The Ministers of God

The Ten Commandments and the Moral Basis of Law

Me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, six days you shall labor and do your work, but on the seventh is the Sabbath to Yahweh your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son, your daughter, your male servant, your female servant, your livestock, or the sojourner who is in your gates, for in six days Yahweh made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them.

He rested on the seventh day, therefore Yahweh blessed the Sabbath day to make it holy. Honor your father and your mother. Now note here, in talking about honoring your father and mother, this is honoring all God-given institutions and authorities.

You'll note that the government derives its authority from families, from fathers, right? It's a distribution of work for the purpose of protecting people. You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal.

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor's house, you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's, and now you've seen the Ten Commandments.

This is the basis of then of what is good and what is evil. It's an objective standard. So let's kind of walk through a couple of things here and we'll go back to Romans 13. George Floyd, I saw the video, I think he was murdered.

I think there's a good case to be made that the man was murdered, all right? But is the solution to a murder murdering other people?

No.

You'll note this one here, you shall not steal. Is the solution to somebody who was murdered, is you going out and stealing everything in sight from the local Target store or Walmart? Is that justice?

Nope, it's not. That's lawlessness, okay? So coming back then to the purpose of government, so we're back in Romans 13, rulers are not a terror to good conduct but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is an authority?

Do what is good and you will receive his approval for he is God's servant for your good. The government is God's servant for your good. If you do wrong, be afraid for he does not bear the sword in vain for he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.

The purpose of the government is to be a servant of God to carry out God's wrath on those who do wrong. What does it mean to do wrong? Well, it's, you're going to say insurrection against the established authorities and institutions, stealing, murdering, adultery, and all this kind of stuff, right?

All those things are wrong. So the purpose of the government is to punish the evildoer and to be a servant of God and carry out his wrath. You'll note, at no point is the government supposed to exist for the purpose of carrying out God's mercy.

That's the job of the church. The church has been given the commission of proclaiming repentance and the forgiveness of sins. The church has been tasked by God to forgive sinners. The government is tasked by God to punish evildoers.

Those are the things. So you'll note that in today's world, today's world, we've got a problem, all right? We've got a problem because there's a fellow by the name of George Floyd, who I think you can make a case was probably murdered by a police officer.

Was he supposed to be murdered by that police officer? No, he wasn't, all right? He should still be alive to this day. And the solution then that is happening is that people are stealing, they are murdering, and they are calling for a defunding of the police and getting rid of the police force.

Altogether.

Government as God’s Servant and the Church’s Mercy

The purpose of the government is to be a servant of God to carry out his wrath against the wrongdoers. So note then, therefore, one must be in subjection not only to avoid God's wrath, but also for the sake of conscience.

For because of this, you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God attending to this very thing. And note here, the government that the Apostle Paul is pointing to is the Roman Empire. And it was that same Roman Empire who put Paul to death for preaching Christ.

And he's still saying these governments exist for the purpose of punishing the evildoer, and that they are established by God, and they are ministers of God attending to these.

Things.

Pay attention to what is owed to them. Taxes to whom taxes are owed. Revenue to whom revenue is owed. Respect to whom respect is owed. Honor to whom honor is owed. So from a biblical point of view then, sorry, but I would never be foolish enough to support the abolition of police, because what will come up in its place?

Lawlessness.

Anarchy. And death. And contrary to what the Minnesota, Minneapolis City Council says, being able to call the police in the middle of the night if somebody's breaking into my home is not a matter of white privilege.

That is a matter of the government doing what God has instituted them to do.

Period.

Full stop. So we've got a problem here, and that is, is that we've got a whole country at this point who has lost sight of what the exact, what the real charter, the biblical charter is for government.

And sadly, a lot of those people are people who call themselves Christians.

Why?

Because they've been attending churches where they're not hearing the Bible preached. And so they are fully unaware of this. So that's out of the question. Okay, now let's see here. Um, let's see. I've heard two speakers say, the Greek says the governing authority is the highest authority,.

I .e. God.

What does the Greek word say? I'd have to know the verse that they're referring to. Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. Huper ek kouraisais, that's quite the word. Let every person be subject to the governing authority.

Now let's pull this up. Huper ek kouraisais, let's see, to be at a point higher than another on a scale of linear extent, to be in a controlling position, have power over, be in authority, be highly placed, to surpass in quality.

