Essays on Whole Person Life – Page 5 – Whole Person Whole Life

God Judges Civil Governments by a Standard

November 13, 2023 Eric Potter Government

Excerpt #7 of “Analysis of Romans 13:1-7 in Light of the Analogy of Scripture”

Given the length of the full paper I recently published on this site, I am posting excerpts which emphasize specific principles within the paper. Hopefully, these excerpts will not only encourage you to read the actual paper, but also think more deeply about the role of Romans 13:1-7 in our response to both Godly and ungodly civil government in our day and time. A proper understanding and obedience to Scripture is critical today as always. This particular Scripture has been mishandled in so many ways that a methodical approach to its exegesis is needed to avoid further error by both individual Christians and the broader church. The pressures being exerted upon true Christianity by the contemporary civil government demand a Biblical response informed by Romans 13:1-7 and the other Scriptures addressed within this paper.

(These excerpts are posted in the order as found in the paper, but do not include the entirety of the paper which combined. Only the PDF contains all sections of the paper.)

God judges civil governments by a standard.

God judges civil governments by a standard. Being under both the general commandments given to all and also specific commandments directed at their offices, rulers and governments are judged by these commands repeatedly in Scripture. Isaiah 10:5-6 succinctly ties together God’s commanding and judgment, using Assyria to judge Israel for her unfaithfulness by commanding Assyria to attack and to destroy. This comes soon after 10:1 where it says “woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness, which they have prescribed.” King Saul’s poor judgment is well known to most Christians from 1 Samuel 15:25-33. Daniel tells of judgment on rulers in both 4:17-25 and 5:25-28. The Psalms, specifically in 94:20-23, describe what God will do to the rulers who “frame injustice by statue” and “condemn the innocent to death”. Psalm 2 describes God’s response to those rulers who conspire in rebellion against God and His Anointed. Psalm 105:14 tells how God “rebuked kings on their account”. These rulers clearly include nations like the Chaldeans, not just Israel, as is shown by Habakkuk 2:12: “woe to him who builds a town with blood and founds a city on iniquity!” Isaiah 5:20-23, I Samuel 12:13-15, 2 Chronicles 21:17, Micah 2:2, Isaiah 1:21-26, and Ezekial 34:1-5 also support this principle of God judging rulers’ unrighteousness.

In contrast, 2 Samuel 23:3-4 describes how a just ruler, ruling in the fear of God, will be a blessing to the people. This ruler will dawn on them “like the morning light…” 2 Kings 17:1-8 then provides a specific example, describing how King Hezekiah’s obedience to God brought blessing to the people of Israel. Ultimately, after all nations and rulers have had their appointed time on earth, Revelation 11:15-16 describes how all kingdoms of the earth will become “the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever”. Here, the blessing of the archetype of the righteous ruler will be fully manifested in Christ’s full manifestation.

How Do We Choose What We Do?

November 11, 2023 Eric Potter Prac-sy Foundations

In order to pursue a worthy purpose repeatedly and diligently, the wheels of will, mind, and body must meet the road of life, engaging traction upon it. Mere mental recognition of these potential drivers of life only takes one to the point of decision but not over the threshold of engagement. Understanding how we move past this point will equip us to make the next step into engagement with life. Reality makes it obvious that we are faced with choices unless philosophers are correct in that it is an illusion covering over actual determinism (all things determined by other factors with no opportunity for actual personal choices). While we confirm that God rules sovereignly over all things past, present, and future, we see in the Bible clear choices for mankind, even if we don’t fully understand how God’s sovereignty concurs with our freedoms to choose. In the end, our beliefs and values must be empowered by God’s working out His will in us and through us in order to influence the world around us. These empowered choices to carry out the works we were created to do (Ephesians 2:10) are repeated a million times over a lifetime to reach the goal of shalom, or whole person well-being. (See prior essay “Biblical Values to Uphold In Whole Person Health Part 1: Old Testament Word Study”)

Lives of fruitfulness require that we choose repeatedly to move towards correctly chosen purposes. Our will must push, the mind must respond, the body must engage reality as a tire presses into asphalt and begins to move the vehicle. The body physically carries out what the will desired and the mind conceived. While these are here separated, in reality for the will to desire, the mind had to present a conception of what might be desired in the future after a choice is made and acted upon by the body. Furthermore, the body had perceived the physical reality through its senses allowing the mind and will to better understand what it might desire. Without becoming lost in these philosophical explorations, one must humbly accept the reality in which they live and move.

