Thoughts on ethics, society, politics, religion, philosophy, theology, and everything in between
The New Testament and Politics When discussing a Biblical view of the state, it is very common for people to turn immediately to Romans 13:1-7 (“Everyone must submit to the governing authorities. . .”), as if this provides the basic and central summary of a New Testament view of politics. However, this is a mistake. … Read more
During this period of the COVID-19 pandemic, governments have enforced orders of “social distancing,” requiring people to stay home and only to interact with others if absolutely necessary, in order to help prevent the spread of the virus. As a result, many businesses and organizations have been required to close, or at least to stop … Read more
Should Christians Protest? Many Christians simply assume that it is obvious that Christians should engage in political protests or even civil disobedience if they disagree with the government’s actions. However, this is by no means self-evident. After all, we cannot judge those outside the church (I Cor 5:12), nor can we reasonably expect people who … Read more
In the first part of this series, I described and assessed four different models for how the church should relate to the political powers of this world: Christendom, Pietism, Dual Citizenship, and Natural Law. In this second part, I advocate an alternative model that bears some similarities to the Pietism and Natural Law models, while … Read more
For nearly 2,000 years, the church has wrestled with the question of how it should relate to the political powers of this world. This is an enormously complex and difficult issue, and Christians have given a wide variety of answers to this question through the centuries. At the risk of oversimplification, I propose that Christian … Read more
Natural Law Christians know what the will of God is. They know what is morally right and wrong. They know this because God has revealed this to His covenant people in His word, the Scriptures, and ultimately in His Word, Jesus Christ. But what about those who do not know God in this way? Is … Read more
Plagues. Hurricanes. Earthquakes. Tsunamis. Volcanic Eruptions. These events can kill thousands, bring suffering to many times more, and seriously disrupt the normal course of life and society. They cause us to pause and to ask the question: why do these things happen? Natural Disasters and Evil For the atheist, the answer is obvious: these events … Read more
Most modern Christians read the New Testament with a filter that says, “New Testament ethics is only about personal morality, so of course the New Testament ethic of love says nothing against state-sponsored violence; of course the New Testament ethic of love does not forbid us to hate and kill the enemies of our nation.” … Read more
The Political Nature of the Christian Gospel According to the modern idea of the distinction between religion and politics, religion and politics are two separate realms or spheres of human life. Religion is personal, interior, and otherworldly, while politics is public, corporate, and this-worldly. These two realms may have some kind of mutual influence or … Read more
Old Testament and New Testament Ethics It is obvious to anyone who reads through the Bible that there are significant discontinuities between the ethics of the Old Testament and the ethics of the New Testament. For example, the Old Testament Law allowed for divorce (Deut 24:1); Jesus absolutely forbids it (Matt 5:32). The Old Testament … Read more