The ship of state, 2 -- Acts 27 as a case study

On October 17, I pointed to the significance of the ship of state as highlighting grave dangers inherent to a democracy. I need to follow up.

In effect:

[T]he idea is that the owner-merchant captain of a ship (= the people of Athens c. 430 - 400 BC) was blind and could not navigate or steer the ship. Members of the crew (= political leaders and pundits who got that city into the ruinous Peloponnesian war) then tried to befuddle him, and clamoured to gain control of the helm through having popular support; even though they plainly lacked character and competence. Meanwhile, away in a corner was a disdained, “useless” stargazer – the skilled navigator. The fate of such a “ship” was sadly predictable; a grim warning on how democracies can fail.

Now, too, "[i]n Paul’s day, this parable would have been part of the mental furniture of any educated person of the Roman Empire." So it is unsurprising to see how Luke subtly reflects on the parable in his account of Paul's shipwreck on his way to Rome as an appeals prisoner, c. 59 AD. Here is how I reflected on this at new year's 2013:

[A]t this stage, I think things are going to have to crash so badly and some elites are going to have to be so discredited by the associated spreading failure, that media propaganda tactics cannot cover it up anymore.

My model for that comes from one of the red-flag sources that will give some of the objectors [to the design theory movement in science] the vapours.

Acts 27.

What, how dare you cite that, that . . . that . . . textbook for theocratic tyranny by the ignorant, insane, stupid and/or wicked followers of that bronze age misogynistic homophobic genocidal racist war god!

(Do you hear how your agit-prop talking points are enmeshing you in the classic trap of believing your own propaganda?)

Let’s start with, Paul of Tarsus, c. AD 59, was not in the Bronze Age but was an appellate prisoner in chains on early Imperial era grain ships having a hard time making way from the Levant and Asia Minor to Rome, in the second case ending up in a bay on Crete. What followed is a classic exercise in the follies of manipulated democracy, a case study that will well repay study in our time.

It was late in the sailing season, and the merchant-owner was worried about his ship in an open bay at Fair Havens, given what winter storms can do.

The passengers were not too impressed by the nearby settlements as a wintering place. (Sailing stopped in Autumn and opened back up in Spring.)

The key technico, the kubernetes — steersman, more or less like a pilot of an airliner — knew where his bread was buttered, and by whom.

In the middle was a Centurion of the elite messenger corps.

We are at ship’s council, and Paul, in chains, is suggesting that the suggestion to venture our with a favourable wind to try to make it to a more commodious port down-coast was excessively risky not only to boat but life.

The financial and technical talking heads and the appeal of comfort allowed him to be easily marginalised and dismissed.

Then we saw a gentle south breeze, that would have allowed a reach down the coast. (The technicos probably knew this could be a precursor to a storm, but were not going to cut across the dominant view.)

They sailed out.

Caught in the storm (Source)

Bang, an early winter noreaster hit them and sprang the boat’s timbers (why they tried to hold together with ropes [--> called frapping]) so the ship was in a sinking condition from the beginning.

Worse, they were heading for sandbars off the coast of today’s Libya.

For two weeks all they could do was use a sea anchor to control drift and try to steer vaguely WNW.

Forget, eating.

That is when Paul stood forth as a good man in a storm, and encouraged them with a vision from God. By this time, hope was to be shipwrecked on a coast. (Turned out, [probably] north coast of Malta [possibly, east end].)

While the ship was at risk of being driven aground and set out four anchors by the stern from midnight on, the sailors tried to abandon the passengers on a ruse, spotted by Paul and/or Luke his travelling companion.

By this time, the Centurion knew who to take seriously and the ship’s boat was cut away. He then took the decision to save Paul and refused the soldiers’ request to kill the prisoners to prevent escape (for which their lives would have been forfeit).

So, they made it to a beach on Malta, having lost the ship in any case AND nearly their own lives.

All of which is full of lessons from history for us in our own decaying democratic polities today, and in the face of polarised voices and all sorts of hidden agenda, half- truth- at- best counsels.

It is going to take a noreaster to sort out the mess, and there is going to be a lot of serious loss to those beguiled by the bewitching counsels of those inclined to tickle itching ears with what they calculate we want to hear.

Sorry if that does not sound upbeat for a new year day, but frankly things are beyond that stage with our civilisation.

Our job now is to be the voice of sense before the storm, and to prepare ourselves to be good men or women in a storm.

We need to ponder very carefully indeed on whether we are making shipwreck of democracy in our day. END

PS: My thoughts seem to parallel those of some thinkers concerned with the ongoing unravelling of the American Experiment. See here.

