[The following is an excerpt from John Calvin's sermon on Deuteronomy 28:1-2, given on Tuesday, March 10, 1556, as found in The Covenant Enforced (Tyler, TX: ICE, 1990), 84-94.] “If you will hear the voice of the Lord your God, and be careful to fulfill all the commandments I command you this day, all these blessings [...]
Story »
Some years ago I was invited to speak to a political science class at Emory University located in Decatur, Georgia. The Christian Right was in the news at that time, and Jerry Falwell’s Moral Majority was getting a lot of negative press. I was asked to shed some light on the controversy. The students were [...]
Story »
It’s only been recently that biblical law has been viewed as non-applicational to contemporary society, by non-Christians and Christians alike. The claim is made that there are so many laws in the Old Testament that would be impossible to apply today. Laws against murder and theft are viewed as self-evident that everyone agrees on. Certainly [...]
Story »
How many times have you heard that the Ten Commandments are no longer necessary today? Or that since Christ said that He came to "fulfill the law" (Matthew 5:17), Christians are not obligated to them any longer. Or that the Ten Commandments were given to Israel, not modern America. The list could go on. Many Christians, unaware as they are of the Old Testament, make all sorts of bizarre remarks to avoid facing up to the fact of God’s law. The pertinent question has been phrased many different ways, but essentially it is this: "If not God’s law, which law? And if not God’s law, why not?" In other words, if God’s law has been set aside, which one do we put in its place? And, if we claim that God’s law is no longer binding on individuals, where do we get our biblical justification for claiming this? The answers have been many and varied, but they have seldom been convincing.
Story »
American Vision’s offering of E.C. Wines’ Commentaries on the Laws of the Ancient Hebrews brought many interesting responses. Some of them were troubling. One emailer asked, “Do you want legalism? I sure don’t!” Keeping God’s law is not legalism. Another emailer wrote, “Under the New Covenant, love the Lord God with all thy heart, mind, soul and strength. Love thy neighbor as thy self, encompasses all the law. We are not bound by Mosaic law! [Matt. 22:36-40].” I pointed out that in response to the question by the Pharisees about which is the Greatest Commandment, Jesus quoted the Mosaic law, in particular Leviticus 19:18 and Deuteronomy 6:5. Jesus went on to say that “on these two commandments depend the whole Law and Prophets” (Matt. 22:40). Jesus did not say that because of these two laws the law passes away.
Story »
With the publication of E.C. Wines’ Laws of the Ancient Hebrews I’ve gotten some interesting emails from fellow Christians. Here’s a sample of responses when we asked the question, “Should Christians obey Old Testament Law?”:
Story »
“You shall not steal” (Deut. 5:19). Most Christians would claim they try their best to live by these words which are a part of the timeless, and still applicable, Ten Commandments given to us in the Old Testament. However, we have a big discrepancy going on with our claim of following God’s commandments, and the [...]
Story »
Even though Gary DeMar’s two articles at the beginning of the week were meant to put this issue to rest, I couldn’t resist one last article on the presidential election. After reading many of the comments to Gary’s articles and my own, I realized that most of us are talking past each other. Although many [...]
Story »
TEA-Party Hypocrisy: How Much Socialism Is Acceptable?
Obama Begins Covert Attack on Second Amendment
Tyranny: the "Official Language" of Misguided Conservatives
Five Truths that Republicans Hate
Five Reasons My Generation is Not Getting Married…and what can be done about it
Muslim Students Want to Take Over Christian College
TEA-Party Hypocrisy: How Much Socialism Is Acceptable?
Obama Begins Covert Attack on Second Amendment
Tyranny: the "Official Language" of Misguided Conservatives
Five Truths that Republicans Hate
Five Reasons My Generation is Not Getting Married…and what can be done about it
Muslim Students Want to Take Over Christian College