From a historical point of view, the relationship between the church and the state has always been a rocky one. The Church was born in hostility to the state and not of its own doing since it was the fears of the Romans that caused the problems. For much of its early existence, Christianity was an illegal religion and efforts by the Roman state at times were vigorous in an effort to suppress or eliminate this illegal religion. It was not until Constantine the Great that Christianity became excepted and later became the state religion. In the case of Constantine, the state was in charge or ruled over the church much like the early Roman State cared for the gods. This relationship between church and state lasted and continued to the time of Augustine. Augustine believed that the state was the handmaiden of the church or put another way, the church should rule over the state. In fact Augustine was the first person in history to use the state army to punish heretics. The now infamous passage Augustine used to force the Donatist to the church building was Luke 14:23. ¹

But....Augustine also brought about change in the idea of church and state when he wrote The City of God. Since Augustine made such a sharp distinction between the earthly city and the heavenly city it is only natural that a distinction between civil government and spiritual government develop. In 494 A.D., Pope Gelasius wrote Anastasius and expanded the idea of two separate powers.² Gelasius states that the spiritual power of the church is far superior to the temporal power of the state and at least for a while this is the way things remained. One of the most recognized examples of the church ruling over the state is found in the Canossa event when in 1076, Pope Gregory excommunicated Henry IV. To regain the favor of the Pope Henry marched over the Alps in the winter and waited three days, barefoot in the snow for the Pope's forgiveness. But this changed once again under Henry the VIII (1509-1547), when Henry kicked the Pope out of England and made himself head over the church,thus once again establishing the state's supremacy over the church.

By the time of Marin Luther (1483-1546), the medieval doctrine of "Two Swords" was firmly established. God gave one sword to the state to punish the wicked andthe other sword to the church to care for spiritual matters. But Luther himself damaged this doctrine to the point of no return. Luther advocated the idea of the "Priesthood of All believers" eliminating most all hierarchy in the church. Since he did not accept the Pope or the Roman Catholic Priesthood, the superiority of the state over the church was by default. Lutheranism in fact became the state religion of Germany. Luther made such a distinction between the church and the state that even today his ideas still linger even in our modern culture.

The modern doctrine of the separation of church and state is not found in our constitution but has been developed through the court system. Since it isn't part of our constitution, it will always be subject to attack.

Romans, chapter 13

b. Paul does not use the word "obey" here, but uses the word "submission" which is a weaker word. (hupotassestho, to be subject

to). Since Paul does use the word "be subject to" that leaves an opening for times when we cannot do what the Government requires of us. In Acts 5: 29, we are told to obey God rather than man, but even then, if his/her Christian convictions will not permit us to be compliant, we must be willing to submit to the punishment required by the state.

C. All authority comes from God (v.1). Also see Revelation 1:5. Further, the bible states that even Satan exercises authority given to him (Luke 4:6).

D. To refuse submission is to rebel against God (v.2). Notice, the language in v.2 starts off in the singular but shifts to the plural. Those who rebel will be punished. If we "live by the sword, we will die by the sword." Matt. 26:52.

E. V. 3 - Keep in mind, that Christians in the 1st century were not persecuted for good works but rather out of Roman fear.

F. V. 4-7. Notice the language change. The state is the "minister of God" v. 4 (twice), but in verse 6, the state is the servant of God.

What is the difference between the minister and the servant? Answer, the state is the servant to the extent that it commends the one who does good and punishes those who do evil. The 'state' becomes your minister when it spends your tax money (i.e. the army etc.) on the needs of the people. Things for the populations care and protection. Notice v.7, taxes are specifically mentioned. (v. 7 uses apodote). Not to give but to give back!!!

G. "Owe nothing" in context is to pay your taxes. The state needs the money to do the ministering and by do so we prove that we love our neighbor. This is a paraphrase of Matt. chapter 22. Paul is building on the idea that we ought to do these things for our conscience (v. 5).

