The Thirty-Nine Articles: A Faith for Today: Articles 37 - 39: Living in the World

To some these three Articles seem irrelevant today. No so. The principles which lie behind them,and the details of what they assert, need to be heard and understood in our generation. A little explanation of the historical context is necessary: but that will clearly show that Articles 37, 38 and 39 are as relevant and important today as they ever were.

Historical background
In the sixteenth century the Roman Catholic Church, and a group of extremists who counted themselves among the Reformers but were really revolutionaries (the ‘Anabaptists’), were making some extraordinary claims. Rome, for example, said that all governments, kings and rulers were subject to the Pope. Some of the Anabaptists taught that Christians were not allowed to own property or possessions, but must share all things in common. Rome claimed that the Pope had authority to overturn the decisions of civil courts - and that civil courts had no jurisdiction over clergy! The Anabaptists argued that Christians should refuse to swear an oath in court, even if that meant that justice would not be done!

What all this boils down to is that both groups claimed that the church as an organization took precedence over the government, and even over the law. Church members were to take their lead from church leaders, rather than from earthly rulers. They were to disobey the law if church leaders told them to. Their primary earthly loyalty was to be to their church rather than to their country or
sovereign.

These views indicate a gross unbiblical emphasis on the earthly powers and rights of the church, an anti-biblical attack on the powers and rights of the state, and a serious misunderstanding of the way that God has ordered society. Articles 37, 38 and 39 give the biblical teaching in these important areas: we can consider this teaching under three headings. To read more, click here.