In contemporary theological discussions surrounding civil government and the scope of Christian obedience, a pervasive error continues to muddy the ...
Future of Christendom (formerly the Mid-Atlantic Reformation Society) takes its name from the conviction that Jesus will be victorious in history as He builds His church, and that the task of this generation is to equip the next one to apply the full counsel of God to every area of life—self-government, family, church, and civil government—so that the territories, people, and culture shaped by the Christian faith advance rather than retreat. “Christendom” simply means the regions inhabited by those who profess the Christian religion, the body of Christians, or Christianity itself; our work is aimed at its future by helping Christians renew their minds, break unbiblical patterns, and establish righteousness, truth, and justice for the generations that follow.
No. Future of Christendom holds that God has ordained distinct spheres of government—self, family, church, and civil—each with its own God-given jurisdiction and limits. The church is not the state, and the state is not the church. The civil magistrate’s task is to adjudicate justice according to God’s Law when cases are brought before him; he is not authorized to absorb the church’s worship, discipline, or mission, nor is the church authorized to wield the sword. We reject both the modern habit of treating the state as a substitute for the church and any attempt to collapse the two institutions into one. Christ’s kingship is total, but the offices He has appointed remain distinct.
