Untitled Sermon (14)

Into to Christian Ethics Derrick Marshall/ General Christian ethics is any study that answers the question, "What does the whole Bible teach us about which acts, attitudes, and personal character traits receive God's approval, and which do not?" 1. In this course we will discuss God righteous character and nature. Christian ethics asks what the whole Bible teaches us about which acts, attitudes, and personal character traits receive God's approval and which ones do not. This means that Christian ethics teaches us how to live. It is important to study Christian ethics so that we can better know God's will, and so that each day we can "walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him" (Col. 1:10). Christian ethics asks what the whole Bible teaches us about which acts, attitudes, and personal character traits receive God's approval and which ones do not. In the course we will ask the question: What is Theology? What is your person Theology? How does our theology affect what we value? What are my personal principles? 2. The ultimate basis for Christian ethics is the moral character of God. God delights in His own moral character, which is supremely good, unchanging, and eternal. His moral standards for human beings flow from his moral character, and therefore they apply to all people in all cultures for all of history (although the Bible also contains many temporary commands intended only for specific people at a specific time). God is love, so he commands us to love (1 John 4:19). He is holy, and he commands us to be holy (1 Peter 1:15). He is merciful, and he commands us to be merciful (Luke 6:36). He is truthful, and he commands us not to bear false witness (Titus 1:2; Exodus 20:16). God's moral character and the historical fact that he has given us moral commands provide the basis for a

Christian answer to the question of how we can move from "is" statements to "ought" statements in ethics. In this course we will discuss God righteous character and nature and ask the questions: Is God "really" good? (The answer is yes) Why do bad things happen to good people? Where do evil come from? 3. Christian ethics is based on the Bible. One of the purposes of the Bible is to teach us how to live a life that is pleasing to God (Col. 1:9-10; 1 Thess. 4:1; 2 Tim. 3:17). Because it is the Word of God, the Bible is a higher authority in ethics than tradition, reason, experience, expected results, or subjective perceptions of guidance. While these other factors can never override the teaching of Scripture, they can still be helpful for us in making a wise decision. In this course we will ask the question: Can the bible be trust? Who wrote the Bible? Is the Bible error free? 4. Christian ethics is essential to the proclamation of the gospel. Some Christian speakers today downplay or omit any call for unbelievers to repent of their sins, but evangelism in the New Testament clearly included a call to repentance. Just before he returned to heaven, Jesus told his disciples "that repentance for theforgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem" (Luke 24:47). Similarly, Paul proclaimed the need for repentance to pagan Greek philosophers in Athens, warning them that the final judgment was coming: "The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead" (Acts 17:30-31; see also Acts 2:38; 3:19; 5:31; 11:18; Hebrews 6:1). "Repentance" in the New Testament is not merely a "change of mind" but includes both sorrow for one's sins and a sincere inward resolve to turn away from sin and to turn to Christ in faith (Hebrews 6:1; Acts 16:31).

Widespread revival will come to any nation apart from widespread, heartfelt repentance for sin. Therefore, gospel proclamation today must include an element ofteaching about God's moral standards, which means teaching about Christian ethics. In this course we will ask the question: How can unbelievers repent of their sins if they do not even know what God's moral standards are? Are all sins the same (equal?)

5. Christian Ethics teaches us how to face "moral conflict" Although several evangelical ethics books claim that, from time to time, we face situations of "impossible moral conflict" where all our choices are sinful and we must simply choose to commit the "lesser sin," this idea is not taught in Scripture. It is contradicted both by the life of Christ, "who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin" (Heb. 4:15), and by the promise of 1 Corinthians 10:13, which says that God will always provide a "way of escape." The "impossible moral conflict" view easily becomes a slippery slope that in actual practice encourages Christians to sin more and more. In this course we will ask the question: Is it okay to break a lower low to obey a higher law? Is it ever okay to lie?

A Christian and Politics Derrick Marshall/ General Every Christian must have a theology. Theology What is Theology? Theology come from the greek word, Theos meaning God, or a god. Ology is the study of. So, theology is the study of God. Your thelogy is literally what it is you think about God. What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. A.W. Tozer The dictionary define theology as, the study of the nature of God and religious belief. Through one’s theology, the Christian form their own worldview. One worldview produces ones Values, and Principle. Values and Principle is the bases upon how a person lives their lives. Values Every Christian should ask theses questions: 1. What are my values? 2. Where did these values come from? 3. Are these values biblical? 4. Are these values personal or universals? Are values just for my personally or for everyone. (much more difficult question) What are values? The dictionary defines values as, the regard that something is held to deserve; the importance, worth, or usefulness of something.

Values are also defined as, a person's principles or standards of behavior; one's judgment of what is important in life. To the Christian the Bible has to become the foundation on which our values are formed. Principles The dictionary defines principles as, a fundamental truth or proposition that serves as the foundation for a system of belief or behavior or for a chain of reasoning. Principle are a foundation or standard that govern our lives. Foundation and standards must not change with the culture or times. it is that that stand when all else has fallen. Theology Wordview Values+ Principle Politics Our Values and principles for what we believe politically. NOT our politics form or values and and principles. If your politic form our values and principles, we as christian have NO credibility.

The Bible Premise: Can we trust the Bible as the Word of God. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalms 119:105 Is God able to perfectly express and communicate to his people? Yes. How? Revelation. How has God done that? His Word, the Word, or the Bible. The Bible is God’s Revelation to Man. “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” 2 Timothy 3:16 Inspired is the Greek word theopneustos. Within this word are two words, theos meaning “God” and pneuma meaning “spirit” or “breath”. Thus, inspired would mean God breathed and all scripture is God breathed. It does not come through human reasoning, but by God’s revelation. Furthermore, the vehicle or the way of revelation is the Holy Spirit, so man receives God’s revelation by inspiration. Inspiration is a divine influence or action on a person believed to qualify him or her to receive and communicate sacred revelation. “But just as it is written, ‘THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM’ For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ.” I Corinthians 2:9-16 Reveal means to uncover. How is the Revelation revealed or uncovered? By the Holy Spirit. The truth or revelation was given to man, and it was transmitted to man through human language. The Bible is the word of God. “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, (Why) so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.” 1 Corinthians 2:12-13 Putting spiritual thought with spiritual words is the work of the Spirit of God. God did not leave it up to man’s wisdom to transmit divine truth. The Spirit of God moved the men who got the revelation. Who got this revelation? The prophets and the apostles, and the words that were revealed, written, and spoken are to be trusted. “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” 1 Peter 1:20-21 A prophet is one who speaks the word that God put in his mouth; written prophecy follows the same principle. Man is not the source of revelation−God is. The Holy Spirit overruled the frailty of man’s error. The words of the LORD are pure words. “As silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times. You, O LORD, will keep them; You will preserve him from this generation forever.” Psalms 12:6-7 God is able to preserve his Word, thus man can just It! How does man understand God’s Word? Illumination. Illumination is the act of God by which the Holy Spirit enables believers to understand the truth given by revelation and written by inspiration. Man in his nature cannot understand the things of God. “But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.” 1Corinthians 2:14 Any revelation that comes outside of man’s experience seems foolish to him. (That’s why people outside of the church say that church is weird.) While they may see the revelation, they miss the spirit of illumination. The truth of God can only be explained and understood by those who are spiritual. The man that has the spirit has the mind of Christ. “For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 2:16 The illumination of the spirit is necessary to understand the truth or to uncover the truth. Human logic and reasoning will only twist and pervert God’s revelation. Only the Spirit knows the mind of Christ. Is God Good Genesis 1:2–31 (NASB95) 2 The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 God saw that the light wasgood; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day. 6 Then God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7 God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so. 8 God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day. 9 Then God said, “Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. 10 God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them”; and it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good. 13 There was evening and there was morning, a third day. 14 Then God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years; 15 and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. 16 God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also. 17 God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good. 19 There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day. 20 Then God said, “Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens.” 21 God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day. 24 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind”; and it was so. 25 God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good. 26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; 30 and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food”; and it was so. 31 God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. Lets start this morning with the 4thabsolute Well first me remind you of the first 3 1. God had no beginning he is uncreated 2. God is creature 3. Creation expresses a personal God 4. God is the origin of all things that exist Now before we go into that we have to make one quick conclusion about God. That he is GOOD Psalm 100:5 (NASB95) 5 For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations. And this is how we should respond to this truth Psalm 136:1 (NASB95) 1 Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. Now notice what the psalmist says in Psalm 119:68 (NASB95) 68 You are good and do good; Teach me Your statutes. You are God and you do good AW Pink says All that emanates from God—His decrees, His creation, His laws, His providences—cannot be otherwise than good: as it is written. "And God saw everything that He had made, and, behold, it was very good" (Gen. 1:31). Thus, the "goodness" of God is seen, first, in Creation. The more closely the creature is studied, the more the beneficence of its Creator becomes apparent. So now look at 1 Timothy 4:4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; Ill take you through this quickly Notice the voice of the Lord sounded upon the deep. Basically “God said, ‘Light be, and light was’” This literal translation of the Hebrew speaks of absolute instantaneity and implies the act was consummated in the very second of its beginning. God brought forth by His word. God’s voice brought forth order Steven Charnock says, This is apparent from what hath been said before, that no other attribute could be the motive of his creating, but his goodness; his goodness was the cause that he made any thing, and his wisdom was the cause that he made every thing in order and harmony. Watch this First day – Separation of darkness and light (day) Second day – Separation of water from waters (firmament) Third day – Separation of land from water (land) Dr. Carroll Thompson refers to as the “Order of Righteousness” in his book “You Can be Righteous.” He Separate light from darkness, he separated the waters, he separated the day from the nightand all the seasons and he separated life all in its order. Then he placed a tree in the mist of the Garden called “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” Order in establish by separation and separation form righteousness That why the bible says go from among them and be separate Why would God do this in the beginning cause he is GOOD.. On the first 3 days we find separation bringing forth order Next we see his voice bring forth life Forth day – luminaries Fifth day – living creature (bird and fish) Six day – animal life and man Understand this truth day will effect how we face trails tomorrow. Corrie Ten Boom. Often I have heard people say, "How good God is! We prayed that it would not rain for our church picnic, and look at the lovely weather!'" Yes, God is good when He sends good weather. But God was also good when He allowed my sister, Betsie, to starve to death before my eyes in a German concentration camp. I remember one occasion when I was very discouraged there. Everything around us was dark, and there was darkness in my heart. I remember telling Betsie that I thought God had forgotten us. "No, Corrie," said Betsie, "He has not forgotten us. Remember His Word: 'For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him.'" Corrie concludes, "There is an ocean of God's love available--there is plenty for everyone. May God grant you never to doubt that victorious love--whatever the circumstances." So what about evil? CS Lewis says Evil is a parasite, not an original thing. Author: Frederick W. Robertson The truest definition of evil is that which represents it as something contrary to nature. Evil is evil because it is unnatural. A vine which should bear olive-berries - an eye to which blue seems yellow, would be diseased. An unnatural mother, an unnatural son, an unnatural act, are the strongest terms of condemnation. Evil is that which is opposite and resistant to the nature that God created it for and to be. Where did it began and who did it begin with? Look at Isaiah 14:12–13 (NASB95) 12 “How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! 13 “But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. This text speak of Lucifer and what he said in his heart. His desire in his heart to live apart from and above God. Ezekiel 28:11–19 (NASB95) 11 Again the word of the Lordcame to me saying, 12 “Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre (the question is who is this) and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God, (the Lord’s answer) “You had the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. Now notice this 13 “You were in Eden, the garden of God; as you can see this is not referring to a man king Every precious stone was your covering: …………….. On the day that you were created They were prepared. 14 “You were the anointed cherub who covers, And I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked in the midst of the stones of fire. Notice you where created to be Good!!! You where created GOOD!!! 15 “You were blameless in your ways From the day you were created Until unrighteousness was found in you. 16 “By the abundance of your trade You were internally filled with violence, And you sinned; Therefore I have cast you as profane From the mountain of God. And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the stones of fire. 17 “Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I put you before kings, That they may see you. Skip to verse 19 19 “All who know you among the peoples Are appalled at you; You have become terrified And you will cease to be forever.” ’ ” Evil does not start with God but rather with Satan G.K. Chesterton says The issue is now clear. It is between light and darkness and everyone must choose his side. So is God Evil? James 1:13 (NASB95) 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. James 1:17 (NASB95) 17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. This is no evil and darkness in God!!! How does evil to man?? by man sin. How did man sin? Disobey God command The evil one “the devil” deceive man. Making man doubt God and separate come his command Why would God allow rebellion to continue? St. Augustine says Clean and unclean birds, the dove and the raven, are yet in the ark. Again why? Carroll Thompson give 3 reasons 1. Before executing punishment, God would first demonstrate the awful character of the act. It would remain an example forever. I think about the fall and what a horrible event it was. Then I think without it would never know the redemptive side of God. We may never have this example of extreme mercy and grace Romans 5:12–14 (The Message) 12–14 You know the story of how Adam landed us in the dilemma we’re in—first sin, then death, and no one exempt from either sin or death. That sin disturbed relations with God in everything and everyone, but the extent of the disturbance was not clear until God spelled it out in detail to Moses. So death, this huge abyss separating us from God, dominated the landscape from Adam to Moses. Even those who didn’t sin precisely as Adam did by disobeying a specific command of God still had to experience this termination of life, this separation from God. But Adam, who got us into this, also points ahead to the One who will get us out of it. 2. God would justify the wisdom of His ways in the eyes of creatures (this is a promise) 3. God will prove Satan wrong (as a lair) who accused, “no man serves God because he loves Him, but only for what he can get out of it.” Now the question is Does man have free will and why? And the choice to love. Real Love To have real love one must be able choose not to love. CS Lewis says this, “God created things which had free will. That means creatures which can go wrong or right. Some people think they can imagine a creature which was free but had no possibility of going wrong, but I can't. If a thing is free to be good it's also free to be bad. And free will is what has made evil possible. Why, then, did God give them free will? Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having. A world of automata -of creatures that worked like machines- would hardly be worth creating. The happiness which God designs for His higher creatures is the happiness of being freely, voluntarily united to Him and to each other in an ecstasy of love and delight compared with which the most rapturous love between a man and a woman on this earth is mere milk and water. And for that they've got to be free. Of course God knew what would happen if they used their freedom the wrong way: apparently, He thought it worth the risk Augustine says God judged it better to bring good out of evil than to suffer no evil to exist. G.K. Chesterton make a clear point To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it. Dr. Carroll add this last statement "The presence of evil does not indicate God's creation of it nor God's impotence to deal with it. God will justify Himself once and for all before every creature that His ways are just and that He only is worthy to be praised and worshipped." Through all of this we come to the most elementary truth God is GOOD The Devil is BAD Or evil. Where is man? Ill revisit Corrie conclusion, "There is an ocean of God's love available--there is plenty for everyone. May God grant you never to doubt that victorious love--whatever the circumstances." Where ever we choose to be!! Ok ok ok Last question is God a accessory to the evil if he new what would happen and did nothing? No! As Josh says he know and he told us in his word of the things that would happen because of evil and sin. But he didn’t stop it Actually God did do something!!! What? The Lamb (Jesus) was slain (the Cross) before the foundation of the word (Creation) Revelation 13:8 This mean this was done in eternity Proving that God was God even before the beginning of time Oh and by the way at the end of the age he will kick the devil butt Higher and Lower Laws - Part 1 Pastor Derrick Marshall/ Christian Ethics Class #3 / October 6, 2021 Premise: Is it ever right to tell a lie? There is a great debate in Christian Ethic circles about "impossible moral conflicts." I will try to present two different points of views. 1. Norman Geisler - Some personally unavoidable moral conflicts exist in which an individual cannot obey both commands. 2. Wayne Grudem - Christians will never have to choose the "lesser sin." Norman Geisler Idea: God does not hold a person guilty for not keeping a lower moral law so long as one keeps the higher law. God exempts one from his duty to keep the lower law since he could not keep it without breaking a higher law. Examples of an "Impossible Moral Conflict" or "Tragic Moral Choice" 1. Classic Example: A Christian in Nazi Germany who is hiding Jews in the basement of his house. What should he do when Nazi soldiers come pounding on the door, demanding to know if he is concealing Jews? The householder knows that if the Jews are discovered, they will be dragged away to a concentration camp and likely put to death. 2. Practical example: Spouse says, "Do I look fat in these jeans?" 3. Modern Example: What gender pronouns do you use to address a transgender person? Theological Ethical Question: In our Classic Example, isn't it better to tell a lie (the lesser sin) than to betray innocent people so that they die (the greater sin)? Question: Are there such things as higher or lower laws (or sins)? Matthew 23:23 (NASB95) 23 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. Notice, you are devoted to tithing, but you have neglected the weightier provisions of the law. • Justice • Mercy • Faithfulness Matthew 5:19 "; •\ -;: ', i\ 19 "Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Least - translated from the Greek word elachistos meaning the least in magnitude, number, or quality. Matthew 22:36 r: ,. ,:•/l'. 36 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" John 19:11 ;:,'·,:.,';" 11 Jesus answered, "You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin." He who delivered Me to you has the greater sin. 📷John 15:13 ·: '.Y-,, 13 "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. Matthew 12:31-32 (NASB95) 31 "Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. 32 "Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come. Question: Are all sins equal? James 2:10 ,; ', .. , 1°For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. "The common myth that all sins are equal is often based on erroneous interpretations of James 2:10, which does not speak of the equality of all sins but rather of the unity of the law: "Whoever ... fails in one point has become guilty of all of it" (RSV). It does not say that the transgressor is equally guilty of all, nor that all infractions bring equal guilt (James 3:1 Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.) However, it is true that any violation of the law brings some guilt." Norman Geisler Geisler explains that in "graded absolutism," there are certain categories of moral laws that are higher than others. He gives three examples: 1. Love for God over love for humankind 2. Obey God over government 3. Mercy over veracity (conformity to facts; accuracy; truthfulness) Biblical and Modern Example of Moral Conflicts A) Disobeying Civil and Government Authorities: 📷Question: Can you disobey the government in order to be faithful to God? Romans 13:1-2 ti/.'.>: •)•·: 1 Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.

