The Two Kingdoms
Lutheran Confessions and Writings
Augsburg Confession XVI. Civil Government. It is taught among us that all government in the world and all established rule and laws were instituted and ordained by God for the sake of good order, and that Christians may without sin occupy civil offices or serve as princes and judges, render decisions and pass sentence according to imperial and other existing laws, punish evildoers with the sword, engage in just wars, serve as soldiers, buy and sell, take required oaths, possess property, be married, etc.
Condemned here are the Anabaptists who teach that none of the things indicated above is Christian.
Also condemned are those who teach that Christian perfection requires the forsaking of house and home, wife and child, and the renunciation of such activities as are mentioned above. Actually, true perfection consists alone of proper fear of God and real faith in God, for the Gospel does not teach an outward and temporal but an inward and eternal mode of existence and righteousness of the heart. The Gospel does not overthrow civil authority, the state, and marriage but requires that all these be kept as true orders of God and that everyone, each according to his own calling, manifest Christian love and genuine good works in his station of life. Accordingly Christians are obliged to be subject to civil authority and obey its commands and laws in all that can be done without sin. But when commands of the civil authority cannot be obeyed without sin, we must obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29).
Augsburg Confession Article XXVIII, The Power of Bishops. Many and various things have been written in former times about the power of bishops, and some have improperly confused the power of bishops with the temporal sword. Out of this careless confusion many serious wars, tumults, and uprisings have resulted because the bishops, under the pretext of the power given them by Christ, … have also presumed to set up and depose kings and emperors according to their pleasure. …
Our teachers assert that according to the Gospel the power of keys or the power of bishops is a power and command of God to preach the Gospel, to forgive and retain sins, and to administer and distribute the sacraments. …
This power of keys or of bishops is used and exercised only by teaching and preaching the Word of God and by administering the sacraments. … Inasmuch as the power of the church or of bishops bestows eternal gifts and is used and exercised only through the office of preaching, it does not interfere at all with government or temporal authority. Temporal authority is concerned with matters altogether different from the Gospel. Temporal power does not protect the soul, but with the sword and physical penalties it protects body and goods from the power of others.
Therefore, the two authorities, the spiritual and the temporal, are not to be mingled or confused, for the spiritual power has its commission to preach the Gospel and administer the sacraments. Hence it should not invade the function of the other, should not set up and depose kings, should not annul temporal laws or undermine obedience to government, should not make or prescribe to the temporal power laws concerning worldly matters.
Apology to the Augsburg Confession Article XVI. Christ’s kingdom is spiritual; it is the knowledge of God in the heart, the fear of God and faith, the beginning of eternal righteousness and eternal life. At the same time it lets us make outward use of the legitimate political ordinances of the nation in which we live, just as it lets us make use of medicine or architecture, food or drink or air. The Gospel does not introduce any new laws about the civil estate, but commands us to obey the existing laws, whether they were formulated by heathen or by others, and in this obedience to practice love.
…
It was mad of Carlstadt to try to impose on us the judicial laws of Moses. Our theologians have written extensively on this subject because the monks had broadcast many dangerous ideas through the church. They called it an evangelical state to hold property in common, and they called it an evangelical counsel not to own property and not to go to court. These ideas seriously obscure the Gospel and the spiritual kingdom; they are also dangerous to the state.
Explanation to the 4th Commandment, Luther’s Large Catechism. 141] In this commandment belongs a further statement regarding all kinds of obedience to persons in authoritywho have to command and to govern. For all authority flows and is propagated from the authority of parents.For where a father is unable alone to educate his [rebellious and irritable] child, he employs a schoolmaster toinstruct him; if he be too weak, he enlists the aid of his friends and neighbors; if he departs this life, hedelegates and confers his authority and government upon others who are appointed for the purpose. 142]Likewise, he must have domestics, man-servants and maid-servants, under himself for the management of the
household, so that all whom we call masters are in the place of parents and must derive their power andauthority to govern from them. Hence also they are all called fathers in the Scriptures, as those who in theirgovernment perform the functions of a father, and should have a paternal heart toward their subordinates. Asalso from antiquity the Romans and other nations called the masters and mistresses of the household patresetmatres- familiae, that is, housefathers and housemothers. So also they called their national rulers andoverlords patres patriae, that is, fathers of the entire country, for a great shame to us who would be Christiansthat we do not likewise call them so, or, at least, do not esteem and honor them as such.
…
150] The same also is to be said of obedience to civil government, which (as we have said) is all embraced inthe estate of fatherhood and extends farthest of all relations. For here the father is not one of a single family,but of as many people as he has tenants, citizens, or subjects. For through them, as through our parents, Godgives to us food, house and home, protection and security. Therefore, since they bear such name and title withall honor as their highest dignity, it is our duty to honor them and to esteem them great as the dearest treasureand the most precious jewel upon earth.
…
158] Thus we have two kinds of fathers presented in this commandment, fathers in blood and fathers in office,or those to whom belongs the care of the family, and those to whom belongs the care of the country.
2004 LCMS Convention
To Reiterate Synod’s Stance on Abortion
RESOLUTION 6-02A
Overtures 6-02–04 (CW, p. 231)
WHEREAS, The Bible clearly states that the child in themother’s womb is a living human being (Jer. 1:5; Ps.139:16; Is. 49:1, 5; and Luke 1:41, 44); and
WHEREAS, Elective abortion is a sin, as it is a violationof God’s command that “You shall not murder”; and
WHEREAS, The Christian church has historically statedits stance regarding abortion dating back to the earlychurch fathers; and
WHEREAS, Martin Luther’s Small Catechism states thatChristians are not to “hurt nor harm our neighbor, but helpand support him in every need,” which includes the childin the womb; and
WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod hashistorically voiced its strong support of defenseless humanlife from conception and continues to speak out concerningthe sin of abortion; and
WHEREAS, The introduction of RU-486, along with otherdrugs and procedures, has made it easier to take the life ofchildren in the womb while strengthening and perpetuatingthe myth in our culture that the unborn child is notworthy of life or protection; and
WHEREAS, Too often pastors, church workers, parishioners,and those in the LCMS who are in positions of public responsibility have faltered in defense of the unborn; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Synod in convention reaffirm its historic position on the sanctity of life; and be it further
Resolved, That the synodical President send a letter to the President of the United States of America on behalf of the Synod, requesting a thorough review and reversal of the decision made by the Federal Food and Drug Administration regarding RU-486 and its use in the killing of unborn children; and be it further
Resolved, That pastors, church workers, parishioners, and those in the LCMS who are in positions of public responsibility be encouraged to work in every way possible (i.e. adoption, legislation, public preaching and teaching, crisis centers support, etc.) locally and nationally to end abortion in this country; and be it further
Resolved, That pastors and synodical officials be encouraged to deal evangelically in accordance with Matthew 18 and the appropriate Bylaws in the case of those who reject this biblical truth; and be it finally
Resolved, That we work together as brothers and sisters in Christ in a fraternal, evangelical, and loving spirit actively to proclaim the forgiveness that Christ won for us on the cross to those who have been brought to repentance for having supported or experienced abortion. Action: Adopted as amended.