Contents
The Wildest Election Ever
Point by point, I tracked everything you said. From the iconic and divinely orchestrated photo-op to the “different angle” about this kinda sorta being the American way. I think I’ve had all those thoughts at one time or another this weekend. What a wild ride the past two days have been. What an interesting moment in American history. I agree, too, that if we react in stupid ways, we will easily reverse the whole thing. Sadly, that seems to be the Republican MO, but maybe—just maybe—we can keep the spotlight focused on the bad guys. For once. If the ProgLibs concede the next election—they really do have to be feeling quite awful about the outcome—we might be given the opportunity to strike down a number of other ungodly laws. Obergefell comes to mind. Maybe we really can drain the swamp this time. A lot of people need to be fired and their departments permanently closed.
I found something quite interesting while following this story over the past couple of days. A website with chronological timeline of January 6, from hundreds of cameras, telling the story no one has been able to hear. It’s a fantastic watch.Andy
Andy, thanks much.
“Rather I am rather arguing for no stupid reactions. And what I mean by stupid reactions would be some MAGA nut threatening to shoot some blue state governor in retaliation.” I think a still unanswered question is “What happens when it’s no longer bait?” And I think we’re rapidly approaching that scenario. They won’t stop with a missed shot.Guymon
Guymon, correct. There may come a moment when it is not “bait” at all, but the trap springing. When that comes, that is the Solidarity moment.
A Samoan man would have easily been able to cover Trump. Those guys are huge. I can see a value in having a couple of women being in Melania’s detail, but they would have to be as tall as she is. That woman in the pic was useless.Zeph
Zeph, this whole situation has exposed quite a number of issues.
“Look at that photo again. It was obviously staged. Just not by Trump.” Pastor Wilson,
Given the divine arrangement of circumstances that led to such a photo, I have a good faith challenge for you regarding what I believe are your theological stances on prophecy. Understand that while we have differences here and there (such as over this issue), I love your work and the way you challenge and provoke my views, as well.
To the matter at hand: Even atheists and agnostics are finding this vision/word from God 3 months ago so accurate and prescient they are questioning their unbelief.
Does it fit within your theology, or have you been drawing a box around God?
Thank you, by the way, for the wonderful speech at NatCon 4. I pray that your message was taken to heart by those who needed to hear it.Ian
Ian, I think that video is remarkable, and I don’t think it is coincidence. But in order for it to be a prophetic vision from God every detail has to be fulfilled, and not just one. Was Trump’s ear drum broken, for example? And was he radically born again when he fell? Now if it was not a vision from God, what was it? I do believe there is such a thing as second sight, that even nonbelievers can have, but which is not guaranteed accurate. We do not live in a materialist cosmos.
Resources
Thank you for all you have produced on you podcast material. I enjoy your blog and your plodcast. I have a small request of you regarding providing a list of resources for a potential career move into the political sphere. I am strongly considering running for a municipal councilor position (Calgary Alberta) for October 2025. I do not have any “formal educational” political background/studies. I would like to be faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ and to Scripture, but feel a bit inadequate to perhaps be firm enough on certain (potential gray areas) of where policy may correctly fit Scripture, so am urgently desiring to read some quality material to assist me in obtaining a sound grounding in policy positions. I would consider myself to be a conservative, libertarian, adherent to most of Milton Friedman’s free market position (but not even sure how accurate these terms equate to me even as I perhaps do not know their FULL meanings in some situations). Apart from just reading my Bible daily, I have started reading Dr. Joe Boot’s book “Ruler of Kings” (which I am finding a great blessing) as my starting point.
My request is: would you be able to provide me a quality list of resources (books, articles, videos, podcasts, etc) that I could benefit from so I can “most quickly” get the foundation needed? If you are not able to provide a list, would you be able to direct me to someone who can? Thank you. May God continue to bless you and your ongoing work in advancing The Kingdom.Keener
Keener, I don’t have a list handy, but I can give you a few starting places. Try Idols for Destruction by Schlossberg, Lectures on Calvinism by Kuyper, and God and Government by DeMar. This last one might be too American-centric for your context, but the principles transfer.
The Pence Rule
You’ve written before about a man committing to not having a close working relationship with a woman who isn’t his wife. Could you get more detailed about what this does and doesn’t look like? What are some boundaries a man should have, and what in particular does it look like when there is attraction thrown in the mix?
