Letters, As You Have Come to Expect Them

As soon as I read news about the White/Mahler debate, the first thing I thought was, “I wonder if Doug Wilson will have something to say about this?” Just as I expected, you did. Great response to Mahler’s smart-sounding madness!
A daily reader,

Samuel

Sorry to bother and excuse my ignorance if its a simple procedure , but how do I create an account please?

John

I listened to the last edition of Doug Wilson and Friends and was encouraged and excited to hear of the new church plant in Babylon. (I mean D.C.)(You said it first, and now I can’t get it out of my head.) I will pray for much fruit to come from this venture.
I was also intrigued by the possibility of a house church starting in Hillsdale. Your conversation indicated that the reason for doing that was so conservative Reformed students would have a place to worship as an alternative in a place that is heavily Roman Catholic. I presume you know there is an OPC church close to the campus. In light of that I am wondering if in your mind there is a distinctive difference between the OPC and the CREC that would make the effort worthwhile or if it is just a matter of giving students a choice. Don’t get me wrong, I have long been hoping that a CREC church would start up within a reasonable driving distance from me (20 miles from Hillsdale) but I am curious as to the impetus surrounding the decision. Thanks for all you do.
Providential Blessings,

Michael

I am thrilled that you are planning a church start-up in Washington, D.C. Was wondering if you could manage to take over the Washington Cathedral from the Episcopal Church, since they have decided to abandon Christ altogether?

David

I came across a topic today, on which I would very much appreciate your pastoral views. I cannot find an answer in your “vexed topics FAQ”, but it has to do with masculinity.
A short story to explain my question: This weekend, our church in rural Washington hosted a “man camp,” a men’s retreat where they stayed in RVs on a local farm, listened to preaching, wrestled, and shot guns. My husband went to the camp, won the wrestling matches on the first evening, had a severe allergic reaction to the seasonal pollen, and came home two nights early. This morning, Sunday, concluded the camp and the men rejoined us for our regular worship and potluck. In line for the potluck with other men, my husband shared his idea to have a “men of the tents” convention sometime, an indoor board gaming event to get to know other guys and build friendships in a less “roughing it” way. They called it “pussy camp” and laughed him off.
Besides the obvious point that no one should use that language in church, are they right? I have heard several male authors and podcasters on Canon Plus insinuate that men must be strong and fit enough to “defend their home” as if there is some kind of biblical warning that shirking the gym is a sin. If my husband IS filling the role of protecting our household by leading me and my daughter, studying the Word, providing for us materially, and doing all the physical tasks necessary for happy living together, is there a further need for him to “work out” or be “tough”? I know it’s weird for a man to admit bodily weakness to other men and they might be put off by that socially, but as far as I can see, it’s not a sin or something shameful. He’s a computer programmer among farmers. The one Jacob amid many Esau’s.
Thanks in advance for any advice you can give.
Sincerely,

Mrs. B

I am writing to let you know that I have become an admirer of your work over the last two years. I am a performing artist and I have recently released a song called “HIGH HORSE” that is something of an open letter to #BIGEVA and the Evangelical Elite types. Without naming names (David French, Russell Moore, etc.), I call out those who have become useful idiots for progressives and provide cover for them as they demonize and criticize those of us believers who don’t believe the narrative and speak out against the normalization of drag culture, the sexualization of children, and our desire to restore our nation to its Christian roots. Much of the music I am writing and releasing is in a similar vein and is very much inspired by your work, Eric Metaxas, and Megan Basham. I would be honored if you ever took the time to listen to it. [Below] Godspeed,

Geoff

Thank you Pastor Wilson for your blog. I really enjoy all your book recommendations. Can I get a few more?
Listening to Pastor Rigney on Of Flames and Crowns I was wondering has there been a book treatment about the problems of Servant Leadership?
Also from that podcast I am looking for some Christian responses to Feminism (I have Honor Thy Fathers) are there other Biblical assessments of Feminism that I could use to help rebuild my foundations. I see your daughter has one, are there others?
Thank you sir

Jon

In your kitchen, I imagine I’d hear you say all kinds of things to your wife and children that are true (and I expect you to tell the truth). But I’d also expect these words to be meant for the moment, for the people, and for the context (“please pass the salt”). This category of communication is relational back-and-forth between people who know each other well. You do expect your wife or child to pass the salt, but if she can’t hear you over the fray, you’ll ask again with a smile. It’s not a courtroom proceeding or inaugural address. These ordinary interactions are a huge ingredient in the relational “glue” of warm, healthy family life.
I also know that you write books for wide publication that you mean to be read by anyone anywhere, and special thought goes into your choice of words for these books, which form a permanent public legacy, and in these books, of course, you only tell the truth. It’s a special category of communication, and this second category doesn’t compete with the first.
As with any metaphor, it does break down. But can we agree on two things:
(1) Most charismatics don’t use the phrase “Thus saith the Lord” and even if they do, they can’t possibly mean, nor can it be the case, that what they say next is anything but the first category of communication above, as it (self-evidently) cannot be the second?
(2) If I’m regenerate and have a high-view of Scripture (and want to obey it) am I not safe, yea even commanded, to be open to the first category of communication above?
Any relationship is built on a foundation of trust, and trust assumes the truthfulness of the speech of the other.
In human relationships, we can’t always know when someone is lying. But we can know when they’re telling us something personal and private. We also know the difference between banter in the kitchen and formal public address.
In God’s case, since He cannot lie, all communication from Him is truthful and can be trusted. However, just as with you in your kitchen, as a Husband and Father, I also expect “kitchen” talk from Him.

