It is increasingly important that we as Christians understand the foundations of our Christian Nation. The essence of sin is to attempt to rewrite history. Our forefathers were fighting to break free from an oppressive king that would not allow them to worship freely. They weren’t trying to protect the government from the church. THEY WERE PROTECTING THE CHURCH FROM THE GOVERNMENT.
Political Scientists have determined that the most frequently cited document surrounding the Constitution was the Bible. 3 branches of government came from Isa 33:22.
Article 3 section 3 paragraph 1 of The Constitution wording from Deut 17:6. Below are 48 references to the Constitution that were derived directly from the Bible. This helps us understand more clearly why statements from Thomas Jefferson, “the Bible is the cornerstone of all liberty,” and George Washington, “it is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.”
The very first Supreme Court Justice, John Jay, said, “Americans should select and prefer Christians as their rulers.”
In 1647 in the state of Massachusetts passed the “Old Deluder Law” “…one chief object of that old deluder, Satan, to keep men from the knowledge of the Scriptures…” The mandates a teacher for any community of 50 families and a school for any community of 100 families.
According to the Delaware Constitution, 1776 – in establishing their new form of government, “Every person appointed to public office shall say ‘I do profess faith in God the Father, and in Jesus Christ His only Son, and in the Holy Ghost, one God, blessed for evermore; and I do acknowledge the Holy Scriptures of the Old and new Testament to be given by divine inspiration.’”
In 1782, the United States Congress voted this resolution: ‘”The Congress of the United States recommends and approves the Holy Bible for use in all schools.”
Abraham Lincoln said, “The philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next.” Let’s look back to the classroom to see what they were teaching.
Of the first 108 universities founded in America, 106 were distinctly Christian, including the first. Harvard University, chartered in 1636.
HARVARD’S original stated purpose for its students was: “To be plainly instructed and consider well that the main end of your life and studies is to know God and Jesus Christ….” SCHOOL OF GOD’S WORD: Student Requirements, “Everyone shall so exercise himself in reading the Scriptures twice a day that he shall be able to give an account of his proficiency therein.”
YALE – SCHOOL OF PRAYER: “Seeing that God is the giver of all wisdom, every student, besides his private and secret prayer, will be present morning and evening for public prayer.”
PRINCETON A full 1/3 of the founding fathers were trained at Princeton University.
What was the philosophy of an institution that produced so many national leaders? Princeton’s fding statement, “Cursed is all learning that is contrary to the cross of Christ.”
The freshman project of each of the founding universities in America was that the student be given a copy of the Greek New Testament and from it make a handwritten translation into English!
Our forefathers believed the Bible to be an instrument of Truth that would hold a Nation on course.
Our founding fathers built our Constitution according to a set of ideas that are unparalleled in the history of the world.
1. Article 1, Section 2 – “No person shall be a representative who shall not have attained to the age of twenty five years.” The age limits which the constitution places upon those wishing to obtain government positions is founded upon the wisdom expressed in Ecclesiastes 10:16 and Isaiah 3:4 in which great woe is pronounced against a nation that is ruled by children.
2. Article 1, Section 2 – “No person shall be a representative who shall not have… been seven years a citizen of the United States.” Under this law all members of the House of Representativesmust be American citizens. This concept of limiting government positions solely to the citizens of a country is based on the example of the nation of Israel. In Exodus 18:21 as well as in Deuteronomy 1:13-15, it is stated that the elders of Israel were elected from among the people.
3. Article 1, Section 2 – “The number of representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty thousand.” The Great Compromise which led to the bicameral legislature of America is foreshadowed by Israel’s own bicameral system. In their system, the elders of Israel stood in the place of the House of Representatives and were likewise apportioned according to the populations of the tribes. Deuteronomy 1:15 reveals that the appointment of the elders of Israel was based upon an enumeration of the members of each tribe.
