Mike Winther talks about biblical principles for limiting civil government in this lecture given in June of 2012 in Colorado. This episode builds on the Biblical Principles of Government episode. We are also big believers in reading the classic works, so browse our book selection.
Mike talks about our civil government and principles which we use to limit civil government. He starts off with the fundamentals of family, church, and civil government. State government can be dangerous if not limited or controlled. Mike walks us through how and why we can do this based on biblical principles.
You'll Learn:
- [02:54] We have a family government, church government, and civil government.
- [04:43] Force can be used for good and force can be used for evil.
- [05:17] Our founding fathers made every effort to create a way for us to limit government.
- [06:03] We're going to start out with the concept that government is dangerous. There is also a sin nature to man. We need to know the nature of government and the nature of the people who control it.
- [06:52] The Judeo-Christian view says that there's original sin. Plato says that man is basically good and sin is learned from the environment.
- [09:33] The battle between the Judeo-Christian view and Plato's view goes back a long way. Our founding fathers rejected Plato's view.
- [10:06] 1. We need to understand the biblical principles of government. We need to understand the collective application of God's commands. They apply to individuals and groups.
- [12:55] Elected officials shouldn't violate God's law unless scripture specifically gives the government additional power.
- [17:37] 2. Understand the nature of government. Government is force and can be dangerous. People expand government because they don't understand its nature.
- [18:04] 3. We need to understand the nature of man. Man is inherently sinful. Elected officials are dangerous.
- [19:18] 4. We must understand the source of rights and authority. God is the source of rights and authority.
- [20:31] 5. We limit government by the proper use of law.
- [23:29] The way we think about one government carries over to the other governments.
- [27:15] 6. We limit government by understanding the institutional separation of powers. The institutional separation is between the three God-ordained institutions. There is a trade-off of power.
- [29:19] 7. The vertical separation of powers. We had local governments before The Constitution was framed. There needs to be a separation of power between the federal government, the state government, and the local government.
- [33:09] 8. Horizontal separation of powers. This is the separation within the federal government of the executive, the legislature, and the judicial branches. Isaiah 3:22.
- [36:06] 9. We limit the fuel of government power. The fuel of government is money or taxes and dependence.
- [40:08] 2nd Samuel Chapter 8. The system of Judges was a decentralized system. God wasn't pleased when Israel wanted a king.
- [53:24] 10. Elections are one way that we can limit government. They only work if the electors aren't motivated to get free stuff.
- [54:09] 11. Juries are another way that we limit government.
- [54:23] 12. Weapons or arms is another way that we limit government. Luke 22: 35-38.
- [56:02] 13. Is there a right to rebel?
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