Civil Government: Magistracy, Authority, and Romans 13: Christian & Civil Government

Christian & Civil Government # 4

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Civil Government

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2000-12-07

Synopsis: John Weaver continues his series on civil government by examining the biblical basis for resistance to tyranny, focusing on the role of magistrates and rulers. He argues that resistance must be led by a proper magistrate, distinguishing between private self-defense and public armed resistance. Through an extensive word study of 'magistrate' and 'ruler' in Scripture, he demonstrates that both civil and spiritual leaders are ordained as rulers with authority to act, and that when civil rulers fail, spiritual rulers (preachers) have a duty to interpose. He concludes with historical examples from the American Revolution, particularly the 'Black Robed Regiment' of pastors, and calls for modern preachers to reclaim their role as spiritual magistrates leading the nation back to righteousness.

[John Weaver] Open Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 13, Romans chapter 13. Once again, we'll read the first eight verses and we'll take a few moments to review and then Lord willing, go from there. So Romans chapter 13, beginning there with verse one. Let every soul be subject under the higher powers, for there is no power but of God. The powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth of power, resisteth the ordinance of God, and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

[John Weaver] For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. But thou then not be afraid of the power. Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same. For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid, for he beareth not the sword in vain. For he is the minister of God, and revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore, you must need to be subject not only for wrath but also for conscience sake. For this cause pay you tribute also for their God's ministers attending continually upon this very thing.

[John Weaver] Render therefore to all their dues tribute whom tribute is due, custom and custom, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor, owe no man anything but to love one another, for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. Let me take just about five minutes and try to bring those first-time visitors tonight up to where we are. I dealt on Monday night basically with two subjects. The first one was the institution and nature of government, showing you how that God alone has ordained government, that God alone is the sovereign, and therefore any ordained government is limited and confined and bounded by God.

[John Weaver] I pointed out the fact that God created three basic institutions, the family, which is a ministry of education, the church, which is a ministry of grace, and the state, which is a ministry of justice. We look through Romans chapter 13, and I showed you how the civil magistrate is not just simply called a power and a ruler, but he's called the minister of God in verse 4 twice. And that word is deikonos. It's where we get our English word deacon. It literally means he's to be the deacon, the servant of God. And then in verse 4, he's also called a revenger.

[John Weaver] That is, one who exacts righteousness out of. So, the civil magistrate is not only God's deacon, he's God's exactor of righteousness. And then in verse 6, once again, he's called a minister again. But this time the Greek word is liturgoi, which means liturgy, which is a public form of worship. So, God then, has ordained civil government, not just simply to be a power, and not just simply to be a rulership, but to be his deacon, his servant, his exactor of righteousness, and of course, his public worship. And just as the family is responsible to be biblical and scriptural, And just as the church is responsible to be biblical and scriptural, likewise the government is just as responsible to be biblical and scriptural. Why? Because it's limited, it's accountable, it's responsible to the God who ordained it and the God who set it up.

[John Weaver] Now, I also pointed out the fact that government is covenantal in nature. In fact, the Word of God says specifically that there are two types of covenants. One between God, the king, and the people, where the king agrees to be God's king, or the civil ruler agrees to be God's civil ruler, and the people agree to be God's people. Then there was a second covenant between the king and the people, where the king agreed to rule faithfully, and of course the people then agreed to obey as long as he did. And the interesting thing is, I pointed out the fact that is basically how our country was founded. Because when one party violates the covenant, the other party is loose from obedience. And that's exactly what George III, King of England, did. He violated his covenant with the colonies.

[John Weaver] And consequently, when he sent soldiers over here to coerce and to subjugate the colonists, they said, look, we are not going to submit to this. We are going to fight. I read to you from the Fairfax Resolves where the colonists begged George III to keep his end of the covenant, but he would not, and he did not. And then secondly, I pointed out how that All parties are responsible in a covenant, and when, therefore, God holds each one accountable. And when a king or a civil ruler sins individually, God judges him individually. But when he sins publicly, and the people do not stop him since they have a responsibility to, God always judges the people. He always judges the land and the nation along with the civil ruler. And then we look the next time at the purpose of government.

[John Weaver] We saw that government basically was for the protection of the righteous and for the punishment of the wicked. Government is not to be a welfare agency. It's not to be an educational ministry. It is indeed, according to the scripture, a ministry of justice. And then I answered the question, must we obey every law that comes down the pike? And the answer is undoubtedly no. And I showed you numerous scriptural illustrations where men and women disobeyed their civil leader and did so with the blessing of God. Elijah certainly did so.

[John Weaver] The Apostle Paul did so. Amram and Jochebed did so. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Daniel did so. And a multitude of others in the Bible as well. And so very clearly then, God does not hold us responsible to obey those laws that are contrary to his word. In fact, I showed you scripture last night where God judged a people who were willingly walking after ungodly and unbiblical commandments. And then, of course, we looked at the fact that abuse and usurped authority ties no one to subjection. And I made one point last night, and I want to really emphasize it again. And that is this, that rebellion is only to lawful authority. If the authority is not lawful, it ties no one to submission, and therefore you may resist it with the blessing of God. It is not rebellion, it is simply resistance. That's why Thomas Jefferson said, resistance to tyrants is obedience unto God. And so we looked at the fact that abuse, usurped authority is not binding. And then we began to look at the three forms of resistance.

[John Weaver] If we are to resist abuse, tyrannical authority, how are we to resist? I showed you the three steps in the Bible. There was a verbal defense. Secondly, there was flight. And then thirdly, there was violent self-defense. I pointed out the only problem with flight is, number one, sometimes it does not work. And number two, not everyone can flee at all times.

[John Weaver] Now, I want to pick up there tonight because I want to deal with a subject which most people probably have never entertained. And that is, if we are to resist, how are we to resist? And, of course, the answer comes back, well, we're to resist by any and every means available to us that is biblical and right. And the truth of the matter is this, we must resist in every way. We must begin with verbal resistance. We must begin And we must accomplish whatever we can by using verbal resistance and then move on to the others.

[John Weaver] In other words, God requires each of us to be active. in every sphere, in every area, be responsible. For instance, in Isaiah 58 in verse 1, he says, lift up your voice like a trumpet and cry out and show my people their sins and the rulers their wickedness. So over and over, God calls upon us to lift up our voices and cry out.

[John Weaver] Now, most of the time, individuals want to talk about resistance by force of arms. Now, let me just tell you very clearly That resistance by force of arms, according to the Bible, is reserved for those who are led by a proper magistrate.

[John Weaver] Now, let me explain that. Resistance by force of arms is reserved for those who are led by a proper magistrate. That does not include self-defense. For instance, if I'm standing on the street corner and someone comes up to mug me, or to rob me, and I don't say, well, wait a minute, I can't defend myself until I get a police officer around here who will lead me in self-defense. No. I'm to defend my life according to the sixth commandment.

[John Weaver] whenever and wherever it is absolutely necessary. I do not need anyone to lead me in self-defense because self-defense is obligatory according to the sixth commandment. The sixth commandment is thou shalt not kill. It's a negative. The positive is thou shalt preserve life. So that means I'm obligated to preserve life. I'm obligated to preserve my life. So, very clearly then, when I say that resistance of arms is reserved for those who are led by a magistrate, it does not include self-defense.

[John Weaver] But it does exclude what you and I would call mob uprisings and insurrections. In other words, if we are going to have the use of arms, it must be done properly and biblically.

[John Weaver] Now, look in your Bibles, if you would, very quickly, to 1 Corinthians chapter 7. And verse 20, and let me establish a principle for you. 1 Corinthians chapter 7 and verse 20, God says this, let every man abide in the same calling wherein he is called. Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he is called. God does not call every man to the use of the sword. And that's what the Bible said in Romans chapter 13.

[John Weaver] What did He say about the civil magistrate? He beareth not the sword in vain. In other words, God has called some individuals for the use of the sword, others He has not. And so God says, the common principle is, let every man abide in the same calling wherein he is called.

[John Weaver] Now, according to 1 Corinthians chapter 14 and verse 33, the Bible tells us that God is not the author of confusion. So very clearly then, not all men have been called to use the sword. And it is said of those who have been called to use the sword, that he beareth not the sword in vain. But the scripture also says concerning those who unlawfully use the sword, in Matthew chapter 26 and verse 52, for all they that take the sword shall die by the sword. In other words, if you use the sword unlawfully, then you shall die by the sword either through divine vengeance or what you and I would call capital punishment.

[John Weaver] Now, to try to clarify this, let me tell you that there is a difference between what you and I would call a particular or a private person and a collective or a public person. You have a private person on the one hand, you have a public person on the other hand, and the duties of one are not necessarily the duties of the other. It is true that all men are bound to serve God. All men are called to serve God, but not to serve Him in the same capacity in the same way. For instance, not everyone in this room is called to be a preacher. Not everyone in this room is called to be a doctor. Not everyone in this room is called to be an economics professor. In other words, whatever calling God has placed upon you, it is true you're duty-bound to serve Him in that particular area. But you and I both know that there are some individuals that God gives greater responsibilities unto. He gives them greater blessings. He gives them greater advantages.

[John Weaver] And therefore, they are more accountable and answerable unto God. And so when God then takes an individual and He places him in a place of public trust, When he places him with an added amount of power and authority, then that individual is more accountable and answerable unto God. So let me try to demonstrate to you the difference between a private person and a public person. Let me show you the duties of the one, or not necessarily the duties of the other.

[John Weaver] And let me give you an illustration which I'm sure that most of you can identify with. So here I am in my own home. And I'm sitting back in my office studying and I hear my wife up in the front of the building. She lets out a scream and I can tell by the scream that she's in real trouble. And so as I jump up from my desk, I just happen to reach over and I pick up a pistol just to make sure that I'm covered in every area. And as I get up in front of the house, here's a man who's broken into my house and he's attacking my wife.

[John Weaver] And I order him to stop and he draws out a knife. And when he does, I take the pistol and shoot him dead. Well, I call the sheriff. I said, you better come out here. There's a dead man in my living room. And the sheriff gets out there. He sees where the man is broken in. He sees the scars on my wife where he's attacked my wife. And what's the sheriff going to do to me?

[John Weaver] And the answer is nothing. It's very clearly, very obviously self-defense. The man broke into my home. I have the right to protect my life and the life of my wife.

[John Weaver] Now, let's take and put it on the other hand. Let's suppose the man breaks into my home. My wife happens to be there alone and he attacks my wife and he escapes. There is no one there to defend her. And so when I come home, I find the sheriff there and the medics there and here the man has gotten away. They've done everything they can to find him, but they can't find him.

[John Weaver] They call out the dogs. The dogs can't catch his scent. And so he's just simply gone. But my wife recovers and we're riding down the road one day, maybe three or four or five months later, and all of a sudden she said, there he is. I said, there who is? She said, that's the man that attacked me. I said, are you absolutely positive? She said, of course I am. I'll never forget him. I said, that's all I wanted to know.

[John Weaver] I pull my car over. I reach in the backseat. I pick up my rifle. I lay it out the window and shoot him dead on the sidewalk. Would you please tell me what's going to happen to me now? I'm going to be arrested. What am I going to be arrested for? Murder. Because I was not at that particular time defending my wife, nor defending my life. I just executed the man on the spot.

[John Weaver] Now, let me change it around just a little bit. Since I am a private individual in that instance, I had no right to take his life. But let's suppose instead of taking that rifle out of the backseat and shooting him dead, I took the rifle out of the backseat, I jumped out, I ran over, stuck it right between his eyes and said, sir, you better not even blink until the sheriff gets here. And I just held him until the sheriff arrived. My wife identified him, the sheriff took him in, and let's suppose that we have a biblical court of law and we have a biblical jury and a biblical judge.

[John Weaver] And once the facts have come out and once the evidence has been submitted, they find the man guilty and they sentence him to death. And it just so happens that I am the state executioner. And I'm the man that puts him in the electric chair. I strap him down. I put the electrodes on him. I'm the man that reaches over and pulls the lever and sends all that voltage through his body.

[John Weaver] And I watch him quiver and die. Now, here's my question. What's going to happen to me now? Nothing. Why? Because what I did in that instance, I did as a public person and not as a private person. So there's a difference between the one and the other.

[John Weaver] Now, we've got to understand that magistrates are public persons. So we better make sure, if we're going to follow someone, that they are indeed a lawful magistrate.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to take your Bibles and turn, if you would please, first of all, to the book of Judges, chapter 18. I want to take you through the Bible very quickly, and I won't have time to deal but with two or three words. The first one is magistrate. and another one will be rulers. But I want you to see, according to the Scripture, who the rulers are.

[John Weaver] Now, this may cause you to think fairly deeply, and I hope it does. But look in Judges 18, if you would please. Judges 18 and verse 7. The Bible says, Then the five men departed and came to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt carelessly. after the manner of the Sidonians, quite insecure, and there was no magistrate in the land that might put them to shame in anything. And they were far from the Sidonians and had no business with any man." Now note the phrase, and there was no magistrate in the land that might put them to shame in anything.

[John Weaver] Now, the word magistrate here is the Hebrew word Esser, and it literally means to hold back. It means a possessor of restraint. Literally what verse seven says, there was no magistrate in the land. There was no one there who had the authority and who had the power to stop them. So that's what the word Esser means. It means someone with the power of restraint. Someone who has the authority to use weaponry or whatever that would be sufficient to restrain someone.

[John Weaver] Now turn in your Bibles, if you would please, to the book of Ezra. The book of Ezra. Ezra, Nehemiah. And look, if you would please, at Ezra chapter 7 and verse 25. And here's an interesting statement. The king tells Ezra, that he is to make magistrates, and here the Hebrew word is a different word, it's the word Shafat, and look what he says. Ezra chapter 7 verse 25, And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God that is in thine hand, set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God, and teach you them that know them not. Now, the king says, Ezra, you have my authority to set up magistrates. One of the qualifications for a magistrate is not just that he is a possessor of restraint, but the king says he must be someone who knows the law of God. And if he doesn't know the law of God, then before he can be a magistrate, you must teach him the law of God.

[John Weaver] So a magistrate, according to the Bible so far, is not just simply someone who has the power of restraint, but he's also someone who knows the law of God. Now, look in your Bibles, if you would please, to the book of Luke, chapter 12. Let me show you several passages in the New Testament. The book of Luke, chapter 12, and notice, if you would please, verse 11. Luke, chapter 12. Verse 11, the Bible says, And when they bring you into the synagogues and into the magistrates and powers, take you no thought how or what thing you shall answer or what you shall say. When they bring you to the magistrates, hear the word magistrates, just archos. All it means is someone who is first, someone who is a leader. Look, if you would please, in verse 58, Luke chapter 12, verse 58. Here he says, when thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate, the word magistrate, here's Archonta. And all it means is someone who is first in rank, a prince or ruler or leader.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to watch this carefully so far in the Old Testament, you have. Someone who is a possessor of restraint and someone who knows the law of God. In the New Testament so far, we just have a leader or a prince or a ruler, but it doesn't stop there. I want you to go in your Bibles to the book of Acts chapter 16. In Acts chapter 16, you're going to find the word magistrate mentioned five times in just a few short verses.

[John Weaver] Notice if you would please. Acts chapter 16 and look at verse 20. And I'm going to read each of these verses just to show you the word magistrate. And by the way, it's the same identical Greek word in each passage. Acts 16 in verse 20, And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men being Jews do exceedingly trouble our city. Look, if you would please, in verse 22, And the multitude rose up together against them, and the magistrates ran off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten. Look in verse 35, And when it was day, the magistrates sent the sergeant, saying, Let those men go. Now, I want you to note the magistrates here have power. to use force. They have power. To subdue and subjugate, they have power to release, but that's not all. Look in verse 36 and the keeper of the prison told the saying to Paul, the magistrates, there it is the same word again, has sent to let you go now, therefore, depart and go in peace. Look in verse 38 and the sergeants told these words unto the magistrates.

[John Weaver] Now, in each and every instance, The word magistrates is used. It comes from the Greek word or it is the Greek word strategos. Strategos comes from the Greek word strata, which means an army. Let me tell you what the word strategos means, and I want you to listen carefully. The word strategos means a general. A military officer. A governor. A commandant, the chief of the Levites. The words for Hagos refers not just to a military officer, not just to a commandant, not just to a governor, but to the chief of the Levites. Do you remember who the Levites were? The Levites in the Old Testament. were the priests.

[John Weaver] They were the ones who kept the tabernacle and the temple. They were the ones who did the teaching of the Word of God.

[John Weaver] Now, let me show you. I want you to hold Acts chapter 16, but turn back in your Bibles to the book of Numbers chapter 3 and look at verse 32. An interesting statement. You remember Eliezer. He was the son of Aaron, the high priest. And look, if you would, what the Bible says, Numbers chapter 3, verse 32. And Eliezer the son of Aaron, the priest, shall be chief over the chief of the Levites, and have the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary." By the way, it would be an interesting thing, and I don't have time to preach this message tonight, but it'd be an interesting thing to find out exactly what all these Levites did. You know, most of the time we think of the Levites, they're the ones who did all the offerings in the tabernacle and the temple. They were the ones that stood and sang and praised the Lord. But if you look down to verse 32, he says not only was Eleazar the chief over the chief of the Levites, But these Levites were the ones that kept the charge of the sanctuary.

[John Weaver] Now, the word charge is a military term. Literally, he was over the ones who were guarding the sanctuary. If I had time tonight, I could take you through the Bible and show you where these Levites were charged by God himself. to protect the high priest. And if anyone came within that tabernacle or that temple who was not supposed to be there, they were to kill him. All the Levites were armed.

[John Weaver] We're going to see this in just a few moments now. I'm just pointing out the fact that Eleazar was over the chief of the Levites. So the Levites then had different and varying chiefs. And whoever they were, they answered to Eleazar. who was the son of Aaron, the high priest.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to turn back in your Bibles to the book of Acts, and let's go to Acts chapter 4. And let me ask you a question, because many people do not know the answer to this question, and I want to answer it for you. You see, if I were to ask you who the Sadducees were, many of you could tell me. If I were to ask you who the Pharisees were, you could tell me. If I were to ask you who the Herodians were, some of you could even tell me that. But if I were to ask you who or what were the captains of the temple? Most of you couldn't answer that question, but there were captains of the temple in the New Testament. Look in Acts chapter four and verse one. And as they spake unto the people, the priest and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them. Now, who in the world was this captain of the temple? And by the way, a little bit later on, you'll see the word used in the plural form, so there was more than one.

[John Weaver] But here was a captain of the temple. Look in Acts chapter five, beginning there with verse twenty four, Acts five, verse twenty four.

[John Weaver] Now, when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted to them where into this would grow. Now, once again, you have the captain of the temple referred to in verse twenty four. Let's read verse 25. Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people. Then went the captain with the officers and brought them without violence, for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned. Now, I want you to note what the captain and his officers did. They brought them without violence. Not that these men were not armed. None of these men did not have the power to use violence. They did so. But why did they not use violence?

[John Weaver] The Bible gives you the answer. For they feared the people lest they should have been stoned. In other words, the captain and his officers were outnumbered. And they said, to keep our own selves from getting hurt, we'll not use our weaponry. We'll just take these men in and that'll be it. So in other words, they had power to use the sword. But they did not in this particular circumstance.

[John Weaver] Now turn in your Bibles to the book of Luke, chapter 22. Luke, chapter 22, and look at verse four, first of all, and here is the word used with the plural so that you can see there was more than one captain. Luke 22 and verse four. And he went his way, that is, Judas, and communed with the chief priest and the captains how he might betray him unto them. So Judas now is communing with the captains. Now look in verse 52 when they came out to get Jesus Christ. Look at what is said. Luke 22 and verse 52. Then Jesus said unto the chief priests and to the captains, plural, to the captains of the temple and to the elders who would come out against him, being he come out as against a thief with swords and with staves. So when the captains came to get Christ, they were armed. Now I want you to note what Jesus Christ said. Jesus Christ asked this question, why are you come out against me as a thief with swords and staves?

[John Weaver] Our Lord did not question the fact that they have the power and the authority to have those weapons and to use them. His only question was, why are you using them against me? For instance, if you're walking down the street and you turn the corner, and as you turn the corner, a policeman draws out the pistol and puts it right in your chest. You don't say, what are you doing with a pistol? You don't have the power to use that pistol. You don't have the authority to have that pistol. Yeah, you know he's got the authority to have that pistol. What you want to know is, why are you pointing that thing at me? I haven't done anything. I'm not a thief. That's what our Lord was saying. He was not saying, you don't have the authority to have the weapons. You have that authority. But why are you trying to use them against me? I have done absolutely nothing wrong.

[John Weaver] Now, who in the world were these captains of the temple? I want you to go back in your Bibles to Psalm 42. Psalm 42. We're not going to look at the psalm, but we're going to look at the heading of the psalm. And then I'll tell you something about the history of the context, Psalm 42. Look, if you would please, just at the heading. It says this to the chief musician, Mashiel, that is an ode for the sons of Korah. So David wrote Psalm 42 for the sons of Korah to sing.

[John Weaver] Now, that might not mean anything to you. But if you remember Numbers chapter 16, there were three men who rebelled against Moses and Aaron and led an uprising against them. They were Dathan, Abiram, and Korah. Now, Dathan and Abiram were of the tribe of Reuben. But Korah was a Levite. And you remember what happened? Moses said, let the earth open up and let a new thing happen.

[John Weaver] Let these folks go down alive to the pit. And that's exactly what happened. But when you get to Numbers chapter 26, you'll find that the sons of Korah died not with Korah. In other words, when Moses said, separate yourself from these people, the sons of Korah went with Moses. That is, they turned against their own father because they knew the father was wicked and wrong. And so the sons of Korah died not.

[John Weaver] Now I want you to watch this. Korah was a Levite. So the sons of Korah then, and you'll find them mentioned in the Bible oftentimes, you'll either find them called Korahites or Korathites. And every time you say that word, they're nothing more than Levites. Now watch this. Look in your Bibles, if you would please. 1 Chronicles 9. First Chronicles, Chapter 9, and let me show you these Levites who are mentioned as the sons of Korah. First Chronicles, Chapter 9, and let's look at verse 19. First Chronicles, Chapter 9, verse 19. And Shalom, the son of Korah, the son of Abiasaph, the son of Korah and his brethren, of the house of his father, the Korahites, were over the work of the service, keepers of the gates of the tabernacle, and their fathers, being over the host of the Lord, were keepers of the entry." Now, when you read the phrase, keepers of the gates and keepers of the entry, You know what that means? That means that these Korahites, translated Levites, of the father of the descendants of Korah, these men were armed guards.

[John Weaver] Notice, if you would, what the Bible says, and their fathers being over the host of the Lord. You know what the host of the Lord was? It was the army. It was the army. So here you have, in the Old Testament, in the tabernacle and in the temple, you have armed guards, armed Levites at the doors, protecting the high priest, protecting the things of God, and keeping out certain individuals who are not supposed to be there.

