Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Chalcedon Report 2005 Jan
Chalcedon Report 2005 Jan
470
January 2005
O ne of a father’s
chief duties,
assigned to him by
increasingly sees in a parent the out-
workings of unrepentant sin will have
no reason to avoid it in his own life.
children are taught to wean themselves
of parental leadership in their adolescent
years. When any father adopts the piti-
God, is to train up his Children must see in their parents the ful characterization of fatherhood seen
children in the love and mature strength of the faith they profess. in our society, even in jest, he surrenders
knowledge of the Lord. the leadership role God has assigned
Our Lord told us that the “first
The Father is Foundational him.
Both mother and father should set The earthly father must represent
and greatest” commandment was to
a godly example, but the father’s role is his heavenly Father and use his author-
“love the Lord thy God with all thy
foundational. Mothers offer children an ity to point to a higher authority. This
heart, and with all thy soul, and with
important emotional tie as their early authority is not that of the father’s
all thy mind.” This starting point does
nurturer, but fathers give a sense of ulti- experience or feelings, but that of God’s
not depreciate the rest of the law, but
mate security. We remember a mother’s Word. Knowing he was near death,
rather channels all of our being to our
love as selflessness and a father’s as Paul told his spiritual son Timothy,
responsibility to God. This ultimate
leadership. A mother is one we cling to; “All Scripture is given by inspiration of
accountability to God leads us to our
a father is one we look up to. We look God, and is profitable for doctrine, for
duty in every facet of life, so that the
to a mother for her affection, and to a reproof, for correction, for instruction
second great commandment is to love
father for his attention. In later years we in righteousness: that the man of God
our neighbors as ourselves. In these two look back at what our mother gave us,
laws, our Lord said, we can understand may be perfect, thoroughly furnished
and where our father led us. unto all good works” (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
all “the law and the prophets” (Mt. 22: The father must see himself as more
37-40). Paul pointed Timothy to the authority
than a material provider. He provides of God’s Word.
If the purpose of all the Scripture because he heads the family. The head-
is to point us to a love of God in our ship role is that of a minister, by which Faith and Facts
innermost being (heart and soul) and we mean not an ecclesiastical role, but Facts are not brute facts, or isolated,
every thought (mind), and project it one of ministry of the things of God, as independent truths. Facts are inter-
toward our neighbor, then this is also an administrator of the duties entrusted preted through faith. Scripture was not
the purpose of our communication of to him. The father administrates, or given to us so that we would know the
that Word to our families. The father’s applies, God’s Word in the home. The complete set of all facts, but rather the
responsibility to his children, Paul said, headship points beyond the personal- context of all facts. It does not give us
is to rear them in “the nurture and ad- ity of the earthly father to the heavenly the multiplicity of facts, but the truth
monition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4). Their Father. about facts. The interpretation of facts is
nurturing is their development in the If the father’s life has God’s Word to be within a faith-based paradigm, for
things of God, which we accomplish as its strength, the natural tendency “the knowledge of the holy is under-
by admonishing them with the com- of children to look to their father for standing” (Pr. 9:10).
mandments of God and His call to security will point them to the God who Part of the image of God in man is
righteousness. truly is their eternal security. The father knowledge, in which we are renewed as
Paul contrasts this upbringing with must respect the things of God and also men, born again to be part of God’s new
provoking them to wrath. We provoke demand respect from his children. It creation (Col. 3:10). Sinful man has a
children to wrath — to anger, to sin, is not hard to note ways in which our false idea of knowledge, and an image
and rebellion — by projecting our own culture shows contempt for fathers (for of autonomy and self-will. Teaching the
sin to them rather than the righteous- example, their depiction in most mod- Word of God and the need for repen-
ness of God. A maturing child who ern sitcoms). By degrading the father, tance and faith brings man face to face
The First Installment and spoke His words through them. so the apostles and their closest com-
Competing Voices
So how can we recognize the pure Lost River of Eden — Found?
text from a corrupted text? The Bible “And a river went out of Eden... and medicine, and incense — came from the
itself tells us. became into four heads. The name of southern coast of Arabia. It would have
ß The pure text of Scripture has always the first is Pishon... which encompasseth reached Mesopotamia and the Mediter-
been in the possession of the believ- the whole land of Havilah, where there is ranean via trade routes crossing “Havilah.”
ing church (an ecclesiastical text) gold; and the gold of that land is good... Geologists estimate that the river
(Rom. 10:6-9; Eph. 4:11-16). This there is bdellium and the onyx stone.” dried up thousands of years ago, as early
is what God has promised, and this (Gen. 2:10-12) as 4,000 B. C. to as late as 2,500 B. C.
