The Kingdom Over All

Living as a Christian Anarchist in a World of Power

“My kingdom is not of this world,” Jesus told Pilate (John 18:36).

When I first started following politics and having my identity formed I would have never guessed that these words of Jesus would have influenced me as much as they have.

By wrestling with Scripture, learning from thinkers like N.T. Wright, Scot McKnight, and Matthew Bates, and even grappling with libertarian ideas from Ron Paul and Tom Woods, I’ve started to wear the label of Christian Anarchist. It certainly wasn’t a label I sought, but it captures the conviction I have that the Kingdom of God stands above every human political system. A Christian Anarchist trusts love and discipleship—not coercion—to change the world. 

Here’s what that looks like for me, and why it matters.

The Kingdom Beyond Politics

As Wright, McKnight, and Bates remind us, Jesus’ Kingdom isn’t about seizing power or reforming governments. It’s about proclaiming a new way of being human, rooted in allegiance to King Jesus. In Salvation by Allegiance Alone, Bates calls us to pledge loyalty to Jesus as King—not to nations, parties, or ideologies. This thought resonates deeply with the way I was raised, where free will and personal devotion to Jesus were foundational ideas of living a life of faith.

It is crucial to remember that the Kingdom is not an earthly political program; it is a spiritual reality breaking into the world through the transformed lives of those who have given their allegiance to Jesus.

We need to be aware that the world tempts us to use God’s Kingdom to energize these human systems. This is where I believe movements like Christian Reconstructionism miss the point. Imposing biblical law on society simply replaces one form of coercion with another. Earthly political systems are unable to do two very important things. First, they are unable to show mercy, because they are built and rules and regulations.  Second, they are unable to change the human heart, that is one of the critiques the New Testament offers of the Old Testament Law. God’s Law is able to teach us what is right and wrong, but it is unable to transform people for the Kingdom, only the blood of Jesus and the Holy Spirit can do that. Therefore, the Kingdom of God stands apart, inviting us to live differently, not to rule over others (Matthew 20:25–26).

Discipleship and Love as the Way Forward

So how do we influence the world? Jesus’ answer is simple but radical: make disciples and love others (Matthew 28:19–20; John 13:34–35).

This isn’t about passing laws or winning culture wars. It’s about living the Sermon on the Mount—loving enemies, serving the least, and embodying a countercultural community like the early church. Rodney Stark’s The Rise of Christianity paints a compelling picture of a movement that changed the world through care, generosity, and forgiveness.

That doesn’t mean I embrace communalism. Versions of Christian communalism often downplay individual agency, which I believe is God-given blessing. Influenced by thinkers like Tom Woods, I think free markets—when guided by Christian ethics—as one way to honor freedom and stewardship. Voluntary exchange, personal responsibility, and private charity can reflect Kingdom values without coercion.

In this world I still live pragmatically—paying taxes, sometimes voting—but my true allegiance is to King Jesus. One of the ways this allegiance shows up in my life is trusting the Biblical call to love, make disciples, and pray as the way for the Kingdom to expand in the world.

Freedom Without Coercion

For me, Christian Anarchism means rejecting coercion in all its forms. All Governments use coercion, and that is true for theocratic versions of government as well. These are seen in the type of government  that the likes of Joel Webbon or Doug Wilson advocate. These guys imagine a society shaped by biblical laws and punishments and top-down reform. That feels more like the kingdoms of this world dressed in Scripture, and far removed from Jesus washing His disciples’ feet (John 13:1–17).

On the other side, I appreciate Shane Claiborne’s call to radical community, but I’m wary of the suspicion toward property and markets. Along with that, I sympathize with his call to non-viol and pacifism, I believe following the Non-Aggression Principle offers us the best way to love both our enemies and friends. 

In my mind both extremes—statist control or enforced communalism—undervalue the freedom God entrusts to individuals.

Instead, I envision disciples as representatives of King Jesus, living in freedom: running businesses with integrity, serving neighbors without bureaucracy, and proclaiming the Gospel through love. We don’t need to dismantle systems overnight—we need to build communities that show there’s a better way. As McKnight reminds us, the Gospel is about King Jesus reigning now. Our task is to invite others into that reign, not to force it.

A Call to Live the Kingdom Now

Right now, with political division and cultural noise louder than ever, the temptation to grab power—through laws, votes, or ideology—is strong. But Jesus calls us to a different way: to make disciples, to love even our enemies,  to pray for everyone, and to live freely under His lordship.

For me, Christian Anarchism means saying no to every system that demands my allegiance (we can’t serve two masters), and saying yes to a Kingdom that transforms through grace, forgiveness, and love. Let’s build communities where love is our law, freedom is our gift, and Jesus is our King.

That’s the revolution worth living for.

Paul’s Ponderings is a blog dedicated to reflecting on Scripture and encouraging believers to live out their faith with love and purpose.

King Jesus Above All: The Case for Christian Anarchy

 

The Radical Call of King Jesus

Ponder these questions:

• What if following Jesus means something far more radical than we’ve been led to believe?
• What if His call to “Seek first the kingdom of God” (Matthew 6:33) requires us to reject the world’s obsession with power, control, and coercion altogether?
• What if we get our cues about how to engage in politics from our culture rather than from Scripture?

My core belief about what it means to be a Christian is this: As disciples of King Jesus, our ultimate allegiance is to him and his kingdom. 

This allegiance often puts us at odds with the structures and systems of the world. It even puts us at odds with what we’ve been taught about faith and politics. For some disciples of Jesus (myself included), this radical commitment to Jesus has led them to embrace a perspective known as Christian Anarchy. 

It’s unfortunate that the term “anarchy” conjures images of chaos and rebellion. True Christian Anarchy is something entirely different than the Molotov Cocktail-throwing people that usually pop into your mind when you hear the word anarchy. Christian Anarchy is not about promoting lawlessness; rather, it’s about proclaiming and living out our allegiance to the King of kings above all earthly authorities.

What Is Christian Anarchy? An Allegiance to King Jesus

It’s worth repeating that Christian Anarchy is not about chaos, lawlessness, or rejecting all forms of authority. Instead, it’s the radical commitment to see King Jesus as the sole and rightful ruler over all aspects of life. It’s a pledge of allegiance to Jesus alone (Matthew 6:24). This allegiance challenges the legitimacy of coercive power structures—those that rely on force or threats, like taxation backed by imprisonment or laws enforced with violence—by insisting that the way of Jesus—marked by love, peace, humility, and self-sacrifice—stands in direct opposition to the world’s systems of control and domination.

At its core, Christian Anarchy is a declaration that our highest allegiance belongs to King Jesus and his kingdom, which operates on entirely different principles than those of earthly governments. As Jesus declared, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). His reign is not enforced through violence or political power, but through the transformative power of his love and truth.

For some, like myself, this vision draws not only from Scripture but also from the Anarcho-Capitalist ideas of thinkers like Murray Rothbard and Tom Woods (Tom Woods has been a huge influence on my beliefs). They argue that coercive state monopolies—whether taxing us into submission or waging wars in our name—violate human liberty and reason. This aligns with Christian Anarchy’s rejection of idolatrous power, pointing to voluntary exchange and cooperation as a reflection of Jesus’ non-coercive ethic. Where Rothbard and Woods see markets and mutual consent as the antidote to statism, I see King Jesus empowering us to live freely under his lordship, rather than Caesar’s yoke.

Christian anarchists seek to live as citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven above all else, refusing to compromise their loyalty to Jesus by placing their trust in the coercive, flawed, and often unjust systems of the world. Instead, they strive to embody the way of Jesus, even when it challenges societal norms and expectations. This is hard when things like patriotism and partisan politics get woven into the way we practice Christian faith. Not only are we bucking society’s expectations, but also the beliefs and practices of the majority of Christians.

The Radical Teachings of King Jesus

Following King Jesus means embracing his teachings—especially when they seem impractical or contrary to worldly wisdom. The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7) presents an ethic of radical love, humility, and nonviolence that stands in stark contrast to the power-driven methods of earthly kingdoms.

Jesus calls His followers to:

• Love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them (Matthew 5:44).
• Reject the pursuit of wealth and power, instead trusting God to provide (Matthew 6:19–34).
• Seek reconciliation and forgiveness rather than harboring anger or seeking revenge (Matthew 5:21–26).

