The Armor of God

In Ephesians 6:10-20, the apostle Paul exhorts the saints to be strong in the Lord and to put on the whole armor of God. In verses 11-13, he explains why Christians should do this. We should put on the whole armor of God that we may "be able to stand against the schemes of the devil." We should prepare to withstand them. Paul had already mentioned deceitful schemes in Ephesians 4:14 and the importance of giving no opportunity to the devil in Ephesians 4:27.

You need this armor, because you are engaged in a struggle against spiritual forces of evil. It is not a matter of physical strength or skill with a sword. A literal sword cannot protect you from the devil and his schemes.

Paul contrasts physical warfare (against flesh and blood) and spiritual warfare. The one seeks to kill the body, but the other aims to corrupt and destroy the whole person. The leaders of the other side are the devil and his spiritual forces. They also work with or through sinful men and the remnants of sin that remain in you. The world, the flesh, and the devil seek to destroy your soul (1 Peter 2:11, 4:3-4, 5:8-9). You need God’s strength, God’s spiritual armor, that you might stand firm.

Paul is not insisting on pacifism here, as if it were wrong to engage in all physical conflict. Serving as a soldier is still a godly calling, and war can be waged for just and godly causes. But that is a particular calling and not the war in view here. The most important conflict, and the one that all Christians on earth are engaged in, is this spiritual conflict.

Earlier in Ephesians 4:24, Paul noted that Christians had been taught "to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness." Here he makes a similar point, but with conflict in mind. What we put on is given to us by God in Christ. 

1. The belt of truth (v. 14)

The belt holds thing together so that a solider is unhindered by his garments, ready to fight. We are to fasten on truth like a belt, that we might be ready for the conflict. 

We are to fasten on the virtue of truth, that is, faithfulness, sincerity, and honesty. In Ephesians 4:25, Paul had said, "Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another." Isaiah 11:5 describes faithfulness as the belt of Christ. 

We are also to fasten on revealed truth, "the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation" (Eph. 1:13, cp. 4:15, 4:21). We must be careful to not be children, "tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes" (Eph. 4:14). Rather, we are to receive the ministry of the word, to study the word, and to speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:11-16). 

By holding fast to the truth and being truthful and faithful, we avoid the deceptive schemes of the devil, the liar and the father of lies.

2. The breastplate of righteousness (v. 14)

The breastplate is a piece of armor that guards the vitals against blows. We are to put on righteousness as a breastplate. 

We are to put on the "true righteousness" that reflects God’s righteousness (Eph. 4:24). We have put on the new man and are being renewed after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Righteousness is to be written on the heart and practiced in the life. This is strength.

True righteousness is in accord with the word of God, the infallible and sufficient rule of righteousness. True righteousness is also not hypocritical, not done for the praise of man, not merely done externally, but is a righteousness rooted in the heart that extends to right motive, intention, and deed.

Righteousness is the alternative to sin. The devil wants us to sin. Let righteousness become your breastplate, a cherish habit and virtue, ready to repel temptations to go astray. We receive from Christ both an imputed righteousness to save us from condemnation and an inward work of grace that renews us to righteousness more and more. The imputed righteousness supports us against the demoralizing accusations of the devil (cp. Zech. 3), and the imparted righteousness supports us against his temptations to sin against our God. 

3. As shoes, the readiness given by the gospel of peace (v. 15)

Shoes give the solider not only mobility when needed, but also a firm place to stand. As shoes provide a foundation for us to "stand firm," so the gospel gives us stability and readiness.

The gospel of peace gives us a place to rest and a firm foundation. Our faith clings to it. Its promises give us hope. It proclaims reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ and the hope of glory with him. 

This phrase is probably an allusion to Isaiah 52:7. "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, 'Your God reigns.'" The gospel is a gospel of peace. It proclaims that God is at peace with his people through Christ. As Paul said in Ephesians 2:17, Jesus "came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near."

4. The shield of faith (v. 16)

The shield is an important piece of protection that can be moved to protect against various weapons, including "flaming darts." We are to take up the shield of faith. 

Paul tells us to take up the shield of faith in "all circumstances." Faith is to be continually exercised. Having believed, we are also to walk by faith (Col. 2:6, Heb. 11). 

Paul had stressed the importance and uniqueness of faith earlier in this letter. We are saved through faith (Eph. 2:8) and Christ dwells in our hearts through faith (Eph. 3:17) and we share with the saints “one faith” (Eph. 4:5). 

The quality and object of faith are both important. Saving faith is not mere knowledge and assent, but also trust. Our faith is to be in God and his word, and especially in the Savior he holds forth to us. We are to receive and rest upon Jesus Christ for salvation. By this faith, we are united to Christ and freely receive a share in the benefits of his redemptive work. And by this faith, "a Christian believeth to be true whatsoever is revealed in the Word, for the authority of God himself speaking therein; and acteth differently upon that which each particular passage thereof containeth; yielding obedience to the commands, trembling at the threatenings, and embracing the promises of God for this life, and that which is to come" (Westminster Confession of Faith, 14.2).  

The devil seeks to open the way for his temptations by causing us to doubt God and his word. He did this with Eve (Gen. 3). But with the shield of faith you can protect yourself and extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one. 

5. The helmet of salvation (v. 17)

The helmet gives important protection to the head. Paul tells us to take the helmet of salvation. In 1 Thessalonians 5:8, he similarly speaks of having put on "for a helmet the hope of salvation." It is especially the future aspect of salvation that seems to be meant, the hope of deliverance and exaltation in the day of judgment. 

So take heart in your expectation of salvation. Reflect on the complete reliability of God’s promises to those who believe in Christ and reflect on your saving faith in Christ. All those who believe in the Lord Jesus shall be saved. If you, then, truly believe in the Lord Jesus, you shall be saved. It is good for people to consider this matter, so that those who believe might have a confident expectation of their personal salvation. This assurance is not essential to saving faith - a person must believe before they know they believe - but it is a great blessing and strength. The hope and confidence that flows from faith is like a helmet. John wrote 1 John so that believers might have this hope and confidence, this knowledge that they have eternal life. 

6. The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (v. 17).

The sword is a deadly weapon used to destroy the enemy. It is an offensive weapon. The word of God is the sword of the Spirit. It is used to destroy strongholds, to destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God (2 Cor. 10:4-6).

The word of God is given by the Spirit and it is effectual through the Spirit’s power as he enlightens our minds and renews our wills (1 Cor. 2:9-16). The Holy Scriptures are the word of God, given by inspiration of God (2 Tim. 3:16). The human authors were carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21). 

The word of God is powerful. It destroys and builds, its refutes and converts, its sanctifies and comforts. It is the weapon Jesus used in the temptation (Matt. 4). It is the sword that comes from his mouth (Is. 49:2, Rev. 1:16). 

7. Praying in the Spirit, watching and praying for all the saints and for preachers (v. 18-20)

Prayer is not given a particular weapon to represent it, perhaps because it is so closely connected with the sword of the Spirit. As you wield the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, you should be praying in the Spirit as well. The Word of God is closely associated with prayer, and both of them with the Holy Spirit. Both of them are means of grace, and we pray for God's blessing upon the word. Especially in view here are prayers of supplication for all the saints and prayers for preachers like Paul, that the gospel might be proclaimed boldly and clearly.

Prayer is part of our readiness for conflict, our readiness to overcome the schemes of the devil. Even Paul requested prayer that he might be bold, that he might stand boldly and not be tripped up by the devil's schemes. So let us also pray in the Spirit, praying at all times with all prayer and supplication, keeping alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.

Conclusion

In these ways, be strong in the Lord, putting on the armor that he supplies, the whole armor of God. In this way, stand firm. Fight against the spiritual forces of evil with the armor of God, giving all glory and praise to him.

Christ has crushed the devil under his feet, and "the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet" (Rom. 16:20). As John Ball put it, "Christ hath bruised the Serpent's head by his own power: but the faithful overcome by the power of Christ." Christ makes them more than conquerors. He answers his people's prayers. Christ leads his people to victory.

To Remember His Holy Covenant (Part 3): You and the Covenant

In part one and part two of this series on Luke 1:67-79, we looked at "his holy covenant" and how God remembered it by sending his Son, Jesus Christ, the redeemer. Now consider how you are related to this covenant. Not only has God remembered his holy covenant and raised up a Savior in David’s house, but he also makes known his covenant so that people might enter into it and benefit from it.

