Cell 7 — Town/Fidelity
“Am I being faithful?”
Church engagement, city council presence, meet business owners, share vision.
Scripture anchors (31)
- Jeremiah 29:4-7 seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you — fidelity in exile
- Matthew 5:14-16 a city on a hill; salt and light — the church public without power
- Proverbs 11:10-11 when the righteous prosper, the city rejoices — the town blessed through its faithful
- Daniel 6:1-10 faithful public service under hostile scrutiny — presence without compromise
- Genesis 18:22-33 Abraham pleads for the city — if ten righteous are found there
- Exodus 18:21 able men who fear God, trustworthy, hating a bribe — the qualifications for civic office
- Deuteronomy 16:18-20 judges in all your towns; justice, and only justice, you shall follow
- 2 Samuel 23:3-4 he who rules over men justly, ruling in the fear of God
- Proverbs 14:34 righteousness exalts a nation
- Proverbs 24:11-12 rescue those being taken away to death — the duty to intervene
- Proverbs 29:2 when the righteous increase, the people rejoice
- Proverbs 31:8-9 open your mouth for the mute; defend the rights of the poor and needy — the Ambrose posture
- Isaiah 1:17 seek justice, correct oppression, bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause
- Jeremiah 22:15-16 he judged the cause of the poor and needy — is not this to know me?
- Daniel 3:16-18 we will not serve your gods — faithful refusal within faithful service
- Daniel 4:27 Daniel to the king: break off your sins by practicing righteousness — the prophet before power
- Amos 5:10-15 they hate him who reproves in the gate; establish justice in the gate
- Micah 6:8 do justice, love kindness, walk humbly with your God — the refrain's own source
- Zechariah 7:9-10 render true judgments; do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor
- Matthew 14:3-4 John to Herod: it is not lawful for you — truth spoken to power
- Matthew 22:21 render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's
- Acts 5:29 we must obey God rather than men
- Acts 16:37-38 Paul asserting his citizenship — civic standing used, not despised
- Romans 13:1-7 governing authorities as God's servants for your good; pay taxes, respect, honor
- 1 Timothy 2:1-2 prayers for kings and all in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life
- Titus 3:1-2 submissive to rulers, ready for every good work, showing courtesy to all people
- 1 Peter 2:13-17 honor the emperor; live as people who are free, as servants of God
- Hebrews 11:13-16 strangers and exiles on the earth, seeking a better country — the two-cities tension in one passage
- Philippians 3:20 our citizenship is in heaven
- John 17:14-18 not of the world, yet sent into the world
- Psalm 122:6-9 pray for the peace of Jerusalem; for the sake of my brothers I will seek your good
Where the two authorities pull apart
- The founders' telos (ordered liberty) vs. the Fathers' telos (theosis) — Augustine's two cities
Not yet swept
This cell has its seeds and Scripture anchors in place, but the passage sweep has not reached it. It will fill in as the work proceeds.