Thanks!CG
CG, the basic thing it means is not spending time alone. Not having a business lunch with a co-worker not your wife, not giving rides to co-workers not your wife, and especially if attraction is in the mix. It also matters if the woman “not your wife” is somebody else’s wife, or if you have a wife at home. If the answer to those questions is no, then keep things honest and just ask her out. If the answer to either is yes, then stay the heck away.
A Special Music Question
I’m apart of a church that has a special music spot in the middle of the service. This is basically an offertory section for an individual or the choir to sing a song of praise/thanksgiving in the midst of the congregation. My question is regarding 1 Cor. 14:34 and women not being permitted to speak during church. Is allowing a woman to sing in a solo fashion in violation of this command? If so, how should the church go about restricting this part of the service to men or a mixed ensemble instead? They’ve allowed women to sing or play for a long time, it’s “how they’ve always done it.” But I would like us to go about this biblically. I don’t want to mangle the text or try to get around it, but would singing praises as a soloist be distinct from speaking up front during church?Carson
Carson, I don’t think it is a violation at all. All the saints, men and women both, are instructed to teach and admonish one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. I don’t see anything different in principle just because there is a solo portion.
New Heavens and New Earth
I have listened to I believe all of Pastor Wilson’s teachings on the subject but I am having trouble understanding one of his views
From what I understand Pastor Doug Wilson believes that the new heavens and new earth are a now reality. That they were inaugurated through Christ’s life, death, and resurrection, and the new heavens and new earth are part of this inaugurated kingdom, already present in seed form.
I’ve even seen him unpack Isaiah 65 to help explain this.
My question is how is this possible when in revelation the new heavens and new earth doesn’t seem to take place until the millennial reign is over.
From my understand we are in the millennial reign right now. The church age.
So how could that time be over in order for the new heavens and new earth to take place in Rev 21?
From my understanding Rev 20:6 and everything prior has either happened or is happening.
But 20:7—the end is yet to happen. So how could the new heavens and new earth be a present reality.
I’ve read his commentary book (and loved it) and am still having trouble understanding how this all fits together.
Thank you so much. if you’re able to take the time to read my question and respond it would be so appreciated. Thank you so much.Korey
Korey, my understanding is that we are in the new heavens and new earth now, in seed form, as you said. This grows and spreads and becomes more and more manifest until it finally culminates in the Final Coming of Christ, which introduces the Eternal State. The passages you refer to in Revelation are building up the general resurrection, which is the doorway to the Eternal State.
No, Not Good
I have a question regarding children’s involvement in the worship service, namely children helping to lead the service. We attend a large, traditional Church of England church. There is a long-standing custom whereby on the first Sunday of the month, a group of children of various ages are called up to lead the liturgy, with the vicar standing off to the side assisting them (and they often need assistance). The liturgy, prayers and Bible readings for these services are simplified and shortened to accommodate the children’s obvious limitations. The vicar still gives the closing prayer and absolution.
We are opposed to the children leading the adults alongside the vicar and cannot see any biblical justification for this practice. Its basis seems to be in some kind of misguided sentimentalism. We can’t get our heads round it, particularly as for the remainder of the month, the children are excluded from the majority of the service and sent out to Sunday school! To make matters worse, some of the children are terrible readers and it’s almost impossible to follow what they are mumbling.
We gather from friends at church that letting the children lead is designed to teach them how to participate in the worship, but surely the obvious solution to that would simply be to allow them to participate fully in the weekly worship services, not stand up at the front with a microphone once a month. Their parents should also be teaching them how to participate in the service.
Do you think that it is worth addressing these child-led services with the vicar, or is this set-up not as heinous as we are making it out to be? The vicar is a sensitive man and we have questioned a few other things already, so we are trying to pick our battles wisely whilst supporting him in his leadership.
Kind regards,J & L
J & L, I think it is not a good idea at all. I would talk to the vicar about it, as you have opportunity, but I would begin by asking questions. Just to raise the issue.
Patriarchy to Excess?
Honestly at this point I need to just visit Moscow and speak to one of your elders or even you should I get the chance, since I’m brimming with questions. Since I’m on the other end of the country though, this will have to do for now.
