The Prophets and Political and Social Problems

Authors

Th. Laetsch, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis

Publication Date

5-1-1940

Document Type

Article

Keywords

jewish church, jewish state, israel, amos, prophets, micah, theocracy

Submission Type

Bible Study; Lecture; Sermon Prep

Abstract

The well-known saying, The exiles returned from Babylon to found not a kingdom but a Church, expresses at best only a half-truth, for the commonwealth of Israel was from its very origin a Church, a state-church, a church-state, a theocracy, and this theocracy was not founded by the returning exiles, but was a divine institution, organized by the Lord immediately after the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt. It is rather difficult for us to realize all that the term ''theocracy" implies. The Jewish Church was not a Church within the Jewish state, it was the Jewish state; and the Jewish state was not something altogether independent of the Jewish Church, it was the Jewish Church. In Israel the church laws were state laws, the state laws were church laws.

Disciplines

Practical Theology

Scripture References in this Resource (separated by semi-colons)

Isaiah 58:3-5; Deuteronomy 23:1; Judges 2:16-18; Genesis 35:11; 2 Samuel 5:12; Amos 2:11; Exodus 28:1; Numbers 8:6-26; Leviticus 10:1-2;

Submission Cost

Free

Submission Audience

Laity; Ministers; Scholars

Recommended Citation

Laetsch, Th. (1940) "The Prophets and Political and Social Problems," Concordia Theological Monthly: Vol. 11, Article 33.
Available at: https://scholar.csl.edu/ctm/vol11/iss1/33