Titus 3:1 1 u\ ;·,; 1 Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, Geisler says, "It is clear that God commands Christians to obey government. Hence, when disobedience to government is approved by God, it is clearly in view of a higher moral law." Wayne Grudem agrees with Geisler that the biblical narrative views with approval of these actions of disobedience to the government in order to be faithful to God. But I disagree with Geisler's claim that these actions are constituted disobedience to the commands of God. He adds, "The Bible never tells people always to obey every command of a secular civil government. Instead, Paul wisely says, 'Let every person be subject to the governing authorities' (Rom. 13:1). To 'be subject' to a government in general does not mean that one always must obey every command of that government." This is an interesting point that I think must be made. Individual passages of Scripture should be interpreted in the light of the whole teaching of The Bible. Scripture always interprets scripture! Grudem says, "There are several passages in which God clearly gave approval to his people who disobeyed a government that was commanding them to carry out a sinful action." Examples of Disobedience to the Government: 1. The Hebrew midwives Shiphrah and Puah who disobeyed when Pharaoh told them to kill the baby Hebrew boys. Exodus 1:15-22 (1..\.:;:-1'1. 15 Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other was named Puah; 16 and he said, "When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth and see them upon the birthstool, if it is a son, then you shall put him to death; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live." 17 But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but let the boys live. 18 So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, "Why have you done this thing, and let the boys live?" 19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife can get to them." 20 So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied, and became very mighty. 21 Because the midwives feared God, He established households for them. 22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, "Every son who is born you are to cast into the Nile, and every daughter you are to keep alive." 2. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who refused to bow down to the golden image that was made by King Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel 3:16-18 ': :\. ,; _, 16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. 17 "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, 0 king. 18 "But even if He does not, let it be known to you, 0 king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up." 3. Daniel who disobeyed the king's command not to pray to anyone but the king. Daniel 6:13 i'i 1 •.:,,::;, ..

13 Then they answered and spoke before the king, "Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, 0 king, or to the injunction which you signed, but keeps making his petition three times a day." 4. The apostles who disobeyed the Sanhedrin when they were commanded not to preach in the name of Jesus. Acts 4:18-20 18 And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; 20 for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard." Acts 5:29: 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men. B) Disobeying our Parents Ephesians 6:1,•.·'. 1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Geisler presents as example that I (Derrick Marshall) personally thing is a bad example of a moral conflict. He says, "Jesus seemed to face real conflicts between obeying his heavenly Father and obeying his earthly parents (Luke 2).' He says, 'At age twelve, Jesus faced a conflict between his earthly parents and his heavenly Father." I would argue Jesus wasn't the problem in this story, but the parents who left Jesus and didn't know where he was for days. Modern Day Example from Romania: New believer is told by parent that they will be disowned or forced to leave their home if they get baptized. Question: Are new converts in sin if they disobey their parents and get baptized? C) Working on the Sabbath Leviticus 23:3 " 3 'For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a sabbath of complete rest, a holy convocation. You shall not do any work; it is a sabbath to the LORD in all your dwellings. Geisler says that Jesus faced a moral conflict between "showing mercy and keeping the sabbath holy." Wayne Grudem says, The New Testament Points out numerous cases where Jests broke the restrictive interpretations and rules that had been added to the Sabbath command by Jewish traditions but there is no instance in which He broke the Sabbath commandment itself when it understood correctly, in the way that God intended it. Jesus makes this very point In this passage, for he corrects the Pharisees wrongful understanding of the sabbath law when he says, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27). Jesus never broke the Old Testament Sabbath commandment when it is rightly understood. Therefore, these examples from Jesus's ministry do not prove that Jesus ever faced an impossible moral conflict." Modern Day Example and Question: Are we breaking the Sabbath by attending church on Sundays?

Higher and Lower Laws - Part 2 Pastor Derrick Marshall/ October 20, 2021 D) Lying Proverbs 12:22 , , 22 Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, But those who deal faithfully are His delight. Exodus 20:16 ·.;-, 16 "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. John 8:44 44 "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Ephesians 4:25 '.:: '·:,·, , 25 Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another. Question: Is it ever right to tell a lie? Six Ethical Views on Lying (from Norman L. Geisler's book, Christian Ethics) 1. Lying is neither right nor wrong: there are no laws. Antinomianism (doctrine according to which Christians are freed by grace from the necessity of obeying the Mosaic Law) asserts that lying to save lives is neither right nor wrong. It affirms that there are no objective moral principles by which the issue can be judged right or wrong. The issue must be decided on subjective, personal, or pragmatic grounds, but not on any objective moral grounds. We are literally without a moral law to decide the issue. 2. Lying is generally wrong: there are no universal laws. Generalism (there are universal and general norm) claims that lying is generally wrong. As a rule, lying is wrong, but in specific cases this general rule can be broken. Since there are no universal moral laws, whether a given lie is right will depend on the results. If the results are good, then the lie is right. Most generalists believe that lying to save a life is right because in this case the end justifies the means necessary to attain it. However, lying in general is wrong. But "if lying in a situation would be more useful or helpful, then one ought to lie." 3. Lying is sometimes right: there is only one universal law. Situationism (there is only one moral absolute, love) claims that there is only one absolute moral law, and telling the truth is not it. Love is the only absolute, and lying may be the loving thing to do. In fact, lying to save a life is the loving thing to do. Hence, lying is sometimes right indeed, any moral rule except love can and should be broken for love's sake. Everything else is relative; only one thing is absolute. Thus the situationist believes that lying to save lives is morally justified.

4. Lying is always wrong: there are many nonconflicting laws. Unqualified absolutism (there are many absolute moral laws, and none of them should ever be broken, that they are never in conflict with one another, and that, should they ever appear to be in conflict, it is only because the one perceiving the supposed conflict is confused or misinformed of the situation.) believes that Truth is such a law. Therefore, one must always tell the truth, even if someone dies as a result of it. Truth is absolute, and absolutes cannot be broken. Therefore, there are no exceptions to telling the truth. Results are never used as a rationale to break rules, even if the results are desirable. 5. Lying is forgivable: there are many conflicting laws. Conflicting absolutism (greater good position - moral dilemmas are unavoidable but we are responsible for breaking a lower law to do a higher law) recognizes that we live in an evil world, where absolute moral laws sometimes run into inevitable conflict. In such cases it is our moral duty to do the lesser evil. We must break the lesser law and plead mercy. For instance, we should lie to save the life and then ask for forgiveness for breaking God's absolute moral law. Our moral dilemmas are sometimes unavoidable, but we are culpable anyway. God cannot change his absolute moral prescriptions because of our moral predicaments. 6. Lying is sometimes right: there are higher laws. Graded absolutism (also the greater good position - though in this view God doesn't hold us responsible for breaking the lower law to do a higher law) holds that there are many moral absolutes, and they sometimes conflict. However, some laws are higher than others, so when there is an unavoidable conflict, it is our duty to follow the higher moral law. God does not blame us for what we could not avoid. Thus, he exempts us from responsibility to follow the lower law in view of the overriding obligation to obey the higher law. Many graded absolutists believe that mercy to the innocent is a greater moral duty than telling truth to the guilty. Hence, they are convinced that it is right in such cases to lie in order to save a life. • Rahab - the prostitute James 2:24-26 ·.; • • , '. 24 You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. Rahab's actions or "works" revealed her genuine and real faith. Hebrews 11:31 31 By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace. Geisler cites this story as a case that in lying, Rahab broke a lower law to fulfill a higher law. I Joshua 2:1-7 NAS895

1 Then Joshua the son of Nun sent two men as spies secretly from Shittim, saying, "Go, view the land, especially Jericho." So they went and came into the house of a harlot whose name was Rahab, and lodged there. 2 It was told the king of Jericho, saying, "Behold, men from the sons of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land." 3 And the king of Jericho sent word to Rahab, saying, "Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered your house, for they have come to search out all the land." 4 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them, and she said, "Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. 5 "It came about when it was time to shut the gate at dark, that the men went out; I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them." 6 But she had brought them up to the roof and hidden them in the stalks of flax which she had laid in order on the roof. Joshua 6:17 ;--.;/\::,:><, 17 "The city shall be under the ban, it and all that is in it belongs to the LORD; only Rahab the harlot and all who are with her in the house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent. Wayne Grudem says, "It is sufficient to note that it is doubtful whether Scripture holds up Rahab's lie as an example for believers to imitate ? This is because the context shows clearly that she was hardly an example of moral excellence, for she was a Canaanite prostitute (Josh. 2:1), and she had no previous acquaintance with the moral standards that God had given to Israel. While her faith and her courage were remarkable (and the New Testament affirms her for these things later passages of Scripture conspicuously avoid mentioning her lie." Wayne's observation here should not be understated. Rahab had no relationship with God's standards? Questions: • Was Rehab not personally held responsible for her lie because she did not know the standards of God? • Are we, as believers, who have a relationship with God's Law (Word) held to a different (or greater standard) than Rahab? • Was God commending Rahab's courageous faith and not the lie? • In this example, can you separate Rahab's faith from Rahab's lie? "As to the falsehood, we must admit that though it was done for a good purpose, it was not free from fault. For those who hold what is called a dutiful lie to be altogether excusable, do not sufficiently consider how precious truth is in the sight of God. Therefore, although our purpose be to assist our brethren ... it can never be lawful to lie, because that cannot be right which is contrary to the nature of God. And God is truth." John Calvin "But the fact that she lied is not wisely proposed for imitation, even if something prophetic is thus intelligently exposed for interpretation, and even though God was mindful to reward those good deeds of hers and clement in pardoning this bad one." St. Augustine

Pastor D's thoughts: The beauty of this story is God did not mention the lie in the New Testament but the beauty of her courage. He does not hold up her fault to be framed forever but her faith. • Hebrew Midwives in Egypt Norman Geisler says, "In the story of the Hebrew midwives we have an even clearer case of divinely approved lying to save a life." Exodus 1:15-22 ''' · 15 Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other was named Puah; 16 and he said, "When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth and see them upon the birthstool, if it is a son, then you shall put him to death; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live." 17 But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but let the boys live. 18 So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, "Why have you done this thing, and let the boys live?" 19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife can get to them." 20 So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied, and became very mighty. 21 Because the midwives feared God, He established households for them. 22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, "Every son who is born you are to cast into the Nile, and every daughter you are to keep alive." Question: Did the Hebrew Midwives actually lie? Wayne Grudem says, "the text does not establish that the midwives were actually lying. What is clear is that Pharaoh had commanded the midwives to kill all male Hebrew babies that were born, "but the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live" (V. 17). When challenged by Pharaoh, the midwives told him that the Hebrew women "give birth before the midwife comes to them' (Ex. 1:19), and there is no reason to doubt that this was true. In fact, it is entirely reasonable to think that when Pharaoh's plan became known to the Hebrew people, they delayed calling the midwives until after a child's birth, perhaps using other midwives or assisting one another in the birth process. God gave favor to the midwives for preserving the children's lives, but there is no proof that they lied in what they said to Pharaoh." Another question: If the midwives would have intended in their hearts to kill Egyptian babies if they would have arrived in time, do you think that God still would have been good to the midwives? Pastor D's thought:"... the midwives feared God." To me this points to the fact that the midwives did more than just miss the birth of Egyptian children. They seemed to valued life. I believe this distinction should not be understated. In doing so, we minimize the courage of these women who intentionally "did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but let the boys live."

