Jesus and the Powers– A Review

Last updated on: April 18, 2024 at 1:49 am by Ben Witherington

Jesus and the Powers– A Review 2024-04-04T08:18:14-04:00 Ben Witherington

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Hot off the presses (released in late March 2024) comes this book by Tom Wright and Mike Bird, boldly going where previous Evangelicals have been loathe to go— namely into politics. The book is not difficult to read, and is under 200 pages (178 to be more precise), and does a good job of teasing the mind into active thought on this subject. It is not merely a cautionary word about the problems with Christian nationalism in its various forms, the attempt to blend one’s Christian beliefs with certain forms of democratic or autocratic governments (never mind that there are no democracies mentioned in the Bible, only kingdoms of one sort or another). It is a Reformed theology critique of the issue, with a certain advocacy of secular liberal democracies as the least objectionable form of government. Not surprisingly, the book is zooming up the Amazon charts in this election season in America, and elsewhere. When I asked Mike who wrote what, he replied. “Tom wrote the chapter on the powers, an earlier chapter reworks his stuff from other projects. I wrote the intro and the final three chapters, but even then Tom had a heavy hand in commenting and shaping the contents. So it’s very much a joint effort.”

So what do I think of this book and its advocacy of Christians ‘building for the kingdom’ a phrase that pops up a great deal in this book (see e.g. p. 89)? The first thing to say is that it is odd that there is not a clear definition to be found in the book of what is meant by ‘kingdom’/basileia. In a following blog post I address this issue with Mike in our dialogue about the book. I found this problematic on several counts, not the least of which is that when that Greek word is used to refer to something in the ministry of Jesus or Paul it regularly has a verbal sense, referring to God’s saving activity in Christ, or the results of such saving activity (love, joy, peace patience etc.) but what it does not refer to is a Christian’s view of government, including secular governments. And when it refers to something in the future ‘coming on earth as it is in heaven’ it refers to a dominion of God in Christ on earth that believers can enter, inherit, obtain… or miss out on if they do not behave. Again, it does not refer to a Christian’s view of a non-divine process, or outcome. It doesn’t tell us how to relate to the secular ‘powers that be’.

Of more direct relevance to the subject of this book is the brief discussion of Rom. 13 of how all authority and power ultimately comes from God, and so governing authorities should be respected, and taxes should be paid (see also 1 Pet. 3).

There is also something of a discussion of the powers and principalities that are not human governments, and I was not fully satisfied with that either. The powers of darkness are not merely forces (may the force be with you), they are malevolent beings in the case of Satan and his demons, or benevolent ones if we are referring to angels. They are part of the created order, and so can indeed be called creatures, beings God made. On this I’d say, read Mike Heiser’s (may he rest in peace) The Unseen Realm.

There were also issues related to how exactly God’s sovereignty should be viewed, or more to the point granted that God is almighty, how exactly does he exercise his power and authority? Does he ever delegate some power and authority to angels and humans? Do they have the power of contrary choice, such that they could choose to to violate God’s will, and sin? These questions are necessary to ask because if we deny that the last sentence speaks to the reality of things, if the reality is that God has pre-determined all things, or at least all sorts of things and persons in advance and we admit there is wickedness and evil, even supernatural evil in the world, how does one avoid making God the author of evil and sin? My answer would be with a theology that allows for viable secondary choices, and the human and angelic ability, by God’s grace, to have the power of contrary choices. Humans and angels are the source of sin and evil in the world— and definitely not God. So again, the sovereignty of God needs to be defined carefully and how it works before one makes broad statements about God raising up and bringing down rulers. For example, did God really raise up Adolph Hitler, a man who had power and authority and ruled with an iron hand, to judge the Jews before and during WWII? My answer to that would be HELL NO! But I digress. I would agree that all legitimate power and authority comes from God.

