Ask the Pastor 84

Should the Church mandate the wearing of masks or vaccinations?

We have already considered the question of obeying the law as long as the law does not order us to compromise our faith. Fortunately, Nebraska is a state that has not chosen to mandate to the churches, but rather to allow religious freedom and to make these decisions themselves. However, during this ongoing stressful time of the “COVID pandemic” there is pressure on the churches to mandate masks and vaccinations. We have not come to the point where it is a decision as to whether we obey God or man, therefore, it is at the discretion of each church. Whereas each church is at liberty to make the decision so too each Christian is at liberty to make the decision for themselves and their family, there are no biblical references to instruct us specifically. There are at least two biblical doctrines that we can use in making our decisions. The first being the doctrine of love whereby out of our love and concern for others we will seek to do all that we can to stop the spread of this virus. This is complicated by the loss of confidence that many feel toward the health care system which has failed to successfully put an end to this pandemic with either instructions or vaccinations. Therefore, there is a question as to whether or not the wearing of a masks or even the vaccinations actually work and are therefore showing love for others. The second doctrine for consideration is that of Christian liberty, in Christ we have liberty to do what seems best for us while yielding to the Holy Spirit according to the Word of God and while being considerate of those weaker in the faith (see I Corinthians 8). Therefore, one person, especially not me, can say what to do specifically. One thing that we can say in encouraging one another is, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (II Timothy 1:7). Do not be fearful, but believing.

Have questions about the Bible? Send them to Dr. Greg Koehn at gak4850@gmail.com and read the answer here in this article.