Week 1 – Gov.

Objectives: Determine the meaning and importance of government.  Identify the source from which all governments derive their power.

• Ruler of Nations, pp. 1-53
• Government and Politics in the United States, pp. 1-23.  Answer questions 1-6 in the book.
• “Government”, Bill Einwechter
• “Government and Jurisdiction”, Einwechter
• Essay:  God’s authority in the world.  In essay format, you will explain the following questions:  How has God invested authority in the family, Church, and state?  How does each governing authority keep order in its jurisdiction?  How should these authorities balance one another so that no one gains too much power?
• This essay should be between 1,000-2,000 words, double-spaced, with one-inch margins.  Please use footnotes to document all sources used.
• This is due at the end of week 4.
• Questions for the week:  What is the purpose of government?  How does God give the civil government its power?  How is government intended to protect the people?

Questions from reading

Ruler of Nations

Author’s Introduction

1. What are the five crucial concepts listed by the author?
2. What is the problem faced by top-down empires?
3. What is the “domino effect” faced by Christians today?
4. What are the domino governments?
5. How is Israel an example of the domino effect?
6. What’s the difference between self-government under God and self-government apart from God?  (Your own study and reflection)

1. Give examples of how Americans display their trust in money more than in God.
2. How does the first commandment protect us?
3. How do rulers decree in words or deeds that they are independent of God’s government?
4. How do governments change the meaning of phrases to take greater power over the people?
5. Describe anarchy, autocracy, oligarchy, democracy, and socialism.

1. Describe the government of ancient Egypt.
2. What is the biblical contrast to top-down hierarchy?  Where is this principle found in Scripture?
3. What are the symbols of authority for the family, the church, and the state?
4. What type of government does the author say is biblical?  Is this the only type of biblical government?  Why or why not?  What are biblical arguments both for and against that position?
5. How do rulers represent God to men and men to God?

1. The author says that laws are either biblical or anti-biblical because natural law doesn’t exist.  Is this statement true?  Back your answer with Scripture.
2. Why is God’s law a necessary part of our revelation today?
3. What does God’s law have to do with reforming a society?  What example is used to explain this point?
4. How does man assert his law over God’s law?
5. What problems arise when men seek to mix their laws with God’s?
6. How was Darwinism the “death knell” for natural law theory?
7. In a sentence, what is the problem with natural law theory?
8. How does Steve Wedgeworth’s defense of natural law contrast with Gary DeMar’s?