Early Christians exercised an enormous influence for good within the societies in which they found themselves. For instance, Rodney Stark, an American sociologist of religion, writes that;

Christianity served as a revitalisation movement that arose in response to the misery, chaos, fear, and brutality of life in the urban Greco-Roman world ... Christianity revitalised life in ... cities by providing new norms and new kinds of social relationships able to cope with many urgent problems. To cities filled with the homeless and impoverished, Christianity offered charity as well as hope. To cities filled with newcomers and strangers, Christianity offered an immediate basis for attachments ... To cities torn by violent ethnic strife, Christianity offered a new basis for social solidarity. And to cities faced with epidemics, fires and earthquakes, Christianity offered effective ... services.

Of course, while it is true that Christianity in its purer forms generally ameliorates social conditions, Christians always face a struggle in their engagement with society. There is a consistent tension that every Christian faces, and that is to be in the world but not of it (1 John 2:15).

This is beautifully expressed by an anonymous second-century Christian in The Epistle to Diognetus:

They reside in their respective countries, but only as aliens, they take part in everything as citizens and put up with everything as foreigners. Every foreign land is their home and every home a foreign land. They find themselves in the flesh, but do not live according to the flesh.

This letter provides us with an excellent paradigm for how we are to understand our responsibilities in this present world as disciples of Jesus. While Christians have experienced the power of the age to come, they have not yet arrived in the Promised Land; rather, they live as exiles in a foreign land (1 Pet. 2:11). Christians are a dislocated people who long for an "Eternal City" located in the new heavens and earth (Heb. 13:14).

Since this is so, passages such as Jeremiah 29:6-7 take on special relevance and significance. Here Jeremiah urges the Jewish exiles in Babylon to,

build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.

What is particularly striking about these instructions is that they urge God's covenant people to seek the good of a pagan city. Tim Keller, in his recently produced course, Gospel in Life, has a helpful commentary on this passage. He says that, on the one hand, the Babylonians had an "assimilation policy" where the people were to move into the city so that they would lose their distinctiveness and identity. On the other hand, false prophets like Hananiah tried to persuade the people to remain apart from the city in order to keep their spiritual identity and purity. However, the Lord commanded the prophet Jeremiah to urge the Jews to live in the city without abandoning their identity. Keller says, "In fact, God calls them to move in and serve the city out of their unique spiritual identity." In terms of practical application, there are several lessons for us to learn through their example.

First, life this side of heaven means being involved in a variety of lawful occupations within our communities. Christians are not meant to be an exclusive sect within our communities. We are to live in our communities, shoulder-to-shoulder with our neighbours, and participate in the normal social networks.

Second, we are to seek the welfare of our communities and strive to ensure their prosperity and well-being. This is a call for Christians to be responsible citizens who are known for their unselfish service to the wider society. Christians should be glad to assist in their local neighbourhoods through volunteer services and by involvement in community projects.

What's more, rather than being a distraction or "necessary evil", work itself is a spiritual duty and act of worship (Gen. 2:15; Eph. 6:5-7; Col. 3:22-24 and especially 2 Thess. 3:6-15). This was the great insight of the Protestant Reformation. The reformers believed that there was to be no divide between the "sacred" and the "secular", but that all work was to be done to the glory of God, whether it was performed by the monk or the milk maid (to use Luther's expression).

Further, this mandate extends to the relational dimensions of life as well, such as marriage and the procreation of children. It might sound obvious but these are both good and godly things to pursue (1 Tim. 4:1-4; 1 Cor. 7:2; 1 Tim. 2:15). There is a growing tendency within society and even in the church to see children as a burden rather than a blessing. This is particularly evident in the declining birth rate where even Christian "warriors" have settled to go into battle with fewer "arrows in their quivers" than they might have decided to have in the not-too-distant past (See Psalm 127:3-5).

