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The following reading from the CONCORDIA edition of the Book of Concord is for the LSB series A Epistle Romans 13:1-10 for the Pentecost 12, Proper 18, series A, September 4, 2011. It is from Augsburg Confession, Article XXVIII, page 58. For our good God has designed that His Church should care for our spiritual needs and the Civil Authorities should care for our bodily needs. Click here for the reading formatted for the back of a standard CPH bulletin. Pastor Doug May
There has been great controversy about the power of the bishops, in which some have terribly confused the power of the Church with the power of the State… The authority of the Keys [Matthew 16:19], or the authority of the bishops—according to the Gospel—is a power or commandment of God, to preach the Gospel, to forgive and retain sins, and to administer Sacraments… This authority is exercised only by teaching or preaching the Gospel and administering the Sacraments, either to many or to individuals, according to their calling. In this way are given not only bodily, but also eternal things: eternal righteousness, the Holy Spirit, and eternal life. These things cannot reach us except by the ministry of the Word and the Sacraments, as Paul says, "The Gospel… is the power of God for salvation to everyone that believes" (Romans 1:16). Therefore, the Church has the authority to grant eternal things and exercises this authority only by the ministry of the Word. So it does not interfere with civil government anymore than the art of singing interferes with civil government. For civil government deals with other things than the Gospel does. Civil rulers defend bodies and bodily things against obvious injuries. They restrain people with the sword and physical punishment in order to preserve civil justice and peace [Romans 13:1-7]. (paragraphs 1,5,8-11)
These are excerpts from the Book of Concord.
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