4. Article 1, Section 2 – “The House of Representatives… shall have the sole power of impeachment.” The power of impeachment has been recognized in Israel since the removal of their first king from office as recorded in I Samuel 13:13-14, and that power was implemented on several occasions recorded in the Old Testament in accordance with the statement in Proverbs 16:12 that “it is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness.” The concept of impeachment is also illustrated in the New Testament in that the church had the authority to remove a pastor from office as explained in Galatians 1:9 and I Timothy 5:19-20.
5. Article 1, Section 3 – “The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two senators from each state.” The second house of our bicameral legislature is also based on the example of Israel. Numbers 1:1-16 presents a list of the princes of Israel which were chosen to stand with Moses as representatives of the people. In contrast to the elders of Israel, each tribe had equal representation among the princes.
6. Article 1, Section 3 – “Two senators from each state, chosen by the legislature thereof.” Though this stipulation was later amended to allow a public election of the senators, the original wording of the Constitution finds its source in God’s direct appointment of the princes of Israel in contrast to the election of the elders as explained in Numbers 1:1-16.
7. Article 1, Section 3 – “No person shall be a senator who shall not have attained to the age of thirty years.” The implementation of an age limit upon senators also has its origin in the pronunciations of Ecclesiastes 10:16 and Isaiah 3:4.
8. Article 1, Section 3 – “No person shall be a senator who shall not have… been nine years a citizen of the United States.” Membership in the Senate is also limited solely to citizens of the United States. In Numbers 1:4, God explained to Moses that the princes of Israel were to be citizens of Israel.
9. Article 1, Section 5 – “Each house shall be the judge of the elections, returns and qualifications of its own members.” Under this section, the members of each house of Congress are declared
immune from the criticism of the other house. This same principle is found in the Scriptures in Paul’s question to the Romans. In Romans 14:4 he asks, “Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant?” and answers, “to his own master he standeth or falleth.”
10. Article 1, Section 5 – “Each house shall keep a journal of its proceedings.” This requirement that congress record all legal proceedings is established on the biblical example of the recorders of ancient Israel. These recorders are mentioned in five Old Testament passages, I Samuel 8:16, I Samuel 20:24, I Kings 4:3, II Kings 18:18 and II Chronicles 34:8.
11. Article 1, Section 6 – “The senators and representatives shall receive a compensation for their services.” The requirement that government officials be paid for their service to their country is directly founded upon the teachings of Scripture. The command, “Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn,” given in Deuteronomy 25:4 is explained in I Corinthians 9:9-14 and I Timothy 5:18 as a command that those who provide a service should receive due compensation for that service.
12. Article 1, Section 6 – “They shall… be privileged from arrest during their attendance at the session of their respective houses.” The legal immunity provided to the members of congress is based on the teaching of Christ in Matthew 12:5 that the priests of Israel were provided immunity from the Sabbath laws so that they could perform the duties of their office unhindered.
13. Article 1, Section 6 – “For any speech or debate in either house, they shall not be questioned in any other place.” This precursor to the freedom of speech provided in the first amendment is based on the teachings of Solomon in Ecclesiastes 7:21-22 and on the prophecy recorded in Isaiah 29:20-21.
14. Article 1, Section 8 – “Congress shall have the power to lay and collect taxes.” The power of the government to collect taxes has been recognized in the Bible from Joseph’s reign in Egypt recorded in Genesis 41 to Christ’s instruction to “render unto Caesar the things which are Caesars” in Matthew 22:17-21 and to Paul’s command that we “render to all their dues” in Romans 13:7.
15. Article 1, Section 8 – “To establish an uniform rule of naturalization.” In accordance with this law, Congress was to provide a single process through which citizenship could be obtained by anyone who wished to become an American. Israel also had a “uniform rule of naturalization” by which any stranger could become a Jew. Their process of naturalization which consisted of circumcision and observance of the Passover is outlined in Exodus 12:48. The Israelites also had a process by which those born in the land would become citizens by birth in the third generation as explained in Deuteronomy 23:7-8. The Church in the New Testament also has a single rule of naturalization for all those who wished to become citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. That rule which consists only of salvation is outlined in Ephesians 2.
16. Article 1, Section 8 – “To establish… uniform laws on the subject of bankruptcies throughout the United States.” Bankruptcies, like naturalization, are to be governed by a single national law. This was also the case in ancient Israel where all bankruptcies were governed by the law given in Leviticus 25 which established the practice of a year of jubilee.
17. Article 1, Section 8 – “To coin money, regulate the value thereof… and fix the standard of weights and measures.” This law is based on the biblical mandate to have a just weight as given in Leviticus 19:35-36, Deuteronomy 25:13-16 and Proverbs 11:1.
18. Article 1, Section 8 – “To establish… post roads.” The permission given to congress to establish post roads was foreshadowed by God’s commandment that the Israelite government establish highways between the six cities of refuge. This commandment, given in Deuteronomy 19:3, provides a biblical precept for a government funded system of roadways.
19. Article 1, Section 8 – “To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries.” The legal basis of America’s copyright system is founded on the biblical teaching that a man should be allowed to live on the fruits of the service which he provides. This principle is explained in I Corinthians 9:9-14 and I Timothy 5:18.
20. Article 1, Section 8 – “To declare war.” The right of governments to declare war is well established in the Bible, and Israel’s right to do so is expressly stated in Numbers 31:3 and Deuteronomy 20:10-12.
21. Article 1, Section 8 – “To… make rules concerning captures on land and water.” This right is also well documented throughout Scripture, but specific instances of its application can be found in Numbers 31:25-31 and I Samuel 3:24.
22. Article 1, Section 8 – “To raise and support armies.” This right stems directly from the right to declare war, and it is founded on God’s instructions to Moses to raise an army from among the Children of Israel in Numbers 31:4-6.
23. Article 1, Section 8 – “To provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the Union.” The power of the government to enforce the law is founded on the explanation given in Romans 13:1-5 that such enforcement is ordained of God for the punishment of evil.
24. Article 1, Section 9 – “The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended.” The right of habeas corpus has been recognized in the Bible from the oldest of its books, for it is the right which Job wished for and which he was granted when he requested that he be provided
with a daysman to stand between him and the judgment of God as recorded in Job 9:33. That right is repeatedly mentioned throughout the Bible including New Testament references in I Timothy 2:5, Hebrews 7:25 and I John 2:1; and it is the core doctrine of Scripture from which the whole of Revelation emanates.
25. Article 1, Section 9 – “No bill of attainder… shall be passed.” This restriction of legislative power is also founded on the Scriptures, for in Deuteronomy 1:17, the judges in Israel were instructed to “hear the small as well as the great”; an instruction which is oft repeated and which when disregarded marked one as an unjust judge as evidenced in Luke 18.
26. Article 1, Section 9 – “No… ex post facto law shall be passed.” According to the Romans 2:12-15, only those who sin in the law are judged by the law: those who do not have the law cannot be judged thereby. This scriptural doctrine is the foundation of the constitutional restriction against ex post facto laws.
27. Article 1, Section 9 – “No preference shall be given by any regulation of commerce or revenue to the ports of one state over those of another.” This law demanding equality on a state level stems directly from the biblical doctrine of individual equality as referenced in Proverbs 28:21 and James 2:1-9, and it follows the example of the mutual respect shared among the twelve tribes of Israel.
28. Article 1, Section 9 – “A regular statement and account of the receipts and expenditures of all public money shall be published from time to time.” This philosophy of accountability is based on the biblical teaching that we must all give an account for our actions as explained in Romans 14:12, Matthew 18:23, Luke 16:1-8 and I Corinthians 4:2.
29. Article 1, Section 9 – “No title of nobility shall be granted by the United States.” The denial of the nobility in America stems directly from the biblical teaching found in Matthew 23:8-10 and Job 32:21 that we are neither to seek after such titles nor to grant them to others.
30. Article 2, Section 1 – “The electors shall meet in their respective states, and vote by ballot… The person having the greatest number of votes shall be the President.” Our Electoral College system is very similar to the election system established in Israel in many aspects. According to II Samuel 5:3, II Chronicles 23:2-3 and many other passages, the kings of Israel were chosen jointly by the elders of Israel and by the congregation as a whole.
31. Article 2, Section 1 – “No person except a natural born citizen… shall be eligible to the office of President.” The requirement that the President of the United States be a natural born citizen is identical to the biblical mandate recorded in Deuteronomy 17:14 that any King of Israel must also be a natural born citizen of that nation.
32. Article 2, Section 1 – “The President shall, at stated times, receive for his services, a compensation.” The presidential compensation is based on the teaching to not muzzle the ox which treadeth the corn as explained in I Corinthians 9:9-14 and I Timothy 5:18.
33. Article 2, Section 1 – “Before he enter on the execution of his office, he shall take the following oath or affirmation: – ‘I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will… preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.’” The terms of the presidential oath are nearly the same as those outlined for the kings of Israel in Deuteronomy 17:18-20. Those kings, like the President, were required to preserve and protect the law of the land.
34. Article 2, Section 2 – “The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States.” The position of Commander in Chief has been long recognized as one of the responsibilities of the head of state, and that recognition is not without mention in the Scriptures. From Moses to Joshua to David, the Bible always places the responsibility of the nation’s armed forces on the shoulders of its leader. This great responsibility was acknowledged publicly in I Samuel 8:20 when the Children of Israel first chose to have a king.
35. Article 2, Section 2 – “He shall nominate, and by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall appoint ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls, judges of the Supreme Court, and all other officers of the United States.” The power herein granted to the President to make nominations is founded on a similar practice of kings of Israel as it is evidenced in I Kings 4:1-19.
36. Article 3, Section 1 – “The judicial power of the United States shall be vested in one Supreme Court, and in such inferior courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish.” The judicial system of America is securely established on the biblical model of the courts of Israel as described in Deuteronomy 1:16-17 and Deuteronomy 16:18-20.
37. Article 3, Section 1 – “The Judges, both of the Supreme and inferior courts, shall hold their offices during good behaviour.” The requirement that judges maintain good behavior is based on an identical command given to the judges of Israel in Deuteronomy 16:20.
38. Article 3, Section 1 – “The Judges… shall, at stated times, receive for their services a compensation.” This law establishing payment for our Judges is founded on the biblical teaching of I Corinthians 9:9-14 and I Timothy 5:18.
39. Article 3, Section 2 – “The trial of all crimes, except in cases of impeachment, shall be by jury.” The right to a trial by jury is also predicated on the example of Israel. Israel’s reliance on a jury system can be found in both Numbers 35:24-26 and Joshua 20:6.
40. Article 3, Section 3 – “Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies.” This definition of treason was a precursor to the
freedom of speech which was later to be expressly granted by the first amendment. It is based on the teachings of Solomon in Ecclesiastes 7:21-22 and on the prophecy recorded in Isaiah 29:20-21.
41. Article 3, Section 3 – “No person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act.” This law is nearly identical to that given by Moses in Deuteronomy 17:6 and Deuteronomy 19:15 which also required the testimony of at least two witnesses for convictions.
42. Article 4, Section 1 – “Full faith and credit shall be given in each state to the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state.” The full faith and credit clause of the Constitution is based on God’s instruction to Israel to have one manner of law within their borders as explained in Leviticus 24:22 and Exodus 12:49.
43. Article 4, Section 2 – “The citizens of each state shall be entitled to all privileges and immunities of citizens in the several states.” This guarantee of privileges stems directly from an application of the scriptural principle of the body of Christ as explained in I Corinthians 12:12-26.
