Fall has arrived, and death is in the air. The equinox has passed, and billions of leaves on millions of trees are turning colors and departing. It’s getting colder. And creation continues to groan under the weight of sin’s curse.

We have groaned, too. The untimely deaths of two allies and brothers in the faith shocked us. We did not initially plan to write on these men in our month on vocation, and yet the legacy and work ethic of Charlie Kirk (1993–2025) and Voddie Baucham (1969–2025) are worth celebrating and remembering. And while all our labors on this side of the new heavens and earth will culminate in death, our great hope lies beyond the grave in a living savior.

What do we do when a luminary’s light fades? We get to work, even as the days are getting shorter.

It takes work to understand what the Bible teaches about our labor, but by God’s grace, we got a lot done. This past month we defined how our vocation includes more than just our job, and we painted a picture of what faithfulness in our vocation looks like—which includes a rejection of Marxism and a long obedience in an “ordinary” labor. We outlined the needed attributes of godly ambition and risk-taking, and considered practical wisdom on how to work harder. Not everyone’s job aspirations will look the same, and thus we addressed particular considerations for single women, aspiring pastors, and Christian businessman. If you missed any of our articles or podcasts, you can find them below, with the longforms in bold.

• August Intermission: From the Four Gospels to the Doctrine of Vocation by Kevin McClure • Concise Article • Join us as we transition from the person and work of Christ in the four gospels to the work of grasping the doctrine of vocation.
• Faithful in All Things: Vocation and Christian Callings by Rod Martin • Longform Essay • Every calling is itself sacred, every task a trust, and every laborer accountable before the throne.
• 4.39 Rod Martin “Faithfulness in All Things: Vocation and Christian Callings” by Rod Martin • Longform Reading • Every calling is itself sacred, every task a trust, and every laborer accountable before the throne.
• Pouting Pulpits and Part-Time Pastors: Projection over Proclamation by David L. Bahnsen • Concise Article • When pastors model a mediocre work ethic, their example carries through to their congregation. Inversely, when a pastor has a servant-heart, is industrious, productive, and diligent, and does so without complaining or entitlement, he sets an excellent example for his congregation.
• The Calling of the Christian Businessman: Vocation and Capital Allocation as Worship by Jonathan Wellum • Concise Article • What does the Bible have to tell us about business and investments? More than you might think! Read as Jonathan Wellum draws on decades of business experience to show how Christians should use their capital well.
• Christianity Vs. Marxism by Jonathan Wellum • Concise Article • Can we combine a theory such as Marxism with our Christian faith? In this article, Jonathan Wellum displays how Marxist thought proves antithetical to the Bible’s witness concerning wealth, property, and labor.
• 4.40 Rod Martin, Trent Hunter, & Stephen Wellum “Faithfulness in All Things: Vocation and Christian Callings” by Rod Martin, Trent Hunter, and Stephen Wellum • Interview • Listen in as Trent Hunter and Stephen Wellum interview Rod Martin on his COA Essay “Faithfulness in All Things: Vocation and Christian Callings”
• Ambition, Careers, and Marriage: What’s a Single Godly Woman to Do? by Abigail Dodds • Concise Article • You’re a single godly woman, and you want to be married, but you’re not. What should you do?
• Brothers, Play the Tortoise: A Word to Aspiring Pastors by Sam Emadi • Concise Article • The young man hopping as fast as he can through seminary often short-circuits the necessary growth and wisdom he needs to have a long pastorate. But there’s a better (albeit slower) way.
• We Can’t Replace Charlie Kirk, But We Can Honor His Legacy: Five Ways to Amplify Truth, Freedom, and the American Way by Colin Smothers and David Schrock • Longform Essay • Charlie Kirk, who influenced a generation of young men, is gone. What do we do now?
• 4.41 Colin Smothers & David Schrock “We Can’t Replace Charlie Kirk, But We Can Honor His Legacy: Five Ways to Amplify Truth, Freedom, and the American Way” by Colin Smothers and David Schrock • Longform Reading • Charlie Kirk, who influenced a generation of young men, is gone. What do we do now?
• 4.42 Scott Polender, David Schrock, Trent Hunter, and Stephen Wellum “Grieving with Hope and Getting to Work: A Tribute to Charlie Kirk” by Scott Polender, David Schrock, Trent Hunter, and Stephen Wellum • Interview • Scott Polender of Turning Point Education joins our COA Roundtable to reflect on life, work, and ministry of Charlie Kirk.
• Stay-at-home Moms, Stay-at-work Dads? A Plea for Better Thinking on Vocation by Andrew Ballard • Concise Article • When little Sally is asked, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” we need to have categories that go beyond a nine-to-five job. We need to think in the Bible’s categories about vocation.
• The Turning Point of a Generation: Remembering Charlie Kirk by Scott Polender • Concise Article • What God is stirring in this generation is bigger than any one man, and yet it bears the mark of Charlie’s faithfulness. It seems we are standing at a true turning point: A moment when the Lord Jesus is reviving His church, raising up young people, and calling everyone to repentance.
• Sanctified Self-Interest or Subtle Greed? A Pauline Guide to Wealth Management by David Scott Kotter • Concise Article • Work for Christ, not greed. Every purchase asks: am I honoring God—or feeding subtle idolatry? Discover Paul’s balance sheet for the heart.
• Working As Unto the Lord: Seven Ways to Work Harder and Be Better by David Schrock • Longform Essay • In Ephesians 6:5–9, Paul shows that good works don’t happen by accident. Christ motivates, sanctifies, and coaches believers to work harder, be better, and glorify Him in every sphere of life.
• 4.43 David Schrock “Working As Unto the Lord: Seven Ways to Work Harder and Be Better” by David Schrock • Longform Reading • In Ephesians 6:5–9, Paul shows that good works don’t happen by accident. Christ motivates, sanctifies, and coaches believers to work harder, be better, and glorify Him in every sphere of life.
• The Risk in Getting and Giving by Jason Glas • Concise Article • No risk, no reward. Risk is essential to the Christian life, and it’s essential to turning a profit. This is a call for more risk-takers in the church.
• Why Young Men Wither: A Call for a Revival of Ambition by Tyler Cox • Concise Article • The strength of young men to serve the church and build the world is being sapped, and a recovery of godly ambition is the dire need of the day.
• A North Star for Our Generation: A Tribute to Voddie Baucham by David Schrock & Trent Hunter • Concise Article • We give thanks to God for one of his faithful servants, Voddie Baucham (1969–2025), and we remember his life with honor.
• 4.44 Trent Hunter, Stephen Wellum, & David Schrock • Interview • “Working As Unto the Lord: Seven Ways to Work Harder and Be Better” by Trent Hunter, Stephen Wellum, and David Schrock • Interview • Listen in as Trent Hunter and Stephen Wellum interview David Schrock on his essay, “Working As Unto the Lord: Seven Ways to Work Harder and Be Better”.
• Which Way, Christian?: A Contrast of David Platt’s Radical and Michael Horton’s Ordinary by Chad Lawrence • Concise Article • David Platt’s Radical is a corrective against the secular American Dream—but it swings too far the other direction. There is a better and more ordinary way.

We move on now from our labor on vocation to work on biblical theology. Biblical theology is “a way of analyzing and synthesizing the Bible that makes organic, salvation-historical connections with the whole canon on its own terms, especially regarding how the Old and New Testaments integrate and climax in Christ.”^[1]

1. Andrew David Naselli, How to Understand and Apply the New Testament: Twelve Steps from Exegesis to Theology (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2017), 235. Or another way to describe it, biblical theology “proceeds with historical and literary sensitivity and seeks to analyze and synthesize the Bible’s teaching about God and his relations to the world on its own terms, maintaining sight of the Bible’s overarching narrative and Christocentric focus.” (Brian S. Rosner, “Biblical Theology,” in New Dictionary of Biblical Theology, ed. T. Desmond Alexander and Brian S. Rosner [Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2000], 10.

