Chalcedon Blog

New Article: The Cost of Discipleship

2009-07-09T09:36:00.000-04:00

By Martin G. Selbrede

In the January/February 2009 issue of Faith for All of Life (FFAOL), I criticized the “doctrine” of a personal quiet time and exposed the shabby Biblical support for it as well as the dislocated priorities this man-made concept leaves in its wake. But “quiet times” are only the tip of the iceberg among the various strains of programmitis infecting Christianity. There are many other beloved practices that also fail the Scriptural Sniff Test. The fact that they sound so reasonable and beneficial has made them difficult to identify and dislodge—we cling to them while simultaneously proclaiming Sola Scriptura and Semper Reformanda. Binding unbiblical burdens on people’s backs was not a practice limited to the Pharisees and scribes—it yet liveth.

In discussions with many well-intentioned, well-meaning, highly-motivated Christians, I see this tragedy played out repeatedly. “There is a way that seemeth right to a man,” the Bible repeatedly warns. And because that “way” seemeth right, men tend to defend it when it is challenged, when someone suggests it is not, in fact, the right way. The defenders of that way, that tradition, that practice, have all their arguments lined up, their Scriptures in order, the clear beneficial effects faithfully tallied—or so they first think. The truth is this, that insofar as that “way” does not coincide with God’s Way, the church is again spinning its wheels in another ditch rather than making meaningful progress into the future hurtling toward us. The sound of the engine revving is not the mark of progress: forward motion is the only marker that counts.

And the worst tragedy of all is when man’s way is marketed as the key to making meaningful progress in our faith and its application. Christians collectively see the five smooth stones on the ground, turn aside to look at the shiny armor offered by Saul, and then they choose to don that armor and step over those supposedly inconsequential stones to go into battle.

Bad idea. Read more...

New Article: Calvin's Impact on Christendom

2009-07-07T16:25:00.003-04:00

The Calvin Quincentenary and the Transformation of Christendom
Dr. Roger Schultz

The year 2009 commemorates the 500th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin (1509–64), the greatest of the Protestant Reformers. Calvin left an astonishing record of Biblical scholarship, pastoral ministry, theological production, and ecclesiastical and governmental reform. His influence spread throughout Western Europe in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and German historian Leopold van Ranke notes, “Calvin was the virtual founder of America.”

The Reformation began in 1517 when Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses to protest Roman Catholic practice, especially regarding indulgences. As did the Reformers who followed him, Luther focused on the redeeming work of Christ and vital issues of personal salvation, Biblical authority and church reform. Calvin shared Luther’s sentiments, but developed a more consistent and far-reaching Biblical theology.

There was much for the Reformers to protest. The pre-Reformation church suffered from grotesque moral and spiritual abuses. Many priests, for instance, kept concubines. Powerful Renaissance popes were notorious for their mistresses and illegitimate progeny. The gospel was obscured. The Bible was often inaccessible, even for priests, and superstition frequently substituted for genuine faith. Frederick the Wise, Luther’s prince and protector, had a relic collection numbering 5,000 holy items, purportedly including wood from the true cross and straw from the manager in Bethlehem. Even Johannes Gutenberg, made famous by his press and publication of the Bible, made his living printing thousands of indulgence forms for the Roman Catholic Church (sold to abbreviate the penitent’s time in purgatory) and manufacturing mirrors that pilgrims used when visiting venerated relics. Europe desperately needed a reformation.

God used Luther to launch a powerful reformation of Western Christendom. Calvin provided a more systematic, full-orbed expression of the Reformation faith, which is the focus of this article. But this is not merely a historical study. Calvin’s testimony can provide a foundation for a twenty-first century reformation. Read more...

Urge to Dominion or Church Trifling

2009-07-06T15:36:00.003-04:00

"Man has a God-given urge to dominion, to power. The purpose of regeneration is to reestablish man in his creation mandate, to exercise dominion and to subdue the earth. The purpose of the law is to give man the God-appointed way to dominion. The purpose of the call to obedience is to exercise dominion.