Unless one is distracted by irrational philosophical mind games, one will have to admit that choices are ever-present. Philosophers and teachers of bad religion can attempt to deny that we have choices within our reach by appealing to deterministic life approaches. Philosophers have promulgated the idea of “fates” in the past and today we look to the forces of “science” producing set causes paired with inalterable effects. Religions have also toyed with the “fates” as controlling beings rather than brute forces. Even in Christianity, an overextended or overemphasized sovereignty of God can leave one feeling trapped in a destiny that one cannot change. Holding the Bible as true, we are faced with the reality of choices we see described in its pages. For example, God called the Hebrews to choose to serve (Joshua 24:15 and others) and God calls us now, after Christ’s first coming, to respond to Christ (Acts 2:38 and others). God then calls us who are regenerated to respond in obedience to live out a response worthy of the call (Ephesians 4:1). We were created for good works, yet we must choose good works. (Ephesians 2:10).

Once choices are accepted as the only reality confirmed by the Bible and also by our perception of reality, their performance must be grounded in right beliefs, driven by right values, and empowered by God’s working. From the beginning, according to God’s sovereignty, all things must originate with God. Therefore, a good fruit from a good choice must begin with God’s working in us. If we start with a right belief in our fallen condition resulting from Adam’s fall, we can more easily see that something beyond ourselves is needed to overcome our brokenness. This truth presses upon us whether or not we recognize and believe it, but our belief in it as a fundamental reality makes our cooperation with it more fruitful. Having already connected back to right beliefs about reality, we must see the created world as it really is. Physically, we perceive it as having true substance with which we interact. Relationally, we perceive that we are not alone in this reality as others influence what we experience in it. Spiritually, through inborn instincts and through God’s revelation of His word, we know that there is more to reality than solely the physical and we owe allegiance not ultimately to the physical reality but to the creator of the reality. On this foundation we can construct an accurate set of beliefs about reality.

Once we have our perception correct in that set of beliefs, we can develop values on what matters and on what is important to our Creator. We may move towards natural inclinations to determine our values, but our fallenness and lack of an external standard will create a great variety of individual values which are inconsistent with God’s values. Or instead, we can value God’s ways as better than ours and seek His values to be ours, making our desires from His desires. Values consistent with God’s values based on right beliefs sets us up for right choices leading to right behaviors. We learn His values through our minds and our practices as guided by His Spirit. Our mind applies His Word to understanding by diligent study. Repeated applications of that understanding deepens our understanding of God’s ways. Given our sinful nature (Romans 7), we must have His Spirit to move us beyond our fallen tendencies to error. Our values must reflect His values through His Spirit working in us.

By believing what is right according to God’s design and desiring what is right according to God’s Word, we can move according to His Spirit working in us to move our bodies to carry out right actions. We can choose right and good and best only if beliefs and values are correct. Again emphasized, belief that is contrary to reality makes one’s actions irrational and unlikely to achieve correctly desired outcomes. Also again, valuing the wrong things moves us towards wrong actions. In contrast, God’s Spirit working with us finishes the work and we can then choose rightly. Belief, values, and God’s Spirit underlie how we choose and how we choose repeatedly despite pressure to do otherwise.

Next in this Pracsy Series… “Body in Practice, The Beginning”

God Works Out His Will Through Ordained Leaders

November 8, 2023 Eric Potter Government

Excerpt #6 of “Analysis of Romans 13:1-7 in Light of the Analogy of Scripture”

(These excerpts are posted in the order as found in the paper, but do not include the entirety of the paper which combined. Only the PDF contains all sections of the paper.)

God works out His Will through ordained leaders.