Plato's Ship of State Parable -- how democracies can fail (a sobering lesson from history)

In the Republic, Book VI, Plato's Socrates put on the table a telling parable on how Democracies can fail. Athens, c 400 BC being case study 1. And while Plato is most often seen here as promoting elitism and as anti-democratic -- which has a point, in balance we must also face the fact that democracies can and do fail and Plato here captures one of the ways that happens. (Later, below, I will initially point to how we can stabilise democracy so that we retain freedom without going over the cliff.)

Over the cliff:

Or, more analytically:

This parable, then, can be understood as a case in point on how the lessons of sound history were bought with blood and tears. So, if we are to avoid paying the same coin over and over, let us learn. (And here, Acts 27 may be also very useful indeed. Later.)

Let me clip the parable:

>>Plato’s Socrates spoke to [the failure of democracy] in the ship of state parable in The Republic, Bk VI:

[Soc.] I perceive, I said, that you are vastly amused at having plunged me into such a hopeless discussion; but now hear the parable, and then you will be still more amused at the meagreness of my imagination: for the manner in which the best men are treated in their own States is so grievous that no single thing on earth is comparable to it; and therefore, if I am to plead their cause, I must have recourse to fiction, and put together a figure made up of many things, like the fabulous unions of goats and stags which are found in pictures.

Imagine then a fleet or a ship in which there is a captain [–> often interpreted, ship’s owner] who is taller and stronger than any of the crew, but he is a little deaf and has a similar infirmity in sight, and his knowledge of navigation is not much better. [= The people own the community and in the mass are overwhelmingly strong, but are ill equipped on the whole to guide, guard and lead it; cf. here the story of the Peloponnesian War and especially Athens' ill advised invasion of Sicily.]

The sailors are quarrelling with one another about the steering –every one is of opinion that he has a right to steer [= selfish ambition to rule and dominate], though he has never learned the art of navigation and cannot tell who taught him or when he learned, and will further assert that it cannot be taught, and they are ready to cut in pieces any one who says the contrary. They throng about the captain, begging and praying him to commit the helm to them [–> kubernetes, steersman, from which both cybernetics and government come in English]; and if at any time they do not prevail, but others are preferred to them, they kill the others or throw them overboard [ = ruthless contest for domination of the community], and having first chained up the noble captain’s senses with drink or some narcotic drug [ = manipulation and befuddlement, cf. the parable of the cave], they mutiny and take possession of the ship and make free with the stores; thus, eating and drinking, they proceed on their voyage in such a manner as might be expected of them [–> Cf here Luke’s subtle case study in Ac 27].

Him who is their partisan and cleverly aids them in their plot for getting the ship out of the captain’s hands into their own whether by force or persuasion [–> Nihilistic will to power on the premise of might and manipulation making ‘right’ ‘truth’ ‘justice’ ‘rights’ etc], they compliment with the name of sailor, pilot, able seaman, and abuse the other sort of man, whom they call a good-for-nothing; but that the true pilot must pay attention to the year and seasons and sky and stars and winds, and whatever else belongs to his art, if he intends to be really qualified for the command of a ship, and that he must and will be the steerer, whether other people like or not-the possibility of this union of authority with the steerer’s art has never seriously entered into their thoughts or been made part of their calling.

Now in vessels which are in a state of mutiny and by sailors who are mutineers, how will the true pilot be regarded? Will he not be called by them a prater, a star-gazer, a good-for-nothing?

Of course, said Adeimantus.

Then you will hardly need, I said, to hear the interpretation of the figure, which describes the true philosopher in his relation to the State; for you understand already . . . . 

(There is more than an echo of this in Acts 27, a real world case study. [Luke, a physician, was an educated Greek with a taste for subtle references.] This blog post, on soundness in policy, will also help)

World-roots is always a relevant subject when we get into seemingly intractable, deadlocked deeply polarised ideological confrontations. But the point is, that too often, the things we need to cut through the tangled thorny thickets to get to the heart of the matter are exactly the things that are most unwelcome.>>

In my view, successful democracy became possible after the rise of printing, the mass circulation of the Bible, the Reformation and linked ferment that interacted with an increasingly literate public. In that context, newspapers became a very important means of public education. Indeed, sound newspapers are the people's college.

Accordingly, I have developed a model:

Okay, more to follow. END

"This case is unsafe to further prosecute; dismissed!"

That, more or less was the language used by a judge in Barbados over twenty years ago.

One of my former students had gone off to Uni, and became involved with a somewhat older student. The relationship broke up, and she filed a rape charge -- which was of course plastered all over the media. I attended, as someone from "home."

While in the waiting room, I saw an old family friend. What are you doing here? Traffic. You? Here to give moral support to a student on a dubious rape charge. But, the law forces this.

