Governed by God

In this episode, I start off by looking at specific Mosaic Laws by considering the question of capital punishment and public executions. More specifically, I look at the situation with Maj Hasan, who is currently scheduled to be executed by firing squad. Initially, the execution was to be livestreamed, but that has since been changed. But the question remains: Should it be livestreamed? And what does it mean for an execution to be public? I consider these questions on today's episode.

As always, if you have any questions or comments, please email me at [email protected]...

This week's episode is a recording of a recent talk I gave at the America Reforged conference hosted by Future of Christendom. In this talk on Natural Law, I look at the origins and history of the term, its usefulness, its weaknesses, and what its role should be in the future. The full video recording of my talk can be found at Future of Christendom.

Removing the Dross of Natural Law

As always, if you have any questions or comments, please email me at [email protected] or go to my Substack page at http...

The first topic of this episode involved looking at the proposed changes to the Pennsylvania Health Code that were put forth by the Department of Health. The proposed changes included such things as allowing Health Department officials to gain access to any property without a warrant and without any opposition or interference. These changes reached national headlines and resulted in massive backlash. You can read the full list of proposed changes here: PA Code and Bulletin

The second topic this week involved a brief survey of God's law prior to the time of Moses. This included looking...

On this episode, I read Part 7 (the final part) of my Substack series on God's law and present several principles by which we can take an Old Testament law and apply it in light of Christ's birth, life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. This method of interpretation and application follows the pattern presented by the Apostle Paul when he describes himself as following "the law of Christ."

In future episodes, we will look at specific laws and actually apply the interpretive method presented here.

As always, if you have any questions or comments, please email...

On this episode, I read Part 6 of my Substack series on God's law. In this article, I look at how we should approach God's law as readers. As God's covenant people in the New Covenant, Christians need to remember that Scripture is written both to them and for them. This directly impacts how we understand God's law. Lastly, I dive into the typical three-fold categorization of God's law into Moral, Ceremonial, and Civil, and see if such a categorization really does justice to the text.

As always, if you have any questions or comments, please email me...

On this first episode of Season 7, I open up with a discussion of murder, the death penalty, and insanity. The context of this is the Lindsay Clancy trial currently taking place. At the time of this episode being recorded, the jury remains undecided on whether or not she was morally culpable when she killed her children and if she had a mental disease or defect that makes her not criminally responsible. But is that how God's law administers justice? Does Scripture allow for insanity or even demonic possession to absolve someone of responsibility? I consider those questions, and others...

On this final episode of Season 6, I read of Part 5 of my Substack series on God's law. In this article, I look at the principles of interpretation to be used when trying to apply Old Testament laws in a New Covenant context. This involves looking at the relationship between the Old and New Covenants, as well as what Jesus means when he says that he came to fulfill the law rather than to abolish it.

Of note, I will be back in September with Season 7!

As always, if you have any questions or comments, please...

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All legislation, or law, is a declaration of value. The question is what we will value and how value will be determined. There is always a standard, but the debate is on what standard will be used. The law that God gave to Israel was not just for Israel but was meant to be an example to the nations. For example, in God's word we find principles of federalism, rule of law, and separation of powers. Finally, I briefly address the concept of natural law and its relationship to God's law.

If you have...

This week is my reading of Part 4 of my Substack series on God's law. In this article, I look at the second and third uses of God's law. On the one hand, God's law serves as a light and lamp for believers, guiding them in how they should live and in what it means to love their neighbor. On the other hand, the law restrains unbelievers, preventing them from being as wicked as they otherwise would be.

As always, if you have any questions or comments, please email me at [email protected] or go to my...

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What does it mean for Jesus to reign over all powers and dominions? What is the Kingdom of God? What does it look like, where is it, and how do we enter? What does it mean for Jesus to have all authority on heaven and on earth?

If you have any questions, comments, or other topics you would like me to address, please email me at [email protected].

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And if you would like to...

This week is my reading of Part 3 of my Substack series on God's law. In this article, I look at one of the primary purposes of God's law, which is to highlight our failure and show us our need for a savior. This is only one of several purposes, or uses, of the law. I will address the other two in future articles.

As always, if you have any questions or comments, please email me at [email protected] or go to my Substack page at http://www.governedbygod.com and message me there!

