Church and State

Passages on this topic

From Nave’s Topical Bible (1896), a historical reference index. The groupings are Nave’s; the verses are shown in the text used across this site.

Ecclesiastical Power Superior to Civil

Appoints kings

• 1 Samuel 10:1 Then Samuel took a flask of oil, poured it on Saul’s head, kissed him, and said, “Has not the LORD anointed you ruler over His inheritance?

Directs administration

• 1 Samuel 15:1–4 Then Samuel said to Saul, “The LORD sent me to anoint you king over His people Israel. Now therefore, listen to the words of the LORD. This is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘I witnessed what the Amalekites did to the Israelites when they opposed them on their way up from Egypt. Now go and attack the…

Reproves rulers

• 1 Samuel 15:14–35 But Samuel replied, “Then what is this bleating of sheep and lowing of cattle that I hear?” Saul answered, “The troops brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the LORD your God, but the rest we devoted to destruction.” “Stop!” exclaimed Samuel. “Let m…

Withdraws support and anoints a successor

• 1 Samuel 16:1–13 Now the LORD said to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have selected from his sons a king for Myself.” “How can I go?” Samuel asked. “Saul will hear of it an…
• 2 Kings 9:1–26 Now Elisha the prophet summoned one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, “Tuck your cloak under your belt, take this flask of oil, and go to Ramoth-gilead. When you arrive, look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. Go in, get him away from his companions, and take him to an inner…
• 2 Kings 11:4–12 Then in the seventh year, Jehoiada sent for the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, and the guards, and had them brought into the house of the LORD. There he made a covenant with them and put them under oath. He showed them the king’s son and commanded them, “This is what you are to do: A third of…

Attempted usurpation of ecclesiastical functions by civil authorities, reproved

• 1 Samuel 13:8–14 And Saul waited seven days for the time appointed by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the troops began to desert Saul. So he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” And he offered up the burnt offering. Just as he finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel arriv…
• 2 Chronicles 26:16–21 But when Uzziah became powerful, his arrogance led to his own destruction. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, for he entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. Then Azariah the priest, along with eighty brave priests of the LORD, went in after him. They took their s…

State Superior to Religion

David, in organizing the priests and Levites in courses, and appointing musicians, instruments, and other details of religious services

• 1 Chronicles 23 When David was old and full of years, he installed his son Solomon as king over Israel. Then he gathered all the leaders of Israel, as well as the priests and Levites. The Levites thirty years of age or older were counted, and the total number of men was 38,000 . “Of these,” said David, “24,000 are… (whole chapter)
• 1 Chronicles 24 These were the divisions of the descendants of Aaron. The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. But Nadab and Abihu died before their father did, and they had no sons; so Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests. With the help of Eleazar’s descendant Zadok and Ithamar’s descendant Ahi… (whole chapter)
• 1 Chronicles 25 Additionally, David and the commanders of the army set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun to prophesy with the accompaniment of lyres, harps, and cymbals. The following is the list of the men who performed this service: From the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asarel… (whole chapter)
• 2 Chronicles 35:4 Prepare yourselves by families in your divisions, according to the instructions written by David king of Israel and Solomon his son.

Solomon, in thrusting Abiathar out of the high priest's office

• 1 Kings 2:26–27 Then the king said to Abiathar the priest, “Go back to your fields in Anathoth. Even though you deserve to die, I will not put you to death at this time, since you carried the ark of the Lord GOD before my father David, and you suffered through all that my father suffered.” So Solomon banished Abia…

Solomon, in overshadowing the ecclesiastical in building the temple, and officiating primarily in the dedication, intercessory or priestly prayer, pronouncing the benediction, etc

• 1 Kings 5:8 Then Hiram sent a reply to Solomon, saying: “I have received your message; I will do all you desire regarding the cedar and cypress timber.

Hezekiah, in reorganizing temple service

• 2 Chronicles 31:2–19 Hezekiah reestablished the divisions of the priests and Levites — each of them according to their duties as priests or Levites — for the burnt offerings and peace offerings, for ministry, for giving thanks, and for singing praises at the gates of the LORD’s dwelling. The king contributed from his o…

Jeroboam, in subverting the Jewish religion

• 1 Kings 12:26–33 Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom might revert to the house of David. If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, their hearts will return to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah; then they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.” After seeki…

Manasseh, in subverting, and afterward restoring, the true religion

• 2 Chronicles 33:2–9 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD by following the abominations of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had torn down, and he raised up altars for the Baals and made Asherah poles. And he worshiped and served…
• 2 Chronicles 33:15–17 He removed the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the LORD, along with all the altars he had built on the temple mount and in Jerusalem, and he dumped them outside the city. Then he restored the altar of the LORD and sacrificed peace offerings and thank offerings on it, and he told Judah t…

Jehoash, in supervising the repairs of the temple

• 2 Kings 12:4–18 Then Joash said to the priests, “Collect all the money brought as sacred gifts into the house of the LORD — the census money, the money from vows, and the money brought voluntarily into the house of the LORD. Let every priest receive it from his constituency, and let it be used to repair any damage…

Ahaz, in transforming the altars

• 2 Kings 16:10–16 Then King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria. On seeing the altar in Damascus, King Ahaz sent Uriah the priest a model of the altar and complete plans for its construction. And Uriah the priest built the altar according to all the instructions King Ahaz had sent from Dama…

Josiah, in exercising the function of the priests in the temple

• 2 Chronicles 34:29–33 Then the king summoned all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. And he went up to the house of the LORD with all the people of Judah and Jerusalem, as well as the priests and the Levites— all the people great and small— and in their hearing he read all the words of the Book of the Covenant that had b…

State Favorable to Religion

Cyrus, in his proclamation to restore the temple at Jerusalem

• 2 Chronicles 36:22–23 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah, the LORD stirred the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to send a proclamation throughout his kingdom and to put it in writing as follows: “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: ‘The LORD, the God of h…
• Ezra 1:1–11 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah, the LORD stirred the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to send a proclamation throughout his kingdom and to put it in writing as follows: “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: ‘The LORD, the God of h…

Darius, in his edict furthering the restoration of the temple

• Ezra 6:1–14 Thus King Darius ordered a search of the archives stored in the treasury of Babylon. And a scroll was found in the fortress of Ecbatana, in the province of Media, with the following written on it: Memorandum: In the first year of King Cyrus, he issued a decree concerning the house of God in Jerusal…

Artaxerxes, in exempting priests, Levites, and other temple functionaries from taxes

• Ezra 7:24 And be advised that you have no authority to impose tribute, duty, or toll on any of the priests, Levites, singers, doorkeepers, temple servants, or other servants of this house of God.

See Government

See Tax