“Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.” -Mishlei (Proverbs) 3:5-6 With the recent introduction of vaccine passports in Aotearoa, New Zealand and the corresponding lifting of lockdown restrictions regarding restaurants, public meetings etc. Faith communities are being asked to refuse unvaccinated members entry to meetings. This political decision has fueled further division between members and leaders of faith communities over the ethical, moral and theological implications of discriminating against believers within the faith community based on their health care choices.
I have been asked my view on this matter, and having prayerfully considered this new development I have written the following article for those of you who are interested. The article addresses the issue as it stands at the present time and keeping in mind that the data available to date regarding the covid-19 pandemic and the associated vaccinations is far from exhaustive. In the past quarantines and vaccination have played a big role in reducing deaths during epidemics, and while to some extent these same mechanisms have been helpful in addressing the covid-19 pandemic, they have not been as successful as many might have hoped. Yeshua teaches the principle that where God’s law is not compromised, we are to honor governing authorities to the best of our ability because ultimately all things belong to God (Mark 12:17). Rav Shaul (Paul the Apostle) in his letter to the Romans chapter 13, teaches believers to keep the reasonable laws put in place by moral rulers because those “who do what’s right” have nothing to fear from moral rulers. However, an extremely popular misinterpretation of Romans 13 has led many to believe that with very few exceptions believers must always obey the governing authorities. In spite of the fact that in many cases obeying certain government legislation means breaking the Law of God (Biblical morality). In practical terms for example, a Pastor who believes based on the clear teaching of Scripture that same sex marriage is an aberration, would nonetheless, based on the misinterpretation of Romans 13, and due to the current marriage laws in many western countries, be required to marry a same sex couple contrary to the Law of God, and this in order to supposedly obey the Word of God according to the misinterpretation of Romans 13. The poor logic employed in order to reach this conclusion is self-evident. In fact, Romans 13 gives a very clear qualifier for what kind of governing bodies are to be obeyed, they are those rulers who “hold no terror for those who do right” (v.3). The moral imperative to do right determines whether a government should be obeyed or disobeyed. In the case of governing bodies that impose Biblically immoral law, it is the governing body that is in rebellion, and thus, the perceived rebellion of those who choose to keep God’s law is not rebellion at all. After all, Romans 13 reminds us that the governing bodies to be obeyed pose no threat to those “who do right” (v.3), and that a further measure of a government’s legitimate standing is that of the redeemed conscience of the believer (v.5). In other words, if a government is honouring the basic universal morality of God’s Law it is a government that should be obeyed. Governments that are to be obeyed are those who are “agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer” (v.4). We note that Paul is a devout Jewish believer who is using terms that reflect the traditional language of first century Torah (including TaNaKh) centric Biblical Judaism. The Biblical definition of a wrong doer is someone who breaks God’s Law. When a government breaks God’s Law it is the government that is the wrong doer and based on its legislating of wrong doing disqualifies itself as a government that should be obeyed (with regard to a specific immoral legislation, not generally speaking). In such instances believers are obligated by the wider edicts of Scripture to refuse to obey any law that seeks to either compel believers to sin or prevent believers from doing what is right. As Romans 13:3 states, the government should hold no “fear for those who do right”. That being said the question remains, is it right to refuse unvaccinated believers’ entry to faith community gatherings? Some spiritual leaders say, “We must refuse unvaccinated people entry because if we allow them entry, they are at greater risk of contracting and possibly dying from the covid-19 virus and or one of its new variants” (It appears to be the case that unvaccinated people are at greater risk). These leaders claim that it is the duty of Biblical believers to protect the unvaccinated by keeping them out of community gatherings. This logic says that “Love your neighbor as yourself” means “Love your neighbor enough to protect him from his poor choice”. One of the many problems with this logic is that by disallowing unvaccinated people entry to community gatherings we are in fact not ensuring their safety at all. In fact, those who are firmly decided that vaccination is not an effective answer to the current pandemic are so adamant that they are by and large not abiding by government health department guidelines, nor do they have any intention of doing so, meaning that they are already gathering in larger numbers, mixing with other groups who share their views and are certain in their own minds of the Biblical reasoning behind their opposition to vaccination. Put simply, they will eventually contract covid-19 regardless (as will the vast majority of us at some point). Are the unvaccinated a danger to vaccinated people in the community? According to the latest data both unvaccinated