Did Early Christians Believe in Voting?
Early Christian writings do not give a direct, settled rule about voting. They do urge prayer for rulers, respect for authority, and orderly choices, but most passages are about church offices or public order, not elections. A few Bible passages give background on appointing leaders and casting lots, yet they do not clearly answer modern voting questions.
142 early-church witnesses · 254 source quotations · compared with Scripture
What did early Christians believe about voting?
The early Christian writings here do not give a direct, clear teaching about voting as a civic practice. They do show Christians speaking about rulers, public office, lots, and orderly church choices, but most of that is about prayer for leaders, appointment by lot, or choosing church officers rather than voting in elections. The closest match is Arnobius asking, “Do you ever elect magistrates by vote of the people?”, yet that is a passing reference, not a rule for Christians.
A few Bible passages about appointing judges, choosing rulers, and casting lots give background, but they do not settle what early Christians taught about voting. Many more early Christian quotations, Bible passages, and source links are gathered below so you can study the evidence for yourself.
Key Takeaways
- There is no strong early Christian statement that clearly commands or forbids voting.
- Most close passages are about prayer for rulers, appointing leaders, or casting lots, not ballots.
- Arnobius mentions electing magistrates by vote, but only as a passing civic reference.
Questions Answered by the Sources
Did the early Christians teach anything clear about voting?
They did not leave a clear rule about voting as we mean it today. Most of the closest texts talk about prayer for rulers, public order, or choosing church leaders, while Arnobius only mentions electing magistrates as a civic example.
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Arnobius, Against the Heathen Direct teaching
... you still have the people divided into five classes, as your ancestors once did? Do you ever elect magistrates by vote of the people? Do you know what the military, urban, and common comitia are? Do you watch the sky, or stop public business because bad omens are announced? When you are preparing for war, do you raise a flag from the citadel, or carry out the rites of the Fetiales, solemnly demanding the return of what has been taken away? Or when you face the dangers of war, do you also begin to hope because of favorable omens from the points of the spears? When entering office, do you still observe the laws that set the proper times? Regarding gifts and payments to advocates, do you follow the Cincian and sumptuary laws by limiting your expenses? Do you keep fires always burning in dark sanctuaries? Do you consecrate tables by placing saltcellars and images of the gods on them? When you marry, do you spread the couch with a toga and call on the genii of husbands? Do you arrange the hair of brides with the hasta caelibaris? Do you carry the maidens' clothing to the temple of Fortuna Virginalis? Do your married women work in the halls of your houses, showing their diligence ope
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Tertullian, On Idolatry Supporting witness
... to it, he will be regarded as a servant of idolatry. Keeping this rule in mind, we can still serve magistrates and rulers, following the example of the patriarchs and the other forefathers. They obeyed idolatrous kings up to the limit of idolatry. From this, a question has arisen very recently: whether a servant of God should take on the administration of any rank or power, if he is able, either by some special grace or by skill, to keep himself untouched by every kind of idolatry. The examples given are Joseph and Daniel. They remained free from idolatry, yet they held both rank and power, wearing the dress and purple of high office in all Egypt or Babylonia. So then, let us allow that it is possible for someone to carry out any office under the mere title of that office, while neither sacrificing nor giving his authority to sacrifices; not contracting for sacrificial victims; not assigning to others the care of temples; not managing their revenues; not giving public shows at his own expense or at public expense, or presiding over the giving of them; making no proclamation or edict for any festival; not even taking oaths. Moreover, in matters that belong to power, he must not
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Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Supporting witness
and when you have heard them, give your votes holily, endeavouring to make them both friends before the sentence of the bishop, that judgment against the offender may not go abroad into the world;
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Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Supporting witness
And let the principal of the bishops ask the presbytery and people whether this be the person whom they desire for their ruler.
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Polycarp, Connection to Titus 3:1 Supporting witness
for we are taught to give all due honour (which entails no injury upon ourselves) to the powers and authorities which are ordained of God.
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Hermas, Connection to Proverbs 8:13 Background
Fear, therefore, the deeds of the devil, since they are wicked. For, fearing the Lord, you will not do these deeds.
