"We shouldn't do politics in church." "Church should not be partisan." In this era of deep political polarization in America and parts of the West, such statements have been made and elevated to the level of truisms. After all, Jesus did indeed say that his kingdom is not of this world (Jn. 17:36), so the Church should not be involved in politics, shouldn't they?
Now, it must be said that reading the Bible and noticing the focus of the Scripture does indeed teach that the Church should not be involved in politics, in the sense that the Church is not a player in the quest for earthly power and authority. States like the Vatican City and the various iterations of the "Holy Roman Empire" are therefore contrary to Scripture. Nevertheless, when people say that we shouldn't do politics in church, that is normally not what they are referring to. The question about Church and politics therefore requires a deeper look into what "doing politics" in this modern era actually mean.
From the late 20th century until now, the idea of "doing politics" focuses on the idea of the cultural war. Specifically, the question is posed as to whether the Church should or should not be involved in social issues like abortion, the defense of (biblical) marriage, illegal immigration, and other issues like these, or the Church should just focus on "spiritual issues." To get involved in social issues normally involves advocacy of these issues in church, which may be followed by some form of social and/or political activism to push on said issue. Pastors may choose one Sunday to preach, for example, on the topic of abortion and advocate for the "Pro-Life" position. They may introduce certain people and promote certain groups in church for their members to join. Funds may also be raised for said causes. All of these are meant to give members a way to translate what they are being taught into action, and such perfectly fits into the "Activism" characterisation of Evangelicalism in the Bebbinngtonian quadrilateral.
Before addressing the major issue with this idea of "doing politics," let it be said that, as a way of translating faith into practice, engaging in social issues in this manner is perfectly in line with the practice of historic Evangelicalism and immensely practical when done right. "Faith without works is dead" (Jas. 2:17). Many critics of "doing politics" rail against what they think are its errors, while they themselves do not lift a finger to deal with these issues. Many of them are pietistic, making Christianity into a purely "spiritual" religion of getting to heaven and sharing the Gospel, while evidently the Gospel has no applications or implications for daily life! Many of them fit the caricature painted of Dispensationalism, where "who cares what happen to this world, since it's all goinng to burn up anyway, so let's just focus on going to heaven." Needless to say, pietistic faith is not the Christian faith. A Christianity that has nothing to say about social issues is a Christianity that has lost its saltiness.
The focus of Christianity is the salvation of sinners. Christ came to die for sinners. Sin deserves judgment, yet God restrains his jugment and instead extends grace to sinners. Now is the time of salvation, meaning that God's judgment is stayed in the time of the New Covenant. It stands therefore that the focus of the Church, as Christ's body on this earth, is to focus on the Gospel message of salvation. Social activism therefore is not part of the mission of the Church.
That does not mean however that social activism (when done on issues the Bible speaks about) is not important. Here, we come to the different paradigms relating Grace and Nature, noting that the Reformation view is that Grace renews Nature. Social activism on issues the Bible speak about are good things. It is good to speak out against abortion; it is good to speak out against the blatant racism in the woke movement. But, and this is the important thing, these things are not the Gospel. Activism done right is a good thing, but the Church must avoid mission creep and substitute what she alone possesses with something good but not essential to the mission of the Church.
In Acts 6: 1-6, the Apostles had the church elect its first deacons to deal with the very important and practical issue of food distribution to widows in the church. Is the food distribution important? Most certainly! But the Apostles decided that they had to focus on the Word and prayer. Likewise, social activism is important, but the Church should not be involved in it because she has a higher calling of preaching the Gospel and making disciples. Ought biblical social activism be done? Most certainly, but by individual Christians. Individual Christians are to be salt and light in society, including getting involved in social activism, but not the institutional Church. The problem with many American churches is that they are busybodies — they don't teach their congregations biblical truth, but instead want to focus on external activism, as if an external veneer of Christian morality in society is what the Church should aim for!
The Church should teach what is biblical, including what the Bible says about social issues, then let her members practice those truths. The Church does not have enough time and energy to do both, so she should focus on what is most important, not what seeems most important at this time. Teaching what the Bible says about social issues is the only way the Church should be "doing politics." Such "doing politics" is not being partisan, but rather, if a political tribe decides to take a position contrary to what the Scriptures teach, then it is not the Church doing politics and therefore she is engaging in mission creep, but rather it is the political tribe that sets itself up against the teachings of Scripture and therefore they are doing what is wrong. Christian morality transcends human division between "left" and "right," but it is not therefore partly left and partly right, in some Hegelian fashion! If "right wing" embraces biblical positions, while "left wring" teaches contrary to Scripture, then instead of accusing Christians of being "right-wing" partisans, we should counter that it is the "left-wing" who politicize what is supposed to be a moral nonpartisan issue. For example, both "right-wing" and "left-wing" should be against abortion precisely because it is murder, but it is the American "left wing" who decide to politicize abortion into a right-left point of division!
Thus, there are three ways to understand the phrase "doing politics." First, it is to be a player in the quest for earthly power and authority. Second, it is to be an active participant in social and/or political activism. Third, it is to teach on issues that some may consider political. As it can be seen, Christians are not to be "doing politics" in the first sense, and the institutional Church should not be doing politics in the second sense. The Church must however "do politics" in the third sense, because the Bible deals with such topics. Christians should be clear about the various senses, and not be frightened into silence on what the Bible says just to avoid the impression of "doing politics." Christians should also see through the hypocrisy of many who decry the Church doing politics while they themselves do (left-wing) politics under the guise of religion. Why is "right-wing" activism scandalous, while "left-wing" activism in liberal churches are not denounced? How many of the liberals who denounce "Christian Nationalism" are (mis)using the Christian religion to promote their left-wing positions?
On the issue of "doing politics" therefore, Christians ought to be discerning. Our standard is the Holy Scriptures, and therefore we should not be reactive and stake out positions in reaction to what others have done. Christians ought to take the same position on moral issues regardless of what "right-wing" or "left-wing" partisans do, not react to them. We should transcend the culture war, not that individual Christians cannot be involved in it, but because Christian morality exists before, during, and after the culture war, and is to be taught until Christ comes again.