Biblical theology is indispensable to understanding the Bible. It rightly presupposes that the Bible is a divinely-authored diverse-yet-unified book with a true and consistent narrative that spans all of history. Jesus Christ is the ultimate climax of this true story of history, and biblical theology seeks to relate each biblical text in textually-warranted ways to him. Thus, biblical theology employs a Christocentric interpretation.

Typology

How does one do biblical theology? One primary aspect of biblical Theology is typology. “Typology is the study of the Old Testament redemptive historical realities or “types” (persons, events, institutions) which God has specifically designed to correspond to, and predictively prefigure, their intensified antitypical fulfillment aspects (inaugurated, appropriated, and consummated) in New Testament redemptive history.”^[2] So, for example, Adam is a type that prefigures Jesus, who is the antitype, or fulfillment (Rom. 5:14). God’s presence in Eden is a type that is fulfilled in God’s presence through the tabernacle (Exod. 40:34–35), the temple (1 Kings 8:10–11), through God the Son (Col. 1:19), through the gathered church (Matt. 18:20), and ultimately in the new heavens and earth (Rev. 21:3). Types are rooted in history and in the text of the Bible and they are predictive; types also involve repetition of a person, event, location, or institution, they escalate in significance, and they are developed through the covenants.^[3] Some aspect of typology is found on virtually every page of the Bible, as typology interweaves the major themes of the glory of God, creation, sin, covenant, law, temple, priest, sacrifice, exile and exodus, the kingdom of God, sonship, the city of God, prophets and prophecy, death and resurrection, people of God, wisdom, holiness, justice, wrath, love and grace, the gospel, worship, mission, shalom, the consummation.^[4]

Jesus and the apostles understood the Old Testament in typological ways. They saw that God had written a true story that culminated in the Son’s person and work. Jesus teaches in Luke 24:44 that “everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”^[5] Paul likewise teaches in 2 Corinthians 1:20 that “all the promises of God find their Yes in him [=Jesus],” (and this includes Old Testament promises within the greater context of 2 Corinthians [see 7:1]).^[6] If all of the three parts of the Old Testament (Law of Moses, Prophets, and Psalms) write about Christ, and if all the promises from the Old Testament find their fulfillment in Christ, then he must be the climax of the Old Testament.^[7] Thus, if we don’t read our Bibles in a biblical theological way, then we will not understand the scriptures.

Resurgence and Reception

There are many laypeople that have never heard of biblical theology, and especially those in non-reformed and non-denominational churches. But biblical theology, and especially Christocentric interpretation, has had a resurgence in the past couple decades. From the 2000s onward, there has been a great multiplication of resources advocating Christ-centered hermeneutics, which is an outworking of biblical theology. Graeme Goldsworthy’s According to Plan (2002) and Christ-Centered Biblical Theology (2012)^[8] along with Dennis Johnson’s Him We Proclaim (2007)^[9] provided additional hermeneutical support for Christocentrism. Sydney Greidanus has written many books helpfully applying this method to particular texts,^[10] while Tim Keller—for all his cultural missteps—has also popularized the method.^[11] Beyond these resources, many institutions have advanced this hermeneutic, including Westminster Seminary, the Charles Simeon Trust, ReachGlobal (the missions arm of the Evangelical Free Church in America), The Gospel Coalition, and 9Marks, to name a few.

There are others who have moved on from biblical theology, and who no longer see it as relevant to the interpretive enterprise. Some of these voices confuse the discussion by conflating typology with allegory (which is not right!). And some are more warm towards the medieval fourfold method of interpreting scripture—literal, allegorical, moral, and anagogical. The problem with this four-fold method is that there are few textual controls; who is to say that my allegory of the Good Samaritan is more valid than your different allegory of it? In this context where competing interpretations exist, a magisterium—a type of “Supreme Court” to authoritatively rule on what is valid—is needed to adjudicate between different options. And thus, the four-fold method ultimately leads to a Wild West where each free-floating and subjective interpretation vies against others, or it leads to Roman Catholicism and its magisterium.^[12] But there’s a better way, and it’s found in a close reading of scripture that does typology by means of close verbal and textual connections within the biblical canon.

This month we have a lot in store. We plan to write on what biblical theology is, how it relates to the theological interpretation of Scripture (also known as TIS), and give an overview of the current state of biblical Theology. We plan to remember the pioneers and popularizers of modern biblical theology, and to unpack some of the concepts and interpretive methods. Finally, we hope to show what biblical theology looks like in action through examples. All in all, we hope to prove that biblical theology is essential to proper biblical interpretation.

12. Knox Brown, “The Wild Wild West, The Sirens of Rome, and the Hermeneutics of Christian Platonism,” Christ Over All, August 7, 2024.

News and Notes

First, September Was Our Birthday Month!

We just recently celebrated our three year birthday in September 2025. We are grateful to God for all of those who generously gave so that we might continue our mission of helping the church to see the Christ’s lordship is over everything. By God’s grace, we will steward these funds well and

Second, the Christ Over All Swag Store Is Here

Many of you have been asking for this in the past years, and it is now here. For those looking to get Christ Over All shirts, mugs, hoodies, stickers, and hats, our apparel store is up and running!

And for those who have asked for print-friendly versions of our articles, we have been working on putting all of our monthly themes into a beautiful and downloadable pdf file that can be purchased for a small fee. Lord willing, we plan to launch this by the end of October 2025.

Third, Be Aware of Our Upcoming Months.

We receive submissions from faithful Christians who have thought deeply about our topics. If you have expertise in one of the following topics in bold and are interested in writing for us (in line with our doctrinal distinctives), feel free to shoot us an e-mail to tell us what you are thinking.

• November 2025: Do the Reading: Selections in Political Theology
• December 2025: Christmas Buffet
• January 2025: Abolishing Abortion
• February 2025: Engaging Islam 
• March 2025: Can Anything Good Come from Nashville? An Investigation of Denominational Structures and Stewardship
• April 2025: The Cross, Resurrection, Ascension

Fourth, We’d Love To See You Face to Face in the Next Few Months.

On Monday, October 27th, Steve Wellum and Trent Hunter will be speaking in Mauldin, South Carolina at the Pastors Encouraging Pastors Conference. This conference is hosted by Christ Over All author Brad Baugham at Emmanuel Bible Church, and will focus on how the Bible fits together.

Also, David Schrock will be hosting a Simeon Trust Preaching Workshop in Woodbridge, Virginia at Occoquan Bible Church on October 14–16. If you are a pastor, preacher, or aspiring minister of the gospel, this hands-on workshop is well worth the time. Come and study the book of Zechariah with David Schrock, Mike Bullmore, and Erik Raymond. Or, if October doesn’t work, you can join Trent Hunter, David Helm, and Ryan Kelly in Greenville, SC, from January 28–30, 2006, for a Simeon Trust Workshop on Leviticus.

From November 18–20, 2025, all the Christ Over All editors will be at the Evangelical Theological Society in Boston. If you are there, please let us know, and keep an eye out for a late night meetup on Tuesday, November 19.

In 2026, we will be visiting Southwest Florida to join the Founders National Conference in Fort Myers on January 22–24. That week David Schrock will be one of the speakers, and we will have a booth. Sign up here to join us.

That’s all for now. Until next time, let’s remember that Christ is over all, so in all things we ought exalt him!

The summer is over—along with all the weddings, vacations, and school breaks that marked that sunny season. Labor Day has come and gone, and that reminds us that it’s time to get back to work. And fittingly, that’s our focus in the month of September: the doctrine of vocation, or what God’s word says about our work.