Having ordained governments and their rulers, God then directs their actions. God works out His Will through ordained leaders. Chapter five of the Westminster Confession of Faith reiterates this in broader, yet inclusive terms. This truth is revealed in His Word both in narrative accounts, prophecies, and propositional statements. Ezra 1:1-3 and 2 Chronicles 36:22 tell of how Isaiah’s prophecy (Is.: 44:28) regarding Cyrus and Jeremiah’s prophecy of the exile’s end was fulfilled (Jeremiah 29:10). This exemplifies God’s control over nations and kings in all places at all times. Such power to direct and determine the course of kingdoms is also mentioned in Daniel 2:21. Isaiah prophesied in 49:22-23 that God would move the nations along with their kings and queens to serve His people. Psalm 33:10 describes how “the LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples.” The previously described rebellion of Jeroboam in I Kings 12:15 fulfilled God’s prior prophecy through Ahijah (I Kings 14:1-8) (Cole). Maybe such verses served as the reasoning why John Calvin argued that wicked rulers where one means of God by which He punish His people’s sins (Cole quoting Calvin’s Comm. p 480 in Baker). God ordains both institutions and individual rulers and directs them in His desired course.

God commands rulers not only generally through commands which apply to all people, but also particularly through commands specific to their positions. Having ordained leaders for Israel, in Deuteronomy 1:16-18, God, through Moses, commands them to “judge righteously”, to “not be partial in judgment”, and to “not be intimidated by anyone”. In Deuteronomy 16:18-20, having commanded the people to appoint leaders, God again gives commands to the people regarding how the leaders are to rule. In Zechariah 45:7-9, God commands the princes of Israel retrospectively, commanding them to put away violence and oppression as well as to “execute justice and righteousness”. Specific commands are given to princes in Ezekiel 45 in regard to their sinful actions of taking the property of their subjects. God’s words through Jeremiah in 22:1-5 also express clear commands to judges and rulers in Israel along with the people of Israel, demanding their obedience. Though spoken generally to stewards, I Corinthians 4:2 could properly apply to rulers in requiring that they be found faithful. Therefore, God does not leave rulers and leaders only with general commands that apply to all His people, but He repeatedly requires specific obedience from them in their appointed offices.

Particular Applications to Earthly Authority: Second Broad Principle

November 6, 2023 Eric Potter Papers Government

Excerpt #5 of “Analysis of Romans 13:1-7 in Light of the Analogy of Scripture”

(These excerpts are posted in the order as found in the paper, but do not include the entirety of the paper which combined. Only the PDF contains all sections of the paper.)

Particular Applications to Earthly Authority: Second Broad Principle

The application of God’s authority may be seen clearly in the areas of His ordaining, directing, commanding, judging, and having dominion over all civil government. First, God’s creation or ordaining of government may be argued from several verses out of both Testaments. Daniel 4:17 describes God as not only ruling the kingdoms of men, but giving it “to whom he will”. Daniel 2:44-45 foretells how God would set up a kingdom which would overturn all the prior ones. In Jeremiah 27:6, God describes how he gave lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. Romans 9:17 recounts God’s words to Pharaoh showing that God had raised him up for the very purpose of showing His power. Isaiah expresses God’s giving certain rulers to the people (Isaiah 3: 4-5). Additionally, when man tried to set up kings outside of God’s expressed will, God considered this disobedience (Hosea 8:3-4).

In spite of these examples some would argue that God only ordained institutions, not rulers. They do so to avoid accusations of evil against God. As proof of God’s individual ordination, I Kings 12:15 describes how Jeroboam’s rebellion and subsequent kingdom was “a turn of events from the Lord”, leaving no doubt that even a rebellion was under God’s rule as God had commanded Jeroboam to do so. The Bible’s description of Nebuchadnezzar as God’s “servant” in Jeremiah 27:6 and Jesus’ dialogue with Pontius Pilate in John 19:10-11 also confirm that God ordains not only offices, but the rulers that fill those offices (Cole).

Trauma’s Whole Person Impact

November 4, 2023 Eric Potter Heads and Hearts Foundations

Given the possibility for our thoughts and feelings to press upon and to alter our beliefs and values in the aftermath of significant life events, the potential for life trauma to change our worldview deserves some reflection. Trauma might be one of the most forceful opportunities through which our beliefs and values may be influenced by our thoughts and feelings. Of course, the immediate effects of trauma stand out as we may even question whether we were wrong about our view of reality. However, either the residual intensity of the initial trauma or an ongoing and repetitive trauma may not only lead to questions, but to actual changes in our beliefs and values through how we think and feel about the trauma. Underlying these lasting conscious changes, significant biochemical and structural changes can be found in the brain after such trauma. Outside the brain, changes in the levels of various hormones can be observed in the various hormones. While one is not left to fate if one intentionally addresses such biological and emotional changes, ignoring these biochemical responses could leave one at the mercy of the trauma. Traumatic events of any significant severity deserve pause in the flow of life to process the conscious and unconscious influences they press into our beliefs and values.

