Pastor Politics
On the Mission of the Church, the Law of God, and Eschatology

Affirmations & Denials

Preamble

Our purpose in writing this statement is to articulate a biblical vision for the mission of the church, cultural engagement, God’s moral law, and political theology, clarifying what we affirm and deny in these vital areas while seeking to promote unity and faithfulness across the broader body of Christ.

We are persuaded that our duty as Christians—especially in this complex cultural moment—is to avoid both passive disengagement and worldly compromise, seeking instead to bring every thought under the Lordship of Christ. We offer these articles as an invitation to rigorous biblical reflection and courageous action, praying that they serve to exalt the name of Jesus in every sphere of life for the glory of God and the good of our neighbors.

Mission of the Church

Articles I–VII

ArticleI

We affirm that the mission of the church is to make disciples of all nations, teaching them to observe all that Christ has commanded.

We deny that addressing the prevalent sins of a society with the gospel or discipling civil magistrates is antithetical to the mission of the church (1 Tim 2:1-4).

ArticleII

We affirm that the mission of the church is to be carried out through preaching the gospel, planting churches, and adorning the gospel with love and good works.1

We deny that the mission of the church is carried out through political campaigns, or that the church as an institution is to act as a political lobbying group. We also deny that the influence of Christians in the civil sphere means that the church as an institution has necessarily replaced or abandoned its mission.

ArticleIII

We affirm that conversion is a supernatural work of the Spirit of God by grace through the power of the gospel in which dead hearts are made alive.2

We deny that external force, threats, pressure, or coercion can save sinners.3

ArticleIV

We affirm that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God to save, and that effective cultural engagement magnifies the power of the gospel and the sufficiency of Scripture for all of life.

We deny that cultural engagement, the civil sphere, or the evangelization of the world distracts or detracts from the sufficiency of the gospel; nor does it reflect an idolization of politics or culture or a disproportionate passion for priorities other than Christ.

ArticleV4

We affirm that the keys of the kingdom belong to the church (Matt 16:19) and that the sword of justice belongs to the state or civil magistrate (Rom 13:4), and that the authorities of these spheres of sovereignty should not be conflated, as they have jurisdiction over different things (i.e., souls and bodies, respectively).

We deny that the ecclesiastical sphere and the civil sphere are entirely separated or must be necessarily at odds with one another.

ArticleVI5

We affirm that there is a distinction between the Church proper, where the Word is preached and the sacraments are administered, and the Kingdom, where Christians live in the culture that surrounds the Church. And we affirm that it is the Church’s duty to equip the saints for works of service in the Kingdom.

We deny that the Church constitutes the entirety of the Christian life in an ecclesio-only sort of way.

ArticleVII

We affirm that pastors, as ministers of the gospel, are called to proclaim Christ to all people and apply God’s Word to all of life.

We deny that applying the Word of God to issues in culture and society is a departure from the pastor’s calling.

The Law of God

Articles VIII–XII

ArticleVIII

We affirm that external (top-down) righteous laws in society are good for restraining evil, punishing the wicked, teaching mankind God’s righteous requirements, and creating cultural conditions conducive to conversion (1 Tim 1:8-10; Rom 13).67

We deny that external righteous laws in the civil sphere are in conflict with the work of gospel proclamation.

ArticleIX

We affirm that God is glorified and people are blessed when God’s Word exerts widespread influence in a society, and God is dishonored and people suffer when a society rejects God and his Word (Prov 29:2).

We deny that the increasing and transforming influence of the gospel in a society is something to be avoided or feared.

ArticleX

We affirm the goodness of cultural Christianity, how it is good for our neighbors and conducive to peace and justice, how it often supports the work of evangelism, and how it acts as a tutor for Christian discipleship.

We deny that pagan, pluralistic, or persecuting societies are to be preferred to righteous ones. We also deny that nominalism is sufficient to save souls.

ArticleXI

We affirm that the law of Moses was a perfect example of human laws, which declared the natural, moral (i.e. Decalogue), divine, and eternal law of God in the context of the nation of Israel.

We also affirm that the moral law is universally binding. We affirm that the judicial precepts of the law of Moses contain in them immutable principles of wisdom and justice that should still be applied contextually and prudentially today, unless otherwise noted in the New Testament. And we affirm that the full meaning of the ceremonial laws of Israel was fulfilled in and through Christ.891011

We deny that the judicial precepts from the law of Moses have no lasting relevance for nations today. And we also deny that these judicial precepts should be applied to nations in the exact same way as they were applied to the nation of Israel. Rather, we should consider their general equity (WCF 19.4).12

ArticleXII

We affirm that when Jesus said his kingdom is not of this world, he meant that his authority transcends all heavenly and earthly authorities.