and vaccinated people can pass on the covid-19 virus and its variants to others. The claim of vaccination proponents is that vaccination reduces the risk of severe symptoms and in many cases prevents death (in many cases, not all), and aids in the development of herd immunity (which is evidenced in the cases of a number of historical epidemics). Those who believe vaccination has efficacy must also accept that they are in no more danger of contracting the virus from an unvaccinated person than they are of contracting it from a vaccinated person. This makes the position of those who refuse entry to unvaccinated people untenable. They are in fact, neither protecting the vaccinated or the unvaccinated by doing so. Some say that “If a Spiritual leader allows entry to an unvaccinated person and that person contracts covid-19 and dies, the spiritual leader in question is culpable”. There are several reasons why this is contrary to both Scripture and sound reason. First, this suggestion requires no accountability from the unvaccinated person for their decision not be vaccinated. The Scriptures teach that we will all give an account before God for our decisions both good and bad, at the judgement (Rom. 14:12). Spiritual leaders are responsible to teach sound doctrine, and give godly direction and warning (Eze. 3:16-21). They are not responsible for the individual decisions of believers within the faith community. Second, there has been a wealth of information given to believers regarding the efficacy of vaccination. Those who have refused vaccination have done so in spite of this. Blood guilt is determined by a failure to warn. All have been warned. Therefore, it is the unvaccinated person who is culpable in this scenario. If in fact the anti-vaccination position is wrong (a matter that is up for debate given that covid-19 vaccination efficacy is yet to be conclusively proven). Should we therefore refuse an unvaccinated person entry to a faith gathering over an amoral decision not to be vaccinated? The Bible teaches neither in favor of nor against vaccination (except when the Scripture is misinterpreted, decontextualized or misapplied). Are we concerned with physical things only, or with spiritual matters also? Those who become disenfranchised are vulnerable to false doctrine which grows in the soil of isolation (the history of the faith community teaches us this). If we deny our spiritual obligation to the unvaccinated person in order to enforce a law that has unproven efficacy and in doing so disobey the command not to forsake the gathering together of believers (Heb. 10:25), we are certainly culpable, indictable for a greater sin. Of course, asking believers to quarantine for periods of time in order to prevent the spread of a communicable disease is a Biblical principle (Lev. 13:46; Num. 5:2), although nothing remotely similar to the covid-19 virus is addressed explicitly in Scripture. I am not speaking of temporal quarantines but of ongoing discrimination related to a virus that has not responded to our attempts to mitigate its effect on society. Woke Jesus might say “Wherever two or more vaccinated people are gathered in My Name, there I am in the midst of them”, but Yeshua Himself uses no such a qualification (Yes, I understand that covid-19 was not a concern in the first century C.E. however, the principle applies). If we are unsure how to proceed, we would be wise to lean in the direction of the King Messiah Who did not refuse contagious people but touched them in order to heal them (Yes, I’m aware that leprosy is not covid-19, however, the principle applies). Furthermore, after having read numerous articles by both those who are for and those against allowing unvaccinated people entry into faith community gatherings, I have noted that aside from the flippant use of “love thy neighbor as thyself” not one of the many articles I’ve read give any kind of sound Scriptural support for their respective positions. Primarily this issue is being decided by Spiritual leaders based on human intellect, philosophical and ethical concerns, personal experiences, political bias, democratic process (many denominations practice the non-Biblical model of democratic governance), and so on. I believe that the reason for this is that any Scriptures used to promote one view can also be easily employed to affirm the other. “Love thy neighbor as thy self” for example can be easily used by both sides of the debate. One says “It’s not loving to allow unvaccinated people in” and the other says “It’s not loving to refuse them entry”. I have observed that the sin of pride is present in both the vaccinated and the unvaccinated. On the one hand the vaccinated person says “Why is my simple-minded brother not able to see that vaccination is important?” While the anti-vaxxer says “Why does my secular minded brother not see that vaccination is evil?”