Jumpstarter 8 of 10

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Question 8

Augustine is quoted saying that even under an ungodly king, “the soldier is innocent because his position makes obedience a duty,” and Bercot calls this a transfer of moral responsibility away from the individual; what does this imply about how God will judge Christians—individually or institutionally—and what modern forms of “I was just following orders” exist outside the military?

Another way to ask: If a soldier is “innocent” just for obeying orders, does God judge Christians mainly as individuals or as part of a system, and what are modern examples of “I was just following orders” outside the military?

Direct Answer Bercot implies God will judge Christians individually, not let them hide behind institutions, roles, or chains of command. Modern “just following orders” shows up anywhere people excuse wrongdoing by appealing to bosses, policies, church leadership, or social expectations.

Support from Transcript:

Augustine’s claim: even if the king’s command is unrighteous, “the soldier is innocent because his position makes obedience a duty.”
Bercot rejects the dual-allegiance solution: “so long as we’re here on earth, the earthly king receives our absolute allegiance,” which Bercot says is “totally unacceptable to Christ.”
He states the alternative: if a command violates Jesus, “it’s the earthly king we must disobey, not our heavenly king.”
He emphasizes personal judgment: “We will stand before the judgment throne individually, not collectively.”
He notes the real-world fruit: Christians have killed “without feeling any moral responsibility…They were just following orders.”

Discussion Follow-ups Where do you most feel the pull to shift responsibility to an institution? What practices in workplaces, families, or churches encourage moral outsourcing rather than personal obedience to Christ?

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