Jesus Christ invited Judas to this meal, knowing what was in his heart. Jesus Christ warned Judas about his peril, in much the same way that God warned Cain about sin lying in wait for him. And the greatest possible grace and the greatest act of treachery met together. But the Table was not defiled. …
Absolutely Uninterested
Although we are a Christian people, we still have a tendency to hide from the sheer goodness of the gospel. One of the ways we have of doing this is to turn the word sinner into a technical theological one, meaning that no one is perfect, and despite this, any one can call on God …
Ceasing From Strife
We learn from Proverbs that it is an honor for a man to cease from strife (Prov. 20:3). This is one of many examples in Scripture that show how the wisdom of God is 180 degrees out from the wisdom of man. In how many fruitless quarrels have participants refused to back down from the …
The Age of Revolution
“The nineteenth century was the century for revolutions, even if we allow for the French Revolution in the last decade of the eighteenth century and the Russian Revolution in the first decades of the twentieth. The War Between the States was our participation in those widespread global upheavals. The Revolution, generically considered, is an enemy …
Giving to Get, Getting to Give
“This process obviously begins as we seek God’s blessing by means of the tithe–‘Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine’ (Prov. 3:9-10). We have been trained to chant all together, ‘Oh, but …
What Sin Actually Is
“The reason we were attacked in our little controversy in Moscow was not because we would not condemn racism as a sin; we had done so repeatedly and clearly. The reason were were slandered in the way we were was simply because we refused to say that racism was a sin against the State or …
Hot Work
The wind was contrary and the two ships had difficult making their way back to Jamestown. An expected two or three days turned into four. But late on the third day, the lookout far above the decks of the Susquehanna, cried out, “Ship ahoy!” Capt. Monroe had been pacing the quarter deck impatiently, and he …
But Not A Paleo-Bonapartist
“But I have used the term paleo-Confederate anyway, for the honest reader will be honest enough to wonder what such a word could mean, and perhaps be curious enough to read a small essay on it. At the same time, it is important for me to emphasize that by using the term paleo-Confederate I do …
Copying Without Seeing
“We should make sure that we grant to unbelievers the dignity of explaining and demonstrating to us what it is they are doing. The widespread practice of body modification and multilation is a religious phenonenon of the first order of magnitude. Anyone who maintains otherwise is simply not listening. The irony is that the many …
Jumping to Conclusions
We all understand what the phrase “jumping to conclusions” means. But we sometimes do not appreciate what the alternative–reserving judgment–actually means. As we live together in covenant community, it is essential that we master the art of “not jumping,” even if the conclusion looks to us like a safe landing place. This is particularly the …