As a young man in his early 20s, I’ve found your teachings on patriarchy to be extraordinarily helpful and life-giving. It’s so clearly biblical in many ways, especially your talking about the inescapability of patriarchal authority. However, as with all great virtues, there is also great danger. As much good as patriarchy can bring about, it has equal potential for destruction and havoc.
What worries me about your rhetoric on this issue, is that it is imbalanced. While feminism is a scourge on society that must be answered, true, the Reformed conservative tendency is not that, but oppression in marriage. My father is a fellow Presbyterian minister who has had experience with helping people from CREC churches who have had their abuse handled poorly, with ministers being quicker to accuse or think the woman is not submitting properly, before determining the husband’s hand in all this.
While I’ve heard you speak out against abuse, and oppression in the home (such as in “My Life for Yours,”) I feel it is a topic much less talked about from your online or ecclesiastical pulpit. Is there not a greater danger of patriarchal abuse than there is of feminine rebellion (though it does exist) in conservative circles? How have you sought to answer that? Would you welcome a ministry in association with the CREC that specializes in abuse cases to combat patriarchal abuse, and can help determine what is marital strife, and what is simply oppression?Kenneth
Kenneth, patriarchal abuse is a sad reality in too many places, and so is feminist rebellion. These two sins play off each other. The abusive husband can accuse his wife of being a feminist when she isn’t at all. But so also the feminist wife can accuse an ordinary husband of being abusive when he isn’t at all. In the CREC we stand against both of these evils. But we do live in a time when a woman who goes down the road with complaints about how her CREC church handled her case is much more likely to be accepted at face value than the man would be. This is why both scenarios have to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
David Among the Philistines
A friend and I were discussing David’s actions in 1 Samuel 27ff, where he was afraid of Saul and went over to the Philistines. My friend says that David was committing at least 3 sins in this chapter:
1) He faltered in his faith by not trusting the Lord to preserve him since God had promised David the kingdom.
2) He had at least 2 wives during this time.
3) He lied to Achish, king of the Philistines about what he did on his raids.
I took an opposing view:
1) David was doing the only thing he knew to do. Yes, God had promised David the kingdom, but David was using *means* (the only thing he knew to do) to preserve himself by going among the Philistines.
2) Multiple wives, although not God’s “best”, were not prohibited during this time.
3) About the lying . . . I’m not sure . . . The Hebrew midwives seem to have been commended and rewarded for lying, but Abraham was called out for lying, even a “half lie”, right, since Sarah was in one sense his sister, right? . . . But Rahab wasn’t condemned for her lying and she was subsequently greatly blessed.
So, please, how are we to view, interpret, analyze, and judge David’s actions, especially in light of our fuller and complete revelation in the New Testament.
*AND*
Since this is recorded for *our* edification, how are we to understand and apply David’s actions and behavior to our own lives here in the New Testament age?
Thank you, Sir.Robert
Robert, I am with you on this one. There is no indication in the text that God is displeased with David at all. When Ziklag was ransacked, God answered David’s plea concerning what to do, for example. The problem with lying is not a problem because of the deception per se, because of the other situations you mention. The challenge there would be because he was lying to Achish, a man who was treating him decently. The takeaway for us is that deception in time of war is not a violation of the ninth commandment.
A Sad Situation
I listen to you from time to time on YouTube. I have always admired your sharp mind and your adherence to God’s Word. The reason I am writing today is because of your positive and enlightened view of the January 6th position.
We have been directly affected by this as our son Daniel Goodwyn was arrested at our home on January 2021 in an FBI/Homeland Security raid as he was visiting us in Texas on his way back to San Francisco where God called him when he was 18-years-old.
His case is interesting because his judge ordered monitoring of all his devices for “misinformation” while he is on supervised release.
I became involved in all January 6th things after that. Being an immigrant from France in 1981 the path our country is on is very concerning. I started j6patriotnews on Telegram and later migrated to a website and X.com.
Please would you be willing to check our son’s story? The violation of his First Amendment rights should be concerning to all Americans. Daniel works for stophate.com where you can find the most comprehensive information about J6.
His boss, David Sumrall, a dear friend, because of this order by Judge Walton had to fire Daniel in order to protect the privacy of stophate.
