Ep 2: What Does Romans 13 Say About Civil Government?

November 11, 2022
Reformed Libertarians Podcast

What Does Romans 13 Say About Civil Government?

A discussion of the main points of Gregory Baus’ article on the historical, confessionally Reformed view of Romans 13 and a Reformed view of stateless civil governance. Also there’s elaboration on lex talionis and the non-aggression principle, the Old Testament (Mosaic Covenant) theocracy, and establishmentarianism.

https://reformedlibertarians.com/002

Main Points of Discussion

00:00	Introduction
00:33	Episode description
01:02	Romans 13: A Reformed View of Stateless Civil Governance, by Gregory Baus Audio Version
01:22	Summary of preliminaries
02:22	Lex talionis and the non-aggression principle
05:43	distinction between civil governance (viz, administration of civil justice) and the ‘state’ (viz, territorial monopoly on coercion and final say)
06:53	summary overview of article; Reformed Political Resistance annotated bibliography
07:41	an issue of exegesis, not political theory
09:00	major point: the default providential view is inconsistent with the passage and other Scripture passages, was rejected by the Reformed churches in their confessions, and contrary to sanctified common sense
09:45	Discussed elsewhere: Presbycast Gospel on Tap Daniel 3 Biblical Anarchy
10:00	documentation from Reformed confessions; no obligation to submit to unjust rulers or unjust laws
12:58	Why isn’t old (Mosaic) covenant a violation of the non-aggression principle and a model for civil governance in new covenant era? And why do we affirm disestablishmentarianism? Hodge’s full article Summary of Hodge’s 3 Scriptural points
18:51	summary of history of establishmentarianism