Should a Christian run for political office?

A few preliminary remarks may be necessary to introduce the subject. Does it matter what a Christian believes in the way of politics? First of all a Christian should not be a politician. Twice over the Lord affirmed of His own, “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world” (John 17:14, 16). If it were right for a Christian to be a politician, the Lord, our great Exemplar, would have been a politician. On the contrary, when requested to give a judgment, He replied, “Man, who made Me a Judge or a Divider over you?” (Luke 12:14). If it were right for a Christian to be a politician, we should have seen the apostles giving us an example in that line. Neither by example nor precept is there a word in Scripture to encourage the believer to be a politician.

"S. O." Accept our thanks for your faithful letter. Its tone and spirit are very grateful. Still, we fear you have not read our answer in No. 90 with sufficient care. If you will kindly refer to it again, you will find that we do not, by any means teach, that a Christian cannot engage in the lawful business of this life. Nothing is further from our thoughts. The question of our Laurencekirk correspondent had reference merely to the Christian's taking part in the politics of this world. We believe it to be inconsistent with the teaching of John 17 and Colossians 3. We maintain that it is contrary to the example of our blessed Lord, whose steps we are to follow: and finally, we declare that the Christian, in meddling in this world's politics, is acting without a single line of Scripture authority. The word of God furnishes the Christian thoroughly to all good works, but it does not furnish him with any authority to be a politician. It teaches him to pray for the government, to obey magistrates, to submit himself to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake; but it nowhere teaches him to wield the sword of worldly power. It is unintelligent to refer, on this subject, to Old Testament Scriptures, inasmuch as it was perfectly right for a Jew to exercise worldly authority, seeing that his citizenship was earthly; but "our citizenship is in heaven." (Phil. 3)

Some, however, may say that the fore-going Scriptures no longer apply — that "the world" of John 17 is not the world of the nineteenth century — that the former was a pagan world, whereas the latter is a Christian world. To all who take this ground, we have nothing to say. If the teaching of the New Testament was only designed for a bygone age, if it bears only upon the things that were, and has no application to the things that are, then, indeed, we know not where we are, or whither to turn for guidance or authority. But, thank God, we have a divine and, therefore, all-sufficient directory for all ages, all times, and all conditions. If, therefore, we are to be guided by Scripture, we have no warrant whatever for meddling in this world's politics. The cross of Jesus has snapped the link which connected us with this world. We are identified with Him. He is our Model. If He were here, He would find His place outside the range of this world. You would not see Him at the council-board, on the bench, in the House of Parliament, or with the sword in His hand. By and by, He will wield the sceptre, draw the sword, and hold the reins of government in His hand. (May God hasten the day!) But now He is rejected, and we are called to share His rejection. Our path in this world, as Christians, is obedience or suffering. We are called to pray for all in authority, but not to be in authority ourselves. There is not so much as a single line of Scripture to guide me as a voter, or a member, or a magistrate. If, therefore, I act in these characters, I do so without one word of direction from my Master — nay, more, I act in a way utterly opposed to Him, and in direct opposition to the spirit and teaching of the New Testament.

"J. B." You enquire, "What is taught in the Word regarding the position of a Christian when called upon to vote for a Member of Parliament?" You will, perhaps, be startled when we tell you that your question involves the very foundations of Christianity. We would ask you, dear friend, to which world does the Christian belong? Does he belong to this world or to the world above? Is his citizenship on earth or in heaven? Is he dead to this world, or alive in it — which? If he be a citizen of this world — if his place, his portion, and his home be here, then, assuredly, he cannot take too active a part in its affairs. He should vote for town councilors and members of Parliament, he should strain every nerve to get the right man into the right place, whether it be at the municipal board, or on the floor of the House of Commons. He should put forth every effort to mend and regulate the world. If, in a word, he be a citizen of this world, he ought, to the best of his ability, to discharge the functions pertaining to such a position.

But, on the other hand, if it be true that the Christian is, as regards this world, "dead" — if his citizenship is in heaven, if his place, his portion, and his home be on high, if he is only a pilgrim and a stranger here below, then it follows that he is not called to meddle in any way with this world's politics, but to pass on his pilgrim way, patiently submitting himself to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, yielding obedience to the powers that be, and praying for their preservation and well-being in all things.

As strangers and pilgrims, believers are only passing through the world, and as such it would be wholly inconsistent for them to meddle with its government. They are called out of the world; they are not called to put right a world that has cast out Christ. It is no part of their business to oppose the government that exists, nor to take part in electing what they might rightly judge to be a better form of government. Their one business is to be subject.

But did not Jesus, it may be asked, go about doing good? And may not the possession of political power and interference in the world's concerns, be the means of doing great good? This, however, is man's reasoning, and the place of a believer is not to reason, but to obey. Looked at broadly, in the light of God's truth, a Christian cannot do good by political action, for the end to which everything is working is plainly taught in the Word, and that end is not good, but awfully bad. Leaving, however, the domain of argument, and falling back on Scripture, what does the Word teach us? Undoubtedly it tells us that Jesus went about doing good, and it tells us, too, that believers are placed here for the same object for which He was here — "As Thou hast sent Me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world" (John 17:18). How, then, did Jesus do good? Was it by the exercise of political power? Was it by worldly combinations and societies? Was it by seeking popular support? Himself the only One who had a right to rule, or whose rule could bring blessing, He absolutely declined to receive power. Offered by the devil, He at once detected and denounced the deceiver. Asked to take the place of an arbiter, he replied, "Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?" (Luke 12:14). Perceiving that the people "would come, and take Him by force to make Him a king, He departed again into a mountain Himself alone" (John 6:15). In private none ever laboured as He to do good. But the time for public and governmental blessing to the earth had not yet come. The sceptre was not yet put into His hands by the only One who had a right to bestow it, and He would receive it from no other. If the sceptre was not given by His Father, it must be taken either from the "god of this world," or from man, and from neither of these would He accept it. In what respect are things altered? Has God yet changed His mode of dealing with the world? Can the Christian receive power from hands from which Christ refused it? Or will God give it to the fellow-heirs, while He is yet withholding it from the One whom He has made heir of all things?