[John Weaver] Now, look, if you would please, in 1 Chronicles chapter 12. Let's go to verse 1. Just trying to show you that these Levites Although they were preachers and teachers of the word of God, although they were men who offered sacrifice to God, they were also warriors. Notice, if you would, First Chronicles, chapter 12, verse one. And these are they that came to David a ziglag while he yet kept himself close because of Saul, the son of Kish. And they were among the mighty men, helpers of the war. Now you're going to have some of David's mighty men listed. Well, skip down to verse six. There was Elkanah, and Jeshiah, and Azriel, and Joeser, and Joshabim, the Korhites, who were of the family of Korah, who were nothing more than Levites. Look, if you would please, since you're in chapter 12, at verse 26.

[John Weaver] Here, the Bible says it very plainly. Of the children of Levi, that is, these men who helped David fight, of the children of Levi, 4,600. So David had 4,600 preachers, teachers of the Word of God, fighting in his army.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to understand who the captain of the temple was. The captain or the captains of the temple was nothing more than these Levites in the Old Testament that continued in the New Testament, and they're there protecting the temple. Let me show you something. Turn in your Bibles to Second Chronicles, chapter 23. This ought to really get you excited. This ought to really show you something. Not only is it going to show you that the Levites were armed, but it's going to show you something else. Do you remember?

[John Weaver] When the government attacked the people at Waco, David Koresh and that bunch, and I don't know anything about David Koresh. I'm sure I would not agree with his theology, but I'm going to tell you something. One of the things they accused him of was having weapons in the church. You remember that? Of course, what they did not tell you was this, that Koresh and a number of his men were licensed gun dealers. And that's one of the ways they made money. They would take weapons and repair them and fix them up and resell them.

[John Weaver] And no, they were not fully automatic. They were just simply men who had federal firearms licenses. That's all. And they sold them. But they tried to make a big kudu out of the fact that they had weaponry in the church. Well, Let's see what the Bible says, 2 Chronicles chapter 23, verse 7, Jehoiada the high priest is giving the orders and look what he says, the king now has been anointed, the king is a young child. He says in verse 7, and the Levites, remember the Levites now, here are the preachers, the teachers of the word of God. And the Levites shall compass the king round about every man with his weapons in his hand, and whosoever else cometh into the house, he shall be put to death. But be ye with the king when he cometh in, and when he goeth out." Now what did John the High Priest do? He put his preachers, he put his teachers, he put his Levites around the king with their weapons. And he says, whoever comes in this house not supposed to be there, kill him.

[John Weaver] Now watch verse 8. So the Levites and all Judah did according to all the things that Jehoiada the high priest had commanded them, and took every man and his men that were to come in on the Sabbath with them, that were to go out on the Sabbath. For Jehoiada the priest dismissed not the courses." Watch verse 9. Moreover, Jehoiada the priest delivered to the captains of hundreds spears and bucklers and shields that had been King David's, which were in the house of God.

[John Weaver] Where were all those weapons stored? In the temple. Who had control over them? The priest. And in the time of emergency, he passed them out. So when God in the New Testament tells us that the captains of the temple came, here's the carryover from the Old Testament to the New Testament where these Levites had their weapons. They had the power and the authority to use those weapons because they were to defend the temple just like they did in the Old Testament. So a magistrate now, I want you to think with me, a magistrate so far in the Old Testament and the New Testament is not only someone who has the power of restraint, a possessor of restraint, someone who has authority to have weapons and to use those weapons.

[John Weaver] But he's also a leader. Now, I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Titus, chapter three and verse one. Here's the last time I'm going to show you the word magistrate that you'll find in the book of Titus, chapter three and verse one, and there's no problem here with this passage, I'll explain it to you. But he says, put them in mind to be to be subject to principalities, to powers, to obey magistrates.

[John Weaver] To be ready to every good work. Paul is saying, look, we need to teach the people biblical submission.

[John Weaver] Now, there's no contradiction here with what I've been preaching. Because you and I are to be in submission to a biblical government, to a godly government, to a godly authority. I have no problem with authority. I have no problem at all. I've had people come up to me and say, Brother Weaver, it sounds like you want to overthrow our government. I don't want to overthrow our government. All I want to do is throw the wickedness out of our government. I have no problem with authority. But I do have problems with wickedness and rebellion in government that want to overthrow the law of God and the law of the land. That's what I have problems with. And God is telling us, look, as long as we can be in submission, fine. And I have no problem being in submission to a godly authority.

[John Weaver] Let me tell you this, folks. It is true. The Bible says that the wife is to be in submission to the husband in everything. Are you listening? But it's equally true that the Bible says husbands love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. Now, listen to me. It's easy for a woman to be in submission to her husband when the husband loves that wife the way Christ loved the church.

[John Weaver] Now, the point I'm trying to make is this. It's easy for a citizen To be in submission to a government that is fulfilling the functions and acting in the way that God has ordained it to act. There's no problem there. Your problem arises when the government wants to be God itself. And begins to act like a God and tries to subdue and subjugate and enslave the people.

[John Weaver] So here's the last word for magistrate in the New Testament now. Let me give you another word, and that's the word rulers. I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Exodus, chapter 22. Exodus 22. And you need to understand this passage because it's very, very important. I'll tell you what the Hebrew word is in just a moment. But look at Exodus, chapter 22 and verse 28. There are two words.

[John Weaver] We're going to deal with one of them rather quickly. Exodus 22, verse 28, God says, Thou shalt not revile the gods nor curse the ruler of thy people. Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people." Now, what does God mean when He says, Thou shalt not revile the gods? Is He talking about these false gods like Baal and Asherah and Asherah? No. No. You're going to find that God reviles those Himself. Do you know what one of the main Hebrew words for an idol is? Gelulim. You know what the word Gelulim actually means? Literally, it means dung ball. That's the title that God gives to a false god. God is making fun of them Himself. He says in the Bible, they're dumb. They can't speak. They can't hear. They can't see. They can't walk. So when God is saying, thou shalt not revile the gods, he's not talking about false gods. Well, what's he talking about? He's talking about men whom he has ordained. To office. Let me show you that in the Bible, whole Exodus 22, we're coming right back there, but look in your Bibles, first of all, to Psalm 82, Psalm 82.

[John Weaver] Watch this carefully, Psalm 82, and let's begin reading there with verse one. You see, I told you last night there is a difference. Between having no respect. For an abusive and tyrannical officer. And having respect for the office, you may disrespect the man in the office, but you must always respect the office of authority. And here's why. Look in Psalm 82, verse one, God standeth in the congregation of the mighty.

[John Weaver] He judges among the gods. Well, what gods is he talking about? He's not talking about false gods. And by the way, Psalm 82 is a psalm to civil rulers and particularly to judges. And this passage shows that God, the supreme judge of all the earth, is ready to judge the judges of the earth. He says, God standeth in the congregation of the mighty, he judges among the gods. Look, he says, how long will you judge unjustly and accept the persons of the wicked? Then he tells them to defend the poor and the fatherless, do justice to the afflicted and needy, deliver the poor and needy, rid them out of the hand of the wicked. Now, notice what he says about these judges.

[John Weaver] They know not, neither will they understand. They walk on in darkness, all the foundations of the earth out of course. That is, they turn everything upside down. And look what he said to these judges. I have said you are gods, and all of your children are the most high, but you shall die like men and fall like one of the princes. Arise, O God, judge the earth, for thou shalt inherit all nations. So God says, you who have special authority and special offices, I called you gods, why?

[John Weaver] Because you are supposed to represent me. You say, Brother Weaver, I don't know if that interpretation is right or not. Well, if you will turn in your Bibles very quickly to John chapter 10, you'll see that our Lord gives us very exact same interpretation. Look in John chapter 10. Notice, if you would please, verse John 10, verse 34. Look what our Lord says. Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said you are gods? Verse 35, If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, And the Scripture cannot be broken. Say ye of him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, thou blasphemous, because I said I am the Son of God. Now, notice what he said in verse 35. If he called them gods unto whom the word of God came. In other words, God says, I gave you a special office and special authority and special direction. In fact, I can show you in the Bible where God tells the judges, for you judge for me, saith the Lord.

[John Weaver] You are to represent Me. And so, therefore, they are called gods. And so, when He is saying, Thou shalt not revile the gods, what He is saying is, basically, you are not to mock and to make fun of anyone who is fulfilling the office the way God ordained him to. May I remind you of those young children in 2 Kings chapter 2 who mocked and made fun of Elisha when they came out and said, Go up, thou bald head! Go up, thou bald head! And he turned around and cursed them in the name of the Lord, and two she bears came out of the woods and tear forty and two of them. You see, you're not to mock those whom God has ordained and who are indeed functioning in the way that God has ordained them to function. Now, let's go back to Exodus chapter 22. I wanted to clear that up, but that was not the word that I want to deal with in Exodus chapter 22. If you'll notice there in verse 28, again, he says this, Thou shalt not revile the gods nor curse the ruler of thy people.

[John Weaver] Now, here's the word ruler. The word ruler is a word that is equal to the word magistrate. It is those who have been exalted and elevated out of the congregation.

[John Weaver] Now, to understand that, let's turn in our Bibles to the book of Numbers, chapter one. Just look at Numbers, chapter one. You're going to see in Numbers, chapter one, a Nasi, and that's the word for ruler here, a Nasi or a ruler is one who is exalted, one who is elevated or one who is lifted up by or in the local assembly. Thus, it means basically someone who has been chosen and elected by the local assembly. For instance, look in verse one of Numbers chapter one, and the Lord spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai in the tabernacle of the congregation. And then he tells him to take the sum, skip down if you would please in verse four, and with you there shall be a man of every tribe, every one head of the house of his fathers.

[John Weaver] Now, there were 12 tribes. And so you have twelve men who were chosen, the prince, or the ruler, or the Nasi of that tribe. Therefore, from verse 5 to verse 15, you have those men who were chosen, lifted up by the tribes, and exalted to be the ruler in that tribe. Notice if you would what verse 16 says. These were the renowned of the congregation. That is, these were the ones who were lifted up, exalted out of the congregation, princes of the tribes of their fathers, heads of thousands in Israel. So here are men, then, that are exalted. Now, the term Nasi, then, or ruler, applies to any ruler of God's people who are lifted up and exalted out of the congregation.

[John Weaver] Now, I could show you this, but to save time tonight, if you get home, if you look in Exodus chapter 16 in verse 22, Joshua 9 in verse 15, Joshua 9 in verse 18 and Joshua 22 in verse 30, you'll find once again, these individuals are called princes. They're called rulers. It's the same word. In other words, they have been lifted up out of the congregation. Now, What I want you to see tonight is this.

[John Weaver] That the term ruler is equal to the term magistrate. And I'm going to show you. That the term ruler is equally applied. To spiritual rulers. As it is civil rulers.

[John Weaver] Now, when you stop and think about this. You have a spiritual ruler, you have a civil ruler. They're both rulers. They're both individuals designated, ordained and called by God and endued with certain authority. And I want to show you something in Scripture. You may have never seen it, but I want to show you. That oftentimes when a civil magistrate fails to do his duty. In the Bible, sometimes a spiritual magistrate steps in and does it. How in the world could that be unless the spiritual magistrate is equally a magistrate just like the civil magistrate is?

[John Weaver] This is also known as the doctrine of interposition. Let me put it to you another way. When a higher ruler fails to do his job or fails to do his duty, it is likewise then the responsibility of the lower ruler to step in and do what should have been done by the higher ruler. Why? Because the lower ruler is equally a ruler as well. And you're going to find this happening over and over in the Bible. It is true that sometimes the spiritual ruler leaves the normal functions of his office and he steps over and does that which is out of and beyond the call of duty. But he does so because he is equally a ruler when the civil ruler fails to do his duty.

[John Weaver] Now, look in your Bibles, if you would please, to the book of Exodus, chapter 32. Let me give you the first illustration. Exodus, chapter 32. And notice, if you would please, verse 27.

[John Weaver] Now, you know the story how Moses has come down from the mount. And the people have committed idolatry, They're committing adultery. And Moses is so upset, he throws the Ten Commandments down. He breaks them. He takes the idol. He grinds it up in powder. He burns it. And then he throws the ashes in the brook. And he tells all the people to drink of the water. Well, there were some men who would not drink.

[John Weaver] And so in Exodus chapter 32 and verse 27, Let's read verse 26. And Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, Who is on the Lord's side? Let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi... And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. And he said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbor. And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses.

[John Weaver] And there fell of the people that day about three thousand men." So here is Moses, the man of God, the prophet, the preacher, the teacher. When these people refused to obey, he says, God says they're to be killed. They won't come over here. You Levites, you come over here, put your sword on and you go in and slay every one of them. And that's exactly what happened. And by the way, you'll find later in the word of God, God commends the children of Levite for doing exactly what Moses told them to do. Now, Moses was a spiritual leader, but he was here. ordering the execution of these people. Now granted, and I'm going to give you this one, granted Moses is also called a king. You will find that, you don't have to turn there, but you'll find it in Deuteronomy chapter 33. The Bible says very clearly in verse 5, and he was king in Jerusalem. So Moses then had a dual role. Moses was not only a spiritual ruler, He was also a civil ruler as well.

[John Weaver] But if you'll turn in your Bibles to 1 Samuel chapter 15, I'll show you another clear illustration where this one was just simply a spiritual ruler. Look in 1 Samuel chapter 15.

[John Weaver] Now in this passage, God has sent King Saul on a mission. And what God has done, He's told King Saul, I want you to slay the Amalekites. Slavery, one of them. Man, woman, suckling, ass, boy, girl, sheep, ox, camel, God says kill every one of them. You know what happened? Saul and the people spared Agag, the king of the Amalekites, and the best of the sheep, and the best of the oxen, but everything that was refuse, that they utterly destroyed. Well, God sent Samuel to Saul, and when Saul saw Samuel, the first thing he said was, Blessed be thou of the Lord. I performed all the commandment of God.

[John Weaver] And about that time, something went bad. Samuel said, Saul, if you've obeyed God, what meaneth the blading of the sheep and the loyal cattle in mine ear? And then Saul tried to blame it all on the people. The people spared. The people wanted to do this for sacrifice. And Samuel said, have the Lord is great delight in sacrifice and in burnt offering as an obedience. Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken is better than the fat of rams. And therefore, God rejected Saul for being king. Now, look what happens. Look in first Samuel, chapter 15.

[John Weaver] And let's begin there with verse. Thirty one of verse 32, then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag, the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately. You know, I can just see that in my eyes. Evidently, this was a... I don't know. I get the idea of a prissy individual, you know. And so, Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past. And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, So shall thy mother be childless among women." And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal. Here stood the king, the highest civil officer in the land. He had disobeyed God. Samuel, the prophet, comes along. He said, Saul, you've disobeyed God. You bring me out Agag. I'll do what God wanted done. And he takes the sword and he hews him in pieces. Now, when the Bible says that he hewed him in pieces before the Lord, literally, it is as unto the Lord. In other words, Samuel did to Agag exactly what God wanted done to Agag.

[John Weaver] You see, Samuel could not have done that. Unless he himself was a magistrate or a ruler. And when Saul refused to fulfill the duty for which God ordained him to, then the spiritual magistrate stepped in and did exactly that. I'm going to make a application before I close tonight. But I want you to understand one of the problems we have in this country, one of the main problems as with our preachers. Do you realize in 1 Samuel 16, God sends Samuel to anoint David King? And when the rulers and the elders of Bethlehem Hear that Samuel is coming. We'll skip down 1 Samuel 16. Look in verse 4. And Samuel did that which the Lord spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming and said, Comest thou peaceably?

[John Weaver] What kind of question is that to ask a preacher? Comest thou peaceably? When's the last time your pastor has gone to a city council meeting or a county council meeting and before he can get there, all those men send messages out the door, now preacher, are you coming peaceably? When's the last time anyone trembled at a preacher? I've got news for you, they trembled at Samuel. Because Samuel knew his office. And they knew Samuel knew his office and his authority because he had hewed Agag to pieces.

[John Weaver] May I remind you, you don't have to turn there, but first Kings chapter 18. You remember that great contest at Mount Carmel? There was King Ahab. There were the prophets of Baal, 450 of them. And Elijah challenged them to a contest. They leaped upon their sacrifice. They cried. They pleaded. They cut themselves. And Baal would never answer them. And about the time of the evening sacrifice, Elijah put the sacrifice in order. He called for water, a trench to be dug around the sacrifice. He filled the trench with water. He covered the sacrifice with water three different times.

[John Weaver] And then he said, oh, God, let this people know that thou art God. Let the God that answers by fire be God. And fire came down from heaven and licked up not only the sacrifice, but the water in the trench. And then what did Elijah do? He said, bring you hither to me the prophets of Baal. And the scripture says he cut off their heads four hundred and fifty. And he did so.

[John Weaver] Right in sight of the highest civil ruler in the land. Ahab should have been cutting off their heads, but he didn't. But Elijah did. May I remind you of Numbers, Chapter 25, and I want you to turn there. I want you to see this with Numbers, Chapter 25. I've got two particularly that I want to share with you. Look in Numbers, Chapter 25. Here is Phinehas. I've just preached a series of messages on Psalm 106, and I dealt with this passage Because it's repeated again in Psalm 106, but look in Numbers chapter 25, the people now have committed whoredom. They've committed idolatry with the daughters of Moab.

[John Weaver] And one Israelite is so brazen that he brings a Midianitish woman into the camp. Now watch this. Numbers chapter 25, and let's begin reading there with verse 6. And behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a midnightish woman in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation." Now, watch this. All the leaders were at the door of the tabernacle weeping.

[John Weaver] Now, I don't know if they could not act out of grief or because they were so broken up or because They were physically unable to act because they were so weak. I don't know. But the Bible says they were there weeping. Watch what happens. And when Phineas, who was a priest now, And when Phineas, the son of Eliezer, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation and took a javelin in his hand and went in after the man of Israel into the tent and thrust both of them through the man of Israel and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel. And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand. Now, listen, God must really be upset with Phineas because Phineas is a priest.

[John Weaver] He's jumped up, he's run into the tent, and he's killed two people. Well, verse 10, And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, Phinehas the son of Eliezer, the son of Aaron, the priest, hath turned away my wrath from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consume not the children of Israel in my jealousy. Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace, and he shall have it. and his seat after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous for his God and made an atonement for the children of Israel. Was God angry with Phineas? No. Well, how could Phineas do that?

[John Weaver] Because he was a ruler. He may have been a spiritual ruler, but he was still a ruler. He was someone who was ordained By God, he held an office, and in that office he had authority. The civil rulers were not doing their duties, so he did it. May I remind you of 2 Kings chapter 11? I want you to turn there. 2 Kings chapter 11. There was a grandmother by the name of Athaliah, and this grandmother did a very un-grandmotherly thing.

[John Weaver] When her son Ahaziah died, she murdered all of her grandchildren except one, Joash. And the only reason she didn't murder him was he was stolen. He was kidnapped by the high priest's wife and hid in the temple. And Athaliah, a wicked, ungodly murderess, set herself up as queen and was ruling over the land. And when Joash was seven years of age, they brought him into the temple, they anointed him to be king.

[John Weaver] And I want you to look at this. Second Kings, chapter 11 and verse four. And the seventh year, Jehoiada sent and fetched the rulers over hundreds with the captains of the guard and brought them into him. And the house of the Lord had made a covenant with them, and took an oath with them in the house of the Lord, and showed them the king's son." Now skip down to verse 8.

[John Weaver] He tells the Levites,"...and you shall encompass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand. And he that cometh within the ranges, let him be slain. And be ye with the king as he goeth out and as he cometh in." Now let's skip down. Verse 14, Athali hears the people shouting. And she comes down, and when she looked, behold, the king stood by a pillar, as the manner was of the princes and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people of the land rejoiced and blew with trumpets, and Apollia rent her clothes and cried, Treason! Treason! By the way, I want you to understand, what Jehoiada the high priest did was not treason. Now, Athaliah called it treason.

[John Weaver] But you've got to remember, she was a murderess and a pervert. Do you realize? George III called what we did treason, but it wasn't treason. You've got to understand what treason is. She said, treason, treason. Watch verse 15. But Johaniah the priest, the priest, commanded the captains of the hundreds and the officers of the host, and said unto them, Have her forth without the ranges, and him that followed her, kill with the sword. For the priest had said, Let her not be slain in the house of the Lord. And they laid hands on her as she went by the way by which the horses came into the king's house, and there she was slain." So here's the high priest now saying, I want you to kill her, and I want you to kill everybody that follows her. How could the priest do that?

[John Weaver] Because he also was a ruler. You've got to remember, the king now was seven years of age. Athaliah was a murderess. He had an office. He had authority. There was no one to use that authority in the civil sphere. And so he stepped in and he did what needed to be done because he, too, was A rule now look in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews, chapter 11.

[John Weaver] I want you to note. These people, some of them are not named, but they are at least listed as the heroes of faith, Hebrews, chapter 11. Notice, if you would please beginning there with verse 33, just to show you how God applauds their actions. Hebrews chapter 11, verse 33. In fact, let's read verse 32. He said, And what shall I more say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and of Barak and of Samson, of Jephthah, of David also, and Samuel.

[John Weaver] Remember, he's the one who killed Agag. And Samuel and of the prophets, the prophets, the preachers. Watch what they did. who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens." Notice he particularly mentions Samuel and the prophets.

[John Weaver] Let me tell you about the founding of this country. Do you know who the real leaders of the American War for Independence were? They were the creatures. It is true there was a Sam Adams. Is it true there was a Patrick Henry? But do you know where these people learned The principles of liberty and freedom and righteousness and justice from the preachers. Do you realize there were so many preachers that fought? In the American War for Revolution or for independence, American War for Independence, commonly referred to as Revolutionary War. Do you realize the preachers were so so prominent?

[John Weaver] The English gave them a particular name or title. They were known as the Black Robed Regiment because all the pastors at that time wore black robes. Let me just tell you about a few of those men. Jonas Clark. Most of you have never heard of Jonas Clark. You've heard of the Battle of Lexington and Concord. You've heard about the shock Fired around the world and hurt around the world. May I remind you, those men who were there were taught and trained by their pastor, Jonas Clark. That battle took place on the courthouse and on the church steps and green right there in front of the church. The biggest question Sam Adams had was, will these men fight? Jonas Clark assured him that they would fight and they would die. And one of the most amazing things is when the battle really began, one man who had vowed he would never run from the English died on the spot. Another one of Jonas Clark's men died on the steps of the church.