Get to Work: Grasping the Doctrine of Vocation

Work is written into the very fabric of creation. God worked in the beginning to create the earth in six days before he rested on the seventh. And when you consider it, the story of redemption is the story of two workers—one who failed and the other who succeeded—in the work given to one and then another. Adam was given a job in the Creation Mandate to expand the Garden of Eden—the very place of God’s gracious presence—to the ends of the earth. He failed, and humanity fell both in and with him. Now all of human labor is tainted by sin’s curse, and the groan of thorny toil came up to heaven for millennia outside of Eden. But wonderfully another worker came into humanity’s purview: God the Father gave God the Son the job to redeem Adam’s hopeless race (John 17:4). On the cross, Jesus finished the work that God gave him to do by dying on a cross for sin and rising on the third day (John 19:30).

Since then, united to Christ by faith, a new humanity takes up Adam’s task to expand the Garden through the work of discipleship to all the nations with the Spirit energizing their labors. And all of their seemingly menial labor—scraping spaghetti from a plate, clocking into the office, or swinging a builder’s hammer—is charged with an eternal significance.

But redeemed humanity is in an awkward place. We’re new creations, but we still fight against the presence of the old creation. We have our labor cut out for us, but it’s still . . . laborious. And ready to shipwreck our work is the Scylla of laziness on one side and the Charybdis of workaholism on the other. And where does leisure and rest fit into our lives? We hope to address all of these issues and more this month as we grasp the doctrine of vocation while considering how Jesus’s work transforms our own.

Just the same, September is a special month for Christ Over All. It was three years ago that this work began, and this month we are asking you to help us to continue our labors by making a one-time gift or becoming a regular partner. See more details below—including an update on Christ Over All Merchandise and digital PDFs.

The Four Gospels

This past month we’ve meditated on the four books that focus on the person and work of God the Son: the gospels. These four books—which are perhaps read more than any other books in the Bible—are thrilling in one respect but misunderstood in many others. PhDs in the “Jesus Seminar” of the 1980s and 1980s sought to slice the Gospels apart and literally vote on which sections they deemed authentic. Similarly, Dan Brown’s bestseller The Da Vinci Code in the early 2000s asserted (wrongly!) that there were dozens of gospels that the early church suppressed in order to control the narrative. In the late 2000s the “Red-Letter Christian” movement emphasized the gospels, and the particular words of Jesus, over against the epistles. Most recently in 2025, The Daily Wire’s Jordan Peterson came out with a ten-part video series called The Gospels. And in August, we took up the task of reviewing Peterson’s work and contributing something of our own—to help you understand the one gospel, in four books.

Indeed, focusing on the juggernaut that is Jordan Peterson, consider: What do you get when you combine an extra-textual harmony of the Bible, a Jungian psychologist, and a dozen other “experts”? You get a cocktail of clinical psychology, mixed with some insights into biblical truth. In other words, you’ll have a fun time listening to the banter, but you can’t avoid the hangover. So to address the many misconceptions about the gospels, we’ve published a number of essays to address whether we can trust the Bible (Guy Waters), how we ought think of the other so-called gospel accounts (Andreas Köstenberger), how the gospels and epistles ought be read together (Brian Vickers), and what we would say to Jordan Peterson (Nicholas Piotrowski).

Besides addressing these misconceptions, we also published a constructive overview of each gospel—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—along with a list of recommended commentaries on each one. Paired with these were shorter pieces on how to interpret particular sections from the gospels: the prodigal son in Luke 15, the sheep and the goats of Matthew 25, the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18, the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law in Mark 1:29–31, and the apocalyptic Olivet Discourse in Mark 13 and Matthew 24. Finally, for the skeptic, we’ve published a delightful piece that methodically considers the brute historical facts of the resurrection. If you haven’t take a look at these, I’d encourage you to check them out in the list below (longforms in bold). And if you are still wondering what Jungian psychology is, start with our podcast with Nicholas Piotrowski.

The Reliability of the Gospels: Rock or Sand?

By Guy Waters • Longform Essay • Christianity hinges on history: if the Gospels are not trustworthy accounts of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection, the faith collapses. But are they myth shaped by early belief, or historical testimony grounded in eyewitness experience and apostolic oversight? This question is not peripheral—it is foundational.

4.35 Guy Waters • Reading • “The Reliability of the Gospels: Rock or Sand?”

By Guy Waters • Reading • Christianity hinges on history: if the Gospels are not trustworthy accounts of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection, the faith collapses. But are they myth shaped by early belief, or historical testimony grounded in eyewitness experience and apostolic oversight? This question is not peripheral—it is foundational.

Do Some People Really Believe that a Dead Man Came Back to Life?

By Nicholas Piotrowski • Concise Article • What really happened to Jesus of Nazareth? Is there any reasonable explanation for the Jesus phenomenon other than the resurrection? And if Jesus really did come back from the dead, what does that mean for us?

The Apocryphal Gospels and the Four Canonical Gospels: A World of Difference

By Andreas Köstenberger • Concise Article • The four canonical Gospels tower head and shoulders above any alleged rivals and are alone to be trusted as authoritative eyewitness sources of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

A Brilliant Story—From The Surprising Genius of Jesus

By Peter J. Williams • Concise Article • Many rightly understand Jesus as prophet, priest, and king. But through a closer reading of the prodigal son parable in Luke 15, Peter Williams shows us that Jesus is also an incredible genius.

A Recommended List of Commentaries on Each of the Four Gospels

By Ardel B. Caneday • Concise Article • Explore Ardel B. Caneday’s curated selection of the top three commentaries on each Gospel—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—ideal for in-depth study, preaching, and theological insight.

The Gospel According to Matthew: Kingdom & Temple through Sacrifice & Resurrection

By Nicholas Piotrowski • Concise Article • What is the Gospel according to Matthew all about? A royal Son of Abraham and David who builds a worldwide temple. Keep reading to find out what this means, and how this life-changing message arises from the three-fold structure of Matthew’s Gospel.

4.36 Guy Waters, Trent Hunter, & Stephen Wellum • Interview • “The Reliability of the Gospels: Rock or Sand?”

By Guy Waters, Trent Hunter, and Stephen Wellum • Interview • Christianity hinges on history: if the Gospels are not trustworthy accounts of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection, the faith collapses. But are they myth shaped by early belief, or historical testimony grounded in eyewitness experience and apostolic oversight? This question is not peripheral—it is foundational.

The Sheep, the Goats, and the Dividing Line of Father Abraham: Does Matthew 25:31–46 Teach Salvation by Works of Mercy?

By Laurens Pruis • Concise Article • Final judgment in Matthew 25:31–46 hinges not on works themselves, but on covenantal allegiance to Christ—the promised Seed of Abraham—where love and mercy toward his followers reveal genuine faith and secure the blessing of Abraham.

A Critical Review of John Mark Comer’s Practicing the Way

By Jonathon Woodyard • Concise Article • John Mark Comer’s book Practicing the Way is a New York Times Bestseller, but does it faithfully teach on sin, repentance, and salvation?

Who Was “This Generation” in Matthew?

By Carson Griffin • Concise Article • Who is “this generation” in Matthew 24:34? Jesus targets his contemporaries, likening them to the flood and wilderness rebels, and so foreshadows final judgment—urging faith in and obedience to him as the only way of salvation.

Gospel Scholarship Pell-Mell: A Critical Review of Jordan Peterson’s The Gospels

By Nicholas Piotrowski • Longform Essay • This is what happens when the gospels are ripped out of their contexts, psychologized, and discussed by one of the most famous cultural commentators of the day.

