On Politics: Dead Men Don’t Vote
Only the living vote, and we are dead (in Christ).
G’day!
This newsletter is the second in a three-part series about politics, as it relates to the Body of Christ today. Before reading on, consider reading the first installment, “On Politics: ‘Be Subject to the Superior Authorities’.”
While Scripture is not, by any means, a political handbook, Paul, the apostle to the nations, was explicit about what our attitude should be toward politics and government, no matter our personal feelings about who is in office, who is not in office, or the consequences that arise by virtue of who is in office.
Politics Requires Conflict
Politics has, at its foundation, the presupposition of conflict and opposition. That is to say, there is no politics if there is no opposition.
After all, politics is, in a general sense, the negotiation of power, values, and resources that exist among differing interests. And in order to have a negotiation, there must be at least two sides that disagree on a matter.
Consequently, where there is no conflict, or negotiation, there is no politics.
Paul Reminds Us
In this way, Paul explicitly taught that members of the Body of Christ should not engage in politics, especially when it comes to governance. (Romans 13:1-7)
Why?
Because our identity, and the conflicts we engage in, are not of this world.
Any political jousting we may get thrown into on this planet is small peanuts, compared to our future responsibilities in the celestials.
[F]or it is not ours to wrestle with blood and flesh, but with the sovereignties, with the authorities, with the world-mights of this darkness, with the spiritual forces of wickedness among the celestials. (Ephesians 6:12)
Of course, this is much easier said than done. Sometimes, our emotions get the best of us.
Maybe some of us have an adverse, knee-jerk reaction to the idea that we must be “subject to the superior authorities.” Maybe some of us don’t want to be told what to do. Maybe some of us don’t feel that someone else, who has a different opinion than ours, should be able to thrust their ideas on us.
Nevertheless, it’s important to remember that, whoever has authority on Earth right now, was given it by God. And, for now, we are told to abide by those authorities.
So long as we keep our future allotment, in the celestials, at the forefront of our minds, it is far less likely that we will be led astray by the storm of politics thundering all around us, every single day.
The Alan Burns Effect
Alan Burns was a frequent contributor to Unsearchable Riches in the early days of the magazine. Vladimir Gelesnoff, the co-founder of Unsearchable Riches, considered Burns to be “the best gospel preacher he had ever heard.” Burns, suffering from pneumonia, passed away in 1929.
The bolded text that follows was taken from Burns’ essay, “Politician or Paulician,” which I believe to be a concise, valuable rebuttal to the notion that anyone, who is a member of the Body of Christ, ought to actively take part in politics today.
Schisms and Sectarianism
The term “Paulician” may be misunderstood, especially if it be taken to represent an “I am of Paul” sectarianism. When even “I am of Christ” is frowned upon by this great apostle as being sectarian and heretical, we may well be assured that such a caste usage of it is nothing but a form of wretched religious snobbery.
Politics, as defined above, has even seeped into the realm of fellowship among believers, where schisms and sectarianism should have no part.
Not only do many people, much of the time, wish to be defined by their political allegiances, they also find pride, or worth, in affiliating with a certain denomination.
This was already quite apparent in Paul’s day.
In 1 Corinthians 1:10-13, Paul writes:
10 Now I am entreating you, brethren, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all may be saying the same thing, and there may be no schisms among you, but you may be attuned to the same mind and to the same opinion.
11 For it was made evident to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe, that there are strifes among you.
12 Now I am saying this, that each of you is saying, “I, indeed, am of Paul,” yet “I of Apollos,” yet “I of Cephas,” yet “I of Christ.”
13 Christ is parted! Not Paul was crucified for your sakes! Or into the name of Paul are you baptized?
Not only are we not to be hoisting the banner of a certain name (not even Christ’s!), we are to “be attuned to the same mind and the same opinion.”
While schisms were, apparently, a notable issue for those in Corinth at the time, the same types of schisms seem to have proliferated, many times over, since then.
According to some reports, there are as many as 45,000 sects of Christianity extant in the world today, and that number could crawl up to 49,000 by the end of this year.
If that’s keeping the “same mind,” or “same opinion,” then, folks, I’m the real Spider-Man.
Saints, Not Citizens
The church of the Twentieth Century [and Twenty-First Century] has, in its Bible, a gospel for the world and yet we find it in the role of a law-maker rather than a gospel preacher. Its preachers are trying to make citizens when they should be seeking to edify saints.
As I covered in the first installment of this series, the Body of Christ has, as its future allotment, an abode in the celestial realms.
Conversely, Israel, as God’s chosen people, are expecting an earthly kingdom, which will be set up on Earth in the future, and will be established for the Thousand Years.
This distinction is paramount.
Burns’ statement above suggests that Christians today, whether they know it or not, are behaving as if they have an earthly kingdom to look forward to, which is why they feel the need to make citizens on this planet, rather than edifying the saints for their future allotment.
On the other hand, the Body of Christ understands that the rulers of this Earth are doomed to fail. There is no fixing this place. Its gears, its mechanics, are uniquely designed to corrode, and break down.
Because of this, we, the Body of Christ, feel no obligation, or motivation, to make this place perfect.
Saints as Aliens on Earth
The saints of God are aliens here on earth. Let that sink in. No believer, as such, can be a Republican [or Democrat], for in his heart he believes in and is related to a kingdom. Republicanism is merely political Arminianism.1 It believes in human ability in some form.
