Tools of Dominion: The Case Laws of Exodus is a nearly 1300 page book written by Gary North that expounds upon a reconstructionist perspective of the issue of the role of the Bible in government. Rather than embracing the common viewpoint that the Old Testament law no longer applies in its detail but rather it is only the ‘moral laws’ that carry forward into the present, North firmly believes that every ‘case law’ in the Old Testament law has a modern day application by which Christians should live.
Tools of Dominion is a very interesting resource that gives an explanation of the Old Testament law in a way that accentuates its emphasis on justice in government. It is through this justice that God reveals His blessings and His judgments, and North holds that this justice should be held to in any government, Christian or secular, that wishes to avoid the judgment that God brings to those nations that turn their backs on His clear-cut requirements for justice.
Fascinating and controversial, Tools of Dominion takes a look at the issue of separation of church and state through the eyes of the Old Testament.
Saint Augustine of Hippo began work on The City of God in 413 A.D., after the fall of Rome. This book was one of the first doctrinal works to discuss in print many of the complex questions of the Christian faith. Augustine’s initial goal in writing the book was first to show that it was not Christianity but the paganism of Rome itself that was responsible for its fall. Second, he also defines and distinguishes between the “city of God” and “the city of Man”. Despite the fact that the book was originally intended to apply to this Roman situation, due to the description of the cities of God and man, The City of God discusses many subjects that are still argued, debated, and disagreed upon today. Three such topics are addressed in books XI and XII. Augustine discusses how creatures created by a perfect God became imperfect, what purpose an all-knowing God has in allowing evil to remain on the earth He created good, and how all of God’s creations give glory, even in their twisted imperfection, to their Creator. Augustine covers these topics thoroughly; however there is one hard question that does not seem to be answered.
Augustine maintains that since God is completely good, everything He creates must be good; therefore man was created good but his will was twisted to do evil. Augustine argues against all those who would say that God did not create man completely good by pointing out that God Himself “looked at everything that He had made, and, behold, it was very good.” (Gen.1:31) In explaining how man is no longer perfect, as he was created, Augustine says that “the flaw of wickedness is not nature, but contrary to nature, and has its origin, not in the Creator, but in the will.” (XI.17) He says that man’s nature was originally good—that nature in itself is good, therefore it is not man’s nature but vice which does evil and opposes God. It is vice that twisted man’s pure will to do evil. At first, Adam and Eve existed in a perfect state of fellowship with God, and that is how God created man to be. Vice is the serpent that flattered and tempted Adam into sinning and twisted his will to do evil. Therefore, Augustine tells us, “Even the vice which by force of habit and long continuance has become second nature, had its origin in the will.” (XII.3) So Augustine asserts that our perfect God created a perfect man whose will was then corrupted by vice.
Augustine replies to those who would ask what use or purpose an all-knowing, all-powerful God has in allowing sin to remain and harm His people, by speaking of the concept of antithesis. For “God would never have created any… unless He had equally known to what… good He could turn him, thus embellishing the course of ages, as it were an exquisite poem set off with antithesis.” (XI.18) Webster, in his 1828 Dictionary of the English Language, defines antithesis as “opposition of opinions; controversy. In rhetoric, an opposition of words or sentiments; contrast.” In literature an antithesis would be something or someone who provides a contrast by which you see the qualities—usually good—of another. Artists such as Rembrandt and Thomas Kincaid use shadows as an antithesis to better bring out the light and the colors in their paintings. Augustine shows antithesis as God using evil to bring out the goodness of the good. This is why James tells believers to “count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” (Ja.1:2-3) There are many other examples that prove this theory of antithesis reasonable.
One example of antithesis, or “God using evil to bring out the goodness of the good,” is persecution of the church. It would seem that the church actually grows larger and stronger under persecution. An example of this would be the early church in Ancient Rome, where Christianity was considered a radical and dangerous sect that should be wiped out. Many were arrested, crucified, fed to the lions, etc, and yet “the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.” (Acts6:7) Peter and John were called before the Sanhedrin and told to stop preaching the gospel or be punished, and as opposed to praying for safety, the believers prayed that God would “enable [His] servants to preach [His] word with great boldness.” (Acts4:29) Another example is the modern church in China, which is underground due to widespread persecution of Christianity in that country. An underground church leader stated that Christians in other countries should “stop praying for persecution in China to end,” adding that “it is through persecution that the church has grown.” (World Magazine, Praying for Persecution, by Gene Edward Veith) The Chinese church leader also stated that Chinese Christians are praying that the churches of other countries “might taste the same persecution so revival would come to [them] like we have seen in China.” So, in fact, it is during times that are hardest for the church and the believer individually that the Christian grows stronger and surer in their faith. This is one example of antithesis at work.
