Who is the head of the church—Jesus Christ or Caesar?* This question of who has the authority to tell the church what to do had to be dealt with head-on during the COVID lockdowns of 2020 and 2021 as the government mandated churches close, and yet the Word of God commands believers to gather. But this clash of government and church is nothing new.
In a fascinating new documentary, The Essential Church, Grace Productions (a ministry of our good friends at Dr. John MacArthur’s Grace Community Church in California) explores the question of Christ or Caesar through a look at the time of the Scottish Covenanters (back in the 1600s) and how three pastors and their churches responded to the COVID lockdown orders. I strongly encourage you to go and see this documentary, which is coming to select theaters July 28, 2023.
The time is coming when the church will face new impositions from the government. We already see the rumblings.
While the COVID lockdowns might be over, the time is coming when the church will face new impositions from the government. We already see the rumblings with cases such as: pastors being prohibited from counseling those with unwanted same-sex attraction to live a life of holiness; Christians must use preferred pronouns and call a man a woman if that’s what he wants; parents must affirm a gender transition or risk losing their child; and on and on it goes. The state will continue to press against the church, trying to force her into compliance on any number of issues, but we can’t compromise. We must stand firm on the truth of God’s Word and submit to Christ as the head of the church—because he is the head of the church whether the government acknowledges it or not.
This documentary will encourage you to stand firm on God’s Word, no matter the consequences. I recommend you get a group together to go watch the film. Find a theater near you at EssentialChurchMovie.com.
Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,
Ken
This item was written with the assistance of AiG’s research team.
Answers in Genesis is an apologetics ministry, dedicated to helping Christians defend their faith and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ.