This question is asked repeatedly, in various places, in varied circumstances, by a wide variety of young people. Why?
There are, it seems to me, three basic reasons for this.
1. First of all, let me mention that there is quite obviously a lack of understanding, in part or entirely, of how the phrase is employed to present various Biblical doctrines and how these relate to human responsibility which is to be expressed in every area of life. In the first installment of my answer to the question before us (THE OUTLOOK, Nov. ‘73), I quoted Professor John Murray at some length. I did this because he laid a good foundation from which 1 can proceed. In this second part of my answer, I will write briefly about the Biblical teachings involved in the concept we are discussing. Before I do this, let me offer you the other two reasons, as I see it, for the uncertainty and questionings.
2. The second reason is that there are people who, it seems to me, say they believe the teaching . . . I will discuss, but either do not believe one or more of them to he really Biblical, or they do not think they apply to life and culture; or they do not take the time to relate the whole of their faith in a meaningful, integrated manner to life and to society specifically.
3. The third reason, it seems to me, is due to the confusion that has come about by a failure to properly distinguish between modalities of reality (discerned by philosophical analysis) and the various spheres of societal life, relationships and activities. I know very well how some people have tried to show that there is a close relationship between the philosopher’s modalities of reality and the various societal spheres of life. But even those who try to relate them will admit that modalities and spheres are in no way to be identified. Please remember this, young people. Even though you may hear school teachers, ministers and other community spokesmen speak as if they are “all one and same,” don’t accept that talk. It simply is not true.
When I use the phrase “sphere sovereignty,” I use it in the same way my parents, teachers, and ministers did in the 1920’s–40’s.
And believe me, these folk had never heard of modalities of reality. (Some of them heard of the “Word of God in Creation” because that phrase was used as another way to speak of God’s general or natural revelation).
But, what about those Biblical doctrines which are integral aspects of the historic understanding of sphere sovereignty? Let me mention them. And please note, young people, I am going to mention Biblical teachings.
1. The Sovereignty of God. The Bible clearly teaches: “For of Him. and through Him, and unto Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen” (Rom. 11:36). This means that God is absolute; He is the one and only source of power and authority. He, having made all things, controls and directs everything, and every creature, every person, every event. Read for a second time what Professor Murray wrote (quoted last time) about this important doctrine.
2. The Lordship of Jesus Christ. Our Savior is the King, who, seated at the Father’s right hand, reigns over everything. Jesus Christ the Son, reigning, makes God’s sovereignty over everything to be a day by day reality. Jesus said: “All authority hath been given unto Me . . . .” Paul speaks of Jesus as “The King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God,” to whom is to be ascribed honor and glory forever (I Tim. 1:17). Of this Sovereign King Jesus, Paul also says that He is the Creator who holds all things together (Col. 1:17) and He will rule perfectly and carry out to the last detail, the will of God (I Cor. 15:27, 28).
3. The living power of the redeemed life. By this statement I refer to all that Jesus Christ has done to forgive and pardon sinners who are dead in trespasses and sins, to bring them back as sons and daughters into God’s family and to fill them with His Spirit. In this way, man, created in the image of God, fallen in sin and under God’s curse, is redeemed, restored, empowered and called to live for and to serve his God in every way, in every thing, and at all times. No man does this perfectly; all are expected to put forth every effort nevertheless.
4. Human responsibility. Man. forgiven, restored, and called to service, must respond to God. He must answer yes; he can by the Spirit of God. He must obey; he can by the power of the indwelling Spirit. He must serve God in whatever role he finds himself; he can by the guidance and power of the Spirit of God. (True enough, because of indwelling sin, no one performs as he should and could as a redeemed one.)
5. Historical differentiation and cultural development. The Bible teaches us that God called man to serve Him in various capacities and areas of life. Consider Abraham. He was husband and father in his family; at the same time he was prophet and priest in his family community. He was also instructor of his children and slaves. He was the ruler over his limited area. The various activities, usually called societal activities, were carried out within the larger family community group. But, under the providence of God, we see a development in the life of God’s covenant people. Consider Moses’ times. Moses served as lawgiver and ruler, priest, and prophet initially. But God commanded him to set up the priesthood to be in charge of the Old Testament worship (church). Moses appointed elders to help in judging, and this was the first specific separate expression of the law-court-judge role, area, or sphere, Moses spoke of the separate political area that was to come (Deut. 17) when the King was to be crowned! And so we could go on, showing how the educational task was given as a specific responsibility to a group; how writing, recording events (Hebrew: sopherim, scribes) became a distinct area of activity, how the financial responsibility was considered a specific role for specific men to assume.
This societal development which the Scriptures reflect did not stop when the Apostle John wrote his last sentence of the book of Revelation. If that were so, we’d better change am ways of life and institutions to those of 100 A.D. But we need not do that. God by His Providence, under the leading of His Word and Spirit, had men continue this development.
A few additional comments must be added here.
