Samuel Eliot Morison on the Influence of Christopher Columbus in 1493

by Ronald Kirk

On this Columbus Day 2009, let us consider the Prologue of Samuel Eliot Morison’s book Admiral of the Ocean Sea: A Life of Christopher Columbus.¹ In these few pages, Morison provides some astounding insight regarding Columbus’s impact on the outlook and consequent accomplishment of his own times.

First, Morison says that at the end of 1492 the prospect for Western Europe was depressing indeed. Christian civilization seemed to be contracting, while internal hostilities grew.  For over a hundred years natural science stagnated and university enrollment shriveled. Institutions decayed, and cynicism, intellectual escapism and worship of a non-existent pagan golden age increased.  Islam continued to grow, consuming Christian territory as it advanced. The Turks destroyed the Byzantine Empire, and conquered much of Greece, Albania and Serbia, and nearly took Vienna.  Election of the infamous Rodrigo Borgia to the papacy reflected the base condition of the Roman Catholic church. With the essential collapse of the Holy Roman Empire and the moral implosion of the church, Christians had little in the way of human encouragement.  The result was a feeling "of profound disillusion, cynical pessimism and black despair."²

In 1493, Morison says the conclusion of the history of the world written in the book known as the Nuremberg Chronicle, asserts that the folio tome contains, "the events most worthy of notice from the beginning of the world to the calamity of our time" (emphasis added). Morison continues, "Lest any reader feel an unjustified optimism, the Nuremberg chroniclers place 1493 in the Sixth or penultimate Age of the world, and leave six blank pages on which to record events from the date of printing to the Day or Judgment."³

Just as with Savonarola’s imprecatory sermons at this time, the Nuremberg Chronicle includes a prophecy of the ending age, referencing God and Magog from the Book of Ezekiel, and a quotation from The Revelation 20:8 that indicates the next and final age will be worse even that their own evil time. Then, "The seventh angel will pour out the seventh vial, and the awful Day of Judgment, painted in the lurid colors of the Vision of Saint John, will conclude the history of a wicked world."⁴  These times were so appallingly bleak to those who lived them, they thought themselves to be living near to the end of the world.

Nonetheless, just as these extremely pessimistic thoughts were readied for publication, news of Christopher Columbus’s discovery in the New World came to Lisbon. Apparently, this news soon began to create a profound change in the outlook of Europe, according to Morison:

Strong monarchs are stamping out privy conspiracy and rebellion; the Church, purged and chastened by the Protestant Reformation, puts her house in order; new ideas flare up throughout Italy, France, Germany and the northern nations; faith in God revives and the human spirit is renewed. The change is complete and astounding. "A new envisagement of the world has begun, and men are no longer sighing after the imaginary golden age that lay in the distant past, but speculating as to the golden age that might possibly lie in the oncoming future" (Sir Charles Oman On the Writing of History P: 117).⁵

Bridging the gap between the Medieval past and the future, Christopher Columbus "became the sign and symbol of this new age of hope, glory and accomplishment."

We see in pre-Columbian Europe a decadence and despair similar to that of our own age. With the present political climate and current, America arguably may soon cease to exist as we have known it. Much of the American church has spent the last several decades awaiting the rapture to remove the church from the dire evil consequences of the times.

Now here is a lesson for contemporary Christianity. Consider Samuel Morison—historian, man of the sea and United States Navy Admiral—who faced with his contemporaries one of the worst threats to western civilization in modern times: Hitler’s Germany and the Axis powers’ determination to conquer the world. Another grim time.

No doubt Morison wrote to encourage his contemporaries with his story of the intrepid, persevering and visionary Columbus. For in his first voyage, Columbus:

the Christ-bearer, would be the humble yet proud instrument of Europe's regeneration…He accomplished with a maximum of faith and a minimum of technique, a bare sufficiency of equipment and a superabundance of stout-heartedness, gave Europe new confidence in herself, more than doubled the area of Christianity, enlarged indefinitely the scope for human thought and speculation, and "led the way to those fields of freedom which, planted with great seed, have now sprung up to the fructification of the world.

In a world of now nearly 7 billion people,⁶ dependence upon the vision and ability of one man would be both naïve and dangerous. Naïve because true and lasting reform depends upon mankind’s general recognition of their Savior Jesus Christ, and His rightful kingdom. In Christ’s kingdom are many individuals saved by grace and entered into covenantal relationships—personal, civil and economic—of any and every kind. It is within this fabric of Christianity, through the benign influence of God’s people governed by the Word of God and His Holy Spirit, that civilization, liberty, justice and prosperity thrive.  Dangerous because of the great temptation toward idolatrous dependence upon men. Such dependence always leads to oppression and tyranny, and further evil, not its remedy. For our own good, Christ will countenance no competition.

Rather, Morison’s characterization of Columbus should inspire us as individuals to take such leadership as Columbus exemplifies. We ought to rouse ourselves as our parents and grandparents did against the wickedness of men in World War II. We ought to rouse ourselves unto preparation according to God’s unique individual giftedness and calling. Thus the many may then contribute each his own vision and accomplishment, toward the recovery of the free and gracious society that Americans once knew, and even better. 

Christ said that we must bear fruit.  On this Columbus Day, let us, as he did, allow the Holy Spirit to inspire us to the great things He has determined to accomplish in us (Eph 2:10), to God’s glory and the blessings of men.

1. Samuel Eliot Morison, Admiral of the Ocean Sea: A Life of Christopher Columbus (Little, Brown, and Company, 1942), 3-6.
2. Ibid
3. Ibid
4. Ibid
5. Ibid
6. Central Intelligence Agency, The World Fact Book (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/xx.html).

To Be a Theocracy or Not to Be a Theocracy?

by Ronald Kirk 

Was early Christian America a theocracy? Should Christians desire a theocracy? What is a theocracy? What are the differences between the Biblical notion of theocracy and the American republic?

Part of the problem with these questions is the wild variation of meaning attached to the term theocracy. Meaning is further complicated by the negative connotation or spin propagated by its opponents, both Christian and non-Christian. For example, among militant non-Christians, it is great fashion to associate the term theocracy with the tyrannical Sharia law of Islam (though liberals are increasingly countenancing it). Christians often seem to interpret theocracy as a coercive, top-down civil order.¹ Another difficulty is theological confusion. For example, Noah Webster in his 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language says that theocracy is: Government of a state by the immediate direction of God; or the state thus governed. Of this species the Israelites furnish an illustrious example. The theocracy lasted till the time of Saul. Noah Webster is my constant resort, but here I must disagree with him. Under God's providence, it is virtually impossible to externally enforce any civil order without the mediation of men. Thus, a direct theocracy is not possible. If it was, it would contradict God's purpose to bring volunteers unto Himself (Ps. 110:3). As it has always been God's intent to govern mankind, all of history might be considered a theocracy, though mostly of men in rebellion to it.

True enough, the term theocracy in its roots means essentially governed by God. And yes, ancient Israel is the only Biblical example of a would-be direct rule by God. God covenanted directly with Israel through Moses and later through His prophets. He gave His Law through Moses. However, even then this Law was not imposed from the top down. From the very beginning, the people gave unanimous and public consent to God's provisions for them (Ex. 19:7-8).

God did not wish to establish Himself among them through some divine-right king or man-god, as many of the ancient pagan rulers characterized themselves (e.g. Isaiah 14). Rather, God warned that such a king would end up a self-serving dictator (1 Sam. 8). This was never God's intent. Rather, God's rule is always in the form of a covenant with men, and godly men desire His benign rule. Certainly, God uses certain representative intermediaries including priests, prophets, judges and magistrates. In debased times, he even uses kings (1 Sam 8:6-7). Leaders are necessary according to capability of sinful men to live for God and on His terms. When the people are capable, God gives a restrained governor who rules in the fear of Him (Neh. 5:15). Ultimately, God purposes to establish a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Ex. 19:6, 1 Pet. 2:9).

Yes, early Israel—made to be slaves for 400 years in Egypt—acquired a slavish character. God therefore imposed a strict external discipline to help keep Israel separate from pagan influences, and with a full concentration on their sin, and their need of God. This so that His grace might prevail among them. God gives the kind of civil government their general character requires—dictatorship or even outright destruction if a poor character, or liberty and self-government to a people of virtuous character. Though external discipline over ancient Israel was necessary for their own good, the Great Commandments were to love God (Deut. 6:5) and love one's neighbor (Lev. 19:18).

Even under the good king David, Israel's status as a people governed by God depended on their personal virtue. David could never be the peoples' conscience, faith, character, or virtue. Neither could the priests be. The ritual and symbolic laws were disciplinary (educational) means taken by God to form a people—a people made of individuals willing and capable of loving God, and of self-government.

If Israel would not have resisted and rebelled, but rather let God so form them, the theocracy would have flourished. With many people standing for God in holiness, ready to live as He would have them, justice, liberty and goodness would flourish in society. Ultimately civil government would be a benign reflection of the people and would represent them. One of my favorite positive prophecies is that their nobles (leaders) would be from among them (i.e. true representatives—Jeremiah 30:21). The Israeli theocracy, though it left a positive legacy upon which God would build His Kingdom (in Christ), it was a failed theocracy. Grace must do what the Law cannot (Gal. 2:21).

In fact, it should be evident that a centralized or dictatorial power of government could never form a true theocracy. Why? Where does God's kingdom lie? It lies in the heart of men. Upon man's fall, God immediately implemented His eternal plan of redemption, a people prepared unto Him for eternity. This kingdom is first and necessarily internal. Even Jesus' disciples made the mistake of thinking at first that the kingdom should be a political one. Thus, they thought, Jesus would first defeat Rome, and then establish His rule on earth by force. This was not and is not His way (not in the Millennium either). In other words, God rules from the heart of man outward. Properly speaking every act of the Christian should come from the motive of God's love, with dependence upon His help. (Here is why early education is so critically important. Childhood is the time when the capacity for self-government is formed, and is best formed by constant, careful cultivation.)

Psalm 110, the most quoted Old Testament passage in the New Testament, indicates that Jesus will rule at the right hand of the Father, in the midst of His enemies, and through His volunteers (the peoples of God, Christ's body). This situation will remain until the Father makes all Jesus' enemies His footstool. The Bible says the last enemy is death.

To get to the core of the issue, theocracy essentially means a government by or under God. Is this not what we mean when we say Jesus is Lord? The kingdom can truly only be God's kingdom when it emerges in the real lives of His converted disciples. Internal qualities will express themselves. With this understanding, for Christians, divine-right kings and deified despots are completely excluded. We thus reject such an institutional theocracy. God's theocracy is through the covenantal union of many individuals, where He rules individually in each heart. Then, the people require little external government and liberty is the rule. “You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men” (1 Cor. 7:23), not even Christian men.

Now we come to America…

Our founding fathers sought God to govern them—God is America's King—through self-restrained Christians intending to protect liberty and justice for everyone. This is theocracy in its fundamental sense. Anything short of this is destined to fail (under humanistic sin), for only when the righteous rule, do the people rejoice (Prov. 29:2).²

How do men know what is God's purpose—what content should rule in their individual and eventually their corporate lives? It is the Bible, taken as God's authoritative will. Paul said to walk in a manner worthy of our calling. How well we hit the mark, by faith and with the help of the Holy Spirit, determines how successful we will be. In ourselves, this is impossible. We depend upon God to bring the increase.

Again, the problem with any institutional theocracy is the very real and likely danger for do-gooder demagogues to make right through might, something our founders rejected absolutely. This appears to be the condition in the highest halls of American government at this time. That is exactly the Europe our founders escaped. They trusted God to trust Americans to do the right thing voluntarily. America's government is self-government (dependent upon God). If many individuals are themselves governed by God, they will govern on His behalf for everyone's good.

A theocracy in the unbiblical, pejorative sense is one where a man or group of men claim to speak for God and impose their view on others. This isn't even the theocracy of ancient Israel. When this occurred in Israel, it was rebellion, utter decadence and sin, and God judged it as such.

No one I know among those who believe in the early American view of theocracy seeks central control to force God on others. No, we seek government to return to its original purpose in America—to protect life, liberty and property—to provide justice, so that God's people may fulfill their individual callings in the context of a holy, covenantal community. Aside from the bully pulpit of moral authority such as Paul the Apostle applied to himself and so argued (the whole of 2 Corinthians), civil government has little legitimate authority beyond establishing justice. The Bible commands men to put evil away from their midst.³

By the way, America's founders never intended for America to be a democracy. America's present democracy is the result of the good guys avoiding responsibility and leaving a spiritual vacuum in the heart of American life. Democracy amounts to mob rule. Whoever can gain the majority, usually through ugly power-politics, can determine life for everyone else. I have read that the founders considered democracy the worst form of government.⁴ Rather, ours was a covenantal (constitutional), representative, republic. There are many differences between democracy and a Christian republic, but the essentials are local self-government, true representation, and limited government. The effect of the difference is the very difference between Europe's character and history, and early America's character and history. Europe became effete, while America grew quickly into the greatest nation ever known. This was true, though soon after the Constitution was founded, the foundations began to erode. The founders expected their children to grow in wisdom and grace to administer the republic. Instead, we have squandered its blessing on ourselves. Christians are essentially at fault, for from the time of the Constitution, Christians increasingly and until now virtually universally, abandoned the public sphere as unholy. Consequently, we now submit to the wicked ruling and the people groaning. From where will the righteous come to rule, if Christians do not universally assume stewardship of the great (internal and covenantal) theocracy America once represented?

The answer then is for Christian individuals to allow God's theocracy to rule in their hearts and lives, in all facets. For whether we eat or drink or whatever we do, we ought to do all to the glory of God. As increasing numbers of Christians so give their lives to Him and fulfill their callings within the spheres He has granted them, God will exert influence, by His Spirit, until His mountain fills the whole earth (Daniel 2:32). This means re-acquiring the Biblical knowledge, wisdom and skill necessary to administer free institutions in every sphere. Those capable of governing themselves may govern a family. Those capable of governing a family may govern a church. Those capable of governing a church may govern a city. Those capable of governing a city may govern a state or nation.⁵ After the home, the local church is the most apt place to begin to learn Christian liberty and leadership in practice (Eph. 4:11-13). With covenantal individuality, liberty with union, as the basic premise of the Kingdom, the implications to the institutional, local church should be obvious. Where else will the people of God in an extended community learn to be His representatives, His leaders, for the good of men and the glory of God?

As an educator of young people myself, one of my favorite poems is Julia Fletcher Carney's “Little Things”:

Little drops of water,
 Little grains of sand,
Make the mighty oceans
 And the pleasant land.
So the little moments,
 Humble though they be,
Make the mighty ages
 Of eternity.
So our little errors
 Lead the soul away
From the paths of virtue
 Far in sin to stray
Little deeds of kindness,
 Little words of love,
Help to make earth happy
 Like the heavens above.⁶

I think Mrs. Carney might have had Jesus' prayer in mind: “Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

(Special thanks to Karen B. for inspiring this article!)
© 2009, Nordskog Publishing, Inc.

1. The internet is rife with Christian, anti-theocratic and theonomic (referring to God's Law Word) blogs. For example, Theocracy Watch (http://www.theocracywatch.org/), with Church of Christ and Episcopal members (http://www.theocracywatch.org/about_us2.htm ).
2. See Jerry Newcombe, The Book that Made America: How the Bible Formed Our Nation (Ventura: Nordskog Publishing, Inc., 2009), for ample material as to the Biblical basis of America (http://nordskogpublishing.com/book-america.shtml ). 
   
3. E.g. Deuteronomy 17:7, which is in the context of punishment for capital crimes. See Death Penalty on Trial: Taking a Life for a Life Taken (Ventura, CA.: Nordskog Publishing Inc., 2009), http://nordskogpublishing.com/book-death_penalty_on_trial.shtml.
4. For example, James Madison proclaimed in The Federalist Number 10, “Hence it is that such democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and have in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths.” The Federalist, (Springfield, VA: Global Affairs Publishing Company, 1987), p. 49
5. This is essentially a paraphrase of a quote by Hugo Grotius, as found in Rosalie Slater, Teaching and Learning America's Christian History: The Principle Approach (San Francisco: Foundation for American Christian Education, 1975), p. 119, and reflects Proverbs 16:32.
6. From Burton Egbert Stevenson, The Home Book of Verse for Young Folks, (New York: Holt, Rhinehart, and Winston, Inc., 1957), p. 110.

Education for the Kingdom of God “Cultivating Reverence in the Home”

by Ronald Kirk

The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.—Proverbs 14:27

In this age of democratic equality-of-outcome and rights-as-entitlements, reverential regard for God and corresponding honor for men are rare. This should not be so. The Scriptures supply plenty of reason to cultivate an attitude of honor toward the deserving. Practicing reverence and living honorably will exert a godly influence on our neighbors for the Gospel. Most importantly, upon our covenantal duty before God, we should also cultivate in our children and ourselves a character worthy of regard. To inculcate an attitude of honor toward parents and elders in our children is to prepare them to venerate the Lord.

Reverence toward God

The Hebrew and Greek words for fear used in the Biblical term the “fear of the Lord” find their English counterpart in the words reverence and veneration. Noah Webster defines reverence as:

Fear mingled with respect and esteem; veneration…The fear acceptable to God, is a filial fear (emphasis added), an awful reverence of the divine nature, proceeding from a just esteem of his perfections, which produces in us an inclination to his service and an unwillingness to offend him. Reverence is nearly equivalent to veneration, but expresses something less of the same emotion. It differs from awe, which is an emotion compounded of fear, dread or terror, with admiration of something great, but not necessarily implying love or affection. We feel reverence for a parent, and for an upright magistrate, but we stand in awe of a tyrant.

The Creator of heaven and earth, the Savior of our souls, should command our veneration. His Living Word created the vastness of the universe and the splendor of heaven. His power over the earth and His execution of justice instill awe among those who do not revere Him. Perhaps our greatest reverence arises from the painful fact of Jesus’ humiliation, suffering, and death upon the cross for our sins. Eternal life upon His Resurrection and assent to His throne add reverential joy.

Unfortunately, men do not naturally or easily reverence the invisible but almighty God. Consequently, He requires honor and compels awe. A general attitude for due reverence will help men to overcome the sinful disposition for contempt of others and will encourage due reverence toward God.

Honor toward Men

As Dr. Rushdoony rightly notes, men have claimed more than their share of honor in competition with God¹. However, it should also be clear that paying due honor to men is a Biblical practice. God plants greatness in men, bringing glory to Him and regard to those whom He makes great. The greatness of godly men serves to inculcate in others a disposition for reverence of God. Stories and histories portraying true nobility exemplify dignity of office and magnanimity. For example, Sir Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe clearly distinguishes character worthy of honor from affected nobility that inspires awe through mean bullying. Moses, King Alfred the Great of England, Oliver Cromwell, and George Washington present portraits of magnificent character. The proverbial American frontier home elicits admiration for its unassuming greatness. There, God used both the persistent faith of the pioneering child of God and the harshness of his life to engrave a character of deep furrow and substance, like the relief of some great bronze commemorative plaque. The courage and dynamic presence of such men of God as John Knox, John Wycliffe, Martin Luther, and John Calvin each arouse reverential regard. Good people cannot help admire the gravity and grandeur of such men as these. Their lives glorify God. Christian homes will do well to make the rich literary heritage of great men and women a regular part of family intellectual life.

Given that God made men and women in His image and destined them for glory with Christ, Christians should grant proper respect to their fellows. Observing honor toward men properly reflects reverence of God. Love God; love your neighbor. The Apostle Paul enjoins honor to whom honor is due. Honor here and in Hebrews 12:9, translated reverence in the AV and applied to one’s father, means to invert. To invert oneself is to view and treat another as superior. It is inversion because of the natural man’s disposition to make ourselves superior at another’s expense (e.g. Cain and Abel). In the Old Testament, the primary Hebrew word translated honor means heavy weight. Weight in the sense of honor means moral substance or moral gravity. The New Testament counterpart often translated honor is a set of related terms essentially meaning material value and similarly apply to moral worth.

The Scriptures supply many examples of due honor given to men. Abraham, in Genesis 23:12, prostrates himself before Ephron and the people of Heth as a suitable sign of respect. Paul urges Timothy to, “Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.” (1 Timothy 5:17). Honorific titles in Genesis suggest a yet remaining reverence for human life, coming so soon after near extinction in the Great Flood. Rachel refers to her father as “lord” (Genesis 31:35), as does Ruth to Boaz (Ruth 2:13). In His earthly life, men uniformly addressed Jesus as Lord or Rabbi. The common terms mister, miss, and mistress (usually pronounced missus and spelled Mrs.) communicate honorific respect to the present day, at least in form. The point is that men, especially godly ones, have since Biblical times treated their fellows reverentially.

Parental Reverence

The Fifth Commandment requires children to honor parents. Arguably a part of the First Tablet, it parallels the requirements toward God of the first four Commandments. Whether the Fifth Commandment is a part of the First Tablet or Second, it is clearly pivotal to those commandments directly concerning God and those directly concerning men. John Calvin says of the Fifth Commandment that society itself depends upon children learning proper reverence². For children, who by nature know nothing of God, honoring parents prepares the heart and habits to an attitude of appropriate reverence. The covenant child must learn the weighty things of life, especially the weight of majesty and grace residing in the King of Kings. The child’s father is thus extremely important to him. God made men fathers and calls Himself our Father for a reason that should not be lost on us.

How do parents inculcate reverence? First, parents must possess or learn what they seek to cultivate in their children. Fathers and mothers provide the chief example to young children. Children, out of their sin nature, easily acquire any parental sloppiness, vulgarity, or baseness in habits, manners, or speech. Therefore, parents should practice elevated Biblical conduct as a way of life. Where it reflects sound Biblical doctrine, emulating the noble conduct of God’s men and women in history may serve as an apt parental discipline.

A good example is not enough. Biblical education includes instruction, and discipline or directed practice. Children must learn that selfishness contradicts agapé—Scriptural charity. Children’s natural selfishness serves sin; selfishness militates toward contempt of others. It is a joy to make another happy, but requires a great deal of practice. My daughter has observed that my three-month-old first grandson (as precious as he truly is—oh, you should see him) already exhibits some signs of sinful attention demanding. If parents will minutely observe and correct the smallest patterns of conduct at the earliest age, they will train their children toward righteousness and the ability to demonstrate proper honor and reverence.

For some, it may be a startling revelation that parents can and ought to expect obedience of their children. A law is worse than meaningless if it is not consistently enforced. I feel considerable pain when I observe parental permissiveness that does not correct selfishness and train positive righteousness in conduct. A parental disposition to neglect correction, when a little benign pain would serve the cause of Christ, is not love but sin unto idolatry.

It is important to recognize that we Christian parents can unwittingly encourage the modern social and political view of authorities as entitlement suppliers. As a father, if I make myself just one of the boys, then perhaps I can relieve myself of some of the weight of my paternal authority. Rather, I should both require and deserve reverence. Learning personal righteousness and righteous parenting can be painful as we seek to correct childish recalcitrance in our children and ourselves! Mothers, in their serving and nurturing nature may encourage contempt toward themselves and others when they refuse to require respect and obedience of their children. I have many times observed mothers ignoring or excusing their children’s abuse. Rather, mothers must remember the holy trust for their part in the eternal well-being of their young. Fathers must establish the child’s respect for mother. Such noble federal headship is a holy trust, a burden to carry, but one that will return great blessings in our grown children. Particular disciplines help establish reverence in the home. Parents can teach children to yield to adults in speech and place. The child who forces himself to the forefront or runs across the path of his elder demonstrates selfishness and not respect. The child who offers his seat or holds a door open to his mother or father practices love. The loving and reverent child will voluntarily yield the better portion of his favorite food to mom. Parents should require proper respect for a parent’s person. Ultra familiarity breeds contempt, not respect. Answering by appropriate title or name encourages loving respect.

Parents might require their children to answer them “yes, ma’am” or “no sir,” or as our family prefers, “no, mom” or “yes, dad.”

Love, grace, and tenderness are not at odds with requiring parental reverence. Meek and tender love goes far. However, parents must be ready to command when needed. A sullen or rebellious child may require a restrained degree of severity. I may get close to my son’s face and say with a low voice, “You will not treat your mother this way!” The rod is a Biblical remedy, particularly effective on young children. Small doses of strict discipline to subdue sin can quickly release a spirit amply capable of the liberty of self-government.

What honor is due to those of a more base character? The Scriptures speak against reviling Satan. A certain degree of respect is required even of the devil. Evil men deserve some degree of respect, if not toward their persons, at least toward their office as the image of God. Jesus requires that we love our enemy. Therefore, short of sinful compromise, children ought to respect all elders.

To those who fear the Lord, the Scriptures promise knowledge, understanding, wisdom, confidence, wealth, and long life.³

Cultivating an attitude of respect among men, serves to cultivate an attitude of reverence before God.

1. Rousas J. Rushdoony, Systematic Theology (Vallecito, CA: Ross House Books, 1994), p. 900.
2. “Nay, human society cannot be maintained in its integrity, unless children modestly submit themselves to their parents, and unless those, who are set over others by God’s ordinance are even reverently honored.” John Calvin, Commentaries (Grand Rapids: Baker House, 1996), Volume III, p. 7.
3. Exodus 14:13; Job 28:28; Psalm 111:10; and Proverbs 1:7; 10:27; 14:26; 22:4.

Originally published in the Chalcedon Report, May 2003, copyright Chalcedon Foundation, Vallecito, CA. Republished by permission.

Flag Day 2009, a Remembrance

by Ronald W. Kirk
The Banner of the Cross and Flag of Our Union
Anniversary Meeting of the American Sunday School Union in Boston, May 27, 1852.

Let the Banner of the Cross go forth side by side with the Flag of our Union wherever it is carried; let the Spirit of the Lord be invoked to accompany the Spirit of Liberty in its triumphant march; let the Bible be everywhere on the same shelf with the Constitution; let there be no region so remote, no valley so secluded, no wilderness so solitary or so desolate, that men shall be able to escape from the visible presence of Religion, as manifested in the observance of the Lord’s Day, and in that most attractive and fascinating of all its forms,—the religious instruction of young children; let this be accomplished, and, depend upon it, the people of this country will have much less to fear for the stability of their institutions, and Congresses and Cabinets will have much less to do to preserve the Union. There will then, too, be no longer any doubt that we are “a power on earth;” a power for every purpose of promoting either the welfare of men, or the glory of God. ¹

Robert Charles Winthrop, seventh generation descendant of founding Puritan governor John Winthrop and one-time Speaker of the House of Representatives and United States Senator², reveals his understanding of this truth: The flag or ensign of a people or nation declares the character and ideals of that people in symbolic form. The hammer and sickle of the USSR obviously stood for pure materialism and the absolute authority of the state. The Encyclopedia Britannica says that early flags were “almost purely of a religious character.” For example, for centuries the English ensign was the red cross of St. George. Over time that flag would evolve to its present form. “The national flag of the British Empire is the union Jack in which are combined in union the crosses of St. George, St. Andrew and St. Patrick.”


The American Flag
Certain details of the American flag’s design intent are apparently lost to history. Nonetheless, some concrete things are known. For example, in 1777, Congress resolved, “that the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the Union between thirteen stars, white in a blue field.” ³

We may reasonably speculate upon other things. For example, stars have long represented man’s desire for heaven and to reflect heaven’s ways.  As illustrated by Joseph’s dream, stars represent human luminaries (Genesis 37:9-10). Given the religious ancient significance of flags, we may with some confidence take Old Glory’s stripes as a reflection of the cross of Christ, or of his scourging taken on our behalf. The individual stars and stripes in union and relationship one to another, echo America’s unique and profound understanding of the equal ultimacy of the individual and the community as the universal reflection of God’s Holy Trinity in creation—perfect individuality and perfect love.  Neither the national power swallows up the states, nor do the states abandon their responsibility to each other in the form of the Union.

The American Colors are held significant in the history of heraldry and flags, but the authorities seem to fails us when attributing the older meanings to those colors. It should be obvious that colors, as we have noted regarding flags in general, have long had a religious significance. For example, God commanded the use of red, white, and blue in the garments of the priests of God (Ex. 28, where linen represents white.) The priests, called cohen—mediators—in the Scriptures, are those who represent God to men and men to God. These colors in national flags thus symbolically declare the Lordship of God, and represent a venerable heritage before Him.  Blue is a long-held symbol for truth and loyalty. White is purity and wholeness—holiness. The Bible takes light as understanding of God on His terms. The white stars on a dark blue background suggest the light of God shining out of the darkness of mankind’s sin and rebellion. Traditional modern interpretations hold that red, stands for courage, warfare, and sacrifice. We might go further. Red as a religious symbol in the Christian heritage must surely represent the blood of Christ and the new covenant (Matt. 26:28).


What the Scriptures Say
The Scriptures often refer to banners or ensigns as representing a cause or viewpoint. Consider, for example David’s metaphorical application of the banner as a sign of God’s strength and of victory for the godly in Psalm 60.

Psalm 60--To the chief Musician upon Shushaneduth, Michtam of David, to teach

60:1 O God, You have cast us off; You have broken us down; You have been displeased; Oh, restore us again!

2 You have made the earth tremble; You have broken it; Heal its breaches, for it is shaking.

3 You have shown Your people hard things; You have made us drink the wine of confusion.

4 You have given a banner to those who fear You, That it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah

5 That Your beloved may be delivered, Save with Your right hand, and hear me.

6 God has spoken in His holiness: "I will rejoice; I will divide Shechem And measure out the Valley of Succoth.

7 Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine; Ephraim also is the helmet for My head; Judah is My lawgiver.

8 Moab is My washpot; Over Edom I will cast My shoe; Philistia, shout in triumph because of Me."

9 Who will bring me into the strong city? Who will lead me to Edom?

10 Is it not You, O God, who cast us off? And You, O God, who did not go out with our armies?

11 Give us help from trouble, For vain is the help of man.

12 Through God we will do valiantly, For it is He who shall tread down our enemies.⁴

The great prophet Isaiah declares the person of Jesus Christ to be our very standard and banner, our King and our Lord. He represents everything good:

And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious (Isaiah 11:10).