[John Weaver] as he ran in to get more powder and ball. Where were the ammunition and arms stored in 1776? In the church. Jonas Clark was approached by one woman after those stalwart men lay dead. The smoke had cleared. He was approached by one woman and she says, there, Pastor Clark, are you satisfied with what you have done? She was upset because of the death of those men. He said, man, I would not recall those men if I could, and I would not stop this moment if I could, because from this day forth there will be a new cry for independence and freedom that will shake this world. Jonas Clark, their pastor.

[John Weaver] May I remind you of how the English hated the churches, and I know that everybody in here probably has seen the movie The Patriot. You've heard all the hubbub from England about the burning of those people in the church. That particular scene. Let me quote to you, please, from Pastor John Rogers, a Presbyterian pastor of New York. Listen to what he said. Talking about the English, they have, in the course of this war, utterly destroyed more than 50 places of worship in these states.

[John Weaver] Most of these they burned. Others they leveled with the ground and in some places left not a vestige of their former situation, while they have wantonly defaced or rather destroyed others by converting them, that is the church buildings, by converting them into barracks, jails, hospitals, horse stables. In Boston, Newport, Philadelphia, and Charleston, all furnished melancholy instances of the prostitution and the abuses of the houses of God and of the nineteen places of public worship in this city.

[John Weaver] When the war began, there were but nine fit for use. When the British troops left. So in New York, they destroyed 10 churches alone. Let me tell you about James Caldwell. James Caldwell was of Lisbeton, New Jersey. He was such a fiery preacher and such a man of conviction. That his people were one with him. In fact, he was branded by the British the Rebel Parson and his people were known as the Rebel Parish. So hated was James Caldwell that a price was put on his head. Now, this was a Presbyterian preacher. He was so hunted by the British that when he preached the gospel of peace to his people, he did so with loaded pistols on the pulpit to defend himself.

[John Weaver] If the English were to burst into his church. I'll tell you how much they hated him when the English one time were passing by his house. They looked in and saw his wife, Hannah. Holding a baby. And one English soldier aimed. And shot Mrs. Caldwell. Right between the eyes. Thankfully, a neighbor woman was there and the neighbor woman caught the baby as Mrs. Caldwell fell dead. That almost sounds of recent origin, does it not? But James Caldwell was a fire eater and in one battle, He saw the fire of a company of colonial soldiers slacking for lack of wanting.

[John Weaver] Now, if you've never shot a muzzleloader, you've got to understand that you put the powder in first. And then you put usually a piece of paper or a piece of rag in with the ball because the ball is a little smaller than the diameter of the muzzle loader. And if you don't have that wadding, then the ball will roll out. So you need the wadding to hold it tight.

[John Weaver] And so you knock it down in there. And then when you fire, the fire goes off. And of course, the wadding and the bullet come out the barrel. Well, the men could not shoot because there was a lack of wadding. So he jumps on his horse and rides through the firing lines to the closest Presbyterian church house. He goes in, he grabs up all these hymnals by Isaac Watts, these beautiful hymns written by Isaac Watts.

[John Weaver] He gets an arm load of them. He rides back once again through all the fire. He goes to that company whose fire was slackened because of lack of wadding. And he starts throwing these hymnals out to them. And he says, there you go, boys. Put Watts into them. Give them some religion. Put Watts into them.

[John Weaver] Finally, James Caldwell himself, was murdered, shot dead by the British. I could tell you story after story, but let me tell you about Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg. Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg happened to be the pastor of a Protestant Episcopal Church in Dunmore County, Virginia. And on one Sunday, he said at three o'clock in the afternoon, He was going to preach a patriotic sermon on the duty that men owed their God and their country. And, of course, at three o'clock in the afternoon, the building was packed.

[John Weaver] People were standing not only in the aisles, but outside as well. So Pastor Muhlenberg ascended to the pulpit and he took his text from the book of Ecclesiastes. There's a time for every purpose and for every work. There's a time to for war, there's a time of peace, etc. And he preached powerfully. And finally, when he came to the end of his message, he had that long flowing black robe on. He ended his message with this exclamation, The time to preach has passed! The time to fight has come! And he ripped off his robe.

[John Weaver] And there he stood in full military uniform. He then looked at a young boy who had been previously appointed to start drumming for recruits. Three hundred men volunteered. And within the next few days, they marched behind their pastor, Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg, to help George Washington corner Cornwallis in Virginia. In defending himself afterwards, here is what he said. Listen carefully. He said, I'm a clergyman. It is true.

[John Weaver] But I am also a member of society as well as the poorest layman, and my liberty is as dear to me as to any man. Shall I then sit still and enjoy myself at home when the best blood of the continent is spilling? Heaven forbid. Do you think of America should be conquered, that I should be safe? Far from it. And would you not sooner fight like a man than die like a dog?

[John Weaver] The cause is just and noble. Were I a bishop, even a Lutheran one, I should obey without hesitation. And so far from thinking that I am wrong, I am convinced it is my duty so to do, a duty I owe to my God and to my country.

[John Weaver] Now, listen to what he said. Shall I then sit still and enjoy myself at home while the best blood in the country is spilling? God forbid it. Do you think of America should fall that I should be safe? Far from it. And had you not rather fight like a man. And die like a dog. We'll tell you something, folks. The mess this country is in. The primary reason we are in the mess that we're in is because of the preachers. Where are men like James Caldwell? Where are men like Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg? Where are men like Ezra Stiles?

[John Weaver] You see, the truth of the matter is this. God has said, here you are, pastors. You have an office. You're a ruler. You've been ordained with authority. If the civil government will not do so, then you must lead and you must lead in righteousness and in truth. I want you to please listen to me. Don't don't laugh at what I'm about to tell you. Because I'm not saying this to be funny. Do you know who the first person is in this country that should be leading us back to God, back to the principles of our founding fathers, back to our Constitution? The first person that should be leading us back to those things is Bill Clinton.

[John Weaver] If he won't do it, then Al Gore should do it. If Al Gore won't do it, then the Speaker of the House should do it. If the Speaker of the House won't do it, then every other congressman ought to do it. If none of them will do it, then the governors of the state must do it. If they won't do it, the lieutenant governors should. If they won't do it, the speakers of the house should. And then you go down to your state legislatures. If none of them will do it, then the county Chairman ought to do it. If he won't, his assistant. If he won't, then some councilman. If they won't, then the city.

[John Weaver] And you start at the top and you go down. Because here's the doctrine of interposition. If there's a duty, if the highest civil officer will not fulfill it, then the lower one must step up and fulfill it. And if none of them will fulfill the office for which God has ordained them, then the only ones left are the preachers who are spiritual rulers, spiritual magistrates. And I'm going to tell you something, folks. The preachers in this country have sold their souls for pension and ease and comfort. And they've not only sold their souls, they've sold the souls of their people and also the soul of this nation.

[John Weaver] Where are the preachers when truth and righteousness and liberty and freedom are at stake? We will never reclaim this country until we reclaim the preaching ministry. It was those preachers who spread the truth and instilled in those people the principles of right and freedom and liberty and justice and righteousness. And you don't hear that today from the pulpit. All you hear is submit, submit, submit, and they know nothing.

[John Weaver] of what Romans 13 really teaches. The black robed regiment. Would to God we had it again. Would to God, when your pastor went to the next council meeting, someone would come out and say, Comest thou peaceably? Word to God, we have some men. We have sired an entire generation of people who are spineless, gutless, jellyfished, backboneless, that have no character and will not stand for anything. I was talking to a black man About a year or so ago.

[John Weaver] I said, you know, I hate to tell you this. But do you know most black folks? And most white folks under 40 are not worth shooting. You know, he agreed with me.

[John Weaver] Now, I know there are exceptions, I know there are exceptions, but you just stop and think. What this country is like. Look at the generation that we've sired. They want pleasure and they want comfort and they want ease and they want everything. But what's right and what's holy and what's godly? And I'll tell you one thing we better do, folks. We better pray for God's preachers. I'm talking about those who are willing to take a stand, and we better get behind them, and we better support them, and we better protect them, and we better do everything we can for them, because it might be one day that you might be following one of them.

[John Weaver] Because if there's no civil leaders to lead, you must have a proper magistrate. And the only other magistrates that are left are the spiritual ones. You make sure you pray for God's men. Let's pray. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we cry to thee this night, especially for your preachers. We do know, Lord, there are many men who have entered into the ministry as a profession.

[John Weaver] They could care less about truth and could care less about righteousness and your word. But Lord, that does not negate the fact that You do have Your men. And there are more than we can think of. And there are more than we know of. You have Your people and You have Your men in place all throughout this country. And in Your time, You will raise them up. Give us grace, Lord, to pray for them and support them and do everything we can to enable them to get the Word out. May we be men and women of character and integrity who love truth and righteousness and freedom and liberty more than the comforts and the pleasures of this life, that we may serve Thee effectively with reverence and godly fear. In Thy name we pray, Amen.

Christian & Civil Government # 4

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	11190293210
Subject	Civil Government
Course	Civil Government: Magistracy, Authority, and Romans 13: Christian & Civil Government
Genre	Sermon
Date	2000-12-07
Dictation Name
Book	Book 022: Christian & Civil Government — Chapter 4
Source Timed Segments	129

Formatted Transcript

Review of Previous Sessions

Weaver reviews the institution, nature, and purpose of government, the covenantal basis of authority, and the biblical examples of lawful resistance to tyranny.

Open Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 13, Romans chapter 13. Once again, we'll read the first eight verses and we'll take a few moments to review and then Lord willing, go from there. So Romans chapter 13, beginning there with verse one.

Scripture Reading — Romans 13:1-8

"Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers, for there is no power but of God. The powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God, and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation." "For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same. For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid, for he beareth not the sword in vain. For he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath but also for conscience sake. For this cause pay ye tribute also, for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing." "Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due, custom to whom custom, fear to whom fear, honour to whom honour. Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law."

Let me take just about five minutes and try to bring those first-time visitors tonight up to where we are. I dealt on Monday night basically with two subjects. The first one was the institution and nature of government, showing you how that God alone has ordained government, that God alone is the sovereign, and therefore any ordained government is limited and confined and bounded by God. I pointed out the fact that God created three basic institutions: the family, which is a ministry of education; the church, which is a ministry of grace; and the state, which is a ministry of justice. We looked through Romans chapter 13, and I showed you how the civil magistrate is not just simply called a power and a ruler, but he's called the minister of God in verse 4 twice. And that word is diakonos. It's where we get our English word deacon. It literally means he's to be the deacon, the servant of God. And then in verse 4, he's also called a revenger.

That is, one who exacts righteousness out of. So, the civil magistrate is not only God's deacon, he's God's exactor of righteousness. And then in verse 6, once again, he's called a minister again. But this time the Greek word is leitourgoi, which means liturgy, which is a public form of worship. So, God then has ordained civil government, not just simply to be a power, and not just simply to be a rulership, but to be His deacon, His servant, His exactor of righteousness, and of course, His public worship. And just as the family is responsible to be biblical and scriptural, and just as the church is responsible to be biblical and scriptural, likewise the government is just as responsible to be biblical and scriptural. Why? Because it's limited, it's accountable, it's responsible to the God who ordained it and the God who set it up.

Now, I also pointed out the fact that government is covenantal in nature. In fact, the Word of God says specifically that there are two types of covenants. One between God, the king, and the people, where the king agrees to be God's king, or the civil ruler agrees to be God's civil ruler, and the people agree to be God's people. Then there was a second covenant between the king and the people, where the king agreed to rule faithfully, and of course the people then agreed to obey as long as he did. And the interesting thing is, I pointed out the fact that is basically how our country was founded. Because when one party violates the covenant, the other party is loose from obedience. And that's exactly what George III, King of England, did. He violated his covenant with the colonies.

And consequently, when he sent soldiers over here to coerce and to subjugate the colonists, they said, look, we are not going to submit to this. We are going to fight. I read to you from the Fairfax Resolves where the colonists begged George III to keep his end of the covenant, but he would not, and he did not. And then secondly, I pointed out how that all parties are responsible in a covenant, and when, therefore, God holds each one accountable. And when a king or a civil ruler sins individually, God judges him individually. But when he sins publicly, and the people do not stop him since they have a responsibility to, God always judges the people. He always judges the land and the nation along with the civil ruler. And then we looked the next time at the purpose of government.

We saw that government basically was for the protection of the righteous and for the punishment of the wicked. Government is not to be a welfare agency. It's not to be an educational ministry. It is indeed, according to the scripture, a ministry of justice. And then I answered the question, must we obey every law that comes down the pike? And the answer is undoubtedly no. And I showed you numerous scriptural illustrations where men and women disobeyed their civil leader and did so with the blessing of God. Elijah certainly did so.

The Apostle Paul did so. Amram and Jochebed did so. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Daniel did so. And a multitude of others in the Bible as well. And so very clearly then, God does not hold us responsible to obey those laws that are contrary to His word. In fact, I showed you scripture last night where God judged a people who were willingly walking after ungodly and unbiblical commandments. And then, of course, we looked at the fact that abused and usurped authority ties no one to subjection. And I made one point last night, and I want to really emphasize it again. And that is this, that rebellion is only to lawful authority. If the authority is not lawful, it ties no one to submission, and therefore you may resist it with the blessing of God. It is not rebellion, it is simply resistance. That's why Thomas Jefferson said, "Resistance to tyrants is obedience unto God." And so we looked at the fact that abused, usurped authority is not binding. And then we began to look at the three forms of resistance.

If we are to resist abused, tyrannical authority, how are we to resist? I showed you the three steps in the Bible. There was a verbal defense. Secondly, there was flight. And then thirdly, there was violent self-defense. I pointed out the only problem with flight is, number one, sometimes it does not work. And number two, not everyone can flee at all times.

Resistance Must Be Led by a Proper Magistrate

Armed resistance is reserved for those led by a proper magistrate, excluding mob uprisings, though self-defense is an individual obligation under the sixth commandment.

Now, I want to pick up there tonight because I want to deal with a subject which most people probably have never entertained. And that is, if we are to resist, how are we to resist? And, of course, the answer comes back, well, we're to resist by any and every means available to us that is biblical and right. And the truth of the matter is this, we must resist in every way. We must begin with verbal resistance. We must begin and we must accomplish whatever we can by using verbal resistance and then move on to the others. In other words, God requires each of us to be active in every sphere, in every area, be responsible. For instance, in Isaiah 58 and verse 1, He says,

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 58:1

"Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins."

So over and over, God calls upon us to lift up our voices and cry out.

Now, most of the time, individuals want to talk about resistance by force of arms. Now, let me just tell you very clearly that resistance by force of arms, according to the Bible, is reserved for those who are led by a proper magistrate. Now, let me explain that. Resistance by force of arms is reserved for those who are led by a proper magistrate. That does not include self-defense. For instance, if I'm standing on the street corner and someone comes up to mug me, or to rob me, and I don't say, well, wait a minute, I can't defend myself until I get a police officer around here who will lead me in self-defense. No. I'm to defend my life according to the sixth commandment.

whenever and wherever it is absolutely necessary. I do not need anyone to lead me in self-defense because self-defense is obligatory according to the sixth commandment. The sixth commandment is "Thou shalt not kill." It's a negative. The positive is "Thou shalt preserve life." So that means I'm obligated to preserve life. I'm obligated to preserve my life. So, very clearly then, when I say that resistance of arms is reserved for those who are led by a magistrate, it does not include self-defense.

But it does exclude what you and I would call mob uprisings and insurrections. In other words, if we are going to have the use of arms, it must be done properly and biblically.

The Distinction Between Private and Public Persons

Weaver illustrates the difference between a private person (limited to self-defense) and a public person (authorized to execute justice) using a home invasion scenario.

Now, to try to clarify this, let me tell you that there is a difference between what you and I would call a particular or a private person and a collective or a public person. You have a private person on the one hand, you have a public person on the other hand, and the duties of one are not necessarily the duties of the other. It is true that all men are bound to serve God. All men are called to serve God, but not to serve Him in the same capacity in the same way. For instance, not everyone in this room is called to be a preacher. Not everyone in this room is called to be a doctor. Not everyone in this room is called to be an economics professor. In other words, whatever calling God has placed upon you, it is true you're duty-bound to serve Him in that particular area. But you and I both know that there are some individuals that God gives greater responsibilities unto. He gives them greater blessings. He gives them greater advantages.

And therefore, they are more accountable and answerable unto God. And so when God then takes an individual and He places him in a place of public trust, when He places him with an added amount of power and authority, then that individual is more accountable and answerable unto God. So let me try to demonstrate to you the difference between a private person and a public person. Let me show you the duties of the one, or not necessarily the duties of the other. And let me give you an illustration which I'm sure that most of you can identify with. So here I am in my own home. And I'm sitting back in my office studying and I hear my wife up in the front of the building. She lets out a scream and I can tell by the scream that she's in real trouble. And so as I jump up from my desk, I just happen to reach over and I pick up a pistol just to make sure that I'm covered in every area. And as I get up in front of the house, here's a man who's broken into my house and he's attacking my wife.

And I order him to stop and he draws out a knife. And when he does, I take the pistol and shoot him dead. Well, I call the sheriff. I said, you better come out here. There's a dead man in my living room. And the sheriff gets out there. He sees where the man is broken in. He sees the scars on my wife where he's attacked my wife. And what's the sheriff going to do to me?

And the answer is nothing. It's very clearly, very obviously self-defense. The man broke into my home. I have the right to protect my life and the life of my wife.

Now, let's take and put it on the other hand. Let's suppose the man breaks into my home. My wife happens to be there alone and he attacks my wife and he escapes. There is no one there to defend her. And so when I come home, I find the sheriff there and the medics there and here the man has gotten away. They've done everything they can to find him, but they can't find him. They call out the dogs. The dogs can't catch his scent. And so he's just simply gone. But my wife recovers and we're riding down the road one day, maybe three or four or five months later, and all of a sudden she said, "There he is." I said, "There who is?" She said, "That's the man that attacked me." I said, "Are you absolutely positive?" She said, "Of course I am. I'll never forget him." I said, "That's all I wanted to know."

I pull my car over. I reach in the backseat. I pick up my rifle. I lay it out the window and shoot him dead on the sidewalk. Would you please tell me what's going to happen to me now? I'm going to be arrested. What am I going to be arrested for? Murder. Because I was not at that particular time defending my wife, nor defending my life. I just executed the man on the spot.

Now, let me change it around just a little bit. Since I am a private individual in that instance, I had no right to take his life. But let's suppose instead of taking that rifle out of the backseat and shooting him dead, I took the rifle out of the backseat, I jumped out, I ran over, stuck it right between his eyes and said, "Sir, you better not even blink until the sheriff gets here." And I just held him until the sheriff arrived. My wife identified him, the sheriff took him in, and let's suppose that we have a biblical court of law and we have a biblical jury and a biblical judge. And once the facts have come out and once the evidence has been submitted, they find the man guilty and they sentence him to death. And it just so happens that I am the state executioner. And I'm the man that puts him in the electric chair. I strap him down. I put the electrodes on him. I'm the man that reaches over and pulls the lever and sends all that voltage through his body.

And I watch him quiver and die. Now, here's my question. What's going to happen to me now? Nothing. Why? Because what I did in that instance, I did as a public person and not as a private person. So there's a difference between the one and the other.

Now, we've got to understand that magistrates are public persons. So we better make sure, if we're going to follow someone, that they are indeed a lawful magistrate.

Biblical Word Study: Magistrate

Examining Hebrew and Greek terms for 'magistrate' reveals that a magistrate is a possessor of restraint, one who knows God's law, a leader, and a military officer, including the Levitical captains of the temple.

Now, I want you to take your Bibles and turn, if you would please, first of all, to the book of Judges, chapter 18. I want to take you through the Bible very quickly, and I won't have time to deal but with two or three words. The first one is magistrate, and another one will be rulers. But I want you to see, according to the Scripture, who the rulers are.

Now, this may cause you to think fairly deeply, and I hope it does. But look in Judges 18, if you would please. Judges 18 and verse 7. The Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Judges 18:7

"Then the five men departed and came to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt carelessly, after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and secure; and there was no magistrate in the land, that might put them to shame in any thing; and they were far from the Sidonians, and had no business with any man."

Now note the phrase,

Scripture Reading — Judges 18:7

"and there was no magistrate in the land, that might put them to shame in any thing."

Now, the word magistrate here is the Hebrew word atsar, and it literally means to hold back. It means a possessor of restraint. Literally what verse seven says, there was no magistrate in the land. There was no one there who had the authority and who had the power to stop them. So that's what the word atsar means. It means someone with the power of restraint. Someone who has the authority to use weaponry or whatever that would be sufficient to restrain someone.

Now turn in your Bibles, if you would please, to the book of Ezra. The book of Ezra. Ezra, Nehemiah. And look, if you would please, at Ezra chapter 7 and verse 25. And here's an interesting statement. The king tells Ezra that he is to make magistrates, and here the Hebrew word is a different word, it's the word shaphat, and look what he says. Ezra chapter 7 verse 25,

Scripture Reading — Ezra 7:25

"And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God, that is in thine hand, set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye them that know them not."

Now, the king says, Ezra, you have my authority to set up magistrates. One of the qualifications for a magistrate is not just that he is a possessor of restraint, but the king says he must be someone who knows the law of God. And if he doesn't know the law of God, then before he can be a magistrate, you must teach him the law of God.

So a magistrate, according to the Bible so far, is not just simply someone who has the power of restraint, but he's also someone who knows the law of God. Now, look in your Bibles, if you would please, to the book of Luke, chapter 12. Let me show you several passages in the New Testament. The book of Luke, chapter 12, and notice, if you would please, verse 11. Luke, chapter 12. Verse 11, the Bible says, "And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say." When they bring you to the magistrates, hear the word magistrates, just archos. All it means is someone who is first, someone who is a leader. Look, if you would please, in verse 58, Luke chapter 12, verse 58. Here he says, "When thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate," the word magistrate, here's archonta. And all it means is someone who is first in rank, a prince or ruler or leader.

Now, I want you to watch this carefully so far in the Old Testament, you have someone who is a possessor of restraint and someone who knows the law of God. In the New Testament so far, we just have a leader or a prince or a ruler, but it doesn't stop there. I want you to go in your Bibles to the book of Acts chapter 16. In Acts chapter 16, you're going to find the word magistrate mentioned five times in just a few short verses. Notice if you would please. Acts chapter 16 and look at verse 20. And I'm going to read each of these verses just to show you the word magistrate. And by the way, it's the same identical Greek word in each passage. Acts 16 in verse 20,

Scripture Reading — Acts 16:20, 22, 35, 36, 38

"And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city."

Look, if you would please, in verse 22, "And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them." Look in verse 35, "And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go." Now, I want you to note the magistrates here have power to use force. They have power to subdue and subjugate, they have power to release, but that's not all. Look in verse 36, "And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace." Look in verse 38, "And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates."

