Social and Political Issues and the Church’s Priorities

Today this is a major issue that many churches need to face. Social needs can swamp the time of churches and their ministers. For medical missionaries this can be a major problem as a lack of good medicine can put immense pressure of the time of doctors and nurses, so much so that addressing the spiritual needs of patients and their society .can be forced to take a back place. the Bible has much to say about this tension.

Jesus

At the beginning of his ministry Mark tells us that he was inundated with people who wanted to witness his healing miracles.  There were so many sick people around.  Early one morning Jesus went off to pray and the context suggests that the main topic was this pressure.  When his disciples found him and explained that already there were crowds of people wanting to see him, he made this significant reply.

“Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages - so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.”  So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.” Mark 1:38-30

I recently received an email from an active churchman.  His message included these words:

“If faith is present in a person’s soul and meaningful prayer is a constant, we all should be out in the community offering help , practical assistance.”

He contrasted social action that his church emphasised with Bible teaching.  Jesus’ priority was to teach but this certainly did not stop his social involvement.  When people understand the gospel and have been given God’s righteousness and his Holy Spirit as gifts, surely we should want to care for people both spiritually, socially and physically as best we can.

The religious people of his day often tried to trick him over the question of his priorities.  Some would have loved him to espouse certain political opinions.  Thus when asked whether the Jews should pay taxes to Caesar he astutely sidestepped the issue by asking to be shown a denarius, a coin equivalent to a day’s wage.  He said:

““Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”   Mark 12:17

Jesus clearly taught that our priority must always be to listen to god and obey what he says.

Paul

In the first century AD there were so many political and social issues that were of wide concern.  The morality of the powerful leaders left a lot to be desired.

The two involved in Paul’s trial in Caesarea were typical. It was widely thought that Herod Agrippa II was involved in an incestuous affair with his half sister Berenice who was also present.  Felix was known to be a cruel tyrant who was personally immoral. In the two years that remained of his governorship, there is no indication that Claudius Lysias, the commander of the Roman troops in Jerusalem who rescued Paul from the mob was even called to appear before Felix to testify in Paul's case over the two years he was imprisoned there. Felix brought Paul before him periodically in hope that Paul would offer him a bride to secure his freedom.  There would certainly be moral issues that Paul could have reasonably addressed but he wisely decided not to address them.  Instead he was very polite and treated those in authority with greta respect.  This could be because he knew they had the power of life and death over him but studying what paul did say shows he was not scared.  No, he wanted to address a more important issue – the importance of Jesus, his resurrection and his divinity.  Paul had been accused by the Jews of causing riots all over the Roman world and desecrating the temple (Acts 24:5-6) whereas the truth was that the Jews had stirred up the riots against Paul and his colleagues because they hated the fact that he was persuading people about Jesus.

Paul understood that the priority for Christians is to represent god in his world and consequently to share the gospel of christ;’s love with them.  He could honestly say:

“For to me, to live is Christ.” Philippians 1:21

The Great Commission

The ultimate purpose of humanity and therefore the Church, is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. This is emphasised in Scriptures such as 1 Corinthians 10:31, which states:

“Whether then you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God”

The Great Commission, found in Matthew 28:18-20, is a cornerstone of the church's mission. Jesus commands his followers to:

“Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you”.

Acts 1:8 emphasises the global scope of this mission: "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth".

Churches engage in both local and international missions, sending missionaries to share the Gospel, plant churches, and provide humanitarian aid worldwide. Many also participate in evangelistic events and initiatives within their local communities. According to JJ Weller, author of an article on the Great Commission,

“There are only three kinds of Christians when it comes to world missions: zealous goers, zealous senders, and disobedient.”

Any church that does prioritise the sharing of the gospel with outsiders amongst its other activities is not an apostolic, Christ-centred church.

BVP