Okay, so here's the thing, is, you know, kind of looking at the, at not only the lexical definition, but also considering the context. Okay, so when we're talking about who's the governing authority, is it God or the government, the answer is always going to be the buck stops with Jesus.

And here's the reason why. So, let me give you a fuller answer on this one, then we'll take a look at Romans 1 .1 in that extent. So, after the resurrection on the Day of Ascension, Jesus says, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

So, in a very real sense, because Jesus, he is the King of kings, he is the Lord of lords, and that's not talking about something that Jesus will be in the future, that is something that Jesus is now.

See, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given, past tense, to me, period, full stop. So, Jesus, in the truest sense, then, would be the so-called huperecho, he's the super authority. But that's not what's going on here.

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities, or you can say everyone be subject.

To Christ.

So, under that interpretation of huperecho, let everyone be subject to Christ, who is the King of kings and Lord of lords, for there is no authority, exousia, except from.

God.

And now it's just basically saying that, you know, it would be affirming what Matthew 28 says, that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him. So, the idea here is that the governing authority is referring to Christ.

But here's the issue. This is plural. And not only is it plural, it's present active participle, feminine plural. So, note, even if you were to say, well, huperecho is talking about Jesus being the King of kings, the text is saying the governing authorities, plural.

Let everybody be subject to the governing authorities. So, that's not talking about Christ. This is talking about governments. That's the idea.

Okay.

All right. So, Tanya, as an artist, thank you. You're welcome, Tanya. Do you have resources that you could point to that succinctly show how the Sabbath day is not the same as do not murder, etc.? The answer is yes, Tanya.

So, I recently did a study on this, but I think I've talked about it in the past. Let me show you a resource that's on the Kongsvinger website, kongsvingerchurch .org. And I am going to go to media and Bible teaching.

And let's take a look for Sabbath. Hang on a second here. S-A-B-B-A-T-H. Let's see if this comes up. Nothing.

Bummer.

Okay.

Hang on a second here. I got to think about this, because it's in the catechism classes.

Okay.

So, here's what I need you to do, Tanya, or Tony. Tony, send me an email and send it to chris at piratechristian .com, chris at piratechristian .com. And in the subject, say, need Sabbath resources, okay?

And I do have a teaching. It's just that it's in a video format that we don't have out on the open site. It's in a different place. I could do a whole... I've done whole teachings on the Sabbath before.

But let me give you the quick answer to the question regarding the Sabbath, okay? So that you understand how it works. Colossians 2 is your governing text. And in Colossians 2, we learn something very important.

Now, I always like to use Colossians 2 as an excuse to preach the gospel, because it's beautifully there in Colossians 2. So, I will make no exception here. I want you to hear the gospel from this text, and then look at the therefores.

So, Paul says in Colossians 2 .8, See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy, empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, not according to Christ.

For in him, the whole fullness of the deity dwells bodily. You have been filled in him who is the head and all rule and authority. In him also you were circumcised, with a circumcision made without hands, by putting up the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.

And you who were dead in your trespasses, and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands.

This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. A beautiful, beautiful text on the gospel itself. And you'll note that the picture here is that the record of debt that stands against us is, if you're familiar with the text that talks about how the books are opened on the of judgment, a good way to think about it is that inside of every one of our books, you have a book, I have a book, there is a section in that book called the record of.

Debt.

I think it's an accounting ledger or a spreadsheet or something like that. You know, oh, Carlos, How Christians Observed the Sabbath from 2017. Good link, thank you for Carlos and MJ. That's also a good resource.

But here's the point then, is that the record of debt that stood against us that's in our book, Christ has torn that out of your book and he's nailed that to the cross, canceled the whole record of debt.

So for every Christian, the only thing that's in your book are your good works. There is no sin in there. It's all bled for, it's all died for. Christ has canceled the record of debt. He's nailed it to the cross, I always like to say, and then signs it in blood saying record paid in full, or debt paid in full, and then signed Jesus.

You know, that's a good kind of a way of putting it. So note then, we've got this. The record debt that stood against us. But you'll note that in this text, something interesting is going on here. Circumcision is mentioned, and circumcision was a requirement of the Mosaic Covenant.

But you'll note that circumcision now is being referred to and equated with what? Baptism. So by putting off the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism.

So baptism is the circumcision of the new covenant.

All right?

So if that's the case, then you'll note that circumcision is no longer required physically for Christians, and why is that? So Paul's going to go on and explain why. So here's your governing text. So therefore, let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival, or a new moon, or a Sabbath.

