A Study of Peter Chelčický's Life and a Translation from Czech of Part I of His Net of Faith (1947)/Part 2/Section 17
CHAPTER XCII
INTERPRETATION OF 1-TIMOTHY 2:1–3 – THERE CAN BE NO CHRISTIAN SOVEREIGNTY
Secular and pagan sovereignty is given Biblical roundation 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 peace able life, godly and respectful in every way, for this is good, and it is acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour.1
He seems to give a real sanction for everything that leads to manslaughter in our country;The Roman Church Sanctions Warfare 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?Yet the Early Martyrs Opposed All Wars and Violence 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.2:)
(: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 which records their supplication to God:)
For truly in this city there were gathered together against thy holy servant Jesus, whom thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever thy hand and thy plan had predestined to take place. And now, O Lord, look upon their threats, and grant that thy servants may speak thy word with all boldness, while thou stretchest out thy hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of thy 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.4This 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.. . .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:)
(: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,
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 XCIII
INTERPRETATION OF 1-TIMOTHY 2: 1–3 (CONTINUED)
With these examples in our mind we can better understand the intention of Saint Paul, why he exhorted to pray for the governing powers.. . . He saw the temptations which 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.Why Pray For Authorities? 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 XCIV
INTERPRETATION OF 1-TIMOTHY 2:1–3 (CONCLUDED)
There are many other issues involved in the question of authority: we have governing authorities set against each other as enemies.Subjectivity
In War Time 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.Prayer and War 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 not hear them, indeed. 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 truth. And so one horde will go to defend the old Holy Church,1 and another horde will go to defend the truth of the law of God.,2 And another shall go defending the orders of God.,3 And another horde shall go defending the common good so that the poor people cease being exploited.,4 And there shall go princes and kings to defend their fatherland so that their dominion may not cease.,5
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 art 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."6 This is a life pleasing to God.:)Black Market & Demoralization Accompany Wars 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,Propaganda 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 deferd it against kings brandishing swords. And so she naturally needs power.
1 The Papal armies.
2 The Hussite Taborites.
3 The Hussite Utraquists.
4 The class struggle?
5 National armies in patriotic wars.