We have discussed in prior essays the interaction between thoughts and feeling of heads and hearts interacting with beliefs and values. Residing a step or so outside of these thoughts and feelings, the events of our lives shape us in both subtle and in profound ways. So many of these events are positive and enjoyable, yet in our fallen world, creation cries out as wickedness and brokenness press their reality upon our lives. The pain or suffering we experience from these negative influences and their aftermaths can be described as trauma. Minor trauma may leave emotional or physical bruises that can fade in a short time while more significant trauma can leave much longer lasting marks on us, even permanent scars. Such marks of trauma may be physical in ongoing disability, deformity or discomfort. They may also be emotional in altering how we feel about situations or people similar to those involved in the initiating traumatic event. There may be changes in what we think as we face situations which remind us of the original trauma.

While even less intense and less prolonged trauma does not always produce lasting changes, at time it does leave a more permanent mark. In such situations, it may change what we believe about reality. Such trauma may cause us to view reality and life as inherently dangerous, thus causing us to expect more trauma, and potentially cause us to not trust others. Such trauma may lead to our changing what values are important to us. Safety and security may arise in our list of priority values whether in a physical sense or possibly in a relational sense of not getting close to others. This could cause us to slow down and seek much more understanding or assurance before we commit to something that appears to pose a risk. These changes may fade over time or may become a part of who we are for a lifetime.

As neuroscience and neuropsychology advanced, we came to recognize actual physical changes in one’s body from such significant trauma. Different parts of the brain can increase or decrease in size, especially in areas of the limbic system, the brain subsystem which processes emotions including the “fight or flight” response. For example, the amygdala, which processes fear, can change in size with repeated trauma. The change has been reported to go either way and whether the direction of change is a result of, or a cause of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms has been debated (Morey et al 2012 vs. Kuo et al 2012).

Outside of the brain, the processing and outworking of our hormones also changes. Adverse childhood experiences have been shown to change the response of the adrenal glands to future stressors. Adrenal glands can alter their production of cortisol and adrenaline after prolonged repeated trauma which has led to a poorly labeled syndrome of “adrenal fatigue”. Such changes in our brains and hormones result in our responding differently to future situations and future traumas. Responses to future trauma may be augmented in some people, even resulting in PTSD while in others, response may be blunted and affects flattened.

Trauma of life thus impacts our thoughts and feelings through these biological pathways, yet thoughts and feelings about trauma also impact how we experience the trauma. Prior beliefs and values alter the way we experience the initial trauma as well as alter how we re-experience the similarities of future trauma. While this would paint a grim picture in which we feel ourselves to be helpless victims in the fallen world, through an active approach to such trauma, we can actively engage and influence the resulting changes to our view of the world. In contrast, a passive approach under the belief that we cannot change what happens to us or how we respond to those traumas will leave us at the mercy of the trauma.

In order to engage effectively, we must engage the trauma cognitively in several ways. We must process it cognitively and shine light on its effects, both actual and potential, honestly assessing the impacts. This requires the belief that we have some choice in the matter and a high value on our own well-being. It also requires that we believe that what is wrong can be made right again rather than being hopeless. For the Christian, we must trust that God works all things together for good (Romans 8:28) and that He can bring good out of even the bad (many examples from the Bible). Faith in such eternal truths as found in the Bible will shape our response to trauma if we choose to apply them and trust them.

Traumatic events of any significant severity deserve pause in the flow of life to process the conscious and unconscious influences they press into our beliefs and values. These traumas will inevitably impact our thoughts and our feelings as well as beliefs and values, but we do not have to be helpless in the face of such impacts. We can actively shape our experience both in the present and in the future even as the experience shapes us (2 Corinthians 10:5). The more actively we engage our thoughts and feelings after trauma, the greater the chance of coming out well in health and well-being through right beliefs and values.