And here's the reason why, because Christians are not required to observe them. These are a shadow of the things to come. The substance belongs to Christ. So the Sabbath is a type and shadow. According to Colossians 2 .17, the Sabbath is a shadow.

So what's the fulfillment? What's it pointing to?

Okay?

So what it's pointing to is found in Hebrews 4, and you can see how the shadow gives way to the substance here in Hebrews 4. Therefore, while the promise of entering God's rest still stands, his rest, okay, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it.

For the good news came to us, justice to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, talking about the Jews, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, as I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter my rest.

Although his works were finished from the foundation of the world, for he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way, and God rested on the seventh day from all of his works, and again in this passage, they shall not enter my rest.

Since therefore it remains, let's see here, hold on a second here. There we go. Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news fails to enter because of disobedience, again he appoints a certain day, today, saying through David, so long afterwards in the words already quoted, today if you hear his voice do not harden your hearts.

For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.

So a good way to put it is that Hebrews 4 makes it clear that what the Sabbath of the old covenant, the Mosaic covenant, was pointing to was salvation by grace through faith apart from works. So the way Christians keep the Sabbath is by believing in Jesus and not working, but resting from their works and receiving salvation from him.

So Colossians 2 makes it clear the Sabbath is a type, it's a shadow, the fulfillment is in Christ. Hebrews 4 tells you what that fulfillment is. The fulfillment is that we enter into the rest of God by believing in Jesus, all right?

And so I always like to say it this way, I refuse to lift a finger for my salvation. I'm not going to burn a single calorie for my salvation. I refuse to do it. In fact, I'm going to crack open a nice beer.

No, forget that. I don't want a beer. I'm going to enjoy a nice scotch and I'm going to sit there on my couch. I'm going to relax and I'm going to watch Netflix. I'm not going to work for my salvation.

I'm just going to stay put and do nothing. That's the way that, yeah, I like to think about it. Okay, so that's the point. So Jesus is our rest. He is our salvation and we are saved by grace through faith apart from works so that no one can boast, okay?

So that's always pointed that, oh, MJ, you found another one, yay. All right, MJ and Carlos, you guys get two extra Sunday school bonus points. I don't know what they're worth, but you get two. Thank you for your help.

So, all right, you get the idea. Okay, so let me do that again. There we go. How is that happening?

There we go.

Due Process, Witnesses, and the Justice of God

Okay, so coming back then to our bigger study here. So remembering then that scripture teaches us the purpose of government is to punish the evildoer, God has established the concept of due process. And let me explain, and I'm going to look for two or more.

Let's see if I can do a little hunt here, and I have to expand this out.

Okay, hang on a second here.

I'm going to change this, mute all, allow participants to mute themselves. There we go. Okay, so somebody's got their phone in their pocket, I think. I don't know why. Okay, so in fact, let me do a Google search on this.

By the way, if you're ever doing a biblical search, Google's not a bad place to go sometimes. I find it a little easier to use than Logos or even Accordance. So we'll do a Bible. Bible, hang on, B-I-B-L-E, Bible, two or more witnesses.

All right, let's see here. Let's see what Google can find for us. What does the Bible say about two or three witnesses? All right, and here's going to be some of our text. So Deuteronomy 1915, let's take a look at that and see what we can find here.

Deuteronomy 19, all right, so our context talking about, you know, so this is a concept that has to do with when there is a manslayer, somebody who has killed his neighbor, and you don't know if it's accidental or not, there's got to be due process, okay?

So we'll start in verse four of Deuteronomy 19, and we'll see what this says to see if we can establish some things here. So this is the provision for the manslayer, who by fleeing there may save his life.

So you accidentally kill somebody, and so you have to go to a place that is a refuge city in order to, you know, you didn't mean to. So if anyone kills his neighbor unintentionally, okay, that does happen, by the way, you know, so two guys are working, you know, maybe they're working the roof or something like that, somebody's roof needs help, and the guy says, hey, could you hand me a hammer?

So he says, sure, and he tosses it over, and it smacks him in the forehead, he falls off the roof, and he's dead, right? That's a mess. Yeah, and lots of paperwork for that, by the way. So there was no intention to kill him, there was no malice, okay?

So without having hated him in the past, as when somebody goes into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and his hand swings the ax to cut down a tree, and the head slips from the handle and strikes his neighbor so that he dies.

