Like many people, I can still remember the mix of rage and horror I felt as I fought back tears, seeing the television report that an extremist cult compound in Texas had been raided because girls were being held there essentially as slaves to be abused by pedophiles who claimed to be religious leaders.

Thankfully, that case is now coming to trial as the Houston Chronicle reports,

More than 150 potential jurors, including 10 women in prairie dresses and braids, crammed into a makeshift courtroom Monday as jury selection began in the first criminal trial stemming from the raid of a polygamist sect’s ranch last year.

Raymond Jessop, 38, is charged with sexual assault of a child, stemming from his alleged marriage to an underage girl. The girl, according to church documents seized by authorities, gave birth at age 16 at the Yearning For Zion Ranch in Eldorado. If convicted, Jessop faces 20 years in prison.

Following that, Jessop will face Jesus Christ, who said tying a rock around his neck and throwing him into the sea would be a better fate than the just and hellish eternity that awaits him.

While we pray for justice to the evil men and loving counseling for the abused girls, the case has brought to light one curious theological question: Is polygamy biblical?

Various cults, aberrant sects, and perverts make the case that the Bible does mention polygamy and so it is biblically acceptable. However, they fail to acknowledge that the Bible speaks of human sin from beginning to end to show the evil horrors of sin. Therefore, just because something is in the Bible does not mean that God approves of it, as is the case with the rapes, murders, and adulteries reported throughout Scripture.

There are many biblical and practical reasons why polygamy is sinful and harmful.

1. The first man to take more than one wife was the godless man Lamech (Genesis 4:19–24).
2. Some of the Old Testament patriarchs did practice polygamy, and it never honored God. For example, Abram married Hagar in addition to Sarai. The results of this polygamy are truly tragic, as is the case with other instances of adultery and polygamy in Scripture. Abram slept with Hagar and she bore him a son. God promised that Hagar’s son would become the father of a great nation because he was a son of Abram, though not the son of the promise (which would eventually be Isaac). God promised that Ishmael would be a “wild donkey of a man” and that he would be a warrior in hostility with his brothers who would descend from Abram. Ishmael was born to a Hebrew father and Egyptian mother and became the father of the Arab nations that to this day are in hostility with Jews and Christians alike, as promised.
3. The disaster of polygamy is illustrated by Lamech and Adah and Zillah in Genesis 4:19–24, Esau and Mahalath and other wives in Genesis 28:6–9, and Jacob and Leah and Rachel in Genesis 29:15–30. None of these occurrences was godly or good.
4. The Bible repeatedly shows that polygamy is wrought with favoritism, fighting, jealousy, and mistreatment (e.g., Genesis 35:22; 38:18–28; 2 Samuel 3:2–5; 13:1–29; 15–18; 1 Kings 11:1–4).
5. The New Testament church elders who serve as the pattern for Christian families are to be one-woman men and not polygamists (1 Timothy 3:2, 12).
6. God’s intention is that each man would have one wife (Genesis 2:18; Matthew 19:4–6).
7. Marriage is ultimately a picture of Jesus’ loving relationship with the church (Ephesians 5:22–33; Revelation 19:6–9). Jesus is faithful to one bride, the church, as the pattern for all marriages.




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Not to be dramatic, but a little dramatic. This is the overwhelming feeling I have when I’ve been working all day, had a few hours to connect with my family in the evening, and am now sitting at my desk reading a 480-page pdf document (book) on the church, or slugging away at a 25-page paper till the wee hours. Amazing stuff, but the feeling is a bit overwhelming as the proverbial Re:Train is barreling down the tracks, and I’m stuck in the middle, staring at the oncoming lights and deafened by the blaring horn. How do I escape the wrath?



Re:Train has been a significant investment of time and energy, but it’s an investment that has been extremely beneficial and filled with the grace of God. This weekend was another testament to that as Dr. Gregg Allison lectured and answered questions for two days regarding ecclesiology and the missional church.  

An ecclesiological man among boys

His wisdom, humility and love for the church was inspiring. He is a seasoned pastor, well-studied theologian, faithful husband, father and grandfather, elder in an Acts 29 church, and his daughter and son-in-law attend Mars Hill Bellevue. After a few moments with the Allisons, my wife said, “Wow, that’s the type of couple everyone wants in their church. Godly, stable, wise, humble, and encouraging.” As Pastor Tim Smith put it on Twitter, “Gregg Allision is an ecclesiological man among boys.”  Here are a few takeaways that have left me pondering further.