Zechariah not only spoke of the coming of Christ, but he also spoke of his own son, John the Baptizer. John would be the “prophet of the Most High” to “go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins” (Luke 1:76-77). John’s message of repentance and forgiveness would also be proclaimed by the apostles and by all who proclaim the apostolic gospel, the difference being that John spoke of the coming Christ and the apostles proclaimed the Christ who had come. At the end of Luke 24, Jesus told his apostles, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem” (Luke 24:46–47).

As God raised up John the Baptist, so God still works through the preaching of the word today, to give the knowledge of salvation, to proclaim repentance and the forgiveness of sins in Christ’s name. This is given to all nations. Believing Gentiles are grafted on to the people of God (Rom. 11:17-20).

This covenant of grace is held forth for the salvation of sinners. It is sure and steady. God is faithful to it forever. The covenant stands upon the solid foundation of Christ and his redemptive work.

How then should we respond? Everyone should respond by entering the covenant and keeping the covenant and praising God for his faithfulness and mercy. Christ came to redeem God’s covenant people, and we call everyone to enter into this covenant with God through faith in Jesus Christ. Within the covenant is safety and blessing through Christ.

You who have visibly entered into this covenant, being marked by baptism, are bound by the covenant to believe in Jesus Christ, that you might be saved, and to turn from sin and obey the God who has redeemed you, according to his commandments.

While both faith in Christ and repentance unto new obedience are conditions of the covenant of grace, required of sinners, yet they are not conditions in the same way. (1) Neither one is a condition in the sense of being the basis for our salvation - that is to be found in Christ alone. He obtained the blessings of the covenant by his life, death, and resurrection. (2) Faith alone is a condition in the sense of being a instrumental cause of the good promised to us. That is, only by faith do we receive Christ, and in him, all the blessings of the covenant. (3) Repentance unto new obedience is a condition, not as a satisfaction, nor as an instrument by which we are united to Christ, but as something that God requires of us if we would be saved. Repentance unto life and saving faith are inseparable, and so both are required of us. The Bible says things like “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out…” (Acts 3:19), and “…unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3). As the Westminster Confession of Faith says, you must not rest in your repentance as a satisfaction or any cause of pardon; yet it is of such necessity to all sinners that no one may expect pardon without it (WCF 15.3).

So respond with faith and repentance. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved. He is the mediator of the covenant. Therefore, if you wish to be in this covenant and blessed, receive him as your redeemer. The way by which someone participates in this covenant is through union with Christ through faith. In Romans 11, Paul describes the visible covenant people as an olive tree. He wrote that some of the natural branches (some of the Jews) were broken off, but others (some of the Gentiles) were grafted in. Why? Paul said, “They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith” (Rom. 11:20). Those who reject the Savior through unbelief shall be cursed, but those who hold fast to him by faith shall be blessed forever.

Christ is willing to receive those who receive him. Even those who were broken off, if they do not continue in their unbelief, but believe, shall be grafted in (Rom. 11:23). Receive the Lord Jesus as he is freely offered in the gospel, as your redeemer, as your prophet, priest, and king. As a wife receives her husband as her husband, giving herself as a wife, so receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, giving yourself to him. Continue to exercise this faith in Christ, resting upon him your whole life. Hold fast to this horn of salvation that God raised up in the house of David.

And repent from your sins unto God. God in Christ calls us away from bondage to sin and Satan, unto his blessed service. Those who would have God to be their God must turn their back on rebellion, renouncing the world, the flesh, and the devil, and turn to God. God delivers his people through Christ so that they might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all their days. What is repentance unto life? “Repentance unto life is a saving grace, whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin, and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, doth, with grief and hatred of his sin, turn from it unto God, with full purpose of, and endeavor after, new obedience” (WSC 87). Thus, when God’s people make or renew their covenant with God, they promise, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient” (Ex. 24:7) and “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Josh. 24:15). As we say in Psalm 119:106, “I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to keep your righteous rules.”

God’s law is given not only to convict us of sin, driving us to Christ, and to restrain sin in society, but it is also given to direct his covenant people how to serve him in holiness and righteousness. This was the context of the Ten Commandments. They were given by God to his covenant people. In them, he declared himself to be their God and redeemer and told them how to live as his people. God’s covenant of grace further obligates us to obey his universally binding moral law. It also provides in Christ the grace of sanctification, enabling us to obey, and it motivates us to do so in gratitude to the rock of our salvation. This obedience is not yet perfect — we still sin and rest on Christ for salvation — but it is sincere and increasing as we continue to repent, putting to death the deeds of the flesh and walking in newness of life in Christ. This path of repentance is the way God has appointed us to salvation, leading to glory (Rom. 4:13, 2 Peter 1:3-11, Eph. 2:10; see also WLC 32).

We are taught to "keep" God’s covenant in Scripture (Ps. 103:18, Ex. 19:5, Gen. 17:9), not in the sense of providing its basis, but in the sense of observing its obligations, living in accord with it through faith and repentance. As the OPC Directory for Public Worship says, “In our baptism, the Lord puts his name on us, claims us as his own, and summons us to assume the obligations of the covenant. He calls us to believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior, to renounce the devil, the world, and the flesh, and to walk humbly with our God in devotion to his commandments.” May all of us, young and old, be covenant keepers who embrace the promises and obligations sealed in our baptism. For as Psalm 25:10 says, “All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.”

Do not be like the generation who experienced the Exodus but perished in the wilderness because they broke the covenant by rebelling against the Lord in unbelief. Do not despise the Savior and turn back to bondage and death. Forsake the darkness, and walk in his light, for he will guide our feet into the way of peace.

Praise the Lord for his grace and mercy! Give thanks to God for his holy covenant! God did not have to enter into this covenant of grace. God did not have to bind himself to save any sinner, who was but justly receiving what he deserved. Even God’s initial covenant of works was voluntary on his part, and man broke it. But out of his tender mercy, God chose to save a people from sin and misery and entered into this covenant to accomplish this even through the incarnation, obedience, and cursed death of the eternal Son of God. The triune God is faithful, and he keeps covenant forever. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who has visited and redeemed his people. Blessed be his name.

To Remember His Holy Covenant (Part 2): Christ and the Covenant

In part one of this series on Luke 1:67-79, we saw how God first published the covenant of grace in Genesis 3:15 and how he continued to renew and reveal it from that point onward. When Zechariah rejoiced in the birth of Jesus, he praised God for remembering "his holy covenant." Jesus came to provide the promised basis for this covenant. Vital to God’s holy covenant is the redeemer, the mediator of the covenant.

An important difference between the covenant of grace and the covenant of works is that the covenant of works provided no redeemer since man did not need one. But God entered into the covenant of grace to deliver his elect out of their sin and misery by a redeemer, by that promised offspring who would bruise the head of the serpent and save God’s people. And who is the redeemer of God’s elect? As the Shorter Catechism says, “The only redeemer of God’s elect is the Lord Jesus Christ, who, being the eternal Son of God, became man, and so was, and continueth to be, God and man in two distinct natures, and one person, forever.”

Ultimately, "the covenant of grace was made with Christ as the second Adam, and in him with all the elect as his seed" (Larger Catechism, 31). For Christ's part, he would satisfy divine justice and obtain salvation and an everlasting inheritance for those whom the Father had given him by his perfect obedience and his sacrifice of himself. He accordingly took the form of a servant and became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross, and therefore was highly exalted. All those who receive Christ freely receive all the benefits of his redemptive work. "And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life" (1 John 5:11–12).  

All along, the promise of salvation had been based upon the promise of the Christ and his redemptive work. A thousand years after King David, God had not forgotten his covenant, nor had his promised mercy come to an end. In order to keep his holy covenant and to practice his promised mercy, the Father sent his only-begotten Son, God of God, to take on human nature and be born the promised heir of David.

Just as God had visited his people in Egypt and delivered them from bondage (Gen. 50:24, Ex. 3:7-8, 16-17), so now God “visited and redeemed his people” (Luke 1:68). Just as God had delivered Israel from Egypt because of his covenant promise to their fathers, so now he delivered his people through the birth of Jesus because of his covenant promise to their fathers (Luke 1:72).

God fulfilled his oath by raising up “a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David” (Luke 1:69). A “horn” was symbol of power. A “horn of salvation” is a Savior. And this Savior was raised up in the house of David, as the heir of David, a king to deliver and shepherd God’s people forever. This king would deliver them by giving them the forgiveness of their sins and by guiding their feet into the way of peace (Luke 1:77-79).