4.37 Nicholas Piotrowski • Reading • “Gospel Scholarship Pell-Mell: A Critical Review of Jordan Peterson’s The Gospels”

By Nicholas Piotrowski • Reading • This is what happens when the gospels are ripped out of their contexts, psychologized, and discussed by one of the most famous cultural commentators of the day.

How Did We Get the Four Gospels?

By John Meade • Concise Article • Why did only four Gospels come to be recognized as authoritative, while others faded from use in the early church?

Mark 13 Is Not About Jesus’s Second Coming

By Trent Hunter • Concise Article • Sometimes Bible passages don’t mean what we think they mean. So it is with the Olivet Discourse of Mark 13.

How to Teach a Parable of Jesus: The Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18)

By Jeremy Meeks • Concise Article • Jesus’s parables can be challenging to interpret, and more challenging to preach. Jeremy Meeks sheds light on the practice of preaching the parables as he explains one of Jesus’s most famous: the Pharisee and the tax collector.

Jesus, the Kingdom, and You: Six Interwoven Stories in Mark’s Gospel

By Peter G. Bolt • Concise Article • The Gospel of Mark is more than a text to be dissected. It is a narrative that draws us into itself and changes the course of our lives. Through six interwoven stories, Mark brings us to Jesus, the one who will ultimately change our story.

4.38 Nicholas Piotrowski, David Schrock, and Stephen Wellum • Interview • “Gospel Scholarship Pell-Mell: A Critical Review of Jordan Peterson’s The Gospels”

By Nicholas Piotrowski, David Schrock, and Stephen Wellum • Interview • This is what happens when the gospels are ripped out of their contexts, psychologized, and discussed by one of the most famous cultural commentators of the day.

The Intersection of Two Worlds in the Healing of Peter’s Mother-in-Law (Mark 1:29–31)

By Peter G. Bolt • Concise Article • “Mark does not call his readers to imitate Jesus, but to see what he said and did. He never calls upon his readers to be like Jesus, but to like Jesus, so that we can understand what Jesus has done for us and be drawn towards putting faith in him.”

The Gospel of Luke in Brief

By Doug Huffman • Concise Article • How are we to understand the Gospel of Luke? In this article, Dr. Doug Huffman offers an overview of the longest Gospel, showing how Jesus’s triumphant victory over death calls us to proclaim

The Gospel of John: Development, Message, and Themes

By Ardel Caneday • Concise Article • What is the Gospel of John all about? Read on as Dr. Caneday unpacks the message of this fourth gospel: that Jesus, as God’s Son, has come into the world to reveal the Father and bring eternal life to everyone who believes the message he reveals.

Why We Need a “Both-And” Perspective for Reading the Gospels and Epistles

By Brian Vickers • Concise Article • Too often the Gospels and Epistles are pitted against each other. In truth, both reveal the same gospel and must be read together for faithful discipleship.

News and Notes

First, September is our birthday month! Please consider supporting Christ Over All.

Christ Over All was started by a group of pastors, professors, and laymen who noticed that many Christians in the West did not see how Christ’s lordship related to every aspect of life. So they set a goal to address this need by publishing a series of articles and podcasts each month on a given topic, showing Christ reigned supreme in Scripture, theology, church, and culture.

Three years later, the blessings of God on this ministry are remarkable. Despite working with a shoe-string budget and having no full-time employees, by God’s grace Christ Over All has been able to publish around 550 concise articles, almost 100 longform essays, and nearly 200 podcast episodes. During that time, almost 250 authors have contributed to our website, and we have published thirty six unique themes. We give God all the glory for this!

What’s more gratifying than the volume of material produced is hearing personal stories of how people have been helped: there are the pastors who have told us that one of our articles helped them to think through a challenging counseling or church discipline case; and there are the Sunday School teachers who employed our series on Christian Nationalism to navigate that challenging subject. We have also received reports of Christians benefiting from our resources in places like Germany, Australia, Canada, and Africa.

At present, we are poised to expand our number of resources so that we can serve more people near and far. But our small team cannot do this without your help. Our ability to reach others is largely affected by those who give to us in the month of September. If you’ve been helped by our content, would you please join us by giving a large or small donation this month to help us to show more people the extent of Christ’s lordship? We are praying for an army of supporters who would like join us in a regular monthly gift, no matter how large or small. And we are also praying for a few who would be able to give larger anchor-type gifts that would allow us to raise the supremacy of Christ even higher. If you, or someone you know, is looking to support a ministry that is actively challenging the culture and providing resources to extol Christ and destroy all arguments raised against him, please reach out. Or, give through our online website.

May God be pleased support this ministry through your gifts for another three years and beyond.

Second, the Christ Over All Swag Store Is Almost Here.

Many of you have been asking for it, and now it is here—almost. This month, as we celebrate three years, we are putting final touches on an apparel store that will have COA Merch and PDFs for purchase. For those looking for shirts, mugs, stickers, and hats, the swag store will have it all. And what about those who have asked if we can put our monthly themes into one downloadable PDF? That is coming too. Lord willing, both of these new additions (which have been in the works for nearly a year) will be up-and-running by the end of the month.

And to celebrate our birthday, look for a few special deals, too. Sign up for the weekly email or follow us on X, Facebook, or Instagram to learn when these pages go live.

Third, Be Aware of Our Upcoming Months.

We receive submissions from faithful Christians who have thought deeply about our topics. If you have expertise in one of the following topics in bold and are interested in writing for us (in line with our doctrinal distinctives), feel free to shoot us an e-mail.

October 2025: Biblical Theology in the Balance

November 2025: Do the Reading: Selections in Political Theology

December 2025: Christmas Medley, Part 2

January 2025: Abolishing Abortion

February 2025: Engaging Islam 

March 2025: Can Anything Good Come from Nashville? An Investigation of Denominational Structures and Stewardship

April 2025: The Cross, Resurrection, Ascension

Fourth, We’d Love To See You Face to Face in the Next Few Months.

On Monday, October 27th, Steve Wellum and Trent Hunter will be speaking in Mauldin, South Carolina at the Pastors Encouraging Pastors Conference. This conference is hosted by Christ Over All author Brad Baugham at Emmanuel Bible Church, and will focus on how the Bible fits together.

Also, David Schrock will be hosting a Simeon Trust Preaching Workshop in Woodbridge, Virginia at Occoquan Bible Church on October 14–16. If you are a pastor, preacher, or aspiring minister of the gospel, this hands-on workshop is well worth the time. Come and study the book of Zechariah with David Schrock, Mike Bullmore, and Erik Raymond. Or, if October doesn’t work, you can join Trent Hunter, David Helm, and Ryan Kelly in Greenville, SC, from January 28–30, 2006, for a Simeon Trust Workshop on Leviticus.

From November 18–20, 2025, all the Christ Over All editors will be at the Evangelical Theological Society in Boston. If you are there, please let us know, and keep an eye out for a late night meetup on Tuesday, November 19.

In 2026, we will be visiting Southwest Florida to join the Founders National Conference in Fort Myers on January 22–24. That week David Schrock will be one of the speakers, and we will have a booth. Sign up here to join us.

That’s all for now. Until next time, let’s keep in mind that Christ is over all, so in all things we ought exalt him.

What is typology? As many of the articles from this past month will show, typology studies the correspondences between persons, events, and institutions throughout the canon that are intensified and fulfilled in later persons, events, or institutions. There’s more to it, but there is not less. So Christ is prefigured or foreshadowed by the High Priest atoning for God’s people on the Day of Atonement, by the sin offering at the door, by the near-sacrifice of Isaac, Israel’s Exodus from Egypt, the Serpent lifted on a pole for healing, the Isaianic feast at God’s table, the “death” and Resurrection of Jonah and David, and even the designation of Israel as beloved.

