Why Christian Nationalism contradicts the Great Commission
The topic of Christian Nationalism has become unavoidable in today’s discussions of American politics and Evangelicalism. While I would point out that the problem of Christian Nationalism has been around for over a thousand years, and it can be seen today in other places beyond the United States, the subject has been largely centered on Conservative, White Evangelicalism. (Gorski & Perry, 2022, Pg. 4)
What makes the topic difficult to discuss is that there are diverse opinions on how to define what Christian Nationalism even is. In fact, that has often been a response to its critics. How can you condemn something if you can’t even define it?
In short, I would define Christian Nationalism as a theological and political ideology claiming Christians have a God-given duty to rule nations. Christianity is given supremacy over other beliefs. Government leaders are Christian or at least pay some kind of homage to Christianity. Passages from Scripture that show God’s covenant with Israel are transferred to whatever nation Christian Nationalists wish to rule, such as America. All decisions are seemingly made for God’s glory.
I am certainly not saying Christians can’t vote or participate in politics. We’ve been given the great opportunity to voice our convictions, vote, and propose policies to make the world a better place. I am also not saying Christians can’t bring influence to politics either. Christian Nationalism takes this all one step further, implementing religious supremacy over others. The fruit of these actions throughout history have often brought violence, prejudice, and a blasphemous representation of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
While plenty who are more qualified than me have written at length as to why this ideology is dangerous and blatantly unchristian, I want to narrow the focus on this blog a bit more to the theological side of it.
I’ve previously written about how the Apostolic Fathers viewed topics like patriotism as well as how to imitate Christ. In summary, as diverse as the late 1st-2nd century Church was, they all held adamantly to a strict obedience to Jesus’ ethics in the Sermon on the Mount, and refused to engage in any violence. They also refused to swear any allegiance to governments and armies, as they saw it as a conflict with their allegiance to God’s Kingdom.
Some advocates have argued that pursuing Christian Nationalism is obeying Christ’s command to make disciples of all nations, fulfilling the Great Commission. So for this blog, we’ll take the Apostolic Fathers aside and just focus on Scripture, specifically the Gospel of Matthew. When we read Matthew’s presentation of the Gospel, we see a call that goes completely against ideologies such as Christian Nationalism.
The Great Commission
After Jesus Christ resurrects from the dead, He gathers His disciples and proclaims what has been called the Great Commission:
“Jesus came near and said to them, ‘All authority has been given to me in heaven and earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”
This is how Matthew decided to end his account of the Gospel. He has closed the story with a call to make disciples of Jesus in all nations, and to teach everything the Lord taught. So, in the context of Matthew’s Gospel, what was it Jesus taught, and what does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus?
The Kingdom of Heaven in Matthew’s Gospel
Early in Matthew’s Gospel, John the Baptist sets the path for Christ, proclaiming, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven has come near!” (Matthew 3:2) Jesus echoes this statement when beginning His public ministry in Matthew 4:17.
After gathering the first disciples, “…Jesus began to go all over Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among people.” (4:23) We’ll go back to this verse later because it is crucial for our discussion.
Matthew 5-7 introduces us to the Sermon on the Mount. These teachings alone would seem to challenge the pursuit of Christian Nationalism heavily. Christians cannot conquer a nation or successfully defend against another if they are called to not resist their enemy and instead love them. (5:38-48) Christians also cannot pledge their allegiance to a nation and their cause if they are commanded not to make any oaths. (5:33-37)
While Christians over history have given various interpretations of this sermon, some even debating if the commands are expected to be obeyed at all, the early Church was straight forward on Matthew 5-7. Just War Theory would be developed later in the early Church, but the Pre-Nicene Fathers were in agreement that Christians were called to a universal ethic of nonviolence.
But what about Matthew’s Gospel? Does Matthew present these teachings with the expectation that Christians will obey them, even in the midst of war or invading threats?
The sermon itself is centered around what Jesus has been proclaiming: the Kingdom of Heaven.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.” -5:3
“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.” -5:10
“Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.” -5:19-20
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” -6:33-34
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.” -7:21
Shortly after giving the sermon, Matthew 9:35 reports Jesus’ ministry using identical wording from Matthew 4:23: teaching about the kingdom and healing diseases. It’s in chapter 10 that Jesus commissions the disciples to go out and do the same:
“Summoning his twelve disciples, he gave them authority over unclean spirits, to drive them out and to heal every disease and sickness...
‘As you go, proclaim, “The kingdom of heaven has come near.” Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy, drive out demons.’”
