{"id":199,"date":"2024-11-28T09:59:20","date_gmt":"2024-11-28T15:59:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/orthodoxmontrose.org\/?p=199"},"modified":"2024-11-28T09:59:20","modified_gmt":"2024-11-28T15:59:20","slug":"st-justin-martyr-elections-and-governments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/orthodoxmontrose.org\/index.php\/2024\/11\/28\/st-justin-martyr-elections-and-governments\/","title":{"rendered":"St. Justin Martyr, Elections, and Governments"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Fr. Joseph Sharman
November 5, 2024, published in the November 9 Montrose Press<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I compose this column, the American election is less than a week away. By the time this column is published, supporters of various candidates or causes will likely be either elated or crushed. The victors face the daunting task of keeping their promises, and those who were defeated may accept the will of the people or choose to continue their causes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the beginning, Christianity has been cautious about worldly authority. When the Israelites asked for a king to replace their more egalitarian government of community judges, God tells Samuel the prophet, \u201cHeed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them\u201d (I Samuel 8:7). Though the prophet warned them of the abuses autocratic governments often commit, the people still asked for a king, so they could be \u201clike all the nations\u201d around them, with a ruler who would \u201cjudge us and go out before us and fight our battles\u201d (I Samuel 8:20). When they finally got their wish, their worldly kingdom did prosper for a time, but they also found themselves fighting war after war, and their kings were often corrupted by power and forgot God, Who gave them authority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saint David, the King of Israel, exhorts us, \u201cPut not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help\u201d (Psalm 146:3). Jesus Himself said we were to \u201cRender therefore to Caesar [e.g., the government] the things that are Caesar\u2019s, and to God the things that are God\u2019s\u201d (Matthew 22:21). For the kingdom of Christ \u2013 His Church triumphant \u2013 \u201cis not of this world\u201d (John 18:36).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the first centuries after Christ, His Church on earth routinely faced horrific persecution from the government. Christians were hunted, jailed, tortured, and executed, since the state considered them \u201catheists\u201d (e.g., disbelievers in the Roman gods) who weakened the empire, particularly by failing to practice the state religion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Around 155 AD, the great philosopher and Christian saint, Justin Martyr, composed his \u201cFirst Apology\u201d (or defense) to the Roman emperor, Antoninus Pius. Saint Justin exhorted the government to rethink its unjust policies and, instead, \u201cto honour and love only what is true\u201d (Chapter 2, https:\/\/www.newadvent.org\/fathers\/0126.htm). In that spirit, he \u201cdemand[ed] that the charges against the Christians be investigated, and that, if these be substantiated, they be punished as they deserve\u201d (Chapter 3). But he was confident that true Christians would be absolved, since they practiced virtue, cared for the outcast, and were model citizens:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd everywhere we, more readily than all men, endeavour to pay to those appointed by you the taxes both ordinary and extraordinary, as we have been taught by Him; \u2026 Whence to God alone we render worship, but in other things we gladly serve you, acknowledging you as kings and rulers of men, and praying that with your kingly power you be found to possess also sound judgment\u201d (Chapter 17).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this, Saint Justin echoed the letter Saint Paul wrote 100 years before, instructing Christians to \u201cbe subject to the governing authorities\u201d (Romans 13:1). And, while Christians must disobey unjust laws, they do so only because they follow \u201cthe Father of righteousness and temperance and the other virtues\u201d (\u201cApology,\u201d Chapter 6). It is the civil disobedience of Martin Luther King Jr. that distinguishes a Christian, not intemperate disobedience; true Christians love even those who hate them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Christians do \u201clook for a kingdom,\u201d Saint Justin acknowledges, but \u201cwe speak of that which is with God, [not] \u2026 a human kingdom.\u201d Since \u201cour thoughts are not fixed on the present, we are not concerned when men cut us off; since also death is a debt which must at all events be paid\u201d (Chapter 11).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are in the world but not \u201cof the world\u201d (John 17:14). Christians are good citizens of earthly kingdoms, who, \u201cmore than all other men are [the government\u2019s] helpers and allies in promoting peace\u201d (Chapter 12). And yet, because their true \u201ccitizenship is in heaven\u201d (Philippians 3:30), they live knowing that earthly governments change and crumble. If those governments require loyalty that exceeds loyalty towards God, Christians are called to \u201cchoose for yourselves this day whom you will serve\u201d (Joshua 24:15).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God willing, says Saint Justin, a fair government \u201cshould give their decision[s] in obedience, not to violence and tyranny, but to piety and philosophy\u201d (Chapter 3). But, if governments fail \u2013 as they do \u2013 the Christian\u2019s \u201cthoughts are not fixed on the present.\u201d Instead, we look to Jesus Christ, \u201cthe author and finisher of our faith\u201d (Hebrews 12:2). Anything else is missing the mark, setting our sights too low.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saint Justin\u2019s \u201cFirst Apology\u201d was so compelling that, history teaches, Emperor Antoninus Pius stopped the persecution of Christians. Ten years later, after a change in government, Saint Justin Martyr was beheaded for his faith.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Fr. Joseph SharmanNovember 5, 2024, published in the November 9 Montrose Press As I compose this column, the American election is less than a week away. By the time this column is published, supporters of various candidates or causes will likely be either elated or crushed. The victors face the daunting task of keeping their […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-199","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/orthodoxmontrose.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/199","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/orthodoxmontrose.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/orthodoxmontrose.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orthodoxmontrose.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orthodoxmontrose.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=199"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/orthodoxmontrose.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/199\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":200,"href":"https:\/\/orthodoxmontrose.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/199\/revisions\/200"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/orthodoxmontrose.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=199"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orthodoxmontrose.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=199"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orthodoxmontrose.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=199"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}