God's Word to the Wise

The “power of the sword” (the authority for coercion, force, and punishment) is divinely given only to the civil government (the state), not the church, as explained in Romans 13, establishing two distinct spheres of authority under God, with the state tasked to protect the innocent and restrain evil, while the church handles spiritual matters like sacraments. He emphasized that while governments are instituted by God, they are fallible and accountable, but the church’s role is not to wield state power but to offer prophetic critique when the government oversteps its God-given bounds.