(Sitting just across from me was a young lady in somewhat provocative clothing.)

I went in, and watched. To my shock, the complainant was the same young lady. 

As the case played out, it turned out there was a study session in rented lodgings that got a bit steamy. Then, it emerged that there were several other people in the same house, so that had there been a cry for help, it would have been quite obvious.

That's when the judge stopped the case as unsafe to further pursue.

Lynching protest in India

This comes to mind as I see the current "accusation is proof" thrust. That's a recipe for lynch mobs, kangaroo courts and media lynchings. There is a REASON why due process is due process.

We have to stop the mad march over the cliff:

 

Anyway, as in too much of our region we do not get a balanced picture on international issues, let me clip Michele Malkin's sobering warning:

I have a message for virtue-signaling men who’ve rushed to embrace #MeToo operatives hurling uncorroborated sexual assault allegations into the chaotic court of public opinion.

Stuff it . . . .

Ivy League pooh-bah Simon Hedlin asserted: “Accusers go public not because of any supposed benefits but despite the immense costs.” He argued: “When somebody is credibly accused of sexual misconduct, the default should be to believe the accuser.”

That is a dumb and dangerous default. The costly toll of “believing women,” instead of believing evidence, can be seen in the hundreds and hundreds of cases recorded by the University of Michigan Law School’s National Registry of Exonerations involving innocent men falsely accused of rape and rape/murders.

One of those men whose plight I’ve reported on for CRTV and my syndicated column, former Fort Worth police officer Brian Franklin, spent 21 years in prison of a life sentence after he was convicted of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl in 1995 who had committed perjury on the stand. Franklin vigilantly maintained his innocence, studied law in the prison library and won a reversal of his conviction in 2016. The jury took less than two hours to acquit him. But his name is still not clear. He recently submitted a 200-page application for a pardon for innocence and cannot do what he wants to do – return to law enforcement – unless the members of the Texas board of pardons and paroles (along with Texas constitutional conservatives who pay lip service to truth, justice and due process) do the right thing.

In Philadelphia, Anthony Wright also served more than two decades behind bars like Franklin. He was convicted in 1993 for a brutal rape and murder of an elderly woman. It was a female prosecutor, Bridget Kirn, who “failed to alert the Court or the jury to what she personally knew was the falsity of (police detectives’) testimony, or otherwise honor her ethical duty to correct it,” according to Wright’s lawyers with the Innocence Project. They have filed a lawsuit directly aimed at the prosecutor this week to hold her accountable for her criminal falsehoods.

And just this week, Oregonian Joshua Horner, serving a 50-year sentence for sexual abuse of a young girl, was exonerated after a dog that the accuser had claimed he shot dead was found alive. There had been no DNA, no corroborating witnesses and no other forensic evidence – just the word of girl whose contradictions and memory problems were explained away as “post-traumatic stress” while an innocent man nearly drowned.

The idea that all women and girls must be telling the truth at all times about sexual assault allegations because they “have nothing to gain” is perilously detached from reality. Retired NYPD special victim squad detective John Savino, forensic scientist and criminal profiler of the Forensic Criminology Institute Brent Turvey, and forensic psychologist Aurelio Coronado Mares detail the myriad “prosocial” and “antisocial” lies people tell in their textbook, “False Allegations: Investigative and Forensic Issues in Fraudulent Reports of Crime.”

“Prosocial deceptions” involve specific motives beneficial to both the deceiver and the deceived, including the incentives to “preserve the dignity of others,” to gain “financial benefit” for another; to protect a relationship; “ego-boosting or image protection (of others);” and “protecting others from harm or consequence.

“Antisocial” lies involve selfish motives to “further a personal agenda at some cost to others,” including “self-deception and rationalization to protect or boost self-esteem;” “enhance status or perception in the eyes of others;” “garner sympathy;” “avoid social stigma;” “conceal inadequacy, error, and culpability;” “avoid consequence;” and for “personal and/or material gain.”

Let me repeat the themes of my work in this area for the past two years to counter the “Believe Women” baloney:

The role of the press should be verification, not validation.

Rape is a devastating crime. So is lying about it.

It’s not victim blaming to get to the bottom of the truth. It’s liar-shaming.

Don’t believe a gender. Believe evidence.

It is time to return to sanity and soundness. We are not ultimately able to deliver justice, that remains with God the Just One. But here and now we may bear and have a duty to wield the sword of the state in honest and competent defence of the civil peace of justice. Where, mistakes can be made, with horrific consequences.

Under such circumstances, no sane community will yield privilege to any class of witnesses or accusers. No one, but God, is unfailingly right or true. So, we must ever apply reasonable tests and give the benefit of the doubt to the reasonably potentially innocent.