These are a few reflections from Re:Train with Dr. Allison. The full impact of his teaching and friendship will have a long and sustained impact on the church planting taking place through Mars Hill and Acts 29.


1. Ask good questions before you leave your church.


Dr. Allison loves the local church, and he did a good job of distinguishing between true and false churches as well as less pure and more pure churches among those that are true. He had some good words and questions to ask yourself before moving from one true church to another:

1. Have I expended all of my opportunities to effect change in this church?
2. Will continued participation in this church exert a negative impact on my relationship with and worship of God, my ministry for Jesus Christ, the use of my spiritual gifts, etc.?
3. Do I have to compromise too much—essential doctrines and practices, a lifestyle in accordance with biblical values and principles—in order to remain in this church?
4. Do I have a legitimate reason for leaving?  In a culture where church-hopping and shopping is the norm, I felt these were timely words for Christians to ask themselves before leaving their church so that we don’t flippantly move on from a place God may want us to persevere in.

2. Have something in your life you can finish.


Pastors and those in ministry need to have some outlet in their life that allows them to finish something.  Ministry is never finished, and the pile of work continually grows. Paul told Titus to “put what remained into order” (Titus 1:5).  Based on my experience, I don’t think Titus ever finished getting everything in order.  As he appointed elders, it meant more training and leadership; as new people met Jesus, it meant more teaching and discipleship; as the church grew, it meant new systems and structures.  The church is alive and therefore never finished.

This is why Dr. Allison recommended having something you can finish.  It might be writing a book, refinishing your basement, or some other outlet for bringing something to full completion so that you can enjoy the work and rest upon its completion.  He wasn’t legalistic about it, and didn’t attempt to prooftext any verses to support this position--it was just a piece of pastoral advice from a seasoned pastor.


3. Fight for unity.


The church begins at a place of unity.  In Ephesians 4:3, Paul says, “maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”  Wow, the church is unified because of the Spirit’s work, yet our sins of pride, envy, gossip, jealousy, dissention, and the like are actively working to destroy the unity of the Church.

Dr. Allison pointed out from Ephesians 4:2 that unity is maintained and achieved through the attitudes of gentleness, patience, and bearing with one another in love.  He challenged all of us to dig deep into the places where we and our churches are not unified and accurately diagnose the root issue, which is nearly always sin of some sort.  One of his closing lines on this topic was profound: “The will to maintain unity can overcome significant differences.”



For more from Dr. Allison, read his posts on Missional Ecclesiology on the Resurgence.



You can follow Pastor Jamie on Twitter at twitter.com/jamiemunson.

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Paul refers to himself numerous times as worth "imitating" when it comes to spiritual growth and maturity (1 Cor. 4:16, 11:1; Phil. 3:17, 4:19; 1 Thess. 1:6; and 2 Thess. 3:7, 9). What do we see when we look to Paul as an example?

He makes three significant statements about himself throughout his years in ministry that are helpful insights into his view of spiritual growth.

The least of the Apostles

Early in Paul's ministry, during his three missionary journeys, he wrote six major epistles: Galatians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Corinthians, and Romans. In one of them, Paul makes a very humble statement about himself—"I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God" (1 Cor. 15:9).

Paul does not put himself on par with the other apostles, as if he were equal to them. Rather, he calls himself "the least of the apostles." That's a decent dose of humility worth noticing.

The least of all the saints

Toward the middle of his ministry, during his first Roman imprisonment, Paul wrote Philippians, Colossian, Philemon, and Ephesians. In Ephesians 3:8, his humility deepens—"I am the very least of all the saints."

Paul goes from "least of the apostles" to "least of all the saints." What's happening here?

The foremost sinner

At the end of his ministry and during his second Roman imprisonment, Paul writes Titus and 1 and 2 Timothy. Early in his first letter to Timothy, Paul writes: "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost" (1 Tim 1:15). Some translations say "chief of sinners."

Paul sounds like a spiritual failure, like he is regressing spiritually, not making spiritual progress.

Paul's Trajectory

Do you see the trajectory as Paul matures in faith? This is what happens when you boast in Christ alone. Your weakness becomes more evident. You can't help but make much of Christ and little of self. That is maturity according to Paul—boasting in nothing but Christ's grace and our weakness.

True Spiritual Growth

Paul isn't just using self-deprecating hyperbole as a teaching device. Each of the three statements about himself is surrounded by references to the cross (1 Cor. 15:3-4; Eph. 3:7-8; and 1 Tim. 1:15) and grace or mercy (1 Cor. 15:10; Eph. 3:2, 7; and 1 Tim. 1:13-14, 16). For him, spiritual growth is realizing how utterly dependent he is on Jesus' cross and mercy, not arriving at some point where he somehow needs the cross and mercy less.

