22. Of Civil Government

We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: (1) the home; (2) the Church; and (3) the state. Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves) are answerable to God and governed by His Word. God has given each institution specific Biblical responsibilities and balanced those responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other; We therefore believe in the separation of the Church from political and state and entanglements; We recognise that civil government is of Divine appointment for the interest and good order of human society, however, the home, the Church and the state are equal and sovereign in their respective Biblically assigned spheres of responsibility under God. (Rom. 13: 1-7; I Peter 2:13-14; Acts 4:19-20; 5: 27-29; Daniel 3:17-18; Eph. 5:22-24; Heb.13: 17).