So the Bible gives an example. So in that particular case, you'll note when somebody dies, the family members may want to seek vengeance. So he may flee to one of these refuge cities that God had set up in Israel, lest the avenger of blood, you know, somebody who's a member of the family in hot anger pursues the manslayer to overtake him because the way is long and strike him fatally, though the man did not deserve to die.

So note that somebody who unintentionally kills somebody, they don't deserve to die, according to God.

All right?

So you'll note, this is where we get the different degrees of killing. So there's manslaughter, there's murder, there's first degree, second degree, third degree murder, things like that. And there's commiserate punishments as it relates to that.

So in a case of an unintentional death, that person may be guilty of manslaughter, but he doesn't deserve to die because he didn't act in malice. So you'll note that the whole justice system hinges on a right understanding of what is evil, what is good, and when something has, a crime has occurred or a death has occurred, you have to weigh everything out.

And so God, what he did is he set up refuge cities in the nation of Israel so that anybody who accidentally killed somebody could flee to one of these refuge cities so that he wouldn't be killed by a posse of the family members who were there to avenge the blood of the fellow who died, okay?

Because God says he doesn't deserve to die, since he had not hated his neighbor in the.

Past.

Therefore, I command you, you shall set apart three cities, and if the Lord your God enlarges your territory as he's sworn to your fathers and gives you all the land that he promised to give to your fathers, provided you are careful to keep all of his commandments, which I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking ever in his ways, then you shall add three other cities to these three, lest innocent blood be shed in your land that the Lord your God has given you for inheritance, so the guilt of bloodshed be upon you.

So note here in this particular case, when we take a look at Deuteronomy 18, sorry, Deuteronomy 19, so we can already begin to biblically work through what's happening in the United States right now. So George Floyd died.

Now, I personally think that he was murdered, but that's my opinion, all right? But here's the thing, I'm in no position to make that judgment. That's just my opinion. You know who's in the position to make the decision?

A judge and a jury. Okay, he's been charged with murder, but I can say this, that George Floyd is wrongfully.

Dead.

He should not be dead right now. Something happened, something is wrong. Okay, all of that being the case then, that you'll note then that by God in Deuteronomy 19 setting up refuge cities so that the person who unintentionally killed another person wouldn't also die himself makes it clear that this is to prevent innocent blood from being shed, all right?

Now, as of last weekend, I don't know what the count is today, but as of last weekend, there were 17 people across the United States who were murdered, killed during the riots that ensued after George Floyd.

That's the shedding of innocent blood. That is the shedding of innocent blood. I don't care who you are, all right? Those people should not have died, okay? And so innocent blood was shed by people who were angry, rightly so, about innocent blood being shed.

That's not justice, okay? So, going on then, Deuteronomy 19, 11, if anyone hates his neighbor, lies in wait for him, attacks him, strikes him fatally so that he dies and flees to one of these cities, then the elders of his city shall send and take him from there and hand him over to the avenger of blood so that he may die.

So, you'll note that in this particular case, so if somebody decides they're going to use a refuge city in order to get out of justice when it comes to first-degree murder, premeditated murder done in malice, that refuge cities don't apply to those guys.

In that particular case, your eye shall not pity him, but you shall purge the guilt of innocent blood from Israel so that it may dwell with you. You shall not move your neighbor's landmark, which the men of old will have set in the inheritance that you will hold in the land of the Lord your God.

And then note here, a single witness shall not suffice against a person for a crime or for any wrong in connection with an offense that he has committed. Ah, you're going to note here, God himself has set up a process of due process, all right?

So, you are accused of committing a crime, all right? Witnesses have to be called. One will not do. You're going to need multiple witnesses. There is a process for establishing whether or not somebody has committed a crime.

Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established. If a malicious witness arises to accuse a person of wrongdoing, then both parties to the dispute shall appear before Yahweh, before the priest and the judges who are in the office in those days, and the judges shall inquire diligently.

And if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely, then you shall do to him as he had meant to do to his brother. Now, a little bit of a note here. Consider this then in regards to the trial of Jesus Christ.

It was the purpose of the priest to establish whether or not there was a false witness, and if they established that there was a false and malicious witness, then whatever he intended to do to that person, that person should have received that punishment.

In other words, the priests, somebody among the priesthood at the time of Christ's trial should have said, Caiaphas, you are looking for false witnesses, therefore the Mosaic Covenant demands that you be crucified because that's what you seek for Jesus.

