The World for the Church
By Matthew Adams - Posted at Mining the Riches:
Why Ecclesiology Must Constrain Political Theology
Published May 4, 2026
There has been a tremendous amount of attention given to the increasing political instincts that have been voiced in the Reformed Twitterverse (I still struggle to call it X). Therefore, it shouldn’t be surprising to see that many have begun to reshape their ecclesiology by political priorities. Categories like power, influence, coalition-building, and cultural strategy are all important topics to discuss and debate. However, things can begin to become troublesome when we overemphasize political theology in our thinking about the church. When we begin to overemphasize the political sphere, the church is no longer primarily understood as the institution ordained by Christ for the gathering and perfecting of the saints, but as a vehicle for broader societal aims.If we are to think rightly about political theology, we cannot begin with the state, but with Christ. Then we can begin to move from Christ to the Church. Only then are we prepared to understand the role of the civil magistrate.
In other words, my argument is, our doctrine of the church must constrain our political theology, lest we invert the order established by God Himself.
Christ the King: Over All, Yet Especially for His Church
The foundational text for this discussion is Ephesians 1:22–23:
“And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.”
This passage establishes two essential truths. First, Christ is head over all things. There is no realm, whether it be civil, cultural, or personal, that exists outside His authority. Second, and more particularly, He is given as head to the church. His universal dominion is exercised with a special reference to and interest toward His redeemed people.
James Bannerman captures this distinction with precision:
“Christ is Head over all things, but He is Head to the Church in a sense peculiar to itself… the administration of His universal kingdom is subordinate to the interests of His mediatorial kingdom.” 1
Similarly, Stephen Charnock speaks of God’s providence as ordered toward the good of His people:
“All the revolutions in the world, all the changes of governments, are ordered by God for the good of His church.” 2
These are not speculative theological claims. These two giants of the Reformed faith rightly declares that Christ rules the world purposefully, and that purpose is inseparably tied to His bride.
