Reimagining Political Faithfulness: Paul, the Pharisees, and a Better Way

How can Christians engage in politics without becoming partisans? In this double-feature episode—an encore from two years ago—Mike Erre revisits the roots of faith, power, and politics with new context for our current cultural moment. Drawing from Tim Gombis, Michael Goheen, and N.T. Wright, Mike reframes Paul's theology as inherently political, uncovering how early church teachings speak directly into the chaos of today's polarized political climate. This is the first two parts of the Faith and Politics Series—republished to provide grounding and clarity during a fraught election season. Mike explores Paul's journey from Saul the Pharisee to Apostle of Jesus, highlighting a dramatic political reorientation—one from coercion and judgment to service, humility, and subversive citizenship in the Kingdom of God. Key Takeaways: • Understanding "Politics" Biblically – Redefining politics not as partisanship, but as the communal ordering of social life under the reign of Jesus. • Paul's Political Imagination – How Saul's pre-conversion zeal mirrored today's political idolatry, and how Jesus radically reshaped his political posture. • The Gospel as Political Announcement – Why preaching is inherently political and how churches should function as alternative communities ("polis") embodying justice, mercy, and humility. • Lessons for Today's Church – What modern Christians can learn from the tension between faith and nationalism, power and witness, and how we move forward with redemptive engagement. Resources Mentioned: • Michael Goheen – Writings on missional theology • N.T. Wright – Gospel and Empire themes • Tim Gombis – Scholarly work on Paul and political theology • Book of Acts – The transformation of Saul to Paul • Old Testament texts – Deuteronomy, Jeremiah, Isaiah (New Exodus themes) • Hebrew Bible themes – Shalom, exile, holiness, and priesthood Join the conversation as we unpack how Paul's political transformation can help us navigate our own divisive landscape with gospel-centered wisdom. Subscribe, leave a review, and follow Voxology on social media to stay informed and inspired. As always, we encourage and welcome discussion as we pursue truth together. Feel free to email your thoughts to [email protected] and engage with us on Facebook and Instagram. We're on YouTube if you're into that kinda thing: VOXOLOGY TV – https://www.youtube.com/@voxology Our Merch Store: ETSY – https://www.etsy.com/shop/VOXOLOGY?ref=shop_sugg_market Learn more about the podcast: https://voxologypodcast.com/ Subscribe on iTunes – https://apple.co/1Lla1Nj Or on Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/2Mvxz3OQDSkEpHujXiFkkr?si=KJoEXxxxTsqE-HiGL-PfIA Support the podcast on Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/voxology Listen to Voxology Radio on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/nj2l08pd1zt6zk3azs1plhmdy?si=3fb86269da0449ed Follow us on Instagram: @voxologypodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/voxologypodcast Follow Mike on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mikeerre Music in this episode by Timothy John Stafford – https://www.timothyjohnstafford.com Instagram & Twitter: @GoneTimothy As always, we encourage and would love discussion as we pursue. Feel free to email in questions to [email protected], and to engage the conversation on Facebook and Instagram. We're on YouTube (if you're into that kinda thing): VOXOLOGY TV. Our Merch Store! ETSY Learn more about the Voxology Podcast Subscribe on iTunes or Spotify Support the Voxology Podcast on Patreon The Voxology Spotify channel can be found here: Voxology Radio Follow us on Instagram: @voxologypodcast and "like" us on Facebook Follow Mike on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mikeerre Music in this episode by Timothy John Stafford Instagram & Twitter: @GoneTimothy