Paul's view of himself diminishes and his dependence on Jesus' cross and grace increases. How do you talk about spiritual maturity? Imitating Paul's example, there should be more talk of the depth and scope of God's mercy, less talk of self-reliance, and an abiding fixation on Jesus' cross that secured God's grace for you.

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The number of occurrences of sexual assaults is staggering. At least 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men are or will be victims of sexual assault in their lifetime. More staggering than the prevalence is the damage done to the victim. The effects are physical, social, emotional, psychological, and spiritual.

Sexual assault is not just rape by a stranger with a weapon. Most victims (approximately 80%) are assaulted by an acquaintance (relative, friend, dating partner, spouse, pastor, teacher, boss, coach, therapist, doctor, etc.). Sexual assault also includes attempted rape or any form of nonconsensual sexual contact.

This post is written to sexual assault victims, not about them.

What happened to you was not your fault. You are not to blame. You did not deserve it. You did not ask for this. You should not be silenced. Nobody had the right to violate you. You were supposed to be treated with dignity and respect. You are not damaged goods. You are not worthless. You do not have to pretend like nothing happened. Healing can happen, and there is hope.

While all of this is true, you may still feel the effects of the sexual assault—disgrace, a deep sense of defilement and filth that is encumbered with shame.

Disgrace vs. Grace

Disgrace is the opposite of grace. Grace is love that seeks you out even if you have nothing to give in return. Grace is being loved when you are or feel unlovable. Grace has the power to turn despair into hope. Grace listens, lifts up, cures, transforms, and heals.

Disgrace destroys, causes pain, deforms, and wounds. It alienates and isolates. Disgrace makes you feel worthless, rejected, unwanted, and repulsive, like a persona non grata (a "person without grace"). Disgrace silences and shuns. Your suffering of disgrace is only increased when others force your silence. The refusals of others to speak about sexual assault and listen to victims tell their story is a refusal to offer grace and healing.

One-Way Love

To your sense of disgrace, God gives grace. He restores, repairs, and re-creates. A good short definition of grace is "one-way, unconditional love" (Paul Zahl, Grace in Practice: A Theology of Everyday Life). This is the opposite of your experience of assault, which was "one-way violence."

One-way love does not avoid you but comes near you, not because you earned it but because you need it. It is the lasting transformation that takes place in human experience. One-way love is the change agent you need. You need something to change regarding the internal pain you are experiencing.

The experience of sexual assault frequently causes a victim to ask two questions: How can I be rid of my disgrace (2 Sam. 13:13)? How can I receive grace? The answer to both questions is the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Redemption

The Bible begins with creation in harmony, unity, and peace, and it ends with a restored creation. In between these two "bookends" unfolds the drama of redemption. Salvation was needed because of the tragedy of human rebellion that resulted in disgrace and destruction. Because God is faithful and compassionate, he restores his fallen creation and responds with grace and redemption. This good news is fully expressed in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and its scope is "as far as the curse is found." Jesus is the redemptive work of God in our own history, in our own human flesh.

Victims can more meaningfully celebrate the victorious resurrection of Christ when they can identify with the horrendous victimizing of the cross. Jesus was the recipient of violence that mirrors much of what victims experience (shame, humiliation, silence, betrayal, pain, mockery, travesty of justice, loneliness, etc.). His suffering and death were real and brutal, but there was a resurrection after Good Friday. The cross is both the consequence of evil and God's method of accomplishing redemption. Jesus' resurrection is proof that God is about redeeming, healing, and making all things new.

Justin and Lindsey Holcomb are working on a forthcoming Re:Lit book dealing with this topic.

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Grace vs. Sin Series [Part 5 of 5]: Click | View Series

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness (Romans 6:12-13).

The Anti-Gospel

In this series, we’ve explored the anti-gospel and it’s effects: sin that leads to death, religion that leads to bondage, mechanical salvation and zombie culture that result in utter hopelessness. The gospel is that the person and work of Jesus Christ makes us alive. We are dead to sin, united with Christ, living under grace.

The Life of the Living

A member of our church recently tattooed “alive” on her wrist to remind herself of the new life she has in Christ. She wanted a physical, visible reminder of who she is in Christ. Life is active. Our living is a proclamation of the grace given through Christ Jesus. We are obedient because of our freedom from sin and death and our enslavement and union to Christ (vv. 17-18).