The soon to be released title from Nordskog Publishing The Book that Made America: How the Bible Formed Our Nation, by Jerry Newcombe of Coral Ridge Ministries powerfully establishes the Christian foundations of the United States. In this light, we are not ashamed to declare with Robert Winthrop a proper fellowship between the American flag and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.


The Star Spangled Banner
Finally, let us consider the closing stanza of our National Anthem “The Star Spangled Banner” and keep it in our hearts in these difficult days:

O, thus be it ever when freemen shall stand 

Between their loved homes and the war's desolation; 

Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land 

Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserv'd us a nation! 

Then conquer we must, when our cause. it is just;

And this be our motto: "In God is our trust!" 

And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave 

O'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave!

1. Addresses and Speeches on Various Occasions, by Robert C. Winthrop, Vols. I & II, Boston, 1852, in Verna M. Hall, The Christian History of the American Revolution : Consider and Ponder (San Francisco : Foundation for American Christian Education, 1976), p. 21.
2. "Robert Charles Winthrop," Encyclopedia Britannica 11th Edition (New York: Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 1910), Vol. XXVII, p. 736, and  “Robert Charles Winthrop," Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Charles_Winthrop).
3. “Flag,” Ibid., Vol. IX, p. 455-460.
4. Cited Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Meaning in the Advent of Christ: Luke 1:68-80

By Chris Erickson with Ronald Kirk

Christmas time lies under a cloud this year. We live in darker days than the winter solstice can account for. Many events and dispositions of the times give Christians great cause for concern. With unease, we note the unfavorable recent election results, the possibility of real persecution looming, the world’s increasing reduction of Christianity to Medieval superstition, the increasing nationalization of business and socialism, and a prospect for universal, totalitarian civil government.

Men naturally and variously respond to such evil societal changes. Human nature desires comfort and security. It is easy to hate those who would destroy you. Some may merely seek to bear the trouble, hardening themselves to the discomfort and otherwise lying low. Spoiled Americans are prone toward complaining. Some may let fear overcome them.

Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, must have felt similar apprehension to our own, and even greater. The Roman Empire, plagued by slavish rebellion and poor character, increasingly responded with oppression and brutality. We anticipate such trouble, but as a people we have not yet experienced anything comparable. The self-serving and corrupt Jewish leadership offered little comfort, but rather exhibited self-righteousness and condescension toward those they should have served. In this light, Zacharias’ exulting prophecy in Luke 1:68 through 80 at the birth of his son takes on a more pregnant meaning. Listen to his words: 

"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for He has visited and redeemed his people, 69 And has raised up a Horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David; 70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, which have been since the world began:  71 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; 72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember His holy covenant; 73 The oath which He swore to our father Abraham, 74 That He would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, 75 In holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of our life. 76 And thou, child (John the Baptist), shall be called the prophet of the Highest: for you shall go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways; 77 To give knowledge of salvation unto His people by the remission of their sins, 78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the Dayspring from on high has visited us, 79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. 80 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his showing unto Israel."

The blessing of the Advent of Christ is clear. However, we have largely lost the full import of that blessing. Is ours a merely spiritual salvation from the world that Satan owns, or is it also a temporal, national peace?  Clearly, God reserves the complete fulfillment of the promise of peace on the earth for the Resurrection state. However, the Scriptures from beginning to end speak of some degree of national peace brought about first through the salvation of individual citizens.  Then civil peace increasingly comes in the power of Christ through His disciples, as they influence their neighbors unto the virtues of self-restrained godliness. New converts exponentially influence their neighbors in turn until a general community of godliness exerts its salt and light.

Note that the prophecy of Zacharias is written in a rhetorical or literary structure known as a chiasm (for the Greek letter chi (x)). The chiastic structure is a reverse or inverted symmetry between different but related thoughts. Chiastic structure is also known as ring or concentric structures. The double helix comes to mind. Chiastic structure is a common development device in Scripture. For example, the Book of Leviticus is a chiasm. In the beginning, God defines His Law. Toward the end, He identifies the chastening Israel could expect for defying His Law. These meet in the middle chapters describing the holiness of God in His Tabernacle.   Thus, a complex of ideas appear as a single thought development.

The chiastic structure of Zacharias’ prophecy proceeds in this manner:
A.    Zacharias is filled with the Spirit (v. 67)
  B.    God "visits" or notices and attends to Israel (v. 68)
    C.    Salvation comes to Israel (v. 69)
      D.    God spoke by the OT prophets (v. 70)
        E.    God grants salvation from enemies (v. 71)
          F.    God fulfills His promise to the patriarchs (v. 72)
            G.    Central focus: God remembers His holy covenant, performing (poieo) and fulfilling His promises (v. 72b)
          F.    God fulfills His promise to the Abraham (v. 73)
        E.    God grants salvation from our enemies to serve Him (v. 74)
      D.    John the Baptist is the "prophet of the Most High" (v. 76)
    C.    Salvation comes to Israel (v. 77)
  B.    God the Son "visits" or notices and attends to Israel (v. 78)
A.    John the Baptist is filled with the Spirit (v. 80)

Salvation
First, Zacharias speaks of individual salvation. This salvation results in a people able to live in peace. God redeems His people from the wrath of God due to sin. Christ saves the soul (v. 68). Rom. 3:24 says we are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. He gives light to those in darkness, symbolizing the light of the Gospel shining into sinful hearts (vv. 78, 79; cf. John 8:12). This light is hidden from the unbeliever but is revealed to Christ’s own (2 Cor. 4:4-6).

The Gospel brings peace with God because He forgives sin (v. 79). We have peace with God because He justified us (Rom. 5:1). Through this peace, He saves men from His wrath, with forgiveness of sins (vv. 69, 77). The Horn (literally hair here) is at once Christ and His authority (e.g. Deut. 33:17; Psa. 132:17). By His power, Christ saves us from our greatest enemies, sin, death, and the devil (1 Cor. 15:54-57). By His power through His salvation, He makes us able to live righteously and therefore without fear of our enemies (vv. 71, 74, cf. Heb. 2:14-15; Matt. 10:28).

Jesus commanded His disciples, "Do not fear!" more often than any other direct injunction. The man of God need not fear his life because he cannot lose his eternal destiny. While this takes a great deal of faith to live out, with the command comes the faithful and sure promise of well-being to those who abide in Christ.

Peace among Nations
Clearly Zacharias saw beyond mere personal salvation, for He has redeemed His people (v. 68). He purchased those in bondage to Satan and to worldly enemies, such as the foreign and pagan nations. God saves the people from their enemies, “from the hand of all that hate us” (v. 71). He delivers His own out of the hands of their enemies (v. 74). Salvation first frees men from the sin of the internal heart with its eternal consequences. However, such liberty of conscience requires expression—fruit bearing—by command. Christians are to make disciples of all nations, teaching them to observe (guard from loss or injury), that is, to do all things He has required (Matt. 28:19-20).  To serve in such a manner requires external or civil liberty. To live as Christians, God delivers us from our enemies (vv. 71, 74).

The Promise of the Covenants (v. 72, 73)
God made many promises to Abraham, the father of the faith of Jesus Christ. He promised to make Abraham a great nation (Gen. 12:2). His descendents would inherit the earth (Gen. 17:8). In this vein, Hebrews 11:16 cites a better country to come. Rather than being a better geographical or political environment, the Kingdom of Christ is first an internal kingdom, growing as fruit out of the conversion of many hearts. Here is the promise of a high expression of Christianity, such that God’s people will live as Zacharias foresaw. In this new and heavenly community, all the families of the earth will be blessed (Gen 12:3).

To Moses and the children of Israel by faith, God promised national peace (Deut. 28). God promised that Christ would rule on David’s throne forever (2 Sam. 7:16; Jer. 23:5-6). Isaiah proclaims all the nations will serve the Lord flowing into the “Lord’s House” (Isa. 2:2-4). 

