The Bible and Government Biblical Principles: Basis for Americas Laws PRINCIPLE LEGAL DOCUMENT BIBLE Sovereign authority of God, not sovereignty of the state, or sovereignty of man Mayflower Compact, Declaration, Constitution, currency, oaths, mention of God in all 50 state constitutions, Pledge of Allegiance Ex. 18:16, 20:3, Dt. 10:20, 2 Chron. 7:14, Ps. 83:18, 91:2, Isa. 9:6-7, Dan. 4:32, Jn. 19:11, Acts 5:29, Rom. 13:1, Col. 1:15-20, 1 Tim. 6:15 Existence of objective moral values, Fixed standards, Absolute truth, Sanctity of life Declaration (unalienable rights—life, etc., self-evident truths) Ex. 20:1-17, Dt. 30:19, Ps. 119: 142-152, Pr. 14:34, Isa. 5:20-21, Jn. 10:10, Rom. 2:15, Heb. 13:8 Rule of law rather than authority of man Declaration, Constitution Ex. 18-24, Dt. 17:20, Isa. 8:19-20, Mat. 5:17-18 All men are sinners Constitutional checks and balances Gen. 8:21, Jer. 17:9, Mk. 7: 20-23, Rom. 3:23, 1 Jn 1:8 All men created equal Declaration Gen. 1:26, Acts 10:34, 17:26, Gal. 3:28, 1 Pet. 2:17 Judicial, legislative, and executive branches Constitution Isa. 33:22 (See Madison) Religious freedom First Amendment 1 Tim. 2:1-2 Church protected from state control (& taxation), but church to influence the state First Amendment Dt. 17:18-20, 1 Kgs. 3:28, Ezra 7:24, Neh. 8:2, 1 Sam. 7:15-10:27, 15:10-31, 2 Sam. 12:1-18, Mat. 14:3-4, Lk. 3:7-14, 11:52, Acts 4:26-29 Republican form of government and warnings against kings but in favor of Godly rulers Constitution Ex. 18:21, Dt. 1:13, Jud. 8:22-23, 1 Sam. 8, Pr. 11:14, 24:6 Importance of governing self and family as first level of governance First, Second, Ninth, and Tenth Amendments Mat. 18:15-18, Gal. 5:16-26, 1 Cor. 6:1-11, 1 Tim. 3:1-5, Tit. 2:1-8 Establish justice Declaration Ex. 23:1-9, Lev. 19:15, Dt. 1:17, 16:19-20, 24:17-19, 1 Sam. 8:3, 2 Sam. 8:15, 1 Kings 3:28, 10:9, Mic. 6:8, Rom. 13:4 Fair trial with witnesses Sixth Amendment Ex. 20:16, Dt. 19:15, Pr. 24:28, 25:18, Mat. 18:16 Private property rights Fifth Amendment Ex. 20:15,17 Biblical liberty, Free enterprise Declaration Lev. 25:10, Jn. 8:36, 2 Cor. 3:17, Gal. 5:1, James 1:25, 1 Pet. 2:16 Creation not evolution Declaration Gen. 1:1 Biblical capitalism not Darwinian capitalism (service and fair play over strict survival of the fittest) Anti-trust laws Ex. 20:17, Mat. 20:26, 25:14-30, 2 Thes. 3:6-15, 1 Pet. 2:16 Importance of the traditional family State sodomy laws, few reasons for divorce Ex. 20:12,14, Mat. 19:1-12, Mk. 10:2-12, Rom. 1:18-2:16, 1 Cor. 7:1-40 Religious education encouraged Northwest Ordinance Dt. 6:4-7, Pr. 22:6, Mat. 18:6, Eph. 6:4 Servanthood not political power Concept of public servant Ex. 18:21, Rom. 13:4, Php. 2:7 Sabbath day holy Blue laws Ex. 20:8 Restitution Restitution laws Lev. 6:1-5, Num. 5:5-7, Mat. 5:23-26 To understand why some of these passages above are applicable to our laws, one has to go back to the formative era of our nation and to Americas culture and thinking at the time. The leaders of the various colonies, states, and ultimately the Founding Fathers themselves were steeped in biblical thinking. They drew from the Bible examples and looked for confirmation of ideas for government in Scripture.
Posted on: Wed, 05 Mar 2014 14:46:04 +0000
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