That's why the standard of proof in criminal court is, evidence and argument beyond reasonable doubt, i.e. moral certainty. To convict, evidence must meet the standard that a reasonable, unbiased person would be irresponsible not to convict.

And in a day of media lynch mobs ever willing to swarm down, assassinate character, destroy reputation and livelihood of those they hate on the flimsiest excuse, editors bear a double responsibility not to turn the court of public opinion into a kangaroo court. END

Spotting Narcissists, psycho-paths and socio-paths (for psychological self-defence 101)

Ran across a very interesting vid on narcissists, socio-paths and psycho-paths:



Highly relevant as we see power games playing out locally and splashed across world news coverage. Where, only a fool would say he may be psycho, but he is our psycho.

A dead-conscience is just that, utterly numb to moral regulation of thought, speech and life. 

That means, no binding sense of honour, duty, loyalty, value, prizing the civil peace of justice. Utterly untrustworthy.

Normies are simply targets and toys. Targets, if you are in his way. Toys, if he can manipulate to get what he wants. Then, when he is finished, what's left after he peeled and ate the banana is of no more use than the skin we discard. Except, it gives psychos some level of thrill from seeing and understanding that the discarded toy or shattered target is writhing helplessly in pain. But then the numbness advances like a cancer and he has to kick the cruelty factor up a notch or two to get that level of thrill the next time around. (And yes, this is a sign of an addictive, destructive spiral.)

Resemblance to too many we have to deal with in positions of influence or power is not coincidental.

To be forewarned should be to be forearmed.

If, we are wise. END

PS: The "gaslighting" mind-bending (am I really in contact with reality? I am all fault . . . ) manipulation game: 



(Note: to lie is to speak with disregard to truth, in hope of profiting from what is said or suggested being perceived as true. And, yes, I sense these things are greatly needed just now, with what is going on with local, regional and international agit-prop games. And, don't be so fast to stereotype and scapegoat any one target or group -- especially if the manipulators in the major media have set up a designated hate-target. For, we live in a day where essentially all institutions of influence and power have been warped and even corrupted through the agenda to enable the holocaust of living posterity in the womb. Over the past 40-odd years, the global toll exceeds 800 millions, climbing at another million per WEEK. And of course, that is generally not in the news. No prizes for guessing why.)

PPS: Here is a list from the comment thread:

Noname Phoenix 4 months ago

Here is a list of what Abusers/Narcissists usually do to their targets :

•  Insults their target very often. Then lie when confronted about it, or say it was a joke. 

• When confronted with their behavior, they pretend to be innocent and play the victim. 

• Everything is always your fault, even when it's obviously not. 

• They always have a justification for every bad thing they do. They think they're always right. 

• Very controlling, they tell you how to live, but they can live anyway they want. Very hypocritical. 

• They accuse you of what they're doing to you (RED FLAG!), it's called Projection. 

• Portraying themselves as angels outside, when they are actually demons with their family and especially their target. 

• They want you to fail, while pretending to want you to succeed (they're very convincing). 

• They never say they are sorry for hurting you (RED FLAG!). 

• Poison your favorite activities, they don't want you to be happy or to get pleasure. 

• They also poison other useful activities like important skills which will help you in the future. 

• They DO NOT want you to have skills, they want you to be as weak as possible. 

• They don't teach you anything. 

• Subtly lead a smear campaign against their target, so they isolate it and make sure they don't get help. 

• When you want to leave the relationship with a narcissist, they beg you to stay with them and cry crocodile tears. They are the best actors. 

• Sometimes nice, sometimes cruel. You never know where you stand with them. 

• They pretend to be "victims", and they blame the target for their own behavior. 

• They are incredibly arrogant and sadistic. They see the target as weak, and deserving to suffer. 

• They think they are models to be followed. 

• They are spiritually dead although they might loudly profess some kind of Spiritual Belief.

Discipleship, the scriptures, the four R's, our churches (= embassies of God's Kingdom) and missions strategy

Discipleship clearly points to the four R agenda:

• Repentance in response to the Messiah announced through the gospel, 
• Renewal of mind and life (guided by the Scriptures), 
• Revival through the pouring out of the Spirit as seasons of refreshing are sent to us by our risen Lord, 
• Reformation as a critical mass in a given community begins to transform the culture through the ethical influence of the gospel (e.g. through the Sermon on the Mount of Matt 5 - 7).

