"The Church is the ministry of Grace and Peace. The Civil Government is the ministry of Justice. The Family is the ministry of Health, Education, Welfare." -- Douglas Wilson
God has directly established three forms of government or ministry: the family, the church, and the civil government. Each is a type of government that He has assigned certain respective responsibilities and jurisdictions of authority. These spheres may speak to each other, but may not annex from the other what God has given uniquely to it. For example, the Church should not carry the sword nor the State administer the Lord's Supper. The Family should not take the place of the preacher nor the Church the place of capital punisher.
The primary focus of each ministry is that which God has given to it directly. It cannot delegate these to any of the others. It cannot confiscate any of the other's.
Each sphere lives in a world where it must consider and do commerce with the other spheres and God has given clear instruction on the adverbs that should accompany said interactions: gently, kindly, patiently, honestly, etc... And in addition to that, He has also reminded us to mind thine own beeswax. (Romans 14:4, 12–13),
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