Now, in each and every instance, the word magistrates is used. It comes from the Greek word or it is the Greek word strategos. Strategos comes from the Greek word stratos, which means an army. Let me tell you what the word strategos means, and I want you to listen carefully. The word strategos means a general. A military officer. A governor. A commandant, the chief of the Levites. The word strategos refers not just to a military officer, not just to a commandant, not just to a governor, but to the chief of the Levites. Do you remember who the Levites were? The Levites in the Old Testament were the priests.

They were the ones who kept the tabernacle and the temple. They were the ones who did the teaching of the Word of God. Now, let me show you. I want you to hold Acts chapter 16, but turn back in your Bibles to the book of Numbers chapter 3 and look at verse 32. An interesting statement. You remember Eleazar. He was the son of Aaron, the high priest. And look, if you would, what the Bible says, Numbers chapter 3, verse 32.

Scripture Reading — Numbers 3:32

"And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be chief over the chief of the Levites, and have the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary."

By the way, it would be an interesting thing, and I don't have time to preach this message tonight, but it'd be an interesting thing to find out exactly what all these Levites did. You know, most of the time we think of the Levites, they're the ones who did all the offerings in the tabernacle and the temple. They were the ones that stood and sang and praised the Lord. But if you look down to verse 32, he says not only was Eleazar the chief over the chief of the Levites, but these Levites were the ones that kept the charge of the sanctuary.

Now, the word charge is a military term. Literally, he was over the ones who were guarding the sanctuary. If I had time tonight, I could take you through the Bible and show you where these Levites were charged by God himself to protect the high priest. And if anyone came within that tabernacle or that temple who was not supposed to be there, they were to kill him. All the Levites were armed. We're going to see this in just a few moments now. I'm just pointing out the fact that Eleazar was over the chief of the Levites. So the Levites then had different and varying chiefs. And whoever they were, they answered to Eleazar, who was the son of Aaron, the high priest.

Now, I want you to turn back in your Bibles to the book of Acts, and let's go to Acts chapter 4. And let me ask you a question, because many people do not know the answer to this question, and I want to answer it for you. You see, if I were to ask you who the Sadducees were, many of you could tell me. If I were to ask you who the Pharisees were, you could tell me. If I were to ask you who the Herodians were, some of you could even tell me that. But if I were to ask you who or what were the captains of the temple, most of you couldn't answer that question, but there were captains of the temple in the New Testament. Look in Acts chapter 4 and verse 1. "And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them." Now, who in the world was this captain of the temple? And by the way, a little bit later on, you'll see the word used in the plural form, so there was more than one.

But here was a captain of the temple. Look in Acts chapter 5, beginning there with verse 24, Acts 5, verse 24.

Scripture Reading — Acts 4:1; 5:24-26

"Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow."

Now, once again, you have the captain of the temple referred to in verse 24. Let's read verse 25. "Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people. Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned." Now, I want you to note what the captain and his officers did. They brought them without violence. Not that these men were not armed. None of these men did not have the power to use violence. They did so. But why did they not use violence?

The Bible gives you the answer. "For they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned." In other words, the captain and his officers were outnumbered. And they said, to keep our own selves from getting hurt, we'll not use our weaponry. We'll just take these men in and that'll be it. So in other words, they had power to use the sword. But they did not in this particular circumstance.

Now turn in your Bibles to the book of Luke, chapter 22. Luke, chapter 22, and look at verse 4, first of all, and here is the word used with the plural so that you can see there was more than one captain. Luke 22 and verse 4.

Scripture Reading — Luke 22:4, 52

"And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them."

So Judas now is communing with the captains. Now look in verse 52 when they came out to get Jesus Christ. Look at what is said. Luke 22 and verse 52.

Scripture Reading — Luke 22:4, 52

"Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to him, Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves?"

So when the captains came to get Christ, they were armed. Now I want you to note what Jesus Christ said. Jesus Christ asked this question, "Why are ye come out against me as a thief with swords and staves?"

Our Lord did not question the fact that they have the power and the authority to have those weapons and to use them. His only question was, why are you using them against me? For instance, if you're walking down the street and you turn the corner, and as you turn the corner, a policeman draws out the pistol and puts it right in your chest. You don't say, what are you doing with a pistol? You don't have the power to use that pistol. You don't have the authority to have that pistol. Yeah, you know he's got the authority to have that pistol. What you want to know is, why are you pointing that thing at me? I haven't done anything. I'm not a thief. That's what our Lord was saying. He was not saying, you don't have the authority to have the weapons. You have that authority. But why are you trying to use them against me? I have done absolutely nothing wrong.

Now, who in the world were these captains of the temple? I want you to go back in your Bibles to Psalm 42. Psalm 42. We're not going to look at the psalm, but we're going to look at the heading of the psalm. And then I'll tell you something about the history of the context, Psalm 42. Look, if you would please, just at the heading. It says this: "To the chief Musician, Maschil, for the sons of Korah." So David wrote Psalm 42 for the sons of Korah to sing.

Now, that might not mean anything to you. But if you remember Numbers chapter 16, there were three men who rebelled against Moses and Aaron and led an uprising against them. They were Dathan, Abiram, and Korah. Now, Dathan and Abiram were of the tribe of Reuben. But Korah was a Levite. And you remember what happened? Moses said, let the earth open up and let a new thing happen.

Let these folks go down alive to the pit. And that's exactly what happened. But when you get to Numbers chapter 26, you'll find that the sons of Korah died not with Korah. In other words, when Moses said, separate yourself from these people, the sons of Korah went with Moses. That is, they turned against their own father because they knew the father was wicked and wrong. And so the sons of Korah died not.

Now I want you to watch this. Korah was a Levite. So the sons of Korah then, and you'll find them mentioned in the Bible oftentimes, you'll either find them called Korahites or Korhites. And every time you say that word, they're nothing more than Levites. Now watch this. Look in your Bibles, if you would please. 1 Chronicles 9. First Chronicles, Chapter 9, and let me show you these Levites who are mentioned as the sons of Korah. First Chronicles, Chapter 9, and let's look at verse 19. First Chronicles, Chapter 9, verse 19.

Scripture Reading — 1 Chronicles 9:19

"And Shallum the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his brethren, of the house of his father, the Korahites, were over the work of the service, keepers of the gates of the tabernacle: and their fathers, being over the host of the LORD, were keepers of the entry."

Now, when you read the phrase, keepers of the gates and keepers of the entry, you know what that means? That means that these Korahites, translated Levites, of the father of the descendants of Korah, these men were armed guards.

Notice, if you would, what the Bible says, "and their fathers, being over the host of the LORD." You know what the host of the Lord was? It was the army. It was the army. So here you have, in the Old Testament, in the tabernacle and in the temple, you have armed guards, armed Levites at the doors, protecting the high priest, protecting the things of God, and keeping out certain individuals who are not supposed to be there.

Now, look, if you would please, in 1 Chronicles chapter 12. Let's go to verse 1. Just trying to show you that these Levites, although they were preachers and teachers of the word of God, although they were men who offered sacrifice to God, they were also warriors. Notice, if you would, First Chronicles, chapter 12, verse one.

Scripture Reading — 1 Chronicles 12:1, 6, 26

"Now these are they that came to David to Ziklag, while he yet kept himself close because of Saul the son of Kish: and they were among the mighty men, helpers of the war."

Now you're going to have some of David's mighty men listed. Well, skip down to verse six. "Elkanah, and Jesiah, and Azareel, and Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korhites," who were of the family of Korah, who were nothing more than Levites. Look, if you would please, since you're in chapter 12, at verse 26.

Here, the Bible says it very plainly. "Of the children of Levi," that is, these men who helped David fight, "of the children of Levi, four thousand and six hundred." So David had 4,600 preachers, teachers of the Word of God, fighting in his army. Now, I want you to understand who the captain of the temple was. The captain or the captains of the temple was nothing more than these Levites in the Old Testament that continued in the New Testament, and they're there protecting the temple. Let me show you something. Turn in your Bibles to Second Chronicles, chapter 23. This ought to really get you excited. This ought to really show you something. Not only is it going to show you that the Levites were armed, but it's going to show you something else. Do you remember?

When the government attacked the people at Waco, David Koresh and that bunch, and I don't know anything about David Koresh. I'm sure I would not agree with his theology, but I'm going to tell you something. One of the things they accused him of was having weapons in the church. You remember that? Of course, what they did not tell you was this, that Koresh and a number of his men were licensed gun dealers. And that's one of the ways they made money. They would take weapons and repair them and fix them up and resell them.

And no, they were not fully automatic. They were just simply men who had federal firearms licenses. That's all. And they sold them. But they tried to make a big to-do out of the fact that they had weaponry in the church. Well, let's see what the Bible says, 2 Chronicles chapter 23, verse 7, Jehoiada the high priest is giving the orders and look what he says, the king now has been anointed, the king is a young child. He says in verse 7,

Scripture Reading — 2 Chronicles 23:7-9

"And the Levites shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whosoever else cometh into the house, he shall be put to death: but be ye with the king when he cometh in, and when he goeth out."

Now what did Jehoiada the High Priest do? He put his preachers, he put his teachers, he put his Levites around the king with their weapons. And he says, whoever comes in this house not supposed to be there, kill him.

Now watch verse 8. "So the Levites and all Judah did according to all things that Jehoiada the priest had commanded, and took every man his men that were to come in on the sabbath, with them that were to go out on the sabbath: for Jehoiada the priest dismissed not the courses." Watch verse 9. "Moreover Jehoiada the priest delivered to the captains of hundreds spears, and bucklers, and shields, that had been king David's, which were in the house of God." Where were all those weapons stored? In the temple. Who had control over them? The priest. And in the time of emergency, he passed them out. So when God in the New Testament tells us that the captains of the temple came, here's the carryover from the Old Testament to the New Testament where these Levites had their weapons. They had the power and the authority to use those weapons because they were to defend the temple just like they did in the Old Testament. So a magistrate now, I want you to think with me, a magistrate so far in the Old Testament and the New Testament is not only someone who has the power of restraint, a possessor of restraint, someone who has authority to have weapons and to use those weapons.

But he's also a leader. Now, I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Titus, chapter three and verse one. Here's the last time I'm going to show you the word magistrate that you'll find in the book of Titus, chapter three and verse one, and there's no problem here with this passage, I'll explain it to you. But he says,

Scripture Reading — Titus 3:1

"Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates."

Biblical Word Study: Ruler

The term 'ruler' (nasi) refers to one exalted from the congregation, applied equally to spiritual and civil leaders, establishing that spiritual rulers are also magistrates.

We're going to deal with one of them rather quickly. Exodus 22, verse 28, God says,

Scripture Reading — Exodus 22:28

"Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people."

Now, what does God mean when He says,

Scripture Reading — Exodus 22:28

"Thou shalt not revile the gods"

? Is He talking about these false gods like Baal and Ashtoreth? No. No. You're going to find that God reviles those Himself. Do you know what one of the main Hebrew words for an idol is? Gillulim. You know what the word gillulim actually means? Literally, it means dung ball. That's the title that God gives to a false god. God is making fun of them Himself. He says in the Bible, they're dumb. They can't speak. They can't hear. They can't see. They can't walk. So when God is saying,

Scripture Reading — Exodus 22:28

"Thou shalt not revile the gods,"

he's not talking about false gods. Well, what's he talking about? He's talking about men whom he has ordained to office. Let me show you that in the Bible, hold Exodus 22, we're coming right back there, but look in your Bibles, first of all, to Psalm 82, Psalm 82.

Watch this carefully, Psalm 82, and let's begin reading there with verse one. You see, I told you last night there is a difference between having no respect for an abusive and tyrannical officer and having respect for the office. You may disrespect the man in the office, but you must always respect the office of authority. And here's why. Look in Psalm 82, verse one,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 82:1-8

"God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods."

Well, what gods is he talking about? He's not talking about false gods. And by the way, Psalm 82 is a psalm to civil rulers and particularly to judges. And this passage shows that God, the supreme judge of all the earth, is ready to judge the judges of the earth. He says,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 82:1-8

"God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods."

Look, he says,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 82:1-8

"How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked?"

Then he tells them to

Scripture Reading — Psalm 82:1-8

"Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked."

Now, notice what he says about these judges.

"They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course." That is, they turn everything upside down. And look what he said to these judges. "I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes. Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations." So God says, you who have special authority and special offices, I called you gods, why? Because you are supposed to represent me. You say, "Brother Weaver, I don't know if that interpretation is right or not." Well, if you will turn in your Bibles very quickly to John chapter 10, you'll see that our Lord gives us the very exact same interpretation. Look in John chapter 10. Notice, if you would please, verse John 10, verse 34. Look what our Lord says. "Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?" Now, notice what he said in verse 35. "If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came." In other words, God says, I gave you a special office and special authority and special direction. In fact, I can show you in the Bible where God tells the judges, "for ye judge not for man, but for the LORD."

You are to represent Me. And so, therefore, they are called gods. And so, when He is saying, "Thou shalt not revile the gods," what He is saying is, basically, you are not to mock and to make fun of anyone who is fulfilling the office the way God ordained him to. May I remind you of those young children in 2 Kings chapter 2 who mocked and made fun of Elisha when they came out and said, "Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head." And he turned around and cursed them in the name of the Lord, and two she bears came out of the woods and tore forty and two of them. You see, you're not to mock those whom God has ordained and who are indeed functioning in the way that God has ordained them to function. Now, let's go back to Exodus chapter 22. I wanted to clear that up, but that was not the word that I want to deal with in Exodus chapter 22. If you'll notice there in verse 28, again, he says this, "Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people."

Now, here's the word ruler. The word ruler is a word that is equal to the word magistrate. It is those who have been exalted and elevated out of the congregation. Now, to understand that, let's turn in our Bibles to the book of Numbers, chapter one. Just look at Numbers, chapter one. You're going to see in Numbers, chapter one, a nasi, and that's the word for ruler here, a nasi or a ruler is one who is exalted, one who is elevated or one who is lifted up by or in the local assembly. Thus, it means basically someone who has been chosen and elected by the local assembly. For instance, look in verse one of Numbers chapter one, "And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of the congregation." And then he tells him to take the sum, skip down if you would please in verse four, "And with you there shall be a man of every tribe; every one head of the house of his fathers."

Now, there were 12 tribes. And so you have twelve men who were chosen, the prince, or the ruler, or the nasi of that tribe. Therefore, from verse 5 to verse 15, you have those men who were chosen, lifted up by the tribes, and exalted to be the ruler in that tribe. Notice if you would what verse 16 says. "These were the renowned of the congregation," that is, these were the ones who were lifted up, exalted out of the congregation, "princes of the tribes of their fathers, heads of thousands in Israel." So here are men, then, that are exalted. Now, the term nasi, then, or ruler, applies to any ruler of God's people who are lifted up and exalted out of the congregation.

Now, I could show you this, but to save time tonight, if you get home, if you look in Exodus chapter 16 in verse 22, Joshua 9 in verse 15, Joshua 9 in verse 18 and Joshua 22 in verse 30, you'll find once again, these individuals are called princes. They're called rulers. It's the same word. In other words, they have been lifted up out of the congregation. Now, what I want you to see tonight is this. That the term ruler is equal to the term magistrate. And I'm going to show you that the term ruler is equally applied to spiritual rulers as it is civil rulers.

The Doctrine of Interposition

When a higher civil ruler fails to do his duty, a lower ruler—including a spiritual magistrate—must step in and fulfill that duty, as demonstrated by Moses, Samuel, Elijah, Phinehas, and Jehoiada.

Now, when you stop and think about this, you have a spiritual ruler, you have a civil ruler. They're both rulers. They're both individuals designated, ordained and called by God and endued with certain authority. And I want to show you something in Scripture. You may have never seen it, but I want to show you that oftentimes when a civil magistrate fails to do his duty, in the Bible, sometimes a spiritual magistrate steps in and does it. How in the world could that be unless the spiritual magistrate is equally a magistrate just like the civil magistrate is? This is also known as the doctrine of interposition. Let me put it to you another way. When a higher ruler fails to do his job or fails to do his duty, it is likewise then the responsibility of the lower ruler to step in and do what should have been done by the higher ruler. Why? Because the lower ruler is equally a ruler as well. And you're going to find this happening over and over in the Bible. It is true that sometimes the spiritual ruler leaves the normal functions of his office and he steps over and does that which is out of and beyond the call of duty. But he does so because he is equally a ruler when the civil ruler fails to do his duty.

Now, look in your Bibles, if you would please, to the book of Exodus, chapter 32. Let me give you the first illustration. Exodus, chapter 32. And notice, if you would please, verse 27.

Now, you know the story how Moses has come down from the mount. And the people have committed idolatry, they're committing adultery. And Moses is so upset, he throws the Ten Commandments down. He breaks them. He takes the idol. He grinds it up in powder. He burns it. And then he throws the ashes in the brook. And he tells all the people to drink of the water. Well, there were some men who would not drink.

And so in Exodus chapter 32 and verse 27, let's read verse 26. "Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD's side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour. And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses." "And there fell of the people that day about three thousand men." So here is Moses, the man of God, the prophet, the preacher, the teacher. When these people refused to obey, he says, God says they're to be killed. They won't come over here. You Levites, you come over here, put your sword on and you go in and slay every one of them. And that's exactly what happened. And by the way, you'll find later in the word of God, God commends the children of Levi for doing exactly what Moses told them to do. Now, Moses was a spiritual leader, but he was here ordering the execution of these people. Now granted, and I'm going to give you this one, granted Moses is also called a king. You will find that, you don't have to turn there, but you'll find it in Deuteronomy chapter 33. The Bible says very clearly in verse 5, "And he was king in Jeshurun." So Moses then had a dual role. Moses was not only a spiritual ruler, he was also a civil ruler as well.

But if you'll turn in your Bibles to 1 Samuel chapter 15, I'll show you another clear illustration where this one was just simply a spiritual ruler. Look in 1 Samuel chapter 15. Now in this passage, God has sent King Saul on a mission. And what God has done, He's told King Saul, I want you to slay the Amalekites. Slay every one of them. Man, woman, suckling, ass, boy, girl, sheep, ox, camel, God says kill every one of them. You know what happened? Saul and the people spared Agag, the king of the Amalekites, and the best of the sheep, and the best of the oxen, but everything that was refuse, that they utterly destroyed. Well, God sent Samuel to Saul, and when Saul saw Samuel, the first thing he said was, "Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD."

And about that time, something went bad. Samuel said, "Saul, if you've obeyed God, what meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?" And then Saul tried to blame it all on the people. The people spared. The people wanted to do this for sacrifice. And Samuel said, "Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams." And therefore, God rejected Saul for being king. Now, look what happens. Look in first Samuel, chapter 15.

And let's begin there with verse 32. "Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately." You know, I can just see that in my eyes. Evidently, this was a... I don't know. I get the idea of a prissy individual, you know. And so, Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, "Surely the bitterness of death is past." And Samuel said, "As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women." And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal. Here stood the king, the highest civil officer in the land. He had disobeyed God. Samuel, the prophet, comes along. He said, "Saul, you've disobeyed God. You bring me out Agag. I'll do what God wanted done." And he takes the sword and he hews him in pieces. Now, when the Bible says that he hewed him in pieces before the LORD, literally, it is as unto the LORD. In other words, Samuel did to Agag exactly what God wanted done to Agag.

You see, Samuel could not have done that unless he himself was a magistrate or a ruler. And when Saul refused to fulfill the duty for which God ordained him to, then the spiritual magistrate stepped in and did exactly that. I'm going to make an application before I close tonight. But I want you to understand one of the problems we have in this country, one of the main problems is with our preachers. Do you realize in 1 Samuel 16, God sends Samuel to anoint David king? And when the rulers and the elders of Bethlehem hear that Samuel is coming, we'll skip down 1 Samuel 16. Look in verse 4. "And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably?"

What kind of question is that to ask a preacher? "Comest thou peaceably?" When's the last time your pastor has gone to a city council meeting or a county council meeting and before he can get there, all those men send messages out the door, "Now preacher, are you coming peaceably?" When's the last time anyone trembled at a preacher? I've got news for you, they trembled at Samuel. Because Samuel knew his office. And they knew Samuel knew his office and his authority because he had hewed Agag to pieces. May I remind you, you don't have to turn there, but first Kings chapter 18. You remember that great contest at Mount Carmel? There was King Ahab. There were the prophets of Baal, 450 of them. And Elijah challenged them to a contest. They leaped upon their sacrifice. They cried. They pleaded. They cut themselves. And Baal would never answer them. And about the time of the evening sacrifice, Elijah put the sacrifice in order. He called for water, a trench to be dug around the sacrifice. He filled the trench with water. He covered the sacrifice with water three different times.

And then he said, "O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again." And fire came down from heaven and licked up not only the sacrifice, but the water in the trench. And then what did Elijah do? He said, "Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape." And the scripture says he brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there. Right in sight of the highest civil ruler in the land. Ahab should have been cutting off their heads, but he didn't. But Elijah did. May I remind you of Numbers, Chapter 25, and I want you to turn there. I want you to see this with Numbers, Chapter 25. I've got two particularly that I want to share with you. Look in Numbers, Chapter 25. Here is Phinehas. I've just preached a series of messages on Psalm 106, and I dealt with this passage because it's repeated again in Psalm 106, but look in Numbers chapter 25, the people now have committed whoredom. They've committed idolatry with the daughters of Moab.

And one Israelite is so brazen that he brings a Midianitish woman into the camp. Now watch this. Numbers chapter 25, and let's begin reading there with verse 6. "And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation." Now, watch this. All the leaders were at the door of the tabernacle weeping.

Now, I don't know if they could not act out of grief or because they were so broken up or because they were physically unable to act because they were so weak. I don't know. But the Bible says they were there weeping. Watch what happens. "And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand; And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel. And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand." Now, listen, God must really be upset with Phinehas because Phinehas is a priest.

He's jumped up, he's run into the tent, and he's killed two people. Well, verse 10, "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy. Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace: And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel." Was God angry with Phinehas? No. Well, how could Phinehas do that? Because he was a ruler. He may have been a spiritual ruler, but he was still a ruler. He was someone who was ordained by God, he held an office, and in that office he had authority. The civil rulers were not doing their duties, so he did it. May I remind you of 2 Kings chapter 11? I want you to turn there. 2 Kings chapter 11. There was a grandmother by the name of Athaliah, and this grandmother did a very un-grandmotherly thing.

When her son Ahaziah died, she murdered all of her grandchildren except one, Joash. And the only reason she didn't murder him was he was stolen. He was kidnapped by the high priest's wife and hid in the temple. And Athaliah, a wicked, ungodly murderess, set herself up as queen and was ruling over the land. And when Joash was seven years of age, they brought him into the temple, they anointed him to be king. And I want you to look at this. Second Kings, chapter 11 and verse four. "And the seventh year Jehoiada sent and fetched the rulers over hundreds, with the captains and the guard, and brought them to him into the house of the LORD, and made a covenant with them, and took an oath of them in the house of the LORD, and shewed them the king's son." Now skip down to verse 8.

