"Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's." (Matthew 22:21) Few biblical passages have shaped Christian political thought as profoundly as Jesus Christ's answer to the Pharisees. When asked whether Jews should pay taxes to the Roman Empire, Jesus neither endorsed political rebellion nor surrendered religious authority to the State. Instead, He drew a distinction that has echoed through centuries of constitutional thought: civil government has legitimate authority over temporal affairs, while God alone exercises authority over matters of faith. Every Christian denomination has interpreted that boundary differently. Some churches avoid politics almost entirely. Others openly campaign for public policies. Still others reserve political action for moments when they believe the State has encroached on religious territory. The Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) belongs largely to this third tradition. Its recent mass mobilizations have revived an old question: Is the INC becoming increasingly political, or has political engagement always been part of its understanding of church-state relations?

An Iglesia ni Cristo-led rally at the EDSA People Power Monument disrupted traffic and led to arrests Tuesday, as the protest unfolded against the filing of plunder charges against Sen. Rodante Marcoleta and days before the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.