Obedience from Promise

Our obedience is a result of the promise: For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace (Romans 6:14). Because of v. 14 we are able to obey vv.12-13. Resting on the work of grace, we are empowered to not let sin reign and to present ourselves to God as instruments for righteousness.

In conclusion, it’s either obedience to grace or sin, life or death, freedom or bondage, a promise or hopelessness. Praise be to God, who empowers obedience which stems from our identity as recipients of his grace. It’s not who we were or what we’ve done, but who he is and what he’s done that gives us life under grace. And that’s a promise from our gracious God.

Vintage Church

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Grace vs. Sin Series [Part 4 of 5]: Click | View Series

Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? (Romans 6:16)

“Go on, or die”

The American South has a dark history in regards to human slavery. However, there are some inspiring pre-abolition stories. Harriet Tubman, an escaped Maryland slave, had a major role in the secretive movement known as the Underground Railroad. Through this network, Tubman and others were able to liberate numerous captive slaves.

It is reported that on one occasion, as a freed group was heading north to secure their freedom, a man began to lose heart and wanted to return to the plantation in re-submission to his captors. Tubman responded by pointing her rifle at the man and stating, “you go on, or die.” She did so both to prevent the man from losing his one shot at freedom and to protect the integrity of the continued mission of liberation. Choosing to return to bondage would essentially be his death and would cause the death of others. Tubman’s identity as a free woman motivated her mission to bring others to this freedom at any cost.

Freedom Is the New Slavery

Paul addresses spiritual slavery and freedom in Romans 6. He makes clear that all are enslaved either to sin or Christ—there is no middle option. Freedom from Christ is enslavement to sin. Freedom from sin is enslavement to Christ. Slaves obey the one they serve, and in turn become more like their master. The ironic twist for Christians is that our freedom is a different form of slavery: union with the Christ who has set us free.

Obedience in Identity

Our obedience stems from our identity. As slaves to sin, we obey sin, which results in impurity and lawlessness (v. 19), unrighteousness (v. 20), shame (v. 21), and death (v. 23). However, our new identity as slaves to God (v. 22) and slaves to righteousness (v. 18) results in obedience, sanctification (v. 19), and eternal life (vv. 22-23).

This is life in the gospel: not that we obey and thus become slaves to Christ, but that we are slaves to Christ and thus we obey. The command to “present yourselves” is obedience empowered by the liberating grace which binds us to Christ.

To be continued.

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Grace vs. Sin Series [Part 3 of 5]: Click | View Series

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his (Romans 6:5).

Marionette Salvation & Mechanical Faith

When you’re dead, you cannot make yourself alive. However, many buy into Pinocchio-like religion, hoping that something they do on their own can make them alive. The nature of death, however, is the utter absence of life—a hopeless state apart from outside action. Similarly, the late-80’s film Short Circuit featured a robot named “Johnny 5” who pursued knowledge in hopes that the “input” would make him alive. Both view self as the imparter of life, rather than trusting the gracious character of God.

Sadly, this practice is rampant in both secular and Christian circles. Whether it be education, humanitarian causes, or the mechanical “do better, try harder” faith our religious hearts default to, our good deeds and religion replace a humble child-like reliance on a gracious Father. The gospel, however, is that life is given apart from the hopelessness of self-salvation. Christ Jesus imparts life on our behalf.

United with Christ

Although the post-Reformation church focuses on the believer’s status before God as salvation, the pre-Reformation church understood salvation in terms of union with Christ, as Paul addresses in Romans 6:

• We are united in his life, death, burial, and resurrection (vv. 3, 5, 8).
• Since we are united with him, we participate in his triumph over sin and death (vv. 6, 9-11).
• Our present life is a proclamation of the future hope promised to those united with him (v. 4-5).

Life is not imparted by the acquisition of knowledge, whether theological or otherwise. Nor is life imparted by the self-efforts of desire or good works. May we not affirm the hopelessness of self-saving religion. Rather, may we cling to the promise of living under grace.

To be continued.

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Healthy Pastors Series [Part 1 of 3]: Click | View Series

He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. (Ephesians 4:11-16)

I have the privilege of being a pastor to the pastors in coaching and praying for their wellness. The expectations parishioners place upon pastors in this church age are both complex and demanding. For the last two decades I have observed the continual decline in the heath of pastors in the Pacific Northwest. It is both distressing and grievous when pastors share some of the pressures of the ministry and the criticisms and burdens they carry. I believe the best place to begin is to clarify the pastor’s responsibility list.

