The Church, Politics, and Public Truth

In his book Foolishness to Greeks: The Gospel and Western Culture (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1986), Lesslie Newbigin wrote:

“While the church can never identify itself with the kingdom [i.e., any nation] and must seek only the role of a servant, witness, and sign of the kingdom, yet the church can never admit any limitations of its role to the private sector. The church witnesses to that true end for which all creation and all human beings exist, the truth by which all alleged values are to be judged. And truth must be public truth, truth for all. A private truth for a limited circle of believers is no truth at all” (page 117).

Indeed, the church as an institution must remain focused on the gospel and protect itself from being coopted for particular political parties and purposes, however, the values of the church, since they are rooted in the eternal God of truth, must bear upon public matters, political or otherwise. We cannot, therefore, allow ourselves to be pushed to the margins of society under the assumption that religious convictions are private convictions. This assumption may be true for false religions but it cannot be true for those who believe in the true God who is Lord over all.

Therefore, let the church proceed wisely and humbly, but let her proceed boldly, proclaiming and defending the public truth of God wherever she goes.

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