Next in this Series… “The Modern Contribution to Our Brokenness”

References:

Morey, R. A., Gold, A. L., LaBar, K. S., Beall, S. K., Brown, V. M., Haswell, C. C., Nasser, J. D., Wagner, H. R., McCarthy, G., & Mid-Atlantic MIRECC Workgroup (2012). Amygdala volume changes in posttraumatic stress disorder in a large case-controlled veterans group. Archives of general psychiatry, 69(11), 1169–1178. https://doi.org/10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2012.50

Kuo, J. R., Kaloupek, D. G., & Woodward, S. H. (2012). Amygdala volume in combat-exposed veterans with and without posttraumatic stress disorder: a cross-sectional study. Archives of general psychiatry, 69(10), 1080–1086. https://doi.org/10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2012.73

God’s Law Limits Government’s Punishments

November 1, 2023 Eric Potter Papers Government

Excerpt #4 of “Analysis of Romans 13:1-7 in Light of the Analogy of Scripture”

(These excerpts are posted in the order as found in the paper, but do not include the entirety of the paper which combined. Only the PDF contains all sections of the paper.)

God’s Law Limits Government’s Punishments

Though the law of God was meant to curtail disobedience in all spheres, it also limits man’s punishment of the wicked to acceptable degrees. In Exodus 21:23-27 and Leviticus 24:18-23, the well-known lex talionis, often viewed in a negative light, actually prevented far more damaging punishments from being inflicted on the guilty. As Schwertley argues in God’s Law for Modern Man, the goal was justice. He also quotes Greg Bahnsen’s book, Theonomy, pp. 437-438 in further support of this. Deuteronomy 16:18-20 further confirms this intention by commanding the rulers to “judge the people with righteous judgment”, “not pervert justice”, “not show partiality”, “not accept a bribe”, and to follow only justice. Through this obedience they were to inherit the land which God had given them. The impartiality was to extend both to citizens of Israel and strangers in the land (Leviticus 24:22). Based on Deuteronomy 4:1-8 (particularly verses 7 and 8), Schwertley points out in God’s Law for Modern Man that the law was also meant to be a model for other nations. There the nearness of God was extolled as were the laws of the Israelites.

As further examples of its goal of justice, not punitive purposes, the Law included stipulations for self-defense in Exodus 22:2-4 and required atonement for unsolved murders in Deuteronomy 21:1-9. In fact, government itself could be the enactment of judgment as seen in Hosea 13:11 where God says that He would give a king to His people “in His wrath”. St. Thomas Aquinas noted this in work “On Kingship or the The Governance of Rulers” as he addressed how the people should seek help in resisting a tyrant (Sigmund, 25). Both Biblical narratives and propositions therefore demand the doctrine that God is the ultimate authority, ordaining civil government for mankind’s benefit through delegation and jurisdictional division.

Idols Not Made With Hands – Veith

October 31, 2023 Eric Potter Quotes

Exodus 20:4 “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven bbove or on the earth beneath or in the waters below” — Idolatry is rejection of truth and an attempt to replace God — Veith, G. E., Jr. (1994b). Postmodern Times: A Christian Guide to Contemporary Thought and Culture. Crossway, p. 63 – NIV

Reflexive images brought to mind by the mention of particular words offer efficiency of thought, but may hinder deeper insights into a heavier topic. The mention of idols quickly brings to mind statues small and large, ancient civilizations like Greece or modern tribal groups with carved poles. As a Christian, these idols repulse our sensibilities and are easier to reject. Isaiah mocked the idea of carving an idol out of wood while using the left-overs to warm himself (44:14-17).

Mentally stopping at imagining such a ridiculous physical object as our recipient of worship endangers us by not exposing other less conspicuous idols in our lives. Veith in his book, Postmodern Times, goes deeper by stating that “Idolatry is rejection of truth and an attempt to replace God”. Ultimately, the sin of idolatry arises from any active or passive placing of something above God. He connects the rejection of truth with such an act of replacing God because God is truth and the source of all truth we may possess.

From the Old Testament, we see not only the Gentile peoples worshipping other idols, but the very people of God, the Hebrews falling prey to this rejection of God and His truth. Throughout history, the heart and mind of mind collaborate to create alternatives to the God of the Scriptures, and thus create idols sometimes physical and sometimes simply abstract ideals. Today, our society continues and somewhat extends this idolatry by denying truth altogether.