The Bible preserves ancient informa- Geologists now refer to it as “the Kuwait
is what His covenant requirements
tion, some of it otherwise unknown to the River.”
take for granted (Is. 59:21; Ps. 1; world for many centuries. The four Rivers of Eden, as listed in
Ps. 119). Manuscripts rescued from In 1996 scientists announced the dis- Genesis 2, are the Euphrates and the Hid-
waste bins and musty libraries must covery of a major river that is mentioned dekel (Tigris), the Pishon (Kuwait), and
take back seat to the text the church only in the Book of Genesis. (See James the Gihon, whose identity is still under
has actually used in worship.6 Sauer, “The River Runs Dry,” Biblical debate. Traditionally, Bible scholars have
ß The pure text of Scripture will ex- Archaeology Review, Vol. 22, No. 4, July/ located the Garden of Eden in southern
ist in the majority of manuscripts Aug. 1996). Until the development of Iraq, where the Tigris and Euphrates meet.
(a majority text). Doubtless false satellite technology, the course of the river Now they know the Pishon met them
lay hidden under the sand dunes of Arabia there. (In ancient times, the Persian Gulf
teachers have often altered the text
— invisible even to observers from the air. shoreline was approximately 100 miles
of Scripture to promote their own
Dr. Farouk El-Baz of Boston Univer- north of its present location. Silt from
agendas, but in the long run the sity, formerly with NASA’s Apollo pro- the rivers has extended the land gradually
church has not been interested. gram, analyzed satellite images of the river southward, and continues to do so.)
Jesus’ sheep hear His voice while finalizing work begun by scientists Lost for millenia, preserved only in
(Jn. 10:4; Jer. 23:28). in the 1980s. He traced its course from the words of Genesis, the once-mighty
ß The pure text of Scripture will the gold-rich highlands 125 miles south Kuwait River provides another example of
most clearly direct our faith to Jesus of Medina, all the way across Arabia, to the unique reliability of the Bible.
Christ as the incarnate Son of God its delta in Kuwait. At some places, Dr.
El-Baz reported, the river was as much as (For more information, see:
and the only atoning sacrifice (an
three miles wide. www.focusmagazine.org;
orthodox text) (Lk. 24:44ff; Jn. 5:
“Havilah” was an ancient name for www.creationism.org;
39). The testimony of Jesus is the Arabia. Bdellium — used for cosmetics, www.bible-infonet.org)
spirit of prophecy (Rev. 19:10).
H ow can we know
God? For that
matter, how do we know
dent know and when did he know it?”
The same must be asked of all: “What
do unbelievers know and when do they
true connection between knowledge and
Scripture. His doctrine of knowledge
and of the Bible was informed by the
anything? know it?” opening chapters of John Calvin’s The
Our need to know, Romans 1 answers that the unbe- Institutes of the Christian Religion. Calvin
as apologist Cornelius liever knows plenty about God! Paul begins his Institutes with the topic of our
Van Til1 correctly saw it, resides not teaches that mankind knows the invis- knowledge of ourselves and God. He
merely in our limitations as God’s ible things of God, such as His Creator- tells us these two are connected by many
creatures, but in the sad truth that our ship, omnipotence, eternity, and God- ties, so that it is not easy to know which
minds are predisposed at birth to be the head. The word “Godhead” means that one proceeds from the other.