Did you ever know that? Okay, so you're going to note some things here. And God demands you purge the evil from your midst, period. Now, applying this then to the current state of affairs, okay, social justice determines that a person is guilty and any attempt on their part to prove their innocence is further proof of their guilt.

So, I have been accused of being a racist. What was the evidence brought against me that I was a racist? Answer, you're a white man. Does being a white man make me a racist?

No.

What evidence was there for real brought against me that I was a racist? There was no evidence. There is no evidence. There are no witnesses ever. No one exists that it can accuse me of racism, the charge of racism.

But social justice determines that a person is guilty of racism merely by the person making the charge. But according to Scripture, that person is a malicious witness and that no charge is to be established without two or three witnesses.

Social justice is not justice. It is injustice. And you'll note with social justice, everyone is, you know, people are charged with being guilty of crimes they haven't committed, of sins that they haven't sinned, and where are these, where are the trials held?

In the court of public opinion, on social media, or in the media. There are no witnesses. There's no due process. There's nothing. So all these claims of calls for justice, while innocent blood is being shed, and while people are being maliciously found guilty of crimes and sins they haven't committed without any due process, this isn't justice.

This is lawlessness that we're dealing with in our time. So, and I know that I will be unpopular for saying these things. C 'est la vie.

Okay?

And by the way, when it comes to pastors, okay, same standard applies. Let me find it here. Every charge, okay, so 2 Corinthians 13. Let me pull that up. 2 Corinthians 13. I need my Greek text. 2 Corinthians 13.

And specifically, I want, okay, so this is the third time I'm coming to you. Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. I warned those who sinned before, and all the others, I warn them now, while absent, as I did when present, and I'm on my visit, that if I come again, I will not spare them since you seek proof that it is I who is speaking.

So, note here, Paul reiterates this biblical standard regarding charges that two or three witnesses are required. And then 1 Timothy 5 .19, 1 Timothy 5 .19 specifically says this. So, and I'll read this in context.

So, let the elders, these are your pastors, who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and in teaching. For the scripture says, you shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.

The laborer deserves his wages. Do not admit a charge against an elder, that's a pastor, except on the evidence of two or three witnesses, period. And if there are witnesses, that means there's due process.

And if there are witnesses, that means you have the ability to bring counter witnesses to build a case. So, note here, all this talk of justice, while innocent blood is being shed, and while malicious witnesses are bringing forth false charges without any evidence, and the court of public opinion has been convened and finding people guilty without any true witnesses, any real evidence of any real crimes, of any real sins, this is not justice.

This is mob rule. This is the exact opposite of justice. So, that's the world we live in at the moment, and that's the biblical way of looking at this, and I think since the whole world has forgotten these things, we've got a problem.

Elizabeth says, have you seen the Atlanta event? So, yeah, I have. And so, I think we're talking about the fellow who was sleeping in his car, and he was shot to death by a police officer. Now, I saw not only the video of him, the police trying to apprehend him, but I also saw the video from the closed circuit TV of him fleeing the scene.

And so, what ended up happening is that fellow got away, he had one of the tasers that the police were trying to, you know, that were going to try to use on him to subdue him, and he, while running away, he turned around and he fired the taser at one of the pursuing officers, and that pursuing officer then used lethal force and killed him.

And can I point out the obvious here? Tasers are a one-shot deal, and if they miss, they don't get to shoot again. And so, I am of the opinion, having watched all of the different videos regarding this, that the use of deadly force by that police officer was not justified.

The taser missed. It's a one-shot deal. So, that's my opinion, all right? But here's the thing, all right? That's my opinion. What's justice going to look like in this situation? It's going to look like a trial.

It's going to look like charges. It's going to look like people who are in the right office and a right due process are able to weigh out all the evidence and make a decision. Not me. I can tell you my opinion, and that's it.

It's just my opinion. And if justice doesn't go the way I think it is, should I riot and steal and kill?

No.

So, I think you get the idea.

Innocent Blood, Police Violence, and the Call to Obey God

Yeah.

So, anyway, you get the idea. So, it's time for us to get back into the book and consider a few things here. Consider a few things and call some things what they are, and say the shedding of innocent blood in the name of protesting the shedding of innocent blood, that's forbidden by God.

Thou shalt not murder. So, all right. Well, tell you what, we're going to leave off there for today, and I've got another congregation that I have to serve, so we will leave off there. Hopefully, you found this helpful.

If not, send all hate mail to donmathson at kongsvingerchurch .org. Anyway, all right. Peace to you, brothers and sisters, and we will see you next time.