Letters to Help Make Us All More Mindful

Peter Bell of the Sons of Patriarchy podcast has done interviews with former members [of our church] and many of our congregation are shocked and dismayed. Mr. Bell has gone as far as using an old church email list and even publicly posted screenshots of some of our church’s discussion on the matter in his Facebook group.
This has understandably left many of us with a sour taste in our mouths . . .
Seeing as though you have had your fair share of critics and scummy journalist types try to drag your name through the mud, I’m mostly asking for advice on how to navigate this type of situation. Peter Bell’s podcast is small, but I am concerned on a couple accounts. The first is my [family members] were hit particularly close to home on this matter. The other is I don’t know what kind of people listen to Sons of Patriarchy and there is a potential security threat in my mind (seeing as though he is not above sharing emails sent in a private church group with an expectation of privacy).
I am curious if you have any advice to me in counseling my wife and sister-in-law, or to [our] church as a whole.
Thank you for your time,
In Christ Alone,

Isaac

Recently I have noticed on multiple occasions a wife of one of the men at our church speaking rudely, disrespectfully, and often very bossy. I have not observed the husband correct the behavior (I do not know if correction or rebuke happens privately) and the behavior is happening more frequently. I am wondering if I should say something to him about the behavior. My wife has noticed separately from me as well and has asked me to consider saying something.
We are a small church, less than 100 people, but we aren’t “close” with this couple. He is a deacon though and I am currently being considered for a deacon position and do not want something hanging over us in our work together.
Any advice on the proper way to handle this would be appreciated.

Anon

Thank you for your ministry. I am just beginning my study of the book of Titus and just started your commentary. But I was approached with a question: How can someone get into Twitter and online disputes where someone calls out someone else in light of Titus 3:1-2? I think it has to do with Titus’s exhortations to rebuke, but how do you see the two (rebuke sharply vs. be gentle and show perfect courtesy) working together in Titus?

Jon

If part of Eve’s punishment for sin is pain in childbearing (Gen 3:16), is it wrong for us to get around childbirth pain via epidurals or other pain medications? How do we know if an advancement in science or technology is a gift from God or a result of us trying to do things “our way”?

Isaac

Would you consider debating Sean Griffin (KIC) on the subject of whether Christ is currently king over the earth?

Samuel

I’ve seen you respond recently to a couple questioners about how we know the Bible is God’s Word, and your response is basically that, because it’s God’s Word, we don’t rely on any outside authority to verify it as such. That is to say, by its very nature, it is God’s Word and makes itself known as such, to the regenerate, without the need for any outside reference or proof. I believe this comports with Calvin’s view that, in essence, being born again and coming to see God’s glory in the written Word are the same thing happening to the same person at the same time.
I’ve also heard you say that, if we found the parchments (actually, file cabinet) with the transcripts of Phillips’ daughters’ prophecies, it would be incumbent upon us to treat them as Scripture, since as prophecy written down, in you’re view, they would be Scripture.
My question is, if the self-authenticating Word of God canonized in 66 books can self-evidently be seen by the regenerate to be the glorious, unique, and self-referential Word of God, does it not stand to reason that authentic “New Testament prophecy” as defined and practiced by Continuationists like Grudem and Storms (and Phillips’ daughters?) can self-evidently be seen NOT to be Scripture, nor to compete with Scripture? In other words, why all the fuss to equate prophecy with Scripture, when Scripture is clearly and self-evidently in a class by itself, and as such, perfectly sufficient to judge any purported prophecy today? Doesn’t this view of Scripture free us to practice (and weigh) the very gift of prophecy it describes and encourages, and without any risk of doing violence to the Scripture? Can we agree that all Scripture is prophecy, so to speak, but not all prophecy is Scripture, self-evidently?

Jeffrey

First, your responses to my letters over the years have set me straight, and your writing in general has helped me become a thankful and wise Christian. So, thank you!
My letter is about no post in particular, but may be seen as a contribution to the ongoing conversation about lawful tactics.
Rehoboam lost the Northern Kingdom because he was “young and inexperienced,” and although I am no longer young, a recent life event revealed some glaring inexperience, from which my takeaway has been, there is a political level to life that you either see or do not see, and seeing it introduces new dilemmas.
At work, an unsolved problem was affecting me and another individual. We had opposing views on how to handle it. There was no mediator or chain of command to resolve the situation, so the other person, being shrewder, simply sensed the authority vacuum and started acting as if he or she had been in charge all along.
It dawned on me that this is often how churches drift left: heretics taking undefended ground. That leads to my question:
Once you see the problem, you realize that strife and contention are interested in you whether you like it or not. But defending something, as opposed to naively giving it up, takes things to a new level. Your enemies will now mobilize. Build coalitions. Curry favor. Identify people with money and popularity and get them on their side.
In pushing back in a church-related conflict, can the sons of light do likewise?