"What happens then when a caricature of Jesus is presented, when obedience is constantly demanded without the God-ordained goal of obedience being mentioned, and when man is continually summoned to prepare himself in the Lord, but for no purpose? The ministry of the church then becomes trifling, and the life of the believer, frustrating.

"But the urge to dominion does not disappear simply because the church does not speak of it. Instead, it reappears as an ugly and sinful struggle for power in the church; rightful dominion being neglected or denied, sinful dominion begins then to emerge. The life of the church becomes then an ugly struggle over meaningless trifles in which the sole purpose is sinful power and dominion. All too often this sinful urge to dominion is masked with hypocritical meekness." ~ R. J. Rusdoony, The Institutes of Biblical Law, p. 450.

Uh Oh!

2009-07-06T00:03:00.000-04:00

Socialism is a Return to Slavery

2009-06-28T09:56:00.002-04:00

"One consequence of such politico-economic policies is a return to slavery. The more socialist a country, i.e., the more rigorously it is dedicated to fiat laws and money, the more marked the return to slavery. Slavery violates the fundamental premise of dominion work, responsibility. In slavery, an elite group orders work done. Personal motivation and purpose is replaced by social plans and goals. The elite assume more and more responsibility and freedom from control while placing all others under the slavery of a radically regulated and controlled society." ~ R. J. Rushdoony, Systematic Theology, p. 1049

UNBELIEVABLE

2009-06-26T19:34:00.001-04:00

Watch this shill feed Chairman Bernake a perfect set up question so Ben can offer up a clear threat to Congress that any attempt to exercise oversight of the FED will lead to financial collapse.

Dr. North on the State of the Economy

2009-06-26T13:45:00.001-04:00

Update on the Economy from Dr. North from American Vision on Vimeo.

Gay Fascism

2009-06-20T08:44:00.000-04:00

UN Treaty Jeopardizes Homeschool Freedom in Britain

2009-06-17T15:30:00.002-04:00

Ever since the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly and opened to nations across the world for ratification in 1989, HSLDA has been deeply concerned about the implications of this treaty for U.S. homeschoolers, if the U.S. were to ratify the treaty.

We have consistently warned that this treaty could be the vehicle opponents of home education could use to effectively ban or severely regulate homeschooling. On February 16, 1995, when Secretary of State Madeline Albright signed the UNCRC, the United States took a major step along the path to ratification which would make the UNCRC, as stated in Article VI of the U.S. Constitution, the supreme law of the land.

For the UNCRC to be ratified it must gain a two-thirds vote in the U.S. Senate. If this happens then the UNCRC will automatically supersede all state laws and U.S. judges will be obligated to follow the provisions of the treaty. Currently, family and education laws are state-based; however, ratification of the UNCRC would transfer the jurisdiction for making family and education law to the U.S. Congress. Congress would, in turn, be obligated to follow the UN mandates contained in the CRC.

FED Chairman Bernake Never Had a Clue

2009-06-16T19:45:00.001-04:00

Behind the Big News: Propaganda and the CFR

2009-06-16T18:44:00.000-04:00

Federal Reserve to Gain Power Under New Plan

2009-06-16T12:04:00.001-04:00

The Federal Reserve, already arguably the most powerful agency in the U.S. government, will get sweeping new authority to regulate any company whose failure could endanger the U.S. economy and markets under the Obama administration's regulatory overhaul plan.

Theft and Debt

2009-06-07T09:58:00.004-04:00

"Our Lord equates elitism with death. Let us consider the implications of elitism. Proverbs 8:36 declares that those who sin against God do violence to their own soul and, in hating God, love death. The culture of death is hostile to responsibility and to work. It prefers instead theft and debt. We can expect, therefore, that theft and debt will become increasingly prevalent in humanistic societies as social policies." ~ R. J. Rushdoony, Systematic Theology in Two Volumes, p. 1068.

Christian Film Industry Going Mainstream

2009-06-06T17:57:00.001-04:00

Hollywood can be hard to predict, but given the choice between last year's Woody Allen film, "Vicky Christina Barcelona," Sean Penn in "Milk" and a Christian film called "Fireproof," starring aging teen idol Kirk Cameron, not a single industry insider saw this dark horse coming.

"Fireproof," a Christian-themed film straight out of "Godlywood," buried them all as the top-grossing independent film of 2008.

Faith to Move Mountains

2009-06-04T09:55:00.006-04:00

By Christopher J. Ortiz

Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, what things soever you desire, when ye pray, believe that you receive them, and ye shall have them. Mark 11:22-24

Try as they may, scholars will find it difficult to neglect the boldface meaning of our Lord's admonition in this text. Taken at face value, one is stricken by the very thing Christ demeans--doubt--and immediately finds lacking the very thing He encourages--faith. Who could believe such a thing as "faith" moving a mountain?

We know that such a statement is not unique in the teachings of Christ. In fact, similar statements abound that challenge even our concept of impossibility as it relates to the believer and his or her confidence in God:

And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Matthew 17:20

That such passages were common knowledge to the first-century church is made plain by the apostle Paul's mention of it to the Corinthians in regards to power:

...and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:2

I believe this idea is also contained in John's revelation of the throne room, the prayers of the saints, and the ensuing judgments upon the earth:

And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof...And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal...and the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. Revelation 5:8-9, 6:12, 14

I abridged these passages in order to convey the fact that the prayers and singing of the saints preceded the opening of the seals which finalized in mountains being moved out of their places. Although in Revelation chapters four and five we are seeing the initial revealing of the glorified Christ, we cannot dismiss the testimony of the saints when they declare, "And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth" (Rev. 5:10). There is an interaction between heaven and earth and a significant aspect to this earthly reign of the saints is a faith that produces the impossible.

However, in Mark 11:22, our Lord is clear that the faith He's encouraging is a "faith in God." This should come as a warning to those positive thinkers that attempt to utilize Mark 11 as somehow endorsing the "power of the subconscious." These passages have nothing to do with the whims and wishes of men; they are exhortations to elevate in our own hearts and minds the power and promises of God toward them that believe. Calvin explains this well:

To have faith in God means, to expect, and to be fully assured of obtaining, from God whatever we need...If it be objected, that those prayers are never heard, that mountains should be thrown into the sea, the answer is easy. Christ does not give a loose rein to the wishes of men, that they should desire any thing at their pleasure, when he places prayer after the rule of faith; for in this way the Spirit must of necessity hold all our affections by the bridle of the word of God, and bring them into obedience. Christ demands a firm and undoubting confidence of obtaining an answer; and whence does the human mind obtain that confidence but from the word of God? We now see then that Christ promises nothing to his disciples, unless they keep themselves within the limits of the good pleasure of God.[1]

It could be added that it is "doubtful" that one could have sufficient faith for something that wasn't promised by God. Great faith does not arise from a heart driven by lusts and covetousness. The prayer of faith works in terms of God's revealed will in Scripture and His expressed desire for His advancing Kingdom.

The Great Power Shift

Another important aspect to Mark's narrative is that the locus of power expressed by the prayers of God's people were shifted from the physical temple to human temples. After cursing the fig tree in verses 13 and 14, the scene moves quickly to Christ casting out the money changers from the temple exclaiming, "Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves" (v. 17).

The next day, "they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots" (v. 20). It's obvious that the fig tree is representative of Israel, which should have brought forth fruit in all seasons. The fig tree had no figs because "the time of figs was not yet" (v. 13), but Israel's fruitfulness was mandatory for all seasons. Israel herself was "dried up from the roots" in the sense that money changers were in the temple, viz. the "root" of Israel. If corruption had reached the temple itself, Israel was cursed to the root. The nation would have to be removed and replaced by a "fruitful" one:

Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. Matthew 21:43

We know that the new nation to be given the Kingdom of God was not identified by a specific nationality, country, or empire. Whereas God's house was to "be called of all nations the house of prayer" (Mark 11:17), God would now turn all nations into a house of prayer. The body of Christ was now God's temple and the locus of prayer and faith would reside in His people instead of a sanctuary of stone:

Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. Ephesians 2:19-22

The church would become "a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light" (1 Peter 2:9). And as the apostle John stated, these kings and priests will "reign on the earth" (Rev. 5:10).

