Rev. Rob Jones
April 18, 2026
Text: Jesus answered, “My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom belonged to this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” (John 18:36 NRSVue)
Pulp Fiction and Pulp Scripture
Recently, many of you may have heard that the Secretary of Defense used a so‑called “Bible verse” from the movie Pulp Fiction—a fictional mash‑up of phrases—during a prayer service at the Pentagon. A fake verse. In a real prayer. In the halls of earthly power. Now, this isn’t about one man’s mistake or a “gotcha” moment. It is a symptom of something deeper and far more dangerous: the casual use of Scripture as a prop, the use of religion as theater, and the confusion of the kingdom of Christ with the kingdoms of this world. Today, under the title “Pulp Scripture,” I want to reflect on why the separation of church and state is vital in the United States, why using religion to justify war is hypocrisy, and why—especially as Reformed Christians—we must remain Christ‑centered, truthful, and loving in a deeply political moment.
We will consider:
1. The Two Kingdoms: Christ’s Kingdom Is Not This World’s
2. The Danger of Pulp Scripture: Misusing God’s Word to Bless Our Wars
3. The Calling of the Church: Truth, Love, and Conscience in the Public Square
I. The Two Kingdoms: Christ’s Kingdom Is Not This World’s
When Jesus stands before Pilate, the representative of imperial power, He says: “My kingdom does not belong to this world”(John 18:36). This is not pious poetry; it is a theological line in the sand.
In the Reformed tradition, we often speak—carefully—of two kingdoms or two realms:
• The civil realm, where God rules through law, governments, courts, and policies to restrain evil and preserve order.
• The redemptive realm, the kingdom of Christ, where He reigns by His Word and Spirit, gathering a people from every nation.
These are not two separate gods or competing authorities; they are two ways the one sovereign God governs His creation. When we confuse them, we are in trouble.
The state is given the sword, says Romans 13, to punish wrongdoing and protect the innocent. The church is given the Word and sacraments, the ministry of reconciliation, to proclaim Christ crucified and risen. When the state starts preaching fake Bible verses, and when the church starts waving the sword of the state as if it were the cross of Christ, we lose the distinction. We mix the holy with the profane. We trade in biblical theology for civil religion.
And so, the historic American principle of separation of church and state—so often misunderstood—is actually a gift. It is not a declaration that God has no place in public life. Rather, it is a recognition that:
• The state must not control the church or weaponize religion.
• The church must not become an arm of any administration.
When those lines blur, the vulnerable suffer, the conscience is coerced, and Christ’s name is misused.
II. The Danger of Pulp Scripture: Misusing God’s Word to Bless Our Wars
That brings us back to “Pulp Scripture.” When a fake Bible verse is recited in a solemn setting, it reveals not only ignorance of the text but also a willingness to use Scripture as an ornament rather than as authority. And we need to say this clearly and calmly: Using religion to justify war without repentance, without truth, and without justice is hypocrisy.
Our current administration is:
- Attacking Iran physically, engaging in military actions that put countless lives at risk, both soldiers and civilians.
- Attacking the Pope rhetorically, dismissing or belittling a Christian leader who has spoken about peace, the poor, and the ethics of power.
We can debate prudential decisions of foreign policy, but what we must not accept is baptizing violence in the name of Jesus while ignoring His teaching.
Jesus says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9).
The apostle Paul writes, “for our struggle is not against blood and flesh but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).
The church confesses that Christ is the Prince of Peace, not the chaplain of any nation’s war machine.
When politicians drape military action in religious language,
- Without lament for the dead,
- Without serious reflection on just war principles (fighting for defense),
- Without a broken and contrite heart,
then religion becomes propaganda. Scripture becomes pulp—cheap, disposable, and twisted.
In Reformed terms, that is a violation of the Third Commandment: “You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name” (Deuteronomy 5:11) To invoke God’s name to sanctify our ambitions, our rage, or our desire for dominance is to use that holy name in vain.
