The King of Kings vs. Bill C-9: Why the Word of God Cannot Be Bound

"Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound!" - 2 Timothy 2:8-9

You may have seen the news recently regarding Bill C-9. It is close to being passed and could potentially criminalize preaching or even reading from certain parts of Scripture. We also saw Liberal MP Marc Miller, chair of the House Justice Committee, making headlines recently by questioning if Canada's current criminal code allows too much freedom for individuals to defend hate speech by referencing religious texts. He specifically mentioned how passages in Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and Romans can be hateful or used for hateful purposes.

My concern here is not to discuss the civil, political, or legal implications of this Bill or other actions taken by our federal government. While I believe we Christians must be ready to fight for justice and freedom in our country, we also need to be equipped to live in a society that is increasingly hostile to true Christianity.

Our central conviction is that the Bible is not simply a religious book, nor does it merely contain the Word of God; it is the very Word of God in written form. We Christians are champions of liberty of conscience regarding religious matters—in many ways, we "invented" the concept. Therefore, it is concerning when the government seeks to control people's consciences.

However, we must realize that in a situation like this, the Bible is not just another holy book, possibly being censored alongside other religious texts. Because the Bible is the Word of God, when the government attempts to silence it, they are making a foolish attempt to silence God Himself. As you can imagine, that will not end well for them.

As Paul told Timothy, people can put us in chains, but the Word of God is not—and will never be—bound. Jesus Christ is not merely a historical figure; He is the risen Lord of all creation, the One to whom all authority in heaven and on earth has been given. Jesus is the One to whom every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess His Lordship. Therefore, those who oppose the Bible and the Church are not opposing a religion; they are opposing the Lord of all creation.

The Apostle Paul knew this from personal experience. On his journey to Damascus to persecute Christians, he was stopped on the road by the resurrected Jesus, who charged him: "Paul, why are you persecuting me?" He was not accused of persecuting a church or a religion, but persecuting Jesus Himself. At the end of the day, the Canadian government’s problem is not with us; we are only the servants and messengers. Their problem is with the King of Kings, and they will be judged accordingly.

So, as Christians, we can rest assured that even if they place us in chains—or worse—the Word of God will continue to transform the world until the day the kingdoms of the earth fully become the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. Those of us who stand faithfully will receive our eternal reward, sharing in the glory and joy of the everlasting Kingdom of God.

May God give us wisdom and endurance.

Nino Marques