What is a Biblical law jurisdiction, and how is this concept derived from scripture?/fr
A Biblical law jurisdiction is simply an agreement by a community about how God's law will be interpreted, with respect to its details and application.
Obviously, different people will reach different conclusions about how certain Biblical laws should be interpreted. These often involve issues that affect how civil government should treat (or not treat) certain crimes/sins. Some people, for instance, believe that the Sinai covenant feasts should continue to be observed in some way, and that civil government should somehow enforce observance. Others believe that this is an area of Christian liberty. Some people believe that the Sabbath should still be enforced in some way by civil government, and some (like myself) believe that such enforcement is no longer in the power of civil government (cf. Col. 2:16-17). Some people believe that witnessed acts of adultery should be punished by civil government, and some believe that they should not.
It is impossible for the people on either side of these (and other) issues to live under the same civil government jurisdiction, because their religious viewpoints are irreconcilable. It would also be wrong for anyone to claim that the people holding the majority view should rule over the people with the minority view.
Rather than fight with one another over whose interpretation is correct, we should simply agree to live at peace with one another in separate jurisdictions, each of which applies Biblical law in the way distinctive to our understanding. Perhaps one group will be more correct than another. God will make it clear who is accurately interpreting His word, because that community will thrive, and the others will not.
Paul's admonition to the Corinthians is important:
19 For there also must be factions among you, that those who are approved may be revealed among you. 1 Corinthians 11:19WEB
The explicit Biblical command which authorizes jurisdictions is Exod. 23:2:
2 “You shall not follow a crowd to do evil. You shall not testify in court to side with a multitude to pervert justice. Exodus 23:2WEB
Not following God's law with respect to just civil penalties is, by definition, evil. Instead of following the crowd who are doing evil, you should choose to live within a legal jurisdiction where people do follow Biblical law according to justice.
God himself will reveal whom he approves.
The "United Colonies of New England"
Nous voyons un exemple historique de juridictions chrétiennes dans un traité[1] document appelé "Les articles de la Confédération des colonies unies de la Nouvelle-Angleterre", adopté en 1643:
3. It is further agreed that the Plantations which at present are or hereafter shall be settled within the limits of the Massachusetts shall be forever under the Massachusetts and shall have peculiar jurisdiction among themselves in all cases as an entire body, and that Plymouth, Connecticut, and New Haven shall each of them have like peculiar jurisdiction and government within their limits; and in reference to the Plantations which already are settled or shall hereafter be erected, or shall settle within their limits respectively;
- ↑ Spécifiquement, "une ligue ferme et perpétuelle d'amitié et d'amité pour l'offense et la défense, le conseil mutuel et le secours en toutes occasions justes tant pour préserver et propager la vérité et les libertés de l'Evangile que pour leur propre sécurité et bien-être mutuel"