masters of our own fate and the captains the unbeliever knows not just a god, For example, when we look at
of our own souls. As someone teasingly but the God, the true God. In short, he another man, what do we see? We see a
declared, “There are things that we knows that God is God. So clearly does man who has been created in the image
think about before we think.” he know that he is “without excuse.” of God. But why do we see God’s image
What we think about before we This means that he simultaneously in him? The answer is that we, too, are
think, the undetected axiom of life, is knows and does not know. What is the in God’s image. Calvin’s metaphor for
our plenary ability to reason objectively explanation of this seeming paradox? this was a mirror. The human race is a
and neutrally. It is this man-centered The answer is that the knowledge of “bright mirror” of the Creator’s works,”
and lawless presupposition that hinders God is so repugnant to him that he wrote Calvin. This means that the
our attaining the knowledge of God, suppresses it. Although he knows God, knowledge of God is conspicuous in our
ourselves, and God’s creation. he does not glorify Him as God, nor is world. What is more, we never attain
In Romans 7, Paul incriminates he thankful. No sooner does man know a true knowledge of ourselves until we
mankind when he says “that the carnal the true God than he adulterates this first peer into the face of God. Van Til
mind is enmity against God, and is not knowledge by worshipping a god of his informs us that all the light we possess
subject to the law of God, neither in- own making. is there only because of the One Who
John Calvin said that the human
deed can be.” Our eyes are prejudiced; is the Light, even as a “candlestick is in
heart is a factory of idolatry. When
we see everything through colored- relation to the sun.” For “in thy light we
someone says, “My idea of God is…,”
glasses. All of created reality is viewed see light” (Ps. 36:9).
we know that we have a factory-made
through the spectacles of our fallen Our enduring quandary pertains
deity. When he declares, “My idea of
nature, which is both blind and hostile to how knowledge is possible. Usually,
God is…,” he also says that, “My idea
to God’s truth. Our ability to know is people will answer their own question
of knowing is…,” since knowing is
fatally injured. Because of our sinful and assert that they must be critical
dependent upon his ultimate religious
nature, we recoil against God’s clear rev- instead of dogmatic. They assert that
commitment. The god of the unbeliever
elation and authority. Only God’s gift of the Scriptures must be “proved” instead
is a projection of his own cerebrum, and
regeneration, which alone makes us see, of humbly received. Unregenerate man
his quest for knowledge is destroyed.
can overcome our would-be autonomy cavalierly claims that he wants to test
(1 Cor. 2:14-15). The Looking-glass of Scripture all assumptions, including his own. Yet
Because of sin our minds at birth How then can we acquire an unper- to him it is the believer who wears the
are not blank. During the Watergate verted knowledge of God, ourselves, and colored-glasses of obscurantism and
hearings of the 1970s it was common creation? prejudice.
for the chairman of the investigating Cornelius Van Til’s work is im- The unbeliever begins his think-
committee to ask, “What did the Presi- mensely helpful in understanding the ing without acknowledging “what he
A ccording to the
linguistic theory
known as Structuralism,
a power struggle through which vari-
ous groups within a culture seek to gain
mastery over their environment and
else’s construction by the standards of
competing systems. When we claim that
something is true, therefore, we have
which was popular dur- impose meaning upon the world and simply created a system to explain and
ing the first half of the others. control our environment.
20th century, words or When approaching a text, the goal Legitimate moral choices are those
signs do not have any intrinsic relation- is not to uncover the author’s intended that work for an individual or group in
ship to what they signify. Instead, the meaning. Texts must instead be evalu- their particular context. According to
way people in linguistic communities use ated to disclose the author’s hidden postmodernists, we must abandon the
words determines these relationships. meaning, his self-interested attempt to vain quest for universal truth and nor-
The late Jacques Derrida, the pro- master his environment. All truth claims mative standards of morality. We should
ponent of a later theory called Decon- must be subjected to the hermeneutics focus instead upon finding new ways to
structionism, pushed Structuralism to of suspicion. Each reader must ask, organize the facts so that those who have
its logical end: if there are no ultimate “What meaning, agenda, or philosophy been oppressed and disadvantaged can
relationships, there is no ultimate was that author attempting to construct be brought to the center of the overall
reality. Words are all that exist. “Real- for himself and his readers?” Every human experience.
ity” is created by the words a society text becomes a political creation of that The rise of historical revisionism
uses, and these words have no objective culture’s winners, self-justification for is a necessary corollary of postmodern
truth external to them. Words point to their power and prosperity. thinking. Revisionists make no pretense
about rejecting the notion of objective
other words, nothing more. Language Postmodernism is wedded to decon-
truth about men and nations. The issue
is a cultural creation and hence a social structionist linguistic theory. It posits
is power. The old powers oppressed and
construction. It is unstable, arbitrary, that there is no ultimate, objective truth
ignored the needs and concerns of di-
and abstract. or reality and claims that knowledge
vergent traditions and groups. The new
A text, therefore, cannot contain is only subjective to the knower. Thus
postmodern powers are feminism, glo-
a meaning. Instead, the reader creates language is merely a social construction.