Jesus’ dominion is not ‘of this world’ meaning not like human dominions and notice that Jesus absolutely repudiates the idea of his disciples fighting for his kingdom, like merely human kings and their subjects to. The rejection of violence comes up not only in the discussion in John 18 with Pilate but it also is perfectly evident in Jesus’ ‘those who live by the sword, die by the sword’. and Jesus’ rebuke of Peter for cutting off Malchus’ ear, which he miraculously reattached. Jesus committed his disciples to absolute non-violence when it comes to his dominion (see p. 71). If only the Crusaders had actually paid attention to Jesus on this matter. Tertullian was later to say ‘when Christ disarmed Peter, he disarmed all Christians’. Yes there were many early Christians who felt they should not join the Roman army, and for that matter should not do violence against another human being for whom Christ died. It is good to see that Tom and Mike see Col. 3.12-17 as an example of Paul implementing the teaching of the Sermon on the Mt. (pp.67-68).

Here are a few of the more interesting lines from the book:

“God.. raises up kings and empires [and] directs the affairs of government through divine providence [and] gives us government as a feature of common grace.” (p. 151). But in what sense, and to what degree does God direct the affairs of government through his providence? For instance, did God direct the British Bible Makers, authorized by the King, to produce a Slave Bible for its slave-holding colonies which deleted all the passages that suggested that there was a strong critique of slavery in both the OT and NT, and highlighted all the passages which could be seen as favoring slavery? No, no, no.

Here’s an interesting critique of Christian nationalism: “Christian nationalism is impoverished as it seeks a kingdom without a cross. It pursues a victory without mercy. It acclaims God’s love of power rather than the power of God’s love. We must remember that Jesus refused those who wanted ‘to make him a king’ by force just as much as he refused to become king by calling upon ‘twelve legions of angels'” (p. 136).

Or even better “Christianity is a global religion, not the religious expression of an ethnic identity. The church includes Romans but not all Romans. The church includes Slavs but not all Slavs”. (p. 135.). Unfortunately, Christian nationalism, whether in its American or Hungarian or Russian forms involves a specific denial of Gal. 3.28 and an affirmation of an ethnic identity that the group wants sanctioned and supported by government at the expense of other ethnicities, other religions etc.

“The logical implication of religious freedom for Christians is religious freedom for all people irrespective of their religion or lack thereof.” (p.132).

Here it is worth quoting the word of God himself in Hosea 8.4 “They made kings but not through me…” This clearly implies that as John Wycliffe insisted, not all authority, not all government is something that God raised up, and Christians must be discerning as to which authorities and governments one should submit too as legitimate. (see the discussion on pp. 114-15). Prov. 8.15-16 comes into play at this juncture where God says “By me kings reign, and rulers declare what is just. By me rulers rule… all who govern rightly.” Notice the provisos in each case. Notice it does not say ‘By me kings do wickedness, or govern unjustly.’

One of the odder remarks can be found on p. 60 where Tom, talking about the structures of governance says “As with everything else in God’s creation, once they stop being worshipped they stop being demonic”. Now I would take this cryptic remark to mean that Tom does not think the ‘principalities and powers are actually beings, but just fallen structures that are valorized as if they were. I don’t agree. Walter Wink was wrong about this. And what would it mean to say the powers are defeated and then reconciled if they are not beings? (Col. 2.13-15). However on p. 52 he refers to the demons mentioned in 1 Cor. 10 as “malevolent discarnate beings bent on corrupting and distorting human life and work– eager to recruit humans to their deadly pursuits.” (p.52). On the previous page he calls them. supernatural quasi-personal forces which stand behind human rulers.

Early on there is a discussion based on Ps. 8 that God always intended humans to rule on earth as God’s surrogates (pp. 42ff.). What is not discussed is the early theocracy and the rejection of theocracy in 1 Samuel, with which God was not at all pleased. This is odd.

Check out the dialogue and the reflection on sovereignty that follows this blog post seriatim.

History and Religion

Education and Religion

Uncategorized

government by the consent of the governed?

Previous Post

April 15, 2024

A Documentary on Once Saved, Always Saved

Next Post

April 19, 2024 A Reflection on Divine Sovereignty and its Biblical Meaning

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz