Monthly Archives: January 2015

A troubling erosion of free speech (part two)

28 Wednesday Jan 2015

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In my previous post, I noted how the liberty to speak freely against the sin of homosexuality is systematically eroding in the United States. But homosexuality is not the only issue for which the ability of Christians to speak their conscience is threatened. Another such issue is feminism. People who make statements supporting a traditional (biblical) view of the role of women as homemakers can expect to be punished for it. In fact, the modern homosexual movement was the natural product of the feminist movement, which has tried to erase distinctions between men and women and to destroy traditional/biblical principles of morality. This is a problem because the New Testament explicitly seeks to define different roles for men and women, both in the church (1 Cor 14:33b-35; 1 Tim 2:8-15) and in the home (Eph 5:22-33). The Old Testament is just as strong, for example giving as the sign of membership in the covenant community a mark that only males could bear (circumcision), only counting males in censuses, and only anointing males as priests and kings. The idea of redefining marriage started with the feminist movement, which sought to liberate women from the constraints of marriage, or at least from the constraints of a traditional marriage. The feminist movement has so much power in the culture that it has even rewritten the English language, banning the use of “man” as a generic reference to “humanity” (in contradiction of Gen 5:2), replacing “men working” signs on the highway with “workers ahead,” and so forth.

It almost goes without saying that the Bible speaks out in the strongest terms against false religions and false teachers. Yet today there is a huge push in the media, the government, and public education to treat all religions equally. Invariably, however, the religions that are highlighted in government educational campaigns are false religions such as Islam and Buddhism, rather than conservative Christianity. Also, while it used to be common for placards and signs with Bible verses on them to be posted in public buildings and public parks, and for Bible stories to be taught in public schools, today these are being removed; the first amendment’s guarantee of religious freedom has been reinterpreted in a way that makes secularism the state religion and actually prevents the free exercise of religion by Christians. In some countries, such as Canada, Christians who make strong statements against Islam or other religions can be punished for hate speech, although I have never heard of people who speak against biblical Christianity being punished in these countries.

Racism is a more complex issue, since the Bible does not condone racism (when properly defined). It is also true that many American Christians of an earlier generation were racially insensitive, or just plain racist. But lobbyists for homosexuality, feminism, and ecumenism have linked themselves with the civil rights agenda. As a result, racial issues are now less about not prejudging or hating individuals on the basis of their skin color than they are about promoting groups that are seen as historically disenfranchised (blacks, women, homosexuals, and non-Christians). The achievements of white male evangelical Christians—arguably the greatest historical positive influence in the United States—are now downplayed, and white men are the least desired group of people for jobs and promotions. Also, it is now possible for any criticism of a black person by a white person, or any arrest of a black person by a white police officer, to be viewed as a racist act, with potentially severe legal repercussions. Conversely, the African American community places a great deal of emphasis on the race issue, which blames other people for their problems, while they seem far less passionate about combating the endemic violence, immorality, drugs, anger, pride, stealing, disrespect, foul language, wicked music, and other sins that are truly wreaking havoc among them. The Bible makes statements about Jews (Acts 7:51-53; 1 Thess 2:14-15), Cretans (Titus 1:12-13), Canaanites (Gen 9:25-27), and women (1 Cor 14:33b-35; 1 Tim 2:11-15) that would be considered “prejudiced” by today’s standards, but that just shows that there is a problem with today’s standards—people do not want to be criticized or to be told that what they are doing is wrong. If someone could go to jail or be fired in America for saying about a modern racial or ethnic group what Paul said about Cretans in Titus 1:12-13, then there is a problem with our way of thinking about racial issues.

What about people who really do make racist statements? Surely it is unchristian, unforgiving, and oversensitive for someone to be ostracized without mercy, even after profuse apologies, simply for having said the “n” word sometime in the past. It is hypocritical for people in government and the media to act like people who have made racist remarks are “contaminated,” and since they themselves are righteous they cannot have anything to do with them anymore. Public figures use the name of God in vain openly every day, and they shamelessly promote and practice all sorts of immorality, yet there is no public outcry against such behavior which is so offensive in the sight of heaven. Racism is wrong, but there are far worse moral problems in America today.