balism, ecologism, and homosexualism.
its meaning for himself, when he fuses Postmodernism makes the arrogant
The purpose of “knowledge” is to create
his particular horizon of understand- claim that the individual constructs a a paradigm so that those who are seeking
ing with the text. Each individual and reality that works for him. Yet post- political power and freedom from op-
society constructs meaning through modernism is also strongly communal. pression can acquire and retain it.
language. This is not an objective mean- Individuals, and especially individuals
ing, but only a “construction.” operating within communities that The Postmodern Mentality
Deconstructionists like Derrida share the same general worldview, Ideas have consequences, and
teach that linguistic conventions are construct realities that provide meaning postmodern thought continues to have
the mask that each society wears to within their context. Postmodernists a destructive influence over Western
“cover up its sins”: racism, homophobia, claim that our construction is our real- culture. Postmodernists deny the need
patriarchalism. Language is essentially ity, and it is illegitimate to judge anyone for internal consistency and worldview
I work in an environ-
ment with thousands
of young people, many
lot of extra-Biblical rules, this is a liber-
ating text. Scripture absolutely opposes
human legalisms.
But few communities are as bound by
human traditions as they are. It is our
calling to be governed by Scripture.
of them at critical The Westminster Confession of
thresholds of their Faith dedicates a whole chapter (20) God’s Law
to Christian liberty and the liberty of Christian freedom only exists within
lives. Most are seeking
conscience. Christians are free from the the parameters of God’s law. Some
direction for the future (college majors,
preachers have argued that Paul’s lan-
careers, marriage choices, etc.). Many guilt of sin, bondage to Satan, the re-
guage “all things are lawful” means that
of them ask,“What is God’s will for my strictions of the ceremonial law, and the
the commandments of God are nulli-
life?” doctrines and commandments of men.
fied. This is a ridiculous assertion, given
Sometimes I answer in a way they Believers are now free to obey God with
the context of 1 Corinthians 6:9-10.
don’t expect: “Why should God give a “child-like love and willing mind.”
Paul describes Corinthian sins, simply
you any more advice when you’re not Authoritarian leaders and traditions may
listing the violations of the Ten Com-
paying attention to the direction He has appear attractive, especially in unsettled
mandments. Many of the sins are sexual
already given?”1 or uncertain times, but we should sub-
(it is Corinth, after all), and they sound
I steer puzzled students to Deuter- mit ourselves only to Scripture.
much like what is happening in con-
onomy 29:29 (“The secret things belong A couple of years ago I got acquaint-
temporary America. Paul’s exhortation
unto the Lord our God; but those ed with a Liberty University student. He
to Christian freedom (verse 12) certainly
things which are revealed belong unto was bright and fairly Reformed, and he does not undermine the abiding validity
us and to our children forever, that we spent a lot of time at our home. He was of God’s law (verses 9-10).
may do all the words of this law.”). Ev- especially troubled by the worldliness of We live in an antinomian age, with
eryone, it seems, wants to know about modern evangelicalism. A few months hostility to the commandments of God,
the “secret things” and gain special after graduating he sent this email: “I even in the church. Years ago, while
insight into the future. A much smaller was raised in an extremely individual- leading a Bible study, I happened to talk
number wants to hear the Command- istic family and when I got to see the about God’s commandments. It was a
ments, find out how the law of God way your family operated, those times slow night, with only three men present.
gives instruction, or learn obedience. you invited me over for lunch, I knew The other fellows were elderly hyper-
The Word of God directs and gov- there was something missing in my view Dispensationalists; one was a retired
erns our lives. There is nothing particu- of the Christian life. It was from there pastor, the other was an active layman, a
larly flashy about it — Scripture doesn’t that the LORD worked in my heart to leader in a small mission. Both cau-
function like a spiritual Ouija Board. cement all of my theological convictions tioned me against referring to the Ten
But it teaches the steadfast faithfulness concerning practical Christian living, Commandments, since Christians are
and obedience that God desires. which ended up in my decision to fel- “under grace.”