Unhealthy Expectations

• They are not substitute parents
• They are not shrinks
• They are not janitors, plumbers, or construction workers
• They are not crisis managers
• They are not perfect problem-solvers
• They are not corporate executives
• They do not have wireless access to the Holy Spirit concerning your problems
• They are not responsible for your sin
• They are not constructed for long-term bashing
• They are not required to shoulder repeated harsh criticisms
• They are not celebrities
• They have families with real problems too
• They are not always available and tireless
• They are not God in human form
• They can burn out

Healthy Expectations

• They serve
• They teach
• They lead
• They inspire
• They pray
• They cry
• They get tired
• They are human
• They need family time
• They must be renewed

To be continued.

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Grace vs. Sin Series [Part 2 of 5]: Click | View Series

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? (Romans 6:1-2)

Zombie Culture

Elementary school would have been drastically different for me had it not been for Michael Jackson’s Thriller. Not only was it the most groundbreaking music videos of its time, it was also what introduced me to the concept of zombies. Although numerous books and movies have incorporated zombie culture, my first understanding was that zombies were to dance. In essence, they’re the walking (or dancing) dead. Of course, this is fictitious, for the nature of being dead is that there is absolutely no life at all.

Functional Death

Paul uses the language of “functional” death in Rom. 6:1-2: “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” The nature of death is its finality and hopelessness of life again. Those who are living under grace are not to return to the dead state of hopelessness. Playing on this “functional death” imagery, Paul asserts the idea of the living acting like the dead as well as the dead acting like the living.

Dead to sin vs. Dead in sin

Elsewhere, Paul addresses being dead in sin: “You were dead in the trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1). But in Rom. 6:1-2 he addresses being dead to sin. Formerly, apart from Christ, we were dead in our sin. But the gospel is that the dead are made alive by grace through the person and work of Christ. It is common to think that the gospel gives license to sin. The Pharisees in Paul’s day actually thought the gospel led people to sin. Paul speaks differently: not that believers are “functionally dead”—dead acting like the living—but we are truly alive in Christ (v. 8). This means we are no longer dead in sin, but dead to sin (v. 11).

Paul teaches in Romans that life in Christ is deadness to sin. Just as the dead cannot act like the living, the living should not act like the dead. As Christians, we live amongst the walking dead. May we not reinforce the hopelessness of death by affirming zombie-like deadness but rather proclaim the gospel through our lives.

To be continued.

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Grace vs. Sin Series [Part 1 of 5]: Click | View Series

For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace (Romans 6:14).

Grace vs. Sin

Grace is one of the most defining words of the Christian faith. It is at the core of the gospel. Grace is “God’s generous initiative and sustaining faithfulness culminating in the powerful, restorative activity of God on behalf of humanity” (New Dictionary of Biblical Theology). Grace, therefore is a character trait of God that is independent of human influence, yet sufficient and effective in transforming those to whom it is displayed. Scripture uses words such as “lovingkindness” and “favor” to describe grace, and the result is the recipient’s ongoing delight in God.

Conversely, sin is characterized by ongoing delight in godlessness or other-godness: delighting in self or various other idolatries. While the Old Testament concept of sin implies “missing God’s standard,” “iniquity,” “guilt,” “wickedness,” “distortion,” “rebellion,” and “emptiness,” the New Testament furthers the idea by using “debt,” “trespass,” “transgression,” and “injustice” (New Dictionary of Biblical Theology). The core of sin is the ongoing state of corruption, brokenness, bondage, and emptiness.

Hopelessness State vs. Empowering Promise

Sin is in essence an ongoing state of corruption and lack of conformity to God’s standard. Sin manifests itself in various ways, both in wicked acts, idolatry, heart attitudes, and ill-motivated “good” deeds, all of which affects the sinner and others, but most of all defying a holy, gracious God. Sin is enslaving. Sin empties sinners of true humanness and their created purpose.

Foretaste of a Future Reality

In Romans, the Apostle Paul addresses the sinful state of mankind and God’s redemption of them by his grace (Rom. 3:24). His grace restores the empty and hopeless sinner in both action and essence. Understanding that Christ’s mission was to deal with sin once for all, Paul gives believers an empowering promise to live under grace: For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace (Rom. 6:14). This is a proclamation of the person and work of Christ and a declaration for those identified in him. The result is participation in the mission of a new life that displays the promise of grace: a present outworking as a foretaste of a future reality.

The person and work of Jesus Christ informs our identity as Christians, the mission of the church, and the future hope of the kingdom. This series will further explore Romans 6 and the concept that living under grace is not a command, but a promise.

To be continued.

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