H. Verse 8, see Matt. 22 and the greatest commandment. For all the law and the prophets "pivot" on love.

Augustine was a persecutor, and the father of generations of persecutors. "Augustine of Hippo did not shrink from giving a dogmatic basis to what had come to be the practice of the church, and even professed to find warrant for it in Scripture. ‘It is, indeed, better that men should be brought to serve God by instruction than by fear of punishment, or by pain. But because the former means are better, the latter must not therefore be neglected. Many must often be brought back to their Lord, like wicked servants, by the rod of temporal suffering, before they attain the highest grade of religious development. . . . The Lord himself orders that guests be first invited, then compelled, to his great supper.’ And Augustine argues that if the State has not the power to punish religious error, neither should it punish a crime like murder. Rightly did Neander say of Augustine’s teaching, that it ‘contains the germ of the whole system of spiritual despotism, intolerance, and persecution, even to the court of the Inquisition.’ Nor was it long before the final step was taken in the church doctrine of persecution. Leo the Great, the first of the popes, in a strict sense of that term, drew the logical inference from the premises already provided for him by the Fathers of the church, when he declared that death is the appropriate penalty for heresy" (Vedder, Our New Testament)

and demanding that the Donatists submit themselves to a centralized Catholic church system. Because the Donatists refused to submit to these heresies, the Catholic authorities joined hands with the secular powers to persecute them. Many of their church leaders were put to death and great numbers of them were forced into exile. David Benedict, who labored for 10 years on his history of the Donatists, working largely from ancient Latin texts, gave this summary:

"The Novatians and Donatists were called Puritans because they held that the visible church of Jesus Christ does not, and ought not to, consist of any but those who are free from spots and falls, and that all others should be cast out. When the Catholic church was notoriously full of bad members, it was said by Augustine, the Donatist discipline would split it into a thousand schisms. The reforms of North Africa, unlike the reformers of later times, did not leave their work half done. Having repudiated the head of the church which they left, they also disowned its members, its baptisms, its ordinations, and all its official unctions; and all who came to them from the old body, whether bishops, elders, deacons or lay members, were required to be rebaptized, reordained and reappointed in their new connection, in their different stations" (Benedict, History of the Donatists, pp. 186,187).

2 Medieval Source book: Gelasius I on Spiritual and Temporal Power, 494

Letter of Pope Gelasius to Emperor Anastasius on the superiority of the spiritual over temporal power: The pope's view of the natural superiority of the spiritual over the temporal power finds a clear expression the following remarkable letter of Gelasius I (494).

There are two powers, august Emperor, by which this world is chiefly ruled, namely, the sacred authority of the priests and the royal power. Of these that of the priests is the more weighty, since they have to render an account for even the kings of men in the divine judgment. You are also aware, dear son, that while you are permitted honorably to rule over human kind, yet in things divine you bow your head humbly before the leaders of the clergy and await from their hands the means of your salvation. In the reception and proper disposition of the heavenly mysteries you recognize that you should be subordinate rather than superior to the religious order, and that in these matters you depend on their judgment rather than wish to force them to follow your will.

If the ministers of religion, recognizing the supremacy granted you from heaven in matters affecting the public order, obey your laws, lest otherwise they might obstruct the course of secular affairs by irrelevant considerations, with what readiness should you not yield them obedience to whom is assigned the dispensing of the sacred mysteries of religion. Accordingly, just as there is no slight danger m the case of the priests if they refrain from speaking when the service of the divinity requires, so there is no little risk for those who disdain - which God forbid -when they should obey. And if it is fitting that the hearts of the faithful should submit to all priests in general who properly administer divine affairs, how much the more is obedience due to the bishop of that see which the Most High ordained to be above ,ill others, and which is consequently dutifully honored by the devotion of the whole Church.

translated in J. H. Robinson, Readings in European History, (Boston: Ginn, 1905), pp. 72-73

Romans Chapter 13, On the State

Romans, chapter 13