Comments on: Christians And Democracy http://www.themicahmandate.org/2009/10/christians-and-democracy/ Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:36:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Christopher http://www.themicahmandate.org/2009/10/christians-and-democracy/comment-page-1/#comment-395 Christopher Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:40:22 +0000 http://www.themicahmandate.org/?p=2237#comment-395 I agree with you Alwyn that Matt. 22:21 wasn't exactly the best if you are looking from a hermeneutical point of view. I agree with your understanding of the verse. I actually written this piece at the spur of the moment. The point thatI want to make is that many churches (and Christians) tend to separate between politics and God. The best way to describe the use of the verse here is more metaphorical more than anything else. warm regards, Chris I agree with you Alwyn that Matt. 22:21 wasn’t exactly the best if you are looking from a hermeneutical point of view. I agree with your understanding of the verse. I actually written this piece at the spur of the moment.

The point thatI want to make is that many churches (and Christians) tend to separate between politics and God. The best way to describe the use of the verse here is more metaphorical more than anything else.

warm regards,
Chris

]]> By: alwyn http://www.themicahmandate.org/2009/10/christians-and-democracy/comment-page-1/#comment-394 alwyn Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:51:36 +0000 http://www.themicahmandate.org/?p=2237#comment-394 Thanks for the write-up, Christopher. My thoughts on that critical verse you quoted: Matt 22:21 was Jesus' response to the Jews' dilemma of being required by Roman law to pay taxes to Caesar (using, as it were, Caesar-minted coins symbolizing the Emperor as divine) which de facto contradicted the Jewish Law of being devoted to only one God. It was a catch-22 for a Jew. The Jewish leaders knew this and wanted to trick Jesus into committing a crime/sin either way by his answer. But Jesus (as always) didn't want to play their game(s) and carved a creative pathway (of light?) through the entire question. By telling the ppl to 'render unto Caesar what is Caesar's and unto God what belongs to God', He distinguishes the two kinds of kingdoms and hence the two (and different kinds) of loyalty. He made it 'okay' for the Jew to pay taxes (since the coin 'belonds' to Caesar anyway) WITHOUT making it seem like they were devoted to any other God by YHWH. (Also, I recall a pastor-friend saying that Jesus' *requesting* a coin FROM HIS QUESTIONERS was a way of 'exposing' them as well...but that's another story...) My point is that this passage is in no sense a commandment of Christ to be an 'active participant in the political life of the nation' and, ironically, *does* put some kind of 'wall' between church (the realm/agents of God's kingdom) and politics (the realm of the world's kingdom-governance). I'm not saying Christians don't have some kind of socio-political responsibility (and on this your piece certainly provides another good spur forward), but to repeat I'm not sure that Matt 22:21 provides the best Biblical basis for doing so(?). Alwyn Thanks for the write-up, Christopher. My thoughts on that critical verse you quoted:

Matt 22:21 was Jesus’ response to the Jews’ dilemma of being required by Roman law to pay taxes to Caesar (using, as it were, Caesar-minted coins symbolizing the Emperor as divine) which de facto contradicted the Jewish Law of being devoted to only one God. It was a catch-22 for a Jew. The Jewish leaders knew this and wanted to trick Jesus into committing a crime/sin either way by his answer.

But Jesus (as always) didn’t want to play their game(s) and carved a creative pathway (of light?) through the entire question. By telling the ppl to ‘render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto God what belongs to God’, He distinguishes the two kinds of kingdoms and hence the two (and different kinds) of loyalty. He made it ‘okay’ for the Jew to pay taxes (since the coin ‘belonds’ to Caesar anyway) WITHOUT making it seem like they were devoted to any other God by YHWH.

(Also, I recall a pastor-friend saying that Jesus’ *requesting* a coin FROM HIS QUESTIONERS was a way of ‘exposing’ them as well…but that’s another story…)

My point is that this passage is in no sense a commandment of Christ to be an ‘active participant in the political life of the nation’ and, ironically, *does* put some kind of ‘wall’ between church (the realm/agents of God’s kingdom) and politics (the realm of the world’s kingdom-governance).

I’m not saying Christians don’t have some kind of socio-political responsibility (and on this your piece certainly provides another good spur forward), but to repeat I’m not sure that Matt 22:21 provides the best Biblical basis for doing so(?).

Alwyn

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