Activism and PacifismDerrick Marshall / Christian Ethics Class #5 / October 27, 2021 Activism: It Is Always Right to Participate in War Activism holds that Christians are duty-bound to obey their government and to participate in every war for which that government enlists their support. Pacifism: It Is Never Right to Participate in War A pacifist is the Christian who opposes war or violence as a means of settlingdisputes. Selectivism: It Is Right to Participate in Some Wars (Just Wars) Selectivism argues it is sometimes right to take part in war. I. Activism Biblical Argument - Government Is Ordained by God Romans 13:1, • 1 Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. John 19:11 11 Jesus answered, "You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin." "Government is of God" - God uses government to bring order from chaos. Genesis 9:6 .., • '""' : • 6 "Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man. 1 Corinthians 14:33 :•, , · c: : ; 33 for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. 1 Corinthians 14:40 . , . 40 But all things must be done properly and in an orderly manner. The idea is that God has set forth the government to establish rules and consequences for those who do not follow. Norman Geisler book Christian Ethics says this about the Activist beliefs, “In brief, God ordained human government. Adam was given the crown to reign over the earth. And then evil became rampant, and Noah was given the sword to enforce that rule. Government is of God both because order is from God and because disorder must be put down for God. Humans have the right from God to take the lives of unruly human beings who shed innocent blood. Government is invested with divine power. The sword given to Noah was used by Abraham when he engaged in war against the kings who had committed aggression against Abraham's nephew Lot (Gen. 14). This passage indicates God's approval of wars that protect the innocent from aggressors.” Principle of the Activist - Eye for an Eye Exodus 21:23-25 ,',.\ ,: , ; ·, 23 "But if there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.

The Activist believes swift and hard justice is necessary to maintain and create order. Mr. Geisler add this concerning Gentle rule, "As far as the governments of Gentile nations were concerned, the Old Testament declares that "the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes" (Dan. 4:25). And from the rest of Daniel's prophecy, it is dear that God ordained the great Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greek, and Roman governments (Dan. 2-7). Thus the text indicates that God has ordained government wherever it is found. And since government is given by God, it follows that to disobey government is to disobey God. If, therefore, the country's government commands a person to go to war, biblical activism argues that one must respond in obedience to the Lord, for the Lord has ordained the government with the sword, the power to take lives." Daniel 4:25 '-! <'c . •: : ; 25 that you be driven away from mankind and your dwelling place be with the beasts of the field, and you be given grass to eat like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven; and seven periods of time will pass over you, until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes. Philosophical Argument: Government Is Humans' Guardian Plato's dialogue, Crito, depicts a conversation between Socrates and his wealthy friend Crito of Alopece regarding justice. Three Reasons to Obey the G.overnment 1. Government is the humans' parent. Government is the human's parent. One ought not disobey even an unjust government. "First, because in disobeying it he is disobeying his parent." By this Socrates means that under the sponsorship of government, the individual is brought into the world. One is not born into a lawless jungle but comes into this world under the parentage of the state. The state makes one's very birth more than barbaric: it is a birth into a state of civilization rather than into anarchy. Just as parents spend months in preparation and anticipation for a child, many years have likewise been spent in maintaining the state, which makes a civilized birth possible, and these years may not be lightly regarded later because a person finds oneself at odds with the government. 2. Government is the human's educator. "Second, because it is the author of his education." The implication here is that the very education making persons what they are (including their knowledge of justice and injustice) was given to them by their government. They are civilized and not barbarian, not only by birth, but also by training. 3. The Governed have a duty to obey the government. "He has made an agreement with [it] that he will duly obey [its] commands. That is, people's consent to be governed, given by pledging allegiance to that government, binds them to its laws." Plato also list two implied reasons: 1. The governed are free to leave their government. 2. Without government, there would be social chaos. Pacifism Biblical Argument: War Is Always Wrong Principles of Pacifism - • "You shall not murder."

Exodus 20:13 ,-, :\·· :. :, . 13 "You shall not murder. Well, if you can't kill, you shouldn't participate in wars. • "Do not resist one who is evil." Matthew 5:39 :' • ·:-. : •· 39 "But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. Six Arguments Commonly Used by Pacifists - Wayne Grudem 1. Jesus commanded us to turn the other cheek. Matthew 5:39 ;·: .,• ,: 1 , 39 "But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 2. Jesus commanded us to love our neighbors as ourselves. Matthew 22:39 :i: , _: 39 "The second is like it, 'You SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' 3. Engaging in military combat involves failure to trust God. 4. We should depend on international law rather than going to war. 5. The use of violence always leads to further violence, and pacifism should be adopted to stop that vicious cycle. 6. More genuine Christian pacifism would have prevented previous wars. Giesler defines the pacifist beliefs saying, "No war as such is ever God's command. What God commands clearly and unequivocally is "You shall not kill." This command applies to all people, friends, or enemies. All persons are made in God's image, and it therefore is wrong to kill them. The Old Testament clearly teaches that one should love one's enemies (Lev. 19:18; Jon. 4), and Jesus reaffirmed this: "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matt. 5:44). War is based in hate and is intrinsically wrong. Taking the life of another person is contrary to the principle of love and is therefore fundamentally unchristian. Resisting evil with force is wrong. Closely connected with the first basic premise of pacifism, that killing is wrong, is another. Evil should never be resisted with physical force, but rather with the spiritual force of love. Did not Jesus say, "Do not resist one who is evil. But if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also" (Matt. 5:39 RSV)? Did not Christ also teach in this passage that "if any one forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles" (v. 41 RSV)? The Christian is not to retaliate or pay back evil with evil, for vengeance belongs to God (Deut. 32:35). Paul wrote, "Beloved, never avenge yourself, but leave it to the wrath of God... No, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink'...Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" (Rom. 12:19-21 RSV). The Christian is to "repay no one evil for evil." Leviticus 19:18 ;-.i.',:;''. 1 ."; 18 'You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD. Matthew 5:44 ii ,:-; .l0 44 "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, Matthew 5:39 \! ,, ;:;'.1 ·:

39 "But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. Matthew 5:41 i' i ,,, :. -_; , , 41 "Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. Deuteronomy 32:35 <'i : '. : • 35 'Vengeance is Mine, and retribution, In due time their foot will slip; For the day of their calamity is near, And the impending things are hastening upon them.' Romans 12:19-21 -':" -: ; ' .. 19Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord. 20 "BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN so DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD." 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. The Social Argument: War is Always Wrong Geisler adds, "There are strong social arguments against war. It is not the best way to settle human disputes. Down through history, a river of human blood flows in the wake of wars. Evils of all kinds result from war: starvation, cruelty, plagues, and death." Three Social Arguments 1. War is based on the evil of greed. James 4:1-2, •· 1 What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. 1 Timothy 6:10.;°'' ,,,., •. 1°For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. Plato'sRepublic observes “We need not say yet whether war does good or harm, but only that we have discovered its origin in desires which are the most fruitful source of evils both to individuals and to states.” In another place he says, "All wars are made for the sake of getting money?" 2. War results in many evils. In essence, war and violence have consequences. What are some results of war and violence? 3. War breeds wars. Seems like a logical conclusion, right? Woodrow Wilson said to Congress in 1917 that the First World War was, "the war to end all wars." The Pacifist ask the question, "how did that work for us?" “In summary, the pacifists argue that war is both unbiblical and antisocial. It is forbidden by God under the prohibition against murder, and it is becoming increasingly repugnant to the human race, which is showing increasing signs of battle fatigue under the continued inhumanities of human to human.” Norman Geisler

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Selectivism Derrick Marshall/ Christian Ethics #6 / November 3, 2021 Selectivism: It Is Right to Participate in Some Wars (Just Wars) In our last class, we talked about activism and pacifism and both the Biblical and philosophical/social arguments for them. We have discovered the nuance in both ideas and the reason that many Christians identify with Selectivism. Norman Geisler says in his book Christian Ethics, "Not all people are content with the blind patriotism of activism that would kill upon their government's request while shouting, 'My country, right or wrong' (Stephen Decatur [18161). Nor is everyone satisfied with a naively passive attitude that would permit a Hitler to attempt genocide without lifting a gun in resistance. Even the otherwise pacifist Dietrich Bonhoeffer finally concluded that Hitler should have been assassinated. Out of dissatisfaction with the easy solutions of declaring all wars just or unjustifiable, a view is emerging called selectivism, which holds that some wars are justifiable and some are not. This view offers a more satisfactory alternative for a Christian ethic." Response to the 6th Commandment: Exodus 20:13 Murder in the Hebrew is rat!iakl), meaning to murder, kill (i.e., take the life one another so as to cause a state of death). This word is often to use to imply premeditation. Wayne Grudem in his book also titled Christian Ethics says, "This verb is used in the Old Testament to refer to the unlawful taking of a human life." Numbers 35:16-19 i!·\'.,_;" : 16 'But if he struck him down with an iron object, so that he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. 17 'If he struck him down with a stone in the hand, by which he will die, and as a result he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. 18 'Or if he struck him with a wooden object in the hand, by which he might die, and as a result he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. 19 'The blood avenger himself shall put the murderer to death; he shall put him to death when he meets him. Grudem adds, "The verb is also used to speak of 'causing human death through carelessness or negligence.' But 'rat$akl) is not the ordinary word for judicial execution, and it is never used to refer to killing in war." Question: If the 6th Commandment applies to war, why would God command the people of Israel to go to war? Deuteronomy 20:1 ;'-: :\ •;,. 1·,

1 "When you go out to battle against your enemies and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, is with you. Question: Is all life-taking murder? Geisler says, "All murder involves taking life, but not all taking life is murder." Notice the command God gives for one who murders: Exodus 21:12, !.· • 12 "He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death. Likewise, what He says about the one who defends himself: Exodus 22:2, 2 "If the thief is caught while breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there will be no bloodguiltiness on his account. Question: If murder in self-defense is not murder, would war to defend against an unjust aggressor be the same thing? Response, Matthew 5:39: Matthew 5:39 . : " 39 "But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. Individual conduct vs. Civil duty Jesus's command in Matthew speaks of our personal responsibility. Geisler make an interesting point when he says,---"Further, the blow on the cheek was probably only a slap on the face with the back of the hand, as indicated by the fact that the normal right­ handed person could only use the back of his hand to slap another on the right cheek" (5:39). So Jesus is speaking more of insult than injury. The Greek word is thapizo, meaning to "strike with open hand" or "slap on the cheek." Question: If we take Jesus's command to turn the other cheek literally, should be also take the command to pluck out one's eye or cut out one's hand as stated a few verses prior? 📷The seletivist often makes the point that turning the other cheek might be our personal responsibility, but the government's civil responsibility is to "bear the sword."

📷📷Romans 13:4 :-,J,_-,:-. • .>

4 for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. Notice what Jesus tells His followers: 📷📷Luke 22:36 ii,,. : .

36 And He said to them, "But now, whoever has a money belt is to take it along, likewise also a bag, and whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one. Jesus tells them to carry a sword for protection. John and Paul Feinberg (American theologian) stated, "A fundamental problem with pacifist interpretations of Jesus's teachings is the failure to distinguish between private and public duties, personal duties, and duties of a state. As a private individual I may turn the other cheek when unjustly attacked. However, my responsibilities are quite different when stand in the position of a guardian of a third party as a civil magistrate or parent. Because I am responsible for their lives and welfare, I must resist, even with force, unjust aggression against them. Moreover, loving my neighbor or enemy does not mean I must stand idly by as my child is kidnapped and murdered. I am to use whatever force is necessary to protect his or her life and safety. The state stands in this third-party relationship to its citizens. Texts that pacifists typically cite for nonresistance are verses that have to do with private or personal duties, not public duties." Wayne Grudem's response to list six arguments commonly used by Pacifists: 1) Jesus commands us to turn the other cheek. (See Above) 2) Jesus commanded us to love our neighbors as ourselves. "If we truly love our neighbors, then we will be willing even to go to war to protect them from evil aggressors who are attacking the nation." 3) Engaging in military combat involves failure to trust God. "Christians have no right to tell others to trust in God" for things that are different from what the Bible teaches, and Romans 13:1-4 teaches that God authorizes governments to use deadly force if necessary to oppose evil. Therefore, at this point the pacifist argument is telling people to disobey what Romans 13 says about government, and then to trust God to protect them anyway. This is like telling people they should not work to earn a living but should 'trust God' to provide their food anyway!" 4) We should depend on international law rather than going to war. "An effective worldwide government has never occurred in the entire history of the human race." It will not occur until Jesus returns. 5) The use of violence always leads to further violence, and pacifism should be adopted to stop that vicious cycle. "It is simply untrue to say, as pacifists do, that violence always leads to more violence. The deadly force used by local police in restraining or killing a murderer brings that murderer's violence to an end. It is the same situation when armies are used to defend nations against aggressors. In fact, the use of military power stopped Hitler from taking over all of Europe and ultimately all the world in World War II. It stopped the North Koreans from taking over South

