Lots of people I respect, as people of faith and intellect, keep getting Romans 13 completely wrong, so I’ll try one more time… At the outset, this passage (“be subject to the governing authorities”) is likely THE most proof-texted passage in scripture. People trot it out as though absolutely nothing else in the Word qualifies..
First: A “He said, He Said” Story.. In the event any of you are in the market for a good fresh dose of weapons-grade insanity, ponder the Nicholas Kuhnhausen story and the utterly bizarre way 48 Hours chose to tell it. It begins with the disappearance of 17 year old girl named Nikki, who is,..
The Wildly Popular Bible Teacher Lacks Depth.. There is much to be said for John MacArthur. He has a high view of scripture and he’s not afraid of being unpopular. After waffling a bit early on in the Covid crisis, he opened his church for worship and defied county and state mandates banning group worship. ..
Lying For The Lord The epistle of James, throughout the centuries, has proven a challenge for even the most sincere Christians, (Martin Luther among them), because it puts faith to the test. If we agree we are saved by grace alone, through faith in Christ, then we would be wise to make sure our “faith”..
Be a Berean, you coward.. I’ve come to believe that I’ve missed, and even dismissed, many of God’s greatest truths by virtue of how horribly they are taken hostage, with singular zeal–apart from the greater Biblical picture. A Christian can be very much like the Jesus-tempting Satan, brandishing a powerful scriptural dagger, sounding “holy” but..
Panorama City, CA • ICBTS News Speaking to his small fellowship from a Zoom feed, evangelical pastor Vance Ichabod told his following he had ordered “magistrate medallions” for each church member as a way of reminding them to always obey government authority, especially during this Covid-19 crisis. “I had just reached the halfway point in my..
Nine Truths, One Stinking Falsehood.. My mother was fond of teaching us the devil tells us enough truth to get us to swallow huge lies whole. Mom’s ratio was nine truths to one falsehood. I think the Beth Moore ratio is more like 7 to 3, with a fair number of pastoral illustrations harking back..
Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Romans 13 and the Persecution-Seeking Christian Whenever we ponder Christianity and government, you can almost wager some well-meaning believer will argue that we can’t expect rulers to be just because Paul actually..
The Evil of Playing it Safe.. It seems to me that a number of historic American liberties are edging closer to the perils of mob rule, judicial fiat, or executive order. In conversation after conversation, I hear people worrying about their 2nd Amendment rights, their ability to express their beliefs publicly, and even their right..
Grab Those Irons.. “But the worthless, every one of them will be thrust away like thorns, Because they cannot be taken in hand.. But the man who touches them Must be armed with iron and the shaft of a spear, And they will be completely burned with fire in their place.” A Presbyterian pastor friend manages to go vague,..