Thus, Jesus was born to fulfill God's covenant oath "to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days" (Luke 1:73-75). Jesus was born to save all those who trust in him from Satan’s power and might. 

The devil had led mankind into death by leading them into condemnation. Jesus came to save his people from condemnation and death, bearing and dying for their sins and providing them with his righteousness. God delivers us the domain of the evil one and transfers us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Col. 1:13). As Hebrews 2:14–15 says of the Son, “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.” We are delivered into a kingdom that is forever, in which we shall be blessed in the presence of the Lord all our days.

The devil had led mankind into rebellion and moral corruption. Jesus not only provides forgiveness, but he also renews his people more and more to a practice of holiness and righteousness as God’s children. As 1 John 3:8–9 says, “Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.”

The Redeemer was born in weakness and humility, sharing in our infirmities, yet without sin. He came to save us, not through human might, but through human weakness and divine power. He would endure trials, resist temptation, and offer himself a perfect sacrifice for sin in our nature. Therefore, he rose from the dead on the third day, exalted by the Father. He now reigns over all creation and administers the covenant from the right hand of the Father in a new and glorious way to all nations. The sunrise has visited us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death (Luke 1:78b-79a).

To Remember His Holy Covenant (Part 1): God's Covenant of Grace

In Luke 1:67-79, Zechariah the priest responded to the coming birth of the Lord with praise. He praised God for redeeming his people in faithfulness to his holy covenant. God's covenant faithfulness and mercy was shown in the coming of the Lord Jesus. The birth and work of the Lord Jesus is properly understood in light of God’s promise, his oath, his holy covenant.

What is this covenant God made? How is the coming of Christ related to it? And how are you related to it? Those are the questions I want to address in a series of three articles based on a sermon I gave on this passage: (1) God’s covenant of grace, (2) Christ and the covenant, and (3) you and the covenant.

Zechariah said that God raised up this Savior “to remember his holy covenant.” What is a covenant? A covenant is a bond between two parties that establishes a relationship between them and defines the nature and obligations of the relationship, binding them together. A covenant typically states the parties to the covenant and its basis, promises, conditions, obligations, sanctions, and seals.

Some examples of covenants between humans are those made between kings and their vassals, between friends (like David and Jonathan) or peoples (like the Israelites and the Gibeonites), and the marriage covenant between husband and wife (see Malachi 2:14 - “she is your companion and your wife by covenant”). When God makes a covenant with people, he establishes a mutual bond of fellowship with them, takes them under his special care, and promises them eternal life and blessing.

The first covenant that God made with man is commonly called the covenant of works. He did not need to do it, but he voluntarily drew near to man, making a covenant with him. This is recounted in Genesis 2. As the Shorter Catechism says, “When God had created man, he entered into a covenant of life with him, upon condition of perfect obedience; forbidding him to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, upon pain of death” (WSC 12). As the Larger Catechism further explains, the tree of life was a pledge of this covenant and its promise, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was a commandment given in addition to the moral law to demonstrate the condition of the covenant: personal, perfect, and perpetual obedience to God (WLC 20). But the covenant of works was soon broken by the sin of our first parents. Unless redeemed by God, all the heirs of Adam are condemned as treacherous covenant-breakers. Fellowship with God was lost.

As early as Genesis 3:15, God published another covenant, a covenant upon different terms. This second covenant was made with sinners in need of salvation. God declared that he would put enmity between his people and the serpent and would raise up the offspring of the woman to crush the serpent’s head. We call this covenant his covenant of grace. We might also call it his covenant of mercy, "the mercy that he promised to our fathers" (Luke 1:72), for God entered into it out of his tender mercy, beholding us in our misery. 

The covenant of grace is the abiding covenant God continued to renew with his people from generation to generation and which Zechariah mentions in his hymn. In the covenant of grace, God promises salvation to sinners on the basis of the obedience and sacrifice of Christ. In it, God requires that we believe in Christ and repent, faith in Christ being the only means by which we have a share in Christ’s mediation. Salvation and the everlasting inheritance is obtained by Christ and shared with those who are united to him. In this covenant of grace, sinners are saved by God to be his people, that they might glorify and enjoy him forever.

Thus, it is the case that the coming of Christ had been spoken of by the holy prophets from of old (Luke 1:70). Faith in God’s provision of Christ has been the only way of salvation for every generation. This was the covenant that God established with Noah and his household, saving them from judgment. As much of humanity wandered back into apostasy, this covenant was established with Abraham and made more fully known in his household. And thus Zechariah goes on to explain God’s holy covenant in terms of its administration to Abraham.

Zechariah gives an excellent description of God’s holy covenant. He says that God’s holy covenant was “the oath that he swore to our father Abraham.” What did God swear to Abraham? God swore “to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days” (Luke 1:73-75). This is a summery of the covenant promises God gave to Abraham in Genesis 12, 15, 17, and 22. This is a reversal of man’s fall. Through sin, we fell into the hand of our enemies, oppressed by the devil through fear of death, living in impurity and unrighteousness, separated from God’s fellowship, all our days. But God swore an oath, establishing a covenant, to deliver a people from this misery unto himself, making reconciliation, forgiving their sins, renewing them unto righteousness, that they might glorify and enjoy him forever.

God continued to renew this covenant with Abraham's descendants, with Isaac (Gen. 26:2-5) and Jacob (Gen. 28:13-15). Most dramatically, God renewed this covenant with the children of Israel in the days of Moses.

In those days, according to his covenant promise to Abraham, God delivered Israel from the hand of their enemies (i.e. Pharaoh) so that they might serve the Lord without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all their days (Exod. 4:22-23, 6:2-8, Deut. 7:7-11). They were brought out of Egypt to serve the Lord as his people. The Passover, Exodus, and coming to Sinai to worship God were expressions of the covenant and a type of what more was promised, their ultimate hope: salvation from sin unto God through Jesus Christ.

This covenant was formally renewed with the children of Israel at Mount Sinai (Ex. 20-24) and again in Moab (Deut. 29-30), and again in the promised land under Joshua, at the beginning and end of the conquest (Josh. 8:30-35, 24:1-28). The covenant was externally administered differently before Christ than it is now. Then, God called his people to faith in Christ through promises, sacrifices, circumcision, passover, and other symbols and ceremonies foretelling the Christ to come. This administration of the covenant is called the old covenant. The covenant of grace is now administered more simply and powerfully in light of the Christ who has come, through the ministry of the Word, baptism, and the Lord’s Supper. This administration is called the new covenant. The difference between the old and the new is in the externals, not the substance. It is the same bond, the same principles, the same way of salvation - not two parallel covenants, but the same covenant for two different eras.

After Israel had settled down in the promised land, God made it clear that a greater fulfillment of this covenant would be brought about through the king of Israel, specifically, through King David and his heirs (2 Sam. 7, Ps. 72, 89, Is. 9:1-7). It would be from the line of David that the promised one would arise who would deliver God's people from their enemies and lead them in righteousness and peace forever, bringing all the nations under his blessed reign. This continued to be the prophetic hope even after the monarchy fell and Israel was scattered and began to return.

And so, God’s holy covenant, which Zechariah refers to, is his covenant of grace, “the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days” (Luke 1:73-75).

Hodge, Machen, and Murray on Christian Education

I recently noticed that three seminary professors, A.A. Hodge, J. Gresham Machen, and John Murray, all wrote what proved to be their final journal articles on the same topic - Christian education.

The last article that A.A. Hodge, professor at Princeton Seminary, wrote before his death on November 11, 1886 was "Religion in the Public Schools" (published January, 1887).

J. Gresham Machen was professor at Princeton Seminary and then at Westminster Seminary. The last article he wrote for the Presbyterian Guardian was a plea for Christian education he wrote in Chicago on his way to North Dakota, where he would die on January 1, 1937. The article was published on January 9, 1937: “Shall We Have Christian Schools?”

John Murray was a professor at Westminster Seminary for about 36 years before moving back to his native Scotland. His last article published in the Presbyterian Guardian, written in 1973 and published in October, 1975 after his death on May 8, 1975, was “Christian Education.”

All three of these seminary professors, in three different generations, were thinking of the same thing shortly before they died - the problem of secularized education and the importance of Christian education.

Baird, Hart, and the King of Kings

King of Kings: A Reformed Guide to Christian Government, by James Baird. Founders Ministries, 2025, xx + 95 pages, $21.98.

