THE NET OF FAITH

by Peter Chelčický

translated by Rev. Enrico Molnár

CHAPTER 92

INTERPRETATION OF 1 TIMOTHY 2:1-3

THERE CAN BE NO CHRISTIAN SOVEREIGNTY

Secular and pagan sovereignty is given Biblical foundation because, they say, Saint Paul urges supplications and prayers to be made for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way, for this is good, and it is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior.[517]

He seems to give a real sanction for everything that leads to manslaughter in our country; it looks as if he baptized a motley crowd of kings and noblemen, helping them with his prayers and admonishing them to defend with their swords their mother, the Holy Church, of whom they were begotten, so that she might sit on her Roman throne, leading a peaceful and contented life; nobody should wake her from her sleep behind castle fortifications.

[ But if Paul really preached all this, how does it happen that so many Christians died in martyrdom during the first three hundred years?  They prayed for their authorities, and yet they were killed?  This shows that Paul must have given a different sense to his words than that which is today presented by the Church. ]

[ In his day the pagan governing authorities were inimical to the Christian communities, and when the Christians prayed for them, they only obeyed the Scriptures which commanded that they should pray for their enemies.[518] ]

[ These early Christians did not have rulers from their own ranks, nor did they seek protection of the authorities through prayer.  Their true sentiments are expressed in the Scripture that records their supplication to God: ]

“Sovereign God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything in them, who by the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, “Why do the Gentiles rage and the people imagine vain things?  The kings of the earth set themselves in array, and the rulers are gathered together against the Lord and against His Anointed.[519]

“For truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom thou anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.  And now, O Lord, look upon their threats and grant that your servants may speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness.[520]

This example plainly shows the procedure of faith.  If the blessing of peace is to come through prayer, it cannot be done better than by taming the evil rulers and their iniquities by the power of prayer…  Therefore, to seek peace through temporal authorities is a worldly affair.  But to mitigate the iniquity of evil rulers through a prayer of faith is a spiritual affair befitting faith.  [ There are many examples in the Bible to show that this is the right approach.  During the days of Jewish persecutions, Esther offered this prayer to God: ]

Lord, God of Abraham, who is mighty above all others, listen to the voice of those who have no other hope except in you.  Liberate us from those who have no being, and do not let them mock at our fall, but turn their plan against themselves, and make an example of the man who has begun this against us.  Remember, Lord, to make yourself known in this time of our affliction!  King of the gods and holder of all dominion, put eloquent speech in my mouth before this lion, and change his heart to hate the man who is fighting against us, so that there may be an end of him![521]

[ Esther knew that the injustice of evil rulers falls back on their heads. ]  That is why she prayed courageously to God saying, “Turn their plan against themselves!”

When the Jews were prisoners of the King of Babylon, they sent a message to the Jews of Jerusalem, saying,

Pray for the life of Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, and for the life of Belshazzar his son, that their days may be like the days of heaven upon the earth.  And the Lord, will give us strength, … and we will live under the shadow of Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, and under the shadow of Belshazzar his son, and we will serve them for a long time and find favor in their sight.[522]

This prayer was offered by prisoners – and they prayed for the king their jailer.  He was their enemy, and yet they prayed for him…

CHAPTER 93

INTERPRETATION OF 1 TIMOTHY 2:1-3 (CONTINUED)

With these examples in our mind, we can better understand the intention of Saint Paul and why he exhorted to pray for the governing powers…  He saw the temptations that surrounded the Christians living in a pagan world…  He prayed that they should not become contaminated by pagan hatreds…  For Satanic hatred is most naturally inherent in the ruling people, the kings and their ilk.  It consumed Saul through many wars, and multitudes fell when he fell.  Today also the ruling class oppresses the subjects.  But if we are good Christians we must pray to God for these haughty people, that they might be turned by Him from the power of the Satan and from fighting and rebelling against truth.

CHAPTER 94

INTERPRETATION OF 1 TIMOTHY 2:1-3 (CONCLUSION)

There are many other issues involved in the question of authority – we have governing authorities set against each other as enemies.  When they are at war, one side prays for its lords, and so does the other side, each praying for its own victory.  Yet both are “Christian,” praying for their own causes.

The Christians of both sides are at war unjustly, and they pray to God that He may help defeat the other side.  Whom shall God hear?  But because both claim to be Christian and yet are at war with each other, their prayer is not a prayer of faith; God shall indeed not hear them.  This is the reason why the net of faith has been so badly torn.  The Christians’ faith is lame; they act not as brothers but as enemies.  When they pray mutually for the defeat of their foe, their prayers shall fall back upon their own heads.  To pray in this way is against the intention of the words of Saint Paul.  In this way many armed hordes of the same faith arrogate to themselves the right to defend the truth.  And so, one horde will go to defend the old Holy Church,[523] and another horde will go to defend the truth of the law of God.[524]  And another shall go defending the orders of God.[525]  And another horde shall go defending the common good so that the poor people cease being exploited.[526]  And there shall go princes and kings to defend their fatherland so that their dominion may not cease.[527]

All of them lead wars against each other for the love of power and glory in the world.  And all the peradventurers of these hordes call themselves Christians, and all pray alike to God saying, “Our Father who is in heaven.”  They all pray for the destruction of the rest, believing that they serve the cause of God when they shed their enemies’ blood.  And they all say the same old words, “Forgive us as we forgive them.”  And yet every army conscripts and assembles, not intending in the least to forgive.

Their prayers are, indeed, a great blasphemy against God.  And they are contrary to the admonition of Paul to pray for all.  Every one of these hordes thinks illogically; each one is getting ready to war against the others, not intending to lead a peaceful life but a marching, military life.  Its prayers are not prayers of peace but prayers for its armies and successes.

[ Paul did not pray for the victory of his authorities, for the success of their swords, but that all authorities might live together in peace.  He prays for a peaceable life when he says, “that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way.”[528]  This is a life pleasing to God. ]  But the authorities of the world seek a different peace, a freedom to expand in violence and impurity, a freedom for the soldiers to go to markets to buy and to sell, to eat and drink at festivals, to fight and make merry and ribald dances.  [ Those who are in authority have the power to proclaim anything they want as articles of faith.  Any reasoning supporting their military defenses is acceptable, and they do it in parliaments and councils, and display it on pedestals as faith for the misled people to believe.  It is possible that the Church of Rome is unable to exercise justice with the great temporal dominion she has; she could not defend it against kings brandishing swords.  And, so she naturally needs power. ]

[517] 1 Timothy 2:1-3, RSV.

[518] Matthew 5:44.

[519] Psalm 2:1, RSV.

[520] Acts 4:24-31, RSV.

[521] Esther 14:3, (Apocryphal addition; the speech of Queen Esther).

[522] Baruch 1:11-12.

[523] The Papal armies.

[524] The Hussite Táborites.

[525] The Hussite Utraquists.

[526] The class struggle?

[527] National armies in patriotic wars.

[528] 1 Timothy 2:2, RSV.