Spheres of Government

Introduction

Usually when I think of or hear the term “government” I think of politics, but according to Scripture, government is not one overarching authority that can be summed up by just politics. In fact, I rarely use the term civil government to define our civil government; instead I just say “the government” and we all know what I am referring to. However, this is a pretty modern way of thinking about government and it causes us to subconsciously think that the civil government has all authority.

Instead, government should be thought of in categories or spheres — self, family, church, and civil. The civil government is not all-controlling and, as Christians, we know this is true since God is the ultimate authority — “The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein,” (Psalm 24:1 ESV). However, as our society becomes more and more godless, the true, triune God is being replaced by the civil (state) government, and we are seeing the results of it in a big way. For example, in the realm of education, the state usurps the role of the parents when it comes to educating their children. We should realize that when man is set up as the ultimate authority, tyranny soon follows.

So what are the spheres of government that God has ordained and what authority does each have? This is just an overview; the topic as a whole is pretty big. If you want to better understand it, I would suggest checking out “God and Government” by Gary DeMare; that is where most of this information comes from. He does a great job laying out the idea of spheres of government in an understandable way.

Spheres of Government

The spheres of government that I see that God has ordained to govern certain aspects of our world and life consists of self, family, church, and civil. Each institution has a specific duty and therefore has a specific sphere of sovereignty or authority over that sphere. There may be some small overlaps between the spheres, but one should not be ruling over the other. For example, the civil government does not have God-given authority to tell parents how to raise their kids; that is outside their sphere of government/sovereignty.

It may also be good to define what government consists of so that the multiple spheres of government are clearly seen. I agree with how Gary DeMare defines government: A sphere or an institution ordained by God that has the legitimacy to rule, the accountability to rule over another, a moral code by which to rule, the authority to enforce sanctions in the name of the ruler, and the stability and longevity of government. It is good to remember, even though each of these governments are ordained by God, they all still must submit to God, they are not their own authority.

With that definition, let’s look at how God has ordained the self, family, church, and civil authorities to be governing institutions.

Self-Government

Self-government can be best described as self-control. God has given the command that we are to control ourselves in a righteous way. We are accountable to God and are told to conduct ourselves, or govern ourselves, in a specific way based upon His Word. One who is self-governed is one who obeys the Word of God from their heart, not being forced to obey it. Self-government is not something that an unbeliever can accomplish; self-government only comes from the Holy Spirit because of the work of Jesus Christ.

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.  And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. (Galatians 5:16—26 ESV)

We must realize that the way people govern themselves determines the future of a city, county, state, and nation. If we desire to see a righteous and godly civil government, we must govern ourselves in a righteous way first, and that is only able to happen if we are saved by the grace of God through faith in Christ.

Family Government

Looking at what God has given us in Scripture, we can see that God has instituted family as a type of government. All of what makes up the idea of government can be seen within what God has ordained for the family.

God gives parents authority over their children, to teach their children the commands of the Lord, which is also instituting law within this family government, with the expectation of obedience from the children.

And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. ( Deuteronomy 6:6-9  ESV)

Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. (Deuteronomy 5:16 ESV)

Representation is established by God in the family in that the “husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior” (Ephesians 5:23 ESV), and “Christ is the head of every man” (1 Corinthians 11:3 ESV).

Disciplining our children righteously, according to Scripture, is the jurisdiction God has given the family. Not only discipline, but the jurisdiction of education is given to the parents as well.

“Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.” (Proverbs 13:24 ESV)

“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4 ESV) — Here is a good resource on this instruction and duty of parents educating their children: The Paideia of God

We also see in Scripture how continuity has been given to the family in that obedience brings life.

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), ”that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” (Ephesians 6:1-3 ESV).

We should be able to see by going to Scripture that God has indeed made the family a type of government. As parents we must not take this lightly—God has ordained specific authority to parents to govern their family in a specific way. We must not allow the civil government or other types of government to overstep their authority on our families. Our duty is to the Lord, and we are subject to Him only.

