CHRIST, CAESAR AND FEMINISM

By Warren Coles

God decreed that rulers "must be just, ruling in the fear of God" (II Sam. 23:3). So He urges government leaders, "Be wise now, 0 ye kings. . . serve the Lord. . .kiss the Son," that is, be reconciled to Christ and love Him. He Himself announced, "All authority in heaven and earth has been given unto me". He is now co-regent with the Father and doing what one does who is seated on a throne. Faithful rulers look to the Lord Jesus and study their Bibles.

How well have you studied this matter of the Christian's relationship to human government? Relatively few of God's dear people have studied this thoroughly, even though it affects our lives daily. The most that some can say about it is, "Render to Caesar the things.. .and render to God the things," "Be subject to the powers that be," and "Daniel was in government." That is very little knowledge of the subject. Are you willing to consider the whole truth and accept it? Governments in general are placed in position by the providential workings of the Most High. Yet both Old and New Testaments symbolize them as beasts. Also, Satan is behind them: Luke 4:5-8; Dan. 9:13, 20, etc. We pray for rulers, respect them and are subject to them as a rule. But we must not be naïve about them: "Put not your trust in princes" (rulers)- Psalm 146:3; "Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee which frameth mischief by a law?" (Psa. 94:20).

To the extent that one who "ruleth over men is just, ruling in the fear of God," to that extent he has the right to expect our submission, even though he makes mistakes. But through all ages God-fearing people have had to disobey earthly authorities when commanded to violate God's Word: Exod. 1:15-22; Jonathan's disobedience of his father and king; the apostles (Acts 5), etc.

Feminism

The Lord Jesus warns us against "lawlessness," including lawlessness by lawmakers (Matt. 24). One of the most basic relationships of life is that between the sexes and we now see much conflict or lawlessness in this. Governments are promoting male roles for women, even in military service. Sadly, many churches are doing the same on the plea of "democratic equality". Some misunderstand "neither male nor female" in Gal. 3:28 to refer to our practice. Actually, it refers to our position in Christ, not practice. It is about "the church which is his body," not the local church. Feminism is a burning issue and you need to know the truth about the roles of the sexes. God saw to it that His Old Testament peoples' rulers, about 99% of the time, would be males. The 1% or 2% of female leaders were given by God as a judgment or as a special test. This was only in very exceptional cases and can by no means be used to justify our having women as rulers. In fact, God shamed Israel in Isaiah 3:12 like this: "As for my people, children are their oppressors and WOMEN RULE OVER THEM." Wow! What a disgrace! Look at I Tim. 2 which gives God's order FOR SOCIETY and the CHURCH. Notice that matters of church order don't begin until chapter three. Women rulers are forbidden in both arenas: "I (with apostolic authority- verse 7) permit not a woman to teach nor (take) authority over the man.. . for Adam was first formed, then Eve. And the woman being deceived" fell first. So woman officials in government are in sin and have no right to expect submission from those who obey the Lord Jesus Christ. "Ye that love the Lord, hate evil."

Warren Wm. Coles, Bible and Church history teacher by grace, 1993
715 South LaGrave Street
Paw Paw, Michigan 49079

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August 20, 2003

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