Daniel’s supervised release will be over at the end of August. The only communication he is having now is with his attorney. I miss him! He had some savings from his fundraiser we were able to use to pay for the next two months’ rent.
I know I am giving you a lot of information and you are a very busy man, but I hope you find the time to review his story.
Here is his interview with Tucker Carlson
https://rumble.com/v2d6obg-j6er-daniel-goodwyn-on-tucker-carlson.html
Here are some links of Tweets I did, some including article about Daniel by the Epoch Times
https://x.com/J6patriotnews/status/1716190651908341801
https://x.com/J6patriotnews/status/1716503841997488522
https://x.com/J6patriotnews/status/1808484044499190030
https://x.com/J6patriotnews/status/1806424071610999045
https://x.com/J6patriotnews/status/1804281413606244722
https://x.com/JCommJoe64/status/1801360574263214476
https://x.com/JCommJoe64/status/1811119386066907370
https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/jan-6-disinformation-monitoring-an-affront-to-liberty-attorney-says-5648904
https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/judge-should-ban-jan-6-probationer-from-extremist-media-feds-argue-5656896
Here is the last documentary he made as part of a team
https://open.ink/j6
I also what the chief editor and layout artist for the books—The American Gulag Chronicles
Americangulagchronicles.com
I am also a volunteer for the Patriotmailproject.com which give addresses to write prisoners and those j6ers who are not yet in prison, awaiting sentencing, trial, plea offers, etc . . .Marie
Marie, thanks for writing.
Dominion and the Cultural Mandate
I’ve been scrolling through some of your articles on the naming convention of the covenant of creation/works, while keeping in mind what Gary North calls the dominion covenant. I agree creation is the better name. You note that in this covenant “life was promised to Adam and his descendants as the fruit of perfect and personal obedience.” Best I can tell, most standard Westminsterians tie this primarily to Gen. 2:17 (“but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat”), calling that the first law in the Bible. It seems to me, though, that an even earlier law was Gen. 1:26,28 (Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion . . .”). A command from God sure seems like a law to me. We may have first broken Gen. 2:17, but it seems to me we also were (and are) obligated to obey and fulfill the law laid out in Gen. 1:26,28. I don’t want to conflate North’s Dominion Covenant with the Covenant of Creation, but it seems as if there is certainly a dominion element in the Covenant of Creation that we were (and are) obligated to fulfill. An obligation that was essentially restated, relevant to a different time and condition (post-fall), in Matthew 28: 19-20. Thoughts?Bill
Bill, yes. What you are calling the Dominion Covenant is called the cultural mandate by most. The obligation to exercise dominion never went away, as we can see through how God stated it again to Noah after the Flood. We can no longer disobey God when it comes to the tree of the knowledge good and evil because the tree is no longer here. But the world is still here, and we are still required to multiply and fill it.
Grief and Contentment
I’m very thankful for your ministry. The teaching coming out of Moscow has been very helpful for me for many years.
In Nancy’s book Learning Contentment, she mentions how sometimes grief can be misunderstood as discontentment and how this can produce false guilt. Can you recommend some helpful resources to help one understand false guilt and also some resources to help one understand what it looks like to grieve in a godly way?
Thank you for your help!JL
JL, Christian grief is the kind of thing you see in airports, when someone you love is going away and you are not going to see them for a time—but you are going to see them again. This is to be distinguished from the despair of those who are without God and without hope in the world. I don’t really have good recommendations on grieving in a godly way. Perhaps some of our readers out there do?
Just Getting Started
I want to personally thank your Dad for the work that he did. Between his canon, your canon, ACCS, CREC, and Nate’s content I’m quite literally eternally blessed.
I am a construction project manager and so my theology and history reading is on the side. I have finished The Case for Christian Nationalism and have been working through a book called “The Westminster Assembly: Reading Its Theology in Historical Context.” It has been a super fascinating read and the particular point to this email is that by 1646, when the Divines had essentially written the then, and now, preeminent set of documents on setting out a Christian nation, God allowed Oliver Cromwell to set that project on fire.