1 Corinthians 6 and 10 show us how lowship with the Amish.” 2 I decided to turn the table on my
our lives should be governed by Scrip- The Amish! Of all things! I’d always friends, and told them of a pastoral call
ture principles. hoped that my young friend would I’d made earlier in the day to a “Mr.
become a Presbyterian. (He did tell me, P.” “Mr. P” was a professing Christian,
Christian Freedom later, that he hoped to have a Reformed but he was shacked up with a married
The Apostle Paul emphasizes Chris- soteriological [i.e., doctrine of salvation] woman. The woman was divorcing
tian freedom. Four times he stresses, “All witness within the Amish fellowship. her husband because she was pregnant
things are lawful” (1 Cor 6:12; 10:23). Maybe there’ll be a Calvinistic revival with “Mr. P’s” child, and they eventu-
For someone raised in a fundamentalist among the Anabaptists!) Personally, I ally wanted to get married. I asked my
environment, as I was, where there are a like the Amish and the Mennonites. Dispensationalist friends, “Should I tell
I nherent in these
words is this: God is
outside His creation. He
consequence for anyone who adds to or
takes away from it (Rev. 22:18-19). The
Bible begins with “This is the Word of
revelation of Himself consistent with
His own character.
The literature of the Bible includes
is not part of it, but the God” and ends with “Don’t add to these history, poetry, commands and statutes,
Creator and Sustainer words or take away from them or you prophecy, and parables. Because God
of it. As the Sover- will suffer in the lake of fire forever.” is truth and is sovereign over all, He
eign Ruler over the creation He made, From cover to cover, literally from open- can control every detail of the writing
God is not Himself affected by it, but ing words to closing words, the Bible of His Bible. For this reason we can be
rather stands outside to affect it. This is testifies of itself that it is the Word of confident that we have nothing less than
where the argument for the inerrancy God. the infallible word of God which is the
of the Bible begins. He is the One who Bible.
directed the writing of His Word so that What Kind of Book Is This?
it came to be exactly what He wanted it This brings us to other questions: A Written Revelation Needed
to be.1 What kind of Bible did the Sovereign Some religious folks, and even the
“Whoa, wait a minute!” you might Creator give us? Is the Bible an accurate natural man, might object and ask why
say. “You are using the Bible to prove or inaccurate rendering of reality? Are mankind needs a written revelation
the Bible.” That’s right. There must be the contents fallible, or infallible? Is it when the creation itself makes plain the
higher authority than you or me, higher errant, or is it inerrant? reality of God. They would be justified
than any man or group of men, to tes- These lead to additional questions: in asking such a question, since from
tify to the authorship of the Bible. What kind of God is this God of the
“the creation of the world His invisible
Where will we find such a testi- Bible? Is He like a magician who creates
attributes, His eternal power and divine
mony? The Bible provides its own. This illusions? Is He like mortal men who
nature, have been clearly seen, being
is what theologians call “self-attesting.” change from day to day, even moment
understood through what has been
The Bible testifies of itself that God to moment? What characteristics does
made, so that they are without excuse”
is its author. “In the beginning God this God of the Bible have by which we
(Rom. 1:20).
created…” says to us that someone was might know the kind of communication
We ought to consider that in the
around to know this bit of information He would give us?
Scripture tells me that God, being pre-fall world, fully formed and dis-
in order to pass it on to us — and that playing the glory of God as no living
someone was God Himself. God, is incapable of lying (Num. 23:
9). Jesus Christ more explicitly defines man has ever seen it, God did not leave
From Cover to Cover Himself as “the way, the truth, and the Adam to the voice of nature. God spoke
A simple computer concordance life” (Jn. 14:6).2 The God the Bible to Adam in the Garden. With words He
search will display 416 finds on the reveals as its Author is the God who is instructed him of his mission and the
phrase, “Thus says the Lord.” Examples Truth — whose Word does not merely way to live and enjoy the good things
from Scripture could be multiplied contains truth, but rather “is truth” God had prepared for him. With words
to show that the Bible claims Divine (Jn. 17:17). The basic argument for the God told pre-fallen Adam, “Eat of all
authorship. The closing words of the inerrancy of Scripture is sovereignty and the trees but one.” With somber words
Bible are not less significant than the truth. There is a Sovereign God who God warned, “Death is a possibility.
opening words. They warn of eternal is Truth. He has given to us a written continued on page 29
C ommitted Chris-
tians are Bible-
believing Christians (1
Bible. Wider margins provide additional
space for serious, orderly note-taking.