In addition to all of these concise meditations on the cross, Nicholas Piotrowski anchored our month on the incredible Edenic and world-wide significance of the Day of Atonement, and Ardel Caneday followed up with a fascinating explanation from Luke 24 on why Jesus hid his identity from Cleopas and the unnamed disciple on the road to Emmaus (hint: it was to teach us something). In case you missed any of the articles, readings, or podcast interviews, you can find all of them below (longforms in bold).

The Cross in the Old Testament

• The Deceitful Snake in Genesis 3 by Andy Naselli • Concise Article • Who is the serpent of the Garden of Eden? What does he do? What are his aims? More importantly, who will defeat him?
• “You Carry the Fate of Us All, Little One”: The Cosmic Significance of Israel’s Day of Atonement by Nicholas Piotrowski • Longform Essay • How is the tabernacle like Eden? And how is Christ the great high priest? The Day of Atonement provides answers.
• The Day of Atonement by Stephen Dempster • Concise Article • The rite of the Old Covenant Day of Atonement proved insufficient. The cross of Christ, once and for all, is the better and sufficient atonement.
• 4.16 “You Carry the Fate of Us All, Little One” and “The Day of Atonement” by Nicholas Piotrowski and Stephen Dempster • Combined Reading • Listen to a combined reading of Nicholas Piotrowski and Stephen Dempster’s essays on the Day of Atonement.
• The Cross in Genesis 4.7: Cain Rejected and Rejecting by Joe Gehrmann • Concise Article • Is sin crouching at the door, ready to pounce on Cain in Genesis 4:7, or is a “sin offering” lying down ready to extend to Cain the very mercy of God?
• The Akedah and the Crucifixion: Luke and Isaac Typology by Peter J. Gentry • Concise Article • The story of Abraham’s great test to offer Isaac, known in later tradition as the Akedah, meaningfully typifies many aspects of Luke’s portrayal of Christ.
• Echoes in the Exodus by David Christensen • Concise Article • The Exodus—one of Scripture’s most famous stories and the template for Old Testament redemption—is itself a fulfillment of the serpent-crushing promise of Genesis 3:15.
• 4.17 “You Carry the Fate of Us All, Little One: The Cosmic Significance of Israel’s Day of Atonement” by Nicholas Piotrowski, David Schrock, Stephen Wellum • Interview • Listen in as David Shrock and Stephen Wellum interview Nicholas Piotrowski on his Christ Over All essay: “You Carry the Fate of Us All, Little One: The Cosmic Significance of Israel’s Day of Atonement”
• Snakes Alive!?. . . or How Jesus Fulfills Numbers 21 by David Christensen • Concise Article • “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14–15). How does the serpent on a pole relate to Christ upon the cross?
• Michael Morales on the Bronze Serpent in Numbers 21 by Michael Morales • Concise Article • Learn how a major Old Testament scholar connects the serpent on a pole to Christ on the Cross.
• The Righteousness Based on Faith: Deuteronomy 30 in Romans 10 by Colin Smothers • Concise Article • Temples must be holy for God to indwell them. Thus, the cross of Christ cleanses us from all defilement as the Tabernacle and Temple were cleansed for Israel.
• Psalm 22: A Reprise – A Surprising Carol of the King by Brad Baugham • Concise Article • From Good Friday to Easter Sunday, Psalm 22 sings the story of Christ, the suffering and successful King.
• Why Easter Sometimes Causes Me to Tremble: A Meditation on Psalm 110 for Good Friday and Easter Sunday by Matthew Emadi • Concise Article • May we continually meditate on the horror of the cross and the victory of the empty tomb—Jesus is indeed the triumphant priest-king of Psalm 110.
• Christ Concealed and Revealed: “Did Not the Messiah Have to Suffer These Things and then Enter His Glory?” Luke 24:13–35 by Ardel Caneday • Longform Essay • Like the men on the road to Emmaus, both our eyes and the Scriptures must be opened. Christ-centered interpretation happens because the entire Old Testament is Christ-centered revelation.
• 4.18 “Christ Concealed and Revealed: Did Not the Messiah Have to Suffer These Things and then Enter His Glory? Luke 24:13–35” by Ardel Caneday • Longform Reading • Like the men on the road to Emmaus, both our eyes and the Scriptures must be opened. Christ-centered interpretation happens because the entire Old Testament is Christ-centered revelation.
• Matters of First Importance: The Work of the Servant in Isaiah 52:13–53:12 by Garrett Wishall • Concise Article • Isaiah 52:13-53:12 is a cherished Christian text, for in it we find God the Son incarnate: the solution to humanity’s separation from God because of sin.
• True Food, True Drink – The Isaianic Feast of the Cross by Christopher Powers • Concise Article • John 6 echoes a feast anticipated in the book of Isaiah. The crucified Christ, received by faith, is the true Food and Drink who gives life to the world.
• A Strong Covenant With Many: Seeing the Atonement in Daniel 9:24–27 by Mitch Chase • Concise Article • Daniel 9:24-27 are among the most difficult verses in the Bible to interpret. They are worth our study, however, for in them we find good news for a sinful people.
• Jonah and the Resurrection of Christ: From Type to Antitype by Josh Philpot • Concise Article • What does the belly of a fish, the heart of the earth, and something-greater-than-Jonah have in common? The answers start with a “J” and a “T.”
• 4.19 “Christ Concealed and Revealed: Did Not the Messiah Have to Suffer These Things and then Enter His Glory? Luke 24:13–35” by Ardel Caneday, David Schrock, Trent Hunter • Interview • Listen in as David Schrock and Trent Hunter interview Ardel Caneday on his Christ Over All essay: “Christ Concealed and Revealed: Did Not the Messiah Have to Suffer These Things and then Enter His Glory? Luke 24:13–35“
• “In the Beloved:” Christ as the New Jeshurun in Ephesians 1:6? by John Meade • Concise Article • In saying “in the Beloved” to the church, Paul signals that Christ is the New Israel. Digging into the original language unearths more—another beautiful layer of His identity.
• 1 Samuel 20 and the Tapestry of Christ’s Death and Resurrection by Kevin McClure • Concise Article • The Old Testament prefigures the death and resurrection of Christ in the most unlikely of places . . .

Wise Words

Now that April is behind us, we turn to focus on words.

Words are powerful. Words effected creation into being (Gen 1:2). They catalyzed the fall (Gen. 3:1). They gave humanity hope (Gen. 3:15). They promised a future to Abraham (Gen. 12:1–3). They condemned through Moses (Deut. 29:4). They reminded through the prophets (Isa. 55:2). Words announced that God had come (Isa. 40:9)—even more, that the Word of God had taken on skin, bone, and a human nature (John 1:14). Last words proclaimed the God-man’s success (John 19:30). And God’s Words now give life (John 6:68). They cause people to be born again (1 Pet. 1:23), to persevere (Heb 3:12–14), and to remember (2 Pet. 3:1). One day, words will welcome us into one of two eternities (Matt. 25:21; Matt. 7:23). Today, words dominate our lives: we use words to hire, fire, wed, plagiarize, promise, lie, exaggerate, inspire, repulse, gossip, encourage, slander, support, or joke. In this vast sea of words, Proverbs 10:19 rings true, “When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.”

This month, we offer a brief rubric: our words ought be simple, salty, and sacred. By simple, we mean that we ought always speak with clarity and precision. By salty, we mean that we ought sometimes speak words that have an edge to them—just like Jesus and Paul. And by sacred, we mean that we ought always speak knowing that we will give an account for every word to God.

As we will explore, great Christian leaders throughout history have used language that would make us blush—and especially in polemical debates with false teachers. While some may have gone too far, the pendulum today has swung in the opposite direction. In the some societies of the West, verbally offending others may bring a fine or even prison sentence. And even in Christian circles, offending others with your words—even if they are true—may get you cancelled or shadow banned. This ought not be.