…
Individually, we may be ambassadors entreating the world to be conciliated to God, but does England’s ambassador to the United States vote?
Burns’ argument here is that believers cannot subscribe to Republicanism, or Democratism, because we belong to a realm that doesn’t recognize those labels.
It would be like me, an American, subscribing to a European political party that is pro-European Union.
Despite what I may think about the EU, as an American, it’s utterly irrelevant, since the U.S. isn’t part of the EU, and, as a result, has no formal say in the matter.
Virtually all members of the Body of Christ recognize God’s absolute sovereignty.
But when we assume that, as individuals, we can bring about positive change in earthly governance, we, however indirectly, admit that our own ability takes precedence over God’s divine design.
However, it doesn’t.
To play earthly politics is to challenge God’s sovereignty, and mandate, during this current eon.
As ambassadors of Christ, our task is to call for the world to be conciliated to God. Our assignment is not to argue for lower tax rates, universal healthcare, or more affordable prices on Little Debbie cakes.
We are ambassadors.2
The Real Walking Dead
Instead of becoming a citizen of the world, [Paul] became a corpse in it: “I am crucified with Christ.” As far as the world is concerned the church of God is a cemetery full of nothing but dead men, and men with their names on tombstones do not run for political nominations.
A citizen, by definition, is someone who is alive. However, “[w]ith Christ, we have been crucified,” as Paul writes, in Galatians 2:20.
The apostle, writing to those in Colossae, revealed that we have been “entombed together with Him in baptism, in Whom you were roused together also through faith in the operation of God…” (Colossians 2:12)
No one who has been entombed can claim citizenship. They are dead!
In Romans 6:3-4, Paul writes:
3 Or are you ignorant that whoever are baptized into Christ Jesus, are baptized into His death?
4 We, then, were entombed together with Him through baptism into death, that, even as Christ was roused from among the dead through the glory of the Father, thus we also should be walking in newness of life.
Not only are we “entombed together with Him,” but we are hid with Him.
Once more, Paul writes, in Colossians 3:3:
3 for you died, and your life is hid together with Christ in God.
The word hid, in Greek, is κρύπτω (kruptō), which, according to the Greek-English Keyword Concordance of the Concordant Literal New Testament, means: “[A] place where the usual exercise of the senses will not perceive.”
Our life, our true life, is hidden together with Christ, in God.
When members of the Body of Christ go about their day, they may look like anyone else. They may look like any other citizen of their country. But spiritually, in truth, their life is concealed from the senses, tucked away, cradled in God with Christ.
We, the Body of Christ, in the flesh, are the real walking dead. We no longer have a claim on earth. It is not our home. We have been entombed. And, as a result, we have been hid with Christ.
Once more, we are ambassadors.
To Be a Roman Is to Die a Roman
Paul was no politician. Once, it is true, he claimed Roman citizenship, but see what happened thereafter. The events that followed after he claimed his “rights” quickly led to a conclusion of the preaching of the kingdom of God. And if, as a Roman citizen, he received Roman protection for a season it is also true that as a Roman citizen he was put into a Roman prison, and ultimately as a Roman citizen, suffered from the stroke of a Roman sword.
Some have suggested that, though Paul wrote what he did in Romans 13:1-7, he still claimed Roman citizenship.
This is true. There’s no getting around it.
But, it’s important to note, Paul died by the sword of the earthly nation he claimed as his own. In this way, Paul’s entreaty in Romans 13 is given even more legitimacy, as the apostle’s life explicitly demonstrates the logical end to such a move.
To wrap up the second installment of this study, I’ll leave you with a thought-provoking flourish, written by Burns, that draws out how our privileges, as a citizen of a country, comes with inherent responsibilities we may not like.
The Final Word
How many of God’s people have failed to see that if you exercise a citizen’s privileges in the time of peace you must honorably fulfil a citizen’s duties in the time of war! Ballots and bayonets are logically united: the ballot is the means whereby the majority make law for the minority; and the bayonet is the weapon whereby the strong make law for the weak. You can no more preach the gospel with a ballot than you can with the point of a bayonet, but if as a citizen you claim the privilege of using the former do not be surprised if your fellow-citizens expect you to face the duty of employing the latter.
Before you go…
The final installment of this study on politics, government, and our future allotment will be published next week. It will cover our ambassadorship, and, specifically, what that means for the Body of Christ.
We are hid together with Christ, in God, and that fact alone should give us joy and thanksgiving beyond measure.
Stay tuned!
With Grace,
Concordant Student
Arminianism is a theological position, which teaches that God’s grace enables, but does not ensure, human salvation. Consequently, the position holds that people have the free will to either accept or reject God’s offer of salvation, independent of God’s sovereignty. (For my newsletter on free will, please click here.)
This happens to be the topic of the third installment of this series. So, hang tight, I have much to say on the topic of ambassadorship.
I've held Burn's view (and yours), since 1978. Thanks for elaborating on this stance. We are of like mind. We of the Body of Christ are mere sojourners here. Like Abraham, we are looking for another place to live, which ain't here, it's in the heavenlies. It's our origin and also our destiny. ❤️
I’d never considered this angle. Really great article, brother. Thank you.