Zacharias declares that Jesus is the light to the nations (vv. 78, 79). Light represents the knowledge of God and salvation (Eph. 5:8). The incarnation of Jesus is the turning point of history. He is the Sunrise or Dayspring from on high” (Anatole, cf. 1 John 2:8).

Have these promises found fulfillment?

Christ's Impact on the Nations
The Fall made us wicked creatures, and unrestrained we would destroy ourselves and others. God instituted civil government to restrain the evil that dwells in men's hearts (Gen. 9:5-7). In the times before Christ, civil government became rather a personal vehicle for power over others.  Wicked men ruled wicked men, and tyranny resulted. Men warred against each other to amass power, centralizing it in the figures of kings, emperors or even gods. The powerful enslaved the weak to do their bidding, and those who resisted died at the hands of their oppressors. Kings were not content to rule their own nation, so they waged war against other nations to form world-wide empires.

Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome—all exemplify the tyranny of man over man. In the absence of God, the humanistic power of the state assumes the place of God. Greece's and Rome's attempts at liberty through forms of democracy and republican government failed to bring freedom to the common man. Greece collapsed under the rampant passions of men. Rome’s oppression was nothing more than the state pushing back upon a debauched and rebellious citizenry. Fallen men apart from the Holy Spirit did not have the capacity to restrain their wickedness, and tyranny uniformly resulted.

The world was in darkness, and "in the fullness of time" (Gal. 4:4), the light of day dawned in the Incarnation. From that time, definite changes brought about an increasing peace on earth and freedom among men. The cleansing of men's consciences by Christ's sacrifice for sins freed men to live in obedience without fear (Heb. 2:14-15; 9:14; 13:6). The light brought by the New Testament explicitly taught obedience from the heart, rather than reliance on external ceremony. The coming of the Holy Spirit and institution of the New Covenant in Christ’s blood transformed the hearts of men. The institution of the local church, governed congregationally without hierarchical authority, but rather with reciprocal authority, the overseers limited in authority, with ultimately each submitting to one another for the good of all (1 Cor. 16:16; Eph 5:21; Heb. 13:17; 1 Pet. 5:5). The radical institution of the church drew violent and mortal persecution from the tyrannical Roman Empire until the early 300s.

The persecution stopped in 313 with Constantine, which was a step toward establishing God’s peace on earth. However, sinful and satanically inspired men did not give up so easily. The Roman Empire assimilated the church, with the church facing heresies and succumbing to the same kind of unbiblical, centralized authority and tyranny of earlier times. Even among godly men, the urge to control others can be overpowering. The rise of the papacy, not 100 years after Constantine, demonstrates the point. As yet, the church was not mature enough to understand true liberty. However, the Medieval period, recovering from the fall of Rome, slowly began to see an emerging middle class, an ordinary fruit of growing godly influence. Nonetheless, as under pagan oppression, the powerful ruling elite still reserved freedom only to itself, under the guise of a godly mandate to protect the people, but rather creating slavishness among them.

When some like Wycliffe, Tyndale, and Huss refused to follow the Church's errors and attempted to publish the Bible to God's people in the common language, the centralized church persecuted them. The church then began to turn in on itself and kill those who stood for liberty of conscience, the authority of Scripture, and the Reformation of the Church. In these times, the Church itself had become like the Roman Empire, often persecuting God's people. Some separated from the European church and formed an independent church in America. It was there that godly men discovered the biblical truths discovered in the Reformation and applied them to civil government and every human activity. And God blessed the effort. Citizens agreed to restrain themselves according to God's commandments and found they could form a society that granted liberty apart from a tyrannical monarch. The early days of the United States of America is the closest human civilization has ever come to the blessings promised in Zacharias' prayer.

For over 200 years, the Christian theology that made personal and institutional liberty possible has been eroding in our society. Moral behavior that used to flow consciously from biblical principles began to be exercised merely out of old-fashioned custom.  The people eventually threw even the customs aside because no one knew why they existed. Judge Bork aptly captured the heart of this culture in his observations on the 1960s in his book Slouching toward Gomorrah.

Despite the current "dark days", certain godly aspects of our society today persevere because we live on this side of the Incarnation under Christ’s rule from the right hand of the Father (Psalm 110).  We continue to observe a remnant of the rule of law, and a common sense of right and wrong. Interestingly, television dramas typically display this sensibility where the good guys still beat the bad guys. The fact our country is so sensitive about even being perceived as infringing upon foreign nations reveals much about our character (cf. Alexander the Great and Nebuchadnezzar). Though the left increasingly polarizes American politics, the fact is that we held an election in November, rather than a coup. Unlike many parts of the world, where statist tyranny reigns, Americans continue to enjoy freedom to worship God in public on Sunday mornings and throughout the week, without fear of the authorities. With Christians increasingly irresponsible toward the maintenance of justice and free institutions, the window of our blessing may indeed be small. Nonetheless, we may assume that this situation will be temporary, for the church’s well-being is ultimately not dependent upon men, but rather upon God’s power according to His determined will.

We may differ as to the degree to which the prophetic promises of worldwide obedience and peace will be fulfilled before the Second Coming of Christ. The ultimate fulfillment will only be found in the Resurrection state. However, mankind has already seen great progress, and we may expect more in the future as the Gospel grabs hold of men's hearts throughout the world.

Despite the dark days then, take joy in this advent season. Remember that you live on the powerful and effective side of the Incarnation, and God is working out his providence in the events of history. Do not fear what may happen in the future, because the resurrection and your place in heaven can never be taken from you. Jesus defeated all his enemies at the cross, including death. If any would be tempted to fear and to hide in a merely spiritual understanding of these things, withdrawing into a merely personal piety and a distance out-of-reach hope, remember Christ’s prayer: Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. According to Psalm 110, Christ welcomes His volunteers as He rules in the midst of His enemies, until His enemies are his footstool. Upon the sure fulfillment of Zacharias’ prayer, it is time for the victorious side to rise to our duties by faith, and then let the Lord bring the increase.


This article is from a sermon given by Chris Erickson at Grace Reformed Church, Camarillo, on Sunday, November 30, 2008.
 “Chiastic Structure,” The Free Dictionary by Farlex
  The history section is largely taken from Katherine Dang’s Universal History, Volume 1: Ancient History—Law Without Liberty, Adam–50 B.C., available on the Nordskog Bookshelf

Halloween

by Ronald Kirk

Judging by the American marketplace and the major media, in popularity Halloween now far outstrips my own favored holy days of Thanksgiving, Christmas and the Fourth of July. Admittedly, for the past many years, I have watched a dwindling trick or treating. The streets have apparently become far too mean for many parents to encourage their children to collect candy from strange neighbors. Yet the stores testify that many continue to celebrate. Halloween seems wildly popular among adults. Like another “religious” holiday—Fat Tuesday—Halloween seems a grand excuse to party, really party.

On the serious side, I sense that in the absence of a clear, compelling and satisfying faith, our neighbors seek spiritual connection. In light of rampant interest in the occult and Eastern religions, interest in such a spiritual or pseudo-spiritual holiday as Halloween is not surprising.

Scanning the Internet reveals wildly different viewpoints on Halloween, from severe condemnation on the part of some Christians, to jolly indifference on the part of the irreligious—“it’s just fun,” to loving embrace on the part of neo-pagans and some other Christians.