But are not the powers that be ordained of God? Unquestionably they are. Civil government is a direct trust from God, and the ruler is responsible to God for the way in which He exercises it. The maintenance of peace and order is according to God's institution, and therefore Christians are commanded not only to render obedience, but to yield suitable homage, and to remember those charged with authority in their prayers. But though instituted by God, it is left to man, to the world, and a world which lies in the wicked one, to administer. The time when it can be administered according to God's plans, the time when it will be used to work out God's purposes of blessing to the earth, has not yet arrived, and will not arrive until the throne of Christ is established in Zion. The use which man is making of this institution is to bring about the fearful state of things preceding the judgments executed by Christ, and surely no Christian would wish to have any hand in forwarding this gloomy catastrophe.

It is most significant, then, that while the New Testament Scriptures give ample directions for the behaviour of the husband to the wife and the wife to the husband, of the children to the parent and the parent to the children, of the servant to the master and the master to the servant, and while they also lay down the conduct proper from a subject to the powers that be, they give no directions whatever as to the way of executing political trust. A Christian under authority has ample directions how to act. A Christian wielding political power has no directions at all. Why this omission? True, Christians at the time when the New Testament was written, were not in a state to exercise political power; but if God had meant them to be placed in this position of responsibility, would He have withheld instructions as to the way in which they were to fill it? Was He so short-sighted that He omitted to provide for a state of things which would receive His sanction; or did He expressly withhold all directions, because the position was one to which his sanction could not be given? The character of believers as "not of the world," as associated with Christ in His "patience," as fellow-heirs with Him whom God has not yet put in possession of the inheritance, fully explains the omission — and nothing else can. Strange, indeed, if He had authorised and instructed the fellow heirs of Christ to take part in bringing about that state of things which they will shortly be associated with Christ in judging and overturning!

Apart from the principles outlined above the Lord Himself made a statement in front of Pilate which should also be weighed by any Christian who considers involvement in politics. John reports that the Lord said the following: 'My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence' (19:36). Should not these words alone settle the issue? If Christians argue today that they should be politically active in order to fulfil their role in the kingdom, the Lord's words 'my kingdom is not of this world' should make clear that these are spiritual and not civil duties. If others point to the negative developments in our societies and argue that Christians must not tolerate this, do not the Lord's words give the answer again? 'If my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight.' A more scandalous event than the Lord's trial has never happened since. Yet, his servants were not called to fight. One of them, Peter, had not understood this and cut off the right ear of Malchus (John 18:10). 'Put up thy sword into the sheath' is the calm instruction of the Master.

For instance: everybody says that a citizen of the country, a Christian, should be interested in the government of the country to which he belongs, and ought to vote, so as to help to put good men in power. God says differently; in many places and ways He tells me that, as His child, I am not a citizen of any country, or a member of any society; my citizenship is in heaven, and I have henceforth to do with heavenly things; the cross of Christ has crucified me to the world, and the world to me; if I give my mind and heart to these earthly things I shall be the enemy of the cross of Christ. Be not conformed to the world. What then shall we do with governments? Why, submit to them, since God orders them; and when they impose tax, pay; and make supplication to God for kings, and all in authority. All therefore that a Christian has to do with politics is to be subject to the powers set over him, not only for wrath but also for conscience sake. It is true that in Christ he is heir of "all things," including the earth in which the world-system has now its operation, yet (as to Abraham in the land of Canaan) God gives him not so much as to set his foot on for a present inheritance, "The just shall live by faith." If, then, the true child of God refuses to vote, it is not so much that he thinks voting in itself wrong, as that he has given his vote and interest to the Man in heaven, whom God has exalted as King of kings, and Lord of lords. He has, beyond it all, lost his interest in these things, by virtue of something he has found which is far more attractive. He sees, too, that the world in spirit and essence is ungodly, that its boasted reforms and improvement are all tending to shut out God from the heart of man. He desires to stand as a witness for the truth and for God, and of the coming judgment, at the appearing of Christ when men are congratulating themselves on peace and safety. He desires that by these means others may learn through him to escape the snare by which Satan is entrapping the mass of mankind.

We answer that to carry out this argument to the full would involve the Christian taking as full a part in the government of the nation as the unbeliever, whether in times of peace or war, whether in the making of laws in parliaments or in filling the ranks of army and navy. Can such a position as that be maintained in the presence of the Lord’s own words: “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world”?

Involvement in politics has been one of the questions of daily living which Christians have found hard to come to terms with. Many have pointed to a good influence that may result from Christians who 'make their voices heard'. Others have argued that, as well as our heavenly calling, we are called to play our part in the kingdom (which is true) and therefore in politics. This article attempts to establish whether the last point is true as well.