As they teach the whole counsel of God, pastors will give instruction from the Bible concerning various relations and callings. As Solomon did in his proverbs, and Peter and Paul did in their letters, so pastors will give instruction from God about marriage, family, work, church, and the commonwealth and its government.

Last year, James Baird, a minister in the Presbyterian Church in America, wrote a short book on Christian government, giving special attention to the question of whether civil government ought to promote Christianity. In the May issue of Ordained Servant, Dr. D.G. Hart argued in a review article that “Baird’s argument, no matter how positive and winsome, is wrong.” I contend that Baird’s argument is right and that his book is quite good.

Baird’s main argument is straightforward. “First Premise: Government must promote the public good. Second Premise: As the only true religion, Christianity is part of the public good. Conclusion: Government must promote Christianity as the only true religion” (p. 22). God has ordained the civil authorities for “his own glory, and the public good” (WCF 23.1, cp. Rom. 13:4), and true religion is part of the public good. Romans 1:18-32 describes the bad consequences of turning away from true religion. Those who exchange the truth about God for a lie are given over to dishonorable passions and all manner of unrighteousness. True religion is good for everyone and for every people. Not only does the gospel bring deliverance from condemnation, but it also brings sanctification in Christ, creating a people transformed by the renewal of their minds who are zealous for good works. The influence of true religion extends even to the unregenerate who pick up good ideas, attitudes, and practices from Christians.

Baird reviews fundamental Christian teachings concerning civil government, leading readers through the 23rd chapter of the Westminster Confession of Faith (the version used by the Presbyterian Church in America and the Orthodox Presbyterian Church). This includes the statement that magistrates ought especially to “maintain piety, justice, and peace, according to the wholesome laws of each commonwealth” (WCF 23.2). Magistrates rule for the public good not only by maintaining justice and peace, but also piety. I have written more on this point here. While multiple biblical texts are cited by the confession for this statement (Ps. 82:3-4, Ps. 2:10-12, 2 Sam. 23:3, 1 Tim. 2:2, 1 Peter 2:13), the classic text that brings all three together is 1 Timothy 2:2. There Paul exhorts Christians to pray “for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” In other words, the aim of civil government, that we should pray is achieved, is the flourishing of peace, godliness (that is, piety towards God), and honesty (that is, justice among men). 

In the fourth chapter of the book, Baird notes how kings like David, Hezekiah, and Josiah promoted true religion. Recognizing someone might object this was something unique to God’s covenant people, Baird shows this was also true of Gentile rulers when they were at their best. It was good in the eyes of God and good for the people of Nineveh when their king decreed a fast and called his people to repentance (Jonah 3:7-9). It was likewise good when Nebuchadnezzar made a decree against blaspheming the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Dan. 3:29). When Nebuchadnezzar neglected Daniel’s warnings to repent and proudly boasted of his kingdom, God made him eat grass like an ox. When he was delivered, he publicly honored the true God as the King of heaven (Dan. 4). Baird brings up the decree of Darius (Dan. 6) and the support given to God’s people and worship by Cyrus (Ezra 1:2-3). He also compares these historical examples with the teachings of Psalm 2, 2 Samuel 23:3, and Romans 13:1-7.

Is it the case that Baird “manufactures” such examples by a “sleight of hand,” committing the “anachronism of using ancient, divine-right monarchies as examples for modern republican government,” as Hart claims? Or is Baird showing that the Bible presents this as a thing all civil authorities ought to do? Psalm 2 does not limit its exhortation to ancient, divine-right monarchies. Romans 13 does not say that only kings are God’s servants. Nor does the Westminster Confession limit its statements to one form of government. Ancient monarchies and modern republics are both civil governments with the same basic duties. We should take into account relevant differences, but the differences between them will not so much change the basic duties of government as much as how those duties are fulfilled.

In his review, Hart claims the only political instruction the New Testament church received was “to honor the emperor, a Roman official who sometimes persecuted and killed Christians.” It is true that most New Testament instruction on the civil government has to do with the duty of subjects, given that most Christians then were subjects, not rulers. Yet these instructions were given in such a way that they taught the nature and duty of civil government, reaffirming the lessons found in the Old Testament (Rom. 13:1-7, 1 Tim. 2:2, 1 Peter 2:13-17, Rev. 1:5, 21:24). Acts 12 gives vivid instruction about how magistrates ought to promote the honor of God.

In chapter five, Baird reviews how the law of God and prudence play a role in good government and the promotion of true religion. In chapters 6-7, he anticipates the objection that this idea is foreign to the American context, describing how early America continued to see Christianity as essential to the public good and something to be promoted by the civil government in various ways. In the remaining chapters, Baird writes of how it is loving to seek the good of one’s country by promoting good government, how wisdom and prudence is needed in the exercise and reform of government, and how we should pursue this earthly reform with proper perceptive, as citizens of heaven, as exiles like Daniel, seeking the good of the city where we dwell.

More could be said in support of Baird’s argument than is found in this short book. I think his argument could have been further strengthened by a discussion of Christ’s mediatorial kingship. I understand that this omission was a strategic choice on the author’s part to keep the argument focused and brief. A good book on that doctrine is Messiah the Prince by William Symington, a book that was also commended by A.A. Hodge when it was republished in 1881.

So why then does Hart argue that Baird’s argument is wrong? Hart writes that the errors in this book “fall into at least two categories—ones of definition or logic and others of history.” The supposed error of definition or logic is that Baird does not account for demographic changes and “does not adapt his basic category of ‘public good’ to the current circumstances of the United States.” Is this really an error of definition or logic? If a people becomes less Protestant, does this mean true religion is no longer part of the public good? Would true religion cease to be good for that people? The fact that a certain people is religiously diverse does not alter basic principles of civil government. “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Prov. 14:34). Baird does write that particular policies for the public good must be adapted to particular situations, but the category of the public good transcends current circumstances. All peoples ought to seek what is good, and true religion does not cease to be good for a people when its demographics change.

What about errors of history? Hart writes that Baird “avoids entirely the reasons that led all the original states to embrace Jefferson’s position and abrogate government support for established churches…” First, the promotion of true religion is not limited to government funding of established churches, nor is that the focus of Baird’s argument. Second, as Miles Smith points out in Religion and Republic: Christian American from the Founding to the Civil War, Jefferson’s position on religion and the state was more extreme than merely opposing church establishment and was not generally embraced during that period. Smith’s book is another good book to read alongside of King of Kings, providing more history of the government’s promotion of Christianity in the American context.

Hart argues that Baird is too abstract and that if he had given attention to the history of, say, Calvin’s relationship to Geneva’s city council, he would have seen how well past Protestant governments have adhered to the ideal model. Should we conclude that since civil rulers do not live up to the ideals espoused by the theologians, that the principles are wrong or our work is in vain? I think such an attention to history shows that, through much work and difficulty, Calvin left Geneva and its government in a better condition than he found it.

Hart also argues that Baird failed to situate American forms for government within the broader sweep of Christian history. Does such a broad sweep of Christian history undermine Baird’s argument? The main lesson Hart draws from this sweep is that political change in a country like the United States is difficult and moving “a nation from its current political configuration back in time to a golden era is impossible.” The problem is that Baird does not advocate a return to a golden age. He argues for a return to a historic doctrine taught in Scripture and its prudent application in the present. He does not say advocating for Christian government will be easy. He warns it will be difficult.

Has history stopped? History shows that America, and the relation of Christianity and civil government in general, is not static. Much has changed in America even within the past eighty years. For example, Sunday laws were in operation within living memory. Could things change again? Also, American government is not entirely separate from religion even today. Our leaders call days of thanksgiving and days of prayer. Our military and legislatures have chaplains. Our national motto is “In God We Trust.” Not only are there things the government could start doing, but there are things it is already doing that could be done better, and which could go the way of Sunday laws if they are not valued and maintained.

Thus, I remain convinced Baird is right. God has appointed civil government, and so the civil authorities, as God’s ministers, ought to honor God (Rom. 13:1-7). Christ has been given all authority in heaven and on earth, and so nations and rulers ought to honor and submit to him (Matt. 28:18-20, Ps. 2). Nations and their rulers should countenance and maintain the church of the Lord Jesus (WLC 191), for the nation that will not serve her shall perish (Is. 60:12). Rulers ought to be “nursing fathers” toward the church, and in time they shall be (Is. 49:23, 60:10, 16, WCF 23.3). Since civil magistrates are ordained for God’s glory and the public good (Rom. 13:1-7, 1 Peter 2:13-17), and true religion is part of the public good, therefore magistrates ought to promote true religion. The apostles did not need to teach rulers their duty to promote religion since even the Gentiles understood this duty, but the apostles did need to teach them the true religion. We likewise need to make God’s word known to all, that all might embrace the King of kings and serve him according to their place and calling. We ought to be diligent in prayer for all in authority, that they might rule in a way that promotes the flourishing of piety, justice, and peace in our land.