Now, I pretty much think I am a Christian Reconstructionist. I am not shy of advocating explicitly for case-law theonomy. I have been slowly working through the recently translated “Abraham Kuyper Collected Works in Public Theology” books; ‘Our Program: A Christian Political Manifesto’ reads like it could have been written yesterday. Showing my theonomist and postmil credentials to ask this truly in good faith because I think you might be the only person who can answer it:
Is the teleological end actually a globe of self realized Christian nations? Why didn’t God let it happen with England in the 1600s? Why does every ‘Christian Nation’ seem to run into a problem with the logistics so quickly if this is actually the way the Spirit is guiding the world? Doesn’t it make more sense to have a nation of Christians rather than a Christian nation?
Now, I know, I know . . . I know—I get it. There is no neutrality, every coherent self conscious culture will have a zeitgeist and a unifying metaphysic. If you setup the system with a hat tip to neutrality the rulers, authorities, powers of this dark world and spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms will seize the initiative and will eventually turn that seed into a full fledged secular, or worse, durian fruit tree.
But I just struggle to see the fruit of the Spirit moving the Church toward the teleological end of Christian governance. Even believing that the waters have been rising for 2000 years and will continue to flow from the Church to flood the earth, the more I consider it the more I think that individual families need to act Christianly. I get that the logical conclusion of that is a Christian neighborhood, school, township, county, state then nation but I guess I am just asking; when do you think God gives us the keys to the car to take it for a spin if it really is where we are headed?
Thanks again for your faithful and fruitful ministry and family,David
David, I think what you are dealing with is a holy impatience. What you want is good, but there are a lot of prerequisites before we, this planet of Dufflepuds, are ready for full-orbed godly self-governance. We are like a two-year-old boy who wants a brief case so he can follow his dad to work.
DNRs
An older woman I know mentioned she had a DNR form (do not resuscitate). I did not know what it was so I looked it up and it reminded me of a mild form of euthanasia—but perhaps I am wrong.
What do you think the Biblical perspective is?Noelle
Noelle, I think that DNRs can be used in a godly way, and in some situations are most necessary. We currently have the technology to create huge ethical dilemmas for ourselves. One of them would be to torment someone with artificial contraptions when their body is shutting down because God is calling them home. The rule of thumb ought to be “don’t play God” in any direction—whether it is ending life, or trying to extend it in macabre ways.
Victory Lane
Re: Victory Lane
Thank you
Thank you
Thank youM
M, most welcome.
Is the Cainan mentioned in Luke 3:36 a scribal error? If not, how do we reconcile Luke 3:36 with Genesis 10:24, 11:12-13 and 1 Chronicles 1:18, 24? Some commentators suggest that Arpachshad was a grandfather to Shelah, but if this is the case why is Cainan consistently omitted in the Masoretic text? I don’t find the early church fathers particularly helpful on this issue either because they all follow either the Septuagint or Vulgate which include Cainan in their Old Testament lists. But if we say that there’s a scribal error in Luke 3:36, then every English translation has faithfully reproduced this error which seems to directly undermine the inerrancy of Scripture. Thoughts?Martin
Martin, it has been some years since I looked at it, but my inclination is to think that there should only be one Cainan in the list, and that it is a manuscript/transmission error. I don’t think it touches the issue of inerrancy because we are not committed to the inerrancy of one particular manuscript, but rather to a manuscript family.
I’ll tell you a story in hopes that you can guide me.
Yesterday, my mother in-law, after watching my kids for the day walked into my home and declared “There is something wrong with him.” Him being my 4, almost 5-year-old son. Restraining myself, considering she said it in front of him, I asked what happened? Being that she is a very anxious and easily flustered person she basically just continued to say that there is something wrong with him and he needs to be evaluated. I asked . . .”evaluated for what?” She said, “I don’t know”. She then went on to say that she has helped raise boys and baby sat many boys and has never seen anything like it. I of course then went on to say that just because other boys haven’t been this way does not mean that they were the kind of boys that you want. Our back and forth went on for a few minutes and she stormed out of the house. I then went on to gather some information from my mom, who was also there but is able to communicate her thoughts. She told me that he was worse than he has been before. He had spit at and pinched his friend from across the street who had come over to play and had just been generally unruly. From there he wouldn’t mind and wouldn’t listen. And, as he has done with both me and his mom here recently he probably screamed at them when they tried to discipline them. He is a strong-willed kid. He gets very angry when spanked (as I would) and screams at you. At times he will get 3, 4, 5 spankings in a row. I was a strong-willed kid and am a strong-willed man, I see the same in him. I have read a few of your books on parenting and listened to a lot of your sermons on child rearing. While I don’t expect you to be able to tell me if I am doing things right or to be able to vindicate me to my mother-in-law I do hope for your advice.