Although the Bible teaches that all people are born with the same spiritual standing before God, that in the church everyone has the same spiritual privileges in Christ (Rom 10:12; Gal 3:28; Col 3:11), and that there should be no partiality in judgment (Lev 19:15; Deut 1:17), the Bible does not teach that everyone should be treated equally. Different people in this world must be treated differently on the basis of their character, their position, their age, and their gender, among other factors. The Bible teaches that greater honor should be given to authority figures (Rom 13:17; 1 Thess 5:12-13; 1 Tim 6:1; 1 Pet 2:17), Bible teachers (Gal 6:6; Phil 2:29; 1 Tim 5:17), and older people (Lev 19:32; 1 Tim 5:1-2), for example. We should have greater respect for the righteous than for the wicked (cf. 2 Kgs 3:14; Esth 3:2; Heb 11:38). In the Old Testament, God blessed kings who pleased Him with extraordinary wealth, and He did not command those kings to distribute their wealth evenly to everyone in the country in order to keep some people from rising above others. God Himself will judge all men after this life is over, and He will give greater reward to some believers than to others, and greater punishment to some unbelievers than to others. The idea in modern America that a public employee should not treat a Baptist pastor any better than a gangster or a drug addict is not biblical, and it is a recipe for societal disaster (cf. Prov 26:1, 8).

Freedom of speech is a right contained in the United States Constitution, although not in the Bible. The Bible teaches that we must be very careful what we say, because we will be judged by God on the basis of our words (Matt 12:37). The Bible does, however, make statements on issues such as homosexuality, the role of women, and other religions that could easily be considered hate speech under contemporary laws of the United States and other Western countries. A ban on such speech is direct opposition to God, to God’s Word, and to God’s people. As pressure on Christians in the United States increases, it appears that sooner or later Christians will have to move to another country where they may speak their conscience without fearing for their personal safety or suffering official harassment. If so, Christians would be leaving America for the same reason for which the first immigrants originally came to America: to find freedom to worship God according to their conscience.

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A troubling erosion of free speech (part one)

22 Thursday Jan 2015

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Watching President Obama’s State of the Union address on Tuesday was another reminder of the way in which any criticism of homosexuality or homosexuals has become completely taboo in the United States in recent years. Even voicing opposition to so-called homosexual marriage, which a great number of Americans still oppose (and which Obama himself did not openly support until public opinion allowed his position to “evolve”), can result in the loss of one’s job due to fear of a backlash from the aggressive homosexual lobby. Transgendering, which is the worst form of homosexuality, is now also presented as a civil right that cannot be spoken against—even though the Bible calls people who are merely cross-dressing “an abomination unto Jehovah” (Deut 22:5).

Homosexuals, like most others who are politically liberal, do not believe in freedom of conscience. They want to compel everyone to profess to hold the same basic beliefs that they do, whatever those may be at the moment. It is not enough for homosexuals merely to gain legal tolerance, which they already have. They want to force everyone in the world to approve of homosexuality, or maybe even to become homosexual. They want to jail people who lift up their voices against their perverse acts.

The classification of speech against homosexuals as “hate speech” is a big problem for Christians, because the Bible clearly calls homosexuality a sin. In fact, Romans 1:24-27 teaches that homosexuality is qualitatively different from other sins, because those who commit homosexual acts are actually behaving contrary to human nature, even in its fallen state. Homosexuals are acting contrary to their natural desires. Homosexuality is therefore the mark of those whom God has handed over to their sin for their own degradation. It follows from this that homosexuality always carries a whole set of other sins with it, as described in Romans 1:28-32.

The Old Testament is just as strong in its condemnation of homosexuality, prescribing the death penalty for acts of sodomy in Leviticus 20:13. Of course, this command was given in the context of a legal system for Old Testament Israel which is no longer in force. The New Testament does not prescribe a legal system, and homosexuals who converted to Christianity and repented of their sins were integrated into New Testament churches (1 Cor 6:9-11). Vigilante justice is not to be practiced by Christians (Rom 12:19). But if a modern-day government imposed capital punishment for homosexual acts—as some countries do—this could hardly be considered unjust since it is the same punishment that God called for when He wrote ancient Israel’s legal code. But what would happen to a public figure in America who called for the death penalty for homosexuals?

On the other side of the coin, I believe that the day is coming when homosexuals and other unbelievers will demand the death penalty for non-violent Christians who condemn them (cf. Rev 18:20, 24). Perhaps there will someday be public spectacles similar to those in ancient Rome, in which Christians are publicly murdered in front of a raucous crowd. American sports and entertainment are continually becoming more violent, with an emphasis on reality shows rather than mere acting. It is also possible that Christians will someday be sold as slaves to support a wealthy, privileged class of citizens (cf. Rev 13:16; 18:13).

In theory, pastors and lay Christians in America can still speak out against homosexuality, though in certain cases they could be prosecuted by the Justice Department for a civil rights violation. In practice, those who speak against homosexuality may lose their jobs and careers. This greatly increases pressure on Christians not to speak up, since it is obviously very difficult to survive without a job. In colleges and universities, students who voice opposition to homosexuality can expect to have a very difficult time passing classes and graduating. The popular ebook distributing service Smashwords will not list a book that “advocates hateful, discriminatory or racist views,” though it will publish any kind of pornography that is legal. In the future, it is possible that banks and credit card companies could refuse to do business with opponents of homosexuality, which in today’s society would make it nearly impossible to conduct any financial transactions whatsoever (a precursor, perhaps, to what is described in Revelation 13:17).

But homosexuality is not the only issue for which free speech is threatened. Some other troubling threats to freedom of speech will be described in my next post. A brief note of encouragement, though: God is still sovereign, and He will vindicate His people and prevail over all sin and sinners. The ultimate victory of God over the world is certain to come, and it will come soon.

What does it mean to have a biblical view of history? (Part two)

14 Wednesday Jan 2015

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In my last post, I introduced the subject of seeing history through biblical eyes, and gave three explanations of what this means. In today’s post, I will continue (and finish) with points four through seven of what it means to have a biblical view of history.

Point #4: History is the record of reality. It encompasses past, present, and future, and both that which is known empirically and that which is known by revelation. Limiting history to the past alone is insufficient, for what happened in the past created a series of outcomes that resulted in what now is, and again in what will be. The full significance of past events can only be known by showing their relation to the present and the future. Further, this is not just a historian’s subjective interpretation of what happened, but is something that is contained within the events themselves, as it were. It is insufficient to study the present without showing how it is a development from the past, or the (prophetic/predicted) future without showing its development from the present and the past.

Limiting history to that which is known empirically alone is also insufficient, for observations in the visible, physical realm point to the activities of beings in the unseen supernatural realm. The attempt to explain human history in terms of natural cause and effect alone always gives a very implausible and incomplete account of events. To fail to see the activity of God and Satan in the world is to fail to understand history.

The Bible presents the metanarrative of history. There are some who argue that the Bible is more a book of theology than a book of history. If the secular definition of the discipline of history is accepted, this is certainly true. However, if the Bible is allowed to challenge the very possibility of a history that is created on the basis of methodological naturalism, then the secular concept of history falls apart. In addition, this is only a modern definition of history; Christian historians before the twentieth century, and especially before the Enlightenment, did not see any place whatever for a history divorced from theology. And secular history does have theology running through it just the same: the attempt to explain all things without God is a theological endeavor, and incorporates the theological assumptions inherent in a secular worldview.

On the secular worldview, all that can ever be known about history is the available evidence, and thus it may be tempting to define history subjectively as the surviving evidence known to, and interpreted by, the historian. However, on the biblical worldview, all of reality is known by God and there is a full record of all that has happened in books in heaven. Thus, the things that are now hidden will be revealed in a future day (Eccl 12:14; Matt 10:26; Mark 4:22; Luke 8:17; 12:2-3; Rom 2:16; 1 Cor 4:5; 2 Cor 5:10; Rev 20:12).

Point #5: The epistemic basis of history is faith in biblical revelation, not empiricism or rationalism. Secular scholarship begins with the presupposition that the Bible cannot be trusted, but scholarly study of extrabiblical archeological data, inscriptions, and literature can be trusted. Thus, critical scholars start with extrabiblical material, interpret it “on its own terms,” and then interpret the Bible in light of it. However, the claim that extrabiblical data can be interpreted on its own, apart from the Bible and theological presuppositions, is false. If the Bible is taken away, it must be replaced with a different presuppositional framework. Almost invariably, this framework is atheism or deism, the view that God does not intervene in the world. This presupposition then determines the conclusion of the research, for all other possibilities are ruled out from the start. The Bible will be viewed as a human product that is largely inaccurate due to its claims of divine activity in the world. But this approach begs numerous questions: how can presupposing the Bible’s untrustworthiness be justified? Why should extrabiblical material be presupposed to be more reliable than the Bible? And why should secular presuppositions be accepted? Christian scholars, especially, ought to have faith that the Bible is the Word of God, and therefore ought to begin their historical analysis with the Bible and interpret the extrabiblical data in light of the Bible.

The Bible does not need to be verified by archeological or astronomical evidence. We know that the Bible is true because it is the Word of God, and as such is self-authenticating. The Bible does not become any more certain when archeological evidence is discovered that fits with what the Bible says.

Point #6: The Bible presents an anthrocentric view of history. According to the Bible, man was created at roughly the same time as the earth and the universe (cf. Mark 13:19), and thus is not possible to speak of a history of the earth or a history of the universe apart from the history of man. Man was created last in the creation week, since everything else in the universe was created for man—the earth, the sun, the moon, the stars, the animals, the plants, the seas, the dry land, and even the angels (cf. Heb 1:14). Man is both the pinnacle and the focus of creation. Man, in turn, was created for his Creator. The history of the universe is geocentric, and not just geocentric, but anthrocentric–and, in the ultimate sense, theocentric.

Point #7: The Bible elevates the history of Israel and of the Jewish people to a far higher plane of importance than that of any other people or nation in the history of the world. Many political and social events that might seem very significant in some ways, as well as the whole history of many civilizations that did not have direct contact with Israel, are considered relatively insignificant insofar as the overall plan and progress of history is concerned. The history of the Jewish people is the key to the history of the world, at least since the time of Abraham, because God is unfolding His plan of redemption through His covenants with Israel. The various stages through which the history of the Jews has passed are coterminous with the central events in the development of God’s plan of redemption, which are the events of real significance in the history of the entire human race. Redemptive history is the true history of the world, the true framework for understanding world events and the direction of world history. Almost immediately after man was created, he fell into sin; the rest of the Bible tells how and why God is going to come to the rescue of the human race, so that all of history prior to the Incarnation was “the preparation of the world for that great mystery, and all subsequent history the gradual appropriation of its results” (Brooke Foss Westcott, An Introduction to the Study of the Gospels [London: MacMillan, 1888], 47.). It is not true that the histories of all peoples, civilizations, and religions are equally important and ought to be given equal time. The history of God’s people (Israel, and in a different sense all believers) is what is really important for the overall course of world history.

What does it mean to have a biblical view of history? (Part one)

08 Thursday Jan 2015

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Those of us who live in Christian circles hear the word “worldview” frequently. Our worldview is the filter we use to interpret the world around us. To put it another way, our worldview is the lens through which we see reality. Having a biblical worldview is especially important when studying history, including not just past events but also current and future events. Seeing history through biblical eyes means seeing the spiritual significance of events around us, and not just the physical. The physical events around us are connected to the spiritual realm, and in fact the spiritual drives the physical. Most people only see the physical and do not see the real issues, which are the spiritual issues. They interpret events in terms of physical cause and effect, and miss the real reason why things are happening, and the direction in which they are going. Most people in the world do not recognize God’s sovereignty in directing history according to His plan, and they do not understand how present events fit into that plan.

What, specifically, does a biblical view of history consist of? First, the Bible presents a teleological (goal-oriented) view of history. There is purpose and direction in history, not just undirected occurrence or a meaningless cycle of events. History began in purpose, and it is heading toward ultimate goals and ends. The Bible teaches that the objective of history is the establishment of God’s kingdom on earth, an event which is initiated by the return of Jesus Christ to the earth. When this final purpose, and all it entails, is entirely fulfilled, history itself will end, so to speak, as an unchanging and eternal state of affairs is established. God created purposefully, unfolds history purposefully, and ends history purposefully. This is a very, very different worldview than all other views of history.

Second, history consists not just of undirected human action, but also supernatural intervention. History does not happen by accident, but according to God’s plan and purpose. Yet within that plan and purpose are men making free choices according to their own plans and purposes and Satan acting in opposition to God according to his own plans and purposes. It is always a challenge for the Christian historian to know how much of history to attribute to divine (or Satanic) action, and how much to attribute to human action. Most events involve a combination of both.

Third, history can only be understood properly when it is cast in terms of the conflict between the serpent and his seed and the woman and her seed as described in Genesis 3:15. Satan acts in history as the enemy of the human race and of its Redeemer, yet his opposition is used by God to bring about his own destruction in accordance with God’s purposes, for the death blow to the serpent is the direct result of his own attack on the woman’s seed. Ultimately, all of history after the fall must be viewed in terms of a spiritual conflict between God, as man’s friend, and Satan, as man’s foe, that is centered on the fate of the human race. Therefore two questions should be asked of every era of history: how is God working, and how is Satan working? Further, Genesis 3:15 can be viewed as the organizing principle of history, for all of the pivotal events in history are also the pivotal events in this conflict—the fall, the incarnation, the cross, the second advent, and the final judgment. To these could be added the call of Abraham and the covenants made with Abraham and the Jewish people. In short, it is impossible to understand history correctly without interpreting it in terms of the conflict described in Genesis 3:15.

