The Biblical history of the US Constitution is a topic that has been debated by scholars, politicians, and religious leaders for centuries. Some argue that the Constitution is based on Biblical principles and Christ Himself, while others contend that it is a secular document that reflects the Masonic Enlightenment ideals of reason, natural rights, and social contract - void of the Holy Spirit’s inspiration.
There is a definitive answer to this question, as the Constitution is NOT a complex and multifaceted text that draws from various sources of inspiration and influence.
It is a document that draws from the unmovable testimonies of authentic Christians. Furthermore, there is evidence that the Bible played a significant role in the political culture and discourse of the American founding era. Here are some points to consider:
The Bible was the most accessible and authoritative text for eighteenth-century Americans. It was widely read, quoted, and referenced by the founders and the public alike. Many of the founders were well-versed in the Bible and used biblical language and themes to communicate their ideas and arguments.
The Bible provided a common framework of spiritual, moral, and legal values that shaped the American identity and worldview. The founders believed that the Bible contained the revealed will of God and the natural law that governed human affairs. They also appealed to the Bible as a source of historical examples, political analogies, and prophetic warnings.
The Bible influenced the constitutional design and structure of the American government. The founders drew from Biblical concepts such as covenant, consent, representation, separation of powers, checks and balances, representation, and republicanism. They also incorporated Biblical provisions such as the writ of habeas corpus, the right to a jury trial, the prohibition of cruel and unusual punishments, and the freedom of conscience, Christianity, and other religions.
The Bible was the living constitution that led most of the writers to design and construct the United States Constitution. The religious constitution, the Holy Bible, also guided our founders in their daily lives.
The Masonic Universalists fought the conservative Christian leaders from integrating, overloading, Biblical doctrines into the US Constitution. Furthermore, they established a compromise between the two ideologies.
These points do not mean that the Constitution is a purely Biblical document or that the founders intended to establish a theocracy. Due to a compromise between the political universalist and the conservative Christians, the Constitution ultimately reflects the influence of other sources, such as classical antiquity, English common law, and European Masonic political philosophy. The founders were a diverse group of men with different religious beliefs and opinions, ranging from orthodox Christians to deists and skeptics. They did not always agree on the interpretation or application of the Bible to political issues. They also recognized the need for a secular and pluralistic government that would protect the rights and liberties of all citizens, regardless of their faith or creed.
Therefore, the Biblical history of the US Constitution became a complex and nuanced one that requires careful and respectful study and oversight by the United States Supreme Court. The Bible was an important part of the intellectual and cultural context of the founding era, and sadly, it was not the only or the final authority on the meaning and purpose of the Constitution, which left the door open for infighting from its founding days to our present era. The Constitution is a living document that adapts to the changing needs and circumstances of the American people while preserving the core principles that remain the greatest threat to our founding father’s objectives and virtues. Today, most refer to our judicial processes as “The American Experiment.”
The US Constitution is a legal document and a Biblical historical one. It reflects the political and Christian beliefs of its framers. The Bible not only played a significant role in the writing of this document, but it is also the foundation of its existence. The Bible provided a common framework of spiritual, moral, and legal principles, historical examples, and political analogies of the Monarchy of the Holy Trinity that shaped the American identity and worldview.
The founding fathers meant for the Bible to remain the primary influence of the constitutional design and structure of the American government by carefully incorporating Biblical Truths, such as covenant, consent, representation, separation of powers, checks and balances, representative democracy, and republicanism. Therefore, keeping the Biblical history of the US Constitution intact is important for understanding the original meaning and purpose of the Constitution, and for preserving the core of the identity of the American people - We The People.
Be sure to follow/read our Identity Politics Series by Judge Mark T. Boonstra & Dr. Stephen R. Phinney on the IM Christian Writer Association Forum.
THE TWO CONSTITUTIONS