We deny that Jesus meant his kingdom has no effect on this world.

Eschatology

Articles XIII–XXII

ArticleXIII

We affirm that Christ’s kingdom was established when he rose from the dead, ascended, and was seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty in heaven.

We deny that Christ’s kingdom is exclusively spiritual, gnostic, or future and that his reign does not have real temporal relevance.13

ArticleXIV

We affirm that our hope in gospel progress is rooted in the clear, specific, and trustworthy promises of God in Scripture (e.g., Gen 15:5-6; Isa 11:9; Hab 2:14; Rom 5:19; 1 Cor 15:25-26; Phil 2:10-11; Rev 7:9-10).

We deny that our hope is a general, wishful, or naive optimism. We also deny that this hope leaves us at risk of disillusionment or despair.

ArticleXV

We affirm that Christ’s kingdom will continue to advance in the world (Ezek 47; Dan 7:14; 1 Cor 15:25-28; Rev 11:15) and that the Lord will continue to build his church in history (Matt 16:18).

We deny that this advance will always appear to be linear or that we can determine our eschatology based on the optimism or pessimism of any given historical moment.

ArticleXVI

We affirm that Christ and Christ alone is our hope for every earthly and spiritual good. And we affirm the fullness of his person and work as our hope—his life, death, resurrection, ascension, session, and return.

We deny that the Christian’s hope is to be found only in the future return of Jesus and not in the fullness of his work. We also deny that the real power and presence of Christ with his Church now (Matt 28:16, 20) detracts from our future hope.

ArticleXVII

We affirm that when Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven,” he intended for the redemption and glorification of this world.14

We deny that ultimate care and concern for eternal and heavenly priorities (spiritual kingdom) is mutually exclusive with appropriate care and concern for earthly priorities (temporal kingdom).

ArticleXVIII

We affirm that the kingdom comes through God’s sovereign agency and action, and yet God’s sovereignty does not negate human agency and action.

We deny that humans should assume a passive stance in the face of social evils or fear that their kingdom efforts are in conflict with God’s sovereignty.15

ArticleXIX

We affirm that the people of God will continue to suffer in this age and that they should not be surprised when suffering coincides with the Christian life.

We deny that this suffering should discourage believers from their hope of greater manifestations of Christ’s saving rule on earth nor should it deter us from striving to persuade men (and magistrates) to submit to his rule and reign as the King of kings and Lord of lords.16

ArticleXX

We affirm that gospel transformation works slowly like leaven through dough and that Christians are to be patient, prayerful, and persevering in their lives as they strive for reformation and revival (Rom 8:25; Gal 6:9; Heb 10:36).

We deny that Christians should expect, hope for, or attempt to bring about some cataclysmic event or revolution that will usher in the kingdom of God on earth (i.e., we are not advocates of Millenarianism or chiliasm).

ArticleXXI

We affirm that Christians should not put their trust in princes, politicians, presidents, or prime ministers (Ps 20:7; 146:3). We also affirm that Christians should not hope in any one nation or country on earth as though it were specifically God’s chosen people.

We deny that the language of “stranger,” “exile,” “alien,” and “pilgrim” is primarily referring to a Christian’s relationship to the civil sphere or his influence in society. Rather, we understand it to refer to the reality that Christians still live in a world with sin and death, and/or to a specific moment in redemptive history (e.g. the Babylonian exile). Furthermore, Christians have now been named “citizens” in the household of God (Eph 2:19-22). See also Ryan Chase’s article “Sojourners & Exiles”.

ArticleXXII

We affirm that Christ will come again personally, visibly, and bodily to judge the living and the dead and that there will be a future, glorious, literal resurrection that ushers in the final and eternal form of the kingdom.17 We also affirm that the new heavens and new earth will be more glorious than anything we’ve experienced on this side of his return (1 Cor 2:9, 15:51-52).

We deny that all New Testament prophecies were fulfilled in 70 A.D.18

Closing Articles

Articles XXIII–XXIV

ArticleXXIII

We affirm that the shaping virtues of humility, joy, gratitude, encouragement, generosity, servanthood, and godliness are to mark all Christians, and especially those who serve as pastors. We also affirm that courage must undergird and exist alongside each of these virtues.1920

We deny that these virtues should be defined by the culture’s response to the gospel.21

ArticleXXIV

We affirm, strongly, the Sovereign Grace Statement of Faith in all of its articles, particularly in its description of the purpose and mission of the church.