Douglas

I am not interacting with any particular post. I am interacting with my YouTube feed. I see many suggested channels where YouTube posters are accusing you of false teaching or heresy. I asked Grok four questions about you, concerning, heresy, accusation, and church discipline. Here are the questions and just a summary of the answer on each question. You might be interested, just for fun, to ask and see what Grok says. I do not endorse the opinions of Grok. Because, I almost daily see posts on YouTube that bring up your ministry and perceived problems I thought it would be interesting to see what Grok would say about these questions. Sorry for the bad grammar or spelling. I hope you don’t mind that I did this on Grok. Thanks for your ministry.
1) Has Douglas Wilson, pastor of Christ Church in Moscow Idaho ever accused another evangelical Christian of heresy?
Answer: (Summary) No definitive example can be found.
2) How many times has Douglas Wilson from Christ Church been accused of being a heretic by other evangelical Christians?
A: You can’t count that high.
3) The Bible says in Revelation 12 that the enemy of the Church, Satan or the Devil is the accuser of the brethren. Are not those Christians who accuse other Christians of heresy not imitating the enemy?
A: Depends on several factors, most have to do with heart attitude, but they are probably not imitating the enemy.
4) According to the New Testament what is the correct way to bring accusation and charges up against elders in the church?
A: An okay summary on church discipline and answered in a way that I expected according to New Testament verses pertaining to the subject.

Rick

I have benefited from all the discussion related to Joe Rigney’s “The Sin of Empathy” (and from the book itself) and always appreciate the constant return to the gospel within the discussion, as you again did this week in, “Anxiety Storms and the Empathy Wars.”
I wanted to ask if you would be willing to help me spread the word regarding a new audiobook to release June 1 for free (via podcast) that relates to this topic. We at Biblearc have produced a new translation of “The Consolation of Philosophy” and are releasing it with chapter summaries and occasional discussions to help more folks work through and benefit from one of the most influential and important books in Christian history.
Here is the link: https://audiobooks.biblearc.com.
As I assume you know, “The Consolation of Philosophy” was written in the sixth century by a Roman civil servant named Boethius, awaiting execution for a crime he didn’t commit. He struggles deeply, not exactly with the sin of empathy, but with the sin of self-empathy, but is helped by the personification of true Philosophy. We have been working on this audiobook for a good sixth months or so, and thus praise God for his providence, as it fits in well with the discussions around empathy of late.
In and for Jesus,

Andy, manager of Biblearc.com

Any good books out there for raising daughters? Especially in the age of over sexualization and modesty being a 4-letter word? I am an only child so was never around infants and now I have 2 daughters and want to learn how to best raise them in the fear and admonition of the Lord.

Sammie

Just a brief comment on your response to Bill on Biden’s J6 prosecutions and Trump’s deportations in last week’s letters. Both these descriptors encompass a lot of individual circumstances and, in the interest of a commitment to biblical justice, we ought to refrain from generalizing too much, since both programs contain a mixture of justice and injustice.
Some of the J6 prosecutions were undoubtedly unjust. But some were prosecutions of truly violent criminal actions.
Similarly, some of Trump’s deportations are benign. Relatively minimal process is due when flying someone to their home country where they step off the plane free. Relatively more process is due when declaring an individual a gang-member, turning him over to the government of another country, and paying that country to incarcerate him. Not necessarily a full jury trial, but something more than pointing to a suspicious tattoo. Obviously there’s a spectrum, not a dichotomy (maximal or none), of what process is due. But Christians ought to be pushing the Government to apply biblical standards of due process in deportations as well as in domestic criminal prosecutions, and it seems like the administration has fallen short of that in at least some of the deportations.