Hard times do not call for soft words but for hard words—but hard words are not hateful words. Or, at least they shouldn’t be. Love is gentle, but holy love is also fiery. And it takes wisdom to know when to use what kind of word. So this month we want to let God’s word guide our use of language in order that we don’t fall into either ditch. Because words matter.

Christ Over All News and Notes

In conclusion, let me highlight a few areas:

First, we are open for submissions

While we are full of articles for the bolded months below, we are glad to receive submissions for the final quarter of the year. If you have an article you’d like to write for us that fits in one of these themes, we’d love to hear from you.

June 2025: The Paterfamilias: Making Fatherhood Great Again

July 2025: The Nicene Creed: 1700 Years of the Homoousios

August 2025: The Four Gospels

September 2025: The Doctrine of Vocation

October 2025: Biblical Theology in the Balance

November 2025: Do the Reading: Selections in Political Theology

December 2025: Christmas Medley, Part 2

Second, we’d love to see you face to face

We plan to be at the King’s Domain conference in Cincinnati, Ohio (May 8–10)—where our own David Schrock will be speaking, the Southern Baptist Convention in Dallas, Texas (June 9–10), G3’s National Conference in Atlanta, Georgia (September 11–13), and the Evangelical Theological Society in Boston (November 18–20). If you sign up for any of these events, we’d love to connect with you there.

Third, we would be Glad for your support

The easiest way to support our ministry is to tell others about us: you can forward this intermission, recommend an article, or share our content on social media. But if you or your church has benefited from our ministry, would you consider making a donation? Every dollar given goes toward helping Christians to think with a consistently Christian worldview across all of life: in our daily living, our churches, our politics, our sexuality, our Bible reading, and yes, in our speaking. When you give to our ministry, you allow us to serve more people. And for every life changed and every church helped by means Christ Over All, there is fruit that increases to your credit (Phil 4:17). So we appreciate a gift of any amount.

That’s all for this month. Until next time, let’s remember that because Christ is Lord over all, we ought exalt Christ in all things.

An evil political authority wants to put an innocent king to death. This king knows that he will die, even though a close friend does not believe him. This king descends to a place marked by a stone, remains there, and on the morning of the third day he rises—to the weeping of one of his friends. After engaging with a disciple, the king rises further and departs from those he loves.

This may sound like something straight out of the Gospels, but in fact it comes from the left field of 1 Samuel 20, a chapter that recounts the historical events David’s life, while also pointing past David to describe the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, David’s greater son (Matt. 1:1). In this article, I’ll seek to demonstrate how 1 Samuel 20 is full of character types that find their ultimate fulfillment in Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection. But first a word about typology itself.

Typology

Tapestries are remarkable works of art. Oftentimes they depict pictures sewn with hundreds of individual threads. A particular thread can prominently protrude into the forefront of the tapestry, dive under the surface into obscurity, and then weave back into the forefront where the same color, texture, or pattern is repeated elsewhere in the canvas. Individual threads can crisscross the entire tapestry, providing a unity and cohesion to the final picture.

Typology is a lot like a tapestry. Typology weaves the Old and New Testaments together like so many colorful threads that connect the massive canvas of redemptive history. Properly defined, typology is “The study of analogical correspondences among revealed truths about persons, events, institutions, and other things within the historical framework of God’s special revelation, which, from a retrospective view, are of a prophetic nature and are escalated in their meaning.”^[1]

1. G. K. Beale, Handbook on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament: Exegesis and Interpretation (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2012), 14.

Thus, as we read our Old Testament, it’s right for us to discern that a thread we find in one book re-appears to find its terminus in the cross. In the grand tapestry of cosmic history, God is the weaver. And what we find in 1 Samuel is the entwine of a master artisan.

As others have shown,^[2] so many experiences in David’s life parallel Jesus’s life. Why would God weave a web like this? He did this in part so that when Jesus came, we would recognize that this Messiah is the one to whom all the threads connect. But how does Jesus fit in 1 Samuel 20? We turn our attention to this question now.

2. James M. Hamilton Jr., “The Typology of David’s Rise to Power: Messianic Patterns in the Book of Samuel,” SBTJ, no. 2 (2012): 4–25.

1 Samuel 20

By this point in the book of Samuel, King Saul is on the decline, and David is on the rise. David has defeated Goliath (1 Samuel 17), he has been anointed the future king by the prophet Samuel (1 Sam. 16:13), and Saul has already made two attempts on David’s life (1 Sam. 18:10–11; 19:9–10). It’s with this backdrop that David meets with his friend Jonathan, the heir to Saul’s throne. And it’s with this background in mind that we see so many parallels with persons and events from this chapter and persons and events surrounding Jesus’s ministry.

Jonathan and Peter

David knows that Saul wants to kill him, and so he communicates to Jonathan “there is but a step between me and death” (1 Sam. 20:3). Jonathan does not believe David, and he proclaims to him, “Far from it [Hebrew: ḥālı̂l]! You shall not die” (1 Sam. 20:2, emphasis added). In the New Testament, immediately after Jesus announces his imminent death, we read, “And Peter took [Jesus] aside and began to rebuke him, saying, ‘Far be it from you, Lord! This [=suffering and being killed] shall never happen to you’” (Matt. 16:22, emphasis added). The phrase “far be it from you” is one word in Greek (hileōs), it’s rare in the New Testament (only here and Heb. 8:12), and it’s used in this setting because it sounds similar to the Hebrew word ḥālı̂l—the very word that Jonathan used.^[3] Matthew’s record of Peter’s rare use of this word recalls 1 Samuel 20:3, and we see in both instances that friends of the Davidic king disbelieve his impending death.^[4]

Saul and the Pharisees

David concocts a plan: David will skip the new moon festival he is expected to attend, and he will instead hide beside “a stone heap” (1 Sam. 20:19). David instructs Jonathan to tell Saul, “David earnestly asked leave of me to run to Bethlehem his city, for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the clan’” (1 Sam. 20:6). Jonathan would discern from Saul’s reaction whether or not his father intended to kill David, and then Jonathan would bring word to David.

So David hides himself, and three times the text lingers on how David’s place/seat at the festival is “empty” (1 Sam. 20:18, 25, 27). But Saul “sat on his seat” (1 Sam. 20:25)—an unusual phrase that draws attention because of how unnecessary it is.^[5] Amazingly, the Greek words that the Septuagint translator used to describe Saul sitting (kathizō) on his seat (kathedra) are only found together in one verse in the entire New Testament: Matthew 23:2. In this passage, Jesus describes how the scribes and Pharisees—who are planning to kill Jesus (Matt. 21:38, 42, 45)—sit in Moses’ seat. Like the Israelite king Saul who does not obey God (1 Sam. 15:22), these Jewish leaders sit in a place of authority even though they do not practice the obedience to God that they preach.

5. In Hebrew, the words for “sat” (yāšāḇ) and “seat” (môšoḇ) only occurs in seven verses together (Exod. 12:40; Lev. 13:46; 1 Sam. 20:25; Psa. 1:1; 107:36; Ezek. 28:2), and in only three of those verses does it describe someone sitting down (1 Sam. 20:25; Ps. 1:1; Ezek. 28:2). In every case, the person who takes a seat is evil (Saul in 1 Sam. 20:25; scoffers in Ps. 1:1; and the king of Tyre in Ezek. 28:2).

