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The object of God’s love and the sphere of God’s blessing. God’s people should adopt a positive but critical attitude to, and involvement in society, and should seek to influence it for good, while guarding against its corrupting influence.
The city as a positive image of society Isa 1:26-27 See also Ps 122:6-9; Isa 54:11-14; Heb 11:10,15-16; Rev 21:1-4,22-22:5
The world as the object of God’s love Jn 3:16-17 See also Jn 6:33; 2Co 5:19; 1Jn 4:14; Rev 11:15
They are to seek to be a positive influence Jn 17:15-18 See also Jer 29:7 God’s people, in exile in Babylon, are to seek the welfare of that society, rather than simply long to return home; Mt 5:13-16; 1Co 5:9-10
They are to avoid being corrupted by society’s worldliness Jas 1:27 See also Ro 12:2; Jas 4:4; 1Jn 2:15-17
They do not owe society their ultimate loyalty Jn 17:16 See also Jn 15:19; Heb 13:14; 1Pe 2:11
They are to adopt a positive attitude to society’s properly instituted authorities Ro 13:1-7; Tit 3:1 See also Mt 22:17-21 pp Mk 12:14-17 pp Lk 20:22-25; 1Pe 2:13-17
While being submissive, they are not to give absolute obedience to any merely human authority in society Ac 4:18-20 See also Ac 5:27-29
Da 2:48-49 See also Ge 41:41-49 Joseph; Est 10:1-3 Mordecai; Da 1:1-21 Daniel and his friends
4029 | world, human beings in |
4065 | orderliness |
5219 | authority, human institutions |
5255 | citizenship |
5326 | government |
5359 | justice |
5577 | taxation |
5587 | trade |
5680 | family |
5709 | marriage, purpose |
7446 | slavery |
8243 | ethics, social |