And...

This week is my reading of Part 2 of my Substack series on God's law. In this article, I look at the effect of the law on our hearts, as well as our naturally sinful response to it. I also consider how sin is lawlessness and what conclusions we can draw from that truth.

As always, if you have any questions or comments, please email me at [email protected] or go to my Substack page at http://www.governedbygod.com and message me there!

And if you would like to support the show, please consider...

This week I wanted to share a presentation that I gave at the Future of Christendom Theonomy Symposium in March of this year. My talk was on Deuteronomy 20 and Just War Theory. You can find the video, as well as the other videos from the conference, at the link below:

Future of Christendom

As always, if you have any questions or comments, please email me at [email protected] or go to my Substack page at http://www.governedbygod.com and message me there!

And if you would like to support the show...

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What is Theonomy and what is a basic definition of it? What does Deuteronomy 4:5-8 say and how does it apply to us today? On today's program I play and review several clips from a recent Pastors Talk episode produced by 9Marks. The hosts, Jonathan Leeman and Mark Dever, interview Carl Trueman about his most recent book, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self. Although the book and the interview are excellent, a few comments are made about theonomy that are worth bringing up. The men raise several straw men arguments regarding theonomy before knocking...

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Politics is dirty (right?), so the Bible has nothing to say about it (or does it?). But when we look closely at Scripture, I think we will find that it says more about politics (i.e., the concerns of the city) than we give it credit for.

If you have any questions, comments, or other topics you would like me to address, please email me at [email protected].

You can follow me on Facebook or Twitter, or go to http://www.ericluppold.com/

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Due to various time constraints, including finishing a PhD, I will be pausing our study of America's history and will be providing shorter content. Today I read my first Substack article of a series titled Loving God, Loving Neighbor. I begin by defining terms such as "law" and "covenant" and set the groundwork for how Christians should understand and apply God's law today.

As always, if you have any questions or comments, please email me at [email protected] or go to my Substack page at http://www.governedbygod.com and message me there!

And...

In this week's episode, I finish looking at the pastors known as the Black-Robed Regiment who, through their teaching and preaching, helped solidify and give a moral defense of the American War for Independence. Today, I end this series with John Witherspoon, who served as the President of the College of New Jersey (i.e., Princeton University) and then was chosen to be a delegate of New Jersey at the Continental Congress. Although John Witherspoon gave numerous sermons throughout his long life, one of the most influential was titled, Dominion of Providence Over the Passions of Man. This sermon...

In this week's episode, I continue looking at the pastors known as the Black-Robed Regiment who, through their teaching and preaching, helped solidify and give a moral defense of the American War for Independence. Today I consider Ashbel Green, who served as the chaplain for the U. S. House of Representatives, and then later as President of the College of New Jersey (i.e., Princeton University). While Pastor Green ministered for many years, one sermon that I wanted to focus on was given by him in 1798 in Philadelphia. It was titled: Obedience to the Laws of God, the Sure...

In this week's episode, I continue looking at the pastors known as the Black-Robed Regiment who, through their teaching and preaching, helped solidify and give a moral defense of the American War for Independence. Today I consider Samuel Stanhope Smith, who served as both a professor and President of the College of New Jersey (i.e., Princeton University) in the late 1700s and early 1800s. As such, Pastor Smith exercised an incredible influence over the founding fathers. On this episode, I go over two of his sermons: Religion Necessary to National Prosperity and Patriotism. Those sermons, along with many...

In this week's episode, I continue looking at the pastors known as the Black-Robed Regiment who, through their teaching and preaching, helped solidify and give a moral defense of the Declaration of Independence and American War for Independence. Today I consider both William Cooper and his son, Samuel Cooper. Both men served as pastor of Brattle Street Church, an influential church in Boston whose congregants included John Hancock, John Adams, and Samuel Adams.

As always, if you have any questions or comments, please email me at [email protected].

You can follow also me on...

In this week's episode, I begin looking at several influential pastors at the time of the founding of the United States. These men were known as the Black Robed Regiment who, through their teaching and preaching, helped solidify and give a moral defense of the Declaration of Independence and subsequent conflict with Great Britain. The first pastor that I consider is Reverend Samuel Langdon, specifically two of his most well known sermons as well as his private letter to George Washington.