He tells the Levites, "...and ye shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand: and he that cometh within the ranges, let him be slain: and be ye with the king as he goeth out and as he cometh in." Now let's skip down. Verse 14, Athaliah hears the people shouting. And she comes down, "and when she looked, behold, the king stood by a pillar, as the manner was, and the princes and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew with trumpets: and Athaliah rent her clothes, and cried, Treason, Treason." By the way, I want you to understand, what Jehoiada the high priest did was not treason. Now, Athaliah called it treason.

But you've got to remember, she was a murderess and a pervert. Do you realize? George III called what we did treason, but it wasn't treason. You've got to understand what treason is. She said, "Treason, Treason." Watch verse 15. "But Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of the hundreds, the officers of the host, and said unto them, Have her forth without the ranges: and him that followeth her kill with the sword. For the priest had said, Let her not be slain in the house of the LORD. And they laid hands on her; and she went by the way by the which the horses came into the king's house: and there was she slain." So here's the high priest now saying, I want you to kill her, and I want you to kill everybody that follows her. How could the priest do that?

Because he also was a ruler. You've got to remember, the king now was seven years of age. Athaliah was a murderess. He had an office. He had authority. There was no one to use that authority in the civil sphere. And so he stepped in and he did what needed to be done because he, too, was a ruler. Now look in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews, chapter 11.

I want you to note. These people, some of them are not named, but they are at least listed as the heroes of faith, Hebrews, chapter 11. Notice, if you would please beginning there with verse 33, just to show you how God applauds their actions. Hebrews chapter 11, verse 33. In fact, let's read verse 32. He said, "And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel." Remember, he's the one who killed Agag. "And Samuel, and of the prophets:" the prophets, the preachers. Watch what they did. "Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens." Notice he particularly mentions Samuel and the prophets.

Historical Application: The Black Robed Regiment

Weaver recounts how preachers like Jonas Clark, James Caldwell, and Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg led the American War for Independence, serving as spiritual magistrates when civil rulers failed.

Let me tell you about the founding of this country. Do you know who the real leaders of the American War for Independence were? They were the preachers. It is true there was a Sam Adams. It is true there was a Patrick Henry. But do you know where these people learned the principles of liberty and freedom and righteousness and justice? From the preachers. Do you realize there were so many preachers that fought in the American War for Independence, commonly referred to as the Revolutionary War. Do you realize the preachers were so prominent?

The English gave them a particular name or title. They were known as the Black Robed Regiment because all the pastors at that time wore black robes. Let me just tell you about a few of those men. Jonas Clark. Most of you have never heard of Jonas Clark. You've heard of the Battle of Lexington and Concord. You've heard about the shot fired around the world and heard around the world. May I remind you, those men who were there were taught and trained by their pastor, Jonas Clark. That battle took place on the courthouse and on the church steps and green right there in front of the church. The biggest question Sam Adams had was, will these men fight? Jonas Clark assured him that they would fight and they would die. And one of the most amazing things is when the battle really began, one man who had vowed he would never run from the English died on the spot. Another one of Jonas Clark's men died on the steps of the church.

as he ran in to get more powder and ball. Where were the ammunition and arms stored in 1776? In the church. Jonas Clark was approached by one woman after those stalwart men lay dead. The smoke had cleared. He was approached by one woman and she says, "There, Pastor Clark, are you satisfied with what you have done?" She was upset because of the death of those men. He said, "Madam, I would not recall those men if I could, and I would not stop this moment if I could, because from this day forth there will be a new cry for independence and freedom that will shake this world." Jonas Clark, their pastor.

May I remind you of how the English hated the churches, and I know that everybody in here probably has seen the movie The Patriot. You've heard all the hubbub from England about the burning of those people in the church. That particular scene. Let me quote to you, please, from Pastor John Rogers, a Presbyterian pastor of New York. Listen to what he said. Talking about the English, "They have, in the course of this war, utterly destroyed more than 50 places of worship in these states." "Most of these they burned. Others they leveled with the ground and in some places left not a vestige of their former situation, while they have wantonly defaced or rather destroyed others by converting them," that is the church buildings, "by converting them into barracks, jails, hospitals, horse stables. In Boston, Newport, Philadelphia, and Charleston, all furnished melancholy instances of the prostitution and the abuses of the houses of God and of the nineteen places of public worship in this city."

"When the war began, there were but nine fit for use. When the British troops left." So in New York, they destroyed 10 churches alone. Let me tell you about James Caldwell. James Caldwell was of Elizabethtown, New Jersey. He was such a fiery preacher and such a man of conviction that his people were one with him. In fact, he was branded by the British the Rebel Parson and his people were known as the Rebel Parish. So hated was James Caldwell that a price was put on his head. Now, this was a Presbyterian preacher. He was so hunted by the British that when he preached the gospel of peace to his people, he did so with loaded pistols on the pulpit to defend himself.

If the English were to burst into his church. I'll tell you how much they hated him when the English one time were passing by his house. They looked in and saw his wife, Hannah, holding a baby. And one English soldier aimed and shot Mrs. Caldwell right between the eyes. Thankfully, a neighbor woman was there and the neighbor woman caught the baby as Mrs. Caldwell fell dead. That almost sounds of recent origin, does it not? But James Caldwell was a fire eater and in one battle, he saw the fire of a company of colonial soldiers slacking for lack of wadding.

Now, if you've never shot a muzzleloader, you've got to understand that you put the powder in first. And then you put usually a piece of paper or a piece of rag in with the ball because the ball is a little smaller than the diameter of the muzzle loader. And if you don't have that wadding, then the ball will roll out. So you need the wadding to hold it tight. And so you knock it down in there. And then when you fire, the fire goes off. And of course, the wadding and the bullet come out the barrel. Well, the men could not shoot because there was a lack of wadding. So he jumps on his horse and rides through the firing lines to the closest Presbyterian church house. He goes in, he grabs up all these hymnals by Isaac Watts, these beautiful hymns written by Isaac Watts.

He gets an arm load of them. He rides back once again through all the fire. He goes to that company whose fire was slackened because of lack of wadding. And he starts throwing these hymnals out to them. And he says, "There you go, boys. Put Watts into them. Give them some religion. Put Watts into them."

Finally, James Caldwell himself, was murdered, shot dead by the British. I could tell you story after story, but let me tell you about Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg. Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg happened to be the pastor of a Protestant Episcopal Church in Dunmore County, Virginia. And on one Sunday, he said at three o'clock in the afternoon, he was going to preach a patriotic sermon on the duty that men owed their God and their country. And, of course, at three o'clock in the afternoon, the building was packed. People were standing not only in the aisles, but outside as well. So Pastor Muhlenberg ascended to the pulpit and he took his text from the book of Ecclesiastes. "There's a time for every purpose and for every work. There's a time for war, there's a time of peace," etc. And he preached powerfully. And finally, when he came to the end of his message, he had that long flowing black robe on. He ended his message with this exclamation, "The time to preach has passed! The time to fight has come!" And he ripped off his robe.

And there he stood in full military uniform. He then looked at a young boy who had been previously appointed to start drumming for recruits. Three hundred men volunteered. And within the next few days, they marched behind their pastor, Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg, to help George Washington corner Cornwallis in Virginia. In defending himself afterwards, here is what he said. Listen carefully. He said, "I'm a clergyman. It is true."

"But I am also a member of society as well as the poorest layman, and my liberty is as dear to me as to any man. Shall I then sit still and enjoy myself at home when the best blood of the continent is spilling? Heaven forbid. Do you think of America should be conquered, that I should be safe? Far from it. And would you not sooner fight like a man than die like a dog?" "The cause is just and noble. Were I a bishop, even a Lutheran one, I should obey without hesitation. And so far from thinking that I am wrong, I am convinced it is my duty so to do, a duty I owe to my God and to my country."

Now, listen to what he said. "Shall I then sit still and enjoy myself at home while the best blood in the country is spilling? God forbid it. Do you think of America should fall that I should be safe? Far from it. And had you not rather fight like a man than die like a dog?" I'll tell you something, folks. The mess this country is in, the primary reason we are in the mess that we're in is because of the preachers. Where are men like James Caldwell? Where are men like Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg? Where are men like Ezra Stiles?

Call for Modern Preachers to Lead

Weaver argues that the primary reason for America's moral decline is the failure of preachers to act as spiritual magistrates, and he calls for prayer and support for those who will lead the nation back to righteousness.

You see, the truth of the matter is this. God has said, here you are, pastors. You have an office. You're a ruler. You've been ordained with authority. If the civil government will not do so, then you must lead and you must lead in righteousness and in truth. I want you to please listen to me. Don't laugh at what I'm about to tell you. Because I'm not saying this to be funny. Do you know who the first person is in this country that should be leading us back to God, back to the principles of our founding fathers, back to our Constitution? The first person that should be leading us back to those things is Bill Clinton.

If he won't do it, then Al Gore should do it. If Al Gore won't do it, then the Speaker of the House should do it. If the Speaker of the House won't do it, then every other congressman ought to do it. If none of them will do it, then the governors of the state must do it. If they won't do it, the lieutenant governors should. If they won't do it, the speakers of the house should. And then you go down to your state legislatures. If none of them will do it, then the county chairman ought to do it. If he won't, his assistant. If he won't, then some councilman. If they won't, then the city.

And you start at the top and you go down. Because here's the doctrine of interposition. If there's a duty, if the highest civil officer will not fulfill it, then the lower one must step up and fulfill it. And if none of them will fulfill the office for which God has ordained them, then the only ones left are the preachers who are spiritual rulers, spiritual magistrates. And I'm going to tell you something, folks. The preachers in this country have sold their souls for pension and ease and comfort. And they've not only sold their souls, they've sold the souls of their people and also the soul of this nation.

Where are the preachers when truth and righteousness and liberty and freedom are at stake? We will never reclaim this country until we reclaim the preaching ministry. It was those preachers who spread the truth and instilled in those people the principles of right and freedom and liberty and justice and righteousness. And you don't hear that today from the pulpit. All you hear is submit, submit, submit, and they know nothing of what Romans 13 really teaches. The Black Robed Regiment. Would to God we had it again. Would to God, when your pastor went to the next council meeting, someone would come out and say, "Comest thou peaceably?" Would to God we have some men. We have sired an entire generation of people who are spineless, gutless, jellyfished, backboneless, that have no character and will not stand for anything. I was talking to a black man about a year or so ago.

I said, "You know, I hate to tell you this. But do you know most black folks and most white folks under 40 are not worth shooting?" You know, he agreed with me. Now, I know there are exceptions, I know there are exceptions, but you just stop and think what this country is like. Look at the generation that we've sired. They want pleasure and they want comfort and they want ease and they want everything. But what's right and what's holy and what's godly? And I'll tell you one thing we better do, folks. We better pray for God's preachers. I'm talking about those who are willing to take a stand, and we better get behind them, and we better support them, and we better protect them, and we better do everything we can for them, because it might be one day that you might be following one of them.

Because if there's no civil leaders to lead, you must have a proper magistrate. And the only other magistrates that are left are the spiritual ones. You make sure you pray for God's men. Let's pray. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we cry to thee this night, especially for your preachers. We do know, Lord, there are many men who have entered into the ministry as a profession. They could care less about truth and could care less about righteousness and your word. But Lord, that does not negate the fact that You do have Your men. And there are more than we can think of. And there are more than we know of. You have Your people and You have Your men in place all throughout this country. And in Your time, You will raise them up. Give us grace, Lord, to pray for them and support them and do everything we can to enable them to get the Word out. May we be men and women of character and integrity who love truth and righteousness and freedom and liberty more than the comforts and the pleasures of this life, that we may serve Thee effectively with reverence and godly fear. In Thy name we pray, Amen.

They could care less about truth and could care less about righteousness and your word. But Lord, that does not negate the fact that You do have Your men. And there are more than we can think of. And there are more than we know of. You have Your people and You have Your men in place all throughout this country. And in Your time, You will raise them up. Give us grace, Lord, to pray for them and support them and do everything we can to enable them to get the Word out. May we be men and women of character and integrity who love truth and righteousness and freedom and liberty more than the comforts and the pleasures of this life, that we may serve Thee effectively with reverence and godly fear. In Thy name we pray, Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Resistance to Tyranny Must Be Led by a Proper Magistrate

Summary: Armed resistance against tyranny is not for mobs or private individuals acting outside their calling, but must be led by a lawful magistrate, though self-defense is always permitted.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'resistance by force of arms, according to the Bible, is reserved for those who are led by a proper magistrate' (484.8-516.3s) and distinguishes this from individual self-defense (517.0-546.7s).

Distinction Between Private and Public Persons

Summary: A private person may only use force in immediate self-defense, while a public person (magistrate) has God-given authority to execute justice, as illustrated by the home invasion analogy.

Evidence: Weaver contrasts shooting an intruder in self-defense (no legal consequence) with executing a past attacker (murder), then shows the same act is lawful when done as a state executioner (902.0-1006.9s).

Spiritual Leaders Are Also Magistrates

Summary: The Bible uses the same terms for civil and spiritual rulers, indicating that pastors and priests hold magisterial authority and may act when civil rulers fail.

Evidence: Weaver traces the words 'magistrate' and 'ruler' through Scripture, showing that Levites were armed guards and that spiritual leaders like Samuel and Jehoiada executed justice (1108.1-2350.7s; 3023.1-4108.6s).

The Doctrine of Interposition

Summary: When higher civil authorities fail to fulfill their God-ordained duties, lower magistrates—including spiritual rulers—have the responsibility to step in and act.

Evidence: Weaver cites Moses ordering the Levites to slay idolaters (3154.1-3290.2s), Samuel hewing Agag (3349.0-3463.0s), and Jehoiada overthrowing Athaliah (3871.6-4073.5s) as examples of interposition.

The Failure of Modern Preachers

Summary: America's moral and political decline is primarily due to preachers who have abandoned their role as spiritual magistrates, choosing comfort over confrontation.

Evidence: Weaver laments, 'The preachers in this country have sold their souls for pension and ease and comfort' (4996.2s) and calls for a return of the 'Black Robed Regiment' (4867.8-5061.3s).

Historical Precedent of Pastoral Leadership in Resistance

Summary: The American Revolution was led by preachers who taught principles of liberty and often took up arms themselves, serving as examples of spiritual magistrates in action.

Evidence: Weaver details the stories of Jonas Clark, James Caldwell, and Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg, emphasizing their role in training and leading armed resistance (4205.2-4864.4s).

Key Arguments

Armed Resistance Requires a Lawful Magistrate

Summary: The Bible restricts the use of force in resistance to those led by a proper magistrate, not private individuals or mobs, except in immediate self-defense.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'resistance by force of arms, according to the Bible, is reserved for those who are led by a proper magistrate' (484.8-516.3s) and cites Romans 13:4 and Matthew 26:52 (591.8-648.8s).

Self-Defense Is an Individual Duty

Summary: The sixth commandment obligates every person to preserve life, including their own, so self-defense does not require a magistrate's leadership.

Evidence: Weaver explains, 'I'm obligated to preserve life. I'm obligated to preserve my life' (517.0-546.7s) and illustrates with the home invasion scenario (787.2-819.2s).

Magistrates Are Defined by Scripture as Armed Leaders Who Know God's Law

Summary: A biblical magistrate is not merely a civil officer but one who possesses the power of restraint, knows God's law, and may be a military or spiritual leader.

Evidence: Weaver examines Hebrew words atsar ('possessor of restraint') and shaphat ('one who knows the law'), and Greek strategos ('general, military officer, chief of Levites') (1074.1-2350.7s).

Spiritual Rulers Are Equally Magistrates

Summary: The term 'ruler' (nasi) applies to both civil and spiritual leaders, meaning pastors hold magisterial authority and can act when civil rulers fail.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'the term ruler is equal to the term magistrate. And I'm going to show you that the term ruler is equally applied to spiritual rulers as it is civil rulers' (3001.2-3021.5s).

Interposition Is a Biblical Duty of Lower Magistrates

Summary: When higher civil authorities neglect their God-given duties, lower magistrates—including spiritual ones—must step in to execute justice, as seen in multiple Old Testament examples.

Evidence: Weaver cites Samuel executing Agag when Saul failed (3349.0-3463.0s) and Jehoiada ordering the death of Athaliah (3871.6-4073.5s) as acts of interposition.

The American Revolution Was a Biblical Act of Interposition Led by Pastors

Summary: The founding fathers' resistance to British tyranny was led by preachers who acted as spiritual magistrates, teaching and modeling armed resistance.

Evidence: Weaver describes the 'Black Robed Regiment' and pastors like Jonas Clark and Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg who led their congregations into battle (4205.2-4864.4s).

Modern Preachers Have Abandoned Their Magisterial Duty

Summary: The moral decay of America is directly linked to preachers who refuse to act as spiritual magistrates, instead preaching passive submission.

Evidence: Weaver declares, 'We will never reclaim this country until we reclaim the preaching ministry' (5004.7-5061.3s) and criticizes preachers who 'know nothing of what Romans 13 really teaches' (5061.3s).

Scripture References

Romans 13:1-8

Context: Read at the opening as the foundational text for the series on civil government.

Romans 13:4

Context: Cited to show the civil magistrate is called God's 'minister' (diakonos) and 'revenger'.

Romans 13:6

Context: Cited to show the magistrate is also called a 'minister' (leitourgoi), indicating public worship.

Isaiah 58:1

Context: Used to support the call for verbal resistance: 'Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet.'

1 Corinthians 7:20

Context: Establishes the principle that each person should abide in their calling, implying not all are called to use the sword.

1 Corinthians 14:33

Context: God is not the author of confusion, supporting the idea that not all are called to use the sword.

Matthew 26:52

Context: Warns that those who take the sword unlawfully will perish by the sword.

Judges 18:7

Context: Shows the absence of a magistrate (atsar) leads to a lack of restraint in the land.

Ezra 7:25

Context: Magistrates must know the law of God; if not, they must be taught before serving.

Luke 12:11, 58

Context: Uses the Greek word archos/archonta for magistrate, meaning a leader or prince.

Acts 16:20, 22, 35, 36, 38

Context: The word 'magistrates' (strategos) refers to military officers or governors with power to use force.

Numbers 3:32

Context: Eleazar was chief over the chief of the Levites, who kept the charge (military guard) of the sanctuary.

Acts 4:1; 5:24-26

Context: The 'captain of the temple' was an armed Levitical officer with authority to use force.

Luke 22:4, 52

Context: The captains of the temple came armed to arrest Jesus; He questioned their purpose, not their authority to bear arms.

1 Chronicles 9:19

Context: The Korahites (Levites) were keepers of the gates, armed guards of the tabernacle.

1 Chronicles 12:1, 6, 26

Context: Levites were among David's mighty men; 4,600 Levites fought in his army.

2 Chronicles 23:7-9

Context: Jehoiada the priest armed the Levites to protect the king and stored weapons in the temple.

Titus 3:1

Context: Believers are to be subject to principalities and powers, obeying magistrates, but only when they are godly.

Exodus 22:28

Context: Commands not to revile the gods (civil rulers) or curse the ruler of the people.

Psalm 82:1-8

Context: God calls unjust judges 'gods' because they represent Him, but warns they will die like men.

Historical References

George III and the American colonies

Context: Weaver argues George III violated his covenant with the colonies, justifying their resistance as obedience to God.

Fairfax Resolves

Context: Cited as an example of colonists begging George III to keep his covenant before resorting to resistance.

Thomas Jefferson

Context: Quoted: 'Resistance to tyrants is obedience unto God.'

Waco siege (David Koresh)

Context: Mentioned as an example of government accusing a group of having weapons in a church, which Weaver defends as biblical.

Jonas Clark

Context: Pastor of Lexington who trained his congregation to fight; the Battle of Lexington took place on church grounds.

John Rogers (Presbyterian pastor)

Context: Quoted describing British destruction of over 50 churches during the Revolutionary War.

James Caldwell

Context: Presbyterian pastor known as the 'Rebel Parson'; his wife was shot by a British soldier; he distributed hymnals for gun wadding.

Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg

Context: Episcopal pastor who removed his robe to reveal a military uniform, recruited 300 men, and served as a general.

Black Robed Regiment

Context: Term used by the British for the many preachers who led the American Revolution.

Bill Clinton, Al Gore, and other modern officials

Context: Used as examples of civil rulers who should lead the nation back to righteousness but have failed.

Important Quotes

Resistance to tyrants is obedience unto God.

Significance: Summarizes the lecture's thesis that resisting unlawful authority is a biblical duty, attributed to Thomas Jefferson.

I don't want to overthrow our government. All I want to do is throw the wickedness out of our government.

Significance: Clarifies that the goal is not anarchy but the removal of ungodly elements from government.

The preachers in this country have sold their souls for pension and ease and comfort. And they've not only sold their souls, they've sold the souls of their people and also the soul of this nation.

Significance: A strong indictment of modern clergy for failing to act as spiritual magistrates, which Weaver sees as the root of national decline.

We will never reclaim this country until we reclaim the preaching ministry.

Significance: Emphasizes the central role of preachers in leading moral and political reformation.

The time to preach has passed! The time to fight has come!

Significance: Quoting Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg's dramatic transition from pastor to soldier, exemplifying the spiritual magistrate's duty to act.

Shall I then sit still and enjoy myself at home when the best blood of the continent is spilling? Heaven forbid.

Significance: Muhlenberg's defense of his decision to fight, used by Weaver to argue that pastors must not remain passive in times of crisis.

Put Watts into them. Give them some religion. Put Watts into them.

Significance: James Caldwell's famous cry as he distributed Isaac Watts hymnals for gun wadding, symbolizing the fusion of faith and armed resistance.

Comest thou peaceably?

Significance: The question asked of Samuel by the elders of Bethlehem, illustrating the fear and respect a spiritual magistrate should command.

Discussion Questions

What is the difference between private self-defense and public armed resistance, and why does the Bible require a magistrate to lead the latter?

Context: Weaver distinguishes between a private person defending his home and a public executioner acting under authority (902.0-1006.9s).

How does the biblical definition of a 'magistrate' as a possessor of restraint and one who knows God's law challenge modern views of civil government?

Context: Weaver's word study shows magistrates must be armed and knowledgeable in God's law (1074.1-1248.9s).

In what ways were the Levites both spiritual and military leaders, and what does this imply for the role of pastors today?

Context: Weaver demonstrates that Levites served as armed guards and warriors (1421.9-2094.7s).

What is the doctrine of interposition, and how do the examples of Samuel, Elijah, and Jehoiada support it?

Context: Weaver defines interposition as lower magistrates acting when higher ones fail, citing multiple Old Testament instances (3023.1-4108.6s).

How did the 'Black Robed Regiment' of the American Revolution embody the principles of spiritual magistracy, and what can we learn from their example?