My opinion is this, he is a strong willed boy who needs to be disciplined. My mother in-law’s opinion is that there is something wrong with him and he needs to be evaluated.
While I would accept any and all advice you might have I think I really just want to know; do you think that early defiance is simply indicative of our fallen nature and boys, especially strong-willed ones, will show that in expressing anger toward discipline or do you think that it’s possible that extreme anger toward discipline could be a sign of some underlying behavioral issue?
I should mention, there is no reason to believe that there is anything else wrong with him. He’s smart as can be, hard working, and loves to learn.
Thank you in advance. Your ministry has been such a blessing to me!Josh
Josh, let me begin by emphasizing how far away from this I am. Take what I say with a grain of salt. But from what you have laid out for me, he doesn’t need to be tested, but he does need to be disciplined far more effectively than you appear to be doing. I am afraid that your mother-in-law will continue to have the best of the argument until that happens. You are right that discipline is what he needs. She is right in observing that he doesn’t appear to be getting what he needs.
On Being Too Nice
I watched the Future Men video series and when the topic of being nice came up, it struck a nerve. C.R. Wiley said “You can become so nice, so others oriented, so conscientious that you lose that part of yourself, and you become bitter. You have this transactional mindset. I’m being nice to everyone and why aren’t they being nice to me? Get over it. There’s a time to take what’s yours. Just do it.” He’s right. I was raised to be a man that was others oriented, considerate, and conscientious. Much of this can be actual love for others, but there is a line in there somewhere and I don’t know where it is. What’s the issue at stake here? We want to be kind and treat others as we would want to be treated, but there is a point where this “others oriented” goes too far and we end up being taken advantage of in different ways. I see it manifest all over the place, whether it be lack of reciprocity, lack of consideration of my time/money/property, broken agreements, etc. If it’s a big thing I will do something about it. But daily I tend to let most of it go because I don’t want people to think I’m a jerk, even though they are the ones who are wrong. But it really doesn’t sit well with me, and I do get bitter about it. Is this kind of treatment from others to be expected or do you think I bring it on myself with this kind of demeanor? What principles could I begin to implement to help guide me in this area? Is there a good example of this I could imitate or a good book you would recommend on the subject?Anon A. Mouse
Anon A. Mouse, the rule of thumb for such situations is that you should resolve not to give any gifts that you routinely resent having given. If you do, you are being manipulated, or you are a really selfish person. I wish I knew of a book to recommend. It is really needed.
Different Forms of Desertion
I found your discussion of the biblical reasons for divorce in Reforming Marriage to be very thought provoking. Would you consider withholding sexual relations for several years to be a biblical reason? As far as I know it’s not an executable offense in Scripture, but it certainly is a breaking of the sexual requirements of the marriage covenant and would seem to fall in line with “recognizing the covenant is already broken”.CU
CU, yes. Withholding sexual relations can be a form of desertion. I would first seek out pastoral counsel for the problem. If the church is not able to help, then you can look to them for guidance on what you should do next. Keep in mind that I said “can be,” not that it necessarily is. For example, if the sexual life is non-existent because she doesn’t want to sleep with a philandering drunk, that would be a separate issue.
Imposed Morality
Christianity Today came out with another article, maybe written by Satan (see here ) about being a kinder gentler evangelical, and the author wrote “I do not serve God’s purposes in the world by trying to impose ‘Christian’ laws on people against their own values and convictions. I should not want everything that I consider to be sinful to be made illegal.” I see this a lot in my Baptist circles. And I ask “Why wouldn’t we want God’s laws to be enforced by the government?” What is a good response to this nonsense and how can I get my mind wrapped around the idea of the Law of God as applying to all? Got some resources for me to read, other than the Bible?Jon
Jon, perhaps you could start with By This Standard by Greg Bahnsen. In conversation with people who think like this, I would resort to a reductio. Start with some moral standard that they do want to see enforced, and propose that we ditch that requirement—say that we should allow lunch counters to be racially segregated again, if that is what the owner wants. When they look at you shocked, shrug, and say that not everything you think is sinful should be made illegal.
