Description
Compilation (Andrew Hill, Brian Luke, Tony Lines, Geoff Henstock, Stephen Hill, Carl Parry, AACE, Kevin Dawes). 78 pages, soft cover. Published in 2015 by the CSSS.
This book deals with issues in the life of men and women in Christ where their Biblical conscience is challenged by the state in a wide range of ways in times of peace and times of war. The book reflects our present situation but the principles go right back to apostolic times; the whole subject is growing in relevance for those who would be soldiers of Christ.
Chapters one to eight were first published in the Lampstand magazine, while chapters nine and ten were first published by the Association of Australian Christadelphian ecclesias.
The titles of the ten chapters are:
1. "Strangers and Sojourners"
2. "Not of the World"
3. "Right in the Sight of God"
4. Apostolic Comment in the Epistles
5. The Dark Ages
6. Conscientious Objection to Military Service
7. The Practicalities of Discipleship Today
- Paul and Roman Law
- Paul and slavery
- Resolution of disputes – the Biblical way
- Paul and litigation
8. Applications in the World Today
- Receiving compensation through legal redress
- Reporting of crimes
- Restraining orders
- Defence from legal attacks
- Taking brothers and sisters to court
- Disaffected members suing the ecclesia
- Marriage breakups and custody disputes
- Legal obligations in sexual abuse cases
9. Voting in Political Elections
10. The Christian Faith and Jury Service
- Receiving compensation through legal redress
- Reporting of crimes
- Restraining orders
- Defence from legal attacks
- Taking brothers and sisters to court
- Disaffected members suing the ecclesia
- Marriage breakups and custody disputes
- Legal obligations in sexual abuse cases
This book is especially relevancy to new members and our sons and daughters.
Book Review
God’s will is that his servants should be a holy people – separate from the nations around them. This was the case for natural Israel and it remains the case for spiritual Israel. Although separate from the nations, it is also the will of God that His people should be a witness to those in darkness of God’s power and majesty, with a view to bringing those who would respond to the knowledge of the gospel.
The Old Testament testifies to the challenges that natural Israel faced in aspiring to a life of holiness. Israel’s failures are recorded in the Old Testament for our benefit that we might learn from the nation’s failures. Our Lord Jesus Christ was acutely aware of the challenges his disciples would face in their struggle to avoid being compromised by the world to which they were commanded to witness.
A newly published book, Christ and Caesar, discusses challenges believers encounter in their daily lives as they seek to be in the world but not of the world. It brings together a series of articles originally published about six years ago in The Lampstand which addressed issues relating to the conscience of believers and their interaction with the world about them from the days of the patriarchs to today.
The opening chapter discusses challenges faced by believers prior to Christ. This is followed by a chapter about the teaching and example of our Lord Jesus Christ. This theme is taken up in a chapter that examines the teaching and example of the apostles as recorded in Acts and one which summarises their teaching on the subject as found in the epistles.
Practical Application
Building on the scriptural base established in the first four chapters the book next considers the experience of believers in the dark ages before moving on to several chapters that deal with issues that arise for believers in modern times. The first of these rehearses the historical background to our refusal to engage in military service. This is followed by two chapters that discuss practical issues that might arise for believers, including the use of the courts to defend their interests and other issues relating to law enforcement and justice. Included in these chapters is Biblically based and thought-provoking advice for responding to sensitive issues such as marriage breakup and sexual abuse. Although much of the advice in these chapters is based on laws which apply in South Australia, the principles on which this advice is based has a much wider application.
The book concludes by reproducing two documents published by the Association of Australian Christadelphian Ecclesias; the first dealing with voting in political elections and the second with jury duty. Although the views put forward in these essays will be familiar to most it is always helpful to review and reconsider the evidence.
Availability
Christ and Caesar is a short book which will be read with profit by brothers and sisters of all ages. It would also be very helpful for young people seeking to find their way in an ungodly world.
Geoff Henstock, South Australia
This review was first published in the Lampstand Magazine March - April 2016