This important tool not only provides
it appears that any verse the pastor read
was underlined; this is not helpful. I
have seen pages filled with unnecessary
Thes. 2:13). We believe more notes ready to hand, but facilitates material.
we are sanctified by deciphering them later. You do not need You should jot down notes in a
the Word of truth (Jn. to buy a Bible made of acacia wood two notebook or on note sheets so that you
17:17). We understand that we must and a half cubits long, one and a half can take them hastily and fully without
diligently feed upon the solid meat of cubits wide, and one and a half cubits permanently cluttering your Bible with
Scripture (Heb. 5:12-14). We happily high. A good wide-margin Bible pro- them. You should avoid going “out
examine the words of ministers, search- vides one inch margins all around while hastily to argue your case, otherwise,
ing the Scriptures to see whether these remaining a manageable size. what will you do in the end when your
things are so (Ac. 17:11). Consequently, Second, you need a mechanical neighbor puts you to shame” with better
one sign of the committed Christian is pencil, which I prefer to a ballpoint notes in his Bible (Pr. 25:8)?
his or her well-marked Bible. pen. I recommend a pencil with either After taking notes during a sermon
I am sure I share with the vast 0.5 or 0.7 mm #2 lead and a good, soft or lecture, you can later set aside time
majority of Bible-carrying, text-marking eraser. I would even argue that I am be- to reflect on the notes. Then carefully
Christians the regret of having too hast- ing Biblical in this, in that I follow the organize, summarize, and record them
ily jotted indelible notes in my favorite Apostle John’s lead: “I have many things in your Bible (in pencil, of course!). I
expensive, leather-bound Bible. I still to write, but I am not willing to write would recommend finding a time not
have the first Bible I received upon my them with pen and ink” (3 Jn. 13)! long after hearing the message, so that
conversion at age 16. Needless to say, I Pencil inscription will allow you to your recall will supplement your notes.
have plenty of notes in that Bible that I avoid common, annoying problems, Fourth you need, an attachable
lament. such as being unable to correct acci- blank notebook (if your Bible does not
Over the years, I have become more dental jottings of the wrong cross-refer- have several blank sheets of space in the
careful in my note-taking while listening ence, notes placed at the wrong location back). Wide margins will not hold all
to sermons and lectures on Scripture. (not near enough the proper verse), or the notations you might like to carry
I would like to share a few thoughts thoughts that you later come to regret with you in case you run into a dis-
that have enhanced my note-taking and altogether (e.g., the latest date for the pensationalist seeking whom he may
limited the number of Bibles I have had Rapture). How often I would have gath- devour. Blank sheets provide invaluable
to toss out. ered my notes together and erased them, real estate for more serious note taking.
but I could not. To make your own insertable note-
Tools of the Trade Third, you need a notepad. Pur- book, construct one in the following
The first order of business in your chase a thin, lined notepad with small manner:
bibliocharagmic (Bible marking) endeav- enough sheets to insert into your Bible. • Take three or four sheets of 8 1⁄2” x
or is to purchase proper tools for the You will always have note-taking materi- 11” typing paper.
trade (none of them gasoline powered, als when your grab your Bible. Or at • Fold them in half.
harmful to the environment, or high on least have two or three folded sheets • Insert the folded sheets into one
calories!). Important tools include the tucked loosely in your Bible for this another, creating a little “booklet.”
following: purpose. I discourage taking notes on • Staple the sheets together at the
First, a good quality wide-margin the fly. I have seen some Bibles where folded center.