Voluntary Slavery?
If a Hebrew slave under the Mosaic law loves his master and wants to serve him for the rest of his life instead of going away free in the seventh year, he is to have his ear thrust through with an aul, and he shall be his servant forever (Deut. 15:16-17). The Declaration of Independence declares that it is self-evident that all men are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, one of these being Liberty. I want to establish my assumptions about the nature of man on the Word of God rather than on the word of men, and so am I to believe that, in reality, man can “alienate” his right to liberty in certain situations? This passage from Deuteronomy makes me believe that liberty is not an “unalienable” right. If the slave wants to remain a slave, then he can alienate his right to liberty and remain a slave the rest of his life, and that’s fine.David
David, you are right that the unalienable right to liberty is not an absolute. The obvious example of this would be someone who is a convicted criminal, who is as a consequence jailed or executed. His liberty is forfeited by him.
Barton’s Summary
My children and I are working through “The American Heritage Series” (videos) by David Barton. His lesson titled, “Is America a “Christian Nation’?” offered a helpful, historical definition of the term plus five cherished outcomes. Here is a written summary on Barton’s website in case you find it useful in your teaching ministry.
Outcomes of a Christian Nation:
1. A republican rather than a theocratic form of government;
2. The institutional separation of church and state (as opposed to today’s enforced institutional secularization of church and state);
3. Protection for religious toleration and the rights of conscience;
4. A distinction between theology and behavior, thus allowing the incorporation into public policy of religious principles that promote good behavior but which do not enforce theological tenets (examples of this would include religious teachings such as the Good Samaritan, The Golden Rule, the Ten Commandments, the Sermon on the Mount, etc., all of which promote positive civil behavior but do not impose ecclesiastical rites);
5. A free-market approach to religion, thus ensuring religious diversity and security for the rights of religious conscience.Robert
Robert, thank you for sharing.
Pastor Wilson, thank you for taking my question about David among the Philistines and your answer.
Guymon, correct. There may come a moment when it is not “bait” at all, but the trap springing. When that comes, that is the Solidarity moment.
what does the Solidarity moment look like?
For Anon A. Mouse:
Consider reading No More Christian Nice Guy: When Being Nice — Instead of Good — Hurts Men, Women, and Children by Paul Coughlin
Thanks for the book reference, Josh, but I’m already not a “christian nice guy”. I tend to not dilly-dally around too much, don’t like small talk, despise manipulation and always take new relationships very slow. I do not ever have unrealistic expectations of others and prefer when others do not have them of me. Am I on the right track?
Are you Anon A. Mouse? If so, I can’t quite make this comment fit what you wrote in your original letter.
No, just Rob…
got it
Pastor Wilson, thank you for taking my question on David among the Philistines and for your answer.
Josh there two possibilities to consider. One, you are not giving your son, what Doug’s father would call, Saturation Love. When was the last time you took him out for ice cream, one-on-one? The fighting and biting other children is concerning. The second possibility is more alarming. Is there any possibility that someone could be molesting him? Those kinds of behaviours are common for molested young boys.
In case it’s of help: With my recently-turned-5 year old son, it has maybe only been in the past 6 months that he’s started accepting the spanking and moving quickly to repentance / asking for forgiveness. Before this he found it hard to look beyond himself, both the strong emotions of whatever had caused him to misbehave and the pain of the spanking itself. He’s really matured recently. My recently-turned 3 year old is still at that point. He feels guilty but doesn’t turn that to good use. We find a combination of spanking and use of humour / gentle… Read more »
I agree with the answer that DNRs are not equal to euthanasia and that, in some cases, are a good idea. But just the other day, I heard from a friend of an incident that happened to her friend, a woman in her late 70s or early 80s. The woman’s was at a doctor visit and he was encouraging her to sign a DNR. She didn’t feel ready to do that and she wasn’t in a position to assume that it would be the best course in case of a near-fatal medical event. The doctor eventually became so frustrated and… Read more »
My wife is in the final stages of Alzheimer’s. There is a DNR order for her. She is also under hospice care. She is not going to get better. Alzheimer’s only treads one path; a slow, tortuous one towards death. A common way Alzheimer’s patients die is starvation. They forget what hunger is. They don’t want to eat. The brain and body is dying. I’ve observed this with my wife. She won’t eat or takes a few bites and shuts her mouth tightly not wanting any more food. I think it is the cruelest of diseases.
