Three possible answers: Circle your selection before you read this.
Politics shapes Culture , Culture shapes Politics, Both at different times.
In this article my emphasis will be on how politics (public policies) shapes culture.
“And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today?” – Deuteronomy 4:8 NIV
Ever since I became a follower of Christ, I have been taught that politics is always reflective of our culture. Therefore, the clear implication is that we ought not to be involved in politics. Instead, we should exclusively focus on Jesus Christ and loving Him. I have had many sincere Christians and Bible teachers state this, and yet they also express deep concerns about the significant shift in the broader culture toward unrighteousness.
This has always troubled me because my understanding of the whole counsel of God, (both the Book of the Covenants (OT) and the (NT) the Renewed Covenant) teach us that all of life falls under the authority of Scripture. This means that every aspect of our lives, and every dimension of society ought to be influenced by the Holy Scriptures.
“All Scripture [The Scripture in view is the Old Testament, as the New Testament had not yet been written] [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” – 2 Timothy 3:16-17 KJV
I think politics (civil government where laws are passed) is, therefore, under the veil of the Bible. This means that we ought to be willing to investigate Scripture to discover how we are to address the institutions which set public policy and the laws that are passed. Far too many evangelicals consider “politics” as an anathema. When they do, they simply reveal to me that they do not take into consideration the whole Bible. They pick and choose what will apply, and usually because they want to play it safe wrongly thinking that they are on the side of Jesus.
One function of government is to set public policy, and we see God’s Covenant keepers throughout Scripture addressing governing authorities. Because Moses was running a society (a theocracy form of government), many of the Mosaic laws, commandments and instructions are for the civic body politic not simply for one’s personal well-being. Because much of Christendom has made our faith privatized, we are simply ill-equipped to address the broader issues, let alone even to think we ought to address politics.
The Body politic is defined as the people of a nation, state, or society considered collectively as an organized group of citizens. The Apostle Paul instructed the Philippians to conduct themselves in a “manner,” worthy of the Lord while living in the body politic. Paul used the Greek word “politeuoma” for “manner” (conversation in KJV) where we get our word politics (Philippians 1:27).
It would be safe to say that the whole Bible is understood in the context of people groups, ethnicities, governments, and nations. The Scriptures are very clear about how a society, a government, or a nation ought to function and how we ought to behave within a particular government. “Righteousness [just principles and laws put into practice] exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to [any] people.” – Proverbs 14:34 LSB
Governing bodies legislate a variety of norms and behaviors in order for a society to succeed. It is simply incongruent to consider civic governances, (politics) as something that’s outside of the scope of God’s Truth.
But in the past when I speak about shaping our culture by voting for or supporting godly people for public office, or address moral laws passed that oppose Scripture, I receive significant kickback— mostly from narrow framing Christian pastors, leaders and elders. Their typical responses are: “We stay out of politics,” “that is a political issue, therefore we don’t address it”. This false mindset is a major contributor to the reality that Christians are losing their voice in the public square and, therefore, a moral society is further and further out of our reach.
The answer to the leading question which is the title of this article is this:
Both at different times.
There is an interplay between the two. Culture shapes politics and politics shape culture.
Present day examples of policies shaping culture under the Trump administration-
so-far, have taken place through Executive Orders.
Political polices shape economic outcomes–-tariffs and hiring based on merit.
Political policies shape moral outcomes-– executive orders banning transgender ideologies.
Political policies shape government agencies— creating DOGE to stop corruption and waste.
Political policies shape academic outcomes—the withdrawal of funds to universities allowing antisemitism.
Political policies shape military and law enforcement outcomes— elimination of Woke qualifications and creating a masculine persona.
Political policies shape religious tolerance—the creation of a Faith-based advisory team that provides Biblical perspective to the Executive Branch.
Political policies shape geopolitical (international relations) outcomes—operating from the basis of peace through strength, like expecting European Countries to pay for their own protection.
Political policies shape athletic organizations and institutions—no men in women sports.
Historical Examples
Many countries in the past have, and even today are functioning, with an Autocracy, which is a system of government in which one person has absolute power. Sadly, for almost a millennia before the Reformation, both church and state had wrongly tried to imitate and assume the other’s role. Autocracy was common during this period with monarchies and theocracies (usually oppressive ones) as the primary forms of governance. These kings and monarchs determined public policy which in many cases were antithetical to the Scripture.
In most cases because of public policies set, persecution and oppression arose in the broader culture. If we look at church history, it is rather staggering to realize that biblical followers across Europe faced murderous opposition from these monarchs when they spoke up and out against these policies. People like John Calvin, German Martin Luther, Swiss Ulrich Zwingli, and numerous others wrote much about the subject of civil disobedience and resistance to the tyrannical civil authority.
Why? They understood that governments, and the laws that they enacted shaped the behavior of the culture.
In France
The governing authorities considered the Christian reformation leaders as heretics. The result was The Saint Bartholomew’s Day Massacre (August 1572), killing 110,000 Bible Reformation followers in the initial attack and its aftermath.