Everyone seems to agree on the general history of Halloween. It was originally a Celtic and Druid religious observance, but later pre-empted by Christianity.  For example, the Eleventh Edition Encyclopedia Britannica claims, “the main celebrations of Halloween were purely Druidical.” The Encyclopedia continues that such emblems as nuts and fruit mark the harvest time, in anticipation of winter.  It is not surprising that the Celtic festival appears so similar to the harvest celebrations of other ancient pagan societies. It is also not surprising that God appointed to ancient Israel a similar, but still unique, observance in the Festival of Booths (Lev. 23:39-43). These parallels make sense when one realizes that world history is quite short, and that the sons of Noah shared knowledge of the proper worship of the true and living God. Sadly true, however, is that men quickly corrupted this knowledge in sin unto the various pagan practices known everywhere to this day, with only remnants of godliness remaining here and there. Though perhaps tritely said, men do indeed share a God-shaped vacuum in the heart until the Savior fills it. Except for God’s providential intervention in history, we would all, no doubt have become murderous pagans.

Present day pagans will take exception to the last comment. Wiccans and others claim to be merely gentle nature-worshippers. What is the harm in bobbing for apples, a practice apparently integral to the Druidical rite?  (Who wants apples! We want candy! But I digress…) The harm lies in the nature of the Fall. From the beginning, man fell into murderous sin and worse, and cannot live well apart from relationship with Christ. At one point in history, Israel, God’s own chosen and providentially prepared people fell to such depths that they would sacrifice their own children to the idols of Canaan. Their practices exceeded the surrounding nations in evil (2 Chr. 33:1-9). These atrocities are associated with soothsaying (fortune telling), witchcraft (spell casting), sorcery (magic) and medium consultation condemned by God’s Law (Deut. 18). The New Testament uses the Greek word pharmakeia, often translated into English as sorcery or witchcraft. This word clearly implies what modern anthropology knows: occult practices often involve the use of psychotropic drugs. In other words, pagans of every culture have long used drugs, as well as introspective meditation and spells, to enter the spirit world for the sake of attaining spiritual power. The 1960s gave rise to a new, general interest in the occult. Exemplifying this interest was the popularity of a series of books starting with The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge by anthropologist Carlos Castaneda. These books pursue with grotesque and disturbing detail Castaneda’s drug-induced “spiritual” journey into shamanism.  

The occult practices are associated with the worst of human atrocity. The human sacrifices by ancient tribal cultures the world over is well known. Present day ritual abuse is more common than most are aware.  Placing God’s condemnation of the occult religions in context, Jesus declares the authoritative principle: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber” (John 10:1 and through v. 11). In other words, those who seek to enter God’s heavenly realm apart from Christ, subject themselves to Satan, the great prince and thug of this world. Just before this passage, Jesus had said that He came “for judgment” (John 9:39). That is, Jesus is the watershed, separating those who will truly see and understand from those who make themselves willingly blind and subject to judgment.

Yes, the occult is deadly serious. Satan and demons rule the occult realm. Their aim is death and destruction (John 10:10). But does this demonic world really have anything to do with America’s family Halloween tradition? Christian families are certainly not involving themselves with the occult or demonism! James Jordan goes so far as to claim that Christianity has completely co-opted Halloween, and it is now a Christian holiday! Red devil costumes simply mock Satan, as a silly relic.  What does it hurt to beg for candy? Are demons anything? What good does cranky negativism do? On the other hand, what does the Christian commemorate in his contemporary Halloween celebration? Does it glorify God in light of Halloween as a quasi-religious holiday? Should Christians join in with the secular or pagan Halloween’s celebration often glorifying death, mayhem and Satan even if only as mocking? How does that distinguish God’s people for His glory?

The issue is not always simple. For example, accomplished Hollywood screenwriter and devout Christian Brian Godawa has produced a short film—working toward a feature—called Cruel Logic. Cruel Logic depicts a serial murderer who uses his victims’ own idiotic post-modern beliefs to justify their killing and therefore to relieve him of legal culpability. While many may recoil at the use of the horror genre, and I confess I am not a big fan, the point is well taken.

Paul the Apostle provides an answer for such matters of conscience when he deals with a parallel issue—the eating of meat sacrificed to an idol (1 Cor. 8). Eating meat sacrificed to idols is no big deal, because idols are nothing, though demons be associated with them. However, if someone’s conscience is harmed because of my liberty, I will restrain my liberty for his sake. I will not cause a brother to stumble, Paul says. All things are lawful, but not all things contribute to the good (1 Cor. 6:12).

God has always meant for men to learn wisdom from a close walk with Him. And he has always required faith of His children. God intends for us to be thoughtful, taking every thought captive to Christ. Here we may ask, to what risk do we put our unbelieving or weak neighbors, our children, and ourselves? Do we send compromising mixed signals to our neighbors? Do we test the limits of our character for the sake of fitting in? How close can we go without getting burned? Do we send a diluted evangelical message? Solomon urges the wise man to hide when he sees evil coming (Prov. 22:3). What do we teach our children about holiness in the world? Are there better alternatives? Would we do better to celebrate the day rather than the night?

Alternatives exist, including ignoring the Halloween observance altogether. Some Christians observe a Christ-centered harvest day, All-Saints Day, or Reformation Day. Frankly, in my home of five children, we shunned Halloween. We simply did not wish to encourage the quasi-pagan associations. Our children sometimes enjoyed alterative celebrations. Sometimes, we merely enjoyed a family dessert at a local restaurant.

Whatever one decides, Let His people resolve to live well. Let us enjoy the good Jesus has provided. Let us be thankful for the harvest and life, liberty and salvation. Let us indeed take every thought captive to Christ. Whether therefore, we eat or drink, or whatever we do, let us do all to the glory of God.

Kirk, Ronald: The Importance of Christian Character

Holiness, from the idea of clean in both the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures, essentially means whole. In the Biblical languages and English alike, holiness applied to men is a state of moral wholeness, integrity, and purity, as opposed to brokenness, damage, compromise, or pollution.

Individual morality requires structural integrity to maintain wholeness. Character identifies the quality of structural integrity in both moral beings and physical things. Originally, character denoted writing made by cutting or engraving a mark in a medium. Permanence, then, is a key feature of real character. Variable or pliable internal qualities characterize substances lacking structural integrity. The Bible speaks of a man whose character is "unstable as water" (Gen. 49:4). A young child bears such a pliable character, except that his natural disposition inclines toward sinfulness, which uncorrected will harden thereunto. Human character speaks of the qualities resulting from nature and habit that distinguish a person from other persons. Among objects and even the lower creatures, God imposes character. Rocks act like rocks. Dogs act like dogs.

Natural Character

Among men, character may be of either a pure or a damaged quality. Man's natural character is damaged due to the Fall. The Scriptures clearly teach that man's native character consists in qualities of rebellion and wickedness, leading to death (Gal. 5:17-21). Our natural character offends our Creator. Our natural character, separated as it is from God's providence and grace, thus leads to self-destruction, somewhat like genetic mutations in living things. Sin has fatally marred mankind. The potential for ultimate wickedness certainly lies in the natural character of man, as we more frequently observe in the world. For this reason, neglected sin in ourselves and manifest sin and rebellion in our children amounts to great evil.

Sin is infectious, and evil is virulent. Sin never stays put, but spreads by contagion because man's natural moral immune system is fatally weak. Between God's providence to claim a people for Himself for eternity and the natural sinfulness of the world at large, a great moral battle wages.

Cultures resist change due to a moral inertia God planted in man's heart. Man resists change. This is good news and bad news. The good news is that once a degree of righteousness is established, it tends to last. Righteousness passes from generation to generation through parental influence on the children, and through community influences. Early America's profound Biblical Christian orientation established the most free and prosperous nation of the modern era. Many aspects of character — such as love of God and godly liberty, self-restraint, and forbearance, toughness of mind, industriousness, charity, and generosity — served to build America. Many of the practices of Biblical government, ably codified in the United States Constitution, have lasted for a good two centuries. This is so though we have often lacked a general, self-conscious determination to maintain and expand the Constitution's principles. The peaceful periodic transfer of power effected by election speaks to the enduring quality of the principle of the priesthood of believers, to cite just one example.

