Mennonites and the Law: One Perspective
“We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers–and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine.” (1 Timothy 1:8-10 )
Ambrosius Spitelmaier wrote, “All government which has existed from the time of Adam until now has been instituted by God. But it has not remained in God for it has exceeded its power and still does today. . . . Now . . . the government begins to judge words and deeds which it thinks to be against God, but which are for God. And in this sense it is like Pilate when he condemned Christ. The true, real Christians who are Christians in Spirit and in truth, of whom he says in Matt. 11: “Learn from me, for I am kind and of a humble heart,” do not require a government, sword or power, for they willingly do righteousness. Paul says in 1 Tim. 1, “To the righteous no law is given.” But those Christians who are Christians only in words, “Lord, Lord,” they require their government at all times for their piety, otherwise they would put out each other’s eyes. A piety which must be enforced does not please God. God wants a voluntary spirit as he said to the rich young ruler (Matt. 19).”
This is a different view of “political authority”; the New Testament sees the authority as benign and not of a concern to faithful believers. The Anabaptist faintly echo the same idea, but Spitelmaier gets is ‘dig’ in about governments that wrongly judge words and deeds. This alludes to the struggles that the persecuted Anabaptists had, but for the most part supports the intent of the scripture.
It seems that suspicion of governments is a trait passed down from Anabaptist to Mennonite. Spitelmaier’s indictment of government is reminiscent of what I heard as a child, that Christians do not need government to encourage them to live within the laws. And that as far as the law goes, Mennonites are not above the law but beside the law because their behavior never runs contrary to the law. And if/when Mennonites run afoul of the law because the law is condoning behavior that is anti-Christian. Not unChristian meaning that it is less than, but anti because it is contrary to.
I would curious to know, gentle reader, how you view the law in our modern society?
It is always interesting to discover what one picks up as a child as by osmosis, but yes, concerning how one lives with the law/government is the idea that the Christian ethic or demand is beyond what the law requires. I am always disappointed when we are pressed to do something that our Christian ethic should have already put in place.
Pat Hershberger
November 12, 2009 at 12:06 pm