  I therefore continue to be exercised by the Acts 11:26  observation: "the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch." This immediately ties church life to discipleship and leads us to understand our global missionary mandate in discipleship terms. As a refresher:

We are discipling nations, teaching them the gospel, including its moral imperative. For example, we see in Rom 13 (even as Paul lays out a form of the Golden Rule taught by Moses and emphasised by Jesus):

Rom 13:^8 [b]Owe nothing to anyone except to ^[c]love and seek the best for one another; for he who [unselfishly] loves his neighbor has fulfilled the [essence of the] law [relating to one’s fellowman]. ⁹ The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet,” and any other commandment are summed up in this statement: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

  ¹⁰ Love does no wrong to a neighbor [it never hurts anyone]. Therefore [unselfish] love is the fulfillment of the Law.

¹¹ Do this, knowing that this is a critical time. It is already the hour for you to awaken from your sleep [of spiritual complacency]; for our salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed [in Christ].  

¹² The night [this present evil age] is almost gone and the day [of Christ’s return] is almost here. So let us fling away the works of darkness and put on the [full] armor of light. ¹³ Let us conduct ourselves properly and honorably as in the [light of] day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and irresponsibility, not in quarreling and jealousy. ¹⁴ But clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for [nor even think about gratifying] the flesh in regard to its improper desires. [AMP]

Here, Paul has just taught the legitimacy of government, highlighting in v. 4 that the civil authority is God's servant tasked to do us good, defending the civil peace of justice. In that context, there is a legitimate power of taxation to fund a necessary service (which does not justify abuse of taxation power, no more than it justifies abuse of the sword to turn tyrant or invader and thief of nations).

Now, he turns to the individual, laying out financial responsibility then turning on a word to address core ethical principle in the immediate context of citizenship:

Rom 13:8b . . . he who [unselfishly] loves his neighbor has fulfilled the [essence of the] law [relating to one’s fellowman]. ⁹ The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet,” and any other commandment are summed up in this statement: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

  ¹⁰ Love does no wrong to a neighbor [it never hurts anyone]. Therefore [unselfish] love is the fulfillment of the Law. [AMP]

He has here drawn out a much broader application than just how Christians should act (though this is obviously his primary focus). For, we can already see in Rom 2 -- which is obviously background for Ch 13 -- how he speaks to what Francis Schaeffer aptly called "the man without the Bible":

Rom 2:¹⁴ When Gentiles, who do not have the Law [since it was given only to Jews], do ^[c]instinctively the things the Law requires [guided only by their conscience], they are a law to themselves, though they do not have the Law.

¹⁵ They show that the ^[d]essential requirements of the Law are written in their hearts; and their conscience [their sense of right and wrong, their moral choices] bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or perhaps defending them ¹⁶ on that day when, ^[e]as my gospel proclaims, God will judge the secrets [all the hidden thoughts and concealed sins] of men through Christ Jesus. [AMP]

In short, neighbour-love recognises that fellow human beings are of like nature and so we recognise that there is a mutual duty of respect and avoiding harmful action. And so, it is no surprise to see, in the reformation era, how Canon Richard Hooker picked up a principle that would then be used by Locke in his Second Treatise on Civil Government as he set out to ground what would become modern liberty and democratic self government:

[2nd Treatise on Civil Gov't, Ch 2 sec. 5:] . . . if I cannot but wish to receive good, even as much at every man's hands, as any man can wish unto his own soul, how should I look to have any part of my desire herein satisfied, unless myself be careful to satisfy the like desire which is undoubtedly in other men . . . my desire, therefore, to be loved of my equals in Nature, as much as possible may be, imposeth upon me a natural duty of bearing to themward fully the like affection. From which relation of equality between ourselves and them that are as ourselves, what several rules and canons natural reason hath drawn for direction of life no man is ignorant . . . [This directly echoes St. Paul in Rom 2: "14 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them . . . " and 13: "9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law . . . " Hooker then continues, citing Aristotle in The Nicomachean Ethics, Bk 8:] as namely, That because we would take no harm, we must therefore do none; That since we would not be in any thing extremely dealt with, we must ourselves avoid all extremity in our dealings; That from all violence and wrong we are utterly to abstain, with such-like . . . ] [Eccl. Polity ,preface, Bk I, "ch." 8, p.80, cf. here. Emphasis added.] [Augmented citation, Locke, Second Treatise on Civil Government, Ch 2 Sect. 5. ]

Thus, Hooker calls Aristotle to the stand, illustrating the force of the point.

Of course, all of this is anchored in the principle that we are all created in the image of God, endowing us with a common moral worth that entitles us to binding moral expectations of respect and mutual support. When a culture undermines that insight of sharing a common nature and worth through being created in God's image, it undermines this moral fabric that promotes the civil peace of justice even more than the mere sociopathy of benumbed conscience explains. For, there is a big difference between turning from generally acknowledged principle and utterly undermining it through notions of survival of the fittest and the like. 

