Ruling as a Civil Magistrate

The job of the Civil Magistrate (whether he be a Christian or not) is to guard the general (i.e., secular) interests of all the citizens and not the holy interests.

The Purpose of the Theocracy

The theocracy of Israel was a typological picture of the final kingdom (of heaven) and, as such, served as a temporary picture of the redemptive kingdom of God, not as a template for other earthly nations.

The Origin of the State (Genesis 4:13-17; 9:5-17; Romans 13:1-7; 1 Timothy 2:1-4)

The city, within the context of the Fall, was established by God for the protection of all men (regardless of creed) to keep order while the Gospel goes forth.

Different Approaches to Church and State

My hope today is simply to start to layout some of the different options that are often proposed in this discussion and to make some preliminary observations.