I came to the Presbyterian Church while I was involved in local politics, the pastor printed out a statement to all that we should follow Romans 13, and stay out of politics.
In 69 AD, Vespasian,takes control of Rome after the subjugation of the Jews in the Great Jewish Revolt. During this time he became the patron of Flavius Josephus, a Jewish resistance leader captured at the Siege of Yodfat, who would later write his people's history in Greek.
It will be the family of Vespasian that will now take control of the empire from the Julian family that had ruled since Julius Caesar, and commences the reign of the Flavians. The coup is assisted by Josephus, first under Vespasian, then later his son Titus, and he is incorporated into this ruling class of Rome.
Titus Flavius Josephus (37-100) takes this new name to show his allegiance to the new ruling family of Rome. He is the only contemporary individual other than the Apostles to write about Christ...
About this time there lived Jesus, a wise man, if indeed one ought to call him a man. For he was one who performed surprising deeds and was a teacher of such people as accept the truth gladly... He was the Messiah... those who had first come to love him did not cease. He appeared to them spending a third day restored to life, for the prophets of God had foretold these things and a thousand other marvels about him. And the tribe of the Christians, so called after him, has still to this day not disappeared. -Jewish Antiquities, 18.3.3 §63
Josephus will be the beguining of the long alliance with Rome of the Jewish peoples that stretches through time up to today. The later events of the destruction of the Temple and the Diaspora that will create the Jewish communities in Europe can all be traced back to this alliance of Josehus and the Favians.
In the 9th century, Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne recruited Jewish trading communities from Italy to the Rhine. Historically the Jews have been tax collectors for Kings and the administrative end of the Catholic Church. In the past and as today the Catholic Church sees Jewish people as chosen above all men. A preferred class of people is the basis of the divine right of kings. Some European royals would by course see themselves as being Jewish.
The English on the other hand are an independent people, and in 1290, The Edict of Expulsion removes Jews from England. The return and first recognized colony of Jews is in 1656 under the rule of Oliver Cromwell. Catholic Spanish Netherlands, is a stronghold of Jewish financial power and a likely source of financing for Cromwell's revolt.
In 1556 John Knox is instrumental in publishing the Book of Order and in 1579 Parlament requires all men of land to have a copy. Presbyterian polity is a method of church governance, typified by the rule of assemblies of presbyters. It was developed as a rejection of governance by hierarchies of single bishops.
The Presbyterian Church initiated this concept and is responsible for the democracy we enjoy today. This nation was not built on the basis of a chosen people, but on the Christian principles of inclusion. Romans 13 : “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities”. In a democracy the authority is in the participating individuals. If we do not participate then how can we possibly expect to have a Christian community. Worse is that the community do we end up with is one based on avarice and greed along with all the worse elements of the human condition.
This bit of history shows that the covenant of the Jews has never been more valid, that they do remain the chosen people. It is evident that history shows that God has made the Jews the cornor stone of religion and govenace of the world we know today.
As gentiles we are included via the word of Christ, and should temper the course of governance with the perspective, and reason of these teachings.