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Pumpkin Cottage Ministry Resources
Lectionary Bible Studies and Sermons
www.lectionarystudies.com
The extent to which Biblical Law applies to the unbelieverIntroductionAs far as Western culture is concerned, there was a time when Biblical ethics were regarded as the norm for our society. Things were either right or wrong on the basis of Biblical teaching. This is only partly so today. In our modern secular society, Biblical ethics no longer hold a sacrosanct position. It is accepted or rejected on the basis of its utilitarian value, ie. Biblical Law is accepted where it adds to the enjoyment of life. Thus many traditional Christian values are no longer widely accepted in Western society. It is simply not possible for the Christian to give utilitarian support for all the laws in the Bible. God has revealed to us the "right" and the "good", but the human condition does not easily allow us to see why a certain act may affect our ultimate happiness, especially when we believe that life has an eternal dimension. There is some concern whether Western society can survive in its present form, having rejected biblical morality. Lord Devlin said,"No society has yet solved the problem of how to teach morality without religion. So the law must base itself (in a nominal Christian country) on Christian morals, and to the limit of its ability enforce them, not simply because they are the morals which are taught by the established church (on this point the law recognises the right of dissent) but for the compelling reason that without the help of Christian teaching the law (secular) will fail"...with the resultant "collapse of moral order" (anarchy). On this point C.S. Lewis takes a counter view. He says that society has never really adopted the Christian ethic. The morality of a society is formed on the basis of a vague consensus. In Western society the Christian ethic has influenced societal morality, but has certainly not dictated it. The bases of society's morality stands where it always did, on consensus alone. There is no base as such. Mind you, the Christian ethic is still widely accepted among the general population. (In Australia some 70% still claim allegiance to the Christian faith). So most Western societies give superficial assent to Biblical ethics. Our question then is, to what extent can Biblical ethics be applied to the unbeliever, and what is the Christian's responsibility toward society with regard to that ethic? |
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God's law and the unbeliever C.H. Dodd, along with many theologians today, was of the view that both Old Testament morality, and in particular New Testament morality, are directed to the believer alone. Only the Christian has the ability to understand and apply Biblical morality. We have come into a state of grace and thus have the power to at least apply in part the mind of Christ. So as God's law is for the believer, we have no right to impose it on those outside the church. Yet such a view fails to recognise that God is the God of all creation and that His will is not just for some, but for all. Biblical morality, even in its most highly refined form in the sayings of Jesus, represents the unchanging mind of God. The absolute "good" always remains, and God expects all those created in His image to recognize that "good" and press toward it. The Old Testament and New Testament prophets did not hesitate to rebuke the nations for breaking God's laws. Amos 1-2, Isaiah 13:23, Jonah, Romans 1. No person can defy the living God with impunity. So the unbeliever is no less bound to apply God's law than the believer.
Public morality and the believer
The new public morality |