Korea in the Korean War. In the American Civil War, it stopped the Confederate armies from establishing a separate nation in which slavery would be preserved and protected." 6) More genuine, Christian pacifism would have prevented previous wars. "The task that God has assigned to governments is to 'bear the sword"' (Rom. 13:4). Response to the Activist Activism holds that Christians are duty-bound to obey their government and to participate in every war for which that government enlists their support. As we have discussed in a previous class, the Bible teaches that it is not always right to follow the government in every command. "The Bible never tells people always to obey every command of a secular civil government. Instead, Paul wisely says, 'Let every person be subject to the governing authorities' (Rom. 13:1). To 'be subject' to a government in general does not mean that one always must obey every command of that government." Wayne Grudem 4 Examples 1. The Hebrew midwives Shiphrah and Puah, who disobeyed when Pharaoh told them to kill the baby Hebrew boys. I Exodus 1:15-22 :}1 ,:_: r;, 2. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who refused to bow down to the golden image that was made by King Nebuchadnezzar . I Daniel 3:16-18 jf o 3. Daniel, who disobeyed the king's command not to pray to anyone but the king. I Daniel 6:13 r>J 4. The apostles, who disobeyed the Sanhedrin when they were commanded not to preach in the name of Jesus. 📷 Acts 5:29 1 i\1.1\ •. '. , "Since government is not sovereign in its commands regarding the taking of life, it follows that not all wars waged by one's government are just. Indeed, even within a just war, officials may give unjust commands that should be disobeyed. Thus if there are times when one should not obey one's government's command to kill. then total activism is wrong. Not all wars or all acts of war are morally justifiable on the grounds that one is acting in obedience to one's government." Norman Geisler

Just Wars Pastor Derrick Marshall / Christian Ethics #7 / November 17,2021 Activism claims that it is always right to obey one's government in war, and pacifism says it is never right to kill. Selectivism, on the other hand, holds that it is only sometimes right to go to war. This leaves one important question: When? Wayne Grudem lists a common set of criteria that can be used to decide if going to war in a specific situation is right. 8 Criteria for a Just War 1. Just cause - Is the reason for going to war a morally right cause, such as defense of a nation? Revelation 19:11 ;,i 1'<;;,t J i 11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. Norman Geisler adds, “ A war in defense of the innocent is just. It is just to fight a war in defense of the innocent; a war against aggression is a just war. Normally, this means the invader is wrong, unless he was invaded first. Genesis 14 is a good case in point. The kings of the Valley of Siddim had invaded first. Abraham's reinvasion was really in defense of the innocent. The initial aggressor is wrong. However, the invaded country does not then have the right to permanently occupy the invading country. It simply has a right to retrieve its citizens and possessions and ensure justice. Two wrongs do not make a right. There is a moral duty to restore the independence of the country that was subdued, in spite of the fact that the other was the aggressor. The way Germany and Japan were restored after World War II is an example of what should be done." 2. Competent authority - Has the war been declared, not simply by a renegade band within a nation, but by a recognized, competent authority within the nation? Romans 13:1 1 Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. This is one I personally have to push back against. We can still hold the governmental lead accountable. We don't always have to go the way of the majority. It is possible that the "competent authority within the nation" could be unjust. Though, I have to agree with Norman Geisler when he says, "A just war must be fought by a government. God gave the sword to governments, not to individuals (Rom. 13:4). Therefore, individuals within a country cannot engage in just military activity without the approval of their government. The war must be declared by those in power for it to be a just war. Yet not every war engaged in by a government is a just war. Only government-declared wars are just wars."

3. Comparative justice - Is it clear that the actions of the enemy are morally wrong and the motives and actions of one's own nation in going to ware, in comparison, morally right? Romans 13:3 3 For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same. 4. Right intention - Is the purpose of going to war to protect justice and righteousness rather than simply to rob and pillage and destroy another nation? Proverbs 21:2 2 Every man's way is right in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the hearts. Norman Geisler adds, "Wars fought to execute justice are just. A just war may be punitive in nature. It is sometimes just to take military action against, and even invade, a nation that has assaulted another nation. Hitler was the aggressor in France and other European countries. Thus it was right for the Allied forces to invade Germany in order to subdue the Nazis.Likewise, countries engaged in terrorism against others should receive appropriate military retaliation. The principle behind this kind of penal action is the same as the one behind capital punishment (see chap. 12): a life for a life. Justice demands that the punishment fit the crime, whether the criminal is an individual or a nation. 5. Last resort - Have all other reasonable means of resolving the conflict been exhausted? Matthew 5:9 9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 📷Romans 12:18 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Norman Geisler adds, "Fought only after failure of nonmilitary attempts at peace. Israel was to offer peace to the enemy cities first (Deut. 20:10 "When you approach a city to fight against it, you shall offer it terms of peace.''), before Israel attacked them. Also, Paul urges, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all" (Rom. 12:18 RSV). As applied to war, we should try war only after all efforts at peace have failed; we should not wait to try peace after all efforts at war have failed. 6. Probability of success - Is there a reasonable expectation that the war can be won? Luke14:31 31 "Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand? I also have to push back on this this as well. What about the time in the Bible (ex. Gideon) where God use a few bring down great armies. We celebrate Cinco De Mayo were 2,000 loyal men-many of them either Indigenous Mexicans fought off 6,000 French troops, and won.

Norman Geisler adds, "Reasonable prospect for victory. If one does not calculate a reasonable prospect for victory, then undertaking a war, no matter the justice of the cause, can be can be tanmount to mass suicide. This is implied in Jesus's statement Luke 14:31-32. Some wars for freedom against tyranny will certainly involve risks worth taking-even great risks. But even then the commander in chief should opt for surrender over mass suicide of the troops." 7. Proportionality of projected results - Will the good results that come from a victory in a war be significantly greater than the harm and loss that will inevitably come with pursuing the war? Romans 12:21 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 13:4 4 for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. 8. Right spirit - Is the war undertaken with great reluctance and sorrow at the harm that will come rather than simply with a "delight in war," as in Psalms 68:30? Psalm 68:30 30 Rebuke the beasts in the reeds, The herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples, Trampling under foot the pieces of silver; He has scattered the peoples who delight in war. Norman Geisler adds, ''A just war must be fought justly. Not every act in a just war is a just act of war. Chemical warfare is inhumane. Torturing or starving prisoners is morally wrong. Intentionally destroying innocent women and children is unjustified. Yet if a woman or even young child is part of the military, then they can be resisted by whatever force necessary. For example, a child with a hand grenade or bomb tied to the body is a legitimate military target. But shooting babies in mothers' arms is not a just act, even in a just war. Wayne Grudem also adds, In addition to these criteria for deciding whether a specific war is "just," advocates of just war theory have also developed some moral restrictions on how a just war should be fought. These include the following: 4 Moral Restrictions 1. Proportionality in the use of force - Can no greater destruction be caused than is needed to win the war? Deuteronomy 20:10-12 10 "When you approach a city to fight against it, you shall offer it terms of peace. 11 "If it agrees to make peace with you and opens to you, then all the people who are found in it shall become your forced labor and shall serve you. 12 "However, if it does not make peace with you, but makes war against you, then you shall besiege it.

2. Discrimination between combatants and noncombatants - Insofar as it is feasible in the successful pursuit of a war, is adequate care being taken to prevent harm to noncombatants? Deuteronomy 20:13-14 13 "When the LORD your God gives it into your hand, you shall strike all the men in it with the edge of the sword. 14 "Only the women and the children and the animals and all that is in the city, all its spoil, you shall take as booty for yourself; and you shall use the spoil of your enemies which the LORD your God has given you. Deuteronomy 20:19-20 19 "When you besiege a city a long time, to make war against it in order to capture it, you shall not destroy its trees by swinging an axe against them; for you may eat from them, and you shall not cut them down. For is the tree of the field a man, that it should be besieged by you? 20 "Only the trees which you know are not fruit trees you shall destroy and cut down, that you may construct siegeworks against the city that is making war with you until it falls. 3. Avoidance of evil means - Will captured or defeated enemies be treated with justice and compassion, and are one's own soldiers being treated justly in captivity? Psalm 34:14 14 Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it. 4. Good faith - Is there a genuine desire for restoration of peace and eventually living in harmony with the attacking nation? Matt. 5:43-44 Romans 12:18 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Matthew 5:43-44 43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.' 44 "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

Capital Punishment: Part I Pastor Derrick Marshall / Christian Ethics #8 / March 2, 2022 Norman Geisler lists three basic worldviews on capital punishment in his book, Christian Ethics. In it, he lists them as: Anti 1. Rehabilitationism, which would not allow it for any crime. Rehabilitationism is based on a remedial (reformatory) view of justice. The criminal is seen as a patient who is sick and in need of treatment. Pro 2. Reconstructionism, which insists on the death sentence for all serious crimes. 3. Retributionism, which recommends death for some (capital) crimes. Retributionism differs from recontructionism and does not believe that offenses calling for capital punishment under Moses's law are still binding today. Rather, retributionism contends that capital punishment is based on the Biblically stated principle of a life for a life that is applicable to all persons in all places and at all times. The main Biblical arguement against capital punishment is found in Exodus 20: Exodus 20:13 '< • 13 "You shall not murder. Response to the 6th CommandmentExodus 20:13 Murder in the Hebrew is rat$akl), meaning to murder, slay, kill (i.e., take the life of one another so as to cause a state of death). This word is often used to imply premeditation. Wayne Grudem, in his book also titled Christian Ethics, says, "This verb is used in the Old Testament to refer to the unlawful taking of a human life." Numbers 35:16-19 16 'But if he struck him down with an iron object, so that he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. 17 'If he struck him down with a stone in the hand, by which he will die, and as a result he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. 18 'Or if he struck him with a wooden object in the hand, by which he might die, and as a result he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. 19 'The blood avenger himself shall put the murderer to death; he shall put him to death when he meets him.

Grudem adds, "The verb is also used to speak of 'causing human death through carelessness or negligence.' But ratsakh is not the ordinary word for judicial execution, and it is never used to refer to killing in war." It's hard to make the case that this verse is talking about capital punishment because it is not the case that the original Hebrew reader would have understood it. There is, however, a point that needs to be raise and understood: Because God is the giver and sustainer of life, life should always, and at all points, be valued. That leads to the question: Should the Christian ever advocate for the ending of a life? One of the arguments for capital punishment is that it is implemented to protect human life from those who would want to take it. Genesis 9:5-6 5 "Surely I will require your lifeblood; from every beast I will require it. And from every man, from every man's brother I will require the life of man. 6 "Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man. This seems to be a standard for which man should govern themselves. Remember the context here. In Genesis 6, God saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continual. Verse 6 says, "[God] was sorry that He had made man on the earth." In Genesis 7, there was a flood on the earth, and in Genesis 9, we see God restarting life on the earth again. "Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man." Wayne Grudem says, "The word 'sheds' in this statement translates the Hebrew verb shaphak, which, in this passage, means 'to pour out in large amount, causing death.' Therefore, in this verse, shedding blood refers to the violent, unjustified taking of human life." The governing principle here states that if a person murders someone, they should themself be put to death because they have taken a life that God values. 📷The next question becomes this: Whose job is it to implement this consequence? I, Pastor Derrick, think this is a very important point. Romans 13:1-7 1 Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. 3 For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; 4 for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on

the one who practices evil. 5 Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. 7 Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor. Romans 13:4 makes two points: 1. The [governing authorities do] not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God. Sword here is machaira, meaning, sword or dagger. Other places we see this word: Revelation 13:10 ·, 10 If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints. Hebrews 11:34 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Acts 12:2 • 2 And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword. This speaks of the instrument used to put a person to death. 2. The [governing authorities are] an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. Avenger here is ἔκδικος, which means justice being done so as to rectify wrong done to another, punishing. Avenger is one who punishes. The government is required to punish or bring justice to those who practice evil. Justice is when there is a wrong done. That wrong is corrected by a judge or punished. Psalm 33:5 5 He loves righteousness and justice; The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the LORD. Amos 5:24 24 "But let justice roll down like waters And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. Wayne Gruden says, "Therefore, the idea, suggested by some, that the sword here is simply a symbol of governmental authority is hardly persuasive. When Paul says that civil government in general is authorized to 'bear the sword,' he means that it has been given authority from God to use the sword for the purpose for which people used it in the first century, and that is to put people to death."

Capital Punishment: Part II Pastor Derrick Marshall/ Christian Ethics #9 / March 9, 2022 What crimes are worthy of the death penalty? For those who are pro-death penalty, the question becomes: Are there any crimes, other than murder, that are worthy of Capital Punishment? Christopher Wright points out a significant feature of Old Testament law: "No property offense in normal legal procedure was punishable by death." That is, people could not be put to death for stealing things, but some kind of monetary retribution had to be made instead. This seems to be a wise principle that should prevent the death penalty from even being considered for crimes involving the only property. Some might say, what about the verses in the Mosaic covenant that says the penalty was Punishment by death? Adultery (for a married woman and her lover) Leviticus 20:10 10 'If there is a man who commits adultery with another man's wife, one who commits adultery with his friend's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death. Bestiality Leviticus 20:15 15 'If there is a man who lies with an animal, he shall surely be put to death; you shall also kill the animal. Blasphemy Leviticus 24:16 16 'Moreover, the one who blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall certainly stone him. The alien as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death. Child Sacrifice Leviticus 20:1-3 1 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 "You shall also say to the sons of Israel: 'Any man from the sons of Israel or from the aliens sojourning in Israel who gives any of his offspring to Malech, shall surely be put to death; the people of the land shall stone him with stones. 3 'I will also set My face against that man and will cut him off from among his people, because he has given some of his offspring to Malech, so as to defile My sanctuary and to profane My holy name. False Testimony in Capital Cases Deuteronomy 19:16-19 16 "If a malicious witness rises up against a man to accuse him of wrongdoing, 17 then both the men who have the dispute shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges who will be in office in those days. 18 "The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is a false witness and he has accused his brother falsely, 19 then you shall do to him just as he had intended to do to his brother. Thus you shall purge the evil from among you.

