“Honor the Authorities” (Exodus 20:12)

What this episode covers

The Fifth Commandment: Honor the Authorities Several values have shaped American culture since our founding. Those who crossed the Atlantic on the Mayflower were mostly Puritans with an appreciation for Reformed theology. They sought freedom of religion and took extreme measures in order to find that freedom. Half of the pilgrims died during their first winter in Plymouth. November 11, this year marks the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower landing at Cape Cod. Although there was a strong Christian influence from that first Plymouth Colony, many of the founding fathers among later generations were heavily guided by the French Enlightenment ideals of Locke, Voltaire, and Rousseau who encouraged revolution and rebellion against corrupt monarchs. The more that our founding fathers adopted Enlightenment views, the more uncertain their Biblical worldview became. A rebellious individualism, much of which was unbiblical, became the moral norm. However, it is important to note that history is a bit more complicated than that. The concept of lesser magistrates overthrowing evil kings began to develop as early as the twelfth century. During the Protestant Reformation, John Calvin elaborated on the view, and later theologians such as John Knox, Samuel Rutherford, and Theodore Beza “argued that inferior magistrates must resistunjust rulers and even permitted or required citizens to do so” (Mark David Hall). All of these Reformed theologians wrote before John Locke and their theological views were held among many of the early colonists, especially the elite class (some 55-75% of which were Calvinists). Not all authorities are worthy of the same degree of respect. Maybe they have earned a level of scrutiny because they repeatedly exemplify wicked leadership values. Some are easier for us to despise than others. However, the doctrine of the lesser magistrates was not a core belief of the reformers, nor do we really know how much of a consensus there was for the view. We need to be on guard about latching onto a somewhat obscure doctrine in order to support our political presupposition. Let’s allow God’s Word to reform our politics. We should take care that we do not become so dogmatic in our criticism of politicians that we find ourselves at odds with Scripture. Just because you do not like the politics of a particular authority, does not mean that God grants you permission to disrespect or defy them. We need to keep our words, thoughts, and actions in check with regard to this commandment as we do the other nine. Read Exodus 20:12 This morning we will consider the other authorities that God has placed over us. Who We Must Honor Two weeks ago we focused solely upon the relationship between parents and children. It is the language of the commandment, but it follows that all relationships between superiors, inferiors, and equals are in view. The Westminster Larger Catechism uses the categories of family, church, and commonwealth. We will focus on the church and civil authorities this morning. God claims authority over the civil realm. He utilizes civil authorities for his purposes. We should recognize their God-given role and respect them for the office they hold. In fact, the preacher argues that we should not curse the king even in our thoughts (Ecclesiastes 10:20). As governor of Judea, Pilate was not the ultimate authority. He reported to the Roman Emperor Tiberius. But Jesus still recognized his authority over him (John 19:11). The Apostle Paul agreed with this telling the Romans “there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God” (Romans 13:1). Scripture does not have particular government systems in mind when it commands us to honor our authorities. Various civil authorities in America would include the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of our government. We are to honor all individuals whom God has placed in particular spheres of power over us, even

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