The Third Temptation: Rethinking the Role of the Church in Politics

by Austin Rogers

When Christ went into the wilderness for forty days, he was tempted by Satan in multiple ways. In the devil's third and final temptation, he offered Christ all the kingdoms of the world in exchange for one momentary compromise of values. Christ denied this temptation, and in so doing, he set an example for Christians of all ages thereafter to follow. The Third Temptation is an exploration of the political theology of the Bible, and especially the implications of Christ's response to the temptation in the wilderness. The book sketches an overarching narrative of a God who wants a relationship of direct authority over His people — and His self-sacrificial quest to reclaim that power. Believers have an important role to play in advancing God's Kingdom on Earth, but that role cannot be fulfilled through the channels of government. The lesson of The Third Temptation is that the church cannot fulfill the gospel by means of the sword, and the government cannot carry out its God-given tasks by means of the cross. "Austin Rogers is a gifted writer whose magnificent prose, profound insights, rigorous logic and impeccable scholarship assure that The Third Temptation is destined to be a classic." —Lawrence W. Reed, president emeritus of the Foundation for Economic Education and author of "Was Jesus A Socialist?" "In an age when many Christians on both sides of the aisle see political power as the ultimate means to fulfill God's purposes on Earth, Austin's examination of why Jesus refused to accept political power when it was offered to him is an urgent call to reimagine the relationship between God and government and what it truly means to follow in the footsteps of Jesus." —Kevin Miller, director of "J.E.S.U.S.A." and "Hellbound?"

372 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 26, 2020

Reviews

[Ross Connors · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredibly inspiring and challenging read. Rogers begins by explaining God’s original goal for humanity and the disruption of this goal by sin. After the fall and the formation of the nation of Israel, the authors of the Bible point out the Israelites desire to have a king and government like the nations around them. Roger points out that while God grants this desire, the totality of Scripture makes clear the very limited role He ordained government and kings to have. Rogers goes on to describe what Jesus meant when proclaiming the Kingdom of God. The purpose of the Kingdom of God, according to Rogers, is to “reestablish God’s authority over His creatures, to reclaim His right to their ultimate loyalty, and to make Him the One in whom they place their trust and hope.” Rogers then contrasts the role of government and the role of the church. In short, “the church exists to draw all people into the Kingdom of God, while the state exists to keep the evil people in society in check.” He concludes the first six chapters by detailing how drastically the church changed during the reign of Constantine and eventual Christianization of the Roman Empire in the fourth century. The latter half of the book outlines how the church should encourage the state to act. Rogers begins by summarizing some general principles before specifically addressing how the church should encourage (or discourage) the state to handle the myriad of issues facing the world today, including the erosion of marriage and family, abortion, culture wars, prosperity/inequality, justice, etc. Finally, Rogers addresses the issues Scripture is silent on like immigration and climate change.

As a Christian living in the US and serving in the military, I was deeply challenged by this book. I failed to realize just how damaging the allure of political power is to God’s Kingdom. Whether you are more conservative or liberal, you are sure to be challenged by Rogers’ arguments. I encourage any follower of Jesus (especially those living in the US) to read this outstanding work.

[Randy McDougal · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is worth buying even if just to read the preface - a fascinating and creative narrative which opened my eyes and brought to life one of the great metaphysical mysteries of history. From there, the author walks through the history of politics and the church in captivating detail, bringing awareness that helps me understand the multiple dimensions of what superficially seemed good or bad, reshaping my thinking. After the narrative and walk through history, I was challenged to rethink at every turn the multitude of current day choices. I'm glad for the questions raised to help me be much more thoughtful in how and why I choose to participate in our world and future.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me, this book was eye-opening and challenged me to carefully think through my own beliefs - spiritually and politically. Rogers carefully researched this book both in the first half as he discusses the history of God's plan from Genesis through the period of the early Church to the history of the United States. In the second half of the book, he discusses the issues we face in our country today - marriage, family, poverty, abortion, culture wars, finance, immigration and more. I'm saddened by how much the church has given over to the government, which can never fulfill the role God has called for believers to fulfill. There were times that I had to stop reading and just think through what he was saying, so don't be daunted by this overwhelming book. He truly challenges the believer to remove their political glasses and see what God's plan is for both the Church and for the government. They are two separate roles and we should all be challenged to resist the third temptation of falling prey to giving up our "power" through God to serve the earthly "power" of government.

"The lesson of the third temptation is that the church cannot fulfill the gospel by means of the sword, and the government cannot carry out its God-given tasks by means of the cross." - Austin Rogers