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Theophilus of Antioch, Connection to 1 Timothy 2:2 Supporting witness
Moreover, concerning subjection to authorities and powers, and prayer for them, the divine word gives us instructions, in order that "we may lead a quiet and peaceable life."
More related quotations from this section 15 shown
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Cyprian, Epistles Supporting witness
...the presence of the people, under the eyes of all, and should be approved as worthy and suitable by public judgment and testimony. So in the book of Numbers, the Lord commanded Moses, saying, “Take Aaron your brother and Eleazar his son, and place them on the mountain, in the presence of all the assembly, and strip Aaron of his garments, and put them on Eleazar his son; and let Aaron die there, and be added to his people.” Numbers 20:25-26. God commands that a priest be appointed in the presence of all the assembly. That is, He teaches and shows that the ordination of priests should not be carried out except with the knowledge of the people standing nearby, so that in the presence of the people either the crimes of the wicked may be exposed, or the merits of the good may be made known, and the ordination, having been examined by the vote and judgment of all, may be just and legitimate. And afterward this is observed, according to divine instruction, in the Acts of the Apostles, when Peter speaks to the people about ordaining an apostle in the place of Judas. “Peter,” it says, “stood up in the midst of the disciples, and the multitude were in one place.” We see that this was obse
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Pamphilus, Exposition on the Acts of the Apostles Supporting witness
* in this chapter we have also the section on the substitution of Matthias, who was elected by lot through the grace of God with prayer.
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Acts 26:10 Supporting witness
This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.
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Clement of Rome, Connection to Acts 14:23 Background
For this reason, therefore, inasmuch as they had obtained a perfect foreknowledge of this, they appointed those already mentioned, and afterwards gave instructions.
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Clement of Rome, First Epistle to the Corinthians Background
Both these appointments, then, were made in an orderly way, according to the will of God.
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Ignatius, Epistle to the Philadelphians (Long Version) Background
Since, according to your prayers, and the compassion which ye feel in Christ Jesus, it is reported to me that the Church which is at Antioch in Syria possesses peace, it will become you, as a Church of God, to elect a bishop to act as the ambassador of God [for you] to [the brethren] there, that it may be granted them to meet together, and to glorify the name of God.
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Acts 6:3 Background
Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty.
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Acts 1:26 Background
And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
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1 Chronicles 24:31 Background
These also cast lots just as their brothers the sons of Aaron did, in the presence of King David, Zadok, Ahimelech, and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the priests and Levites. The chief fathers did just as their younger brethren.
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Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book III Background
...hile he served as priest before God according to his division, following the custom of the priest's office, his duty was to burn incense;" and he came to offer sacrifice, "entering into the temple of the Lord." The angel Gabriel, who stands prominently before the Lord, plainly and firmly acknowledged, in his own person, God and Lord, who had chosen Jerusalem and established the priestly office. For he knew no other above Him; since if he had known of any more perfect God and Lord besides Him, he surely would not have confessed Him, whom he knew to be the result of imperfection, as absolutely and entirely God and Lord. Speaking of John, he also says: "For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. He shall go before Him in the spirit and power of Elias, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." For whom, then, did he prepare the people, and in whose sight was he made great? Truly the One who said that John was "more than a prophet," and that "among those born of women, none is greater than John the Baptist," who also prepared the people for the Lord's coming, urging his fellow servants and preaching rep
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1 Timothy 5:21 Background
I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.
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1 Timothy 2:2 Background
For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
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1 Peter 2:13 Background
Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;
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Titus 3:1 Background
Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,
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Romans 13:3 Background
For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:
Common Questions
Did the early Christians talk about voting?
Yes, but mostly in passing. The clearest line is Arnobius asking, “Do you ever elect magistrates by vote of the people?”
Did early Christians vote for church leaders?
The cards here point more to appointment, prayer, and public approval than to voting itself.
Source Index for Voting
The guided sections above show the strongest quotations. This compact index highlights 160 ranked source links from 254 compiled sources for deeper study.
Source index 160 ranked links shown
Early Christian Writings 80 shown of 142
Primary-source quotations from early Christian writers and church documents.
Bible Passages 80 shown of 112
Related Bible passages saved for comparison with the early Christian quotations.
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