Jeffrey

I hope you’re well.
In an attempt to, as Paul did, stand on the stairs and declare to my fellow countrymen (in my case, Christadelphians) the story of my conversion, I’ve uploaded two videos to YouTube explaining exactly how God worked in my life over the past few years. And I thought you might be interested:
They are below: 
Leaving a False Religion: How I Became a Reformed Christian
Leaving Everything: My 4,000km Journey to Follow Christ
Judging by the Christadelphian backlash I received, it may have hit the spot. (Although a lot of the public comments were from Catholics telling me I need to “come home”—and much of what I have to say about a works-based gospel applies to them also).
Praise God for what he’s done, and please pray for our efforts here in Australia. It feels like we’re just getting started, and there’s a lot of work to do.
Regards,

Micah

I hope you are doing well. I recently have begun attending a church which repeats the Apostle’s Creed every week. I grew up in a predominantly non-denominational, dispensational, Baptist, Calvinist “up till the p in TULIP” type background. Saying catechisms in such a background was tantamount to becoming catholic, and that simply wasn’t done. I harbor no bitterness or anything else toward them, I only mention this for the sake of background. Needless to say, it was quite a shock for me to hear about Christ descending into Hell when I first heard the Apostle’s Creed while attending a Christian university. I asked many around me, and they said that that’s not a true doctrine, and that Christ immediately went to heaven, accompanied by the thief on the cross next to Him who acknowledged He is Lord. Many have also informed me that the Apostle’s Creed has been mistranslated, and that particular line about Christ’s descent into Hell is a later addition, and therefore is not necessarily accurate. After much study, I’m convinced of Christ’s descent into Hell. I believe you have acknowledged this as well. I’ve also noticed that it is usually churches or denominations which are more covenantal which acknowledge Christ’s descent into Hell. Also, many who acknowledge this doctrine are more “dominionist,” as in the opposite of pietist, in nature. Obviously, causation does not equal correlation, but do you think there is a danger in not acknowledging Christ’s descent into hell?

O.N.

I wonder if you could offer your interpretation on what appears to be a slight contradiction between Exodus 30:6 and Hebrews 9:3-4. In Exodus, the altar of incense is placed in front of the veil within the holy place, but in Hebrews, it is explicitly placed on the other side of the curtain, within the Holy of Holies with the ark of the covenant.
Since Aaron was instructed to burn fragrant incense on it every morning and evening (Ex. 30:7-8), the altar could not be placed in the Holy of Holies, which was to be accessed only once a year (Ex. 30:10, Heb. 9:6-7). How do we reconcile these differences? I have found few commentaries that even address this discrepancy, though Donald Guthrie says that it has been suggested that the participle ‘having’ (echousa) is “intended in the sense of ‘belonging to’ rather than ‘standing within’, since the altar of incense, as it were, barred the entrance into the holy of holies and could in that sense be said to belong to it.” (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, Hebrews).
What are your thoughts on this? How can we think rightly about this without assuming human error, since God is the Author of Scripture?

Jacob

As a fellow believer who treasures the authority of Scripture and the finished work of Messiah, I’d like to ask your thoughts on how Yeshua (Jesus) fulfilled the biblical feasts—and why many today still find deep meaning in celebrating them, even outside a theocratic government or physical temple.
The Torah calls these the “appointed times of YHVH” (Leviticus 23), not merely of Israel, and Yeshua’s life, death, resurrection, and promised return are all intricately woven into these set-apart days. He died at Passover, rose at Firstfruits, and poured out the Spirit at Shavuot—each in perfect harmony with the feast’s prophetic shadow. If He fulfilled the spring feasts so precisely, should we not also pay attention to the fall feasts, which may foreshadow His return?
Some say that without a temple, these observances are obsolete. Yet Scripture shows that even during exile or without full temple access, God’s people remembered His feasts (see Ezekiel 20:12–20; Ezra 3). Today, we rehearse them not to earn righteousness, but to remember His faithfulness and look forward to what is still to come (Col 2:17).
Personally, I’ve found that understanding the feasts has made the New Testament come alive in a clearer way. That is, the historical and covenantal depth of the Scriptures becomes more grounded, more rooted in God’s unchanging plan. His Word is consistent from Genesis to Revelation.
I’d welcome your insights on this.
In Messiah’s hope,

Sarah

We share an obsession with C.S. Lewis’ That Hideous Strength. Sometimes I feel like Jerry Fletcher, returning to the book compulsively.
I’m playing with the idea that if Lewis wrote the book today, the role of the N.I.C.E. would be filled by artificial intelligence.
Lewis warned against bureaucratic control, scientism, and spiritual rot. What he thought of as “the system” seems to be “the algorithm” in the modern world.
The spirit is the same. Dehumanizing. Disembodied. Dressed up in the language of efficiency and progress, but bent on serving a goal that isn’t human. Just as the N.I.C.E. promised a new and improved mankind while hollowing out everything it means to be human, today’s AI revolution could be seen as a slicker, faster vehicle for the same demonic ambitions.
What do you think? Should you write a new novel along those lines?

Greg

In light of the things that have happened surrounding the G3 conference, would an elder who was using multiple anon accounts to slander his own fellow elders, partners in ministry and/or friends would be disqualified from being an elder permanently? I would think so, if it was a habit, given that it would destroy his reputation. However, I am happy to hear your thoughts on the matter.

Nate