Topical Bible: Liberty: Political

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In the context of the Bible, the concept of political liberty is not directly addressed in the same manner as modern political discourse. However, the Scriptures provide principles and narratives that have been foundational in shaping the understanding of liberty within a political framework.

Old Testament Context

The Old Testament often depicts liberty in terms of deliverance from oppression and bondage. The Exodus narrative is a seminal event where God liberates the Israelites from Egyptian slavery. This act of divine intervention is a powerful symbol of freedom and is celebrated annually in the Jewish Passover. In Exodus 6:6 , God declares, "I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment."

The Mosaic Law also contains provisions that promote social justice and liberty, such as the Year of Jubilee, described in Leviticus 25. Every fiftieth year, liberty was proclaimed throughout the land, and individuals who had sold themselves into servitude were to be freed, and property was to be returned to its original owners. This reflects a divine concern for economic and social freedom.

New Testament Context

In the New Testament, the concept of liberty is more often associated with spiritual freedom. However, there are implications for political liberty as well. Jesus Christ's mission is described as one of liberation. In Luke 4:18 , Jesus reads from the scroll of Isaiah, proclaiming, "The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed."

The Apostle Paul also speaks of freedom in Christ, which transcends earthly political systems. In Galatians 5:1 , he writes, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be encumbered once more by a yoke of slavery." While this primarily refers to spiritual freedom from the law and sin, it has been interpreted to support the idea of personal and political liberty.

Principles of Governance and Liberty

The Bible provides principles for governance that imply a respect for liberty. Romans 13:1-7 instructs believers to submit to governing authorities, as they are instituted by God. However, this submission is not absolute, as seen in Acts 5:29 , where Peter and the apostles assert, "We must obey God rather than men." This suggests a limit to governmental authority, particularly when it conflicts with divine commands.

The concept of justice is central to biblical governance, as seen in Micah 6:8 : "He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" Justice, mercy, and humility are foundational to a society that values liberty.

Historical Influence

Throughout history, biblical principles have influenced the development of political liberty. The Magna Carta, the English Bill of Rights, and the American Declaration of Independence all reflect biblical ideas of justice, equality, and the inherent rights of individuals. The belief that all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights is deeply rooted in the biblical understanding of humanity made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27).

In summary, while the Bible does not explicitly outline a political system, its teachings on justice, freedom, and the dignity of the individual have profoundly shaped the concept of political liberty. The biblical narrative encourages a view of liberty that is both spiritual and, by extension, political, advocating for systems that reflect God's justice and righteousness.

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Judges 17:6
In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
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Judges 21:25
In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
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Acts 22:28
And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born.
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Library

On Christian Liberty
... shall add a Fifth degree of liberty, that is, an immunity from the judicial laws
of the Jewish courts. On this subject we must hold, that the political laws of ...
/.../the works of james arminius vol 1/disputation 20 on christian liberty.htm

Political Parties in Connecticut at the Beginning of the ...
... THE DEVELOPMENT OF RELIGIOUS LIBERTY IN CONNECTICUT CHAPTER XIV POLITICAL PARTIES
IN CONNECTICUT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. ...
/.../chapter xiv political parties in.htm

Political and Religious Life of the Jewish Dispersion in the West ...
... POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS LIFE OF THE JEWISH DISPERSION IN THE WEST - THEIR UNION
IN ... But, in truth, they enjoyed even more than religious liberty and communal ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter vi political and religious.htm

Preface
... And because religious liberty was finally won by a coalition of men like ... in government,
the final chapters must deal with social and political conditions more ...
/.../greene/the development of religious liberty in connecticut/preface.htm

Open the History of America, the History of England...
... But recross the Atlantic, traverse the Channel, approach our own time, open our
annals; and listen to the great political actors in the drama of our liberty. ...
/.../lamartine/atheism among the people/xviii open the history of.htm

The Development of Religious Liberty in Connecticut
... Title Page. PREFACE. THE DEVELOPMENT OF RELIGIOUS LIBERTY IN CONNECTICUT. ... CHAPTER
XIV POLITICAL PARTIES IN CONNECTICUT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY ...
/.../greene/the development of religious liberty in connecticut/

The Middle Colonies: the Jerseys, Delaware, and Pennsylvania --The ...
... Haven Colony by the merger of it in Connecticut, a whole church and town, headed
by the pastor, having secured such guaranty of their political liberty as the ...
/.../bacon/a history of american christianity/chapter ix the middle colonies .htm

The Political Constitution of Egypt
... CHAPTER I"THE POLITICAL CONSTITUTION OF EGYPT. The king, the queen, and the
royal princes"Administration under the Pharaohs"Feudalism ...
/.../chapter ithe political constitution of.htm

Development of the Ideas of Jesus Respecting the Kingdom of God.
... But in general the ancient world had regarded liberty as attached to certain political
forms; freedom was personified in Harmodius and Aristogiton, Brutus and ...
/.../renan/the life of jesus/chapter vii development of the.htm

'Never in Bondage'
... If He had been promising, as they chose to assume, political and external liberty,
I fancy they would have risen to the bait a little more eagerly than they ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture i/never in bondage.htm