. Both are in error! Scripture admonishes those with greater understanding to carry weaker brothers and sisters of faith (Rom. 15:1-2), and further admonishes all believers to show love for one another (Rom. 12:10; Matt. 7:12; Phil. 2:3-4). The real issue for the community of faith is being missed entirely. Division in the body over amoral issues like vaccination is the ultimate evil here (Rom. 16:17). Given that the efficacy of covid-19 vaccinations is yet to be proven, and that both vaccinated and unvaccinated people can pass on the virus to others, and given that by far the majority of the world’s governments are slowly concluding that the covid-19 pandemic and its subsequent variants are something we will have to learn to live with for the foreseeable future and therefore have accepted that people will continue to contract the virus and in some cases die from it, we are faced with a decision over whether to enable division in the body of believers over an amoral issue, or to accept that we disagree and have the courage to remain one regardless of the inevitable outcomes (Heb. 10:25). Or are we of the fallen world, willing to do anything, even that which is Biblically immoral, in order to try and escape the death that is the inevitable result of this temporal sin affected life? The cause of much of our disagreements over this issue is ungodly fear. Some, out of fear, have put their trust in the vaccine to deliver them from death, others also out of fear, have put their trust in the misinformation of antivaxx conspiracy theorists. In either case when our trust is placed not in God but in something or someone else, we become idolaters (Psalm 112:7; Prov. 3:5-6; Jer. 17:7-8). A healthy fear of physical death is godly. God has created the human body for life and death is the progeny of sin (idolatry), it should be detested. “Do not put the Lord your God to the test” (Deut. 6:16; Matt. 4:7; Lk. 4:12) is seen in practice as an admonishment to respect healthy fear. For example, to listen to the healthy fear of falling, a physiological response of the human body when standing near the edge of a canyon, is God honoring. If vaccination is not anti-Biblical and may help protect us, we should exercise healthy fear and be vaccinated, but we are trusting God and not vaccination. However, given the many unknowns concerning the covid-19 pandemic and the vaccinations, it is not healthy fear that we are exhibiting but a fear of the unknown. As believers we are taught by Scripture to entrust our anxiety over the unknown to God (Philippians 4:6-8). We are further taught that holding onto fear of the unknown is sin (Jeremiah 1:17; Psalm 139:23-24; Matt. 6:25-27, 34; 1 John 4:18). To fear God is an end to fear (Prov. 3:5-6). Therefore, we are all rebuked, both the vaccinated and the anti-vaxxer alike (James 4:11-12). “Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.” -Romans 14:4 (NASB) Covid-19 is not the enemy, nor is vaccination, nor un-vaccination, nor government, nor the temporal and rapidly passing things of this age. The enemy we face in making this decision is the satanic emissary named Division. “Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them.” -Titus 3:10 NIV Conclusion: Whatever we decide as leaders and congregants, ultimately every one of us will give an account before God of our decision. With that in mind we would be wise to consider both the physical and spiritual ramifications of our decisions. Having prayerfully weighed the many arguments for and against allowing unvaccinated people entry into faith community gatherings I have concluded that to refuse entry is contrary to the meta-narrative of God’s redemptive purpose as outlined in Scripture, and is in opposition to the Gospel of the King Messiah Yeshua as prophesied in the TaNaKh (OT) and recorded in the HaBrit HaChadashah (NT). It is further in direct violation of the command of Hebrews 10:25. Those who wish to are of course free to refrain from gathering for the duration of the pandemic (many communities now stream their meetings online in order to cater for the vulnerable), however, there will always be something that will prevent people from meeting, and there are numerous other real and perceived dangers currently preventing members of our wider communities from being part of faith family. These dangers simply lack the P.R. machine of the covid-19 virus. Those who desire kinetic fellowship, whoever they are (providing they are not seeking to disrupt the community), should be afforded the opportunity to attend community meetings regardless of vaccination status. Social distancing and other precautions can be taken to mitigate the differences of opinion but ultimately it is the issue of our Biblical obligation to be one in sound, core doctrine that needs to be addressed. We will always disagree on non-essential doctrines, medical, social, cultural and political issues. None of these disagreements should result in the kind of division we are now seeing unfold in the body of believers both locally and internationally. Vaccinated believers should consider how they might feel were a law to be passed that refused vaccinated believers entry to faith gatherings (the reasoning might be, “You could still infect the unvaccinated who are at greater risk than you, therefore you should stay home!”). And those antivaxxers who have nothing but decontextualised Scripture and conspiracy theories as reasons for refusing the vaccine should reconsider vaccination for their own good and the good of the faith community. None of us are blameless. We are called to repent and gather together in godly unity. We can do this in smaller groups, we don’t need buildings, buildings are not Church, we are. The current climate has afforded us opportunity for godly transformation, an opportunity to return to a right understanding of Church, the gathering of believers (ecclesia). Buildings, what of buildings? They will pass away. Zoom meetings? Live streams, what of Zoom meetings and live streams? They too will pass away. But the ecclesia, the body of believers, the Church of Messiah Yeshua will remain, vaccinated or not. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.” -Mishlei (Proverbs) 3:5-6 Copyright 2021 Yaakov Brown Comments are closed.
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Yaakov BrownFounder of the Beth Melekh International Messiah Following Jewish Community, Archives
December 2024
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