As Nicholas Piotrowski has ably demonstrated, 1 Samuel presents Saul as a seed of the serpent—a character thread that begins in Genesis 3 and reappears with the murderous Cain and Esau and then Saul.^[6] Like Cain, Saul disobeys God’s word and has murderous intentions towards those who obey God, and he is likewise described doing actions that are only elsewhere used of Esau (cf. 1 Sam. 28:25 and Gen. 25:34). The Pharisees are also part of this family tree; Jesus exclaims to them in the same chapter in Matthew 23:33, “You snakes, you offspring of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?” (NET, emphasis added). Clearly, there is a typological connection between the murderous and serpentine Saul and the murderous and serpentine Pharisees; both are looking to kill the Davidic king.^[7]

Jonathan’s Defense of David’s Innocence and Nicodemus’s Defense of Jesus’s Innocence

At the new moon feast, David is missed by Saul on the first day, and the reader hears the strange thoughts of Saul in 1 Samuel 20:26, “Something has happened to him. He is not clean; surely he is not clean.” What’s notable is that uncleanliness is associated with bones, dead bodies, and graves (e. g. Num. 19:18), which suggests that David’s literary condition is associated with death. On the second day, Saul asks Jonathan about David, and Jonathan tells his father what David instructed him to say, but he adds an additional phrase in David’s imaginary speech to him, “So now, if I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away and see my brothers” (1 Sam. 20:29). David had not told Jonathan to say this, but Jonathan added this clause likely to signal his affection for David. Upon hearing Jonathan’s answer, Saul flies into a rage and curses his son for choosing David over and against his own kingdom (1 Sam. 20:31). To this, Jonathan responds in 1 Samuel 20:32, “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?” Jim Hamilton rightly draws the connection to the New Testament:

Just as Saul’s son Jonathan, an establishment insider, had interceded on David’s behalf—asking what David had done that he should be put to death (1 Sam 20:32), so also Nicodemus, an establishment insider “who was one of them” (John 7:50), asked, “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” (John 7:51). Just as Jonathan’s intercession had drawn Saul’s wrath, so Nicodemus met with the curt reply, “Are you from Galilee too?” (John 7:52).^[8]

8. Hamilton, “The Typology of David’s Rise to Power”: 12n66.

In both instances, the innocence of the Davidic king is maintained by one of his followers, and this is met with persecution. In Nicodemus’s case this was derision, and in Jonathan’s case it was a hurled spear.

David’s Third Day ‘Resurrection’ and Jesus’s Third Day Resurrection

At this point the temporal references become highly significant, because the previous activity took place on the second day (1 Sam. 20:34). On the morning of the third day, David “rose from beside the stone heap” (1 Sam. 20:41) for his rendezvous with Jonathan. In the Old Testament, the third day is often a day of resolution or deliverance (Gen. 22:4; 42:18; Exod. 19:11; Hos. 6:2; Jon. 1:17), which is why Paul could write in 1 Corinthians 15:4 that Jesus rose on the third day “in accordance with the scriptures.”^[9] Resolution is found for both kings on the third day.

9. Stephen G. Dempster, “From Slight Peg to Cornerstone to Capstone: The Resurrection of Christ on ‘The Third Day’ According to the Scriptures,” Westminster Theological Journal 76 (2014): 371–409.

Here is where it’s worth remembering that Jonathan instructed David to “go down” (yarad) and remain beside the stone heap (1 Samuel 20:19), and then on the third day David “rose” (qwm) from the same.^[10] By itself, this would be unremarkable. But when one considers the tapestry of redemptive history, we see that going down is associated with death (Gen 37:25, 35; 44:29; Exod. 15:5) and coming up with deliverance (Gen. 19:14–15; 21:18; 27:43; 31:21; Exod. 2:17; 12:31; Num. 24:17).^[11] This going down and up of David prefigures the descent to Hades and resurrection that Jesus experiences between Good Friday and Easter Sunday.^[12]

13. See Piotrowski, “Saul Is Esau,” 216–225.

Conclusion

There are other possible pointers to Christ in this passage beyond what is shown above in Figure A.^[14] But suffice it to say, the strands that appear in 1 Samuel 20 seem to re-appear and cluster around Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection. But what significance do these typological connections have for the believer? Two final thoughts:

14. For example, the covenant of steadfast love between David and Jonathan (1 Sam. 20:8, 15–16, 23, 42) and the new covenant between Jesus and his disciples (Luke 22:20); the weeping of Jonathan (1 Sam. 20:41) and the weeping of Mary (John 20:13), the stone heap (20:19, 41) and the stone rolled away (Matt. 27:60; Mark 16:3; Luke 24:2), and the additional rising and departing of David (1 Sam. 20:42) that may correlate to Jesus’s ascension (Acts 1:9).

1. These typological connections help us see Jesus as the center of the entire biblical narrative (Luke 24:44). If we do not read our Bibles seeing the hundreds of foreshadows of Christ, we will not be reading them correctly. The Scriptures bear witness about Jesus (John 5:39–40)! The myriad of biblical types pointing forward to the person and work of Christ are meant to enrich and deepen our understanding of our Lord, and to propel us to greater appreciation for his person and wonder at his work.
2. These typological connections help us understand aspects of Jesus and ourselves. By comparing and contrasting the type and its antitypical fulfillment, we understand more about both. So, for example, Jonathan is a type of one of Jesus’s disciples. As disciples of Jesus today, we can look to Jonathan’s willingness to give up his weapons (1 Sam. 20:39; 18:4) and his choice of David’s kingship over his own (1 Sam 20:30–31) as an example for us to follow. While not always the case, many of the Old Testament characters are real-life examples for God’s people to imitate by faith (Jas. 5:10–11, 17–18) or to avoid imitating (1 Cor. 10:11; Jude 7).

God has woven this grand tapestry of types, shadows, and fulfillments in his word. He is a brilliant author, and he has written the greatest story right into the pages of history. This story climaxes with the death and resurrection of his son, and will crescendo with his final return. And when Jesus returns and “the LORD cuts off every one of the enemies of [the greater] David from the face of the earth,” just as Jonathan affirms in 1 Samuel 20:15, we will look back with awesome wonder on the grand fabric of history that centered on King Jesus.

Most Read Articles Published in 2024

1. Why AI Pornography is Far More Dangerous Than Yesterday’s Porn by Jake Valk • While AI pornography may not portray real people, it is no less sinful and destructive. In fact, it poses even greater danger.

2. Encore: A New Testament Scholar Explains What Should Be the Two Key Voting Concerns for Christians by Robert A. J. Gagnon • Why the recognition of the image of God and mankind as immutably male and female are the two voting concerns of the 2024 election.

3. What Is Missing from Our Constitutional Order?: Our Government Should Acknowledge Christianity by Albert Mohler • What was the presupposition for the American experiment? Protestant theism. And a acknowledgement of such is sorely needed today.

4. A Christians Perspective on Artificial Intelligence by Dustin Ryan • Artificial Intelligence is changing the world we live in. In fact, you likely use AI every day already. What does this new technology mean for Christians?

5. Encore: Voting for the Greater Good: A Biblical Perspective by Robert A. J. Gagnon • In the midst of two unappealing options, why not choose the one that brings about the greater good for society?

6. Praying for the Peace of Israel: A Theological Proposal and a Prayer by Trent Hunter • You’re at a prayer meeting. You’re asked to pray for the peace of Israel (Ps. 122). Who and what do you pray for as a new covenant Christian?

7. Slaying Feminism: Ending the Impossible Quest for Sexual Interchangeability by Doug Ponder • Striving for male and female equality in every way is destroying us—and there’s a better way.

8. The Extremist Track Record of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz on Promoting LGBTQ Immorality and Abortion by Robert A. J. Gagnon • A deep dive into the track record for Harris/Walz and Trump/Vance on LGBTQ+ and abortion.

9. How Will “All Israel Be Saved” in Romans 11:26? (Part 2) by Richard Lucas • Part 1 of this article discussed the future hope still awaiting ethnic Israel. Does this hope also apply to national Israel?