Jesus didn’t just preach this radical love—he lived it. When struck by a soldier during his arrest, he didn’t retaliate (John 18:22-23). When crucified, he prayed for his executioners’ forgiveness (Luke 23:34). This is the King we follow—a ruler who uses love as his weapon, not force. Living under his lordship means abandoning the coercive tactics of the world and embracing the power of sacrificial love (Revelation 5:5-6). It’s a life that rejects the sword and embraces the cross.

Why Christian Anarchy Is Not Lawlessness

Critics often accuse Christian Anarchy of promoting lawlessness or utopian idealism. But nothing could be further from the truth.

Christian anarchists don’t reject authority itself; they reject coercive, violent, and idolatrous authorities that seek to usurp the place of King Jesus. They seek a different way—voluntary cooperation under the lordship of Jesus, not obedience extracted by force. The world’s order relies on fear and threats; Jesus’ authority invites freely given loyalty, as seen in the early church’s mutual care (Acts 4:32). They obeyed God over the Sanhedrin’s unjust decrees (Acts 5:29) while peacefully accepting the consequences. This same courage carried into their defiance of Rome, facing lions rather than wielding swords. As Paul wrote, believers are called to be “ambassadors for Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:20), representing a kingdom “not of this world” (John 18:36).

It’s important to note that this does not mean living in isolation or disengagement from the world. Instead, it means living in a way that bears faithful witness to the reign of King Jesus, even when that witness conflicts with the demands of earthly rulers. The call the first Christians heard wasn’t to rebel and overthrow Rome—it was to love and support one another as they went into the world to make disciples.

Common Criticisms (And How They Miss the Point)

Even though Christian Anarchy has a compelling vision of allegiance to King Jesus, it faces valid criticisms. Let’s address them:

1. Naivety About Human Nature
   Criticism: Without governance, society would devolve into chaos.
   Response: Christian anarchists see humanity’s sinfulness clearly—wars and corruption prove the state often amplifies evil, rather than restrains it. They trust the Spirit’s power to renew hearts (Romans 12:2), producing peace and patience where swords fail (Galatians 5:22-23). Jesus’ kingdom doesn’t deny sin; it redeems people from it.
2. Practical Ineffectiveness
   Criticism: Nonviolence and voluntary community sound noble but seem impractical for organizing society.
   Response: Tell that to the early church, thriving without the force of the State to govern it (Acts 2:42-47). God’s kingdom advances through love and service, not coercion and violence. Jesus calls us to faith that is lived out in love—feeding the hungry, forgiving the sinner—and not worldly practicality.
3. Lack of Political Engagement
   Criticism: Disengaging from politics is irresponsible.
   Response: Christian anarchists don’t shun justice—they pursue it Jesus’ way, not Caesar’s. Relying on coercive systems risks idolatry; true justice flows from peace and mercy (Micah 6:8; Matthew 23:23). This doesn’t mean total abstention—we may pay taxes or vote, not as endorsements of the state’s coercion, but as pragmatic acts in a fallen world. These aren’t sins or signs we accept the system; they’re choices to live faithfully within it while serving King Jesus alone. Ultimately our vote is the way we live life, a life lived for King Jesus.
4. Misinterpretation of Scripture
   Criticism: Christian Anarchy wrongly politicizes Jesus’ teachings.
   Response: Jesus’ kingdom is political—upending power with love, not swords. When Rome demanded worship, the church said no (this is one of the themes in Revelation). His teachings aren’t abstract; they demand total allegiance over earthly thrones.

Following King Jesus in a World Obsessed with Power

Christian Anarchy challenges us to ask: Where does our highest allegiance lie? Are we more committed to earthly power structures than to the teachings of King Jesus? When the kingdoms of this world demand our loyalty, will we remain faithful to the King of kings?

The call of Christian Anarchy is not to withdraw from the world but to bear witness to the reign of King Jesus by embodying his kingdom’s values. It invites believers to live lives marked by love, humility, service, and peace—demonstrating to a watching world that Jesus truly is Lord of all.

Reflection Question:

What earthly loyalty—nation, political party, status—might Jesus be calling you to loosen your grip on to hold him above all?