By reaching such a low point in our understanding of our reality, thinking that truth either does not exist or that we are able to create our own truth, we are creating idols of such mental rationalizations. In order to tear down such idols in our own thinking, we must return to aligning our beliefs and values with God’s truth such that our thoughts and feelings align with His, thus directing our practices both individually and collectively after His ways rather than the false idols of our increasingly ungodly culture. We and others around us who follow this example will flourish in God’s blessing through such work.

Jurisdictional Spheres

October 30, 2023 Eric Potter Papers

Excerpt #3 of “Analysis of Romans 13:1-7 in Light of the Analogy of Scripture”

(These excerpts are posted in the order as found in the paper, but do not include the entirety of the paper which combined. Only the PDF contains all sections of the paper.)

Jurisdictional Spheres

Within each jurisdictional sphere, the responsibilities of the respective jurisdiction are governed by the Law of God as set forth in the Scripture. God’s Law defines the extent of their authority and their responsibility. The assumed division between “sacred” responsibility and “secular” responsibility is a false dichotomy . God’s law governs all people and all areas. Romans 3:23’s explicit declaration that all have sinned and fallen short implies that all were under some form of law in order to sin, so God’s law is for all people. Several examples demonstrate that all jurisdictions are under God’s law without distinct or complete separation between sacred and secular (Grant, 18-20). Under Israel’s theocratic government both the appointed judges of Deuteronomy 16:18 and the Levites of Deuteronomy 17:8-9 were addressed as judging the people in regards to both religious and civil matters. Both areas were ultimately under God’s Law (Hoffecker, 164). In the subsequent theocratic monarchy described in Deuteronomy 17:15, Israel’s king was to have both civil and religious duties. In I Corinthians 6:1-7, Paul admonishes fellow Christians to take their disputes before other believers in the Church body rather than before the civil authorities. In the New Testament, church members were therefore to judge civil matters between themselves.

The Scriptures then give explicit principles within various jurisdictions, which show that God’s law applies to each of these areas. Ephesians 6:5-9 and Colossians 4:22-5:1 address it at the occupational level. The family is delegated educational responsibility in Deuteronomy 6:6-9 and Ephesians 6:1-4 while disciplinary authority is explicit in Proverbs 23:13-14 as well as other verses. The property owner or farmer is given responsibility for charity in Leviticus 19:9 and the church shares some of that charitable responsibility for widows in I Timothy chapter 5. At the civil authority level, it is also expressed. In Numbers 10, Moses as head of the people was responsible for using the silver trumpets to summons or alarm the people to different purposes. Jesus’ response to the paying of taxes also exhibits the rightful authority of civil government within its jurisdiction (Grant 24). The apostles’ testimony before the Sanhedrin in Acts demonstrates a recognition of civil and religious authority combined.

Virtues to uphold in Whole Person Health: Part 2

October 28, 2023 Eric Potter Doc-sy Foundations

(Continued from Part 1)

Physical health should be something that enables us to love God and our neighbors more fully. Self-caused limitations created out of poor stewardship of physical health can limit our ability to care for family and participate productively in community. For example, a lifestyle with overindulgence in food which leads to heart disease or uncontrolled diabetes could prevent one from productive labor to care for one’s family financially. On the other end, over-emphasis on personal physical health can be a detriment to caring for our family if one is spending so much time on physical self-care that their family is neglected. Physical health can therefore be an empowerment to the higher goals or a hindrance, even an idol.

Growing our minds and balancing our emotions deserve recognition as part of our stewardship of the gift of life as well. Greater knowledge or greater wisdom may serve not only us but those under our care or under our leadership. A greater knowledge of God enables greater serve to His purposes. A greater knowledge of the created world enables more accurate and likely more productive benefitting others. A greater wisdom in reasoning through the dynamics of life enables fruit for not only self but for multitudes of others around us. Similar to the possibilities for a downside to emphasizing physical health, there may be downsides to pursuing intellectual health also. Knowledge for the sake of knowledge alone or for the sake of using that knowledge as power over others can turn this into sinful attitudes and behaviors. The pursuit of knowledge may become an idol and this possibility must be guarded against.