Those who serve as civil rulers should seek to lead their people in a good direction, praising what is good and suppressing what is evil. But where should nations and their rulers get their ideas of good and evil, of religion and morality? From God. He has made himself and his law known in his creation order, but especially in his word. Christianity reveals true religion and true morality. It reveals the true God and the only way to God and law of God. May Christian principles guide the peoples and their governments, and may peoples and their governments promote Christianity and the reign of the King of kings.

The Great Commission

"And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.'" (Matthew 28:18–20) 

This is what has been called the Great Commission. The risen Lord Jesus gave it to the apostles, and through them, to the church. The apostles themselves taught and baptized, and their teaching was recorded for future generations in the New Testament. The church today calls minsters to teach and baptize, and other elders to join with them in shepherding and governing the church. While not everyone is called to preach and baptize, every member of the church participates in this mission, not only by supporting these public ministries, but also by promoting the gospel by word and deed, promoting the cause of Christ in their callings, and edifying one another, each according to his or her gifts and place. Together, we strive side by side for the faith of the gospel (Phil. 1:27). At the same time, we are also being discipled. Christians are disciples of Jesus Christ. We have been baptized and we continue to be taught to observe all Christ's commandments.

The Great Commission contains four instances of the word "all": all authority, all nations, all that he has commanded, and always (word for word: "all the days"). Likewise, the Great Commission can be broken down into four parts, each containing an "all" and answering a question: why? what? how do we do this? how can we do this?

1. Why: Jesus has been given all authority in heaven and on earth.

Daniel 7 contains the vision of one like a son of man coming to the Ancient of Days. To this ascending figure was “given dominion … that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him.” Jesus is the prophesied Son of Man. What was prophesied was fulfilled in his exaltation. All authority in heaven and on earth had been given to him. Jesus had humbled himself by becoming man, taking the form of a servant, and being obedient unto death. His resurrection was the beginning of his exaltation. What Jesus proclaimed to his apostles would be further confirmed at his ascension.

While Jesus has all authority from eternity as God, he was given all authority as the Mediator. We call this his mediatorial dominion. All authority was given to Jesus as our redeemer on the basis of his death and resurrection for the purpose of applying the redemption he purchased to God’s elect and bringing this sinful world into subjection to God (see also John 17:2, 1 Cor. 15:24-26, Ps. 2, 110).

The mediatorial dominion of the Lord Jesus is universal. He calls everyone to submit, he aims at the total restoration of the world, he powerfully works in all things as supreme ruler, and he will come as the judge of all. All things are put under his feet. He is raised far above all rule and authority, and above every name that is named (Eph. 1:20-21). All those who bear authority, whether angels or men, ought to do so in subservience to the King of kings and his ends. Christ is the “ruler of kings on earth” (Rev. 1:5). 

Christ is given, as head over all things, to the church (Eph. 1:22). It is a comfort to the church to know that our king is the rightful king and the one who rules over all. He exercises his universal kingdom of power for the sake of his kingdom of grace, his willing subjects under his protection and government. Blessed are those who take refuge in him.

The devil had taken Jesus to a mountain and offered him “all the kingdoms of the world and their glory” on condition that Jesus fall down and worship the devil (Matt. 4:8). But now Jesus had defeated the devil and was ready to plunder his house (Matt. 12:29). Jesus himself was now worshipped on the mountain. He had been given all authority in heaven and on earth by the Father. The nations were given to him as his heritage (Ps. 2:8). Jesus was like Moses on Mount Nebo, looking over the promised land, except that he also promises to be with his disciples. He is both commissioning Moses and conquering Joshua.

All authority has been given to Jesus. This is the basis for the commission. “Therefore…” All the nations are his inheritance. They are his by right. He has the power to save sinners on the basis of his death and resurrection. The devil cannot stop him. He has power to protect his people and to restrain and judge his enemies. The earth is as much Christ’s as Canaan was Israel’s and the earth was originally Adam’s. In all three cases, the land was given by right, to be occupied confidently by a process of filling and subduing. And so you and I ought to work on fulfilling this commission and to do so with confidence.

2. What: Go make all nations disciples of Jesus.

The main imperative of the commission is to “make disciples” (one word in Greek). Preaching is a means, but it is not the final goal. The goal is disciples. Whose disciples? Jesus’ disciples. They will observe the commands of Jesus. Just as the eleven disciples became disciples by following Jesus, so now all the nations are called to follow Jesus, to turn away from a life of sin and to follow Jesus with faith in him. A “disciple” is a follower, a student of a teacher, someone in training. The book of Acts uses the word “disciple” about 25 times to describe Christians. Those who receive Christ, enroll themselves as his disciples. 

Who are to be discipled? All nations. This matches the way Matthew first described Jesus: "Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham" (Matt. 1:1). Jesus is the offspring of Abraham, to whom it was said, “in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed” (Gen. 22:18). Jesus is the heir of David. Psalm 72 taught that the son of David would deliver his people and “have dominion from sea to sea,” saying, “May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him” (Psalm 72:8, 11).

The commission is aimed at bringing the nations to Christ, the peoples of the earth. Nations are groups of people who are united in common customs, history, life and, usually, government. The aim is to convert nations, bringing them back to God through Christ. Visions of this can be found in Isaiah 2:1-5, Micah 4:1-5, and Zechariah 8:20-23. It is said that all the nations shall go to the house of God. What does that look like? It looks like people calling out to one another, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths." And so the trickle becomes a mighty stream, and peoples flow to the house of God, and the Lord rules over the nations, their ways being transformed as they learn his ways. The target is not just a few people, but peoples; not man abstracted from his surroundings, but man and his whole life and relations - all of it to be brought to the service of Christ. As Ken Gentry writes in The Greatness of the Great Commission, 

He calls for the discipling of ‘all the nations’ (ethnos), involving men as individuals united together in all their socio-cultural labors and relations. The discipling work of the Great Commission, then, aims at the comprehensive application of Christ’s authority over men through conversion. As the numbers of converts increase, this providentially leads to the subsuming under the authority of Christ whole institutions, cultures, societies, and governments.

And the goal is not merely some nations, but all nations - that is, the world. Not just the Jews, not just a few nations, but all of the nations of the earth. The goal is global and universal. The blessing of Christ is to be brought to every nation. As Matthew Henry comments, 

Christ the Mediator is setting up a kingdom in the world, bring the nations to be his subjects; setting up a school, bring the nations to be his scholars; raising an army for the carrying on of the war against the powers of darkness, enlist the nations of the earth under his banner. The work which the apostles had to do, was, to set up the Christian religion in all places, and it was honourable work; the achievements of the mighty heroes of the world were nothing to it. They conquered the nations for themselves, and made them miserable; the apostles conquered them for Christ, and made them happy.

3. How we do this: baptizing in the triune name, teaching to observe all Christ’s commands.

Going 

There are three subordinate imperatives in this passage, the first of which is “go.” To disciple all nations, preachers must go to all nations. The apostles had to travel to reach the nations. The church today must continue to send out missionaries to reach the nations today. Once there, the means by which the church fulfills this goal is by baptizing and teaching people.

Baptizing

Baptism is the mark of a disciple of Christ. "...baptizing them...” The pronoun "them" is grammatically masculine rather than neuter, referring to the members of the nations, not the nations themselves in the abstract. One aspect of making all nations Christ's disciples is baptizing the people of the nations. They are to be baptized as they become disciples of Christ.

Baptism is a sacrament of washing. Man by nature is defiled by sin, alienated from God, but cleansing and reconciliation with God is proclaimed through faith in Jesus Christ. Washing with water is used to represent and confirm the spiritual washing from sin unto new life proclaimed in the gospel of Christ. As Ananias told Paul after his journey to Damascus, "And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name" (Acts 22:16). 

It is a baptism into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. The other main passage concerning baptism in Matthew is chapter 3, and we find Father, Son, and Spirit also mentioned there. When Jesus was baptized, the Spirit of God descended like a dove and rested upon him, and the voice of the Father said, "This is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased." 

