them to “be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves” (Matt. 10:16). All these passages (and many more) are important to keep in mind (and we will come back to them) as we approach the question of biblical interpretation and public policy. Christians are followers of Jesus but also citizens of a nation-state. How do Christians live shrewdly and innocently with the tension between church and culture? The first step is to recognize that the state is not the church. The error of identifying the