Another example of antithesis, which Augustine covers, is the fact that controversy over doctrine and the interpretation of Scripture, while it does stir up strife and divide believers, causes Christians to study and meditate on God’s Word, to discover for themselves its meaning. Augustine says that “this obscurity is beneficial, whether the sense of the author is at last reached after the discussion of many other interpretations, or whether, though that sense remain concealed, other truths are brought out by the discussion of the obscurity.” (XI.19) So, although it took argument to cause the study, every time a person reads the Bible they can learn something new, whether it’s relevant only to themselves, or to all. So through antithesis believers can come to a new and more extensive understanding of the Scriptures.
Augustine also states that not only is that which is not good used to give glory to God by showing the goodness of that which is good, but it itself gives Him glory. All things in creation, even that which is not perfect, give Him glory. Augustine speaks of “all natures… [which] have a rank and species of their own, and a kind of internal harmony… places assigned to them by the order of their nature…” (XII.5) The simple fact that all created things have a place and a purpose in the order of nature glorifies God. Every plant, every animal, every person has a reason and a calling to exist, through which they give glory to their Creator, whether they are aware of it or not. Augustine stresses th
at despite the fact that man’s perfection has been marred by sin, still God has a purpose for him and still He uses man for His glory. Augustine says that the sinful will, “though it violated the order of its own nature, did not on that account escape the laws of God, who justly orders all things for good. For as the beauty of a picture is increased by well-managed shadows, so, to the eye that has skill to discern it, the universe is beautified even by sinners.” (XI.23) In Romans, the apostle Paul says that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom.3:23) As Augustine points out, despite the fact that God’s creation is peopled with sinners, still it points to and gives glory to the One who created it.
Augustine’s coverage of the topics of the will, of antithesis, and of God’s glory is impressive. However, through it all there is one question that begins on the subject of the will, and so affects the rest, and does not seem to be clearly addressed. On the subject of the will, Augustine says that “vice… had its origin in the will,” (XII.3) yet he also says that man’s nature is good, because he was created by a God that cannot create anything that is not good. Surely the will is a part of the created man. If this is so, a question arises of how a perfect will can make a decision for evil. If every man were born with a perfect will, he would naturally make decisions for good; or so it would seem. Yet humans begin to make wrong, sinful decisions from the moment they are born. There must be an explanation for this if man is created good, just as God uses even evil for good, even though it seems questionable that an evil will could do good. However, Augustine does not seem able to supply this explanation. He attempts to, yet the question is not satisfied. When Augustine points out that even a sinner brings glory to God, he says that that sinful will “violated the order of its own nature.” (XI.23) This statement seems to address the issue of how a completely good will could make a decision that was not good, yet the question still remains: how can a man’s will violate its own nature? To this question Augustine offers no answer.
It would seem that Saint Augustine experienced firsthand the antithesis of the obscurity of God’s Word. Aside from the question that presents itself and seems impossible to answer, it is obvious that through constant, detailed study of the Scriptures, Augustine has come to satisfactory conclusions. He explains in detail his conclusions about the corruption of the will, how God uses evil, and how the corrupted will can bring glory to God, and these are only three of the many investigations into the Word of God that Augustine speaks of in his City of God. Augustine concludes that God created man good, as is confirmed in Genesis where it says “behold, it was very good,” (Gen.1:31) then man allowed his will to become polluted by vice. God uses evil to provide a contrast by which the good can be seen to be very good, and He uses everything in His creation, now marred by sin, to point to and to bring glory to Him as creator.
In Christian Jihad, Ergun Mehmet Caner and Emir Fethi Caner trace the Church’s stance on the subject of violence; from the martyrs of the early church, to the bloodthirsty legions of Crusaders, to the persecutions of the Inquisition, to the murder of doctors in abortion clinics in the early 1990’s. Throughout the history of Christianity the Church has struggled with the question of involvement in government and military affairs. At first the question was whether or not the Christian had a duty to his country to serve in its military for its protection. From there it progressed to an issue of the rightness of using the military and, necessarily, force and violence, for the furtherance of the Kingdom of Christ. The Caner’s, former Muslims converted to Christianity, show this progression from nonviolence to agression and parallel its sad results with the Muslim concept of Jihad.
The Caners first describe the general consensus of Christianity on the subject of violence and warfare in the early days of the Church. In these days believers were wholly occupied with preparation for Christ’s return and, “as Christ had come to literally transform society and man’s relation to man, this kingdom work left no room for participation in warfare for his followers.” (26) These early Christians believed that killing for any reason was totally contrary to their Lord’s command to love unconditionally. This adherence to unconditional love applied to their relations with all people in all positions and circumstances. One church father, Arnobius, even condemned the giving of testimony against a person if that testimony would lead to the defendant’s death. For this attitude of love and lack of antagonism for all those around them, these Christians were repaid by their unbelieving fellow men by hatred, persecution and gruesome slaughter. All of which the Christians received without resistance or bitterness. This first stage of Christian interaction with the State—the hunted, pacifist Church—spanned from A.D. 30 until about A.D. 175.