1. When the specific teaching task was assigned to a group, that did not take away parental responsibility or prophetic duties. At the same time, it was made perfectly clear that as parents had to teach their children, they also had to have them instructed in the will and way of the Lord by priests, Levites, teachers. Parents had to teach their children, but Samuel organized schools for the prophets to prepare them for a specific task.
2. Another point to remember is that no king was permitted to function as priest, nor did the Levites, or teachers and assistants, function as prophets. Why not? Simply because God had given assignments to specific groups. Thus God revealed He was a God of order and thus God revealed that He demanded men to live and work together (societally) in an orderly fashion.
3. And a third point to stress is this: as this historical differentiation of societal relationships took place, each area remained responsible directly to the sovereign ruling Lord. Priest, king, prophet, teacher, financier cooperated in various ways, they interacted and supported each other. But Jesus Christ remained the Sovereign ruling Lord of each person and of each area of life. Everyone, regardless of position or role, was basically and finally responsible to God, Everyone had to acknowledge God as his final and only Sovereign Lord. And please do not forget, the role of the child and learner was to submit to those placed in authority or in instructional roles over them.
4. Finally, I think that the phrase “sphere sovereignty” may lead to some misunderstanding. I do not think that anyone is really justified to interpret this phrase incorrectly, especially if one has done any reading in Calvin and subsequent Reformed theologians. Let me be as clear and plain as I can be. Sphere sovereignty does not mean a societal sphere is sovereign in its own right. It does not mean that any person is sovereign in any sphere of life. It does mean that God is the only Sovereign One and He demands that all servants, regardless of what area they work in, regardless of the close relationships which exist between areas, e.g., family and church, family and school, everyone is responsible to God first of all, basically and finally. The redeemed school teacher, hired by a school board, cooperating with parents in the nurturing of their children, is first of all, basically and finally responsible to God. And this is so because God, and God alone, is the sovereign of the school as He is over every aspect of life. And this is a real sovereignty, because Jesus Christ is exercising it as the Redeemer enthroned. So then, the sovereignty of the spheres is God’s sovereignty over it, which may not he removed, substituted, misplaced, or appropriated by that of any human agent. Rather, God’s sovereignty in each specific area must be properly acknowledged and expressed.
Young people, quite a few of you have asked me: Does the Bible teach “sphere sovereignty”? My answer is: it certainly does teach sphere sovereignty as understood and taught in the past in our Reformed tradition. I readily agree, a caricature can be presented quite easily of sphere sovereignty by enthusiasts as well as opponents. I would advise you—discern the spirits in action and the systems presented. Study your Bibles carefully, seriously consider and evaluate your Reformed heritage. And be a builder on foundations that have been laid.
There are, it seems to me, three basic reasons for this.
1. First of all, let me mention that there is quite obviously a lack of understanding, in part or entirely, of how the phrase is employed to present various Biblical doctrines and how these relate to human responsibility which is to be expressed in every area of life. In the first installment of my answer to the question before us (THE OUTLOOK, Nov. ‘73), I quoted Professor John Murray at some length. I did this because he laid a good foundation from which 1 can proceed. In this second part of my answer, I will write briefly about the Biblical teachings involved in the concept we are discussing. Before I do this, let me offer you the other two reasons, as I see it, for the uncertainty and questionings.
2. The second reason is that there are people who, it seems to me, say they believe the teaching . . . I will discuss, but either do not believe one or more of them to he really Biblical, or they do not think they apply to life and culture; or they do not take the time to relate the whole of their faith in a meaningful, integrated manner to life and to society specifically.
3. The third reason, it seems to me, is due to the confusion that has come about by a failure to properly distinguish between modalities of reality (discerned by philosophical analysis) and the various spheres of societal life, relationships and activities. I know very well how some people have tried to show that there is a close relationship between the philosopher’s modalities of reality and the various societal spheres of life. But even those who try to relate them will admit that modalities and spheres are in no way to be identified. Please remember this, young people. Even though you may hear school teachers, ministers and other community spokesmen speak as if they are “all one and same,” don’t accept that talk. It simply is not true.
When I use the phrase “sphere sovereignty,” I use it in the same way my parents, teachers, and ministers did in the 1920’s–40’s.
And believe me, these folk had never heard of modalities of reality. (Some of them heard of the “Word of God in Creation” because that phrase was used as another way to speak of God’s general or natural revelation).
But, what about those Biblical doctrines which are integral aspects of the historic understanding of sphere sovereignty? Let me mention them. And please note, young people, I am going to mention Biblical teachings.
1. The Sovereignty of God. The Bible clearly teaches: “For of Him. and through Him, and unto Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen” (Rom. 11:36). This means that God is absolute; He is the one and only source of power and authority. He, having made all things, controls and directs everything, and every creature, every person, every event. Read for a second time what Professor Murray wrote (quoted last time) about this important doctrine.
