What is the Purpose of Government? (The Bible’s Answer for Justice, Part 5)
By Ben Quine
**This article is part of a series helping us navigate this issue of justice in our world from a Biblical perspective. To read all of Ben’s articles on this subject - click on his name above by the date published and it will sort all of his articles in one place.
There is so much confusion and disagreement about the role of government! It’s little wonder, considering the many different types of government (monarchy, oligarchy, democracy, republic, etc.), and the many different political parties (Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Green, Communist, etc.). How are we to know what viewpoint is correct? Why do we even have a government, anyway? What is its purpose?
To answer these questions, we have to go back to the original source of government. Many people have never considered this, but God is the one who created governments (Romans 13:1-7). He is the one who wrote their job description. So to learn what government is supposed to do, we must turn to Scripture! I Peter 2 and Romans 13 describe the job God has given governments:
Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. (I Peter 2:13-14)
The role God gave government is to enact justice by punishing those who do wrong and commending those who do right. This limited role is unique: Romans 12:19-21 teaches that individuals and groups of people are never to enact justice on their own – through revenge, rioting, lynching, tar-and-feathering, etc. It is solely government’s job to punish wrong. But God’ prescription raises two foundational questions:
1. What is right and what is wrong?
2. How much punishment is appropriate for wrongdoing?
You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:48)
We live in a universe created by a moral God. He has expressed Himself through the laws and moral principles found in Scripture, through which we can know right from wrong (Romans 7:7).
The commands of the Lord reflect the very nature and character of God. God never lies, so He expects His children not to lie. God never takes what doesn’t belong to Him, so He expects His children not to steal. God is always just, so He expects His children to do justice as well. Collectively, God’s commands instruct us on which choices are right and protect us from making choices that are wrong.
Therefore the basis of ethics and morality and the foundation for all true and good laws rests not on a king or the elite, not on a majority opinion, not on the personal preferences of culture, but rather upon the very nature and character of God Himself.
So what is the proper amount of punishment to be applied for wrongdoing?
A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established… if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely, then you shall do to him as he had meant to do to his brother. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. And the rest shall hear and fear, and shall never again commit any such evil among you. Your eye shall not pity. (Deuteronomy 19:15-21)
God’s command “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” (Exodus 20:16) is designed to protect against injustice. It is clear from the Bible that false accusations are common to the human experience, so God decreed special protections for the accused, requiring multiple witnesses against them (this principle is repeated in I Timothy 5:19 for accusations against an elder).
If a man causes a field or vineyard to be grazed over, or lets his beast loose and it feeds in another man’s field, he shall make restitution from the best in his own field and in his own vineyard. If fire breaks out and catches in thorns so that the stacked grain or the standing grain or the field is consumed, he who started the fire shall make full restitution. (Exodus 22:4-6)
This passage deals with damage or loss of property through accidental or willful harm, negligence, or theft. What are the general principles of restitution God is establishing in these passages?
If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it or sells it, he shall repay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep… If the stolen beast is found alive in his possession, whether it is an ox or a donkey or a sheep, he shall pay double. (Exodus 22:1)
Consider the increased amount of restitution required for repayment in the case of theft: a double repayment is the general rule if the property is found and returned; but if the thief kills or sells the property, the penalty increases to four or five times the original loss. This is why in Luke 19:1-10 Jesus was pleased with Zacchaeus’ offer to restore fourfold the money he had stolen as a tax collector.
But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. (Exodus 21:23-25)
This gives the summary or general rule for determining the amount to be repaid. Old Testament law calls for restitution or reparations, a payment that would restore lost property. In fact, Equal Restitution, (except in cases of theft, which required a twofold or fourfold payment), is the bedrock principle of Old Testament law and justice. This principle was instituted so that individuals could not take the law into their own hands or personally seek revenge. Rather, if someone has a grievance, they must take it to the law enforcement agent. God designed this system to prevent the very natural sinful human response of ever-escalating retribution.
You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment. You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality, and you shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous. Justice, and only justice, you shall follow, that you may live and inherit the land that the Lord your God is giving you. (Deuteronomy 16:18-20)
God hates partiality, and He is extremely serious about justice. He requires it of Himself (Romans 3), He expects it of His children (Micah 6:8), and He expects it from governments, law enforcement agents, and judges (Deuteronomy 16:18-20).