(Resemblance to what has been going on with our civilisation as evolutionary materialistic scientism came to dominance over the past 160 years is NOT coincidental.)

Now, you will note how I have emphasised scripture above. That, too, is no coincidence, as we may see from 2 Tim 3:

2 Tim 3: ¹² Indeed, all who delight in pursuing righteousness and are determined to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be hunted and persecuted [because of their faith]. ¹³ But evil men and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 

  ¹⁴ But as for you, continue in the things that you have learned and of which you are convinced [holding tightly to the truths], knowing from whom you learned them, ¹⁵ and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings (Hebrew Scriptures) which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus [surrendering your entire self to Him and having absolute confidence in His wisdom, power and goodness]. 

  ¹⁶ All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage]; ¹⁷ so that the ^[a]man of God may be complete and proficient, outfitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work. [AMP]

The central importance of scripture and of sound instruction in them from childhood could not be plainer. 

This is why I find it astonishing that so often nowadays, we simply are not guided by scripture in our thought, speech, planning, action. At individual level and as churches, including as we act to carry forward the mission of the church. For capital example, we too often seem to have separated discipleship from Christian commitment, as though it were an advanced topic for the few. The above brings out that we have too often overlooked that per Rom 2 biblical ethics speaks to every man, starting with the voice of conscience. 

Indeed, that is how as we preach the gospel we may bring out the guilt that we all have as sinners -- we are not imposing arbitrary, novel rules from without then demanding obedience as we set out to establish a Christo-fascist theocracy. No, the premise of mutual neighbourliness and moral duty to do no harm is deeply implanted and is quite reasonable, if we would but acknowledge our common, morally freighted nature. 

Thus, the man open to responsible reason and principle will see that neighbour-harm expresses wrong and points to guilt before our common Creator, Lord and Judge. 

Thus, too, the amnesty of the gospel makes sense, and we have a further duty of repentance and renewal, leading to Spirit-empowered reformation of the community bringing it from demonic riots of suicidal chaos to a just civil peace that receives blessing and transformation.

Reformation of families, institutions, communities and nations as people respond to the gospel is patently implied by the gospel and our discipling mandate. And though the demonic riot may resist that and seek to drive it out or confine it to a despised minority, at minimum we see a plain call to creating a godly counter-culture of light shining in an en-darkened world:

Eph 4:¹⁷ So this I say, and solemnly affirm together with the Lord [as in His presence], that you must no longer live as the [unbelieving] Gentiles live, in the futility of their minds [and in the foolishness and emptiness of their souls], ¹⁸ for their [moral] understanding is darkened and their reasoning is clouded; [they are] alienated and self-banished from the life of God [with no share in it; this is] because of the [willful] ignorance and spiritual blindness that is [deep-seated] within them, because of the hardness and insensitivity of their heart. 

  ¹⁹ And they, [the ungodly in their spiritual apathy], having become callous and unfeeling, have given themselves over [as prey] to unbridled sensuality, eagerly craving the practice of every kind of impurity [that their desires may demand].

  ²⁰ But you did not learn Christ in this way!

  ²¹ If in fact you have [really] heard Him and have been taught by Him, just as truth is in Jesus [revealed in His life and personified in Him], ²² that, regarding your previous way of life, you put off your old self [completely discard your former nature], which is being corrupted through deceitful desires, ²³ and be continually renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh, untarnished mental and spiritual attitude], ²⁴ and put on the new self [the regenerated and renewed nature], created in God’s image, [godlike] in the righteousness and holiness of the truth [living in a way that expresses to God your gratitude for your salvation]. [AMP, and keep on reading!]

Observe, too, Paul as he speaks to the leading lights in Athens, c. AD 50:

Ac 17:¹⁶ Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was greatly angered when he saw that the city was full of idols. 

  ¹⁷ So he had discussions in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place day after day with any who happened to be there. ¹⁸ And some of the ^[b]Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to engage in conversation with him. And some said, “What could this idle babbler [with his eclectic, scrap-heap learning] have in mind to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities”—because he was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.

¹⁹ They took him and brought him to the ^[c]Areopagus (Hill of Ares, the Greek god of war), saying, “May we know what this [strange] new teaching is which you are proclaiming? ²⁰ For you are bringing some startling and strange things to our ears; so we want to know what they mean.”

  ²¹ (Now all the Athenians and the foreigners visiting there used to spend their [leisure] time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new.)

Sermon on Mars Hill

²² So Paul, standing in the center of the Areopagus, said:

Athena in the Parthenon, sponsoring goddess of
pagan Athens (HT: The History Hub)

 “Men of Athens, I observe [with every turn I make throughout the city] that you are very religious and devout in all respects. 

