Luther did not base his doctrine of the two kingdoms or the two governments on his own speculative thinking.  He felt that in this matter too his position was wholly determined by Scripture.  He distinguishes two types of statements.  One type is characterized by Jesus' statements in the Sermon on the Mount and the apostles' statements about the "law of Christ": the disciples of Jesus never use force, do not resist evil, do not avenge themselves, but under all circumstances serve one another in love.  These statements of the gospel appear to reject completely the state and the activity of the political authorities.  But there is a second type of statement.  The same Scripture contains the apostolic affirmation of the state and, as in Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2:13-14, admonishes us to obey the authorities.  In addition there are the statements of the Old Testament which institute and establish the "sword" which, as in Genesis 9:6 or Exodus 21:14, 22 ff., includes the death penalty.  There is also the conversation between John the Baptist and the soldiers (Luke 3:14) in which John obviously does not in any way condemn the soldiers' station in life but rather recognizes it.  Finally, Luther read the Old Testament descriptions of God telling his people to prepare for battle and leading them to war; and he was aware that "all the saints have wielded the sword from the beginning of the world."

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© December 2001
Journal of Lutheran Ethics (JLE)
Volume 1, Issue 4