Introduction to Part 3: Protecting the Auction
Updated: 1/13/20
Christian Economics: Teacher's Editionin an
Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. And they judged the people at all times. Any hard case they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves (Exodus 18:25–26).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. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed (Romans 13:1–7).
The Bible mandates civil government. It categorically denies the legitimacy of the idea of a society without civil government. Throughout the history of Christianity, all ecclesiastical traditions have asserted the legitimacy of the state. There are no exceptions.
Paul went so far as to mandate that churches pray for civil rulers. “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (I Timothy 2:1–2). If civil government were illegitimate, Paul would not have commanded such a thing. He did not say to pray for leaders of gangs or criminal syndicates.
This raises a practical problem. There is no such thing as a free lunch. So, how are the legitimate services of the state to be paid for?
Second, there is a theoretical problem. Which services of the state are legitimate, and which are not? In Part 3, I deal with legitimate services. In Part 4, I deal with illegitimate ones.
Biblical social theory rests on this presupposition: God has delegated limited sovereignty to men and women. This is the teaching of the dominion covenant (Genesis 1:26–28). These are four other covenants: individual, family, church, and state. Each requires support: confessional and economic.
The free market is not created by an oath-bound covenant before God. It is contractual, not covenantal. It is an institutional extension primarily of families, although unmarried individuals also participate. The point is, the free market is not autonomous. Nothing is autonomous except God, but I am speaking about its judicial status. It is not established directly under God. It is derivative.
As an institution that is judicially subordinate to individuals and families, it requires protection from violent men and thieves. Individuals and families also deserve protection. This is the judicial function of the state, as we seen in both the Old Testament and the New Testament.
Paul said churches must pray for rulers in order to obtain peace. Providing peace is the state’s primary function. Some institution will always provide peace. The family is not the primary agency of enforcing peace. Families sometimes conflict with each other. The feud is the traditional sign of families in conflict. The clan war is an extension of the feud.
Then there are gangs. They provide a kind of peace through obedience. But gang wars are common. Beyond the gang is the warlord. He offers a kind of state. But an oath to the warlord is personal. It ends with his death. Then who will inherit? A struggle for power ensues. Perhaps a war between factions will settle this. If there is a system of succession, then the warlord’s army becomes the state.
In short, the state is an inescapable concept. It is never a question of state vs. no state. It is always a question of which kind of state.
The necessary functions of the state in providing protection of life and property are far more predictable than the same function provided by the gang or the warlord society. Because there is greater predictability, there is greater peace. There is greater self-government.
In Part 3, I survey three elements of state protection: justice, national defense, and taxation.
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For the rest of this book, go here: https://www.garynorth.com/public/department193.cfm