Church Government

“So picture it this way. The worship of God is central to all of life, but it does not devour all of life. The sun does not burn everything up, but it does give light to everything. The water does not flood the world. But it does irrigate the entire world. The anchor fastens the ship, the ship does not turn into a gigantic anchor. The cathedral is at the center of the town, but does not ‘take over’ all the activities of the townspeople —their printing, their auto mechanics, their software designing, their lawn mowing. In one sense all of that is none of [the church’s] business. But at the same time the church instructs the townspeople in the adverbs —how these things are to be done, meaning, honestly, before the Lord, with one eye always on the text, and with a hard work ethic.” - Douglas Wilson, Gashmu Saith It, 62

While the civil government is a protector, the church is a provider—a provider in how to live the way God intended, a provider to heal the broken. This is not the jurisdiction of the state, but only the church.

In a few verses in Matthew, we can see the church as a sphere of government. Matthew 18:15 - 20 shows the law the church abides by (the commands of our Lord Jesus), the jurisdiction that the church has (discipline of the church’s congregation), and the governing authority given to the church given by Jesus (Christ is in the midst of the church).

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.  Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” (Matthew 18:15—20  ESV)

The church represents Christ and derives its authority from Christ on His behalf

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:19 ESV)

Then at the end of Matthew, we see Jesus give the Great Commission to His church, which shows the church’s continuity across ages. Just as Christ’s Kingship is forever, His church —His people —will not be destroyed.

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20 ESV)

“The church is a government and an important one, not only in its exercise of discipline but in its religious and moral influence on the minds of men… The failure of the church to provide biblical government has deadly repercussions on a culture.” - R. J. Rushdoony, Politics of Guilt and Pity, 331

Civil Government

One thing to remember before I outline civil government is that I am pointing out that the civil government is a legitimate form of government instituted by God. Our civil government is far from what the Bible defines as righteous, but I am not trying to critique our civil government— I’m only showing that there is a legitimate sphere of government with the civil government.

It seems that God did not intend for his people to be anarchists, since from Scripture we see that civil government has been instituted by God. Christians who advocate for no civil government should think through man and his sinful heart. Without restraint, man will always drift toward evil and wickedness.

I think the definition we are using to define government can be seen in Romans 13:1-6.

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. (Romans 13:1‭-‬6 ESV)

“For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God”. In verse 1, we see that the governing authorities are instituted by God. Therefore, civil government is legitimate since it is something God has put in place. And since it is instituted by God, the governing authorities are accountable to God.

“Rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad.” The moral code or law that the civil government must abide by is the commandments of God. Those standards of good and evil are based upon God’s Word, not man’s law. It’s not as if when Paul was writing this section of Romans that he was anticipating that good and evil would be fluid. Paul is basing this off of God’s standard of good and evil.

“But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer”. The jurisdiction or power that the civil government has been given by God is to use the sword, but not in vain. The civil government is to protect and restrain evil, it is to be a servant of God to bear the sword and carry out God’s wrath on the wrongdoers.

With a quick look at Romans 13:1-6 we see that civil government does have limited authority and is a legitimate form of government since it meets the criteria of the definition of government. 

Conclusion

It is important for Christians to understand the spheres of government and the authority each type of government has been given by God, so that we can attempt to stop any encroachment of authority as it pops up in our lives and understand how God has ordered the world. For example when it comes to education, it is the family’s duty to educate their children, not the civil government’s job, and understanding that the civil government has been given authority to use the sword for justice, and also understand that the church’s sphere of authority is to show us how to live the way God intended, telling us what is good and what is evil.

Of course, we can see where the civil government is overstepping its authority, but to fix that is going to take time; it’s not going to happen overnight and it will take a lot of work. However, none of the crazy that is going on around us will change unless God changes the hearts of individuals to love His word, and those individuals begin to live godly lives and have godly families that are led in righteousness according to Jesus Christ, and churches instructing us in pure doctrine and teaching us to live holy lives that conform to Christ. Then we will start seeing the culture and politics change. This all starts with God redeeming His people on an individual level, and like cream, it will rise to the top.