To be continued . . .

New Year’s Day, a great time to start reading through the Bible

01 Thursday Jan 2015

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But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. – Matthew 4:4

Jesus’ reply to Satan in Matthew 4:4 implies that Christians should be nourished by the Word of God on a daily basis. Living and eating bread are daily activities, and so should be the consumption of spiritual nourishment from the Word. For such daily study of the Scriptures the Bereans were commended in Acts 17:11. We cannot live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God if we have not read every one of those words, or if we do not continue to read God’s words on a regular basis.

Throughout the Bible it is assumed that God’s people will read and know God’s Word, and yet reading the Bible is something that many Christians neglect to do. Some even feel that it is a matter of secondary importance to more “practical” issues or more “practical” books. Some people think the Bible is boring, and many will only read a paraphrase or rewrite of the Bible such as The Message, rather than an actual translation of what God said. But reading the Word must precede everything else in the spiritual life of the believer. Every Christian is first saved by hearing the Word (Rom 10:13-17), and the evangelist cannot be successful without it. The Word tells us how to pray. The Word of God is the primary tool that the Spirit of God uses to guide, convict, and teach us; such things as inner feelings and experiences are very much of secondary importance to the Word. Thus, believers cannot be filled with the Spirit or led by the Spirit without the Word. The Word tells us what love is, and how to love. It tells us what to believe, how to act and think, how a church should operate, and how to raise a family. It accurately reveals the whole history of the world, from beginning to end, and puts it in proper perspective. Thus, the study of the Word is the only means by which a Christian can grow in knowledge and in spiritual wisdom and understanding (Col 1:9)—all of which is essential for a proper Christian walk.

As a student of the Bible and a teacher of the Bible, by far my most helpful training in knowing and interpreting the Bible has been my own personal Bible reading and Bible study. Last year, 2014, was the fourteenth consecutive year that I have read the Bible from cover to cover. This has given me a knowledge of the Bible that I never could have gained from studying in the classroom. As I have studied theology and the writings of countless scholars in seminary, my analysis of their claims has constantly been framed by statements made in the Bible, rather than by a philosophical analysis or debates over archeology and methodology. Reading the Bible has enabled me to think of verses that are relevant for whatever the issue at hand may be, whereas if I had not read the Bible so many times I would not be aware of all the cross-references and connections.

I do not like most of the plans that I see today for reading through the Bible in a year. The length of each day’s reading varies widely, so that some readings are very short and some are very long. Also, most plans have one reading from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament each day, and sometimes a Psalm. This breaks up the continuity of the reading and hinders focused reflection. I like reading the Bible the way God inspired it—book by book, beginning in Genesis and ending in Revelation. You can download the Bible Reading Schedule that I use here. Reading the books in the sequence they appear in the Bible allows one to follow God’s dealings with the human race as God’s plan unfolds sequentially through the ages. When you read the Bible in order, you begin each new year by reading Genesis, which tells how everything began, and you end each year by reading Revelation, which tells how everything ends. But if three chapters a day (on average) seem too much for you, I also have on my website a Bible Reading Record which allows you to check off chapters of the Bible one at a time as you read them.

Reading the Bible is obviously more profitable if one understands it, or has a guide to interpret it. Now that I have published my own Interpretive Guide to the Bible, this is of course the first resource that I recommend; it is available on my website here, or on my Amazon author page here. Many people use study Bibles to help with interpretation, but in my opinion these are a poor “crutch.” Because the study notes are right next to the biblical text, people tend to just read the notes right away rather than first thinking about the text on their own.

The most accurate English Bible translation is the 1901 American Standard Version, which is one of the few Bible versions out there that consistently relies on the oldest manuscripts for translation of the New Testament. It is also public domain, free of copyright restrictions, and free of headings supplied in the text by a translator or editor. The most accurate translation in modern English is the New American Standard Bible. In Spanish, the two most accurate translations are the 1960 Reina-Valera and La Biblia de las Américas. I personally do some of my Bible reading in the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek (i.e., not in a translation). My knowledge of the Spanish language has been greatly aided by my reading of the Bible in Spanish, and I can recommend reading the Bible in another language as a great way to improve one’s abilities in that language. But improving language knowledge is only of secondary importance to the transformation of one’s life and thought by hearing and obeying the Word of God.