These three persons are one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory. They are eternally distinguished by the fact that the Son is eternally begotten of the Father, and the Spirit eternally proceeds from the Father and the Son. The Son was appointed the Mediator and took to himself human nature, being named Jesus at his birth. The Son of God brings us to the Father and gives to us the Spirit. In Christ, the Father receives us as his children and the Spirit rests upon us. 

Those who profess faith in God the Father, Jesus Christ his Son, and the Holy Spirit should be baptized into his name, along with their children (Deut. 29:10-13, Josh. 24:15, Acts 2:38-39). We thus visibly enter into his covenant, with the Triune God as our God and we as his people. Baptism confirms his covenant promises and also our covenant obligations.

Teaching

Christ’s word is to be taught. The apostles were diligent to teach, and the early disciples rightly devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching (Acts 2:42). Christ gives some men, besides the apostles, to be teachers, ministers of the word, and the ministry of teaching is vital to the church (1 Cor. 12:28, Eph. 4:11). Parents should be diligent to teach their children, bringing them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Deut. 6:7, Eph. 6:4). While not all Christians are to be teachers of the church (James 3:1), yet all of us in some way should be encouraging and building up one another in the truth (1 Thess. 4:18) and ready to make a defense to anyone who asks us for a reason for the hope that is in us (1 Peter 3:15). 

All that Jesus has commanded is to be taught and observed. The teaching is to be comprehensive, not minimal (Acts 20:27). What Jesus taught was faithfully taught by the apostles (Heb. 2:3) and is given to us in written form in the books of the New Testament (Luke 1:1-4). The faith once delivered to the saints is to be faithfully kept, taught, and observed (Jude 1:3, 2 Tim. 1:14, 2:2). What Christ commanded includes what he commanded concerning the abiding validity of the Law and the Prophets (that is, the Old Testament) in passages like Matthew 5:17-21. He came to fulfill the promises and types of the Old Testament, not institute a fundamentally different way of salvation. His moral instruction did not overturn Old Testament teachings, but vindicated and shed light on the true meaning of what God had taught all along. The Old Testament is also given by divine inspiration and remains canonical Scripture for us today, profitable for doctrine and training in righteousness, and it is rightly interpreted in accordance with Christ's teachings and redemptive work. The whole Bible is to be taught as one unified message from God, with Christ as the Teacher and the key to its message.

This teaching aims at the faithful observance of Christ’s commandments. Disciples are to be taught "to observe" all that Christ has commanded. This teaching is not merely academic. Instruction is given as part of a course of training. It calls for faith in Jesus Christ and repentance toward God (Acts 20:21). Paul wrote that he was an apostle, "for the sake of the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness" (Titus 1:1). Ministers and other elders join in the oversight of the flock, shepherding them along in the way (1 Thess. 5:12-13), and all of us are to stir up one another to love and good works (Heb. 10:24).

So the church makes disciples by water and word. These are simple things, but Jesus sends his Spirit to make these means effective. These are the weapons used to extend his reign. We do not go forth with the power of flesh and blood, but with the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. We plant and water, but God gives the increase.

4. How we can do this: Jesus is with us all the days.

Jesus promises, “I will be with you.” This is a divine promise. Jesus is Immanuel, “God with us” (Matt. 1:23). This refers not simply to his omnipresence, but to his saving and favorable presence with his people. He is God with us to save and defend us. He pours out his Spirit upon his people.

Jesus makes his ordinances effectual. It is as when God told Joshua to go and conquer the land and said, “Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Josh. 1:9). The Son of God is with us. Therefore, the mission is doable. He did not give us a vain task. He did not leave us on our own to accomplish it. He will be with us. Therefore, be strong and courageous.

Remember the parables of the kingdom’s growth. The kingdom began like a mustard seed, like a little leaven in a large lump of dough (Matt. 13:31-33). It began small. But progressively, over time, in this age, it grows bigger and bigger, until it fills the earth. The seed is growing into a tree, the biggest plant in the garden, in which the birds shall nest. The leaven is filling and changing the whole lump of dough. These prophecies shall be fulfilled more and more in this age. Jesus is advancing his kingdom.

Jesus will be with us all the days, to the end of the age. Then he will return bodily. At that time, he will defeat the last enemy, death. He will raise his people to life and glory. He will judge the world and purify his kingdom. Those who are Christ's will remain in his kingdom in glory forever.

So do not be like the ten spies who gave the bad report when Israel approached Canaan, saying, “the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there” (Num. 13:28). Rather, be like Caleb, who said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it” (Num. 13:30). What was Caleb's confidence? His abilities? No, he was confident because the Lord was with them. Let us go forth with the gospel of Christ. Let us do our duty as a member of the Lord's army, as we liberate the devil's captives and take the world for Christ. The nations are his inheritance. And let us do so with gratitude, as those who have themselves been delivered by the Lord Jesus. 

Christ's Universal Dominion as Mediator

While Jesus has all authority from eternity as God, he was also given all authority as the Mediator. We call this his mediatorial dominion. He received this dominion on the basis of his death and resurrection, to the end that he might save, lead, and protect God’s elect and restore God’s reign over a fallen world (John 17:2, Matt. 28:18, 1 Cor. 15:24-26). It is in this second sense that he was “given” all authority in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28:18). His mediatorial dominion is universal - he calls everyone to submit, he aims at the total restoration of the world, he powerfully works in all things as supreme ruler, and he will come as the judge of all. As the Mediator, he is appointed "the Heir of all things, and Judge of the world" (WCF 8.1).

All things are put under his feet. He is raised far above all rule and authority, and above every name that is named. All those who bear authority, whether angels or men, ought to do so in subservience to the King of kings. Christ is the “ruler of kings on earth” (Rev. 1:5). He is given, as head over all things, to the church. “And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all” (Eph. 1:22-23). It is a comfort to the church to know that our king is the rightful king and the one who rules over all. He exercises his universal kingdom of power for the sake of his kingdom of grace, his willing subjects under his protection and government (the church). As the Mediator, he is appointed "the Head and Savior of his church" (WCF 8.1). Blessed are those who take refuge in him.

I have written about the kingship of Christ before (see here). Sometimes I encounter the idea that the universal mediatorial dominion of Christ is something unique to the "Reformed Presbyterians" (a.k.a. the Covenanters, e.g. RPCNA), a particular subset of Presbyterianism. But while they may emphasize the doctrine more, and may hold to some unique applications of the concept, the doctrine is a common one in mainstream Presbyterianism. For example, it can be found in the writings of Charles Hodge (Systematic Theology, vol. 2, p. 600), A.A. Hodge (Outlines of Theology, p. 428-429, Evangelical Theology, p. 223-289), James Thornwell (“Relation of the State to Christ”), R. L. Dabney (Systematic Theology, p. 550-551), John Murray (“The Christian World Order”), and Robert Letham (Systematic Theology, p. 586-590).

As Theanthropos [God-man] and as Mediator, all power in heaven and upon earth has been committed to his hands. … It is in virtue of this dominion over the universe that Christ is called Lord of lords and King of kings, i.e. the Sovereign over all other sovereigns in heaven and on earth. (Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, vol. 2, p. 600)

Christ has been made mediatorial Ruler over the universe, and especially on this earth RULER AMONG THE NATIONS, in order that he may make all things in all worlds work together to the accomplishment of his redemptive design. (A.A. Hodge, Presbyterian Doctrine Briefly Stated) 

William Symington’s book Messiah the Prince is a classic presentation of this doctrine by a Reformed Presbyterian, and Princeton Seminary professor A.A. Hodge wrote a review heartily commending the book when it was republished in 1881. "No subject is of more vital, practical importance, and none is more neglected among us, than the relation which the Lord Jesus, and the revelation of His will recorded in the Christian Scriptures, sustains to human governments, civil and social laws and their administration, and above all to the great department of national education. We heartily commend this work of Dr. Symington to all who desire light upon this subject." An American edition of the book was published in 1884 by the National Reform Association (of which A.A. Hodge was a member) through its Christian Statesman Pub. Co., and its preface noted only two minor differences with the book's applications of the principle: “the adoption by the state of the creed of the church, and the bestowal upon the church, by the state, of direct pecuniary support.” The book is worth reading, whether in its full form or in its modernized abridgment. 