Context: Weaver recounts the stories of Jonas Clark, James Caldwell, and Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg (4205.2-4864.4s).

Why does Weaver argue that the failure of modern preachers is the primary cause of America's moral decline, and do you agree?

Context: Weaver states that preachers have 'sold their souls' and calls for a return to magisterial preaching (4867.8-5061.3s).

How should Christians today balance submission to government (Romans 13) with the duty to resist tyranny, according to this lecture?

Context: Weaver argues that submission is only required to godly authority and that resistance is lawful when government becomes tyrannical (2357.0-2489.9s).

What practical steps can believers take to support and encourage pastors who are willing to act as spiritual magistrates?

Context: Weaver concludes with a call to pray for and support God's preachers (5145.9-5223.7s).

Applications

Understand the Limits of Personal Resistance

Summary: Believers must recognize that while self-defense is a personal duty, organized armed resistance requires leadership by a lawful magistrate.

Evidence: Weaver explains, 'resistance by force of arms... is reserved for those who are led by a proper magistrate' (484.8-516.3s) and illustrates with the home invasion analogy (902.0-1006.9s).

Recognize Pastors as Spiritual Magistrates

Summary: Church members should view their pastors not merely as teachers but as God-ordained rulers with authority to lead in civil matters when necessary.

Evidence: Weaver argues that 'the term ruler is equally applied to spiritual rulers as it is civil rulers' (3001.2-3021.5s) and gives biblical examples of priestly interposition.

Support Courageous Preachers

Summary: Believers are called to pray for, protect, and stand behind pastors who boldly proclaim truth and lead in times of moral crisis.

Evidence: Weaver exhorts, 'we better pray for God's preachers... and we better get behind them, and we better support them, and we better protect them' (5145.9-5187.9s).

Practice Verbal Resistance First

Summary: Before considering other forms of resistance, Christians must begin with verbal opposition to ungodly laws and actions, as commanded in Isaiah 58:1.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'We must begin with verbal resistance. We must begin and we must accomplish whatever we can by using verbal resistance' (442.5-467.6s).

Discern Lawful vs. Unlawful Authority

Summary: Believers must distinguish between godly authority that merits submission and tyrannical authority that must be resisted, using Scripture as the standard.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'I have no problem being in submission to a godly authority' but opposes 'wickedness and rebellion in government that want to overthrow the law of God' (2357.0-2407.7s).

Learn from Historical Examples

Summary: Study the lives of pastors like Muhlenberg and Caldwell to understand how spiritual magistrates have acted in times of national crisis.

Evidence: Weaver recounts the stories of the Black Robed Regiment as models for modern believers (4205.2-4864.4s).

Reclaim the Pulpit for Righteousness

Summary: The church must demand and support preaching that addresses civil government, liberty, and justice, not just personal piety.

Evidence: Weaver laments that 'all you hear is submit, submit, submit, and they know nothing of what Romans 13 really teaches' (5004.7-5061.3s).

Prepare for Potential Leadership

Summary: In the absence of faithful civil rulers, believers should be ready to follow their spiritual leaders in acts of interposition, even to the point of armed resistance if necessary.

Evidence: Weaver warns, 'if there's no civil leaders to lead, you must have a proper magistrate. And the only other magistrates that are left are the spiritual ones' (5145.9-5187.9s).

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T05:14:14Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T17:05:38Z

