Baptist Distinctives #8

Separation of Church and State

I. The Principle

· The separation of church and state is a biblical truth that Baptists have championed and one that we must defend

A. What Do We Mean By Separation of Church and State?

1. There should be no organic union between church and state

2. The state should not control the church

B. In Some Countries the State Controls the Church

1. In England, the state church is the Anglican Church

2. Communist countries control churches

3. In American colonial days the colonies set up state churches

a) In Virginia in 1643, a law was enacted to “preserve purity of doctrine” forbidding anyone to teach or preach publicly or privately who was not a minister of the Episcopal Church, and did not conform its mode of worship. Not conforming to this law would result in banishment or imprisonment.

b) In Virginia in 1673, a house of worship was commanded to be erected on every plantation, and the service to be Episcopal. Everybody was required to attend church, or be heavily fined. No one could sell his tobacco till his tax for the support of the Episcopal minister was paid.

c) James Ireland was jailed for preaching the gospel. His enemies tried to blow-up the jail with gun powder. When that failed they next tried to suffocate him by burning sulfur under his windows in the jail. Still Ireland preached the gospel from the window of his jail cell. The enemies tried to arrange with a doctor to poison him. This all failed. A wall was built around the jail so people could not easily hear him preach from his cell. He could not see or be seen. When the people had gathered, a handkerchief was tied onto a long stick and the stick lifted up above the wall to signal Ireland that the people were assembled. The preaching continued.

d) Eventually the laws of Virginia were relaxed to allow one Baptist preacher per county. He could preach once every two months.

e) In one colony where Presbyterianism was the state religion there lived a settlement of Baptists. They had been heavily taxed so that a fort could be built for protection against Indians. It was decided that the five Baptist families needed a Presbyterian church built and another tax was levied on them. They complained that they were already too heavily taxed and that they had just started their settlement. “Our fields have not yet all been cleared, our little gardens and patches have just been planted. Our little homes have just been built. We cannot possibly pay this tax now.” The tax was levied anyway and was not paid. An auction was called for. The houses and lands were sold to pay the tax. Even the graveyard was sold. The cleared farmland was sold, but the uncleared land was not sold. Property valued at 365 pounds was sold for 35 pounds 10 shillings. Some of the land was bought by the Presbyterian preacher who was to preach in the church had it been built. The small settlement was said to have been left in ruins.

C. Problems with a State Church

1. Citizens of the state are automatically members of the state church

2. Churches are not free to act as they feel God wants them

3. State control usurps local control

4. Churches that don’t cooperate with the state church can be sanctioned and destroyed

II. What Does the Bible Say?

A. Matt 22:15-21

1. This is an attempt by the Pharisees to trap Christ into saying that something was wrong – vs 15

2. They began by hypocritically praising Christ – vs 16

3. In vs 17 they ask if it is alright to pay taxes – they were trying to put Christ into a no-win situation

a) If Jesus says “yes” then he admits that Caesar is king thus denying that he himself is king

b) If Jesus says “no” then Jesus comes off looking rebellious towards the king

4. Jesus saw their hearts – vs 18 and answered the question once for all – vs 21-22

5. Give to Caesar that which is due him and give to God that which is due Him

a) It is correct to pay taxes but it is important to give God what He deserves

b) Christ maintained his position as King and did not advocate rebellion against the govt

6. The Master here showed that there are two spheres – the earthly and the heavenly

a) Each has its own authority

b) Each is to be obeyed

c) They are to be kept separate

B. Jn 18:28-40

1. The Lord stood before Pilate during his trial and Pilate asked Jesus if he was the king of the Jews – vs 33

2. In vs 36, Jesus answered that his kingdom was not of this world “now”

3. Christ is king and he has a kingdom, but it is separate from the earthly realm. They are separate realms now.

C. Acts 5:17-29

1. The apostles had been jailed for preaching Christ

2. God delivered them from prison and told them to continue preaching

3. The apostles were again captured and reminded by the officials that they could not preach. They replied that they would rather obey God than man

4. When the govt makes a demand that is different from what the Bible teaches we must obey God and not man

5. They are two separate spheres

6. When the state controls churches then churches are not free to obey God as the scriptures say they must

III. What Does the Constitution Say?

“Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”