The Family Sphere

The Family sphere of authority is perhaps the most important. Since the family unit is the foundation and structuring paradigm for all civilization it needs to be patterned after the Word of God if it is to continue as such. Once the foundation of the family is destroyed the civilization and its stability unravels. This is why a Biblically strong family is so necessary.

  

 Subordination of the Family

Whenever the family is subordinated to submit to any other sphere it loses its validity and its potency as a ‘cultural determinator’. This is not to imply that the family has any legitimacy to subordinate any of the other spheres either. Each sphere must function within the Divine boundaries God has decreed for it. To go outside those bounds is to encroach upon another sphere. While there are areas where each sphere shares in mutual responsibilities, no one sphere is to go beyond that point. 

Today both church and state seeks to over step their bounds. Many churches have taken it upon themselves to dictate to the families whatsoever they desire. Like the Pharisees’ of Jesus’ day the ‘tradition of men’ have taken front stage above the limitations and commandments of Scripture in regard to the church and its ministration to the family. Whenever this happens ecclesiastical tyranny results and the family suffers. Church leaders are to be educators and ministering servants not tyrannical lords over the family. The father is to be acknowledged and honored as the legitimate head of each household. It is not the in the pastor’s sphere authority to usurp the father unless there is blatant sin.

The state is no better than the church when it comes to tyranny. In fact it is much worse because it has the power of taxation and the sword. Whenever the state seeks to dictate to the family how it educates their children, nourishes them, or what type of  healthcare the family finds most beneficial the state becomes tyrannical. It has subordinated the Divine sphere authority of the family.

Subordination of the Church 

The state is also guilty of seeking to subordinate the church by requiring tax exemptions rather than leaving them alone as a tax immune entity. The issue of church incorporation is also a move to register the church as a creation of the state making it a ‘corpus Statist’ and not a “corpus Christi”.
Dictating theological truths, such as re-defining marriage through legislation, is also a move to subordinate the church by forcing it to embrace heretical doctrines. This particular attack is also an assault upon the family as well. 

Subordination of the State

This is not so much of a problem today as it once was during the Middle ages where the church sought to rule all of society as a civil entity. Yet, in some regards it may exist, if not only in theory. 

While the church should never seek to establish an Ecclessiocracy, it certainly should labor to bring the state into conformity with Scripture so that it would rule by the Word of God as a Christ-ocracy.