We deny that anything thus stated contradicts the Sovereign Grace Statement of Faith in any way, either in its specific text or in its spirit.

Notes

  1. 1.Sovereign Grace Statement of Faith, The Purpose and Mission of the Church. ↩︎
  2. 2.Sovereign Grace Statement of Faith, Effectual Calling, Regeneration, and Conversion. ↩︎
  3. 3.Althusius, Politica, Liberty Fund, Inc., 1995: “We are not able to command religion because no one is required to believe against his will. Faith must be persuaded, not commanded, and taught, not ordered” (pg. 172). ↩︎
  4. 4.See R.C. Sproul’s What is the Relationship Between the Church and the State?, specifically chapters 2 & 3. ↩︎
  5. 5.Inspiration for this Article comes from Doug Wilson’s Empires of Dirt, pgs. 183-185 ↩︎
  6. 6.Althusius, Politica, Liberty Fund, Inc., 1995: “...the subject matter of the Decalogue is indeed political insofar as it directs symbiotic life and prescribes what ought to be done therein. For the Decalogue teaches the pious and just life; piety toward God and justice toward [others]… If the external and civil life of words, deeds, and works is accompanied by true faith—together with holiness of thought and desire, and with a right purpose, namely, the glory of God—then it becomes theological. So therefore, when the works of the Decalogue are performed by the Christian to the glory of God because of true faith, they are pleasing to God. But if, to the contrary, they are performed by an infidel or heathen, to whom the Apostle Paul indeed ascribes a natural knowledge of and inclination towards the Decalogue, these works are not able to please God. But in political life even an infidel may be called just, innocent, and upright because of them” (pg. 147, emphasis added). ↩︎
  7. 7.Ibid.: “The Decalogue has been prescribed for all people to the extent that it agrees with and explains the common law of nature for all peoples. It has also been renewed and confirmed by Christ our king” (pg. 144, emphasis added). ↩︎
  8. 8.Concept drawn from Franciscus Junius, The Mosaic Polity, Acton Institute, 2015, chps. 2-3 ↩︎
  9. 9.Althusius, Politica, Liberty Fund, Inc., 1995: “I have rightly selected examples for political science from excellent and praiseworthy polities, from the histories of human life, and from past events, and have employed them in that art that ought to be the guide of an upright political life, the moulder of all symbiosis, and the image of good social life. I more frequently use examples from sacred scripture because it has God or pious men as its author, and because I consider that no polity from the beginning of the world has been more wisely and perfectly constructed than the polity of the Jews. We err, I believe, whenever in similar circumstances we depart from it” (pg. 13, emphasis added). ↩︎
  10. 10.Girolamo Zanchi, On the Law in General, Acton Institute, 2012: “How indeed could a law that is not good be given from the perfect God? (pg. 80). ↩︎
  11. 11.See WCF 19.1 - 19.5, http://thewestminsterstandards.com/wcf-chapter-19-of-the-law-of-god-19-1-19-5/ ↩︎
  12. 12.Doug Wilson, General Equity Theonomy, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_4KGg2jxLY ↩︎
  13. 13.Inspiration for this Article comes from Kenneth Gentry’s He Shall Have Dominion, pg. 55 ↩︎
  14. 14.James B. Jordan, Through New Eyes, Wipf and Stock Publishers, 1988: “Man is to labor to take the raw material of the earth and remodel it according to the heavenly blueprint; ‘Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven’” (pg. 42). ↩︎
  15. 15.John Frame, In Defense of Christian Activism vs. Michael Horton and Meredith Kline, 2012: https://frame-poythress.org/in-defense-of-christian-activism-vs-michael-horton-and-meredith-kline/ ↩︎
  16. 16.Greg Bahnsen, Theonomy: An Informed Response, pp. 105-106 ↩︎
  17. 17.Sovereign Grace Statement of Faith, Christ’s Return and the Resurrection. ↩︎
  18. 18.We hold to a partial preterism like the one advocated for by R.C. Sproul in The Last Days According to Jesus. ↩︎
  19. 19.Seven Shaping Virtues of Sovereign Grace, https://www.sovereigngrace.com/blog/our-shaping-virtues ↩︎
  20. 20.C.S. Lewis: “Courage is not simply one of the virtues but the form of every virtue at the testing point, which means at the point of highest reality.” ↩︎
  21. 21.Ryan Chase, “13 Theses on Winsomeness,” Emmaus Road Church, May 9, 2023, https://hub.emmausroadsf.com/blog/2023/05/09/13-theses-on-winsomeness ↩︎

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