False Prophecy Deuteronomy 18:20 20 'But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or which he speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.' Proselytizing and Promoting Other Religions Deuteronomy 13:7-12 7 of the gods of the peoples who are around you, near you or far from you, from one end of the earth to the other end), 8 you shall not yield to him or listen to him; and your eye shall not pity him, nor shall you spare or conceal him. 9 "But you shall surely kill him; your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. 10 "So you shall stone him to death because he has sought to seduce you from the LORD your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 11 "Then all Israel will hear and be afraid, and will never again do such a wicked thing among you. 12 "If you hear in one of your cities, which the LORD your God is giving you to live in, anyone saying that 📷📷Male Homosexual Relations Leviticus 20:13 13 'If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their bloodguiltiness is upon them. Idolatry, Actual or Virtual Leviticus 20:2 • 2 "You shall also say to the sons of Israel: 'Any man from the sons of Israel or from the aliens sojourning in Israel who gives any of his offspring to Malech, shall surely be put to death; the people of the land shall stone him with stones. 📷📷Incestuous Relations Leviticus 20:11-14 11 'If there is a man who lies with his father's wife, he has uncovered his father's nakedness; both of them shall surely be put to death, their bloodguiltiness is upon them. 12 'If there is a man who lies with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall surely be put to death; they have committed incest, their bloodguiltiness is upon them. 13 'If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their bloodguiltiness is upon them. 14 'If there is a man who marries a woman and her mother, it is immorality; both he and they shall be burned with fire, so that there will be no immorality in your midst. Insubordination to Supreme Authority 📷Deuteronomy 17:12 12 "The man who acts presumptuously by not listening to the priest who stands there to serve the LORD your God, nor to the judge, that man shall die; thus you shall purge the evil from Israel. Lying About One's Virginity Upon Marrying A Spouse Deuteronomy 22:13-21 13 "If any man takes a wife and goes in to her and then turns against her, 14 and charges her with shameful deeds and publicly defames her, and says, 'I took this woman, but when I came near her, I did not find her a virgin,' 15 then the girl's father and her mother shall take and bring out the evidence of the girl's virginity to the elders of the city at the gate. 16 "The girl's father shall say to the elders, 'I gave my daughter to this man for a wife, but he turned against her; 17 and behold, he has charged her

with shameful deeds, saying, "I did not find your daughter a virgin." But this is the evidence of my daughter's virginity.' And they shall spread the garment before the elders of the city. 18 "So the elders of that city shall take the man and chastise him, 19 and they shall fine him a hundred shekels of silver and give it to the girl's father, because he publicly defamed a virgin of Israel. And she shall remain his wife; he cannot divorce her all his days. 20 "But if this charge is true, that the girl was not found a virgin, 21 then they shall bring out the girl to the doorway of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death because she has committed an act of folly in Israel by playing the harlot in her father's house; thus you shall purge the evil from among you. Kidnapping Exodus 21:16 16 "He who kidnaps a man, whether he sells him or he is found in his possession, shall surely be put to death. Licentiousness of a Priest's Daughter Leviticus 21:9 _ , 9 'Also the daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by harlotry, she profanes her father; she shall be burned with fire. Murder 📷📷Exodus 21:12 12 "He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death. Rape Committed Against a Betrothed Woman Deuteronomy 22:25-27 · i • •. • • 25 "But if in the field the man finds the girl who is engaged, and the man forces her and lies with her, then only the man who lies with her shall die. 26 "But you shall do nothing to the girl; there is no sin in the girl worthy of death, for just as a man rises against his neighbor and murders him, so is this case. 27 "When he found her in the field, the engaged girl cried out, but there was no one to save her. Rebelling Against Parental Authority Exodus 21:15, 15 "He who strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. Exodus 21:17, : 17 "He who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. Deuteronomy 21:18-21 18 "If any man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey his father or his mother, and when they chastise him, he will not even listen to them, 19 then his father and mother shall seize him, and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gateway of his hometown. 20 "They shall say to the elders of his city, 'This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey us, he is a glutton and a drunkard.' 21 "Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death; so you shall remove the evil from your midst, and all Israel will hear of it and fear. Sabbath Breaking Exodus 31:14 : 14 'Therefore you are to observe the sabbath, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people.

Touching Mount Sinai while God was giving Moses the Ten Commandments Exodus 19:13 13 'No hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot through; whether beast or man, he shall not live.' When the ram's horn sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain.'' Witchcraft, Divination, Necromancy, Sorcery, Etc. Leviticus 20:27 27 'Now a man or a woman who is a medium or a spiritist shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones, their bloodguiltiness is upon them.'" Concerning these crimes and penalties, Wayne Grudem says, "Those laws were intended only for the people of Israel at that particular time in history. Many of those laws reflected the unique status of Israel as a people for God's own possession who were required to worship him and not to allow any hint of allegiance to other gods. There is no suggestion in the rest of the Bible that those particular uses of the death penalty in the Mosaic covenant should ever be applied by civil governments today, in the age of the new covenant.'' Here is an example of this. A woman was brought to Jesus to be stoned because she was caught in adultery. Under the Mosaic Covenant, this was a proper consequence of her actions. Leviticus 20:10 10 'If there is a man who commits adultery with another man's wife, one who commits adultery with his friend's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death. But notice Jesus's response! John 8:3-11 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, 4 they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 "Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?" 6 They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. 7 But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.'' 8 Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. 10 Straightening up, Jesus said to her, "Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?" 11 She said, "No one, Lord.'' And Jesus said, "I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.'' Grudem concludes that "God gives to civil government the right and the responsibility to carry out capital Punishment for certain crimes, at least for the crime of murder (which is specified in Gen. 9:6). Whether there should be other crimes subject to capital Punishment is a question that each government in each society must decide through its normal political and governmental decision­ making process." According to deathpenaltyinfo.com, in an article entitled "Death Penalty for Offenses Other Than Murder," it states that "The death penalty in the United States is used almost exclusively for the crime of murder. Although state and federal statutes contain various capital crimes other than those

involving the victim's death, only two people were on death row for a non-murder offense (Patrick Kennedy and Richard Davis in Louisiana) when the U.S. Supreme Court addressed this issue in 2008. No one has been executed for such a crime since the death penalty was re-instated in 1976." The article goes on to say, "Although no one is on death row for the following crimes, capital offenses exist in state law for various other crimes": • Treason, betraying one's country, (Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois*, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Washington*) • Aggravated kidnapping (Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Missouri, Montana) • Drug trafficking (Florida, Missouri) • Aircraft hijacking (Georgia, Missouri) • Placing a bomb near a bus terminal (Missouri) • Espionage aka Spying (New Mexico*) • Aggravated assault by incarcerated, persistent felons, or murderers (Montana) *These states abolished the death penalty after Kennedy v. Louisiana was decided. Federal capital statutes for non-murder crimes (no one on death row for such offenses) • Espionage (18 U.S.C. 794) • Treason (18 U.S.C. 2381) • Trafficking in large quantities of drugs (18 U.S.C. 3591(b) • Attempting, authorizing or advising the killing of any officer, juror, or witness in cases involving a Continuing Criminal Enterprise, regardless of whether such killing actually occurs (18 U.S.C. 3591(b)(2)) Objections to Capital Punishment Genesis 9:5-6 is a Proverb Genesis 9:5-6 5 "Surely I will require your lifeblood; from every beast I will require it. And from every man, from every man's brother I will require the life of man. 6 "Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man. David Gushee and Glen Stassen say, "As it stands in Genesis, it does not command the death penalty but gives wise advice based on the likely consequence of your action: if you kill someone, you will end up being killed." Some see the text in Genesis as a Proverb and not a command. Matthew 5:38-39 prohibits Capital Punishment Matthew 5:38-39 38 "You have heard that it was said, 'AN EYE FOR AN EYE, AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.' 39 "But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.

I as we have stated in a previous lesson, turning the other cheek is our personal responsibility not the government responsibility. Does the Death Penalty a deterrent in Murders? There are many article that state that most murders are not premeditated and because of that the death penalty has not effect on decreasing the numbers of murders. David Muhlhausen, a research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, argues that is a logical fallacy and reports that in one study done in 2009, researchers found that adopting state laws making defendants in child murder cases subject to the death penalty resulted in an almost 20 percent reduction in rates of these crimes. I believe that the reason the death penalty is not an effective as it should be is because of hoe is instrumented. The process takes sometime decades and because the lack of swiftness offenders doesn't take the Punishment for the crime into consideration. Ecclesiastes 8:11 says this. Ecclesiastes 8:11 11 Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil. Although, there might be an argument for the effectiveness of Capital Punishment because of the slowness of the Punishment. There is one guarantee that came be made. The one who is convicted and suffers the consequences of the death penalty will no long be able to offend again. The ACLU's opposition to capital Punishment incorporates the following fundamental concerns: • The death penalty system in the U.S. is applied in an unfair and unjust manner against people, largely dependent on how much money they have, the skill of their attorneys, race of the victim and where the crime took place. • The death penalty is a waste of taxpayer funds and has no public safety benefit. The vast majority of law enforcement professionals surveyed agree that capital Punishment does not deter violent crime; a survey of police chiefs nationwide found they rank the death penalty lowest among ways· to reduce violent crime. They ranked increasing the number of police officers, reducing drug abuse, and creating a better economy with more jobs higher than the death penalty as the best ways to reduce violence. The F.B.I. has found the states with the death penalty have the highest murder rates. • Innocent people are too often sentenced to death. Since 1973, over 156 people have been released from death rows in 26 states because of innocence. Nationally, at least one person is exonerated for every 10 that are executed.

Suicide Pastor Derrick Marshall/ Christian Ethics #10 / March 23, 2022 Suicide is one of the hardest subjects that we will have to cover. Not because the Bible doesn't speak on this subject, but because of its tragic nature. Not only is a life lost, but the person who commits the act more than likely experienced extreme hopelessness and despair. The finality of suicide is gripping, and many of us know people who have ended their own lives. It is important that we discuss this this topic with the utmost grace and thoughtfulness. According to Heathline.com, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the USA. In 2017, the CDC cited that 44,965 people die from suicide per year, making up 1.64 percent of the total deaths. The website also states suicide is more common among: • men • people with brain injuries • people who have attempted suicide in the past • people with a history of depression and other mental health conditions • people who misuse alcohol or drugs • *Almost 500,000 people are treated in emergency rooms each year for self-inflected injuries. According to the WHO (World Health Organization) • More than 700,000 people die due to suicide every year. • For every suicide, there are many more people who attempt suicide. A prior suicide attempt is the single most important risk factor for suicide in the general population. • Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among 15- to 19-year-old young men and women. • 77% of global suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries. • Ingestion of pesticide, hanging, and firearms are among the most common methods of suicide globally. Webster defines suicide as the act or an instance of taking one's own life voluntarily and intentionally. 📷 Killing Oneself Exodus 20:13 13 "You shall not murder. Romans 13:9 g For this, "You SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, You SHALL NOT MURDER, You SHALL NOT STEAL, You SHALL NOT COVET," and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, "You SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR ASYOURSELF."

Wayne Gruden says, "When God speaks in the Ten Commandments and says, 'You shall not murder' (Ex.20:13; repeated in Rom. 13:9 and elsewhere), he uses the Hebrew verb ratsakh, which refers to what we today would call 'murder' and also can refer to causing the death of another person through negligence or carelessness (see discussion of ratsakh above, p. 505). But if it applies to murdering another person, then it seems evident that it would also apply to murdering ourselves. Therefore, 'You shall not murder' is also a prohibition that means, 'You shall not murder yourself."' 4 Examples of Suicide in the Bible 1. 📷📷Saul - Saul was about to be killed by the Philistine, and he fell on his own sword. 1 Samuel 31:3-5 3 The battle went heavily against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was badly wounded by the archers. 4 Then Saul said to his armor bearer, "Draw your sword and pierce me through with it, otherwise these uncircumcised will come and pierce me through and make sport of me." But his armor bearer would not, for he was greatly afraid. So Saul took his sword and fell on it. 5 When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died with him. 2. Ahithophel - Ahithophel despaired after choosing Absalom's side instead of David's. Realizing his mistake, he "set his house in order and strangled himself." 2 Samuel 17:23 23 Now when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey and arose and went to his home, to his city, and set his house in order, and strangled himself; thus he died and was buried in the grave of his father. 3. Judas - Judas after betraying our Lord. He experienced deep remorse and hanged himself. Matthew 27:3-5 3 Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He had been condemned, he felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4 saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." But they said, "What is that to us? See to that yourself!" 5 And he threw the pieces of silver into the temple sanctuary and departed; and he went away and hanged himself. It is clear in these examples intense hopelessness and despair. 4. Samson - Samson's death is often cited as a heroic example of suicide, but I, Pastor Derrick, don't believe that his death can be accurately described as a suicide. Here we see Samson as a type (foreshadowing) of Jesus Christ in how lays down his life for others. John 15:13 13 "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.

1. Samson gave his life for the sake of others. 2. Samson knew that his action would kill him but considered others higher than himself. 3. Samson gave his life so that others might live. Judges 16:28-30 28 Then Samson called to the LORD and said, "O Lord Goo, please remember me and please strengthen me just this time, 0 God, that I may at once be avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes." 29 Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the house rested, and braced himself against them, the one with his right hand and the other with his left. 30 And Samson said, "Let me die with the Philistines!" And he bent with all his might so that the house fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he killed in his life. You were made in the image of God. Genesis 9:6 6 "Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man. Our lives matter! Our lives matter so much that God created us in His own image. Adam and Eve were God's first created beings in His image, and what did the devil try to do? Deceive them into believing a lie. I will quote out of my book, The Heart of a Son. "One of the major problems here is that Eve did not realize that she was already like God. God formed her and made her in His image. When we cannot see ourselves like God made us, the devil can convince us to do anything. Instead of saying, "I am a daughter, and I don't have to listen to you." She looked at the tree, and she was tempted in every area of her life. "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world" (1 John 2:16).She looked at the tree and saw it was good for food (lust of the flesh), and that it was a delight to the eyes (lust of the eyes). And that the tree was to be desired to make one wise (pride of life). Then she became carried away by her own lust and desire, and she ate of the fruit and was in transgression (_g Timothy 2:14). Then Adam ate the fruit and sin entered into mankind." Derrick Marshall. The Heart of a Son Norman Geisler says, "Since suicide is also a form of homicide, it, too, comes under the prohibition against murder. Killing oneself is both a rejection of God's sovereignty over life and an attack upon the sanctity of life. It matters not whether the human life is our own or another's; it is still in God's image, and he is sovereign over it."