2. The Lordship of Jesus Christ. Our Savior is the King, who, seated at the Father’s right hand, reigns over everything. Jesus Christ the Son, reigning, makes God’s sovereignty over everything to be a day by day reality. Jesus said: “All authority hath been given unto Me . . . .” Paul speaks of Jesus as “The King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God,” to whom is to be ascribed honor and glory forever (I Tim. 1:17). Of this Sovereign King Jesus, Paul also says that He is the Creator who holds all things together (Col. 1:17) and He will rule perfectly and carry out to the last detail, the will of God (I Cor. 15:27, 28).
3. The living power of the redeemed life. By this statement I refer to all that Jesus Christ has done to forgive and pardon sinners who are dead in trespasses and sins, to bring them back as sons and daughters into God’s family and to fill them with His Spirit. In this way, man, created in the image of God, fallen in sin and under God’s curse, is redeemed, restored, empowered and called to live for and to serve his God in every way, in every thing, and at all times. No man does this perfectly; all are expected to put forth every effort nevertheless.
4. Human responsibility. Man. forgiven, restored, and called to service, must respond to God. He must answer yes; he can by the Spirit of God. He must obey; he can by the power of the indwelling Spirit. He must serve God in whatever role he finds himself; he can by the guidance and power of the Spirit of God. (True enough, because of indwelling sin, no one performs as he should and could as a redeemed one.)
5. Historical differentiation and cultural development. The Bible teaches us that God called man to serve Him in various capacities and areas of life. Consider Abraham. He was husband and father in his family; at the same time he was prophet and priest in his family community. He was also instructor of his children and slaves. He was the ruler over his limited area. The various activities, usually called societal activities, were carried out within the larger family community group. But, under the providence of God, we see a development in the life of God’s covenant people. Consider Moses’ times. Moses served as lawgiver and ruler, priest, and prophet initially. But God commanded him to set up the priesthood to be in charge of the Old Testament worship (church). Moses appointed elders to help in judging, and this was the first specific separate expression of the law-court-judge role, area, or sphere, Moses spoke of the separate political area that was to come (Deut. 17) when the King was to be crowned! And so we could go on, showing how the educational task was given as a specific responsibility to a group; how writing, recording events (Hebrew: sopherim, scribes) became a distinct area of activity, how the financial responsibility was considered a specific role for specific men to assume.
This societal development which the Scriptures reflect did not stop when the Apostle John wrote his last sentence of the book of Revelation. If that were so, we’d better change am ways of life and institutions to those of 100 A.D. But we need not do that. God by His Providence, under the leading of His Word and Spirit, had men continue this development.
A few additional comments must be added here.
1. When the specific teaching task was assigned to a group, that did not take away parental responsibility or prophetic duties. At the same time, it was made perfectly clear that as parents had to teach their children, they also had to have them instructed in the will and way of the Lord by priests, Levites, teachers. Parents had to teach their children, but Samuel organized schools for the prophets to prepare them for a specific task.
2. Another point to remember is that no king was permitted to function as priest, nor did the Levites, or teachers and assistants, function as prophets. Why not? Simply because God had given assignments to specific groups. Thus God revealed He was a God of order and thus God revealed that He demanded men to live and work together (societally) in an orderly fashion.
3. And a third point to stress is this: as this historical differentiation of societal relationships took place, each area remained responsible directly to the sovereign ruling Lord. Priest, king, prophet, teacher, financier cooperated in various ways, they interacted and supported each other. But Jesus Christ remained the Sovereign ruling Lord of each person and of each area of life. Everyone, regardless of position or role, was basically and finally responsible to God, Everyone had to acknowledge God as his final and only Sovereign Lord. And please do not forget, the role of the child and learner was to submit to those placed in authority or in instructional roles over them.
4. Finally, I think that the phrase “sphere sovereignty” may lead to some misunderstanding. I do not think that anyone is really justified to interpret this phrase incorrectly, especially if one has done any reading in Calvin and subsequent Reformed theologians. Let me be as clear and plain as I can be. Sphere sovereignty does not mean a societal sphere is sovereign in its own right. It does not mean that any person is sovereign in any sphere of life. It does mean that God is the only Sovereign One and He demands that all servants, regardless of what area they work in, regardless of the close relationships which exist between areas, e.g., family and church, family and school, everyone is responsible to God first of all, basically and finally. The redeemed school teacher, hired by a school board, cooperating with parents in the nurturing of their children, is first of all, basically and finally responsible to God. And this is so because God, and God alone, is the sovereign of the school as He is over every aspect of life. And this is a real sovereignty, because Jesus Christ is exercising it as the Redeemer enthroned. So then, the sovereignty of the spheres is God’s sovereignty over it, which may not he removed, substituted, misplaced, or appropriated by that of any human agent. Rather, God’s sovereignty in each specific area must be properly acknowledged and expressed.
Young people, quite a few of you have asked me: Does the Bible teach “sphere sovereignty”? My answer is: it certainly does teach sphere sovereignty as understood and taught in the past in our Reformed tradition. I readily agree, a caricature can be presented quite easily of sphere sovereignty by enthusiasts as well as opponents. I would advise you—discern the spirits in action and the systems presented. Study your Bibles carefully, seriously consider and evaluate your Reformed heritage. And be a builder on foundations that have been laid.