Paul on Politics

Titus 3:1-2

Remind the believers to submit to the government and its officers.  They should be obedient, always ready to do what is good.  They must not slander anyone and must avoid quarreling.  Instead, they should be gentle and show true humility to everyone.

 

 

As we anticipate a presidential election year -- and our national color scheme becomes red, black and blue -- Paul's instructions to Titus take on a particular vibrancy.  No matter who wins the presidential race, no matter which party takes open seats in the House and Senate, we are called to submit to the government and its officers.  Of course, there are exceptions for laws that clearly defy God's commands.  Our general behavior toward government, however, should be submission.  This is a pretty stunning thought.

 

Even more stunning is the command to "not slander anyone and avoid quarreling."   Could Paul possibly mean that we shouldn't slander opposing candidates or an elected official of a different political persuasion?  Slander is speaking of someone in a way that brings harm to his or her reputation.  Since politicians are public personalities, we can give them a lot of verbal abuse before it's legally considered slander.  God, however, appears to have a much higher standard.

 

According to this letter, our underlying attitudes help define slander.  Paul insists that we be gentle and show true humility to everyone.  I'm guessing "everyone" includes those who disagree with our politics.  Even if they are elected and begin to implement those politics.

 

Could Paul possibly mean that we should avoid quarreling about politics?  We don't have to be silent about the matter; we just have to avoid quarreling.  Real fights have someone who throws the first punch and someone who punches back.  Quarreling is similar; it just involves words that hurt instead of actual punches.

 

We can champion our causes.  We can be strong.  We can be determined.  However, we should be extremely cautious about our methods (are they gentle?) and our underlying attitudes (are we humble?).   Even if we are absolutely certain our politics are aligned with God's purposes, we should always and only go about politics in God's way.