Haeralis
Puritan Board Freshman
Recently, there has been a movement in some theologically Reformed and politically conservative circles to question the biblicity of the Revolution. Neo-loyalists argue that some biblical texts, usually pointing to Romans 13 and 1 Pet. 2, command Christians to obey all political authority. Typically, though not always, this movement overlaps with the neo-Two Kingdoms movement (David VanDrunen, Michael Horton, and John MacArthur), whose proponents insist that the Bible is essentially apolitical and that any attempt to appeal to Scripture as a support for overthrowing a godless and unbiblical political authority is politicizing something that only really gives us exhaustive guidance about the functioning of the church.
Opponents of this view point to the examples of resistance to tyranny in the Old Testament, especially as seen in the stories of Ehud, Samuel, and Jehu. Ehud (Judges 3:12-33) was raised up by God to execute a wicked, tyrannical usurper of Israel's monarchy. Samuel brutally executed Agag, a tyrannical political authority, by "hacking him to pieces" (1 Sam. 15:33). Jehu was given a command by God to slay the idolatrous tyrant Jehoram (2 Kings 9:1-2). Lastly, there is the example of Jehoida ordering the execution of the wicked and idolatrous queen Athaliah, who had reigned for about seven years (2 Chron. 23:14-15). Protestant resistance theorists argue that the New Testament political passages did not nullify the permanent relevance of these Old Testament Scriptures to a biblical political philosophy.
I side much more with the resistance theorists in this debate. Protestant political thinkers such as John Knox, George Buchanan, John Milton and Samuel Rutherford all made sound biblical cases for the legitimacy of resistance to tyrannical government. As I believe the actions of Parliament during the American crisis constituted an undoubted example of tyranny, I believe that resistance was justified. Even Calvin accepted the legitimacy of lesser magistrates leading a Revolution against tyrannical authority, and it is difficult to deny that this is what happened during the Revolutionary War.
Opponents of this view point to the examples of resistance to tyranny in the Old Testament, especially as seen in the stories of Ehud, Samuel, and Jehu. Ehud (Judges 3:12-33) was raised up by God to execute a wicked, tyrannical usurper of Israel's monarchy. Samuel brutally executed Agag, a tyrannical political authority, by "hacking him to pieces" (1 Sam. 15:33). Jehu was given a command by God to slay the idolatrous tyrant Jehoram (2 Kings 9:1-2). Lastly, there is the example of Jehoida ordering the execution of the wicked and idolatrous queen Athaliah, who had reigned for about seven years (2 Chron. 23:14-15). Protestant resistance theorists argue that the New Testament political passages did not nullify the permanent relevance of these Old Testament Scriptures to a biblical political philosophy.
I side much more with the resistance theorists in this debate. Protestant political thinkers such as John Knox, George Buchanan, John Milton and Samuel Rutherford all made sound biblical cases for the legitimacy of resistance to tyrannical government. As I believe the actions of Parliament during the American crisis constituted an undoubted example of tyranny, I believe that resistance was justified. Even Calvin accepted the legitimacy of lesser magistrates leading a Revolution against tyrannical authority, and it is difficult to deny that this is what happened during the Revolutionary War.