In the Dutch Reformed world, we also find Abraham Kuyper speaking in this way in “Sphere Sovereignty.” He argued that the all-encompassing sovereignty of God is delegated to Christ. Christ has this sovereignty not only by virtue of being God, but also as the Christ. “This, then, is total sovereignty, extending over all things visible and invisible, over both the spiritual and the material, placed in the hands of a Man. This is not one kingdom among others, but the absolute kingdom. … This is the Messianic sovereignty once foretold by the prophet…” It is later in this talk that Kuyper’s most famous quote appears: “O, no single part of our thought world is to be hermetically sealed from the other parts. There is not an inch of the entire domain of our human life over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not proclaim: ‘Mine!’”

Reformed Christian Politics and Theonomy

Last week, "A Study Report on Reformed Christian Politics" was released by two Presbyterian (PCA) pastors and Dr. Stephen Wolfe. Skimming through the report, it looks generally like a helpful contribution to the conversation on a Reformed approach to politics.

Thus far, the only chapter I have read in full is the chapter on theonomy. While I think that chapter is better than many other critiques of theonomy, and is worth reading on the topic, yet I think it errs when it says that theonomy strays from the Westminster Confession of Faith. What follows are my initial thoughts on that aspect of the report.

I think the report did a better job at exploring and explaining older theologians on the judicial laws of the Old Testament than it did explaining theonomy and theonomists like Greg Bahnsen. I do think there are some weaknesses in Greg Bahnsen's position, but not a difference with 19.4 of the Westminster Confession of Faith.

The report claims that Bahnsen equated the judicial laws and the moral law when he said that Old Testament standing laws are “morally binding” unless modified by revelation. But are not all laws of God morally binding upon those under them? Bahnsen noted that judicial laws can be modified, thus distinguishing them from the moral law.

Contrary to what the report says, Greg Bahnsen, like the Westminster Confession, looked to the general equity contained in the judicial laws as a guiding principle of application. And he recognized there are discontinuities in application due to redemptive historical and cultural differences between Old Testament Israel and us (see his comments in By This Standard (2008), p. 4 and Christ Is King (2025), p. 32-35). 

Did Bahnsen reject the authority of natural law in this interpretive process, as is claimed? While he did not use that terminology, he did assert that the moral obligations given in the law and in nature are the same and have a natural and universal obligation (see "For Whom Was God’s Law Intended?" and Christ Is King, p. 40), and he asserted that it was the moral requirements illustrated in the laws that were to be implemented. He did not reject the “expiration” of the judicial law, nor did he equate the moral and judicial laws. Greg Bahnsen wrote, “Although Israel as a political body has expired -- and along with it its judicial law as a constitution -- the general equity of those judicial laws is still required … Political codes today ought to incorporate the moral requirements which were culturally illustrated in the God-given, judicial laws of Old Testament Israel” ("What Is Theonomy?").

That said, I do think it is true that theonomy may underemphasize the role of natural law in discerning the general equity of the judicial law. Yet the concern the natural law be understood correctly, and not set against the moral law revealed in Scripture, was an important one. 

Also, 19.4 of the Westminster Confession does not simply speak of a "pedagogical function," but of a certain obligation. "To them also, as a body politic, he gave sundry judicial laws, which expired together with the State of that people; not obliging any other now, further than the general equity thereof may require." The laws themselves are binding today as far as their general equity may require. The question is, to what extent are the judicial laws of general equity and therefore binding in substance today?

The report recognizes there is variation within the confessional position. I think that theonomy should be regarded as one of these variations, rather than a view that differs from Westminster. In fact, despite statements to the contrary, I think the report helps to show that. That said, I agree that the position can be refined and that the theologians of past centuries can help us in this refinement. 

While I do not give much attention to how Bahnsen's views fit into the mix, you can find my own writings on the judicial laws of the Old Testament here: The Judicial Laws of the Old Testament and here: More on the Judicial Laws of the Old Testament. 

Christian Education

What follows here is adapted from the first lesson of a lesson series I am teaching on Christian education. You can listen to the recordings here. The series looks at a Christian view of education and the various fields of study. This first lesson is an introduction to Christian education, giving an overview of some biblical principles for education.

Great are the works of the LORD,

        studied by all who delight in them.

Full of splendor and majesty is his work,

        and his righteousness endures forever.

He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered;

        the LORD is gracious and merciful. (Ps. 111:2-4)

The works of God are great and are studied by all who delight in them. We delight in them, since they are wondrous works full of splendor and majesty, and therefore we study them.

The works of God include not only his work of redemption, which is an especially wondrous work, but also his works of creation and his works of providence in general. His world ought to be studied, as it is the work of God. It should be studied as his world, as our Father's world, in the light of his word. It should be studied to the glory of its maker and governor, for that is what we are doing in this psalm, saying, "great are the works of the LORD." One motive in education and study is simply to wonder and delight at God's glory displayed in his works. 

This would have been done quite easily in man's innocency before the fall. As Adam walked around the garden, he would have quickly noticed the wisdom, power, and goodness of God in creation. Sin has come into the world and hinders this realization and makes us more self-centered, neglecting our Maker. But we can still see it. We should preserve that sense of wonder, the wonder of children in their Father's creation, eager to investigate the world with that wonder and delight. 

We are to study God's word and his world, and his world in light of his word. After all, how can we study man and the world without considering God? How can we educate man to maturity while neglecting his chief end? This purely secular approach to education, an education without considering God and man's chief end - which is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever - is quite prevalent today. This approach is not only deficient. Its neglect of these things distorts education and gives it an atheistic bent. It promotes a view of the world and man that is practically atheistic. It ends up giving a distorted view of man and the world.

In the opening of John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion, he notes that the study of God draws us to a better knowledge of ourselves, and the study of man also leads us to a knowledge of God, our Maker. These subjects are intertwined, we will not have a clear knowledge of the one without a knowledge of the other.

So God created man in his own image,

in the image of God he created him;

male and female he created them.

And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth." (Genesis 1:27–28)

One purpose of studying God's world is so that we might be good rulers over his earth and its creatures. Any good ruler should have a good knowledge of what is under his care. As Proverbs 27:23 says, "Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds..." We are set over the world as those who are made in God's image and set over the works of his hands. If we are to rule the earth, to subdue it, to cultivate it, to take care of it, we should study it and understand it. 

Notice also that this text says that we are made in the image of God. This reality is important for education, for a correct understanding of what man is and what it means for man to be brought up to maturity. Being made in the image of God includes being made in knowledge, as rational creatures, able to perceive, able to reason (Col. 3:10). Man was first made in true knowledge with a true knowledge of God. That has been distorted by human depravity, yet man remains a being who is able to know and reason. As we are restored in Christ, we should use that faculty rightly in the light of his word.

Our use of our senses and our reason to study God's world are supported by biblical teachings. Sometimes in apologetics, we might ask the unbeliever, why do you trust your senses? Why do you trust your reason? What is the foundation of your worldview? But we should be careful to not think that our senses and reason is useless. The unbeliever might not be about to account for it, but we can. We believe that God made man, that he fit us to know him and to have dominion over the work of his hands. We believe that God is a God of wisdom and knowledge and that we are made in his image, also able to think and to reason. Our senses and reason point to God's design of mankind. Being gifted in this way as rational beings, we should use God's gifts and use them rightly and well. 

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:4) 

First of all, this verse says to bring them up. This is of the essence of education, to bring humans up to maturity and to fit them for the responsibilities of adulthood. Education aims at the maturity of the whole person in knowledge, in virtue, in skill. It aims at fitting you to be a good member of a family, a good member of your community, a good member of your nation, and a good human, which also in this age means a good Christian, as grace restores and perfects nature unto the glory of God. To be a good human we need Christ to restore us, that we might be sanctified and truly live as we were made to live. 

The verse also says fathers. It is addressed to fathers. The family has a primary and basic responsibility for the education of children, and this is especially the responsibility of the father as head of the household. This is not to say that fathers, or even parents, must be the only the ones to teach children. They may make a wise use of other people and resources in the education of their children. But parents are the primary teachers and are responsible to oversee the process. They must bring them up.

Regarding religious instruction, not only do parents give this to their children, but both parents and children also receive it from ordained teachers of the church (1 Cor. 12:28, James 3:1, Acts 20:20). In one sense all education ought to be religious, done in the fear of God. By "religious instruction" I mean instruction in what we are to believe concerning God and what duty God requires of man. The church has an educational ministry to teach Scripture, the whole counsel of God, to everyone, and especially to the whole people of God, which includes children. Christians ought to embrace this education and bring their children to it as well. The instruction is not meant to replace parental instruction, but ought to strengthen it and help equip parents. The very context of Ephesians 6:4 is Paul writing to the church, and his specific instruction to fathers is to bring up their children in the Lord, and his specific instruction to the children is to obey their parents in the Lord. 