Pat

Question unrelated to any recent blog post. You’ve talked at times about how your thinking on various positions has evolved over the years, especially in your younger pastoral years (wine/grape juice for communion for example). I seems this is a fairly common experience, some even happen many years into someone’s pastoral, Joe Rigney’s recent change from credo to paedo being a recent example. James White’s change from pre to postmil being another. Almost all pastors who have changed on a significant topic describe it as being a ‘process’ which took some time.
I’m curious your thoughts on the responsibility of a pastor towards his church when he’s in this process. If a pastor is in the middle of questioning his understanding of a once-strongly held belief, what’s his obligation for letting it be known to his elders and the church as a whole? And at what stage of the process should this be concealed vs revealed? Especially if he was hired as a pastor based on his stated beliefs and his new thinking would create conflict. Should he not preach on any topic he may be re-evaluating?
What think ye?

Roger

Long time reader here! I love these letters & answers. I learn a lot and appreciate the brevity and clarity. I’m reading Grace Upon Grace to my dad (73) and I highly recommend it to others! My grandfather was a WW2 POW who served in the Navy and we love hearing Jim’s stories, who has a similar sense of humor as my grandfather.
Here’s my question—what is the Biblically defined role of a pastor? Thanks!

Allie

I write to you as a former atheist and now a Reformed Baptist, having undergone a profound spiritual transformation. My journey to faith began unexpectedly when a university professor (now my pastor) challenged my worldview, leading me to acknowledge the existence of God, though I had not yet received the gift of saving faith. We then began working through Romans, so I had a rudimentary level of theological knowledge. During this period, I entered into a relationship with my now-wife, who was raised in a sect of the Church of Christ, which I later discerned to be a cultic group. Initially unaware of their doctrinal distinctives, I became alarmed upon her advocacy for baptismal regeneration. Through arguing with her about Scripture, I became a believer. Months later, she too embraced orthodox Christianity, a decision that cost her significant familial estrangement. We were married shortly thereafter.
As we were very new believers having lived very sinful lives, we had a tough first year of marriage. By God’s grace, we were blessed with a daughter during this tumultuous period. However, we struggled to fulfill our respective roles as husband and wife. During conflicts, my wife would often withdraw into silence for days, while I, in turn, would become emotionally incapacitated, fixated on resolving the issue at hand. These disputes ranged from minor disagreements to more substantial matters, exacerbating our relational strain.
Presently we face a concern with newborn daughter. She would like our families to wear a mask when holding her to ensure they do not kiss her and get her sick. On the one hand I can understand her concern, and on the other hand I don’t see this as necessary. When pressed for my opinion, I hesitate to express my true thoughts, anticipating her anger. This reticence prompts her to question my silence, and when I articulate my perspective, she responds with frustration, withdrawing into silence once more. She does not always respond with silence, but we cannot talk for very long before I am giving a long monologue. This stems from her father being domineering over her well into her early twenties.
My concern is less about the specific situation I listed and more about how to lead a wife that is exhibiting these behavior patterns. We have gone to our pastor in the past, which has been tremendously helpful. Yet, I observe that she extends greater submission to his authority than to mine about these subjects. I would like to get to the point where she receives my guidance and wisdom with the same deference she gives to him. Regrettably, when I offer counsel, she often responds by cataloging my past or present failings, deflecting from the issue and persisting in her course. On occasions when she does acquiesce, her submission appears performative—evidenced by her body language—lacking the heartfelt alignment that true biblical submission entails.
In moments of calm, I encourage her to engage with resources such as the Home Fires Podcast and similar materials to nurture her spiritual growth, but she displays little interest in pursuing these. This disinterest compounds my concern about her receptivity to godly instruction from me. I also have concern about our children seeing this behavior and continuing in it in their marriages.
In closing, I wish to affirm that my wife is a remarkable woman whom I deeply love. The challenges outlined herein represent her most difficult qualities, but they do not eclipse her many virtues. I find myself at an impasse, uncertain of how to foster growth in our marriage and her submission to my leadership. I recognize that Christ is the ultimate answer, yet I am acutely aware that I cannot force my wife to submit to me. I am grateful for your time and consideration in reading this letter and would value any counsel you might offer.
Yours in Christ,

G

Your analogy of the Reformed having a beautiful fireplace with no fire and charismatics lighting fires on the coffee table was just about perfect (and btw, I’m more on the charismatic side). Could you get your people to clip that whole bit? I’d love to pass it around.

Ian