As always, if you have any questions or comments, please email me at [email protected].<...

In this week's episode, I read through the Declaration of Independence and explain the historical context of each grievance. I also discuss whether or not the colonists had sufficient reasons to "divorce" England. I wonder how many Americans today would side with the colonists?

As always, if you have any questions or comments, please email me at [email protected].

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In this week's episode, I interrupt my regularly scheduled programming to respond to an article from Pastor Kevin DeYoung titled 6 Questions for Christian Nationalists. DeYoung's article (linked below) explains why he does not like the term 'Christian Nationalism' and why he thinks it is problematic. While I agree with much of what DeYoung says, there are several points where I differ with him. Today I discuss both agreements and disagreements with DeYoung's article from the position of Theonomy.

Here is the full article from DeYoung: 6 Questions for Christian Nationalists

As always, if you have any...

In this week's episode, I had the opportunity to speak with Pastor David Reece on the topic of civic covenanting. Pastor Reece, who has done extensive work on the topic, discusses the importance of covenant and its role in the founding of the United States. We also look at the role of the civil magistrate and the various ways in which humans have historically tried to justify using force upon each other. Ultimately, the foundation of civil power must be grounded in God and is, by nature, covenantal.

For more information on Pastor Reece and the work...

In this week's episode, I address the events leading up the American War for Independence. What was English Parliament trying to do, and how were the colonists responding? Was that response correct and Biblical? I consider these questions and similar ones on the podcast.

As always, if you have any questions or comments, please email me at [email protected].

You can follow also me on Facebook or Twitter, or go to http://www.ericluppold.com/

And if you would like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron!

In this week's episode, I discuss the context surrounding the English Civil War that eventually led to the Glorious Revolution of 1688. There was both a political/economic aspect as well as a religious aspect that resulted in conflict between English Parliament, the New Model Army, King Charles I (and later Charles II), and the Scots. And through all of that chaos, the American colonies remained neutral and ultimately governed themselves. This set the stage for a future movement toward greater American independence.

As always, if you have any questions or comments, please email me at thegbgpodcast@gmail...

In this week's episode, I look at the church-state relationship in Europe at the time of the Reformation, and how many of the Protestant areas continued with Catholic practice. There were some slow changes, such as in Geneva under John Calvin, but in England there were many who saw that the Reformation did not go far enough. These individuals were known as the Puritans, who sought to purify the beliefs and practices within the Church. Finally, I look at the concept of the Divine Right of Kings, as held by King James I, and how that encouraged many folks...

In this week's episode, I continue my response to a discussion of Romans 13 hosted by Rev. Chris Gordon on Abounding Grace Radio. In that conversation, Rev. Gordon, Dr. Jim Cassidy, and Rev. Dan Borvan look at Romans 13 and consider how that applies to Christians today. They also dive into related topics such as Theonomy and Christian Nationalism. While they say several true things, I believe that they misunderstand the Theonomist and Christian Nationalist position. At they very least, they appear to attack a straw man and do not deal with the best Theonomist arguments. My hope in this two-part...

In this special edition of the podcast, I deviate from my planned recording in order to respond to the recent martyrdom of Charlie Kirk. I say 'martyrdom' because Charlie was a casualty within a spiritual war and was killed specifically because of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

And while Tyler Robinson may have been the man who pulled the trigger, Charlie Kirk was ultimately murdered by Asherah. Do I mean to say that Tyler Robinson was demon-possessed? While that is not outside the realm of possibility, my central argument is that the battle over the ideas surrounding...

In this first episode of Season 6, I respond to a discussion of Romans 13 hosted by Rev. Chris Gordon on Abounding Grace Radio. In that conversation, Rev. Gordon, Dr. Jim Cassidy, and Rev. Dan Borvan look at Romans 13 and consider how that applies to Christians today. They also dive into related topics such as Theonomy and Christian Nationalism. While they say several true things, I believe that they misunderstand the Theonomist and Christian Nationalist position. At they very least, they are attacking a straw man and not dealing with the best Theonomist arguments. My hope in this two-part response is...