For the assembly, there shall be one statute for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you, a statute forever throughout your generations. You and the sojourner shall be alike before the LORD. 16 One law and one rule shall be for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you. (Numbers 15:15)
You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor. (Leviticus 19:15)
The Torah presents a strong, clear expectation of equal justice under the law: no partiality for any group, no favoritism for anyone, no oppression of anyone, only total fairness. No groups are more valuable, no groups are put down. Everyone would be treated the same in court. Honesty, impartiality, and equality before God were the standards of the court system. In God’s society, though not everyone would have the same economic starting point or the same material wealth, everyone would have the same opportunity to receive His blessings by following His laws.
Fathers shall not be put to death because of their children, nor shall children be put to death because of their fathers. Each one shall be put to death for his own sin. (Deuteronomy 24:16)
The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself. (Ezekiel 18:20)
Was the government allowed to put a child to death because of their parent’s sin? Was the government allowed to legally punish a child because of their parent’s sin?
God states that children are not to be held legally responsible by humans or human governments for the debts or sins of their parents. God Himself may impose these consequences (I Kings 21:21), however humans and human governments are never authorized to do so.
New Testament believers are not bound by Old Testament law (Romans 6:14), but the biblical principles of justice remain true today: if someone wrongs another, they, the debtor themselves (not their children), should make appropriate restitution for the property, injury, or loss, and this payment then brings an end to the matter.
God instructed His people to have weights and measures that were “just”, or equal to the true value (a true gerah, a true shekel, a true mina, etc.).” In the same way, God commanded Israel to institute punishments that were equal to the crime. That is justice, pure justice: an eye for an eye. God never permitted a head for an eye or a foot for an eye. Only an eye for an eye. Justice means that the correct restitution — equal to the offense, neither more nor less — has to be paid only by the offending party. Furthermore, this just punishment must be equally applied to everyone who committed an offense, with no favoritism (equal treatment under the law).
Modern people are often very uncomfortable with the standard of equal restitution, but it is God’s righteousness applied to both law and to government. God gave government the tasks of holding back sin and trying to keep sinful people from destroying each other. That is the purpose of government. The best way to accomplish this is for government to place the offense on one side of the scale and the punishment on the other side, and to require equal and consistent punishment for sin. (This is why Lady Justice is often portrayed holding a scale!) God urged His people not to pity the guilty, because He knew if they carried out just punishments according to His law, the evil would be purged from their midst (Deuteronomy 19:19). Equal restitution is a hefty deterrent!
Sadly, human governments will always be flawed since they are populated by sinful people (Ecclesiastes 3:16), and thus, human justice will never be as pure or glorious as God’s justice. Sin is the great enemy. God wants all people to have equitable, fair, wonderful relationships with each other, but sin makes it impossible. Sin destroys relationships; sin brings theft and oppression; sin brings favoritism, injustice, and death. Sin even makes it impossible for government to perfectly do its job, since laws must be written and implemented by flawed human leaders.
When there are no laws, society is thrown into chaos. If there are too many laws or the laws are too harsh, the people experience oppression.
But when a government embraces the biblical understanding that individual rights come from God (Isaiah 10:1-2), and that He alone provides the foundation for just laws, the people experience liberty.
Check out our Christians Engaged Store to purchase all 4 of the books - Answers for Difficult Days. (4-Book Bundle $40 , shipping not included).
ABOUT BEN
Connect with him at Cornerstone Curriculum
Ben Quine, the second son of David and Shirley Quine, was blessed to grow up with a Charlotte Mason/Dr. Schaeffer/Biblical Worldview education -- a tremendous gift! Through the years, Ben has served as a Cornerstone consultant, assistant, and co-author. He has written several Bible studies for the Answers for Difficult Days series, which equips churches to address the issues our culture is wrestling with today, from the foundation of Scripture. Ben is also the editor of The Worldview Library, editions of classical literature with student helps that afford the reader a deeper understanding of the concepts presented in each work.
Trained as a classical pianist and instructor, Ben is committed to inspiring his students with the love of great music and equipping them with the tools to perform at the highest level. This training has resulted in his students' successful performances from local festivals and competitions to Carnegie Hall.
Ben loves Shakespeare, Dickens, photography, listening to recordings of "the great pianists", running, biking, and spending time with his wife Julie and their three sons.