Bethlehem was the opening gambit in the last campaign of a long war. Many centuries after our father Adam had first plunged our race into the insanity of sin, God finally made His opening move. Jesus Christ, born of a woman, born under law, was born to fulfill every one of the numerous promises that …
Sinews of the Commonwealth
This set of questions is for Saturday, not tomorrow. Tomorrow is Christmas. Take a break from your Calvinism already. Book 4/Chapter 20 Sinews of the commonwealth (section 14) 1. What does Calvin treat next, after his discussion of the magistrate? 2. What is the relationship between magistrate and law? 3. Does Calvin believe that the …
Stirring the Pan Ever More Vigorously
As I have written before, there are many political assessments that should be made on the basis of what everybody can see, and not on the basis of esoteric “insider” knowledge. Further, these judgments should certainly not be made on the basis of a paradigm powerful enough to invert what is obviously happening — powerful …
Garrisons, Leagues, and Civil Defense
Book 4/Chapter 20 Force and piety (section 10) 1. What question does Calvin seek to answer in this section? 2. What answer does he give? 3. And why is this? 4. So what should they do if they want to be approved by God? 5. What defiles a magistrate’s hands? 6. What is the chief …
Cutting the Right Cloth
“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11) “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, …
A Carnival of Pillage
“And thus all have confessed that no government can be happily established unless piety is the first concern; and that those laws are preposterous which neglect God’s right and provide only for men” (Calvin, Institutes 4.20.9). And, as we see unfolding in Congress right this minute, a group of men who have no fear of …
A Pre-existing Condition
Now that the brigands of the Senate have successfully doubled down in order to get their 60 votes for cloture, they can now amend the bill at their pleasure, and part of their pleasure will be double-crossing the people they bribed to get their cloture vote. Did we say the people of Nebraska would never …
Preposterous Laws
Book 4/Chapter 20 Governmental diversity (section 8) 1. Why is it difficult to say which form of government is superior? 2. What is an easy temptation in every form of government? 3. That said, the fall is easiest under what form? 4. What form of government does Calvin prefer? 5. But what is a Christian’s …
The Wise Men and the Nations
INTRODUCTION: This part of the Christmas story is not a stand alone story. In the narrative, we find a type of how all the rulers of this world will eventually come to kiss the Son. THE TEXT: “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there …
Just So Much Flailing
I said earlier that I knew next to nothing about the proposed homosexuality bill in Uganda. Here is an interesting interview with Bishop Zac Niringiye about it. There are all kinds of things going on in there. The main thing it shows is that apart from a sure word in Scripture, one that applies to all …