Three Governments
When you hear the word ‘government,’ what comes to mind? I bet very few of you were thinking of church government or family government. For most modern Americans the word ‘government’ always refers to the civil government. The civil government is the government which is central to modern American society. However, the Bible offers a blueprint for a social order that is quite different in structure, one that preserves both security, and liberty. It is a decentralized order with many governments that serve to check and balance one another.
In a biblical social order there are at least three governments each of which has a limited sphere of jurisdiction that is defined by the Bible. The first government is family government, the second is church government, and the third is civil government. The rulers in each of these governments are to act as ministers of God, ruling their respective members or citizens according to the teaching of the Scriptures. Each of these governments must maintain their proper places in society if both liberty and order are to be preserved.
Foundational to a social order is the family government which is responsible for health, education, and welfare of its members. Health care is not the job of the state, but the family. The family cares for the physical needs of its members (1 Tim.5:8). The family is also responsible for the education of its members. The state has no business educating children. Children are under the authority of their parents who are to assume complete responsibility for their education (Deut.6:6-7; Eph.6:1-4). Furthermore, all business enterprise arises from within the family government. They provide the capital, take the risks, and make the profits or suffer the losses associated with business endeavors.
Church government has jurisdiction over its own membership and is responsible for the spiritual and moral care of her members (Heb.13:17). The church teaches, preaches, administers the sacraments, and ministers to widows and orphans who are without a family’s care. The church’s government is independent of the state and family government, but her membership is made up of families. The church is to serve as a moral guide to both the family and the state.
Civil government has jurisdiction over the occupants of a particular geographical region, including both citizens and resident aliens. The State’s authority is limited by the Scriptures. The civil ruler cannot rule according to his own desires or exercise power tyrannically. Romans 13:4 says, “For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.” The primary responsibility of the civil ruler is to punish crime. The Bible defines what kinds of actions are criminal and the just penalties for particular crimes.
In the execution of justice it is important for the civil rule to distinguish between crime and sin. All crimes are sins, but not all sins are crimes. For example, a husband’s failure to love his wife is a sin, but it is not a crime. The family and church governments have jurisdiction over these non-criminal sins.
When these three governments operate in their various spheres, society can be ordered in a way that promotes the maximum amount of liberty, security, and prosperity. However, when all power is centralized in the State, liberty is lost and a tyrannical state ends up trying to do what it was never designed to do, and doing it all quite poorly.