Question: Can a person who has committed suicide be forgiven and go to heaven? Pastor Derrick's response: First, I must say that I believe that most, if not all, suicides involve some kind of mental illness of demonic influence because suicide goes against man's natural instinct to self-preserve and protect. Naturally, if someone throws a ball at you, without thinking, you natural response is to duck. By nature, we want to avoid pain, unless we have been conditioned and convinced that we deserve, need it, or there is no help for us. I believe that suicide jeopardizes one's salvation and should not done be the Christian. The message for the believer, even in desire, is that God can turn the situation around. Paul promised that God has given a way of escape for every situation. And in even the worst, God can turn it into good and use it for our good. With that being said, I also believe in grace and that God is faithful. Even in the act, if one calls on the name of Jesus, they can be and will be saved. I also believe there is hope for even those who knew Jesus and took their own lives. 📷1 Corinthians 10:13 '. 13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. Romans8:28 28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 10:13 13 for "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED." Wayne Grudem response: "Yes, Certainly, If They Were Believers in Christ. While it is true that taking one's own life is a sin against God, we will all remain sinners in need of forgiveness until the time of our deaths." 📷1 John 1:8 , , 8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. He goes on to say, "Therefore, the question is not whether someone was a sinner at the moment he or she died (for we all will still be sinners when we die), but whether that person had truly trusted in Christ for forgiveness of sins. If the person had believed the gospel and genuinely trusted in Christ, then the familiar passages having to do with Christ's death for our sins and the gift of salvation are very appropriate here, assuring us that even the sin of suicide can be forgiven." 📷Romans 6:23; 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:3 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

Suicide Pastor Derrick Marshall / Christian Ethics #10 / March 23, 2022 Suicide is one of the hardest subjects that we will have to cover. Not because the Bible doesn't speak on this subject, but because of its tragic nature. Not only is a life lost, but the person who commits the act more than likely experienced extreme hopelessness and despair. The finality of suicide is gripping, and many of us know people who have ended their own lives. It is important that we discuss this this topic with the utmost grace and thoughtfulness. According to Heathline.com, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the USA. In 2017, the CDC cited that 44,965 people die from suicide per year, making up 1.64 percent of the total deaths. The website also states suicide is more common among: • men • people with brain injuries • people who have attempted suicide in the past • people with a history of depression and other mental health conditions • people who misuse alcohol or drugs • *Almost 500,000 people are treated in emergency rooms each year for self-inflected injuries. According to the WHO (World Health Organization) • More than 700,000 people die due to suicide every year. • For every suicide, there are many more people who attempt suicide. A prior suicide attempt is the single most important risk factor for suicide in the general population. • Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among 15- to 19-year-old young men and women. • 77% of global suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries. • Ingestion of pesticide, hanging, and firearms are among the most common methods of suicide globally. Webster defines suicide as the act or an instance of taking one's own life voluntarily and intentionally. Killing Oneself Exodus 20:13 13 "You shall not murder. Romans 13:9 g For this, "You SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, You SHALL NOT MURDER, You SHALL NOT STEAL, You SHALL NOT COVET," and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, "You SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF."

Wayne Gruden says, "When God speaks in the Ten Commandments and says, 'You shall not murder' (Ex.20:13; repeated in Rom. 13:9 and elsewhere), he uses the Hebrew verb ratsakh, which refers to what we today would call 'murder' and also can refer to causing the death of another person through negligence or carelessness (see discussion of ratsakh above, p. 505). But if it applies to murdering another person, then it seems evident that it would also apply to murdering ourselves. Therefore, 'You shall not murder' is also a prohibition that means, 'You shall not murder yourself."' 4 Examples of Suicide in the Bible 1. Saul - Saul was about to be killed by the Philistine, and he fell on his own sword. 1 Samuel 31:3-5 3 The battle went heavily against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was badly wounded by the archers. 4 Then Saul said to his armor bearer, "Draw your sword and pierce me through with it, otherwise these uncircumcised will come and pierce me through and make sport of me." But his armor bearer would not, for he was greatly afraid. So Saul took his sword and fell on it. 5 When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died with him. 2. Ahithophel - Ahithophel despaired after choosing Absalom's side instead of David's. Realizing his mistake, he "set his house in order and strangled himself." 2 Samuel 17:23 23 Now when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey and arose and went to his home, to his city, and set his house in order, and strangled himself; thus he died and was buried in the grave of his father. 3. Judas - Judas after betraying our Lord. He experienced deep remorse and hanged himself. Matthew 27:3-5 3 Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He had been condemned, he felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4 saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." But they said, "What is that to us? See to that yourself!" 5 And he threw the pieces of silver into the temple sanctuary and departed; and he went away and hanged himself. It is clear in these examples intense hopelessness and despair. 4. Samson - Samson's death is often cited as a heroic example of suicide, but I, Pastor Derrick, don't believe that his death can be accurately described as a suicide. Here we see Samson as a type (foreshadowing) of Jesus Christ in how lays down his life for others. John 15:13 13 "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.

1. Samson gave his life for the sake of others. 2. Samson knew that his action would kill him but considered others higher than himself. 3. Samson gave his life so that others might live. Judges 16:28-30 28 Then Samson called to the LORD and said, "O Lord Goo, please remember me and please strengthen me just this time, 0 God, that I may at once be avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes." 29 Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the house rested, and braced himself against them, the one with his right hand and the other with his left. 30 And Samson said, "Let me die with the Philistines!" And he bent with all his might so that the house fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he killed in his life. You were made in the image of God. Genesis 9:6 6 "Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man. Our lives matter! Our lives matter so much that God created us in His ownimage. Adam and Eve were God's first created beings in His image, and what did the devil try to do? Deceive them into believing a lie. I will quote out of my book, The Heart of a Son. "One of the major problems here is that Eve did not realize that she was already like God. God formed her and made her in His image. When we cannot see ourselves like God made us, the devil can convince us to do anything. Instead of saying, "I am a daughter, and I don't have to listen to you." She looked at the tree, and she was tempted in every area of her life. "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world" (1 John 2:16).She looked at the tree and saw it was good for food (lust of the flesh), and that it was a delight to the eyes (lust of the eyes). And that the tree was to be desired to make one wise (pride of life). Then she became carried away by her own lust and desire, and she ate of the fruit and was in transgression (2 Timothy 2:14). Then Adam ate the fruit and sin entered into mankind." Derrick Marshall. The Heart of a Son Norman Geisler says, "Since suicide is also a form of homicide, it, too, comes under the prohibition against murder. Killing oneself is both a rejection of God's sovereignty over life and an attack upon the sanctity of life. It matters not whether the human life is our own or another's; it is still in God's image, and he is sovereign over it."

Question: Can a person who has committed suicide be forgiven and go to heaven? Pastor Derrick's response: First, I must say that I believe that most, if not all, suicides involve some kind of mental illness of demonic influence because suicide goes against man's natural instinct to self-preserve and protect. Naturally, if someone throws a ball at you, without thinking, you natural response is to duck. By nature, we want to avoid pain, unless we have been conditioned and convinced that we deserve, need it, or there is no help for us. I believe that suicide jeopardizes one's salvation and should not done be the Christian. The message for the believer, even in desire, is that God can turn the situation around. Paul promised that God has given a way of escape for every situation. And in even the worst, God can turn it into good and use it for our good. With that being said, I also believe in grace and that God is faithful. Even in the act, if one calls on the name of Jesus, they can be and will be saved. I also believe there is hope for even those who knew Jesus and took their own lives. 1 Corinthians 10:13 13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. Romans 8:28 28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 10:13 13 for "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED." Wayne Grudem response: "Yes, Certainly, If They Were Believers in Christ. While it is true that taking one's own life is a sin against God, we will all remain sinners in need of forgiveness until the time of our deaths." 1 John 1:8 8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. He goes on to say, "Therefore, the question is not whether someone was a sinner at the moment he or she died (for we all will still be sinners when we die), but whether that person had truly trusted in Christ for forgiveness of sins. If the person had believed the gospel and genuinely trusted in Christ, then the familiar passages having to do with Christ's death for our sins and the gift of salvation are very appropriate here, assuring us that even the sin of suicide can be forgiven." Romans 6:23 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:3 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

AbortionPastor Derrick Marshall/ Christian Ethics #11 / March 30, 2022 John10:10 10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. Our text here in John would indicate that our God is pro-life. This the very reason for Jesus's appearance. The thief (devil) has come to steal, kill, and destroy. But there is good news! Jesus has come that we might have life. Before we can establish a case for why abortion is wrong, we must first establish what life is and when it begins. Luke 1:41-44 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 And she cried out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed·;s the fruit of your womb! 43 "And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? 44 "For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. Notice John leaps in the belly of Elizabeth. This action proves there is life on the inside of Elizabeth's womb. Both the Bible (Luke's account) and Elizabeth call the unborn child a baby. The word in the Greek used for baby here is "brephos," which means baby, infant; baby, either newly born or not yet born. The same word is used in Luke 2:12: Luke 2:12 12 "This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." The indication in the Greek is that an unborn baby is just as much alive as a born baby. Luke 1:44 44 "For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. According to American Academy of Pediatrics, "At around 18 weeks of pregnancy, your unborn baby will start being able to hear sounds in your body, like your heartbeat. At 27 to 29 weeks (6 to 7 months), they can hear some sounds outside your body, too, like your voice." Once again, the science proves that the Bible is right. The child responds to hearing with movement. This speaks of personality and consciousness.

Arguments for abortion 1. "It" is a fetus; therefore, "it" is not a baby. Fetus is derived from the Latin meaning offspring, bringing forth. If you picked up an encyclopedia, you'd find fetus defined as an unborn offspring of a mammal, in particular an unborn human baby more than eight weeks after conception. (Notice baby is in the definition.) Merriam-Webster defines fetus as an unborn or unhatched vertebrate, especially after attaining the basic structural plan of its kind, specifically a developing human from usually two months after conception to birth. (Developing, moving, growing....................................................................................... meaning this is a life.) Psalm 139:13-14 13 For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb. 14 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. Life begins at conception. Wayne Grudem says, "Here also he speaks of himself as a distinct person ('me') when he was in his mother's womb. The Hebrew word translated as 'inward parts' is 'kilyah,' literally kidney: but in contexts such as this it refers to the innermost parts of a person, including his deepest inward thoughts and emotions."' "You wove me," speaks of conception and being the source of life. Wrong Biblical argument that a fetus is not a baby Life is connected to breath. But some would say that if a fetus cannot breathe, they are not human beings. Genesis 2:7 7Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. Norman Geisler says, "Since breathing does not occur until birth, it is argued that the unborn are not human until they are born." Job 34:14-15 14 "If He should determine to do so, If He should gather to Himself His spirit and His breath, 15 All flesh would perish together, And man would return to dust. Norman adds, "Here again, since life is connected with breath, it is reasoned that there is no human life before breath." Why that's stupid Norman Geisler says, "Breath is not the beginning of humanness. There are several reasons for not taking breath as the point of human life's beginning. If breath is equated with the presence of human life, then the loss of breath would mean the loss of humanness. But the Bible is clear that human beings continue to exist in another realm after they stop breathing."

2 Corinthians 5:6-8 6 Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord- 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight- 8 we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Revelation 6:9 9 When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; The Bible speaks of life in the womb even before birth. Psalm 51:5 5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me. "Brought forth... conceived." The inside of the womb is the place life begins, not outside of it. 2. Abortion reduces crime. According to a study co-written by Freakonomics, co-author Steven D. Levitt, PhD, stated that ·"legalized abortion has contributed significantly to recent crime reductions." He concluded that around 18 years after abortion was legalized, crime rates began to drop abruptly, and crime rates dropped earlier in states that allowed abortion earlier. Levitt believed, "Women who have abortions are those most at risk to give birth to children who would engage in criminal activity." He also concluded, "Women who had control over the timing of childbearing were more likely to raise children in optimal environments, crime is reduced when there is access to legal abortion." You know what else happened "around" 18 years after Roe vs. Wade? The 1994 Violent Crime Control Law and Enforcement Act. The largest crime bill in the history of our country. Wrong Biblical argument for abortion reduces crime. Matthew 26:24 24 "The Son of Man is to go, just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born." The argument here is that the violence against Jesus would have never been committed if Judas would not have been born. Some make this argument about Hitler as well. Ben Shapiro, conservative radio host and commentator, spoke at the March for Life rally in Washington, D.C. in 2019 saying: "'And the truth is that no pro-life person on earth would kill baby Hitler because baby Hitler wasn't Hitler, adult Hitler was Hitler. Baby Hitler was a baby,' He continued with, 'What you presumably want to do with baby Hitler is take baby Hitler out of baby Hitler's house and move baby Hitler into a better house where he would not grow up to be Hitler, right? That's the idea."'

Yes, betrayal was prophesied about (in Jesus's case,) but it didn't have to be the way of Judas. Wayne Grudem makes this point about the loss of millions of valuable people: "Another argument against abortion is the incalculable loss to the nation from the deaths of more than 1 million babies per year. Since the 1973 Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade, nearly 60 million children have been put to death through abortion.'* Some of those would now be 44 years old. Others would be 43, 42, and so on, down to approximately 1 million of them who would be in their first year of life. Many of them by now would be scientists and doctors, engineers and business leaders, entrepreneurs, artists, electricians, poets, carpenters, musicians, farmers, sports figures, political leaders, and so forth. Many of them would be mothers taking care of their own children and fathers helping to raise their children. They would be contributing to society in all areas of life-but they never had the chance to be born. They never had the chance to contribute in a positive way to this world." 3. Pro- Choice means Free Will In this argument, it is believed that mothers have the "right" to choose and make decisions for themselves about when and how they bear children. Hence, "It's my body. My choice." Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor wrote in the 1992 decision in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, "The ability of women to participate equally in the economic and social life of the Nation has been facilitated by their ability to control their reproductive lives." Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote in her dissenting opinion in Gonzales v. Carhart (2007) that undue restrictions on abortion infringe upon "a woman's autonomy to determine her life's course, and thus to enjoy equal citizenship stature." Wrong Biblical argument for choice. God gives us free will to choose. This scripture has been used as a pro-choice defense: Joshua 24:15 15 "If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." Why this is stupid God may give us the ability to choose, but that doesn't mean our choices are always correct. Remember ... Exodus 20:13 13 "You shall not murder.

That baby in conceived of God and is therefore created in His image. Genesis 9:6 6 "Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man. EVERY life is valuable in the eyes of God, and we must protect every life. Look at how the law deals with those who threaten the life and health of a pregnant mother: Exodus 21:22-25 22 "If men struggle with each other and strike a woman with child so that she gives birth prematurely, yet there is no injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman's husband may demand of him, and he shall pay as the judges decide. 23 "But if there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise. Wayne Grudem says, "This means that God established for Israel a law code that placed a higher value on protecting the life of a pregnant woman and her unborn child than the life of anyone else in Israelite society. Far from treating the death of an unborn child as less significant than the death of others in society, this law treated the death of an unborn child or its mother as more significant and therefore worthy of more severe punishment. And the law did not make any distinction about the number of months the woman had been pregnant. Presumably it applied from a very early stage in pregnancy, whenever it could be known that the injury inflicted by the men who were fighting caused the death of the unborn child or children." He also adds, "Moreover, this law applied to a case of accidental killing of an unborn child. But if accidental killing of an unborn child is so serious in God's eyes, then surely intentional killing of an unborn child must be an even worse crime."