Clean Transcript

Christian & Civil Government # 4

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

Open Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 13, Romans chapter 13. Once again, we'll read the first eight verses and we'll take a few moments to review and then Lord willing, go from there. So Romans chapter 13, beginning there with verse one. "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers, for there is no power but of God. The powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God, and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation."
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"For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same. For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid, for he beareth not the sword in vain. For he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath but also for conscience sake. For this cause pay ye tribute also, for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing."
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"Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due, custom to whom custom, fear to whom fear, honour to whom honour. Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law." Let me take just about five minutes and try to bring those first-time visitors tonight up to where we are. I dealt on Monday night basically with two subjects. The first one was the institution and nature of government, showing you how that God alone has ordained government, that God alone is the sovereign, and therefore any ordained government is limited and confined and bounded by God.
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I pointed out the fact that God created three basic institutions: the family, which is a ministry of education; the church, which is a ministry of grace; and the state, which is a ministry of justice. We looked through Romans chapter 13, and I showed you how the civil magistrate is not just simply called a power and a ruler, but he's called the minister of God in verse 4 twice. And that word is diakonos. It's where we get our English word deacon. It literally means he's to be the deacon, the servant of God. And then in verse 4, he's also called a revenger.
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That is, one who exacts righteousness out of. So, the civil magistrate is not only God's deacon, he's God's exactor of righteousness. And then in verse 6, once again, he's called a minister again. But this time the Greek word is leitourgoi, which means liturgy, which is a public form of worship. So, God then has ordained civil government, not just simply to be a power, and not just simply to be a rulership, but to be His deacon, His servant, His exactor of righteousness, and of course, His public worship. And just as the family is responsible to be biblical and scriptural, and just as the church is responsible to be biblical and scriptural, likewise the government is just as responsible to be biblical and scriptural. Why? Because it's limited, it's accountable, it's responsible to the God who ordained it and the God who set it up.
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Now, I also pointed out the fact that government is covenantal in nature. In fact, the Word of God says specifically that there are two types of covenants. One between God, the king, and the people, where the king agrees to be God's king, or the civil ruler agrees to be God's civil ruler, and the people agree to be God's people. Then there was a second covenant between the king and the people, where the king agreed to rule faithfully, and of course the people then agreed to obey as long as he did. And the interesting thing is, I pointed out the fact that is basically how our country was founded. Because when one party violates the covenant, the other party is loose from obedience. And that's exactly what George III, King of England, did. He violated his covenant with the colonies.
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And consequently, when he sent soldiers over here to coerce and to subjugate the colonists, they said, look, we are not going to submit to this. We are going to fight. I read to you from the Fairfax Resolves where the colonists begged George III to keep his end of the covenant, but he would not, and he did not. And then secondly, I pointed out how that all parties are responsible in a covenant, and when, therefore, God holds each one accountable. And when a king or a civil ruler sins individually, God judges him individually. But when he sins publicly, and the people do not stop him since they have a responsibility to, God always judges the people. He always judges the land and the nation along with the civil ruler. And then we looked the next time at the purpose of government.
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We saw that government basically was for the protection of the righteous and for the punishment of the wicked. Government is not to be a welfare agency. It's not to be an educational ministry. It is indeed, according to the scripture, a ministry of justice. And then I answered the question, must we obey every law that comes down the pike? And the answer is undoubtedly no. And I showed you numerous scriptural illustrations where men and women disobeyed their civil leader and did so with the blessing of God. Elijah certainly did so.
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The Apostle Paul did so. Amram and Jochebed did so. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Daniel did so. And a multitude of others in the Bible as well. And so very clearly then, God does not hold us responsible to obey those laws that are contrary to His word. In fact, I showed you scripture last night where God judged a people who were willingly walking after ungodly and unbiblical commandments. And then, of course, we looked at the fact that abused and usurped authority ties no one to subjection. And I made one point last night, and I want to really emphasize it again. And that is this, that rebellion is only to lawful authority. If the authority is not lawful, it ties no one to submission, and therefore you may resist it with the blessing of God. It is not rebellion, it is simply resistance. That's why Thomas Jefferson said, "Resistance to tyrants is obedience unto God." And so we looked at the fact that abused, usurped authority is not binding. And then we began to look at the three forms of resistance.
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If we are to resist abused, tyrannical authority, how are we to resist? I showed you the three steps in the Bible. There was a verbal defense. Secondly, there was flight. And then thirdly, there was violent self-defense. I pointed out the only problem with flight is, number one, sometimes it does not work. And number two, not everyone can flee at all times.
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Now, I want to pick up there tonight because I want to deal with a subject which most people probably have never entertained. And that is, if we are to resist, how are we to resist? And, of course, the answer comes back, well, we're to resist by any and every means available to us that is biblical and right. And the truth of the matter is this, we must resist in every way. We must begin with verbal resistance. We must begin and we must accomplish whatever we can by using verbal resistance and then move on to the others.
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In other words, God requires each of us to be active in every sphere, in every area, be responsible. For instance, in Isaiah 58 and verse 1, He says, "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins." So over and over, God calls upon us to lift up our voices and cry out.
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Now, most of the time, individuals want to talk about resistance by force of arms. Now, let me just tell you very clearly that resistance by force of arms, according to the Bible, is reserved for those who are led by a proper magistrate.
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Now, let me explain that. Resistance by force of arms is reserved for those who are led by a proper magistrate. That does not include self-defense. For instance, if I'm standing on the street corner and someone comes up to mug me, or to rob me, and I don't say, well, wait a minute, I can't defend myself until I get a police officer around here who will lead me in self-defense. No. I'm to defend my life according to the sixth commandment.
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whenever and wherever it is absolutely necessary. I do not need anyone to lead me in self-defense because self-defense is obligatory according to the sixth commandment. The sixth commandment is "Thou shalt not kill." It's a negative. The positive is "Thou shalt preserve life." So that means I'm obligated to preserve life. I'm obligated to preserve my life. So, very clearly then, when I say that resistance of arms is reserved for those who are led by a magistrate, it does not include self-defense.
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But it does exclude what you and I would call mob uprisings and insurrections. In other words, if we are going to have the use of arms, it must be done properly and biblically.
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Now, look in your Bibles, if you would, very quickly, to 1 Corinthians chapter 7. And verse 20, and let me establish a principle for you. 1 Corinthians chapter 7 and verse 20, God says this, "Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he is called." Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he is called. God does not call every man to the use of the sword. And that's what the Bible said in Romans chapter 13.
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What did He say about the civil magistrate? "He beareth not the sword in vain." In other words, God has called some individuals for the use of the sword, others He has not. And so God says, the common principle is, let every man abide in the same calling wherein he is called.
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Now, according to 1 Corinthians chapter 14 and verse 33, the Bible tells us that God is not the author of confusion. So very clearly then, not all men have been called to use the sword. And it is said of those who have been called to use the sword, that "he beareth not the sword in vain." But the scripture also says concerning those who unlawfully use the sword, in Matthew chapter 26 and verse 52, "for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword." In other words, if you use the sword unlawfully, then you shall die by the sword either through divine vengeance or what you and I would call capital punishment.
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Now, to try to clarify this, let me tell you that there is a difference between what you and I would call a particular or a private person and a collective or a public person. You have a private person on the one hand, you have a public person on the other hand, and the duties of one are not necessarily the duties of the other. It is true that all men are bound to serve God. All men are called to serve God, but not to serve Him in the same capacity in the same way. For instance, not everyone in this room is called to be a preacher. Not everyone in this room is called to be a doctor. Not everyone in this room is called to be an economics professor. In other words, whatever calling God has placed upon you, it is true you're duty-bound to serve Him in that particular area. But you and I both know that there are some individuals that God gives greater responsibilities unto. He gives them greater blessings. He gives them greater advantages.
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And therefore, they are more accountable and answerable unto God. And so when God then takes an individual and He places him in a place of public trust, when He places him with an added amount of power and authority, then that individual is more accountable and answerable unto God. So let me try to demonstrate to you the difference between a private person and a public person. Let me show you the duties of the one, or not necessarily the duties of the other.
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And let me give you an illustration which I'm sure that most of you can identify with. So here I am in my own home. And I'm sitting back in my office studying and I hear my wife up in the front of the building. She lets out a scream and I can tell by the scream that she's in real trouble. And so as I jump up from my desk, I just happen to reach over and I pick up a pistol just to make sure that I'm covered in every area. And as I get up in front of the house, here's a man who's broken into my house and he's attacking my wife.
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And I order him to stop and he draws out a knife. And when he does, I take the pistol and shoot him dead. Well, I call the sheriff. I said, you better come out here. There's a dead man in my living room. And the sheriff gets out there. He sees where the man is broken in. He sees the scars on my wife where he's attacked my wife. And what's the sheriff going to do to me?
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And the answer is nothing. It's very clearly, very obviously self-defense. The man broke into my home. I have the right to protect my life and the life of my wife.
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Now, let's take and put it on the other hand. Let's suppose the man breaks into my home. My wife happens to be there alone and he attacks my wife and he escapes. There is no one there to defend her. And so when I come home, I find the sheriff there and the medics there and here the man has gotten away. They've done everything they can to find him, but they can't find him.
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They call out the dogs. The dogs can't catch his scent. And so he's just simply gone. But my wife recovers and we're riding down the road one day, maybe three or four or five months later, and all of a sudden she said, "There he is." I said, "There who is?" She said, "That's the man that attacked me." I said, "Are you absolutely positive?" She said, "Of course I am. I'll never forget him." I said, "That's all I wanted to know."
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I pull my car over. I reach in the backseat. I pick up my rifle. I lay it out the window and shoot him dead on the sidewalk. Would you please tell me what's going to happen to me now? I'm going to be arrested. What am I going to be arrested for? Murder. Because I was not at that particular time defending my wife, nor defending my life. I just executed the man on the spot.
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Now, let me change it around just a little bit. Since I am a private individual in that instance, I had no right to take his life. But let's suppose instead of taking that rifle out of the backseat and shooting him dead, I took the rifle out of the backseat, I jumped out, I ran over, stuck it right between his eyes and said, "Sir, you better not even blink until the sheriff gets here." And I just held him until the sheriff arrived. My wife identified him, the sheriff took him in, and let's suppose that we have a biblical court of law and we have a biblical jury and a biblical judge.
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And once the facts have come out and once the evidence has been submitted, they find the man guilty and they sentence him to death. And it just so happens that I am the state executioner. And I'm the man that puts him in the electric chair. I strap him down. I put the electrodes on him. I'm the man that reaches over and pulls the lever and sends all that voltage through his body.
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And I watch him quiver and die. Now, here's my question. What's going to happen to me now? Nothing. Why? Because what I did in that instance, I did as a public person and not as a private person. So there's a difference between the one and the other.
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Now, we've got to understand that magistrates are public persons. So we better make sure, if we're going to follow someone, that they are indeed a lawful magistrate.
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Now, I want you to take your Bibles and turn, if you would please, first of all, to the book of Judges, chapter 18. I want to take you through the Bible very quickly, and I won't have time to deal but with two or three words. The first one is magistrate, and another one will be rulers. But I want you to see, according to the Scripture, who the rulers are.
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Now, this may cause you to think fairly deeply, and I hope it does. But look in Judges 18, if you would please. Judges 18 and verse 7. The Bible says, "Then the five men departed and came to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt carelessly, after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and secure; and there was no magistrate in the land, that might put them to shame in any thing; and they were far from the Sidonians, and had no business with any man." Now note the phrase, "and there was no magistrate in the land, that might put them to shame in any thing."
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Now, the word magistrate here is the Hebrew word atsar, and it literally means to hold back. It means a possessor of restraint. Literally what verse seven says, there was no magistrate in the land. There was no one there who had the authority and who had the power to stop them. So that's what the word atsar means. It means someone with the power of restraint. Someone who has the authority to use weaponry or whatever that would be sufficient to restrain someone.
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Now turn in your Bibles, if you would please, to the book of Ezra. The book of Ezra. Ezra, Nehemiah. And look, if you would please, at Ezra chapter 7 and verse 25. And here's an interesting statement. The king tells Ezra that he is to make magistrates, and here the Hebrew word is a different word, it's the word shaphat, and look what he says. Ezra chapter 7 verse 25, "And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God, that is in thine hand, set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye them that know them not." Now, the king says, Ezra, you have my authority to set up magistrates. One of the qualifications for a magistrate is not just that he is a possessor of restraint, but the king says he must be someone who knows the law of God. And if he doesn't know the law of God, then before he can be a magistrate, you must teach him the law of God.
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So a magistrate, according to the Bible so far, is not just simply someone who has the power of restraint, but he's also someone who knows the law of God. Now, look in your Bibles, if you would please, to the book of Luke, chapter 12. Let me show you several passages in the New Testament. The book of Luke, chapter 12, and notice, if you would please, verse 11. Luke, chapter 12. Verse 11, the Bible says, "And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say." When they bring you to the magistrates, hear the word magistrates, just archos. All it means is someone who is first, someone who is a leader. Look, if you would please, in verse 58, Luke chapter 12, verse 58. Here he says, "When thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate," the word magistrate, here's archonta. And all it means is someone who is first in rank, a prince or ruler or leader.
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Now, I want you to watch this carefully so far in the Old Testament, you have someone who is a possessor of restraint and someone who knows the law of God. In the New Testament so far, we just have a leader or a prince or a ruler, but it doesn't stop there. I want you to go in your Bibles to the book of Acts chapter 16. In Acts chapter 16, you're going to find the word magistrate mentioned five times in just a few short verses.
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Notice if you would please. Acts chapter 16 and look at verse 20. And I'm going to read each of these verses just to show you the word magistrate. And by the way, it's the same identical Greek word in each passage. Acts 16 in verse 20, "And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city." Look, if you would please, in verse 22, "And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them." Look in verse 35, "And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go." Now, I want you to note the magistrates here have power to use force. They have power to subdue and subjugate, they have power to release, but that's not all. Look in verse 36, "And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace." Look in verse 38, "And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates."
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Now, in each and every instance, the word magistrates is used. It comes from the Greek word or it is the Greek word strategos. Strategos comes from the Greek word stratos, which means an army. Let me tell you what the word strategos means, and I want you to listen carefully. The word strategos means a general. A military officer. A governor. A commandant, the chief of the Levites. The word strategos refers not just to a military officer, not just to a commandant, not just to a governor, but to the chief of the Levites. Do you remember who the Levites were? The Levites in the Old Testament were the priests.
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They were the ones who kept the tabernacle and the temple. They were the ones who did the teaching of the Word of God.
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Now, let me show you. I want you to hold Acts chapter 16, but turn back in your Bibles to the book of Numbers chapter 3 and look at verse 32. An interesting statement. You remember Eleazar. He was the son of Aaron, the high priest. And look, if you would, what the Bible says, Numbers chapter 3, verse 32. "And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be chief over the chief of the Levites, and have the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary." By the way, it would be an interesting thing, and I don't have time to preach this message tonight, but it'd be an interesting thing to find out exactly what all these Levites did. You know, most of the time we think of the Levites, they're the ones who did all the offerings in the tabernacle and the temple. They were the ones that stood and sang and praised the Lord. But if you look down to verse 32, he says not only was Eleazar the chief over the chief of the Levites, but these Levites were the ones that kept the charge of the sanctuary.
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Now, the word charge is a military term. Literally, he was over the ones who were guarding the sanctuary. If I had time tonight, I could take you through the Bible and show you where these Levites were charged by God himself to protect the high priest. And if anyone came within that tabernacle or that temple who was not supposed to be there, they were to kill him. All the Levites were armed.
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We're going to see this in just a few moments now. I'm just pointing out the fact that Eleazar was over the chief of the Levites. So the Levites then had different and varying chiefs. And whoever they were, they answered to Eleazar, who was the son of Aaron, the high priest.
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Now, I want you to turn back in your Bibles to the book of Acts, and let's go to Acts chapter 4. And let me ask you a question, because many people do not know the answer to this question, and I want to answer it for you. You see, if I were to ask you who the Sadducees were, many of you could tell me. If I were to ask you who the Pharisees were, you could tell me. If I were to ask you who the Herodians were, some of you could even tell me that. But if I were to ask you who or what were the captains of the temple, most of you couldn't answer that question, but there were captains of the temple in the New Testament. Look in Acts chapter 4 and verse 1. "And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them." Now, who in the world was this captain of the temple? And by the way, a little bit later on, you'll see the word used in the plural form, so there was more than one.
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But here was a captain of the temple. Look in Acts chapter 5, beginning there with verse 24, Acts 5, verse 24.
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"Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow." Now, once again, you have the captain of the temple referred to in verse 24. Let's read verse 25. "Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people. Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned." Now, I want you to note what the captain and his officers did. They brought them without violence. Not that these men were not armed. None of these men did not have the power to use violence. They did so. But why did they not use violence?
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The Bible gives you the answer. "For they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned." In other words, the captain and his officers were outnumbered. And they said, to keep our own selves from getting hurt, we'll not use our weaponry. We'll just take these men in and that'll be it. So in other words, they had power to use the sword. But they did not in this particular circumstance.
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Now turn in your Bibles to the book of Luke, chapter 22. Luke, chapter 22, and look at verse 4, first of all, and here is the word used with the plural so that you can see there was more than one captain. Luke 22 and verse 4. "And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them." So Judas now is communing with the captains. Now look in verse 52 when they came out to get Jesus Christ. Look at what is said. Luke 22 and verse 52. "Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to him, Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves?" So when the captains came to get Christ, they were armed. Now I want you to note what Jesus Christ said. Jesus Christ asked this question, "Why are ye come out against me as a thief with swords and staves?"
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Our Lord did not question the fact that they have the power and the authority to have those weapons and to use them. His only question was, why are you using them against me? For instance, if you're walking down the street and you turn the corner, and as you turn the corner, a policeman draws out the pistol and puts it right in your chest. You don't say, what are you doing with a pistol? You don't have the power to use that pistol. You don't have the authority to have that pistol. Yeah, you know he's got the authority to have that pistol. What you want to know is, why are you pointing that thing at me? I haven't done anything. I'm not a thief. That's what our Lord was saying. He was not saying, you don't have the authority to have the weapons. You have that authority. But why are you trying to use them against me? I have done absolutely nothing wrong.
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Now, who in the world were these captains of the temple? I want you to go back in your Bibles to Psalm 42. Psalm 42. We're not going to look at the psalm, but we're going to look at the heading of the psalm. And then I'll tell you something about the history of the context, Psalm 42. Look, if you would please, just at the heading. It says this: "To the chief Musician, Maschil, for the sons of Korah." So David wrote Psalm 42 for the sons of Korah to sing.
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Now, that might not mean anything to you. But if you remember Numbers chapter 16, there were three men who rebelled against Moses and Aaron and led an uprising against them. They were Dathan, Abiram, and Korah. Now, Dathan and Abiram were of the tribe of Reuben. But Korah was a Levite. And you remember what happened? Moses said, let the earth open up and let a new thing happen.
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Let these folks go down alive to the pit. And that's exactly what happened. But when you get to Numbers chapter 26, you'll find that the sons of Korah died not with Korah. In other words, when Moses said, separate yourself from these people, the sons of Korah went with Moses. That is, they turned against their own father because they knew the father was wicked and wrong. And so the sons of Korah died not.
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Now I want you to watch this. Korah was a Levite. So the sons of Korah then, and you'll find them mentioned in the Bible oftentimes, you'll either find them called Korahites or Korhites. And every time you say that word, they're nothing more than Levites. Now watch this. Look in your Bibles, if you would please. 1 Chronicles 9. First Chronicles, Chapter 9, and let me show you these Levites who are mentioned as the sons of Korah. First Chronicles, Chapter 9, and let's look at verse 19. First Chronicles, Chapter 9, verse 19. "And Shallum the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his brethren, of the house of his father, the Korahites, were over the work of the service, keepers of the gates of the tabernacle: and their fathers, being over the host of the LORD, were keepers of the entry." Now, when you read the phrase, keepers of the gates and keepers of the entry, you know what that means? That means that these Korahites, translated Levites, of the father of the descendants of Korah, these men were armed guards.
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Notice, if you would, what the Bible says, "and their fathers, being over the host of the LORD." You know what the host of the Lord was? It was the army. It was the army. So here you have, in the Old Testament, in the tabernacle and in the temple, you have armed guards, armed Levites at the doors, protecting the high priest, protecting the things of God, and keeping out certain individuals who are not supposed to be there.
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Now, look, if you would please, in 1 Chronicles chapter 12. Let's go to verse 1. Just trying to show you that these Levites, although they were preachers and teachers of the word of God, although they were men who offered sacrifice to God, they were also warriors. Notice, if you would, First Chronicles, chapter 12, verse one. "Now these are they that came to David to Ziklag, while he yet kept himself close because of Saul the son of Kish: and they were among the mighty men, helpers of the war." Now you're going to have some of David's mighty men listed. Well, skip down to verse six. "Elkanah, and Jesiah, and Azareel, and Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korhites," who were of the family of Korah, who were nothing more than Levites. Look, if you would please, since you're in chapter 12, at verse 26.
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Here, the Bible says it very plainly. "Of the children of Levi," that is, these men who helped David fight, "of the children of Levi, four thousand and six hundred." So David had 4,600 preachers, teachers of the Word of God, fighting in his army.
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Now, I want you to understand who the captain of the temple was. The captain or the captains of the temple was nothing more than these Levites in the Old Testament that continued in the New Testament, and they're there protecting the temple. Let me show you something. Turn in your Bibles to Second Chronicles, chapter 23. This ought to really get you excited. This ought to really show you something. Not only is it going to show you that the Levites were armed, but it's going to show you something else. Do you remember?
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When the government attacked the people at Waco, David Koresh and that bunch, and I don't know anything about David Koresh. I'm sure I would not agree with his theology, but I'm going to tell you something. One of the things they accused him of was having weapons in the church. You remember that? Of course, what they did not tell you was this, that Koresh and a number of his men were licensed gun dealers. And that's one of the ways they made money. They would take weapons and repair them and fix them up and resell them.
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And no, they were not fully automatic. They were just simply men who had federal firearms licenses. That's all. And they sold them. But they tried to make a big to-do out of the fact that they had weaponry in the church. Well, let's see what the Bible says, 2 Chronicles chapter 23, verse 7, Jehoiada the high priest is giving the orders and look what he says, the king now has been anointed, the king is a young child. He says in verse 7, "And the Levites shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whosoever else cometh into the house, he shall be put to death: but be ye with the king when he cometh in, and when he goeth out." Now what did Jehoiada the High Priest do? He put his preachers, he put his teachers, he put his Levites around the king with their weapons. And he says, whoever comes in this house not supposed to be there, kill him.
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Now watch verse 8. "So the Levites and all Judah did according to all things that Jehoiada the priest had commanded, and took every man his men that were to come in on the sabbath, with them that were to go out on the sabbath: for Jehoiada the priest dismissed not the courses." Watch verse 9. "Moreover Jehoiada the priest delivered to the captains of hundreds spears, and bucklers, and shields, that had been king David's, which were in the house of God."
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Where were all those weapons stored? In the temple. Who had control over them? The priest. And in the time of emergency, he passed them out. So when God in the New Testament tells us that the captains of the temple came, here's the carryover from the Old Testament to the New Testament where these Levites had their weapons. They had the power and the authority to use those weapons because they were to defend the temple just like they did in the Old Testament. So a magistrate now, I want you to think with me, a magistrate so far in the Old Testament and the New Testament is not only someone who has the power of restraint, a possessor of restraint, someone who has authority to have weapons and to use those weapons.
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But he's also a leader. Now, I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Titus, chapter three and verse one. Here's the last time I'm going to show you the word magistrate that you'll find in the book of Titus, chapter three and verse one, and there's no problem here with this passage, I'll explain it to you. But he says, "Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates."
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"To be ready to every good work." Paul is saying, look, we need to teach the people biblical submission.
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Now, there's no contradiction here with what I've been preaching. Because you and I are to be in submission to a biblical government, to a godly government, to a godly authority. I have no problem with authority. I have no problem at all. I've had people come up to me and say, "Brother Weaver, it sounds like you want to overthrow our government." I don't want to overthrow our government. All I want to do is throw the wickedness out of our government. I have no problem with authority. But I do have problems with wickedness and rebellion in government that want to overthrow the law of God and the law of the land. That's what I have problems with. And God is telling us, look, as long as we can be in submission, fine. And I have no problem being in submission to a godly authority.
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Let me tell you this, folks. It is true. The Bible says that the wife is to be in submission to the husband in everything. Are you listening? But it's equally true that the Bible says, "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it." Now, listen to me. It's easy for a woman to be in submission to her husband when the husband loves that wife the way Christ loved the church.
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Now, the point I'm trying to make is this. It's easy for a citizen to be in submission to a government that is fulfilling the functions and acting in the way that God has ordained it to act. There's no problem there. Your problem arises when the government wants to be God itself. And begins to act like a God and tries to subdue and subjugate and enslave the people.
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So here's the last word for magistrate in the New Testament now. Let me give you another word, and that's the word rulers. I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Exodus, chapter 22. Exodus 22. And you need to understand this passage because it's very, very important. I'll tell you what the Hebrew word is in just a moment. But look at Exodus, chapter 22 and verse 28. There are two words.
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We're going to deal with one of them rather quickly. Exodus 22, verse 28, God says, "Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people." Now, what does God mean when He says, "Thou shalt not revile the gods"? Is He talking about these false gods like Baal and Ashtoreth? No. No. You're going to find that God reviles those Himself. Do you know what one of the main Hebrew words for an idol is? Gillulim. You know what the word gillulim actually means? Literally, it means dung ball. That's the title that God gives to a false god. God is making fun of them Himself. He says in the Bible, they're dumb. They can't speak. They can't hear. They can't see. They can't walk. So when God is saying, "Thou shalt not revile the gods," he's not talking about false gods. Well, what's he talking about? He's talking about men whom he has ordained to office. Let me show you that in the Bible, hold Exodus 22, we're coming right back there, but look in your Bibles, first of all, to Psalm 82, Psalm 82.
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Watch this carefully, Psalm 82, and let's begin reading there with verse one. You see, I told you last night there is a difference between having no respect for an abusive and tyrannical officer and having respect for the office. You may disrespect the man in the office, but you must always respect the office of authority. And here's why. Look in Psalm 82, verse one, "God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods."
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Well, what gods is he talking about? He's not talking about false gods. And by the way, Psalm 82 is a psalm to civil rulers and particularly to judges. And this passage shows that God, the supreme judge of all the earth, is ready to judge the judges of the earth. He says, "God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods." Look, he says, "How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked?" Then he tells them to "Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked." Now, notice what he says about these judges.
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"They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course." That is, they turn everything upside down. And look what he said to these judges. "I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes. Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations." So God says, you who have special authority and special offices, I called you gods, why?
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Because you are supposed to represent me. You say, "Brother Weaver, I don't know if that interpretation is right or not." Well, if you will turn in your Bibles very quickly to John chapter 10, you'll see that our Lord gives us the very exact same interpretation. Look in John chapter 10. Notice, if you would please, verse John 10, verse 34. Look what our Lord says. "Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?" Now, notice what he said in verse 35. "If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came." In other words, God says, I gave you a special office and special authority and special direction. In fact, I can show you in the Bible where God tells the judges, "for ye judge not for man, but for the LORD."
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You are to represent Me. And so, therefore, they are called gods. And so, when He is saying, "Thou shalt not revile the gods," what He is saying is, basically, you are not to mock and to make fun of anyone who is fulfilling the office the way God ordained him to. May I remind you of those young children in 2 Kings chapter 2 who mocked and made fun of Elisha when they came out and said, "Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head." And he turned around and cursed them in the name of the Lord, and two she bears came out of the woods and tore forty and two of them. You see, you're not to mock those whom God has ordained and who are indeed functioning in the way that God has ordained them to function. Now, let's go back to Exodus chapter 22. I wanted to clear that up, but that was not the word that I want to deal with in Exodus chapter 22. If you'll notice there in verse 28, again, he says this, "Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people."
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Now, here's the word ruler. The word ruler is a word that is equal to the word magistrate. It is those who have been exalted and elevated out of the congregation.
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Now, to understand that, let's turn in our Bibles to the book of Numbers, chapter one. Just look at Numbers, chapter one. You're going to see in Numbers, chapter one, a nasi, and that's the word for ruler here, a nasi or a ruler is one who is exalted, one who is elevated or one who is lifted up by or in the local assembly. Thus, it means basically someone who has been chosen and elected by the local assembly. For instance, look in verse one of Numbers chapter one, "And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of the congregation." And then he tells him to take the sum, skip down if you would please in verse four, "And with you there shall be a man of every tribe; every one head of the house of his fathers."
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Now, there were 12 tribes. And so you have twelve men who were chosen, the prince, or the ruler, or the nasi of that tribe. Therefore, from verse 5 to verse 15, you have those men who were chosen, lifted up by the tribes, and exalted to be the ruler in that tribe. Notice if you would what verse 16 says. "These were the renowned of the congregation," that is, these were the ones who were lifted up, exalted out of the congregation, "princes of the tribes of their fathers, heads of thousands in Israel." So here are men, then, that are exalted. Now, the term nasi, then, or ruler, applies to any ruler of God's people who are lifted up and exalted out of the congregation.
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Now, I could show you this, but to save time tonight, if you get home, if you look in Exodus chapter 16 in verse 22, Joshua 9 in verse 15, Joshua 9 in verse 18 and Joshua 22 in verse 30, you'll find once again, these individuals are called princes. They're called rulers. It's the same word. In other words, they have been lifted up out of the congregation. Now, what I want you to see tonight is this.
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That the term ruler is equal to the term magistrate. And I'm going to show you that the term ruler is equally applied to spiritual rulers as it is civil rulers.
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Now, when you stop and think about this, you have a spiritual ruler, you have a civil ruler. They're both rulers. They're both individuals designated, ordained and called by God and endued with certain authority. And I want to show you something in Scripture. You may have never seen it, but I want to show you that oftentimes when a civil magistrate fails to do his duty, in the Bible, sometimes a spiritual magistrate steps in and does it. How in the world could that be unless the spiritual magistrate is equally a magistrate just like the civil magistrate is?
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This is also known as the doctrine of interposition. Let me put it to you another way. When a higher ruler fails to do his job or fails to do his duty, it is likewise then the responsibility of the lower ruler to step in and do what should have been done by the higher ruler. Why? Because the lower ruler is equally a ruler as well. And you're going to find this happening over and over in the Bible. It is true that sometimes the spiritual ruler leaves the normal functions of his office and he steps over and does that which is out of and beyond the call of duty. But he does so because he is equally a ruler when the civil ruler fails to do his duty.
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Now, look in your Bibles, if you would please, to the book of Exodus, chapter 32. Let me give you the first illustration. Exodus, chapter 32. And notice, if you would please, verse 27.
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Now, you know the story how Moses has come down from the mount. And the people have committed idolatry, they're committing adultery. And Moses is so upset, he throws the Ten Commandments down. He breaks them. He takes the idol. He grinds it up in powder. He burns it. And then he throws the ashes in the brook. And he tells all the people to drink of the water. Well, there were some men who would not drink.
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And so in Exodus chapter 32 and verse 27, let's read verse 26. "Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD's side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour. And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses."
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"And there fell of the people that day about three thousand men." So here is Moses, the man of God, the prophet, the preacher, the teacher. When these people refused to obey, he says, God says they're to be killed. They won't come over here. You Levites, you come over here, put your sword on and you go in and slay every one of them. And that's exactly what happened. And by the way, you'll find later in the word of God, God commends the children of Levi for doing exactly what Moses told them to do. Now, Moses was a spiritual leader, but he was here ordering the execution of these people. Now granted, and I'm going to give you this one, granted Moses is also called a king. You will find that, you don't have to turn there, but you'll find it in Deuteronomy chapter 33. The Bible says very clearly in verse 5, "And he was king in Jeshurun." So Moses then had a dual role. Moses was not only a spiritual ruler, he was also a civil ruler as well.
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But if you'll turn in your Bibles to 1 Samuel chapter 15, I'll show you another clear illustration where this one was just simply a spiritual ruler. Look in 1 Samuel chapter 15.
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Now in this passage, God has sent King Saul on a mission. And what God has done, He's told King Saul, I want you to slay the Amalekites. Slay every one of them. Man, woman, suckling, ass, boy, girl, sheep, ox, camel, God says kill every one of them. You know what happened? Saul and the people spared Agag, the king of the Amalekites, and the best of the sheep, and the best of the oxen, but everything that was refuse, that they utterly destroyed. Well, God sent Samuel to Saul, and when Saul saw Samuel, the first thing he said was, "Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD."
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And about that time, something went bad. Samuel said, "Saul, if you've obeyed God, what meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?" And then Saul tried to blame it all on the people. The people spared. The people wanted to do this for sacrifice. And Samuel said, "Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams." And therefore, God rejected Saul for being king. Now, look what happens. Look in first Samuel, chapter 15.
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And let's begin there with verse 32. "Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately." You know, I can just see that in my eyes. Evidently, this was a... I don't know. I get the idea of a prissy individual, you know. And so, Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, "Surely the bitterness of death is past." And Samuel said, "As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women." And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal. Here stood the king, the highest civil officer in the land. He had disobeyed God. Samuel, the prophet, comes along. He said, "Saul, you've disobeyed God. You bring me out Agag. I'll do what God wanted done." And he takes the sword and he hews him in pieces. Now, when the Bible says that he hewed him in pieces before the LORD, literally, it is as unto the LORD. In other words, Samuel did to Agag exactly what God wanted done to Agag.
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You see, Samuel could not have done that unless he himself was a magistrate or a ruler. And when Saul refused to fulfill the duty for which God ordained him to, then the spiritual magistrate stepped in and did exactly that. I'm going to make an application before I close tonight. But I want you to understand one of the problems we have in this country, one of the main problems is with our preachers. Do you realize in 1 Samuel 16, God sends Samuel to anoint David king? And when the rulers and the elders of Bethlehem hear that Samuel is coming, we'll skip down 1 Samuel 16. Look in verse 4. "And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably?"
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What kind of question is that to ask a preacher? "Comest thou peaceably?" When's the last time your pastor has gone to a city council meeting or a county council meeting and before he can get there, all those men send messages out the door, "Now preacher, are you coming peaceably?" When's the last time anyone trembled at a preacher? I've got news for you, they trembled at Samuel. Because Samuel knew his office. And they knew Samuel knew his office and his authority because he had hewed Agag to pieces.
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May I remind you, you don't have to turn there, but first Kings chapter 18. You remember that great contest at Mount Carmel? There was King Ahab. There were the prophets of Baal, 450 of them. And Elijah challenged them to a contest. They leaped upon their sacrifice. They cried. They pleaded. They cut themselves. And Baal would never answer them. And about the time of the evening sacrifice, Elijah put the sacrifice in order. He called for water, a trench to be dug around the sacrifice. He filled the trench with water. He covered the sacrifice with water three different times.
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And then he said, "O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again." And fire came down from heaven and licked up not only the sacrifice, but the water in the trench. And then what did Elijah do? He said, "Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape." And the scripture says he brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.
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Right in sight of the highest civil ruler in the land. Ahab should have been cutting off their heads, but he didn't. But Elijah did. May I remind you of Numbers, Chapter 25, and I want you to turn there. I want you to see this with Numbers, Chapter 25. I've got two particularly that I want to share with you. Look in Numbers, Chapter 25. Here is Phinehas. I've just preached a series of messages on Psalm 106, and I dealt with this passage because it's repeated again in Psalm 106, but look in Numbers chapter 25, the people now have committed whoredom. They've committed idolatry with the daughters of Moab.
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And one Israelite is so brazen that he brings a Midianitish woman into the camp. Now watch this. Numbers chapter 25, and let's begin reading there with verse 6. "And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation." Now, watch this. All the leaders were at the door of the tabernacle weeping.
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Now, I don't know if they could not act out of grief or because they were so broken up or because they were physically unable to act because they were so weak. I don't know. But the Bible says they were there weeping. Watch what happens. "And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand; And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel. And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand." Now, listen, God must really be upset with Phinehas because Phinehas is a priest.
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He's jumped up, he's run into the tent, and he's killed two people. Well, verse 10, "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy. Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace: And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel." Was God angry with Phinehas? No. Well, how could Phinehas do that?
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Because he was a ruler. He may have been a spiritual ruler, but he was still a ruler. He was someone who was ordained by God, he held an office, and in that office he had authority. The civil rulers were not doing their duties, so he did it. May I remind you of 2 Kings chapter 11? I want you to turn there. 2 Kings chapter 11. There was a grandmother by the name of Athaliah, and this grandmother did a very un-grandmotherly thing.
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When her son Ahaziah died, she murdered all of her grandchildren except one, Joash. And the only reason she didn't murder him was he was stolen. He was kidnapped by the high priest's wife and hid in the temple. And Athaliah, a wicked, ungodly murderess, set herself up as queen and was ruling over the land. And when Joash was seven years of age, they brought him into the temple, they anointed him to be king.
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And I want you to look at this. Second Kings, chapter 11 and verse four. "And the seventh year Jehoiada sent and fetched the rulers over hundreds, with the captains and the guard, and brought them to him into the house of the LORD, and made a covenant with them, and took an oath of them in the house of the LORD, and shewed them the king's son." Now skip down to verse 8.
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He tells the Levites, "...and ye shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand: and he that cometh within the ranges, let him be slain: and be ye with the king as he goeth out and as he cometh in." Now let's skip down. Verse 14, Athaliah hears the people shouting. And she comes down, "and when she looked, behold, the king stood by a pillar, as the manner was, and the princes and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew with trumpets: and Athaliah rent her clothes, and cried, Treason, Treason." By the way, I want you to understand, what Jehoiada the high priest did was not treason. Now, Athaliah called it treason.
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But you've got to remember, she was a murderess and a pervert. Do you realize? George III called what we did treason, but it wasn't treason. You've got to understand what treason is. She said, "Treason, Treason." Watch verse 15. "But Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of the hundreds, the officers of the host, and said unto them, Have her forth without the ranges: and him that followeth her kill with the sword. For the priest had said, Let her not be slain in the house of the LORD. And they laid hands on her; and she went by the way by the which the horses came into the king's house: and there was she slain." So here's the high priest now saying, I want you to kill her, and I want you to kill everybody that follows her. How could the priest do that?
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Because he also was a ruler. You've got to remember, the king now was seven years of age. Athaliah was a murderess. He had an office. He had authority. There was no one to use that authority in the civil sphere. And so he stepped in and he did what needed to be done because he, too, was a ruler. Now look in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews, chapter 11.
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I want you to note. These people, some of them are not named, but they are at least listed as the heroes of faith, Hebrews, chapter 11. Notice, if you would please beginning there with verse 33, just to show you how God applauds their actions. Hebrews chapter 11, verse 33. In fact, let's read verse 32. He said, "And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel."
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Remember, he's the one who killed Agag. "And Samuel, and of the prophets:" the prophets, the preachers. Watch what they did. "Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens." Notice he particularly mentions Samuel and the prophets.
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Let me tell you about the founding of this country. Do you know who the real leaders of the American War for Independence were? They were the preachers. It is true there was a Sam Adams. It is true there was a Patrick Henry. But do you know where these people learned the principles of liberty and freedom and righteousness and justice? From the preachers. Do you realize there were so many preachers that fought in the American War for Independence, commonly referred to as the Revolutionary War. Do you realize the preachers were so prominent?
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The English gave them a particular name or title. They were known as the Black Robed Regiment because all the pastors at that time wore black robes. Let me just tell you about a few of those men. Jonas Clark. Most of you have never heard of Jonas Clark. You've heard of the Battle of Lexington and Concord. You've heard about the shot fired around the world and heard around the world. May I remind you, those men who were there were taught and trained by their pastor, Jonas Clark. That battle took place on the courthouse and on the church steps and green right there in front of the church. The biggest question Sam Adams had was, will these men fight? Jonas Clark assured him that they would fight and they would die. And one of the most amazing things is when the battle really began, one man who had vowed he would never run from the English died on the spot. Another one of Jonas Clark's men died on the steps of the church.
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as he ran in to get more powder and ball. Where were the ammunition and arms stored in 1776? In the church. Jonas Clark was approached by one woman after those stalwart men lay dead. The smoke had cleared. He was approached by one woman and she says, "There, Pastor Clark, are you satisfied with what you have done?" She was upset because of the death of those men. He said, "Madam, I would not recall those men if I could, and I would not stop this moment if I could, because from this day forth there will be a new cry for independence and freedom that will shake this world." Jonas Clark, their pastor.
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May I remind you of how the English hated the churches, and I know that everybody in here probably has seen the movie The Patriot. You've heard all the hubbub from England about the burning of those people in the church. That particular scene. Let me quote to you, please, from Pastor John Rogers, a Presbyterian pastor of New York. Listen to what he said. Talking about the English, "They have, in the course of this war, utterly destroyed more than 50 places of worship in these states."
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"Most of these they burned. Others they leveled with the ground and in some places left not a vestige of their former situation, while they have wantonly defaced or rather destroyed others by converting them," that is the church buildings, "by converting them into barracks, jails, hospitals, horse stables. In Boston, Newport, Philadelphia, and Charleston, all furnished melancholy instances of the prostitution and the abuses of the houses of God and of the nineteen places of public worship in this city."
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"When the war began, there were but nine fit for use. When the British troops left." So in New York, they destroyed 10 churches alone. Let me tell you about James Caldwell. James Caldwell was of Elizabethtown, New Jersey. He was such a fiery preacher and such a man of conviction that his people were one with him. In fact, he was branded by the British the Rebel Parson and his people were known as the Rebel Parish. So hated was James Caldwell that a price was put on his head. Now, this was a Presbyterian preacher. He was so hunted by the British that when he preached the gospel of peace to his people, he did so with loaded pistols on the pulpit to defend himself.
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If the English were to burst into his church. I'll tell you how much they hated him when the English one time were passing by his house. They looked in and saw his wife, Hannah, holding a baby. And one English soldier aimed and shot Mrs. Caldwell right between the eyes. Thankfully, a neighbor woman was there and the neighbor woman caught the baby as Mrs. Caldwell fell dead. That almost sounds of recent origin, does it not? But James Caldwell was a fire eater and in one battle, he saw the fire of a company of colonial soldiers slacking for lack of wadding.
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Now, if you've never shot a muzzleloader, you've got to understand that you put the powder in first. And then you put usually a piece of paper or a piece of rag in with the ball because the ball is a little smaller than the diameter of the muzzle loader. And if you don't have that wadding, then the ball will roll out. So you need the wadding to hold it tight.
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And so you knock it down in there. And then when you fire, the fire goes off. And of course, the wadding and the bullet come out the barrel. Well, the men could not shoot because there was a lack of wadding. So he jumps on his horse and rides through the firing lines to the closest Presbyterian church house. He goes in, he grabs up all these hymnals by Isaac Watts, these beautiful hymns written by Isaac Watts.
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He gets an arm load of them. He rides back once again through all the fire. He goes to that company whose fire was slackened because of lack of wadding. And he starts throwing these hymnals out to them. And he says, "There you go, boys. Put Watts into them. Give them some religion. Put Watts into them."
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Finally, James Caldwell himself, was murdered, shot dead by the British. I could tell you story after story, but let me tell you about Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg. Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg happened to be the pastor of a Protestant Episcopal Church in Dunmore County, Virginia. And on one Sunday, he said at three o'clock in the afternoon, he was going to preach a patriotic sermon on the duty that men owed their God and their country. And, of course, at three o'clock in the afternoon, the building was packed.
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People were standing not only in the aisles, but outside as well. So Pastor Muhlenberg ascended to the pulpit and he took his text from the book of Ecclesiastes. "There's a time for every purpose and for every work. There's a time for war, there's a time of peace," etc. And he preached powerfully. And finally, when he came to the end of his message, he had that long flowing black robe on. He ended his message with this exclamation, "The time to preach has passed! The time to fight has come!" And he ripped off his robe.
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And there he stood in full military uniform. He then looked at a young boy who had been previously appointed to start drumming for recruits. Three hundred men volunteered. And within the next few days, they marched behind their pastor, Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg, to help George Washington corner Cornwallis in Virginia. In defending himself afterwards, here is what he said. Listen carefully. He said, "I'm a clergyman. It is true."
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"But I am also a member of society as well as the poorest layman, and my liberty is as dear to me as to any man. Shall I then sit still and enjoy myself at home when the best blood of the continent is spilling? Heaven forbid. Do you think of America should be conquered, that I should be safe? Far from it. And would you not sooner fight like a man than die like a dog?"
#118 | 1:19:20 to 1:19:47 | cleaned
"The cause is just and noble. Were I a bishop, even a Lutheran one, I should obey without hesitation. And so far from thinking that I am wrong, I am convinced it is my duty so to do, a duty I owe to my God and to my country."
#119 | 1:19:48 to 1:20:03 | cleaned
Now, listen to what he said. "Shall I then sit still and enjoy myself at home while the best blood in the country is spilling? God forbid it. Do you think of America should fall that I should be safe? Far from it. And had you not rather fight like a man than die like a dog?" I'll tell you something, folks. The mess this country is in, the primary reason we are in the mess that we're in is because of the preachers. Where are men like James Caldwell? Where are men like Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg? Where are men like Ezra Stiles?
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You see, the truth of the matter is this. God has said, here you are, pastors. You have an office. You're a ruler. You've been ordained with authority. If the civil government will not do so, then you must lead and you must lead in righteousness and in truth. I want you to please listen to me. Don't laugh at what I'm about to tell you. Because I'm not saying this to be funny. Do you know who the first person is in this country that should be leading us back to God, back to the principles of our founding fathers, back to our Constitution? The first person that should be leading us back to those things is Bill Clinton.
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If he won't do it, then Al Gore should do it. If Al Gore won't do it, then the Speaker of the House should do it. If the Speaker of the House won't do it, then every other congressman ought to do it. If none of them will do it, then the governors of the state must do it. If they won't do it, the lieutenant governors should. If they won't do it, the speakers of the house should. And then you go down to your state legislatures. If none of them will do it, then the county chairman ought to do it. If he won't, his assistant. If he won't, then some councilman. If they won't, then the city.
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And you start at the top and you go down. Because here's the doctrine of interposition. If there's a duty, if the highest civil officer will not fulfill it, then the lower one must step up and fulfill it. And if none of them will fulfill the office for which God has ordained them, then the only ones left are the preachers who are spiritual rulers, spiritual magistrates. And I'm going to tell you something, folks. The preachers in this country have sold their souls for pension and ease and comfort. And they've not only sold their souls, they've sold the souls of their people and also the soul of this nation.
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Where are the preachers when truth and righteousness and liberty and freedom are at stake? We will never reclaim this country until we reclaim the preaching ministry. It was those preachers who spread the truth and instilled in those people the principles of right and freedom and liberty and justice and righteousness. And you don't hear that today from the pulpit. All you hear is submit, submit, submit, and they know nothing of what Romans 13 really teaches. The Black Robed Regiment. Would to God we had it again. Would to God, when your pastor went to the next council meeting, someone would come out and say, "Comest thou peaceably?" Would to God we have some men. We have sired an entire generation of people who are spineless, gutless, jellyfished, backboneless, that have no character and will not stand for anything. I was talking to a black man about a year or so ago.
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I said, "You know, I hate to tell you this. But do you know most black folks and most white folks under 40 are not worth shooting?" You know, he agreed with me.
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Now, I know there are exceptions, I know there are exceptions, but you just stop and think what this country is like. Look at the generation that we've sired. They want pleasure and they want comfort and they want ease and they want everything. But what's right and what's holy and what's godly? And I'll tell you one thing we better do, folks. We better pray for God's preachers. I'm talking about those who are willing to take a stand, and we better get behind them, and we better support them, and we better protect them, and we better do everything we can for them, because it might be one day that you might be following one of them.
#126 | 1:25:29 to 1:25:44 | cleaned
Because if there's no civil leaders to lead, you must have a proper magistrate. And the only other magistrates that are left are the spiritual ones. You make sure you pray for God's men. Let's pray. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we cry to thee this night, especially for your preachers. We do know, Lord, there are many men who have entered into the ministry as a profession.
#127 | 1:25:45 to 1:26:27 | cleaned
They could care less about truth and could care less about righteousness and your word. But Lord, that does not negate the fact that You do have Your men. And there are more than we can think of. And there are more than we know of. You have Your people and You have Your men in place all throughout this country. And in Your time, You will raise them up. Give us grace, Lord, to pray for them and support them and do everything we can to enable them to get the Word out. May we be men and women of character and integrity who love truth and righteousness and freedom and liberty more than the comforts and the pleasures of this life, that we may serve Thee effectively with reverence and godly fear. In Thy name we pray, Amen.
#128 | 1:26:33 to 1:27:03 | cleaned
They could care less about truth and could care less about righteousness and your word. But Lord, that does not negate the fact that You do have Your men. And there are more than we can think of. And there are more than we know of. You have Your people and You have Your men in place all throughout this country. And in Your time, You will raise them up. Give us grace, Lord, to pray for them and support them and do everything we can to enable them to get the Word out. May we be men and women of character and integrity who love truth and righteousness and freedom and liberty more than the comforts and the pleasures of this life, that we may serve Thee effectively with reverence and godly fear. In Thy name we pray, Amen.
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Christian & Civil Government # 4

