Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Evangelical
Politics and Religion
Inauguration and Vocation

Inauguration and Vocation

Last updated on: January 20, 2021 at 6:00 am by Gene Veith

0 Comments

Inauguration and Vocation 2021-01-17T19:03:42-05:00 Gene Veith

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.

Today is Inauguration Day. Swearing in a new president has often been seen as a rite of national renewal, the beginning of a new phase of American history.

Not only is Joe Biden being installed into the presidency, but Donald Trump’s presidency is ending. For many Americans, this will come as a great relief. I expect to hear lots of metaphors in the media about how the long national nightmare is over. But for many other Americans, the shutting down of Trump’s presidency is cause for mourning, and their nightmare is just beginning. Still other Americans are somewhere in between, thinking that it’s time for Trump to go, while also dreading what a Biden administration might do.

Certainly, this Inauguration more than most signals a clear break from the past. In the previous Inauguration Days of this century, incumbents were re-elected and new presidents succeeded incumbents after their second term. This time the incumbent was turned out of office. Before, even when new parties took over, there was not so much political distance between the alternating presidents as there is today. This time, liberalism is completely triumphant over the whole government, while conservatism is in shambles.

So this is a happy day for some Americans, for others. . .not so much. Let me address the latter, particularly my fellow conservative Christians.

My father used to say that while you might not agree with the man who is president, you should still respect the office that he holds. That is how the “Greatest Generation” that fought in World War II used to think, back when Americans for all of their differences were unified in a common patriotism.

I now understand that distinction between the person and the office much better than I did back then, thanks to my study of the doctrine of vocation.

It’s always the office that God uses and that should command our honor, not the imperfect person whom God has called into that office. This is true, according to Luther, even of the office of parenthood. He says in his discussion of the 4th commandment in the Large Catechism:

We must, therefore, impress it upon the young that they should regard their parents as in God’s stead, and remember that however lowly, poor, frail, and queer they may be, nevertheless they are father and mother given them by God. They are not to be deprived of their honor because of their conduct or their failings. Therefore we are not to regard their persons, how they may be, but the will of God who has thus created and ordained. (LC, 4th Commandment, para. 108)

The offices of earthly government, Luther goes on to say, grow out of the vocation of parenthood. “ In this commandment belongs a further statement regarding all kinds of obedience to persons in authority who have to command and to govern. For all authority flows and is propagated from the authority of parents” (LC, 4th Commandment, para. 141).

So the 4th Commandment provisions apply to President Biden by virtue not of his person but of the office that he holds. That office also specifically entitles him to the “honor” mandated in 1 Peter 2:13-17:

13 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution,[b] whether it be to the emperor[c] as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants[d] of God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

In Peter’s day, the emperor was a very bad person with anti-Christian policies, but Christians are told to honor him nevertheless. And not just him, but “every human institution”–which would include America’s political institutions–and to “governors” sent by God in general, which would include American presidents.

Furthermore, President Biden will, by virtue of his office, be entitled to our prayers: “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions” (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

The bottom line is, we Christians should honor and pray for President Biden, even if we disagree with him, for the sake of his office.

These Scriptures hit me hard as Law, making me realize that I have sinned against them many times over many administrations.

But, through Christ’s grace and forgiveness, I am resolving to try to do better in regards to this new president. I know we keep hearing about what people think he is going to do, but the truth is, he hasn’t done anything yet as president. So we should give him a chance. I’ll support him when he does something that I think is good, though I’ll also criticize him when he does something I think is bad. But I’ll try not to ridicule him, make him a target of invective, or slander him.

Biden says he wants to unify the country. Good. I hope he does. I’ll co-operate with that if I can. He’ll have to overcome both the hostility from the right and the pressure from the left to punish all of us evildoers. If he can pull that off, I’ll have a lot of respect for him. If not, I’ll pity him.

His greatest fault is his advocacy of abortion, and my greatest fear about his administration is that it will normalize, promote, and fund this horrible evil. And yet, he used to be pro-life. He is a vocal, church-going Catholic, a religious tradition that, for all of its faults, is resolutely pro-life. In his continual attendance at services and as he experiences the stress and trials of his office and turns to his church for strength, he could be won back to the ethics of Catholicism. We should pray for that.

So I’ll listen to his Inauguration speech, allow myself the thrill of patriotism from the historical moment, wish the best for him, and pray that he will be good for our poor, troubled nation.

Photo: Glyn Lowe PhotoWorks from lisbon, Portugal, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Christianity and government

Previous Post

January 19, 2021

Belief and Blessedness

Next Post

January 21, 2021 The Prospects for Unity

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"Turns out, she wasn’t the right tool for the job."

1another

Luther on Tools

"You may have just given me my next sermon opening line."

1another

Luther on Tools

"So Katie Zacharia lasted only a demiScaramucci as press secretary......"

reg

Luther on Tools

"Apropos to the post on Gen Z a couple days ago: "If you want the ..."

Steve Bauer

Luther on Tools

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category America Apologetics Art baseball Bible Blog Christ Church crime Culture Economics Education Ethics Family Food Football Government History Holidays Holy Week Humor International Islam Language Law Life Issues Literature Media Medicine Movies Music Nature News Personal Philosophy Politics psychology Reformation Religions Sacraments Science sex Social Science Sports technology television terrorism Theology Uncategorized Vocation war

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 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

I saw the Promised Land from a mountain but was not allowed to enter it. Who am I?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Joshua Moses Aaron Caleb

Books by This Author Books by Gene Veith

See All Titles »