Six basic spheres of authority affect human life on earth. They are:
- people
- family
- church
- business
- law and justice
- defence
The Kingdom of God becomes a reality when the institutions and individuals in each sphere of authority are submitted to God.
Each sphere of authority has responsibility.
- People have responsibility for fulfilling their calling.
- Families have responsibility for provision and education.
- The church is responsible for teaching the truth and preaching the gospel.
- A business has responsibility to use the resources that it controls as a good steward.
- Judges are responsible for providing justice.
- Temporary military leaders are responsible for defending their communities.
Each sphere of responsibility has authority, but it is limited to what is appropriate for the sphere.
- People have freedom (under God's law).
- Families can develop and discipline their children.
- The church has authority to interpret and preach the Word of God.
- The managers of a business have authority over its activities (Matt 20:1-13).
- Judges have authority to apply God's law and give verdicts to resolve disputes.
- Temporary military leaders only have authority while their community is threatened.
The yellow arrow represents Authority to God. The blue arrow represents authority exercised in opposition to God. Sometimes the authority (arrow) is mixed,
The relationships between the spheres of authority must also be governed by the word of God. The church has a prophetic role. It can teach, but it must not control other spheres. Judges can only intervene in other spheres, if a crime occurs.
The Kingdom of Darkness
When people reject the Kingdom of God, one of the spheres tends to dominate the others.
1. Tribalism
Tribalism occurs when the family dominates all other spheres. Everyone is a slave to the Chief of the Tribe, who is the head of the most powerful family. Success depends on loyalty to powerful tribal leaders. Tribalism is common in many parts of the world.
2. Religious Imperialism
Religious imperialism occurs when the church controls every sphere of authority. For much of western history, the church was in this position. Prior to the Reformation, the church appointed kings, set the price of bread and determined careers for many people. This is one reason why the church is hated so much today. We must be careful that we are not seen as advocating religious imperialism when proclaiming the Kingdom of God. The two are quite different.
3. Anarchy
When people rebel against all authority, anarchy prevails. Everyone does what they choose, without any regard for others. People just do what they like. The result is chaos. This situation can never last for long as people prefer peace. They will generally give authority to a strongman in return for peace.
4. Corporatism
When business dominates everything, the result is corporatism. In the modern world, businesses sometimes control a nation.
5. Militarism
When military leaders are permanent, they are attempted to seize authority over all spheres of society, because they believe that they are the only competent authority in the nation. Military coups were frequent throughout the twentieth century in many places.
In countries where politicians rule, they are often dominated by military leaders and the businesses that produce military equipment (often described as the military industrial complex).
6. The State as Saviour
In the modern world, the state tends to dominate every area of authority. It has absolute authority, and there are almost no limits to what it can do. That is why we call it "the government".
The government has taken the role of provider and educator from families. The government owns banks, airlines and steel mills and regulates all other businesses. The government now claims the right to regulate and tax the church. At the same time, the church has withdrawn from caring for the poor.
The state develops this role when people are unwilling to take responsibility for their lives. They want the state to solve all problems. The common refrain is, "The government should do something about it". This statement is an expression of a lack of faith in God and is a denial of the Government of God.
This material is developed further in a book called Government of God.
Return to the Kingdom of God.