No longer would the power center of prayer be located in the physical temple in Jerusalem. It had become corrupt to its roots and the new center for "the prayers of the saints" would be in the body of kings and priests as they pray for mountains to be moved, i.e., to enact God's promises whether they be of blessing or judgment.

Mark 11:23-24 is not "blab it and grab it" theology; nor is it positive thinking. It is covenantal in recognizing God's relationship with a new nation of king-priests, and it is an encouragement to godly dominion because the promises contained here assault any assumption on the part of God's people that a universal Kingdom is an impossibility.

That this type of prayer includes judgment is made apparent in Mark 11:25:

And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive your trespasses.

This type of praying cannot be governed, or tainted, with unjust desires to do harm. It must proceed from a heart free from bitterness, rage, or unrighteous vengeance. What you pray for or against must be fully in line with God's character, desire, and commandment. We are in this instance His covenant representatives that work to carry out His affairs in the earth. Such a momentous calling requires a faith that can alter history so dramatically that it's as if a mountain has moved into the sea. That was the end result of first century Israel--she was moved out of her place like an island (Rev. 6:14); that shall be the end result for every nation that does not submit to Him who reigns over all.

1. John Calvin, Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, and Luke (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1996), 19.

All Things are Possible: The Collective Faith Needed to Establish the Kingdom

2009-06-02T09:18:00.003-04:00

By Christopher J. Ortiz

Chalcedon Report, June 2009

If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. Mark 9:23

God said, “Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech” (Gen. 11:7). This was His divine response to the arrogant gesture on the part of man to “build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven” (v. 4). God would not overturn the walls, as in Jericho, or flood the land, as in the time of Noah. He confounded their language, and the net result was the destruction of the city.

Whenever I read passages like Mark 9:23 about how all things are possible to them that believe, I think of the builders of Babel. Their unified ambition represents a form of faith that I’ve not considered as deeply as I should. It’s the kind of faith that shapes history, whether for good, or evil. Read more...

Botkin: "What Hath Darwin Wrought?"

2009-06-02T09:15:00.002-04:00

Britain's Totalitarian Scientist Class Throws a Party

In Britain, police are bracing for the summer riots. The year 2009 has become the year of runaway unemployment, social chaos, and cultural confusion. The authorities expect the summer riots to get ugly.

British citizens were supposed to be happy in 2009. They are not. This is an awkward disappointment for Britain’s social engineers, who had engineered a full year of celebratory splendor to honor a favorite son. 2009 was to have been the year of triumph for Charles Darwin — the greatest social engineer of them all.

Chinese Calvinism Flourishes

2009-05-30T18:03:00.001-04:00

...Although Calvinism is shrinking in western Europe and North America, it is experiencing an extraordinary success in China. I spent some time on Monday talking to the Rev May Tan, from Singapore, where the overseas Chinese community has close links with mainland China. The story she told of the spread of Calvinist religion as an elite religion in China was quite extraordinary.

...Calvinism isn't a religion of subservience to any government. The great national myths of Calvinist cultures are all of wars against imperialist oppressors: the Dutch against the Spanish, the Scots against the English; the Americans against the British. So when the Chinese house churches first emerged from the rubble of the Cultural Revolution in the 80s and 90s "They began to search what theology will support and inform [them]. They read Luther and said, 'not him'. So they read Calvin, and they said 'him, because he has a theology of resistance.' Luther can't teach them or inform them how to deal with a government that is opposition."

...In China now, this kind of Christianity is seen as forward-looking, rational, intellectually serious, and favourable to making money.

A Gospel in Word Only

2009-05-28T15:10:00.002-04:00

For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake. I Thess. 1:5

Has our gospel been reduced to word only? It seems so. Even those who claim to have power—like the Charismatics—have been reduced to methods, programs, and smoke and mirrors to create the illusion of spiritual potency. In the end, we’re left with cheap pyrotechnics that feign new visitations of the Holy Spirit, but nothing of substance comes from the manufactured revivals. For all the lights, bands, big screens, and coffee bars, the mega-church is officially a franchise—there’s one near you just down the street from the Wal-Mart and Home Depot.

