Celebrating the Spheres of Authority

On this July 4th weekend, it would be very appropriate to spend some time pondering the various domains of authority that are implied by the birth of our nation. Why do we celebrate the birth of a nation? Why are their nations? How do nations, and their roles, differ from other authorities in life?

This subject has not been broadly understood by the church at large.  In the past few years, that has begun to change, and as we advance in the 21st century, this area is destined to become one of the most important pillars of modern evangelism and missions. How do you change a nation?

Through understanding the various realms of leadership that exist in human societies, and how these different spheres operate independently and collectively.  Let us take a look at this important area that we will refer to as ”sphere sovereignty.

In Romans 13, verses 1 and 2, Paul gives us the following perspective: "Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities.  For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.  Therefore, whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves."

He then goes on to give an example as to how this applies to the civil government, and what is the purpose of governmental authority.  He concludes the passage with these words: "Render, therefore, to all their due:  Taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor (verse 7)."

In this passage Paul is talking about a basic fact of life, and that is, that God has established many authorities, or spheres of leadership in the created world.  There is not one authority.  There are many authorities.  These have all been established by "God's ordinance” and wisdom, and are obviously necessary for order and control.  This text is specifically talking about the established authority of civil governments, but it is in the context of God being the author of ”various spheres of authority.

All through the Bible, and in our everyday experience, we see the reality of multiple spheres of leadership.  We see the supreme authority of God.  We are told of the heavenly authority of the angels.  We recognize the authority of the individual, in various talents, graces, and giftings.  On earth we are well acquainted with parental authority;  the authority of the church; the various levels of civil government from the local school board to the Federal Power;  We are also familiar with many other influential areas in society such as the media, the arts, business and commerce, education and the like.

These various spheres of authority are unique and independent, but also blend together to form the tapestry of human culture.  The sovereignty of God reigns above them all, yet to all of them we owe a specific honor, respect, or due.  To understand life clearly is to discern these different spheres and their relationship to one another under God.  If we relate to them and live within them according to God's design, these many individual spheres become the supports of order, freedom and blessing.
 
Guillaume Groen van Prinsterer of the Netherlands, a devout Christian thinker and politician in the early-to-mid 19th century was the first (as far as we know) to use the phrase "souvereiniteit in eigen sfeer"--sovereignty within its own sphere--with respect to the various multiple authorities of life. His perspective was predominantly the relationship between the spheres of church and state.  

Van Prinsterer began a political movement in Holland called the Anti-Revolutionaries (or Christian Historicals) which began to live out his principles of drawing a clear distinction between the God-given spheres of government and the church.  He had a great burden for education, and held many high posts in government.  However, during his lifetime he was basically a general without an army, and it was left to a spiritual and ideological protege to fully develop and broaden the concept.”    

That successor was Abraham Kuyper. Kuyper was not only a great thinker, but a statesman (serving in Parliament for a number of years, and being Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 1901-1905);  a journalist (he was editor of the daily newspaper De Standaard for over 40  years);  an educator (he founded the Free University in Amsterdam in 1880, and entitled his opening address on  October 20, 1880 "Sovereignty in the Individual Spheres of Life");  a pastor and theologian in the Dutch Reformed Church;  a reformer and champion of orthodox Calvinism, sometimes referred to as the initiator of
the movement known as neo-Calvinism;  and a voluminous writer and author of numerous books spanning fifty years.       

Kuyper was a giant of a man.  Through his indefatigable efforts sustained over fifty years of public life, the direction and subsequent history of the Netherlands was greatly impacted. It was Kuyper who brought the Anti-Revolutionary movement into a place of influence and leadership in society during the latter part of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th.  What was his guiding motivation and drive?  In his own words:

"One desire has been the ruling passion of my life. . .It is this:  That in spite of all worldly opposition,
God's holy ordinances shall be established again in the home, in the school, and in the State for the good of the people;  to carve as it were into the conscience of the nation the ordinances of the Lord, to which the Bible and creation bear witness, until the nation pays homage again to God."

Kuyper believed that all of life was under the authority of God and the Lordship of Jesus Christ.  He believed that Christ came to earth to redeem ”all” aspects of the Fall, including the elements of human society and culture.  He said, "I discovered that the Holy Scripture does not only cause us to find justification by faith, but also discloses the foundation of all human life, the holy ordinances which must govern ”all human existence in Society and State."

It was Abraham Kuyper who began to expand with great authority and practicality the concept of "sovereignty in the individual social spheres", which he generally broke up into seven different areas: family, religion (the Church), the State(Civil Governments), education, business vocation, the arts, and
science.  He then divided these seven areas into two different spheres.  He comments:

"The sovereignty of God, in its descent upon men,separates itself into two spheres.  On the one hand, the mechanical sphere of State authority, and on the other hand the organic sphere of the authority of the Social circles.  And in both these spheres the inherent authority is sovereign, that is to say, it has above itself nothing but God."    
 
In all these spheres that State government cannot impose its laws, but must reverence the innate laws of life.  God rules in these spheres, just as supremely and sovereignly as He exercises dominion in the sphere of the State itself, through His chosen magistrates.

This was the concept that was so clearly placed as foundational to his world view. God was the Supreme Sovereign, with all other authority being delegated by Him.  On earth, there were various jurisdictions of leadership or authority, all of which were responsible directly to God, and were designed to operate independently and in complimentary unity.  The State, or civil government, was referred to as a mechanical sphere where officials or magistrates were to operate according to God's ordinances (Romans 13).  But there were other organic spheres of life that were to be completely independent of State authority, but also directly accountable to God.  These were the various "Social circles" e.g.family, church, education, arts etc.

Kuyper lived a tireless and productive life, attempting and succeeding in many arenas to apply this vital Biblical truth.  He had grasped on to a powerful key that unlocked the understanding of how the various authorities of life were designed to function under God.  It was the concept of sphere sovereignty.  He had laid a foundation on which to build a Biblical understanding of both leadership and authority and how one goes about actually changing or influencing a nation. 

It is God who designed the different spheres of human life. Government--or national powers--should be under his authority and laws.

Elena Kagan should remember that truth if she makes it to the US Supreme Court.

How do you change a nation? You infuse the different authority spheres--especially church and state--with godly people and principles. It's the only way to bring lasting change.

All of us should celebrate the birth of American political sovereignty on July 4, 1776. May we be faithful to perpetuate it as "one nation under God."