44. Article 4, Section 2 – “A person charged in any state with treason, felony, or other crime, who shall flee from justice, and be found in another state, shall on demand of the executive authority of the state from which he fled, be delivered up.” This cooperation between states in matters of extradition is founded on the instructions given in Deuteronomy 19:11-12.
45. Article 6 – “All debts contracted and engagements entered into, before the adoption of this Constitution, shall be as valid against the United States under this Constitution.” The decision to honor all the debts accrued under the previous government system was made in recognition of the biblical command given in Ecclesiastes 5:4-5 to “pay that which thou hast vowed.”
46. Article 6 – “The Constitution, and all laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof… shall be the supreme law of the land.” This recognition of a supreme law of the land is based on the same recognition given by Israel to the Law of God. According to Deuteronomy 4:2, Deuteronomy 17:18-20 and Proverbs 30:6, the Law given by Moses superseded all laws which may be given by men.
47. Article 6 – “No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.” As strange as it might sound, the prohibition against the use of a religious test is also founded on the Bible; for in the laws concerning the choosing of a king given in Deuteronomy 17:14-20; in the laws concerning the election of elders given in Deuteronomy 1:13 and Exodus 18:25; in the laws concerning the appointment of the princes given in Numbers 1:1-16; in all the Law of God, there is not one religious test given as a requirement for holding office.
48. Article 7 – “In the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and Eighty seven and of the Independence of the United States of America the Twelfth.” The concluding line of the Constitution of the United States of America contains direct recognition of its Christian foundation, for in this line our founding fathers publicly recognized the Christian God as their Lord. It is often argued that this line is nothing more than the standard dating method of the day, but a recognition of two facts will successfully assuage such empty accusations – first that the dates given in the Barbary treaties demonstrate that reference to the year of our Lord was strictly limited to those nations who considered themselves to be Christian and second that the use of an additional dating system based on our nation’s independence reveals that the founding fathers were not in any way required to use a uniquely Christian dating system.
State Constitutions consistently reference faith in God:
Alabama 1901, Preamble. We the people of the State of Alabama … invoking the favor and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish the following Constitution …
Alaska 1956, Preamble. We, the people of Alaska, grateful to God and to those who founded our nation and pioneered this great land …
Arkansas 1874, Preamble. We, the people of the State of Arkansas, grateful to Almighty God for the privilege of choosing our own form of government …
California 1879, Preamble. We, the People of the State of California, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom …
Colorado 1876, Preamble. We, the people of Colorado, with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of Universe …
Connecticut 1818, Preamble. The People of Connecticut, acknowledging with gratitude the good Providence of God in permitting them to enjoy …
Delaware 1897, Preamble. Through Divine Goodness all men have, by nature, the rights of worshipping and serving their Creator according to the dictates of their consciences …
Florida 1885, Preamble. We, the people of the State of Florida, grateful to Almighty God for our constitutional liberty … establish this Constitution …
Georgia 1777, Preamble. We, the people of Georgia, relying upon protection and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish this Constitution …
Hawaii 1959, Preamble. We, the people of Hawaii, Grateful for Divine Guidance … establish this Constitution …
Idaho 1889, Preamble. We, the people of the State of Idaho, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings …
Illinois 1870, Preamble. We, the people of the State of Illinois, grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy and looking to Him for a blessing on our endeavors …
Indiana 1851, Preamble. We, the People of the State of Indiana, grateful to Almighty God for the free exercise of the right to chose our form of government …
Iowa 1857, Preamble. We, the People of the State of Iowa, grateful to the Supreme Being for the blessings hitherto enjoyed, and feeling our dependence on Him for a continuation of these blessings … establish this Constitution …
Kansas 1859, Preamble. We, the people of Kansas, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious privileges … establish this Constitution …
Kentucky 1891, Preamble. We, the people of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberties …
Louisiana 1921, Preamble. We, the people of the State of Louisiana, grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberties we enjoy …
