On Declaring Independence

On Declaring Independence

A misconception is held by many that the drafting and signing of the Declaration of Independence was the beginning of our nation. Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address” (Nov. 19, 1863) contributes to the confusion with the opening line: “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are [...]

Without God’s Law, Slavery Can’t be Condemned

Without God’s Law, Slavery Can’t be Condemned

The Ten Commandments are once again in the spotlight, stirring up debate among cultural commentators and political figures. You may remember the controversy when former Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court Roy Moore installed a 2.5-ton granite monument of the Ten Commandments in the rotunda of the Alabama Judicial Building in Montgomery, Alabama. Moore said the following after its removal: “ [...]

Rolling Stone Should Stick to Music

Rolling Stone Should Stick to Music

Gary gives a quick history lesson to set the record straight about a recent Rolling Stone article about Chief Justice Alito. A misconception is held by many that the drafting and signing of the Declaration of Independence was the beginning of our nation. Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address” (Nov. 19, 1863) contributes to the confusion with the opening line: “Four score and seven years ago our fa [...]

A Short Course on Biblical Eschatology (Part Two)

A Short Course on Biblical Eschatology (Part Two)

Gary concludes his interview with Steve Deace about eschatology. Terms are defined, views are set forth, and questions are asked. The man of lawlessness was the principal religious leader of Israel—the high priest who officiated over Jewish law and did not concern himself with using the law in a God-honoring way (Matt. 26:57-68). All of the lawless deeds of those priests who sent Jesus to His deat [...]

Reading Matthew, Trusting Jesus (Part Two)

Reading Matthew, Trusting Jesus (Part Two)

Gary concludes his interview with Jonathan Sedlak about his new book, Reading Matthew, Trusting Jesus. N.T. Wright explains what the disciples were actually asking in their question [in Matthew 24:3]: They had come to Jerusalem expecting Jesus to be enthroned as the rightful king. This would necessarily involve Jesus taking over the authority that the temple symbolized. They were now confronted wi [...]

Reading Matthew, Trusting Jesus (Part One)

Reading Matthew, Trusting Jesus (Part One)

In this first part of his interview with author Jonathan Sedlak, Gary introduces listeners to Jonathan and his new book, Reading Matthew, Trusting Jesus. What we find spoken by Jesus in Matthew 24 was spoken about 40 years before the things came to pass which He prophesied, and Matthew wrote his book about 33 years before they happened. Matthew was the first of the four gospels, as claimed by Orig [...]

Remembering Archie P. Jones (1942-2024)

Remembering Archie P. Jones (1942-2024)

The following is from a presentation I gave at the memorial service for Archie Preston Jones (1942-2024) that was held at Midway Presbyterian Church in Powder Springs, Georgia, where my wife and I attend and where Archie and his daughter are members. You can read Archie’s obituary here. _________________________ Archie, actually Dr. Archie Jones, and I were in the same line of work. We liked to ex [...]

Newspaper Exegesis, the Antichrist, and Perpetual Prophecy Fear

Newspaper Exegesis, the Antichrist, and Perpetual Prophecy Fear

What is newspaper exegesis? The practice of interpreting the Bible though the lens of current events found in the headlines of newspapers rather than allowing the Bible to interpret itself and failing to take into account when prophetic events were to take place and to whom. It’s a form of retroactive prophetic explanation where current events are used as an interpretive grid for understanding the [...]

The Continuing Failure of White Flag Theology

The Continuing Failure of White Flag Theology

Gary discusses several recent news stories about Christians trying to have “dialogues” with leftists on various topics. Any social movement that is serious about changing the shape of history must have at least two features. First, it must have a doctrine of the possibility of positive social change. If men don’t believe that history can be changed through concerted effort, then they a [...]

Trying to Connect Ezekiel with Matthew

Trying to Connect Ezekiel with Matthew

Gary continues responding to a recent sermon by Jack Hibbs where he tries to connect Ezekiel with Matthew as if they are both speaking of the same events. The Old Covenant promises to Israel are fulfilled in the early years of the New Covenant era as exemplified in Joel’s prophecy. Peter states that events of Pentecost are its fulfillment: “but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel” [...]

