In recent history, unbelievers and many politicians have increasingly viewed Christians as political when they teach on topics such as abortion, sexual education, homosexuality, same-sex marriage, adultery, sexual sins, capital punishment, and evolution. Such a charge reveals that many do not understand what the Bible teaches or that many unbelievers are trying to change the historic, biblical teachings of the Christian faith. The problem is compounded by false teachers and unbelievers who intentionally change the plain meaning of Scripture in order to make it support their own views and sins. It is also possible they know what the Bible teaches and are simply trying to stop Christian churches from teaching about these issues. Unfortunately, some Christian pastors and teachers are avoiding those topics due to fears of conflict between their members and the secular public outside of the church. In the process, the historic teachings of the Scriptures are being reinterpreted. Therefore, this article is concerned with the question, “Should Christians keep politics out of Bible studies and teaching by suppressing topics that non-Christians find offensive?”
Bible on a Church Pulpit
Consider the Old Testament Saints
he Old Testament contains several examples of political leaders being angry with a prophet or a man of God who stood for moral issues and spoke for God. Only a few select examples are provided. One significant example is found in Exodus 1-2, where Moses’ mother refused to obey the pharaoh of Egypt by killing her son, Moses. Exodus 1:8-11 reveals that the pharaoh of Egypt was fearful of the Israelites who lived in Egypt. Therefore, he ordered all male newborn babies to be killed. Today, his edict would be considered a governmental law. But Moses’ mother violated the government law because God prohibited murder (Exodus 20:13), and undoubtedly because she loved her son. In recent years, governments have been demanding that Christians support the murder of babies in the womb. Non-Christians are violating the clear teachings of Scripture that abortion is murder. It is a sin.
A second example is the prophet Jeremiah, who was jailed and put into a cistern by King Zedekiah because he spoke for God and warned that the Chaldean or Babylonian Army would defeat Israel’s army (Jeremiah 37:6-38:9). The government officials objected and convinced the king to jail him and then to kill him by confining him in a cistern. They had objected to Jeremiah’s prophecy. Today, politicians might consider that political interference and claim that Jeremiah should have just been quiet and disobey God. A modern-day example would be the demand that Christians not speak about current moral issues, such as biblical marriage and the Bible’s teaching against immoral sexual activities.
A third example is that of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who refused to worship King Nebuchadnezzar because they wanted to remain faithful to worship only the true God. The king had issued an edict requiring everyone to obey and worship him. The three men were brought before the king and given the opportunity to worship the king. They again refused to worship the king and were thrown into a fiery furnace, but God rescued them. Today, some Christians are being forced to violate their conscience by disobeying God and the moral standards taught in the Bible.
A fourth example is the prophet Daniel, who refused to stop praying after King Nebuchadnezzar signed an edict requiring that all prayer be directed to him (Daniel 6:1-28). This was political intrigue, as the Babylonian kingdom’s commissioners urged the king to sign the edict. But Daniel continued praying in violation of the edict. Eventually, he was thrown into a lion’s den. The officials hoped Daniel would be killed. Today, Christians in many parts of the world are not free to speak about Christ and must practice their faith in the privacy of their home. In some countries, Christians are not allowed to even worship, read the Bible, or pray in the privacy of their homes.
Consider New Testament Saints
In the New Testament, Jesus praised John the Baptist as a righteous man and the greatest prophet (Luke 7:27-28). That is significant since John had repeatedly rebuked Herod because Herod had committed adultery and married Herodias, his brother’s wife (Mark 6:17-18). Now, I am sure some people would consider that rebuke to be politically motivated because John was rebuking the king. We can imagine what would happen if a Christian spoke out against political leaders who committed sexual acts condemned by the Bible.
In Acts 4:13-22 and Acts 5:27-32, Peter and John rebuked the Jewish Sanhedrin when it ordered them to stop teaching about Christ. They told the council,
But Peter and John answered and said to them, “ Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:19-20 (NASB)
Today, many around the world want Christians not to pray or preach in public. Some media services control the voice of Christians, but Christians must not be silent in an attempt to please or satisfy unbelievers. Christians must remember that Jesus said that the world will hate Christians.
“ If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. ” John 15:18-19 (NASB)
So, they seek to dominate and control believers in Jesus Christ.
Example of Jesus Christ
Some claim that Jesus avoided making political statements when He answered the question, “Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” Our article is titled “Is It Lawful to Give Taxes to Caesar” (Matthew 22:15-22; Mark 12:13-17; and Luke 20:20-26). Such a claim ignores that we are told Jesus was avoiding a trap. Members of the Sanhedrin Council tried to trick Jesus into making a statement that they could then use to kill Him.
In the account of the “Woman Caught In Adultery” (John 8:1-11), Jesus rebuked the leaders of Israel when they asked if the woman should be stoned to death. He knew that they were trying to trap Him into making a statement that they could use to justify killing Him. But Jesus silenced them by writing something on the ground and challenging them about their own sins.
In Matthew 23, Jesus repeatedly told the Pharisees, who were religious leaders, that they were hypocrites, blind guides, and were not going to heaven. Because they did not appreciate those words, it gave the Pharisees another reason to have Him killed.
Jesus also overturned tables in the temple and rebuked the religious leaders, who were also the political leaders of Israel, for financially exploiting the people.
Conclusion
In summary, if the Old Testament prophets were present today, they would be speaking out on the so-called political issues of today that, according to the Bible, are moral issues. In recent years, some who identify as Christians have been convinced that many of the sins mentioned in the Bible are political issues and believe they should be silent about them. The truth is that Satan is motivating some to suppress the message of our God about a wide range of sins. In these last days, we are told in 1 Timothy 4:1 that the doctrines of demons will be taught as if they were true. Consequently, we have a great many false teachers lying about what is sin (1 Timothy 4:1-3; 6:3-5; 2 Timothy 3:1-5).
Some Christians have been deceived and so avoid such topics. The message of 2 Timothy is that they are not faithful teachers of the Word of God (2 Timothy 2:2-9). The apostles and early Christians suffered torture and death because they were faithful and unflinchingly taught about Christ and spoke the truths of the Scriptures.
Many unbelievers ignore the fact that the Bible greatly influenced English common law, the Magna Carta, abolitionism, civil rights, the concept of human rights, and motivated the establishment of hospitals and universities, promoted art, and literature.
Therefore, the answer to the question, “Should politics be kept out of Bible teaching? Christians must be faithful to teach what God has written in the Bible. Be faithful to Him. Be light in this perverse world. Jesus said,
Nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:15-16 (NASB)
Speak the truth in love! If they hate you, remember what Jesus said in Matthew 5.