The Bible vs. Communism: Clear Principles for a Confusing Age. Series 5/6
Part 5 of 6: The Proper Limits of Government
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury:
In the previous parts of this case we have examined private property, voluntary generosity, and the dignity of work. Today we turn to a foundational question: What are the proper limits of government according to the Bible?
The Biblical Purpose of Government
Scripture teaches that government is ordained by God, but it is not given unlimited authority.
“Let every soul be in subjection to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those who exist are ordained by God. Therefore he who resists the authority withstands the ordinance of God; and those who withstand will receive to themselves judgment. For rulers are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. Do you desire to have no fear of the authority? Do that which is good, and you will have praise from the authority, for he is a servant of God to you for good. But if you do that which is evil, be afraid, for he doesn’t bear the sword in vain; for he is a servant of God, an avenger for wrath to him who does evil.”
Government’s God-given role is limited and specific:
To restrain evil
To protect the innocent
To uphold justice
It is a “servant of God,” not a replacement for God. The Bible never grants the state authority over every area of life, ownership of all property, or the power to remake human nature.
Because every person is made in the image of God, no government has the right to claim total control over human life. Unlimited state power is illegitimate precisely because it denies the dignity and accountability each person has before God.
When government exceeds these limits, it becomes tyrannical. Scripture also records the principle that we must obey God rather than men when the two come into conflict (Acts 5:29).
Communism’s Unlimited State
In direct opposition to this biblical design, communism rejects any meaningful limit on state power. The state becomes god — controlling the economy, education, family, religion, and even thought.
This is not a distortion of the ideology. It is the logical result of a system that denies God and concentrates all power in human hands.
Karl Marx’s vision requires the abolition of private property, the family, and religion in order to create the “new man.”
History shows what follows when government recognizes no limits:
Forced collectivization and the destruction of private property
Systematic persecution of the church
Total surveillance, informants, and suppression of free thought
Mass death on a scale unmatched by any other modern ideology
In the Soviet Union, Mao’s China, Cambodia under Pol Pot, and North Korea, the state claimed the right to control every aspect of life. The result: tyranny, poverty, and the crushing of the individual made in God’s image.
Closing of This Portion of the Case
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury: the Bible affirms the necessity of government while placing clear moral limits on its power. Communism recognizes no such limits. One system treats government as a limited servant under God. The other treats the state as god. The evidence from Scripture and from history is consistent. The only question is whether we will heed it.
Next in the Series (Part 6): How Christians Can Live Faithfully in a Confusing Age.
Previous:
Part 1 of 6: Opening Statement – Socialism Is the Road to Communism
Part 2 of 6: God’s Design for Private Property and Stewardship
Part 3 of 6: Generosity vs. Coercion — What the Early Church Actually Practiced
Part 4 of 6: Biblical Work Ethic and Cheerful Giving vs. Coercion
Limited Government in the Bible vs Communism