The Church and the State

1 Timothy 2:1-4 "Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,  (2)  for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.  (3) For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, (4) who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."

In the above quoted passage of scripture the Holy Spirit exhorts the church to pray for heads of state and all those who are in authority. One of the main roles that the church is required to fulfil with the regards to the governments of the nations is to pray for them, for we must not forget that they are God's ministers. And so the answer to the question as to who to vote for lies in the above quoted passage of scripture which teaches us what to pray for regarding a nation's government, for the qualities that we pray for in a government are the same qualities that we should look for in prospective candidates. This passage teaches us that there are two main qualities that the church should always look for in the candidates and political parties that they vote for. Firstly, the church should vote for candidates that stand for honest government and law and order thus allowing the citizens of that nation to live quiet and peaceable lives, for as we have already seen, one of the primary reasons that God raises up those in authority is to act as His ministers in rewarding good and punishing evil (Romans 13:3-4). Secondly, the church should vote for candidates that support freedom of religion thus allowing the church to serve the Lord in all godliness and reverence without any constraints being placed upon the preaching of the gospel.