Civil Government and the Bible -

I have a few thoughts to share here regarding the idea of socialism. I know there are probably very few Christians who would explicitly advocate the idea that the Bible permits the civil government to legislate socialism, but making these points may be helpful in exposing some of the socialistic tendencies of the United States “democracy” or “republic.”

2 Thessalonians 3:10b “If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.”
1 Timothy 5:8 “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
Psalm 128:2 “When you eat the fruit of the labor of your hands, you shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.”
Isaiah 65:22 “They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat…”

The Bible speaks in many places of community and sharing provisions with those who have need. There is a passage in Acts 2 which strongly indicates sharing all things in common. The accompanying commentary in the Reformation Study Bible mentions the unity of brethren and meeting the needs of others. BUT, that commentary also highlights the nature of that sharing as being voluntary among brethren. I am not aware of any indication from God’s Word that such common holdings should be a compulsory mandate from the civil government. I believe that the United States government, for instance, has over-stepped its bounds with regard to the taxation of all citizens to fund many federal aid and subsidies which is a simple case of the general public “building” while specific groups and individuals “inhabit.” I “plant” while the farming industry “eats;” and the airline industry recently ate, and Amtrak recently ate. Our current President increased funding to Planned Parenthood. The state level and federal level of our civil government are always talking about needs to increase funding for the educational system (a system which flies in the face of Biblical parental responsibility). This increased funding doesn’t just appear from thin air, it comes straight from our pockets.

Here are a couple of additional points:

First, a couple of lines from the Constitution Party platform:
We affirm...That each individual is endowed by his Creator with certain unalienable rights…That the legitimate function of government is to secure these rights through the preservation of domestic tranquility, the maintenance of a strong national defense, and the promotion of equal justice for all…The only legitimate purpose of civil government is to safeguard the God-given rights of its citizens; namely, life, liberty, and property.

Second, while the direct context applies to paying taxes, consider whether or not this Scripture is properly used to derive the application which follows:
Matthew 22:21 "...'Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.'"
If a responsibility has been assigned by God to parents or the Church (and not to Caesar), doesn't it follow that we ought not render such responsibility unto the state? I may not be able to immediately call to our attention Scriptures which say, "these are the limitations of civil government," but where God has given instruction, it is good and necessary to deduce such limitations.

My goal here is simply to encourage a greater effort on the part of Christians to think through these kinds of issues with the Bible in hand. What does God say?