Infanticide Pastor Derrick Marshall / Christian Ethics #12 / April 13, 2022 Infanticide is defined as the crime of killing a child within a year of birth. It is the practice in some societies of killing unwanted children soon after birth. It is also a person who kills an infant, especially their own child. In our previous class, we talked about abortion, and every argument that could be made against abortion could also be made against infanticide (and euthanasia.) Stanley J. Grenz and Jay T. Smith say this in their book, Pocket Dictionary of Ethics: "The killing of an infant either by the parents or with their express permission. Although infanticide was a common practice in the ancient Mediterranean world, it fell out of favor, largely due to the influence of Christianity. Ethicists today are in general agreement that infanticide motivated by malice is unethical. More controversial are those cases of infanticide that stem from an attempt to extend mercy to a child suffering extreme pain or a low quality of life (see life, quality of) because of some infirmity or physical or mental disorder" Stanley J. Grenz and Jay T. Smith In this course, we have discussed the necessity of why it is important to define our values and principles. When we have clear and defined values and principles, we draw lines and stand firm when we face moral dilemmas. Wayne Grudem says, "If it is justified to kill an unborn human because the fetus is not wanted, might be deformed, or might not be able to function fully as a human being, then by the same logic some infants and most of the elderly may be eliminated for the same reason. Thus, if abortion is morally right, then so is infanticide and euthanasia for the same reasons. In short, today, no unwanted baby; tomorrow, no unwanted infant or grandparent.'" With the increasing lack of desire to define when life begins comes the evil desire to determine if a life is valuable enough to live. Governor Ralph Northam said in 2019, "If a mother is in labor, I can tell you exactly what would happen. The infant would be delivered. The infant would be kept comfortable. The infant would be resuscitated if that's what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother." A fact checker would say that his comments were taken out of context and were talking about a "nonviable fetus," which is the idea that a parent or parents discover at 30 weeks' gestation that the fetus (baby) was not viable and would die shortly after birth. Abortion and infanticide are deeply connected. Abortion is literally pre-natal, and infanticide is feticide! The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volumes I-XV (Pre-natal Infanticide) says this,

Among the ancient philosophers and medieval theologians there was considerable discussion as to when the human embryo could be said to possess human life. This is no longer a question among modern biologists. At the very moment of conception a human being comes into existence. At any time after this the deprivation of life in this living matter, if done deliberately, is murder. Knowingly or unknowingly, his answer attempts to justify both pre-natal infanticide and post-natal infanticide. The life is not viable. As Governor Northam said, "The infant would be delivered... kept comfortable ... be resuscitated if that's what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother." Choosing if the child lives or dies will not be in the hand of man, not God. Job 33:4 NASB95 4 "The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me life. Here are two arguments for both abortion and infanticide: 1. Unable to interact with other and survive on their own -- sentient Grudem says, "A newborn is still unable to talk or perform moral actions. This is also true for a person in a coma due to a serious accident. Moreover, a newborn infant is surely unable to survive without its mother. (Some people would say that most junior high students are unable to survive without their mothers!) Such an objection is not persuasive." As a Christian, we know miracles happen. People come out of comas and even nonviable fetus become viable. 2. Birth defects The question becomes should parents have the right to spare children from suffering? Moreover, should parents have the right to spare themselves from watching their children suffer and face the suffering of being a caretaker, whether that be before or after the birth of the child? Norman Geiler says, "It is argued by many in favor of infanticide that the parents should have the first and initial right to make the choice about imperiled children. Thus, if the parents do not want the imperiled child, then the child should not be born." We must remember that there are MANY instances when a diagnosis of birth defects are given in error. There are times where a child is born normal after a diagnosis, and some birth defects are small and unnoticeable. The position of the Christian should be one of faith and truth. Exodus 4:11 NASB95 11 The LORD said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?

Randy Alcorn quotes an example of a medical school professor who presented the following case study and asked students what they would do: The father had syphilis and the mother had tuberculosis. Of four previous children, the first was blind, the second died, the third was both deaf and dumb, and the fourth had tuberculosis. What would you advise the woman to do when she finds she is pregnant again? One student answered, "I would advise an abortion." Then the professor said, "Congratulations................................... You have just killed Beethoven." Examples of Infanticide in the Bible: Exodus 1:15-16 NASB95 15 Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other was named Puah; 16 and he said, "When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth and see them upon the birthstool, if it is a son, then you shall put him to death; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live." Matthew 2:16-18 NASB95 16 Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi. 17 Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: 18 "A VOICE WAS HEARD IN RAMAH, WEEPING AND GREAT MOURNING, RACHEL WEEPING FOR HER CHILDREN; AND SHE REFUSED TO BE COMFORTED, BECAUSE THEY WERE NO MORE." Acts 7:19 NASB95 19 "It was he who took shrewd advantage of our race and mistreated our fathers so that they would expose their infants and they would not survive. Active infanticide involves a procedure that takes the life of the infant. Passive infanticide simply allows an infant to die by withholding needed treatments. Norman Geiler says, "In the final analysis there is no real difference for the infant since it dies a preventable death." He also adds, "In 1982, the Supreme Court in Indiana ruled that parents could permit their Down syndrome baby to starve to death. It is not an uncommon practice in hospitals to allow deformed or handicapped infants to die without food, water, or treatment. Others get a DR (do not resuscitate) order." A professor of pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin stated boldly, "It is common in the United States to withhold routine surgery and medical care from infants with Down Syndrome for the explicit purpose of hastening death." It is even more so today. Closing arguments against Infanticide from Norman Geisler: 1. Thou shall not kill

"The arguments against infanticide are the same as those against homicide. The infant is an innocent human being. And it is morally wrong to intentionally kill an innocent human being." 2. God is sovereign over life "Only God gave life (Gen. 1:21), and only God has the right to take life (Deut. 32:39; Job 1:21). Just because an infant is not fully developed does not mean it is not fully human." Mr. Geisler sums it up best by saying, "An infant human is a human by essence, not by accidental characteristics. Here, intentional infanticide is a morally culpable form of homicide."

Euthanasia Pastor Derrick Marshall / Christian Ethics #13 / April 20, 2022 Merriam-Webster defines euthanasia as "the act or practice of killing or permitting the death of hopelessly sick or injured individuals (such as persons or domestic animals) in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy." The word "euthanasia" is derived from Greek, "eu" meaning good (or happy) and "thanatos" meaning death. Euthanasia is also often called "mercy killing." According to Karger Publishers, a worldwide publisher of scientific and medical content based in Basel, Switzerland, there are four main types of euthanasia: 1. Active - involves the direct administration of a lethal substance to the patient by another party with merciful intent. 2. Passive - withholding or withdrawing of life-sustaining treatment either at the request of the patient or when prolonging life is considered futile. 3. Indirect - the prescription of painkillers that may be fatal in an attempt to relieve suffering. 4. Physician-assisted suicide - refers to a medical professional aiding a patient in terminating their life upon the patient's request. Norman Geisler says, "Euthanasia can be either voluntary or not voluntary. In the voluntary kind, the patient consents to this death; in the latter, the patient does not consent. The death can be self-caused or caused by another. In the former case, it is a form of suicide; in the latter case, it is a homicide." The Death of King Saul and David's Response 2 Samuel 1:1-16 NASB95 1 Now it came about after the death of Saul, when David had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, that David remained two days in Ziklag. 2 On the third day, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul, with his clothes torn and dust on his head. And it came about when he came to David that he fell to the ground and prostrated himself. 3 Then David said to him, "From where do you come?" And he said to him, "I have escaped from the camp of Israel." 4 David said to him, "How did things go? Please tell me." And he said, "The people have fled from the battle, and also many of the people have fallen and are dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also." 5 So David said to the young man who told him, "How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?" 6 The young man who told him said, "By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and behold, Saul was leaning on his spear. And behold, the chariots and the horsemen pursued him closely. 7 "When he looked behind him, he saw me and called to me. And I said, 'Here I am.' 8 "He said to me, 'Who are you?' And I answered him, 'I am an Amalekite.' 9 "Then he said to me, 'Please stand beside me and kill me, for agony

has seized me because my life still lingers in me.' 10 "So I stood beside him and killed him, because I knew that he could not live after he had fallen. And I took the crown which was on his head and the bracelet which was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord." 11 Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and so also did all the men who were with him. 12 They mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and his son Jonathan and for the people of the LORD and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. 13 David said to the young man who told him, "Where are you from?" And he answered, "I am the son of an alien, an Amalekite." 14 Then David said to him, "How is it you were not afraid to stretch out your hand to destroy the LORD'S anointed?" 15 And David called one of the young men and said, "Go, cut him down." So he struck him and he died. 16 David said to him, "Your blood is on your head, for your mouth has testified against you, saying, 'I have killed the LORD'S anointed.' " We know that Saul fell on his sword, and now David is king. But through this encounter with a Amalekite boy, we find there is more to the death of Saul. The boy finds Saul "leaning on his spear." (Remember Saul had fallen on his own sword.) Saul calls the boy over in agony and asks him to kill him "because my life still lingers in me." This is an example of a mercy killing or euthanasia. Notice how David responds to the boy: 2 Samuel 1:15--16 NASB95 15 And David called one of the young men and said, "Go, cut him down." So he struck him and he died. 16 David said to him, "Your blood is on your head, for your mouth has testified against you, saying, 'I have killed the LORD'S anointed.'" David said, you have "killed." The Hebrew word for killed here is "mattithiah," meaning be put to death or to be murdered. David saw this as murder and ordered the boy to be put to death. Wayne Grudem writes that how this narrative has several similarities to modern situations in which people sometimes say euthanasia is justified: 1. The patient (Saul) appeared to be terminally injured, with no reasonable human hope of recovery. (He had fallen on his own sword in an attempt to commit suicide: see 1 Sam. 31:4- §.) 2. The patient was in extreme pain, and if he did not die, he faced the prospect of even more suffering. 3. The patient clearly requested, even begged, that someone would put him to death. 4. This request was also a command from the head of government at that time because Saul was still the king.

Arguments for Euthanasia 1. You have a right to die with dignity. A few states in the United States - including Oregon, Washington, Vermont, and Montana - have permitted it. The "Die with Dignity" website says that "Seven in 10 Americans support the right of people with a terminal illness to die on their own terms." 2. It's an act of mercy. If you would put down a sick animal, isn't the life of a human more valuable? In 1984 Governor Richard Lamm said, "You've got a duty to die and get out of the way... Let the others in society, our kids, build a reasonable life." When asked about his comments, he remarked, "I don't think I said it brutally, but I think it was reported brutally. Medical science has now replaced God as the author of death. Every one of us ought to think through that issue. In my case, I want them to pull the plug. The era of natural death is really being replaced by high technology medication where they can really prolong suffering rather than sustain life." 3. It relieve a family from the heavy financial burden. In an article on BBC, they noted, "It is expensive to keep people alive when there is no cure for their illness. Euthanasia would release precious resources to treat people who could live." There is a fundamental difference from KILLING and LETTING someone die! Killing is the causing of someone to die. Letting someone die is passive because you're allowing the natural course to take place. From Wayne Grudem says, "While the Bible prohibits actively killing someone, in the case of letting someone die, the moral decision is more complex. Sometimes it is clearly wrong to let a person die. We should intervene and try to help a person recover and not passively allow the person to die, when: 1. There is a reasonable human hope of recovery. 2. (When) we are able to help. This would be obeying Jesus's teaching "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Matt. 22:39)and his command "So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets" (Matt. 7:12). Moreover, in the parable of the good Samaritan, Jesus implicitly condemned the priest and the Levite who neglected to do what they could to help a badly injured man (see Luke 10:30-37). On the other hand, in cases where:

1. There is no reasonable human hope of recovery (sometimes called a situation of "futility"). 2. It is the patient's wish to be allowed to die. 3. We are unable to help (such as when a person is trapped in a burning car or when the expense of necessary medical treatments is more than we can bear). ...then it may be right to allow the person to die. This is morally distinct from actively murdering a person. Slippery Slope The BBC article quoted earlier says, "People with different beliefs may agree with many of these arguments. For example, an atheist may recognize that there are dangers in allowing euthanasia, but they might argue that an individual's right to direct their own life outweighs other good arguments." Wayne Grudem offers that "If euthanasia is allowed for some patients who are suffering, then how can we prevent it from being applied to more and more patients who are suffering? And with the increasing cost of health care for elderly and extremely ill patients, there is likely to be growing pressure on people to ask that their lives be taken. Moreover, nations that have allowed for physician-assisted suicide find that a society can quickly move from merely allowing the right to die to the belief that there is an obligation to die' on the part of the elderly and the very ill people who are 'draining resources' from the society. In such situations, it becomes likely that a number of elderly people will be put to death against their will." My finally thoughts: We must remember that our lives as Christians both start and continue with faith. We should not allow our desires to be merciful get in the way of living by faith. It is not an unfair question to ask "Am giving up to soon?" or "Can God still intervene?" People recover and get better. Supernatural and miraculous things still happen. Are we waiting for God to move? Habakkuk 2:4 NASB95 4 "Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith. Hebrews 10:38 NASB95 38 BUT MY RIGHTEOUS ONE SHALL LIVE BY FAITH; AND IF HE SHRINKS BACK, MY SOUL HAS NO PLEASURE IN HIM. Hebrews 11:6 NASB95 6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. Romans 14:23 NASB95 23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.