The verse also speaks of the discipline and instruction of the Lord. In context, that especially means the Lord Jesus (cp. Eph. 4:4-6, 6:5-9, 23-24).

As man's chief end is to glorify and enjoy God forever, and as this is now only done through the Lord Jesus, all education ought to be Christian education. All of life is to be done unto God's glory, in accord with his word, through Jesus Christ. All people should be given a correct understanding of the world and the way to fulfill their chief end in all things through Christ.

In addition to this, Christian households are uniquely bound by God's covenant to give their children a Christian education. Christian parents are bound to bring up their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord, to lead their households in the ways of the Lord (Gen. 18:19). We say with Joshua, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Josh. 24:15a). Our children are covenantally consecrated unto Christ as his disciples to be raised as such (Acts 2:28-29, 16:31-34, Matt. 28:18-20). They are directly addressed in Ephesians as fellow members of the household of God. They are to be raised up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord Jesus as his disciples who have been baptized and are now to be taught to observe everything that Christ has commanded. Christ is to be their teacher.

Lastly, notice the terms discipline and instruction. This process of bringing them up includes discipline and instruction. The two Greek words are translated differently in different translations (e.g. nurture and admonition). The two Greek words are paideia and nouthesia. Paideia is the word for training and education. It refers to the whole training and education of children, mind and morals, body and soul, both by instruction and correction (related to the word for child). Nouthesia refers to admonition and instruction (to “put in mind” or “call attention to,” often with a sense of warning). It can be proactive in the giving of instruction and reminders or corrective in the giving of admonition. 

A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. (Luke 6:40) 

Disciple is not a uniquely religious or biblical word, but was the common word for a learner, a pupil, a student - someone who had a teacher and was being taught by a teacher. This verse teaches us that education aims at passing on the knowledge, skills, culture, wisdom, or character of the teacher to the disciple.

Thomas Sowell once said, "Each new generation born is in effect an invasion of civilization by little barbarians, who must be civilized before it is too late." Education involves the process of enculturation, the passing on of civilization from one generation to the next. Children must learn biblical doctrine and the language, heritage, and customs of their particular people, that they might live well as members of it. We begin as ignorant, foolish, and unskilled people, but we can benefit from the knowledge, skill, and wisdom of others as it is passed down to us. 

Of course, the Teacher that we should all be like without exception is the Lord Jesus. We should rejoice in ever greater conformity to him. 

This verse is also a warning. The verse right before this verse says, "Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?" Being like your teacher might not be a good thing. A bad teacher can lead disciples astray. So parents should be sure they are not blind as they teach their children how to see. They should also be careful about the teachers and mentors that they give their children as they get older.

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9) 

The Lord our God is one. He deserves your single-minded devotion with your whole being. His words ought to be on your heart, and you ought to diligently teach them to your children, every day, throughout the day. You should apply them indeed to all of life - to the work of your hands, to the way you see the world with your eyes, to the life of the home (the doorposts), and to the life of the society (the gates of the city). God is one. His word ought to be on the inside and the outside all the day, in every area, as it is all under him. The one God is over all of life.

Deuteronomy 6:7 refers to the teaching of God's words. But those words that are taught diligently should inform all of life, all the rest of education, not quarantined from them. Things ought to be fit together as a system, a unified way of thought and life. So there is a need for theology and biblical ethics from God's Word to shape the rest, and for the rest to serve its proper ends unto the glory of God.

Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe. Zillah also bore Tubal-cain; he was the forger of all instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah. (Genesis 4:20-22)

While "father" might refer here to a natural father or ancestor, it seems (with the reference to "all") that it means here someone who excelled with the field and taught it to others, as we might refer to Gregor Mendal as the "father of modern genetics." The Larger Catechism cites this verse as it notes that the fifth commandment has implications for how we treat all superiors, whether in age or gifts or authority (WLC 124). 

In Genesis 4:20-22, we see how human culture and education developed even among those who rejected God. We find here agriculture and music and technology. By God's common grace, rebellion against God did not mean a cessation of all human culture and advancement in education. Total depravity does not mean that unbelievers get everything wrong. They still live in God's world. They still are made in God's image, although it is now corrupt. God's common grace restrains the full development of sin. Unbelievers still have useful insights and studies on earthly things. As John Calvin wrote, 

What then? Shall we deny that the truth shone upon the ancient jurists who established civic order and discipline with such great equity? Shall we say that the philosophers were blind in their fine observation and artful description of nature? Shall we say that those men were devoid of understanding who conceived the art of disputation and taught us to speak reasonably? Shall we say that they are insane who developed medicine, devoting their labor to our benefit? What shall we say of all the mathematical sciences? Shall we consider them the ravings of madmen? No, we cannot read the writings of the ancients on these subjects without great admiration. We marvel at them because we are compelled to recognize how preeminent they are. But shall we count anything praiseworthy or noble without recognizing at the same time that it comes from God? Let us be ashamed of such ingratitude, into which not even the pagan poets fell, for they confessed that the gods had invented philosophy, laws, and all useful arts. Those men whom Scripture calls ‘natural men’ were, indeed, sharp and penetrating in their investigation of inferior things. (Institutes of the Christian Religion, 1.2.15)

Thus, Christian education does not mean you have to turn everything on its head, teaching the opposite of what pagans teach. We need not cast away what good has been done by non-Christians. We should ascribe to God the glory for his gifts given to them and put these developments to a right use, reforming what is amiss. Augustine compared this process to how the Israelites "plundered the Egyptians" when they left Egypt. The idea is that of receiving what is good and in accordance with the truth and putting it to the right use. Sometimes reform is simply that, directing something to the right end. Other times, man's sin has further distorted his culture, causing there to be greater need for reform. Discernment is needed.

"Plundering the Egyptians" is part of a biblical motif. The biblical model is that the treasures of the nations, both material and intellectual, are brought into the service of God as the kingdom advances (Hag. 2:6-9, Mic. 4:13, Rev. 21:24-27). This must be done with wisdom, not simply uncritically adopting everything, but neither simply rejecting things because they came from the pagans. Remember that the treasures received from Egypt went to the building of the golden calf as well as to the tabernacle. When done rightly, the treasures of the nations come in and glorify the house of God. As he extends his kingdom among mankind, Christ is taking human culture away from the service of the devil unto the glory of God.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1:7) 

The fear of the Lord is fundamental to a good education. Those who do not fear God will remain fools in a very important respect. Even if they are insightful on one thing or another, this is God's world and we must not leave him out of our calculations. To be ignorant of some very important factor is to be unwise. The most fundamental thing is God, the Creator of all things. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge. Education without the fear of the Lord will be deficient and distorted by this neglect. Speaking of the importance of an education in the fear of God, A.A. Hodge wrote,

The claim of impartiality between positions as directly contradictory as that of Jews, Mohammedans and Christians, and especially as that of theists and of atheists, is evidently absurd. And no less is the claim absurd and impossible that a system of education can be indifferent on these fundamental subjects. ... The physical as well as the moral universe must be conceived either in a theistic or an atheistic light. It must originate in and develop through intelligent will - that is, in a person - or in atoms, force, or chance. Teleology must be acknowledged everywhere or be denied everywhere. … I am as sure as I am of the fact of Christ's reign that a comprehensive and centralized system of national education, separated from religion, as is now commonly proposed, will prove the most appalling enginery for the propagation of anti-Christian and atheistic unbelief, and of anti-social nihilistic ethics, individual, social and political, which this sin-rent world has ever seen. (A.A. Hodge, “The Kingly Office of Christ,” Popular Lectures on Theological Themes (1887), p. 281-284) 

Likewise, those who fear the Lord will be teachable. If we fear the Lord, we will be humble. We will be eager to learn. We will be able to receive correction. We will prize wisdom and instruction enough to diligently seek it out and to endure correction, which is unpleasant. This is a theme that you will find throughout Proverbs. The one who is humble, who fears the Lord, will be ready to endure the hardship of education. Is it sometimes hard to do schoolwork? Can it be hard to press on? Yes, but if you love wisdom, if you love knowledge, if you delight in God's works, then you are going to be able to do the hard work of doing the study, writing the paper, getting corrections on your homework, and growing. 

Let us therefore be diligently to raise up our children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. And may we all delight in God's works, and therefore continue to study them, unto his glory and for the good of ourselves and others.