Jumpstarter 8 of 10

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Question 8

Wycliffe’s claim, “Nobody in mortal sin is lord of anything,” is presented as directly contrary to Paul’s command to submit to pagan rulers; what picture of God’s sovereignty and God’s control of history is at stake in whether Christians submit, resist, or overthrow rulers, and what “exceptions” do we feel entitled to add to the New Testament?

Another way to ask: What does our response to rulers (obey, resist, or overthrow) say about how we view God’s control over history? What “extra exceptions” do we tend to add to the New Testament’s command to submit to rulers?

Direct Answer Bercot presents Wycliffe’s view as implying Christians may resist or even overthrow rulers deemed sinful, whereas Paul’s teaching assumes Christians submit even when rulers are ungodly—trusting God’s sovereignty over who holds office. The “exceptions” arise when we decide a ruler’s sin cancels our duty to submit.

Support from Transcript:

Wycliffe taught, “Nobody in mortal sin is lord of anything,” meaning a sinful ruler “automatically loses his office,” and subjects “no longer have to obey him.”
Bercot says this is “directly contrary to what the New Testament teaches.”
He gives Paul’s counterexample: “Practically all the Roman emperors lived in mortal sin, but Paul said we were to submit ourselves to them, not overthrow them.”
Bercot warns Wycliffe’s teaching “laid the groundwork for armed revolution” if Christians judged the king sinful or in “the wrong church.”
This ties to Constantinian assumptions: since the state is treated as part of the church system, it becomes something “Christian” people feel responsible to control.

Discussion Follow-ups A hard question the transcript forces: when we carve out “obvious exceptions,” are we following the New Testament or protecting our political instincts? Who gets to decide what level of sin cancels legitimate authority?

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Jumpstarter 8 of 10