MarriagePastor Derrick Marshall/ Christian Ethics #14 / May 17, 2022 Norman Geisler says, "Marriage is the most basic and influential societal unit in the world. It is difficult to overestimate the importance of marriage, yet each year in the United States there are about half as many divorces as marriages. In view of this, it behooves us to consider the basis for marriage as God intended it. Likewise, since divorce has become commonplace both inside and outside the church, we need to examine when, if ever, it is justifiable." What is Marriage? According to Merriam-Webster, marriage is the state of being united as spouses in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law. It is the mutual relation of married persons. Another word for marriage is wedlock, which is the institution whereby individuals are joined in a marriage. Wayne Grudem says, "Marriage has been understood as 'the legal union of a man and woman as husband and wife' in all cultures and societies throughout all of human history. No society in all of recorded history ever permitted same-sex marriage before the 21st century. But beginning with the Netherlands in 2001."' According to Geisler, marriage involves three basic elements: 1. Marriage is between a male and a female. 2. Marriage involves sexual union. 3. Marriage involves a covenant before God. 1. Marriage is between a male and female. God creates "male and female" in Genesis 1:27 and them tells to "be fruitful and multiply" in Genesis 1:28. Reproduction can only occur through a male and female union. Genesis 2:24, "Joined" here means to cleave, to adhere, specially firmly, as if with glue or to be glued. "The two shall be one flesh" speaks of marriage. Ephesians 5:28-33 N.-\ 1::;-.; > 28 So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29 for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and

cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, 30 because we are members of His body. 31 FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH. 32 This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband. Geisler also adds that "The use of the terms 'husband' and 'wife' in the context of 'father' and 'mother' make it clear that the reference is to a biological male and female." Jesus refers to this in Matthew 19:3-6: Matthew 19:3-6 i'i ,'.·:: ·, :,,; 3 Some Pharisees came to Jesus, testing Him and asking, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all?" 4 And He answered and said, "Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE, 5 and said, 'FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH'? 6 "So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate." 2. Marriage involves sexual union. This makes marriage unique among other covenants and unions. Genesis 4:1 1 Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, "I have gotten a manchild with the help of the LORD." Marriage was designed to make two become one or one flesh. This is not just a spiritual transaction but also is physical. Marriage joins a man and woman together spiritually and physically. 1 Corinthians 6:16 Sex was created to be shared between a husband and his wife in marriage. 1 Corinthians 7:2-4 2 But because of immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband. 3 The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband. 4 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Sexual relationship outside of this union is called "fornication."

Acts 15:20 20 but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood. 1 Corinthians 6:18 18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. Sex outside of marriage while married is called "adultery." Exodus 20:14 14 "You shall not commit adultery. Matthew 19:9 9 And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery." Sex is sanctified by God for marriage ONLY! 1 Corinthians 7:1-3 : 1 Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman. 2 But because of immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband. 3 The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband. 3. Marriage involves a covenant before God. Norman Geisler says, "Marriage is not only a union between male and female involving conjugal (sexual) rights; it is also a union born of a covenant of mutual promises. From the very beginning, the commitment is implied in the concept of leaving parents and cleaving to one's wife." Wayne Grudem says, "In Scripture, marriage is seen as a lifelong relationship between a man and a woman that is established by a solemn covenant before God." Marriage is a covenant. Malachi 2:14 i'u\::; a,:::5 14 "Yet you say, 'For what reason?' Because the LORD has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. Grudem adds, "In this passage, a 'covenant' is a solemn agreement establishing a marriage relationship between a man and a woman. In this agreement, the man and woman promise each other that they will be faithful to this marriage for a lifetime, and they call God to witness their promise and to hold them accountable for being faithful to it."

In this covenant, the man leaves his mother and father and joins to his wife as his number one priority. Not only is marriage a covenant, it is also a mutual agreement. Proverbs 2:16-17 16 To deliver you from the strange woman, From the adulteress who flatters with her words; 17 That leaves the companion of her youth And forgets the covenant of her God; Wayne Grudem says, "We see the adulteress woman who forsakes her commitment is condemned. From these passages, it is evident that marriage is not only a covenant, but also a covenant of which God is a witness. God instituted marriage, and he witnesses the vows. They are made 'before God."' Matthew 19:6 6 "So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate." Jesus says, "What therefore God has joined together." Marriage is a union between God and man, not God and the state. Man makes the commitment; God joins them together. I'll close with Norman Geisler's thoughts on marriage being a covenant before God: "One further note on the nature of marriage. It is a God-ordained institution for all people, not just for Christians. Marriage is the only social institution that God ordained before the fall of humankind. The Letter to the Hebrews declares that marriage 'should be honored by all [people]' (13:4). Thus God has ordained marriage for non-Christians as well as Christians. And he is the witness of all weddings, whether invited or not. Marriage is a sacred occasion, whether the couple recognizes it or not."

DivorcePastor Derrick Marshall / Christian Ethics #15 / May 25, 2022 Norman Geisler says, "There is general agreement among Christians on the nature of marriage. It is between a male and a female and involves sexual rights. It entails a covenant (vow) before God to be faithful to each other because it is a monogamous relation between one man and one woman. On the other hand, general agreement on divorce is harder to come by among Christians." Today we will focus on three views on divorce: 1. Never a reason 2. Only one reason 3. Many reasons Divorce is a very confusing subject for the Christian and the Church, and because of that, it is quite controversial. Why? The main reason is because divorce is not God's intent or desire. Malachi 2:16:1, •. ;:,', 16 "For I hate divorce," says the LORD, the God of Israel, "and him who covers his garment with wrong," says the LORD of hosts. "So take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously." God hates divorce, and it was never His intent that marriage would end in divorce. Matthew 19:8, i 8 He said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way. We know that marriage was meant to be a bond that is lasting until death. We also know that there is a supernatural element to marriage whereby God is not just a witness but a participant. Matthew19:6 ,; •..::i:: 6"So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate." Not only does God join things together, but he also is faithful to keep a marriage together as well. That's why it is very important to state that Christians should only marry other Christians. Deuteronomy 7:3-4 :·.::",:.'.:::·, 3 "Furthermore, you shall not intermarry with them; you shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor shall you take their daughters for your sons. 4 "For they will turn your

sons away from following Me to serve other gods; then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you and He will quickly destroy you. Some would suppose this verse and verses like it are forbidding interracial marriages, but it is not. It is prohibiting Jewish people from marrying people from other nations who worship other gods. This is the warning that Paul tells the Christian in the New Testament: 2 Corinthians 6:14-16 14Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? 16 Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR Goo, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. Do not be bound together or unequally yoked with unbelievers. Wayne Grudem says, "In a society familiar with agricultural life, the image of two animals yoked together side by side to pull a plow would have been familiar. The animals would ordinarily have been equally matched, or nearly so. Essential to the image is the idea that where one ox goes, the other ox has to go as well. Whatever work one ox is doing, the other has to work at it as well. In other words, the animals have significant influence over each other's lives, and each one also limits the amount of freedom the other has." The next part of our class will be taken directly out of Norman Geisler's Christian Ethics book. 1. Never a reason Mr. Geisler says: 1. Divorce violates God's design for marriage. As has already been shown, God's ideal for marriage is a monogamous lifetime commitment (Matt.19:6, Rom. 7:2). But divorce violates that covenant. Hence, divorce is never justified. 2. Divorce breaks a vow made before God. Marriage is a covenant vow before God (Prov. 2:17; Mal. 2:14) and for a lifetime. Divorce breaks that vow. But breaking a sacred vow is wrong. The Scriptures declare: "It is better not to vow than to vow and not fulfill it" (Eccles. 5:5). 3. Jesus condemned all divorce. When Jesus was asked about divorce in Mark (10:1- 11), he gave no exceptions. This same position was affirmed by Jesus in Luke 16:18. The so-called exception clause in the parallel passage in Matthew (19:1-9; cf. 5:32) refers not to divorce for adultery but to an annulment for "fornication" before marriage (v. 9). This is in accordance with Matthew's Jewish emphasis and the Jewish law about

unchastity before marriage being grounds for annulling the marriage. According to Jewish law, the term "husband" also referred to an engaged man (Deut. 22:13-19; Matt. 1:18-25). In Luke, furthermore, Jesus gave no exception for divorce but said flatly, "Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery"' (Luke 16:18). 4. The apostle Paul condemned divorce. Paul exhorted the Corinthians: "I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband" (1 Cor. 7:10- 11). Even "if a brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. Likewise, "if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is wiling to live with her, she must not divorce him" (7:12-13). 5. Divorce disqualified an elder. One of the qualifications for an elder was that he must be "the husband of but one wife" (I Tim. 3:2). According to proponents of the strict view on divorce, this means that he could never have been divorced; otherwise he would have been the husband of more than one wife. 6. One's first partner is the true partner. When the woman of Samaria said to Jesus, "I have no husband, he replied, "You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is you had had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband" (John 4:17-18). This is taken to imply that one's first spouse is the only true one. 7. Divorce violates a sacred typology. According to Paul, a wife is to her husband what the church is to Christ (Eph. 5:32). Hence, divorce violates that beautiful typology of the heavenly marriage between Christ and his bride, the church. That God takes a violation of a sacred type seriously can be witnessed in his punishment of Moses for striking the rock (Christ) twice (Num. 20:9-12). Geisler says, "In summary, this view argues that there are no grounds for divorce. The "exception" in Matthew 19:9 refers to premarital intercourse (fornication), not to adultery after marriage. Since there are no grounds for divorce, then divorce is sin and remarriage of a divorce (man) or divorcee (woman) is wrong. There is only one ground for divorce. Many Christians believe that there is only one justifiable ground for divorce: adultery. Remarriage of divorced persons is not permitted, since they would be living in sin (Matt. 5:32). This they base on several considerations." 2. Only one reason 1. Jesus explicitly stated that adultery is grounds for divorce. Proponents of this view favor rendering Matthew 19:9 the way the New International Version does: "I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery"(emphasis added.) They point to several factors in favor of this rendering. The Greek word used is "porneia," which includes illicit sexual relations of married as well as unmarried people (see Acts 15:20; Rom. 1:29). It is used in parallel with the word "adultery" in this very passage, indicating that they have overlapping usages.

2. Jesus repeated this exception in a parallel passage. Not only did Jesus state adultery as the one ground for divorce when asked, but he stated the same thing in the Sermon on the Mount, saying, "I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery" (Matt. 5:32, emphasis added). In view of this repeated exception, it is argued that the other reference (in Mark 10:1-9; Luke 16:18), where no exception is mentioned, must be understood in the light of the clearly stated exception of adultery in Matthew. 3. Paul agreed with Jesus's view on divorce. Paul affirmed Jesus's position on divorce for adultery at least implicitly, if not explicitly. He was careful to point to the authority and remembered words of Christ in these matters by phrases like "not I, but the Lord" (1 Cor. 7:10). Even when he said "I, not the Lord," he was not contradicting Christ but merely noting that though Christ never spoke to that particular issue, Christ through the Spirit later gave revelation to Paul (cf. 1 Cor. 2:13; 7:12, 40; 14:37). Furthermore, it is argued that Paul acknowledged the legitimacy of divorce: "If the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound [by their marital vows) in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace"(1 Cor.7:15). Geisler says, "In summary, according to this view, there is only one biblical ground for divorce: adultery. Divorced persons cannot remarry; if they do, they are living in an adulterous relation. Those who marry a divorced person are causing them to sin, since the divorced person is really married to another in God's eyes." 3. Many reasons 1. Paul approves of divorce for desertion. When Paul says, "If the unbeliever leaves, let him do so" (1 Cor. 7:15), he is speaking of desertion, not adultery. There is no reference to adultery in the passage. It simply states that he or she "leaves." This is desertion by an unbeliever, and Paul says that in such cases the faithful remaining partner is "not bound" by the marriage vows. The believer would like to keep the vows but cannot since the partner has left the marriage. This position that divorce is permissible only for adultery or an unbeliever's desertion is expressed in the Westminster Confession, chapter 24: Section V-Adultery or fornication committed after a contract, being detected before marriage, giveth just occasion to the innocent party to dissolve that contract (Matt. 1:18- 20). In the case of adultery after marriage, it is lawful for the innocent party to sue out a divorce (Matt. 5:32), and after the divorce to marry another, as if the offending party were dead (Matt. 19:9; Rom. 7:2-3). Section VI- Although the corruption of man be such as is apt to study arguments, unduly to put asunder those whom God hath joined together in marriage; yet nothing but adultery, or such willful desertion as can no way be remedied by the Church or civil magistrate [emphasis added), is cause sufficient of dissolving the bond of marriage (Matt. 19:8-9; 1 Cor. 7:15; Matt 19:6: wherein a public and orderly course of proceeding is to be observed, and the persons concerned in it not left to their own wiles and discretion in their own case (Deut. 24:1-4).

2. The Bible recognizes human frailty. Even though God did not design divorce, he did foresee it and adapted his plan to it. The very fact that God led Moses to permit divorce (Deut. 24:1-4; cf, Matt. 19:8) shows that God understands that in a fallen world, the ideal cannot always be realized. Thus, when an Israelite could not keep the Passover on the first month because of ceremonial contamination, God provided that it could be held on the second month (Num. 9:10-11). Likewise, when God's first choice for lifetime monogamous marriage is not possible, divorce is sometimes necessary.

3. Even God "divorced" Israel for unfaithfulness. Throughout the Old Testament, God "divorced" his people for alienation of affection. They went after idols, and God divorced them. God said through Jeremiah, "I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of her adulteries" (Jer. 3:8). Isaiah also wrote of God's divorce of Israel because of her unfaithfulness, saying, "Where is your mother's certificate of divorce with which I sent her away?" (Isa. 50:1). Thus, it is argued that the fact that God divorced Israel because of her unfaithfulness sets the pattern for us.

4. Marriage is a mutual vow between two parties, a covenant. As such it is a conditional covenant. Since the relation is mutual, one person's vows are impossible to keep if the other person is unfaithful or leaves. Hence, the innocent party is "not bound" to their vows if the other party breaks theirs(1 Cor. 7:15).

5. Failing to allow divorce is legalistic. It is the same stance that Jesus condemned in the Pharisees, who would not allow healing on the Sabbath. Jesus said, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27; man= humankind). Likewise, marriage was made for humankind; humankind was not made for marriage. Hence, the involved person should be preeminent in the consideration, not simply a prescription about divorce.

6. Repentance changes the situation. Even though Israel was "divorced" by the Lord (Jer. 3:1), nevertheless Israel was repeatedly asked to return (vv.11-14,22). This indicates that repentance can change the status of the guilty parties before the laws on marriage. Hence, even if the original divorce was a sin, God can nonetheless forgive and heal if there is repentance. There is only one unpardonable sin (Matt. 12:32), and it is not divorce.

When Geisler says "many" here, it means two or more. Some proponents of this position hold to only two biblical grounds for divorce: adultery and the unbeliever's desertion. Others believe that abuse, infectious diseases, and even neglect are also justifications for divorce. The point is simply that all in this group agree that there is not just one basis for a biblical divorce.