Maine 1820, Preamble. We the People of Maine … acknowledging with grateful hearts the goodness of the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe in affording us an opportunity … and imploring His aid and direction …
Maryland 1776, Preamble. We, the people of the state of Maryland, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious liberty …
Massachusetts 1780, Preamble. We…the people of Massachusetts, acknowledging with grateful hearts, the goodness of the Great Legislator of the Universe … in the course of His Providence, an opportunity … and devoutly imploring His direction …
Michigan 1908, Preamble. We, the people of the State of Michigan, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of freedom … establish this Constitution …
Minnesota, 1857, Preamble. We, the people of the State of Minnesota, grateful to God for our civil and religious liberty, and desiring to perpetuate its blessings …
Mississippi 1890, Preamble. We, the people of Mississippi in convention assembled, grateful to Almighty God, and invoking His blessing on our work …
Missouri 1945, Preamble. We, the people of Missouri, with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, and grateful for His goodness … establish this Constitution …
Montana 1889, Preamble. We, the people of Montana, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of liberty … establish this Constitution …
Nebraska 1875, Preamble. We, the people, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom … establish this Constitution …
Nevada 1864, Preamble. We the people of the State of Nevada, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom … establish this Constitution …
New Hampshire 1792, Part I. Art. I. Sec. V. Every individual has a natural and unalienable right to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience …
New Jersey 1844, Preamble. We, the people of the State of New Jersey, grateful to Almighty God for civil and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing on our endeavors …
New Mexico 1911, Preamble. We, the People of New Mexico, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of liberty …
New York 1846, Preamble. We, the people of the State of New York, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, in order to secure its blessings …
North Carolina 1868, Preamble. We the people of the State of North Carolina, grateful to Almighty God, the Sovereign Ruler of Nations, for … our civil, political, and religious liberties, and acknowledging our dependence upon Him for the continuance of those …
North Dakota 1889, Preamble. We, the people of North Dakota, grateful to
Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, do ordain…
Ohio 1852, Preamble. We the people of the state of Ohio, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings and to promote our common …
Oklahoma 1907, Preamble. Invoking the guidance of Almighty God, in order to secure and perpetuate the blessings of liberty … establish this …
Oregon 1857, Bill of Rights, Article I. Section 2. All men shall be secure in the Natural right, to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their consciences …
Pennsylvania 1776, Preamble. We, the people of Pennsylvania, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, and humbly invoking His guidance …
Rhode Island 1842, Preamble. We the People of the State of Rhode Island … grateful to Almighty God for the civil and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing …
South Carolina, 1778, Preamble. We, the people of the State of South Carolina … grateful to God for our liberties, do ordain and establish this Constitution …
South Dakota 1889, Preamble. We, the people of South Dakota, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious liberties … establish this Constitution
…
Tennessee 1796, Art. XI.III. That all men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their conscience …
Texas 1845, Preamble. We the People of the Republic of Texas, acknowledging, with gratitude, the grace and beneficence of God …
Utah 1896, Preamble. Grateful to Almighty God for life and liberty, we … establish this Constitution …
Vermont 1777, Preamble. Whereas all government ought to … enable the individuals who compose it to enjoy their natural rights, and other blessings which the Author of Existence has bestowed on man …
Virginia 1776, Bill of Rights, XVI … Religion, or the Duty which we owe our Creator … can be directed only by Reason … and that it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian Forbearance, Love and Charity towards each other…
Washington 1889, Preamble. We the People of the State of Washington, grateful to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution …
West Virginia 1872, Preamble. Since through Divine Providence we enjoy the blessings of civil, political and religious liberty, we, the people of West Virginia … reaffirm our faith in and constant reliance upon God …
Wisconsin 1848, Preamble. We, the people of Wisconsin, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, domestic tranquility …
Wyoming 1890, Preamble. We, the people of the State of Wyoming, grateful to God for our civil, political, and religious liberties … establish this Constitution …