A Theological Hot Potato

A Theological Hot Potato

Gary concludes his response to a recent Wallbuilders show with Mark David Hall on the influence of R.J. Rushdoony. In the worldview known as historicism, the laws of history are derived from history and change with history. Law becomes a function of history. There is no unchanging metaphysical order above history or outside of history that somehow provides structure to history. History and its law [...]

How Much ‘Influence’ Did R.J. Rushdoony Have?

How Much ‘Influence’ Did R.J. Rushdoony Have?

In my three-part podcast (see here and here for the first and second) about the impact of Rousas Rushdoony (1916-2001), I mentioned, contrary to some, that his writings have had a significant impact on much of Christian thought today, directly and indirectly. As a sort of hero of Christian education, Rushdoony’s basic ideas have directly or indirectly affected many conservative Protestants in Nort [...]

Linking Rushdoony and David Barton

Linking Rushdoony and David Barton

Gary continues his response to a recent episode from David Barton featuring historian Mark David Hall. The establishment—and here I include the secular media—cannot grasp just how much impact that fewer than a dozen men with word processors can have. (In the case of Rushdoony, not even a word processor, which did not exist when he wrote his major works. He uses only an ink well, a steel-tip pen wi [...]

Rushdoony and Church and State

Rushdoony and Church and State

Gary begins a series of three podcasts that respond to a recent show from David Barton’s Wallbuilders organization on Christian Nationalism. Can you imagine a young Jewish man coming up to Jesus and saying, “You know, Jesus, if you would just drop some of your outrageous claims and your moral indictments based on the law as it is written, I might just follow you. The rest I could do without. [...]

What Went Wrong with the Christian Right?

What Went Wrong with the Christian Right?

The Christian Right got involved in politics late. In fact, they got dragged into the process kicking and screaming. For decades they were told that “religion and politics don’t mix” and “we should only preach the gospel.” That worked at a time when there was something of a general Christian consensus. But those days were long gone by the 1970s with the Roe v. Wade pro-abortion decision that turne [...]

Putting Iran in Biblical Context

Putting Iran in Biblical Context

Now that the eclipse has come and gone, prophecy speculators have refocused their attention on the Middle East. There is no need to speculate beyond the historical boundaries of Ezekiel’s day to force the names of these ancient nations to find a place on a modern-day map to conform them to today’s geo-political landscape. Iain Duguid’s comments are helpful in accounting for the historical realitie [...]

Iran is Not the Persian Empire: Gog and Magog Center-Stage … Again

Iran is Not the Persian Empire: Gog and Magog Center-Stage … Again

One of the advantages of being operated on April 15th was that I was under anesthesia and could not hear or read anything about the latest prophetic nonsense being churned out by end-time prophecy teachers and preachers. What a relief! Unfortunately, it didn’t last long. The usual suspects like John Hagee, Ray Comfort, Jack Hibbs, Joel Richardson, Joel Rosenberg, and many more are revving up the p [...]

Gumming Up the System

Gumming Up the System

Gary discusses tactics of Christian resistance that can be learned from Saul Alinsky. When students graduated from the Academy in Geneva, they were assigned various posts, sometimes in France. These were dangerous trips; so dangerous that when the permanent ministers of Geneva went to France they left their families behind, and the city allowed those families to keep the ministerial house and even [...]

Dealing with the ‘Don’t Know Much About History’ Crowd

Dealing with the ‘Don’t Know Much About History’ Crowd

Every time American Vision promotes the 1864 book The Christian Life and Character of the Civil Institutions of the United States on Facebook, the historical know-it-alls come out of the woodwork. They spew the typical cliches. • The United States was founded as a secular nation. • Our nation’s founders were deists, and they used deistic language instead of biblical language. Long before 1776 and [...]

How to Teach History (Part 2)

How to Teach History (Part 2)

Gary continues his talk about teaching history and how to make it relevant and interesting. Probably the most famous product placement story is how Reeses Pieces got an advertising boost from a loveable alien. “Stephen Spielberg asked the makers of M&Ms if they would grant him permission to use their product in the 1982 film E.T.: The Extraterrestrial, but was turned down. Spielberg then turne [...]