#79 “Politics and the Early Church”

Synopsis: Program #79 “Politics and the Early Church” May 5, 2013

There is a continual debate about the church’s role in politics. By “church” I mean the “saints.” As an institution, the church is separate from the state, but Christians are members both of the church and the state. Program #79 seeks to shed some light on this issue by looking at the example of the early church (AD 100- 325). This period of church history is of particular interest because Christians were able to transform the laws and culture of Rome without using typical methods of political activism. The program begins by addressing two misconceptions: (1) that the early Christians were super Christians and (2) that the history of the early church is definitive. The rest of the program follows this rough outline:

I. The early church’s involvement in politics

II. Civil disobedience in the early church

III. How the early church changed the society

Hopefully, this program will add to our wisdom in dealing with our generation. Zeal without knowledge is dangerous.

Scriptures Referenced: Revelation 1:5, 18:4; 1 Peter 5:13; Jeremiah 6:16; Philippians 3:20; Revelation 13:15; 1 Timothy 2:1-2; Titus 3:1; Ephesians 6:5; John 13:35; Titus 3:14