Growing our minds and our bodies, again, cannot come at the expense of our spirits. Idolizing the fitness of our bodies or minds will take away from that which is eternal. Loving God and our neighbor cannot be in mind or in body alone. Our physical bodies and the physical minds they care will come to an end at some point. In the Bible we read that physical care of our bodies have some value, but the greater care is for the spirit in its walk before God (I Timothy 4:8). Our walk with others in relationship is tied up also with this walk with God. Yet, even the spiritual emphases can become an idol. The pharisees were instructed by Jesus to stop disobeying the commandment to honor father and mother when they gave their inheritance to temples rather than to care for parents. When one moves into the realm of believing only the spiritual has any value but not the physical world, one moves into philosophy, particularly Greek philosophy rather than theology. This contrasts with the “new bodies” in the ”new heavens” we will receive and will experience respectively in the end times.

From here we can evaluate what virtues to practice in how they serve this higher goal of loving God and loving our neighbor. We can ask if something has become an idol in our lives and overtaken the higher goals. Questions include:

1. Has physical fitness become an inordinate part of our lives?

2. Has control of food become an obsession that is causing more harm to family or others?

3. Has study of physical reality distracted or distorted from pursuing a knowledge and wisdom of spiritual reality?

4. Has a pursuit of knowledge about God overtaken relationship with God and with His children?

We can ask in what way is something serving the higher goals.

1. Does your physical fitness enable present relationship with God and others?

2. Does your physical fitness serve to steward one’s health for the good of not only self but others? Long life with family? Less money spent in the future on health care? More ability to be with family?

3. Does your healthy eating do likewise in stewarding health?

4. Does your knowledge about God lead to a better relationship with God and with other mankind?

The virtues are then rooted in pursuit of the higher goals of loving God and loving neighbor. One should view oneself as a steward of a gift of life that is meant to not only benefit yourself but serve God and others. Caring for one’s body becomes a responsibility but should not become an idol. Pursuing knowledge and soundness of mind equips one to serve God more truly and mankind more productively. Pursing spiritual health as a priority, but not exclusively, enables one to use the physical fitness and the mental fitness to serve God and others more truly. Walking each day with the virtues inherent in stewardship leads to a more abundant life for self and for others.

Next in this Series… “To Be Determined”

Division of Authority by God

October 25, 2023 Eric Potter Papers

Excerpt #2 of “Analysis of Romans 13:1-7 in Light of the Analogy of Scripture”

(These excerpts are posted in the order as found in the paper, but do not include the entirety of the paper which combined. Only the PDF contains all sections of the paper.)

Division of Authority by God

In addition to originating and delegating authority, God has divided authority into the earthly jurisdictional spheres of individual, family, church, and various civil governments. Each of these authorities receives delegated authority within their jurisdiction but not authority outside that jurisdiction (Grant, 19). Only God maintains authority over all areas of life. Several examples from Scripture collectively demonstrate the universality of this principle. Self-government is seen in Galatians 5:23 where “self-control can only be maintained by the power of the Spirit (Hagopian) which means it originates in God. Several Scriptures denote the jurisdiction of the family with its boundaries and responsibilities. These include the household codes of Ephesians 5:22-6:4 and Colossians 3:18-21, as well as I Timothy 5:8’s consideration of family responsibilities for one another. In several other Scriptures, church government is established in Acts 20:28, I Peter 5:1-3, Hebrew 13:17, I Timothy 3:1-3, Matthew 18:15-20 and Acts 15. The servant-hood nature of this authority is authority structure is seen in Matthew 20:25027, Mark 9:35, and John 13:14-15. Finally, Matthew 22:21 makes clear that Caesar, his jurisdiction of civil government, operates with a defined sphere of responsibility. “Therefore, render to Cesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.” As in the other spheres, the state’s power does not overrule the power of the ultimate authority in the area of overlap for the state’s power is derived from God and operates appropriately within its defined limits. George Grant considered this statement of Jesus as affirming both the state’s legitimacy and the state’s limitations (Grant, 24). Each jurisdiction of authority is limited by God’s ordination.

Whole Person Whole Life Blog

God Judges Civil Governments by a Standard

How Do We Choose What We Do?

God Works Out His Will Through Ordained Leaders

Particular Applications to Earthly Authority: Second Broad Principle

Trauma’s Whole Person Impact

God’s Law Limits Government’s Punishments

Idols Not Made With Hands – Veith

Jurisdictional Spheres

Virtues to uphold in Whole Person Health: Part 2

Division of Authority by God

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