The Caners then proceed to depict the gradual, yet huge, shift of the Church from their early pacifism to their later active involvement in and even leadership of State violence and warfare. This shift began around A.D. 173-175 with a shy courtship. As Christianity aged, both the Church and the State softened in their opinions of the other, gradually breaking down walls and barriers through the deterioration of Christian principles and secular prejudices. Church authorities began to allow for Christian involvement in the military in loyal service to the State, so long as loyalty to Christ came first. By the days of Constantine Christian service in the military was commonplace, and Constantine even instated military protection and preference for Christian soldiers in his army. From this period of courtship which resulted in Christian service in the army for the furtherance of God’s work developed a state of unholy matrimony between the Church and the State. During this period, which began in 324 A.D., the Church stood on equal ground with the State. The Emperor Charlemagne was actually instated as head of the Holy Roman Empire by anointment by Pope Leo III. Christianity, through kings and emperors, commanded the armies, and Christian soldiers were led to believe that they accomplished God’s work through warfare.
The stage which gave birth to Christian Jihad is termed in the book as “the Church as Mistress.” Any distinction between the Church and the secular State was practically lost, beginning around 1000 A.D., following the joining of Charlemagne and Leo in order to birth the Holy Roman Empire and secure for each their desired ends of power and control. The Church, propped up to stand over the State, was intoxicated with its limitless authority, yet even then it was simply being used as a tool by the secular leaders of the State. Through this unholy union came the epiphany to unify and strengthen the Empire by creating, utilizing half-truths, propaganda and promises of temporal and eternal rewards, a common enemy. This enemy was the Muslims currently inhabiting the city of Jerusalem, considered sacred to Christianity. On Tuesday, November 27, 1095, Pope Urban II issued the “holy” call to retake the land which was home to Christ. From this first summons to the Crusades followed centuries of war and slaughter against Muslims and Jews in the “Holy Land.” This, one of the lowest moments in Christian history, was followed by other such sacrilege: in the Inquisition, in the persecution from both sides during the Reformation, and in countless other periods throughout history.
Christian Jihad points out the painful truth: that this period of Christian history was no less than a Christian Jihad, as thousands upon thousands of “Christian” armies murdered and pillaged in the name of Jesus Christ, “for the sake of eternity, the belief that God would bless such ignominious deeds.” (201) Christianity had come a long way from the days when “all the Christians wanted to do was to worship their Savior and to share his love,” and “spoke passionately against any Christian partaking in the shedding of blood, innocent or otherwise.” (38) The Crusades demonstrated that Christianity could be sadly manipulated for secular ends, especially when the average “Christian” had never read the Bible for himself, nor did he know anything of the meaning of his “faith” beyond what the leaders of the Church told him. The Church had too much power, power almost entirely unrelated to the Biblical functions of the Church. Ergun and Emir Caner highlight the primary motivating factor for Jihad, which is shared by Christian and Muslim crusaders: a selfish desire for forgiveness. For both, “risking their lives… was the guarantee of God’s forgiveness if they shed the blood of the infidel.” (212) What neither understood (nor, still, understands) is that the only blood necessary for forgiveness has already been shed. Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the world—once, for all.
Matthew Henry, in his commentary on 1 Peter 3:15 (known as the locus classicus to which we go about Christian apologetics), states that:
“The hope and faith of a Christian are defensible against all the world. There may be a good reason given for religion; it is not a fancy but a rational scheme revealed from heaven, suited to all the necessities of miserable sinners, and centering entirely in the glory of God through Jesus Christ. “
Religion is not a fantastical solution to this world’s problems. It is the only possible, plausible and perfect resolution to the irreconcilable rift between God and man that was brought about by sin. Understanding this Truth, the Christian should be ready at all times to elaborate upon it in order to eliminate any questions as to the reality of and dire need for his or her faith in the saving work of Jesus Christ. Ultimately, through all things, the necessary, unavoidable and ideal end is the glory of God.
I was born on May 7 in Kenner, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans. My name is on a brick outside of the aquarium.
I was named after a wonderful elderly woman named Ann Elizabeth Breen.
I have five brothers and a sister, all of us homeschooled from day one. Despite her overall demeanor of very-sane-ness, everyone thought that my mother was insane when she made the then-radical decision to homeschool. Time has proven otherwise.
I like happy colors. Like blue, green and yellow.
I love to read, to write when it is not obligatory, to play the piano, and to sing in choir. I also love to eat, sleep and waste time.
I do not like to sweat, nor do I like to smell. Thus I do not spend much time outdoors. And I don’t like the beach. I always end up sandy, salty and sticky. Which is unpleasant.
I’m not any good at sports or most games in general. Having five brothers did not seem to do much for me in that area. Apparently talent and coordination are not simply transmitted by association. Basically, I never learned because I was never taught, and I do not care to learn now as I dislike humiliation.
I am very happy to be at school, and I love to learn. Unless an assignment is due. When more than one is due I retreat from society for days. But I love people so I can’t stay gone long.
Above all, I strive to make it my daily goal to “grow in grace and in the knowledge of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and forever. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18)