On this final episode of Season 5, I look at the topic of Statism. Despite using that term in the past, I wanted to do a deeper dive into Statism - the idolatry of the civil government. Referencing works such as Idols For Destruction and Identity and Idolatry, I discuss what Statism is, what it looks like, and how to respond to it. I also play a recent clip from New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani regarding government-run grocery stores as a perfect example of Statism. Ultimately, the answer to Statism is not separatism, or staying removed from politics...

On today's episode, I finish reviewing a video by Professor R. L. Solberg on the topic of God's law. While I agree with most of what Professor Solberg says, I think that there a few points of disagreement. Most of them surround the application and use of the Old Testament law in the life of a Christian.

On a different note, if you have not done so yet, please sign up to attend the Future of Christendom conference from October 9-11 in Lancaster, PA. The theme of the conference is No Other Name and includes an address...

On today's episode, I briefly discuss the Hebrew Roots movement and then begin reviewing a video by Professor R. L. Solberg on the topic of God's law. In what I believe to be his attempt to counter the Hebrew Roots movement, Professor Solberg goes a bit too far and seems to be advocating for a kind of antinomianism. While that may not be his intent, it demonstrates that we must take care to not fall into ditches on either side of the road on any topic, including that of God's law.

If you have not done so...

On today's episode, I discuss the recent Theonomy Symposium hosted by Future of Christendom in Lancaster, PA. While there I was invited to serve on a three-judge panel that was given a mock trial/case to adjudicate. The specific problem we were presented with was a noise complaint. Aside from going over the trial and how we reached a solution, on this episode I also look at the related issue of zoning laws. Now, if you have not read your local zoning code, I would encourage you to do so. Not only will you see just how ridiculous it...

In a follow-up episode from last time, I had the opportunity to chat with David Fowler on the topic of parental rights and responsibilities. David has been a previous guest on the podcast and is a former state senator from Tennessee. He also just recently retired from his position as president of the Family Action Council of Tennessee. Today we cover topics such as child abuse, parental rights, the right to life and limb, and the role of the common law. More specifically, we discuss how many of the current, well-meaning, attempts at protecting the rights of children and...

What rights and responsibilities do parents have when it comes to their children? Well, according to Colorado, any parents who question or oppose the gender identity or chosen pronouns of their children are considered abusive. While we would agree that parents do not have absolute authority over their children, the limits to their authority must be determined by God. But, in our godless society, the State has stepped in and now decides when parents may keep their children. Caesar giveth and Caesar taketh away...

Here is the link to Colorado's most recent bill: Colorado House Bill 1312

The power to tax is the power to destroy, or kill. But for most of U.S. history, tariffs were the primary means by which the federal government acquired revenue. Yet, since the introduction of the income tax in 1913, tariffs have fallen by the wayside. Only recently have tariffs returned from the dead, causing great consternation and debate. But what is a tariff and how does it work? Furthermore, how were tariffs viewed in the past and why did the U.S. switch to the income tax? Join me as I discuss these questions on today's episode.

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Based on my previous natural law episode, today I look at possible traces of theonomy throughout history. Theonomy is often accused of being novel or modern, originating with 20th Century theologians such as Bahnsen, North, and Rushdoony. But it seems that an argument could be made that theonomy is much older than that. Were there Christians during the Roman Empire that advocated for greater conformity to the Old Testament civil laws? Was even medieval Ireland influenced by the Mosaic law code? Today I tackle those questions in the hopes of tracing the threads of theonomy throughout history.

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This week I look at the topic of natural law in an attempt to find a clear and useful definition. I consider statements from Aristotle, Aquinas, Calvin, and Blackstone, and compare/contrast their perspectives. Finally, I comment on a short video published by Jon Harris from Conversations that Matter regarding natural law. At the end of the day, any discussion of natural law needs to start with clear a definition of what it is in order to avoid unnecessary confusion.

And, as always, if you have any questions or comments, please email me at [email protected].<...

This week I had the opportunity to chat with Luisa Rodriguez, a friend and fellow Christian who has had extensive experience working with/for the government and seeing the impact of government "assistance" in other nations. We discuss some of the reasons why government help, despite being well-intended at times, is inefficient and ineffective. We also consider the role of both the government and the church in caring for the poor, the widow, and the orphan. And we try to consider some of the reasons why people, including Christians, become upset when government assistance is either reduced or cut.<...