  ²³ Now as I was going along and carefully looking at your objects of worship, I came to an altar with this inscription: ‘TO AN ^[d]UNKNOWN GOD.’ 

Therefore what you already worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.  

²⁴ The God who created the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; ²⁵ nor is He ^[e]served by human hands, as though He needed anything, because it is He who gives to all [people] life and breath and all things. ²⁶ And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands and territories. 

  ²⁷ This was so that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grasp for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. ²⁸ For in Him we live and move and exist [that is, in Him we actually have our being], as even some of ^[f]your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’  
²⁹ So then, being God’s children, we should not think that the Divine Nature (deity) is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination or skill of man.

³⁰ Therefore God overlooked and disregarded the former ages of ignorance; but now He commands all people everywhere to repent [that is, to change their old way of thinking, to regret their past sins, and to seek God’s purpose for their lives], ³¹ because He has set a day when He will judge the inhabited world in righteousness by a Man whom He has appointed and destined for that task, and He has provided credible proof to everyone by raising Him from the dead.” [AMP]

Here, Paul lays out an appeal to our common humanity, shaped in the image of God, our common Father. He then highlights sinful error and its patent absurdity, here, idolatry. He then calls the nations to REPENTANCE (thus transformation) in light of eschatological JUDGEMENT -- and yes that is directly the first and the last of the Heb 6:1 - 2 first principles. 

That judgement is proved to us by Jesus' RESURRECTION as witnessed by the 500 of 1 Cor 15. 

And yes, that is now three of the six principles deeply, explicitly embedded in an evangelistic presentation -- a presentation to pagan men ignorant of the scriptures. Where, faith is the flip side of repentance, one will be baptised as a covenant act of Christian discipleship and hands will be imposed in prayer and blessing. These are points to ponder before dismissively consigning the list to the OT order. 

As, frankly, I have seen done too often by commentary authors who should know much better.

This brings me back to a tighter focus on the issue of being guided by Scripture and motivated by what it teaches, implies and instructively exemplifies. 

Here in Acts 17 is a direct apostolic example illustrating on one hand that all men are under God's call to repentance, illuminated by the principles of conscience. On the other, in bringing the attention of these men -- pagans -- to the gospel, we demonstrably see a C1 catechism for discipleship from Heb 6:1 - 2 in action. 

We also observe that the resurrection of Jesus is shown to be the offer of proof for the gospel, directly implying the relevance of 1 Cor 15 (addressed to the people of the very next pagan town Paul preached in):

1 Cor 15:1 Now brothers and sisters, let me remind you [once again] of the good news [of salvation] which I preached to you, which you welcomed and accepted and on which you stand [by faith]. 

  ² By this faith you are saved [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose], if you hold firmly to the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain [just superficially and without complete commitment].
 
³ For I passed on to you as of first importance what I also received,

• that Christ died for our sins 
• according to [that which] the Scriptures [foretold], ⁴ and 
• that He was buried, and
•  that He was [bodily] raised on the third day
• according to [that which] the Scriptures [foretold], ⁵ and 
• that He appeared . . .

to Cephas (Peter), then to the ^[a]Twelve. ⁶ After that He appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, the majority of whom are still alive, but some have fallen asleep [in death]. ⁷ Then He was seen by James, then by all the apostles, ⁸ and last of all, as to one ^[b]untimely (prematurely, traumatically) born, He appeared to me also . . . .   

  ¹¹ So whether it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed and trusted in and relied on with confidence. [AMP]

Notice, sacred tradition (the official summary testimony of the Twelve and of the Jerusalem Church, c. 35 - 38 AD), formally received and solemnly handed on as of first importance. A tradition in effect recited, with six emphatic points, two of them being about fulfillment of OT prophecies [cf. Isa 52 - 53 for the capital example], then again emphasised as "THIS IS WHAT WE PREACH." 

Now, a question: is this the core, emphatic, of first importance substantial teaching and preaching of our churches today, hammered home as ABC principles?

Fair comment, no.

On the whole, we simply are not that systematic, nor do we have a balanced emphasis compared to what we can see laid out. We are neither making our case systematically nor soundly, systematically instructing in basics of the gospel or of discipleship as the outworking of penitent faith. Indeed, even our follow up classes for instructions of young converts (if we have such!) and our Sunday school programmes lack that balance. (And I am not even at the level here, of a sound learning of the underlying theological system as is aptly summarised in the Nicene Creed.)

I am also going to bet that too often we do not find ourselves compelled, propelled to action by the simple sound exposition (or reading) of scripture, much less by the associated drawing out of principles, systematic frameworks and strategies. That's a worrying sign.