Finally, the believers living in exile are told by God's prophet to "seek the peace and prosperity of the city" and especially "to pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers then you too will prosper".

It is this particular aspect that is picked up by the apostle Paul in his instructions to his young apprentice Timothy:

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Tim. 2:1-3

What is particularly striking here is Paul's instruction that we are to pray first and foremost for the governing bodies which have been placed in authority over us. Interestingly, Paul makes no distinction between authorities who may be Christian and others who are not, nor does he discriminate between those who are friendly and those who may be hostile.

What is noteworthy in both Jeremiah 29 and 1 Timothy 2 is that this is said to result in the peace and prosperity of the city in which we live, with the apostle Paul linking it directly to the salvation of the unbelieving people around us.

In view of this emphasis in both the Old and New Testaments, it is worthwhile asking the question, "Is prayer for the welfare of our communities a consistent priority in our churches? What's more, is it common place in our own personal prayers to God? I suspect that many Christians have lost this focus when it comes to praying for our leaders. In fact, "knocking down the tall poppy" seems to be one of our worst cultural traits!

I wonder if a large part of our problem in this regard is that we don't really believe that our prayers have any direct and tangible influence over our leaders and their work of policy development and administrative action. A passage such as Proverbs 21:1 provides great encouragement for us at this point: "The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; He directs it like a watercourse wherever He pleases."

In the other major passage within the New Testament which addresses this particular topic (Romans 13:1-7), we are exhorted to do exactly the same type of things but with more detailed application. Paul instructs believers to submit to whatever governing authority we have over us because it has been established by God. To rebel against this authority is to rebel against something that the Lord Himself has instituted. As such, the government is God's servant to do us good if we obey, and to punish us if we do not (see chapter 23 of the Westminster Confession). Practically speaking, this means that we are to pay our taxes, give revenue, offer respect and treat rulers with honor.

All of this is really only a brief sketch of the relationship that a Christian disciple should have to the State. Bruce Winter's Seek the Welfare of the City is a very helpful book which provides illuminating insights into Paul's comments about the common Christian mindset towards pagan society and its rulers. In particular he argues that there was a pervasive "civic mindedness" amongst the members of the early church.

One of the most helpful examples that he adduces from Paul's writings is that of Erastus. In Romans 16:23b we are told that he "is the city's director of public works". Winter explains that this was the ancient honorary office of the aedile. He outlines the responsibilities involved with this office as well as the legitimate public prestige that was associated with it.

What is surprising, though, is that this same figure is mentioned in Acts 19:22 as well as 2 Timothy 4:20. Winter explains the implication as follows:

Erastus was a Christian of substantial financial means, active in two spheres. After he 'ministered to Paul' in Ephesus as part of the apostolic team he was sent into Macedonia to the churches. He subsequently engaged in civic duties in Corinth ... If this is correct, then there was no dichotomy in the thinking of the early church between the gospel/church ministry and seeking the welfare of the city of Corinth as benefactors.

In this regard we are reminded of the ministry of men such as William Wilberforce, Abraham Kuyper and our own John Dunmore Lang. These were all men of vision and extensive social action as well as being committed to political involvement. Under God's good hand they also brought about much needed change and developed administrative structures that aided the good governance of their societies.

The problem today is that we have too narrowly defined what is meant by a "good work", narrowing it down almost entirely to that of preaching and evangelism. Indeed, there is almost a "dualism" operating — if not theologically in our thinking, then definitely in the outworking of our practice — that involvement in the public life of our society is at odds with the ministry of the Word and prayer (Acts 6:4). Surely though, the responsibility to "prepare God's people for works of service" (Eph. 4:12) is larger than just these two things. Our good works should, and indeed must, also overflow into the public sphere. We need men like Daniel and women like Esther who will bear witness to the living God and bring godly influence to bear on the political and social life of our country. It is only when we do this that our society may experience the "peace and prosperity" through which men will be saved and the name of the Lord might be truly glorified.