In England
The so-called Christian King King Henry VIII, initiated public executions and burnings of Reformation adherents who either disagreed with his positions (public policies) or wanted to engage in Scriptural behavior he had not approved of. Henry’s barbaric practices were continued under subsequent English monarchs, including Queen Mary I. She continued to kill Protestant leaders, earning her the epitaph “bloody Mary.”
In the Bible
It is interesting to note that numerous heroes in the Bible were accorded praiseworthy recognition not despite, but rather because of, their civil disobedience, including Daniel (Belteshazzar was his Hebrew name), Shadrach (Hananiah in Hebrew), Mishach (Mishael in Hebrew), Abednego (Azariah, in Hebrew), the Midwives, Rahab, Moses, and even the apostles, who in Acts 4-5 boldly declared their willingness to be civilly disobedient against the tyrannical commands from both civil and religious rulers. Why? Because these political actions shaped the behaviors of the general public.
Present Day Examples
“knowing this, that law (“law” used here includes national laws shaping a society) is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and godless, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers…” – 1 Timothy 1:9 LSB
The Laws Protecting Marriages Fom affairs
Did you know that in the early 1970s, there were civil laws against a spouse’s lover?
Such a suit could be filed for seduction (attempting to engage a married person in a romantic relationship), criminal conversation (having sexual intercourse with a married person), and alienation of affection (having an affair with a married person)?
I was shocked when I read this from the most fascinating book by Willard F. Harley Jr., titled Defending Traditional Marriage. I was so surprised I asked the late, Ron Hergert who was a family lawyer in our church if there were such laws. He said, “Sure Dale, they were laws under the broad title: the laws of conversation. In fact, being a family lawyer dealing with fractured families these laws were a deterrent to stopping divorce. Since the laws were changed in the late 1970s divorces have skyrocketed.”
As Harley says, “In 1978 the Minnesota Legislature passed a law prohibiting civil lawsuits for seduction, criminal conversations, and alienation of affections. This abandonment of the laws to protect innocent people and marriage was granted impunity to anyone who used seduction and infidelity to torment others or to try to break up a family.” (Look to page 114-115).
The Law legalizing Same Sex Marriages
Obergefell v. Hodges legalized same-sex marriage in the United States on June 26, 2015. The 5-4 decision ruled that the Fourteenth Amendment guarantees same-sex couples the right to marry. The ruling also requires states to honor out-of-state same-sex marriage licenses. Since the passage of this judicial law same sex marriages have doubled!
Restraining Order Laws
During my pastoral ministry, I recommended (sadly, far too many times) that abused spouses file a restraining order to stop the abuse of a partner or their children. In almost every case the restraining order accomplished its purpose—to guarantee safety.
The Law Legalizing Abortions
Since Roe v. Wade was passed in 1973, more than 63 million abortions have occurred in the United States, according to prolifelouisiana.org. In 2023, the number of abortions performed in the U.S. was 1,026,690, which was the highest number in over a decade.
If you would like to know more about the influence of birth rates on a particular country, please check out an article I wrote on April 8th, 2019, it is titled; “Leaving a Carbon Footprint?” You can find it on page 8 on my blog: www.daleebel.
To understand the future of a country one simply needs to look at the demographics.
Below are things we can do:
#1 Support individuals and organizations that are attempting to combat the cultural tsunamis that are undermining righteousness. I list a few below.
- Parents rights in education, https://oregon.parentsrightsineducation.com; Jay Sekulow American Center for Law and Justice ACLJ.org., Judicial Watch, www.JucicialWatch.org.
#2 support local candidates for school boards that have a virtuous moral compass. Give financially to these candidates.
#3 Ask your pastor to encourage the congregation to register to vote and ask them to vote according to a holistic Biblical perspective.
Jack Hibbs from Calvary Chapel Chino Hills California has done a masterful job of recruiting and impacting many counties in California. As a result, in the 2024 election many counties went red.
#4 Purchase The Founders’ Bible and give it to key influencers. Those influencers might be people who are running for public office, (school boards in particular), your pastor, leaders and members of a variety of Christian organizations. I found out yesterday that The Founder’s Bible was given to Joe Rogan who’s talk show reaches millions. Let’s pray he will read it and interview David Barton.
A Simple Reminder
A given church does not have to go overboard and become consumed with politics. However, they can easily sprinkle truths regarding the power and the influence of God’s people by voting and rendering biblically informed opinions about issues that face the broader culture. I’ve discovered if pastors are equipped by understanding the whole counsel of God, and teach it from their pulpits, followers of Christ can have a significant impact in shaping the culture toward a Righteous North. It’s really not that hard, nor that complicated. If handled correctly it will not be contentious but as I discovered, a vast majority of people were grateful for some kind of biblical direction! People in the congregation are eager to discover God’s view of subjects regarding legislative decisions and they also appreciate being equipped as to what they can do. It boils down to simply being salt and light.
“Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? You must have the qualities of salt among yourselves and live in peace with each other.” – Mark 9:50 NLT
Hey Gang, let’s pick it up a notch or two.☺
In Christ,
Dale