2:15-17. Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.” He read the passage with his soothing southern drawl and as his translator spoke, I realized I was witnessing a “give me a denarius moment.” Let Caesar scramble for what Caesar scrambles, you give to God the things that are God’s [Mat. 22:15-22]. “Whether y’all’re communists or capitalists, this is all the world has to offer, and it’s all passing away.” If I recall, he went on to urge them to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. I was bowled over. And hearing this, they were amazed, and leaving Him, they went away [Mat. 22:22]. Wow!

I Know the Bible Says All That, But…

In the context of murderous hostility, Jesus warned against the leaven of the Pharisees and taught the multitude to fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him [Lk 12:1, 5]. He continued to instruct them on matters touching His Second Coming, Final Judgment, and the prospect of persecution. Suddenly, a voice was heard rising from the crowd. As Jesus was preaching against false teaching, impending persecution and final judgment, this guy was thinking about his money, waiting for a lull in Jesus’ speaking so that he could inject his demand. He was not sitting under the Word, but if not over it, alongside of it; ready to intrude with his agenda and commandeer Jesus for his own purposes. “Hey man, aren’t you listening?” “Yeah, I know, Jesus is speaking about future judgment, but what about this issue here that calls for present judgment? This is a matter of justice, of right and wrong, a matter of conscience.” Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me [Lk 12:14]. The man’s father had died and now his two sons were squabbling over his earthly treasure. This is what occasioned Jesus’ teaching of the Parable of the Rich Fool who died having not spent his stock-pile of grain and goods. He was rich for himself in the things of this age, but not rich toward God [v21]. The lesson of the parable preceded the telling of the parable and consisted of Jesus’ warning to the aggrieved brother. Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions [v15]. The man had asked Jesus to intervene in an infraction of domestic justice and Jesus warned him of greed.

John warned against a love of the world which consists of greed: the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life. Jesus issued the same warning to this man enmeshed in domestic politics. His political agenda was fueled by greed: the violation of the tenth commandment which spills into the first, worshiping and serving Mammon, devoting yourself to the things of this life, this age, this world. His just political agenda belied a love of the world, a love of money – a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith, wanting to get rich and ensnaring themselves unto eternal ruin and destruction [1 Tim 6:9-10].

Not only was this man greedy, he was ignorant of Jesus’ mission and kingdom. Jesus asked, Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you [v14]? There is no record of the man’s answer. Jesus often stunned His interlocutors into silence. Perhaps the man mistook Jesus for an Old Covenant judge. Judges were appointed in the Old Covenant Theocracy to adjudicate issues of the law and there were laws concerning the distribution of a man’s inheritance [cf. Deut 21:17; Num 27]. The man very well could have had a legal case to make in the Theocracy, but Jesus had not come to perpetrate the Theocracy. The answer to the question of Jesus’ appointment is found in Psalm 2:6. There the Lord speaks of His Anointed, But as for Me, I have installed[3] My King upon Zion, My holy mountain. Jesus is indeed the appointed King and Judge, but not in the Old Covenant Theocracy [cf. Heb 7:18] nor in any kingdom of this age. At His trial, Jesus acknowledged to Pilate that He is in fact a king, but explained My kingdom is not of this realm [John 18:36]. This man rightly saw Jesus as a Judge, but if he had have been listening, he would have heard that Jesus’ courtroom is not of this realm. Men need to hear of the courtroom of Judge Jesus. It is the courtroom that we will all enter in the resurrection.

Give Me Neither Pastorized Politicians nor Politicized Pastors

“Cringe-worthy” has become one of those vogue phrases du jour. Pastors “speeching” politics and politicians preaching Scripture are, to me, cringe-worthy. I remember Ronald Reagan talking about America as “a city set on a hill,” and Bill Clinton’s “new covenant” with America. Marx’s slogan “From each according to his ability to each according to his need” is derived from Act 2:45; 4:32-35. Biblicized political slogans are powerful because they employ the potency of the living Word of God. Perhaps you remember Mike Pence’s speech at the RNC this past August? As he came to his conclusion, here’s what he said:

My fellow Americans, we are going through a time of testing. But if you look through the fog of these challenging times, you will see, our flag is still there today. That Star-Spangled Banner still waves over the land of the free and the home of the brave. From these hallowed grounds [of Fort McHenry], American patriots in generations gone by did their part to defend freedom. Now, it is our turn.

So let’s run the race marked out for us. Let’s fix our eyes on Old Glory and all she represents. Let’s fix our eyes on this land of heroes and let their courage inspire. And let’s fix our eyes on the author and perfecter of our faith and our freedom and never forget that where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. That means freedom always wins.

Anything registering on your “cringeometer”? Don’t get me wrong, I am thankful to King Jesus for my American freedoms, especially the first amendment! But I cringe when I hear Jesus being displaced from Hebrews 12:1-2 with Old Glory and this land of heroes and when my liberty granted in Christ by the Holy Spirit in 2 Corinthians 3:17 is redefined as an Americanized freedom. I resist this politicizing of Scripture lest I be tempted to sell my birthright in Jesus’ monarchy for a bowl of American federal republic stew just because that stew has some Bible-word-vegetables thrown in!

My concern is for my pulpit, my stewardship of the gospel and the kingdom care of the flock of God entrusted to me. I don’t deny the legitimacy of my “Philippian citizenship.” I want to be balanced and that requires that I give due weight to that which is weightiest, and the kingdom of Christ is weightier than all the kingdoms of men.

Our evaluation of these matters must be built upon biblical foundations. We will consider those foundations in future articles. Meanwhile, let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

[1] www.https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mayor-facebook-blasted-trump-zealots, accessed October 15, 2020.

[2] Philippi was a Roman Colony which meant that the Philippian citizen had all the rights and privileges of a Roman citizen. Such political privilege was understandably valued but was of lesser value than the privilege of having citizenship in the monarchy of King Jesus. Philippians 1:27 is thought by many to be the thematic text of Paul’s letter. The thrust of his appeal is, only conduct yourselves [πολιτεύεσθε] in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. “Conduct yourselves” is a political term. It means “to live as a citizen, as a member of a city.” The verb has the word for “city” [πολι – “polis” from which we get “politics”] embedded in it. Without renouncing our Philippian citizenship, we are called to conduct ourselves as citizens of that city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God [Heb. 11:10].

[3] The Hebrew word installed is translated into the Greek Old Testament using the same verb that Jesus uses in Luke 12:14 translated appointed.