I’m so sorry about your wife. And yes, of course, this is a case where a DNR is entirely appropriate. Very different from the one I cited where a doctor tried to push an elderly but reasonably healthy woman to sign one just because he doesn’t want elderly people to be resuscitated under any circumstances.
JL — Not sure the particular aspect of grief you are facing or looking to address, but two works I have personally found enriching were “Spurgeon’s Sorrows: Realistic Hope for Those Who Suffer from Depression” by Zach Eswine and “A Sacred Sorrow: Reaching Out to God in the Lost Language of Lament” by Michael Card. The first book examines grief more through the long-term lens by way of Spurgeon’s life and teaching (since he faced a traumatic loss early in his ministry, from which he never fully recovered). The Card volume is more of a biblical survey/theology of how Scripture… Read more »
C S Lewis’ ‘A Grief Observed’ is a raw look at his grief journey. Grief is a stew of emotions. It has been different in different losses I’ve suffered. I’ve found it helpful to find someone to whom you can talk. Finding that person is very difficult. Grief is a heavy emotion and most people don’t know how to interact with someone deep in grief. As I posted above my wife is in the final stage of Alzheimer’s. It’s been 8 years and she and I are 66. Grief has ground me down. Once I think I’m starting to find… Read more »
My brother, Jeff, I am moved deeply by your suffering, and I groan in prayer for you and your bride now. After reading your testimony of your ongoing suffering, and the care for your wife, I began to consider my own experience with grief these past four years. How very blessed by God I have been with just a few very close friends, who love Jesus enough to have let me dump my garbage loads full of anger, rage, perplexity, and sadness when these would spill unbidden from my heart into my mouth. We lost our daughter to the state’s… Read more »
Yours is a sad and heartbreaking story; crushing. What can one say in the face of such evil? My prayer for you and your family is similar to yours for me sans the passing into His everlasting arms, instead may you be held, sheltered and protected in His everlasting arms.
Dear JL, James R. White’s (Director of Alpha and Omega Ministries and elder of Apologia Church) book Grieving: Our Path to Peace is a short book (less than 100 pages) that helped my wife and I spiral upward toward hope after we lost our eldest daughter. It does contain how to address guilt if it appears during the grieving process. Take care and God bless.
JL, there is a book called The Grieving Indian. If I remember right, the author is a pastor.
Regarding the post about books on grief, there is a very good book called “Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy” by Mark Vroegop that provides encouraging thoughts and insights on lament.
Josh, I have a boy that went through a similar stage at age 4-5 and am a similarly strong willed man who sees his boy as a little “me.” I agree with Doug’s comments that he needs more effective discipline, provided there is not something else going on (abuse, neglect, etc.). One error I did not avoid early on in attempting to be more effective was increasing the severity of the disciplines (more swats, more force). Dialing it back, what finally worked was the development of a “wall,” which he ran up against every time he committed that sin of… Read more »
To Bill, RE: Dominion and the Cultural Mandate Chronologically speaking, the cultural mandate is given after the prohibition on the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God gives the “forbidden fruit” command to Adam prior to the creation of the woman, whereas the dominion/cultural mandate (in Genesis 1:28) is given to them both (i.e., after the creation of woman). This is good evidence for the idea that the prohibition on the fruit was a temporary one, and that eventually Adam and Eve would be permitted to eat of it as well. Covenantally speaking, Jesus fulfilled… Read more »
Martin, Cainan is there in the LXX version of Gen 10:24. The LXX (Septuagint) is a Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures dated a couple centuries before Christ, used by both Christians and Jews in Jesus’ time and following before the Western church took a preference for the Hebrew text as preserved by unbelieving Jews. Whether and when the LXX preserves correct readings of God’s Word over the Hebrew Masoretic Text is a deep rabbit hole, but it seems clear from Luke 3:36 that in this case, the LXX preserves the correct reading.
James White’s book on grief is highly recommended.
If your critics were as bad as you claim “at argument” you wouldnt need to hide behind closed comments.