T he idea of dominion
is one of the oldest
in Scripture. We read in
with some kind of sacred status that
would prevent us from disturbing it or
using it for our benefit. Tree huggers
aspect of man, any education which
diminishes man’s calling to exercise
dominion also diminishes man to the
Genesis 1:27-28: “So think trees have “souls”: to cut down same degree.2
God created man in his a tree is tantamount to murder. Most It is the issue of dominion that
own image, in the image environmentalists also favor abortion makes same-sex marriage totally incom-
of God created he him; male and female on demand. For them, human life is of patible with God’s creative purpose. God
created he them. And God blessed lower value than the wilderness. Envi- chose the husband, in a man-woman
them, and God said unto them, Be ronmentalism is an attempt to reverse marriage, as the individual who exercises
fruitful and multiply, and replenish the God’s mandate. dominion over earth and its creatures for
earth, and subdue it: and have domin- the benefit of civilization. God spoke the
ion over the fish of the sea, and over The Family dominion mandate to Adam in Genesis
fowl in the air, and over every living All of this has ramifications for the 1:26. Then God created Eve to be man’s
thing that moveth upon the earth.” family, for the idea of dominion is ex- helpmeet in pursuit of the dominion
Webster’s New World Dictionary tremely important to the social stability mandate. Thus man and woman are to
defines dominion as: “rule or power to of society. Rev. R. J. Rushdoony writes exercise dominion. However, in a Chris-
rule; sovereign authority; sovereignty.” in The Institutes of Biblical Law: tian marriage, there is a clear Biblical
According to the Bible, man was to have [E]ssential to the function of the family division of labor prescribed by Scripture.
power over all of the other creatures that under God, and to the man as the head
And man is the one primarily concerned
God had created. He was to subdue of the household, is the call to subdue
with dominion.
the earth, turning the wilderness into a the earth and exercise dominion over it.
This gives to the family a possessive func- Same-sex marriage will of neces-
garden or a productive farm to sustain sity undermine the civil order because
human life, and he was to use the sheep, tion: to subdue the earth and exercise
dominion over it clearly involves in the it defies God’s natural order in which
cows, bulls, chickens, goats, geese and
Biblical perspective private property. dominion plays a central role in main-
other domestic animals for his benefit. Man must bring to all creation God’s taining civilization. Social decay sets in
This has governed the productive lives law-order, exercising power over cre- when the natural order is disregarded in
of human beings since the beginning. ation in the name of God.1 favor of unnatural disorder.
The Environment Exercising dominion requires The majority of American people
Lately we have seen the growth of responsibility and authority. A man overwhelmingly rejected the legalization
the environmental movement, in which marries and creates a family and has au- of same-sex marriage in the last election
extreme views call for the elimination thority over it. He cannot hand over his because they saw the danger to civilized
of man as the spoiler of the primeval authority or responsibilities to the gov- society that same-sex marriage poses.
wilderness. Obviously, these views are ernment or his wife without rebuking Godly order has mandated forever that a
of pagan origin, which reject God’s God. His wife may help him exercise his male-female marriage is the core institu-
mandate that man take dominion over authority, but she cannot take it over. tion of a Christian society. There can be
the earth. In educating children, it becomes no compromise on this issue.
There is a fundamental difference a sin to put one’s child in a school that
between the conservation movement denies the dominion mandate. Rev. The Government
and the environmental movement. Rushdoony writes: Dominion also implies authority.
Conservationists strive to become better The major casualty of modern educa- Authority is the power to enforce obedi-
stewards of the earth’s resources. Many tion is the male student. Since domin- ence, and in modern society only
environmentalists endow the wilderness ion is by God’s creative purpose a basic continued on page 30
T he Bible should be
our most prized
possession; it is God’s
things are understandable only in terms
of the triune God. The only way, then,
for any of us to be part of the solution
a god who is culturally impotent is the
God-opposed public schools. There, in-
stead of being systematically taught how
instruction manual for to our culture’s problems is for us to live to apply Biblical principles to their lives,
living, and everything according to His rules and to base our our children are indoctrinated with the
we do should be viewed actions upon His revealed Word. Only blasphemous idea that one god is just
“through the spectacles of Scripture.”1 under His law can creation function as as good as another: that they should be
Jesus instructs us, “Man does not live it is supposed to. good citizens and follow the dictates of
on bread alone, but on every word that the state. Instead of learning that they
comes from the mouth of God”(Mt 4: Written For Our Instruction will be “blessed if they take to heart
4). God’s Word is true (Ps. 119:160); it Christians have the most valuable what is written in [the Bible]” (Rev. 1:
“equips us for every good work,” (2 Tim. self-help book ever written. It promises 3), we have learned that they will be
3:16-17); it is a “lamp to our feet and a to make us wiser than any non-Chris- expelled from school, and later may be
light to our path,” (Ps. 119:105); and it tian and, if followed, to make our passed over for a deserved promotion or
will not return to God without “accom- wisdom so apparent that non-Christians even fired, for publicly elevating God’s
plishing its purpose” (Is. 55:10-11). will come to us praising our actions and thoughts above man’s.