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

John Weaver continues his series on civil government by examining the biblical basis for resistance to tyranny, focusing on the role of magistrates and rulers. He argues that resistance must be led by a proper magistrate, distinguishing between private self-defense and public armed resistance. Through an extensive word study of 'magistrate' and 'ruler' in Scripture, he demonstrates that both civil and spiritual leaders are ordained as rulers with authority to act, and that when civil rulers fail, spiritual rulers (preachers) have a duty to interpose. He concludes with historical examples from the American Revolution, particularly the 'Black Robed Regiment' of pastors, and calls for modern preachers to reclaim their role as spiritual magistrates leading the nation back to righteousness.

Review of Previous Sessions

Weaver reviews the institution, nature, and purpose of government, the covenantal basis of authority, and the biblical examples of lawful resistance to tyranny.

Scripture Reading — Romans 13:1-8

"Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers, for there is no power but of God. The powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God, and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation." "For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same. For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid, for he beareth not the sword in vain. For he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath but also for conscience sake. For this cause pay ye tribute also, for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing." "Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due, custom to whom custom, fear to whom fear, honour to whom honour. Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law."

Resistance Must Be Led by a Proper Magistrate

Armed resistance is reserved for those led by a proper magistrate, excluding mob uprisings, though self-defense is an individual obligation under the sixth commandment.

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 58:1

"Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins."

So over and over, God calls upon us to lift up our voices and cry out.

But it does exclude what you and I would call mob uprisings and insurrections. In other words, if we are going to have the use of arms, it must be done properly and biblically.

The Distinction Between Private and Public Persons

Weaver illustrates the difference between a private person (limited to self-defense) and a public person (authorized to execute justice) using a home invasion scenario.

And the answer is nothing. It's very clearly, very obviously self-defense. The man broke into my home. I have the right to protect my life and the life of my wife.

Now, we've got to understand that magistrates are public persons. So we better make sure, if we're going to follow someone, that they are indeed a lawful magistrate.

Biblical Word Study: Magistrate

Now, this may cause you to think fairly deeply, and I hope it does. But look in Judges 18, if you would please. Judges 18 and verse 7. The Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Judges 18:7

"Then the five men departed and came to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt carelessly, after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and secure; and there was no magistrate in the land, that might put them to shame in any thing; and they were far from the Sidonians, and had no business with any man."

Now note the phrase,

Scripture Reading — Judges 18:7

"and there was no magistrate in the land, that might put them to shame in any thing."

Scripture Reading — Ezra 7:25

"And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God, that is in thine hand, set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye them that know them not."

Scripture Reading — Acts 16:20, 22, 35, 36, 38

"And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city."

Scripture Reading — Numbers 3:32

"And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be chief over the chief of the Levites, and have the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary."

But here was a captain of the temple. Look in Acts chapter 5, beginning there with verse 24, Acts 5, verse 24.

Scripture Reading — Acts 4:1; 5:24-26

"Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow."

Scripture Reading — Luke 22:4, 52

"And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them."

So Judas now is communing with the captains. Now look in verse 52 when they came out to get Jesus Christ. Look at what is said. Luke 22 and verse 52.

Scripture Reading — Luke 22:4, 52

"Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to him, Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves?"

Scripture Reading — 1 Chronicles 9:19

"And Shallum the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his brethren, of the house of his father, the Korahites, were over the work of the service, keepers of the gates of the tabernacle: and their fathers, being over the host of the LORD, were keepers of the entry."

Scripture Reading — 1 Chronicles 12:1, 6, 26

"Now these are they that came to David to Ziklag, while he yet kept himself close because of Saul the son of Kish: and they were among the mighty men, helpers of the war."

Scripture Reading — 2 Chronicles 23:7-9

"And the Levites shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whosoever else cometh into the house, he shall be put to death: but be ye with the king when he cometh in, and when he goeth out."

Scripture Reading — Titus 3:1

"Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates."

Biblical Word Study: Ruler

The term 'ruler' (nasi) refers to one exalted from the congregation, applied equally to spiritual and civil leaders, establishing that spiritual rulers are also magistrates.

We're going to deal with one of them rather quickly. Exodus 22, verse 28, God says,

Scripture Reading — Exodus 22:28

"Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people."

Now, what does God mean when He says,

Scripture Reading — Exodus 22:28

"Thou shalt not revile the gods"

Scripture Reading — Exodus 22:28

"Thou shalt not revile the gods,"

Scripture Reading — Psalm 82:1-8

"God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods."

Scripture Reading — Psalm 82:1-8

"God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods."

Look, he says,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 82:1-8

"How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked?"

Then he tells them to

Scripture Reading — Psalm 82:1-8

"Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked."

Now, notice what he says about these judges.

The Doctrine of Interposition

Now, look in your Bibles, if you would please, to the book of Exodus, chapter 32. Let me give you the first illustration. Exodus, chapter 32. And notice, if you would please, verse 27.

Historical Application: The Black Robed Regiment

Weaver recounts how preachers like Jonas Clark, James Caldwell, and Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg led the American War for Independence, serving as spiritual magistrates when civil rulers failed.

Call for Modern Preachers to Lead

Christian & Civil Government # 4

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	11190293210
Subject	Civil Government
Course	Civil Government: Magistracy, Authority, and Romans 13: Christian & Civil Government
Genre	Sermon
Date	2000-12-07
Dictation Name
Book	Book 022: Christian & Civil Government — Chapter 4
Source Timed Segments	129

Lecture Guide

Outline

Review of Previous Sessions: Weaver reviews the institution, nature, and purpose of government, the covenantal basis of authority, and the biblical examples of lawful resistance to tyranny.
Resistance Must Be Led by a Proper Magistrate: Armed resistance is reserved for those led by a proper magistrate, excluding mob uprisings, though self-defense is an individual obligation under the sixth commandment.
The Distinction Between Private and Public Persons: Weaver illustrates the difference between a private person (limited to self-defense) and a public person (authorized to execute justice) using a home invasion scenario.
Biblical Word Study: Magistrate: Examining Hebrew and Greek terms for 'magistrate' reveals that a magistrate is a possessor of restraint, one who knows God's law, a leader, and a military officer, including the Levitical captains of the temple.
Biblical Word Study: Ruler: The term 'ruler' (nasi) refers to one exalted from the congregation, applied equally to spiritual and civil leaders, establishing that spiritual rulers are also magistrates.
The Doctrine of Interposition: When a higher civil ruler fails to do his duty, a lower ruler—including a spiritual magistrate—must step in and fulfill that duty, as demonstrated by Moses, Samuel, Elijah, Phinehas, and Jehoiada.
Historical Application: The Black Robed Regiment: Weaver recounts how preachers like Jonas Clark, James Caldwell, and Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg led the American War for Independence, serving as spiritual magistrates when civil rulers failed.
Call for Modern Preachers to Lead: Weaver argues that the primary reason for America's moral decline is the failure of preachers to act as spiritual magistrates, and he calls for prayer and support for those who will lead the nation back to righteousness.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Armed Resistance Requires a Lawful Magistrate

The Bible restricts the use of force in resistance to those led by a proper magistrate, not private individuals or mobs, except in immediate self-defense.

Weaver says, 'resistance by force of arms, according to the Bible, is reserved for those who are led by a proper magistrate' (484.8-516.3s) and cites Romans 13:4 and Matthew 26:52 (591.8-648.8s).

Self-Defense Is an Individual Duty

The sixth commandment obligates every person to preserve life, including their own, so self-defense does not require a magistrate's leadership.

Weaver explains, 'I'm obligated to preserve life. I'm obligated to preserve my life' (517.0-546.7s) and illustrates with the home invasion scenario (787.2-819.2s).

Magistrates Are Defined by Scripture as Armed Leaders Who Know God's Law

A biblical magistrate is not merely a civil officer but one who possesses the power of restraint, knows God's law, and may be a military or spiritual leader.

Weaver examines Hebrew words atsar ('possessor of restraint') and shaphat ('one who knows the law'), and Greek strategos ('general, military officer, chief of Levites') (1074.1-2350.7s).

Spiritual Rulers Are Equally Magistrates

The term 'ruler' (nasi) applies to both civil and spiritual leaders, meaning pastors hold magisterial authority and can act when civil rulers fail.

Weaver states, 'the term ruler is equal to the term magistrate. And I'm going to show you that the term ruler is equally applied to spiritual rulers as it is civil rulers' (3001.2-3021.5s).

Interposition Is a Biblical Duty of Lower Magistrates

When higher civil authorities neglect their God-given duties, lower magistrates—including spiritual ones—must step in to execute justice, as seen in multiple Old Testament examples.

Weaver cites Samuel executing Agag when Saul failed (3349.0-3463.0s) and Jehoiada ordering the death of Athaliah (3871.6-4073.5s) as acts of interposition.

The American Revolution Was a Biblical Act of Interposition Led by Pastors

The founding fathers' resistance to British tyranny was led by preachers who acted as spiritual magistrates, teaching and modeling armed resistance.

Weaver describes the 'Black Robed Regiment' and pastors like Jonas Clark and Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg who led their congregations into battle (4205.2-4864.4s).

Modern Preachers Have Abandoned Their Magisterial Duty

The moral decay of America is directly linked to preachers who refuse to act as spiritual magistrates, instead preaching passive submission.

Weaver declares, 'We will never reclaim this country until we reclaim the preaching ministry' (5004.7-5061.3s) and criticizes preachers who 'know nothing of what Romans 13 really teaches' (5061.3s).

Scripture References

Romans 13:1-8: Read at the opening as the foundational text for the series on civil government.
Romans 13:4: Cited to show the civil magistrate is called God's 'minister' (diakonos) and 'revenger'.
Romans 13:6: Cited to show the magistrate is also called a 'minister' (leitourgoi), indicating public worship.
Isaiah 58:1: Used to support the call for verbal resistance: 'Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet.'
1 Corinthians 7:20: Establishes the principle that each person should abide in their calling, implying not all are called to use the sword.
1 Corinthians 14:33: God is not the author of confusion, supporting the idea that not all are called to use the sword.
Matthew 26:52: Warns that those who take the sword unlawfully will perish by the sword.
Judges 18:7: Shows the absence of a magistrate (atsar) leads to a lack of restraint in the land.
Ezra 7:25: Magistrates must know the law of God; if not, they must be taught before serving.
Luke 12:11, 58: Uses the Greek word archos/archonta for magistrate, meaning a leader or prince.
Acts 16:20, 22, 35, 36, 38: The word 'magistrates' (strategos) refers to military officers or governors with power to use force.
Numbers 3:32: Eleazar was chief over the chief of the Levites, who kept the charge (military guard) of the sanctuary.
Acts 4:1; 5:24-26: The 'captain of the temple' was an armed Levitical officer with authority to use force.
Luke 22:4, 52: The captains of the temple came armed to arrest Jesus; He questioned their purpose, not their authority to bear arms.
1 Chronicles 9:19: The Korahites (Levites) were keepers of the gates, armed guards of the tabernacle.
1 Chronicles 12:1, 6, 26: Levites were among David's mighty men; 4,600 Levites fought in his army.
2 Chronicles 23:7-9: Jehoiada the priest armed the Levites to protect the king and stored weapons in the temple.
Titus 3:1: Believers are to be subject to principalities and powers, obeying magistrates, but only when they are godly.
Exodus 22:28: Commands not to revile the gods (civil rulers) or curse the ruler of the people.
Psalm 82:1-8: God calls unjust judges 'gods' because they represent Him, but warns they will die like men.

Historical References

George III and the American colonies: Weaver argues George III violated his covenant with the colonies, justifying their resistance as obedience to God.
Fairfax Resolves: Cited as an example of colonists begging George III to keep his covenant before resorting to resistance.
Thomas Jefferson: Quoted: 'Resistance to tyrants is obedience unto God.'
Waco siege (David Koresh): Mentioned as an example of government accusing a group of having weapons in a church, which Weaver defends as biblical.
Jonas Clark: Pastor of Lexington who trained his congregation to fight; the Battle of Lexington took place on church grounds.
John Rogers (Presbyterian pastor): Quoted describing British destruction of over 50 churches during the Revolutionary War.
James Caldwell: Presbyterian pastor known as the 'Rebel Parson'; his wife was shot by a British soldier; he distributed hymnals for gun wadding.
Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg: Episcopal pastor who removed his robe to reveal a military uniform, recruited 300 men, and served as a general.
Black Robed Regiment: Term used by the British for the many preachers who led the American Revolution.
Bill Clinton, Al Gore, and other modern officials: Used as examples of civil rulers who should lead the nation back to righteousness but have failed.

Important Quotes

Resistance to tyrants is obedience unto God.

Summarizes the lecture's thesis that resisting unlawful authority is a biblical duty, attributed to Thomas Jefferson.

I don't want to overthrow our government. All I want to do is throw the wickedness out of our government.

Clarifies that the goal is not anarchy but the removal of ungodly elements from government.

The preachers in this country have sold their souls for pension and ease and comfort. And they've not only sold their souls, they've sold the souls of their people and also the soul of this nation.

A strong indictment of modern clergy for failing to act as spiritual magistrates, which Weaver sees as the root of national decline.

We will never reclaim this country until we reclaim the preaching ministry.

Emphasizes the central role of preachers in leading moral and political reformation.

The time to preach has passed! The time to fight has come!

Quoting Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg's dramatic transition from pastor to soldier, exemplifying the spiritual magistrate's duty to act.

Shall I then sit still and enjoy myself at home when the best blood of the continent is spilling? Heaven forbid.

Muhlenberg's defense of his decision to fight, used by Weaver to argue that pastors must not remain passive in times of crisis.

Put Watts into them. Give them some religion. Put Watts into them.

James Caldwell's famous cry as he distributed Isaac Watts hymnals for gun wadding, symbolizing the fusion of faith and armed resistance.

Comest thou peaceably?

The question asked of Samuel by the elders of Bethlehem, illustrating the fear and respect a spiritual magistrate should command.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

What is the difference between private self-defense and public armed resistance, and why does the Bible require a magistrate to lead the latter?

[Context]

Weaver distinguishes between a private person defending his home and a public executioner acting under authority (902.0-1006.9s).

[Question]

How does the biblical definition of a 'magistrate' as a possessor of restraint and one who knows God's law challenge modern views of civil government?

[Context]

Weaver's word study shows magistrates must be armed and knowledgeable in God's law (1074.1-1248.9s).

[Question]

In what ways were the Levites both spiritual and military leaders, and what does this imply for the role of pastors today?

[Context]

Weaver demonstrates that Levites served as armed guards and warriors (1421.9-2094.7s).

[Question]

What is the doctrine of interposition, and how do the examples of Samuel, Elijah, and Jehoiada support it?

[Context]

Weaver defines interposition as lower magistrates acting when higher ones fail, citing multiple Old Testament instances (3023.1-4108.6s).

[Question]

How did the 'Black Robed Regiment' of the American Revolution embody the principles of spiritual magistracy, and what can we learn from their example?

[Context]

Weaver recounts the stories of Jonas Clark, James Caldwell, and Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg (4205.2-4864.4s).

[Question]

Why does Weaver argue that the failure of modern preachers is the primary cause of America's moral decline, and do you agree?

[Context]

Weaver states that preachers have 'sold their souls' and calls for a return to magisterial preaching (4867.8-5061.3s).

[Question]

How should Christians today balance submission to government (Romans 13) with the duty to resist tyranny, according to this lecture?

[Context]

Weaver argues that submission is only required to godly authority and that resistance is lawful when government becomes tyrannical (2357.0-2489.9s).

[Question]

What practical steps can believers take to support and encourage pastors who are willing to act as spiritual magistrates?

[Context]

Weaver concludes with a call to pray for and support God's preachers (5145.9-5223.7s).

Applications

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