This already points to the need for repentance, renewal and institutional reformation of our churches across the Caribbean and beyond. The mission of the church to the Caribbean is in need of deep reformation.

Let me go on, pointing to the fullness of Christ theme that I first saw in Eph 1 and 4 over 30 years ago and which have been at the heart of how I have thought, taught, spoken and presented ever since as a key point of that needed deep reformation. Too often, only to have polite listening followed by inaction and even institutional inertia.

The key texts are plain enough, let us simply read (as I pointed out a few blog posts ago):

Eph 1:¹⁷ [I always pray] that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may grant you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation [that gives you a deep and personal and intimate insight] into the true knowledge of Him [for we know the Father through the Son].

¹⁸ And [I pray] that the eyes of your heart [the very center and core of your being] may be enlightened [flooded with light by the Holy Spirit], so that you will know and cherish the ^[f]hope [the divine guarantee, the confident expectation] to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the ^[g]saints (God’s people), ¹⁹ and [so that you will begin to know] what the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His [active, spiritual] power is in us who believe. 

These are in accordance with the working of His mighty strength ²⁰ which He ^[h]produced in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹ far above all rule and authority and power and dominion [whether angelic or human], and [far above] every name that is named [above every title that can be conferred], not only in this age and world but also in the one to come. 

  ²² And He ^[i]put all things [in every realm] in subjection under Christ’s feet, and ^[j]appointed Him as [supreme and authoritative] head over all things in the church, ²³ which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills and completes all things in all [believers] . . . .

Eph 4:⁹ (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had previously descended [from the heights of heaven] into the lower parts of the earth? ¹⁰ He who descended is the very same as He who also has ascended high above all the heavens, that He [His presence] might fill all things [that is, the whole universe]). 

  ¹¹ And [His gifts to the church were varied and] He Himself appointed

some as apostles [special messengers, representatives (--> ambassadors of the kingdom)], 

some as prophets [who speak a new message from God to the people], 

some as evangelists [who spread the good news of salvation], and 

some as pastors and teachers [to shepherd and guide and instruct],

   ¹² [and He did this] to fully equip and perfect the saints (God’s people) for works of service, to build up the body of Christ [the church]; ¹³ until we all reach oneness in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, [growing spiritually] to become a mature believer, reaching to the measure of the fullness of Christ [manifesting His spiritual completeness and exercising our spiritual gifts in unity].

  ¹⁴ So that we are no longer children [spiritually immature], tossed back and forth [like ships on a stormy sea] and carried about by every wind of [shifting] doctrine, by the cunning and trickery of [unscrupulous] men, by the deceitful scheming of people ready to do anything [for personal profit].

¹⁵ But speaking the truth in love [in all things—both our speech and our lives expressing His truth], let us grow up in all things into Him [following His example] who is the Head—Christ. 

¹⁶ From Him the whole body [the church, in all its various parts], joined and knitted firmly together by what every joint supplies, when each part is working properly, causes the body to grow and mature, building itself up ^[b]in [unselfish] love. [AMP]

This lays out the operational form of the church's mandate. 

Jesus came, descending, serving, dying, rising and ascending to fill all things [panta]. He is ascended Head of the church, his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. To effect this, he sent out apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers who work to equip God's people for works of service. Then as we work together in unity (thus love) and in the knowledge of the Son of God, we more and more grow up in all things into his fullness. A fullness that as vv 17 - 24 of Eph 4 highlight will penetrate first our own lifestyle then will naturally spread to impact on the community as a critical mass grows. Though, obviously, this will be resisted -- even to violence -- by those caught up in the demonic riot.

Nor does this stop at the local community. Every Jerusalem has a Samaria and a world beyond, even to its uttermost parts. That calls for a win-nurture-send, globally spreading dynamic of discipleship:

. . . expanding:

Where, the instructive example of Antioch speaks to us also:

Recall, this church was founded by refugees from Jerusalem, c 33 - 35 or 36 AD. By the early to mid 40's, as men likely moved by the case of Cornelius' conversion arrived and reached out to the pagans, the mother church sent a delegation to assess. Barnabas joined the new movement and went searching for Paul, bringing him to help strengthen through sound teaching. After about a year, relief efforts and missionary campaigns were undertaken. For centuries thereafter, Antioch (BTW, reputedly no. 3 city in the C1 Roman Empire after Rome and Alexandria) was a main centre of the faith.

So now, let us ask, where are we?

The answer clearly comes back: in need of strengthening. 

Indeed, in need of reformation through renewal of the churches and heaven-sent revival, rooted in repentance.

So, now, can we open our hearts, consciences and minds to the instructional, corrective, training voice of God through the scriptures? 

Brothers, sisters, let us repent. END