Church and the State, Part 1

In this first part of his series on the church and the state, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones lays a historical foundation for understanding the development of the relationship between the two. In this sermon from Romans 13:1–7 titled “Church and the State (1),” he affirms the importance of Christians thinking carefully about their responsibility and attitude towards government and authority. Scripture teaches that the church and government structures are both ordained by God and therefore Christians must maintain a God-honoring posture towards both. Critical to this is having an understanding of how church and state relations developed. In the first three centuries of the early church, believers were living in a pagan world controlled by the Roman Empire. No one was under the illusion that the church and state were one entity. They were at odds towards one another. This changed, Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches, when Constantine came to power and instituted Christianity as the official religion of the state. What followed was a power struggle between church and state. Listen to this compelling sermon by Dr. Lloyd-Jones as he equips his listeners to understand the historical struggle for authority and power that shapes a current understanding of the relationship of Christianity and government.