Entropy

The bad news is that entropy — the force of decline, disorder, and energy dispersion — remains one of the most fundamental rules of physical and human nature. Except where a source of external energy intelligently counters it, entropy rules the universe. And there is a spiritual analogy. Throughout early history, God interjected Himself directly to infuse new life into declining morality. The lives of Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and Paul typify God's hand in the affairs of men. In the Christian era, God ordinarily provides this intelligent energy by His providence in nature and through men by His Holy Spirit. In entropy, we discern God's unwillingness that His people rest on the accomplishment of past generations. Instead, every generation and each individual must oppose spiritual entropy, participating in the establishment and maintenance of the gospel.

We thus see the essential battle for the kingdom of God laid out. A purer character among God's people is necessary to battle the evil natural character of the world and its influence. Christians must actively exert a benign influence on the character of our communities both to check evil and to help cultivate in our neighbors' hearts a love of righteousness and goodness in anticipation of redemption. God has made us minor partners. Christians must be salt and light. We must inculcate in ourselves a character that resists temptation within and without, one that stands upon principle in any circumstance. Evil exerts its power. Character for good must be stronger.

Godly character provides the moral structural integrity required to maintain holiness while standing fast in the battle. What defines the character God intends for man? It is the character of Christ (2 Cor. 3:18). Such character consists in particular attributes needed to support the ability to resist sin, to take courage through difficulty, and to walk by faith.

Acquiring Christian Character

Historically, the church calls the process by which godly character is acquired sanctification. God saves sinful man by His grace. He sanctifies man by His grace. Sanctification is a sovereign act of God (Jn. 17:17; 1 Thess. 5:23; 2 Thess. 2:13). Yet, the Scriptures clearly teach that sanctification also comes by acts of faith (Ac. 26:18). Faith imposes a standard for conduct that contradicts the natural human disposition and will. The authoritative Word of God defines the godly standard of conduct that will produce Christ-like character as men respond to God by faith.

The Scriptures declare that the great hope of Christ requires a proven character. In Romans 5:1-5, Paul rejoices in the hope of our salvation by God's grace. He then rejoices in tribulations, because there is a necessary connection between our hope of grace and the character necessary to bear that grace. "Tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope." The Greek word dokime, translated experience, suggests proven character, as if assayed. God providentially trains character through the trials of life. He moreover provides to parents the more closely governed home in which to train childhood character. "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it" (Pr. 23:6). In such child rearing, we find the original meaning of the word education. A true and Biblical education should produce proven character.

Education fills up that which lacks, and corrects that which is wrong. In Ephesians 6:4, Paul commands fathers to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Admonition is the content of education. On the other hand, nurture is the Greek word paideia. Paideia speaks of education from the disciplinary point of view, that is, of directed practice or training, and correction. Paideia finds its root in the New Testament word paideuo. Paideuo also speaks of training, but adds an emphasis on chastening, the infliction of pain for reclaiming an offender. Pontius Pilate curiously applies paideuo to Christ's scourging (Lk. 23:16). In 1 Corinthians 11:31 and 32, Paul says we ought to be tough on ourselves so that the Lord need not chasten (paideuo) us. In 2 Corinthians 6, Paul speaks of his own chastening to prepare his character for a life of service. In verse 9, he cries out "as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed." In verse 10, Paul speaks of his rejoicing in adversity, an important aspect of character. In 1 Timothy 1:20, Paul tells Timothy to turn Hymeneus and Alexander over to Satan that they may learn (paideuo) not to blaspheme. (In this sense Satan is the headmaster of God's reform school, for education on the streets, where the home has failed. Clearly, the relatively gentle discipline of loving parents and teachers is preferable to Satan's hateful and death-oriented punishment. See 1 Cor. 5:5.) From Hebrews 12:6, "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth(paideuo), and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening (paideio), God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth (paideuo) not?"

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance says paideuo likely derives from pais. Pais, in the New Testament, is a child, especially a servant. A servant to a king, as Strong suggests, would be subject to fairly demanding discipline to inculcate the character and skills needed to serve a great superior. Feudal history reflects the Biblical pattern. As well as enjoying certain largess, a feudal noble lord suffered the burdens of leadership in the oversight of his people. At its best, feudalism saw authority as a holy trust before God. In order to fulfill that trust, the lord necessarily prepared a son to succeed him. Therefore, the son of a nobleman received the stricter educational discipline. The son rigorously learned war — both personal skills and general strategy — diplomacy, social manners, and economics, geography, law, and foreign and domestic politics. He hardened his body and toughened his mind. The classic children's story Men of Iron, by Howard Pyle, graphically illustrates the point. Similar responsibility generally rests upon Christians, since we are His vice-regents, His noblemen in the earth.

In a word, God disciplines His children according to perfect knowledge — to be as tough as necessary, as gentle as He may be, and still achieve His high ends in us. Parents and teachers rightly follow the Biblical and best historical examples in training and correcting our children as a holy trust in their preparation for a life of service. A life of faith requires obedience. Faith and obedience require a disciplined and sturdy character to support them — in adults and children alike.

Undertaking Enterprise Toward Character

God provided a principle means for acquiring character in overcoming the difficulty and trials associated with economic enterprise. God commanded men to take dominion over the earth. In the Fall, He commanded men to pursue their livelihood in adversity. Here then is God's plan for economic enterprise. Economic advancement results from the bold investment and hazard of raw materials to make objects that are more useful. As raw materials are worked — whether time, food seed, or minerals from the earth — their raw value is destroyed. Thus, risk is a fundamental aspect of God's economy. Poor skill or external factors may cause an investment to fail. The risk is real and may be fatal. God expects men to trust His providence in an evil, fallen world.

Often, investment requires a great patience as one waits for the growth of the fragile crop, or bores through the ground to find the valuable mineral resource. Setbacks, such as poor weather destroying the crop, producing an unpopular product, or failed research and development cause pain and trouble that must be absorbed. In naturally impatient human beings, the character for patience, and for enduring the pain and trouble of economic setback accrues only through practice. Enterprise simply requires a sturdy character, able to support faith and accomplishment.

Furthermore, finding one's way through the difficulties of life, and particularly those of bold enterprise tends to produce humility as it becomes increasingly clear that God's economy of difficulty seems subjectively more an economy of impossibility apart from His providence. Speculative knowledge not honed by experience puffs up. Humbling discipline tends to produce charity.

As an important by-product, enterprise thus produces strength of character as difficulty yields to faithful workmanship. In turn, proven character provides the foundation for greater enterprise. Enterprise and character necessarily form a reciprocal relationship. Thus, as a primary means to character, bold enterprise should be a way of life for the Christian. Enterprise upon a self-consciously Biblical viewpoint in any discipline should produce fruit for the gospel — salt and light that exerts influence on our neighbors in the world.

Formal Education

God provides the sheltered and heavily governed epoch of childhood to train the basic character, upon which God will build throughout life. This basic character will act as a vessel prepared to receive and carry the grace of God. Proven character of increasing degree becomes the foundation for future growth in character and accomplishment. Faith requires several particular aspects of character. We have mentioned only a few. The Christian educator should minutely identify the qualities of character of Christ for reproduction in the student. In the enterprise of learning, the teacher must then enforce the practice and habit of conduct appropriate to the child's present development that will produce the desired character in due season. The teacher introduces a measured difficulty that the child must learn to attempt by faith. The teacher then guides the child in appropriate responses to this difficulty, particularly to trust Jesus.

Apart from providing opportunities to overcome difficulty in a hardy spirit of enterprise, education cannot be counted truly Christian



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Ronald Kirk is Nordskog Publishing's Theology Editor.