When Jesus became the Word in inquiring about our God. Instead of being taught to count
flesh, He taught, “I am the way, the So why aren’t we using it? Why do “everything a loss compared to the
truth, and the life. No one comes to we proclaim that the Bible is the very surpassing greatness of knowing Christ
the Father except through Me” (Jn. 14: Word of God, without error, applicable Jesus as our Lord” (Phil. 3:8), we are
6). In explaining the Helper He would to all people at all times, and “thor- encouraged to keep our religious beliefs
send to all Christians upon His resur- oughly equips us for every good work” to ourselves for fear of losing worldly
rection, Jesus describes the Holy Spirit’s (2 Tim. 3:16-17), and then neglect to esteem. As we continue to compartmen-
work as “guiding us into all truth” (Jn. apply it to our everyday situations and talize our beliefs, we wonder why our
16:3). This is what Asaph means when circumstances? culture continues to disintegrate. After
he writes, “You will guide me with
Why do we insist on living as all, we contribute to a few charities,
Your counsel” (Ps. 73:24). Seventeenth
though God’s Word is not “a lamp give (a little) to our churches, perform
century English Pastor Richard Alleine
to our feet and a light for our path” volunteer work, and are involved in
advises:
(Ps. 119:105)? Have we been “spoiled “improving” the public school curricu-
The faithful Christian will not lean to
through philosophy and vain deceit, lum. But the only thing that seems to
his own understanding. He is fearful
to walk in his own counsels. He knows after the tradition of men, after the be happening is that we are becoming
that it is not in man who walks to direct rudiments of the world, and not after physically exhausted while our culture
his own steps, but withal he knows he Christ” (Col 2:8)? If so, how did we lose continues its downward spiral.
has a better guide.2 our trust in God to the extent that we To refuse to repent and live by
This means that we should “set our not only fail to consider His wisdom in God’s perfect instructions is to attempt
face like a flint” as we conform our daily our day-to-day decisions, but are even to become our own source of truth and
routines to Biblical principles, being ashamed (Rom. 1:16) to say we make wisdom. It is to “love darkness rather
confident that “the Lord God will help a particular decision because we are than light, for everyone practicing evil
us” and “no one will be able to condemn Christians and are simply following His hates the light” (Jn. 3:19-20). Paul
us”(Is. 50:7-9) as long as we stay true decrees (Ps. 25:1-3)? explains, “The sinful mind is hostile
to the principles in His Word. Because Possibly the chief culprit in foster- to God. It does not submit to God’s
the Holy Trinity created all things, all ing this pietistic attitude of worshiping law, nor can it do so” (Rom. 8:5-8).
“Sometimes it is said that man cannot be trusted with the government of himself.
Can he, then, be trusted with the government of others?”
~Thomas Jefferson, First Inaugural Address, 1801
was this sense of dominion that drove 1. John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian JJPRCC. A look at culture and politics from an
the Pilgrims to the new world where Religion, Vol. I, (Westminster, 1960), 70. Americanist perspective. www.jprcc.org
they could do what the Bible instructed 2. Richard Alleine, The World Conquered by BRINGING PURPOSE, PRINCIPLES, AND
the Faithful Christian, (Ligonier, PA: Soli PASSION TO THE BUSINESS OF GROWTH.
them to do: “Be fruitful and multiply, www.paross.com or 877.805.0676.
Deo Gloria, [1668] 1995), 87.
and replenish the earth, and subdue it:
and have dominion over the fish of the
sea, and over fowl in the air, and over
every living thing that moveth upon the
earth.”
The dominion mandate has pro-
duced the richest, freest, most creative
civilization on earth. As long as the
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