Letters to the Editor
On, "The Power of Being Apolitical" by Dave Jennings, March 2025.
Read Time: 3 minutes
I recently read your Tidings article (social media post of March 24, 2025) regarding the new political leadership in the world. I wanted to highlight a couple of things. The first is that there are examples in the Bible where Jewish leaders were criticized for their religious and political behavior.
Ancient Israel was primarily a theocratic society, where religious and political leadership were often intertwined. Thus, while Jewish leaders were technically religious leaders, they were also deeply involved in political affairs, law, and governance. One example of this is the “Judgment of Solomon” in 1 Kings 3:16-28, where Solomon had to settle a dispute between two women over the parentage of a son. To the common Jew, their leaders would have been seen as both spiritual authorities and politicians.
There are examples throughout the Bible in which these leaders were criticized, often for their moral failings, but also within the context of their political dealings.
In the Old Testament for example, King Ahab was rebuked by the prophet Elijah for his corrupt political and economic actions in seizing Naboth’s vineyard.
In the New Testament, John the Baptist criticized Herod Antipas, a Jewish ruler under Roman authority, who had divorced his wife and unlawfully married Herodias, the wife of his half-brother Philip. This was both a moral and political scandal, as it involved power struggles within the Herodian dynasty and opposition from religious leaders. Jesus also referred to Herod Antipas as a fox.
As with the other leaders, both the Pharisees and Sadducees held significant political influence in addition to their religious authority. For example, both groups were part of the Sanhedrin, the supreme judicial and legislative body of ancient Israel. Their presence ensured that their interpretations of the law influenced national decisions. Despite their obvious involvement in political matters, Jesus regularly criticized the Pharisees and Sadducees for their behavior, which given their position and stature, was sure to influence the Jewish people.
The Bible repeatedly calls believers to emulate Jesus’ behavior in their daily lives. 1 John 2:6 (NIV) says “Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.” If we are to manifest Christ, this would also include being critical of national leaders, whose behavior, philosophies, and dogma set the tone for the nations that they govern.
That being said, I do not think it is appropriate that Christadelphians regularly engage in such practices, as they are not edifying. There are, however, times when such behavior is appropriate. During World War II, Christadelphians were involved in the KinderTransport, which, while not a vocal criticism of Hitler, was certainly an opposition to his political practices. And there is evidence of people who associated with Christadelphians openly criticizing Hitler for his actions.
Ludwig von Gerdtell, although not a Christadelphian himself, was associated with the German Christadelphian community through lectures organized by Albert Maier in Stuttgart during the late 1920s. Gerdtell was a staunch opponent of Adolf Hitler’s policies from the 1920s and spoke increasingly openly against the Nazis. Today, by many accounts, we see similar behavior by world leaders. This behavior is increasingly horrific, and more than that, the very name of Jesus Christ, and his gospel are increasingly being invoked as a justification and excuse for these actions.
The second point is that, even if one subscribes to the idea of avoiding commentary on world leaders, we also most certainly should not support them. One only has to peruse social media to see the alarmingly high number of Christadelphians who openly and staunchly support the abhorrent actions of these leaders, and sometimes gleefully so. I note that your article made little mention of this aspect.
If we truly believe that we are in the last days, then there is a responsibility to highlight the ungodly behavior of world leadership and encourage as many as possible to learn about the true Gospel message and the salvation that it brings.
A Brother