Matthew shows us a pattern, which can be a little more difficult to notice in today’s Bibles. While I am grateful for modern translations, and the added chapter numbers and headings can help us navigate the text easier, they also can unintentionally fog patterns from the original Greek. This particular pattern shows Jesus’ ministry of the Kingdom of Heaven, and how Jesus equips His disciples to do the same. In his commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, Scot McKnight states:
“The only three places where these Greek words are used together in Matthew are in these three sets of verses, which leads me to this observation: Matthew 4:23-25 outlines what Matthew will tell us about Jesus’ ministry (teaching, preaching, healing) in Matthew 5-9, Matthew 9:35 tells us that Matthew has completed his sketch of Jesus’ ministry of teaching, preaching, and healing, and then Matthew 10:1 shows that Jesus empowered his twelve apostles to extend that sketched ministry of Jesus to others.
Put together, here’s what we get: Matthew 4:23-9:35 is a sketch of the mission and ministry of Jesus: he teaches and preaches Matthew 5-7 and he heals in Matthew 8-9. The Sermon on the Mount, then, is a comprehensive sketch of the teaching and preaching message of Jesus. In Matthew’s narrative, the Sermon is a presentation of Jesus’ moral vision, his ethic.”
Matthew presents the Sermon on the Mount as how disciples live out the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.
Suffering Service
As Matthew’s Gospel progresses, Jesus becomes more blunt on the suffering His followers should expect. Responding to the natural fear that would come from this information, Jesus doesn’t call disciples to rally armies and conquer nations. Rather, the Messiah subverts expectations and calls to imitate His humble, sacrificial service:
“Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” -10:28
“Jesus called them over and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions act as tyrants over them. It must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’” -20:25-28
Not Peace, but a Sword
It is worth noting that Jesus acknowledges His message brings not peace but a sword. (10:34) However, in the context of Matthew 10, Jesus is speaking of the division the Kingdom brings to families and communities due to its righteousness and call to separate from the world and sin. This statement is made during Jesus’ commission to the disciples to go out and teach the Sermon on the Mount, cast demons out, and heal. He also instructs when being rejected to endure persecution and flee when attacked. (10:21-25)
The comment of bringing a sword is also in context of Jesus’ warning to acknowledge Him to others, even when facing threats of persecution or even death. He then says, “Anyone who finds his life will lose it, and anyone who loses his life because of me will find it.” (10:39)
Jesus promises prosperity, but not in this life. It is after Messiah’s return and final judgment that His faithful servants receive reward:
“Then Peter responded to him, ‘See, we have left everything and followed you. So what will there be for us?’
Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, in the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields because of my name will receive a hundred times more and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.’”
In regards to the wicked facing judgment, Jesus also doesn’t shy away from this. However, Christ’s warnings are about Him and angels bringing such judgment, not the Church. (13:41-43) The nations of the world will receive judgment, but that is on the shoulders of the Messiah.
It’s also worth noting that when the nations face judgment, Christians too will be judged for our works. Such works Jesus lists in Matthew 25 are not winning culture wars or fighting for national power, but serving and caring for the least of these: the hungry, foreigner, homeless, prisoner. (25:31-46)
Our battle on earth is not against fellow humans, but against the unseen enemies: “If I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” (12:28)
The Great Commission according to Matthew
Let’s go back to the Great Commission. One of the commands given is to baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It’s important we remember the sacramental nature of baptism and it’s political implications.
To be baptized was to pledge complete allegiance. In this case, the convert is giving their whole allegiance to Messiah and His kingdom. According to Matthew, this would be the Kingdom of Heaven.
Jesus doesn’t just say in Matthew 28:18-20 to make disciples, but to also teach them everything He taught the disciples. This is said in the context of Matthew’s Gospel. So what are some examples we can briefly give to what Matthew’s discipleship for all nations looks like?
Loving your enemy and not resisting your enemy
Not storing treasures on earth, but heaven
Giving up possessions and status for the sake of the Kingdom
Focusing on spiritual warfare, not human warfare
Healing the sick
Caring for the least of these
Putting others in front you, expecting nothing in return
Suffering and enduring persecution, even to the point of death
Pledging allegiance to the Kingdom of Heaven alone
How Christians engage or don’t engage in politics can be tricky. I don’t claim to have all the answers. Cultural influences that speak against Christian beliefs can also be intimidating at times. But Matthew’s Gospel calls us to something more humble than Christian Nationalism. It calls for suffering service, not domination.
Bibliography
Gorski, P. & Perry, S. (2022). The Flag and the Cross: White Christian Nationalism and the Threat to American Democracy. New York, NY. Oxford University Press.
McKnight, S. (2013). The Story of God Bible Commentary: The Sermon on the Mount. Grand Rapids, MI. Zondervan.
Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.