And yet, our response cannot be mere outrage or self‑righteousness. We might be tempted to say to the right, “I told you so.” But the gospel calls us to something harder and holier.
III. The Calling of the Church: Truth, Love, and Conscience in the Public Square
So how do we speak into this moment as followers of Christ, shaped by a Reformed understanding of God’s sovereignty and grace?
1. We speak truthfully
We must name what is happening:
• Scripture is being misquoted and misused.
• Christ’s name is being wielded as a tool of political identity.
• Enemies are being dehumanized—whether in Iran or in Rome.
We do not need to shout. We do not need to match the anger of our age. But we must not be silent. Prophetic witness without love becomes a clanging cymbal; love without truth becomes sentimentality.
2. We remain Christ‑centered
Our hope is not in a party, a president, a general, or even a Supreme Court decision. Our hope is in a crucified and risen Lord.
Christ did not seize power; He laid down His life. He did not call twelve legions of angels; He stretched out His hands on the cross.
In Reformed theology, we speak of Christ’s threefold office—Prophet, Priest, and King:
- As Prophet, He speaks the truth that judges every ideology. (Luke 7:16, Luke 24:19, Deut. 18:15-19 fulfilled in Acts 3:22-23; Acts 7:37
- As Priest, He intercedes even for His enemies— “Father, forgive them.” (Luke 23:34)
- As King, He reigns, but His throne is a cross before it is a crown. (Hebrews 12:2, Revelation 3:21; 5:6-7, 11-13, Acts 2:32-36, Ephesians 1:20-22)
When we confess that Christ is Lord, we are saying: No earthly ruler gets absolute loyalty. All powers are penultimate. Only Jesus is ultimate.
3. We guard the freedom of conscience
Reformed theology places weight on the liberty of the Christian conscience. The state must not compel belief; the church must not bind what God has left free.
The separation of church and state protects that liberty:
• The state may not require you to belong to a church or confess a creed.
• The church may not wield the coercive power of the state to force obedience.
When political leaders appropriate religious language to rally the faithful uncritically behind their agenda, they are threatening that very liberty. They are telling Christians, implicitly: “To be faithful, you must support this war, this policy, this rhetoric.”
But we know we are free in Christ. Free to examine policies in light of Scripture. Free to dissent. Free to vote not out of fear or tribalism, but out of conviction shaped by God’s true will of love and grace.
4. We answer politics with love and courage—also at the ballot box
Yes, it is difficult to bring up politics in the pulpit. It is risky. But the gospel has political implications, not because we want a theocracy, but because we confess that Jesus is Lord of all.
So, we do not say to our neighbors on the right—or the left—“I told you so,” as though we are above them. Instead, we say:
“We are all sinners in need of grace. We have all been tempted to use God for our purposes. But Christ calls us to a better way—to truth, to peace, to compassion, to justice.”
We invite people—not to vote for “our team”—but to vote with a conscience shaped by the cross:
- Ask: Does this policy love my neighbor, including the stranger and the enemy?
- Ask: Does this rhetoric reflect the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self‑control?
- Ask: Does this platform treat human beings, even adversaries, as bearers of the image of God?
We may disagree about prudential answers, but we may not abandon Christlike love.
From Pulp to Word Made Flesh
“Pulp Scripture” is a warning to us. It shows us how easily the Bible can be turned into a movie quote, an applause line, a patriotic slogan. But the Word of God is not pulp. It is not a prop. The Scriptures point us to the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ.
So let us:
1. Resist every attempt to fuse the cross with the flag, to confuse the kingdom of Christ with the agenda of any nation.
2. Repent of the times we ourselves have used God’s name to baptize our anger, our politics, our prejudices.
3. Resolve to bear witness—truthfully, lovingly, courageously—in this moment: praying for our leaders, advocating for peace, guarding conscience, and calling all people to the only true Lord.
The state may wield the sword. But we, the church, are entrusted with the gospel of peace. Let us not trade it for pulp. I will leave you to ponder this in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