In relation to power, the denominational church is not much better. It can also espouse a gospel in word only, although the content is often more sophisticated than their Charismatic counterparts. The problem is that doctrine is all they have, so “power” is expressed rationally, politically, or through some other man-powered emphasis. Many on the Religious Right are similar to our Lord’s disciples who after hearing Him speak to them of being baptized in the Holy Spirit immediately asked if political restoration was soon to come:

[W]ait for the promise of the Father, which saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? Acts 1:4-6

Our Lord was calling them to be witnesses, but their concern was foremost political. It’s as if they said, “Lord, will you at this time give us a truly Christian president and all that goes with it?” He will not. There will be no revolution to bring change. There will be power for the sake of conversion. We are called to be witnesses (those baptized with the Holy Spirit) in order to bring powerful testimony to the blackened hearts of sinful men. The Apostle Paul said,

And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. I Cor. 2:4-5

Our faith must stand upon the power of God. Beginning with the doctrine of creation, the miracles of Old and New Testaments, and most prominently the resurrection of Christ, the Biblical testimony is one of total power on behalf of redemption. This is the source of our encouragement and the place where our faith must be focused. It is good to love doctrine, but your faith must reside in something greater, viz. the power of God behind all of His revelation.

Is your gospel in word only?

Placing the Blame for Inflation

2009-05-26T17:23:00.003-04:00

"In the United States, inflation is a product of the federal government's departure from a hard money standard, from gold to paper, and a product of its debt living or deficit financing. The guilt for inflation is essentially the federal government's guilt. But the blame is instead shifted by federal officials to the private sector: labor is creating inflation by demanding higher wages, and business is inflationary because it demands higher prices for goods, and threats are made of wage and price controls. The demands of capital and labor are, of course, the results of inflation and their steps to protect themselves against it, but the policy of socialism is to ascribe all guilt to the people, and all wisdom to the state, in every crisis." ~ R. J. Rushdoony

Obama's Pick for the Supreme Court

2009-05-26T15:42:00.002-04:00

NYT: The Case for Working with Your Hands

2009-05-26T11:47:00.000-04:00

The television show “Deadliest Catch” depicts commercial crab fishermen in the Bering Sea. Another, “Dirty Jobs,” shows all kinds of grueling work; one episode featured a guy who inseminates turkeys for a living. The weird fascination of these shows must lie partly in the fact that such confrontations with material reality have become exotically unfamiliar. Many of us do work that feels more surreal than real. Working in an office, you often find it difficult to see any tangible result from your efforts. What exactly have you accomplished at the end of any given day? Where the chain of cause and effect is opaque and responsibility diffuse, the experience of individual agency can be elusive. “Dilbert,” “The Office” and similar portrayals of cubicle life attest to the dark absurdism with which many Americans have come to view their white-collar jobs.

Two New Podcasts

2009-05-24T19:49:00.003-04:00

Law & Liberty Podcast with Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin
In this special episode of Law and Liberty, co-host Andrea Schwartz discusses pertinent issues regarding womanhood with the founders of VisionaryDaughters.com, Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin. These young women, along with their larger family, are laboring diligently to live out the trustee family model as described in Rushdoony's teaching. This is a great interview for young girls, young women, and mothers alike. Listen now.

Our Threatened Freedom Podcast: Is Our Judicial System Collapsing?
In this podcast, Dr. Rushdoony argues that perpetual delays are undermining the judicial process in our courts. Only a Biblical form of justice can restore the more than broken system that is now the American judicial system. Listen now.

Dr. Paul Examining Volcker

2009-05-22T08:37:00.002-04:00

British Town Halls Recruiting Seven Year-Olds to Spy on Neighbors

2009-05-19T11:53:00.001-04:00

Children as young as seven are being recruited by councils to act as 'citizen snoopers', the Daily Mail can reveal.

The 'environment volunteers' will report on litter louts, noisy neighbours - and even families putting their rubbish out on the wrong day.

There are currently almost 9,000 people signed up to the schemes. More are likely to be recruited in the coming months.