In listening to a sermon like this one is reminded that the enemies of the church lie not only outside the walls of the church but more dangerously inside the walls of the church. In order for Christian Nationalism, in its Biblical form to advance, the voices like Phil Johnson must become an embarrassed minority.
I thought I would spend a couple entries dissecting portions of this Christ dishonoring sermon.
Phil Johnson sermonized (henceforth PJ)
“The more or less benign Christian nationalists are simply political conservatives who who want to harness the power of government in order to use
it to try to advance the influence of Christianity and build the kingdom of Christ.”BLMc responds,
PJ says this as if this is a bad thing for Christians to pursue, but what are the options if this isn’t was is pursued by all Christians? If we believe that there is no such thing as neutrality (and we do) the only other option is to standby and see the wicked harness the power of government in order to use it to try and advance the influence of heathenism and build the Kingdom of darkness. The power of government is going to be harnessed either for righteousness sake or for wickedness sake. Why shouldn’t Christians seek to harness the power of government for righteousness sake Phil?
Embedded to this statement by Johnson is the conviction that Christianity is just supposed to be a spiritual something. In the PJ worldview Christians should not take their Christianity out for a walk in the public square. In the PJ worldview Christians evangelize other people to become Christian who like themselves do nothing to advance the Kingdom of our Lord and His Christ. Christians pray. Christians go to bible study. Christians tithe so PJ can tell Christians they don’t have any responsibility to harness government to the end of advancing the influence of Christianity.
PJ,
Now, you notice how his brand of Christian nationalism is also salted with a dose of antisemitism along with the rise of Christian nationalism.”
BLMc
Now, I have significant problems with Joel Webbon and in this sermon PJ hits on some of my problems with Webbon but the above isn’t one of them.
1.) What in the world could possibly be wrong with wanting ‘to have power and with that power to crush our enemies and reward our friends?’ Look at what PJ is doing in this sermon. PJ has the power of the pulpit and he is using that power to crush his enemies and reward his friends.
A Christianity that can’t rule so has to crush its enemies and reward its friends is a faith that is, by definition, one that is defined by being a doormat. PJ is telling us that Christianity in order to be Christianity can’t use power in a Biblical way – and it is Biblical to crush those who would crush Christ and reward those who would hail Christ as Savior and King. PJ’s “theology” would guarantee that Christians would forever be the tail and not the head.
Consider this on a micro scale. In a Christian home the Father is assigned to crush his children who make themselves enemies to his rule and to reward children who conform to his rule. Without that principle the Father insures that his rule will be overthrown by chaos.
2.) PJ seems bothered that Christians should want a country that is uniquely for Christians. Would PJ be upset if a Hindu in India said, “India is a Hindu country and we will not be having other faiths replace Hinduism?” Would PJ be upset if a Muslim in Arabia said, “Arabia is a Muslim country and we will not be having other faiths replace Muslims?” What can be so sinister as to suggest that America and the West, being historically Christian countries, should remain uniquely Christian countries? It sounds to me like PJ here is subtly suggesting that multicultural and multireligious nations should be some kind of Christian norm. At this point PJ is just giving us Boomer talk.
3.) Because Webbon says America is not a Jewish nation, Webbon therefore is automatically antisemitic? This just proves that the new definition for antisemitism is “anyone who disagrees with a Jew.”
PJ
“Christian nationalism is a politically driven theology, pseudo theology, whose central concern is to gain control of government power and put it in the hands of Christians. It’s that simple. In essence, they want to make the state subordinate to the church. They want our nation’s identity and institutions and laws to be categorically Christian. They believe Christianity should enjoy a privileged place in the public square and that government should actively promote and defend Christian doctrines and Christian values. Or to say it another way, the goal of Christian nationalism is for the church to harness the machinery and the power of secular government and use that to make society itself Christian.” BLMc
1.) Actually Christian Nationalism (CN) is a theologically driven politics whose central concern is indeed to gain control of government power and put it in the hands of Christians so that they can rule consistent with God’s Word and for His glory. There is nothing controversial about this in the least and indeed was originally woven into our confessional documents. Consider the Belgic Confession of Faith,
Article 36: The Magistrates
“We believe that our gracious God, because of the depravity of mankind, hath appointed kings, princes, and magistrates,1 willing that the world should be governed by certain laws and policies; to the end that the dissoluteness of men might be restrained, and all things carried on among them with good order and decency. For this purpose He hath invested the magistracy with the sword, for the punishment of evil doers, and for the praise of them that do well. And their office is not only to have regard unto and watch for the welfare of the civil state, but also that they protect the sacred ministry, and thus may remove and prevent all idolatry and false worship;2 that the kingdom of antichrist may be thus destroyed and the kingdom of Christ promoted. They must, therefore, countenance the preaching of the word of the gospel everywhere, that God may be honored and worshipped by every one, as He commands in His Word.”
This kind of language makes Baptists like Phil Johnson sweat himself down to a svelte 225 pounds.
2.) There is no desire here to make the state subordinate to the Church. That would be a “ecclesiocracy” and no Biblical CN desires for the state to hold both the keys and the sword. All Biblical CN understand that church and state each have their jurisdictional spheres of responsibility. Neither are to be subordinate to the other but both are to be subordinate to their Master, the Lord Jesus Christ.
3.) It is true that CN wants our nation’s identity and institutions and laws to be categorically Christian. What other option is there Phil? Is Phil contending that our nation’s identity and institutions and laws should not be categorically Christian and so should be categorically heathen?
4.) We should note here that PJ talks about “secular government.” There is no such thing as secular government. All government is profoundly religious. PJ’s statement about secular government indicates again that PJ believes that government can be neutral. This is the myth of classical liberalism. PJ is a liberal advancing a liberal argument for liberal government.
It is true that CN desires for Christians in the church to harness the machinery and power of government for the glory of Christ and so use government to govern society in a Christian manner. PJ is just in error though when he suggests that CN desires for the Institutional Church to do what CN desires for Biblical Christians to do as Magistrates.