10. What Should Christians Think About the Nation of Israel Today? By Stephen Wellum • As Christians, how should we understand the modern nation of Israel? And how does this understanding shape our view of the current conflict between Israel and Hamas?

11. The World Turned Upside Down: George Ladd on the Kingdom by Thomas Schreiner • George Ladd’s understanding of the kingdom of God changed the landscape of evangelicalism. Come see what’s new.

12. How Will “All Israel Be Saved” in Romans 11:26? (Part 1) by Richard Lucas • Throughout almost all of church history, the church has been composed of a Gentile majority. Yet, Scripture says that all Israel will be saved. So, how should we understand this promise?

13. How Shall We Then Vote?: the Christian Conscience and the 2024 Presidential Election by Michael Carlino • How ought the Christian vote or not vote in the 2024 election, and what role does our conscience play?

14. Politics, Conscience, and the Church: the Why What and How of Political Disagreement and a Test Case by Andy Naselli • The reasons why we all can’t just get along . . . and a test case regarding abortion and voting.

15. Encore: Big Ed, Too Big To Fail by Benjamin R. Merkle • Propped up by state and federal grants—and beholden to whomever holds the strings—big education will one day face a reckoning.

16. Psalm 2: in Context, Interpreted by the Apostles, and in Contrast With Postmillenialism by Peter Gentry & Knox Brown • When we allow the apostles to interpret Psalm 2, what does it mean, and what are the implications for postmillennialism?

17. A Comparison of the 2024 Republican and Democratic Party Platforms by David Closson • How do the Republican and Democratic platforms stack up on the issues of life, religious freedom, and sexuality?

18. The Kingdom of God and Sphere Sovereignty by Joe Boot • What is Sphere Sovereignty, and how does it help Christians understand political authority in light of Christ’s lordship?

19. The Kingdom of God by Graeme Goldsworthy • What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall we compare it? This Essay is a primer on this biblical topic.

20. What Evangelicals Must Learn from the Last Decades of American Politics by Stephen Wellum • What has the evangelical church gotten wrong in the past decades, and where ought we go in light of where we are?

21. Muddying and Muddling Church and Kingdom by P. Andrew Sandlin • Why do some churches ignore politics and music and science and entertainment, while other churches take on the heavy load of overseeing hospitals and movie studios and businesses? The answer comes down to muddiness.

22. What is Christian Platonism? (Part 1): An Introduction in Three Steps by Robert Lyon • What is Christian Platonism and where did it come from? Answers to these questions and more lie ahead.

23. The Role of the Kingdom of God in Systematic Theology by Christina D. Gonet & Christopher W. Morgan • Find out how the kingdom of God reverberates throughout important systematic theology categories.

24. Why Did God the Son Become Human by Stephen Wellum • Why did Jesus need to take on flesh to save us? Here are four answers from the book of Hebrews.

A Reflection from 24 Essays

In life and ministry, numbers are not the main thing, but they are not nothing either. Scripture counts the tribes of Israel, the apostles of Christ, the 144,000 assembled in Revelation. In fact, of the sixty-six books of the Bible, there is even one called “Numbers,” because of the two censuses that open and close the book.

So, numbers matter. And as we look back on 2024, we are giving thanks to God for the authors and readers of these pieces, and we are taking stock to see some of the trendlines that these numbers reveal. Admittedly, the following assessments are offered with open hands. Maybe there are better reasons to see interest in on topic over another. But think with me as we consider what and why these articles were most popular in 2024.

Of the twelve themes that we published last year, our theme of “Voting to the Glory of God” had eight of the top twenty-four most read articles published this year. This may reflect a thirst for more popular-level writings that address political theology. In past decades, many evangelical leaders have shied away from giving counsel regarding the voting booth (with the occasional exception for abortion). Some chose to largely ignore election seasons, some gave general counsel to vote one’s conscience, and others advocated a kind of third-wayism that actually leaned to the political left. But as the Democratic party’s policies have become more radical and overtly anti-Christian, many evangelicals have come to see the moral significance of voting for the greater good. Some of the articles in this month grappled with how one could in good conscience vote for Donald Trump, while other articles explained how our conscience should work in voting, especially in light of abortion. Perhaps the next four years will bring something of an evangelical awakening to the public aspect of our theology and practice. And perhaps evangelicals will learn from the past decade and make wise choices for the future. And we pray that as those discussions continue this month on voting might serve as a helpful resource for that conversation.

In second place—with six out of the top twenty four articles—was our theme on the Kingdom of God. With Christian Nationalism in the news and postmillennialism on the rise, many are eager to consider how exactly the kingdom of God relates to earthly kingdoms of man. From near-comprehensive introductions to the kingdom of God to the historical re-introduction and appraisal of George Eldon Ladd, this month sought to untangle bad notions of the church and kingdom while positively identifying different spheres of sovereignty. We considered how Psalm 2 relates to arguments for postmillennialism, and an especially illuminating piece on how the kingdom of God relates to systematic theology. One thing is clear: the kingdom is not the church, and the church is not the kingdom, even if there is overlap. Nor is God’s kingdom to be confused with any modern nation-state, which brings us to our next theme.

In third place for most read monthly articles was the theme on a Biblical View of Israel. The October 7, 2023 Hamas terrorist attack and Israel’s response had many people talking about Israel at the beginning of 2024, including us. Long before debates about the Jews swirled in late 2024—a topic we did not address—we sought to understand ethnic Israel across redemptive history. As the people of God who received the Law at Sinai stands at the center of the Bible, knowing God’s plans for Israel informs how we read the whole Bible and how we obey the command of Psalm 122:6 to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” Anchoring this month were two exegetical pieces (part one and part two) that address the controversial phrase of Romans 11:26 that “all Israel will be saved.” These pieces and the rest of the month may help you in 2025, as the conversation about Israel and the Jews continues.

Our most read article published in 2024 was Jake Valk’s “Why AI Pornography is Far More Dangerous Than Yesterday’s Porn”—a commentary on the meaning of sex and how Artificial Intelligence (AI) perverts this gift with new avenues of carnality. Situated in a whole month on AI, this article reminds us of the deadly power of pornography, and the ways that AI looks to take a demonic tool in Satan’s hands and make it all the more enslaving. If you are in ministry, you know the damage of pornography, and this article, if you haven’t read it, will help you stay one step ahead.

More broadly, as all technology can be used for good or ill, we must recognize all the ways AI amplifies that axiom. Today, Artificial Intelligence is unleashing a new chapter in information processing, generative content, and productivity, but the unintended side-effect is an information overload and lessened human interaction. Time will tell whether AI will make humans better or worse, and how it will change us, but this article is a start for that consideration.

Rounding out the list was our month called “Christ over All the Isms: Totalitarianism, Globalism, Feminism, etc.” There are many worldviews that seek to set themselves up against Christ and his rule, and two in particular broke the twenty-four most read barrier: feminism and Big Ed (big educationalism). In our article on feminism, Doug Ponder considered how we got to where we are today in the various waves of feminism, and how the desire to make man and woman interchangeable is doomed to failure and misery. Instead, a thick appreciation and application of maleness and femaleness brings about both flourishing and beauty. In our article on Big Ed, Dr. Benjamin Merkle, president of New Saint Andrews College, told us to find the purse strings, and to know that whoever owns the funding (in this case, to a school) controls the school’s ideology. Teachers and educational leaders take note!

Beyond these themes, we had one article introducing the technical discussion of “Christian Platonism”—a topic in the academy that will likely filter to the church within a decade if not sooner. While some authors say that we cannot understand our Bible without Plato, we pushed back and countered that a Greek metaphysic—or view of reality—is not necessary to understand the Bible’s metaphysic. The Bible has its own consistent metaphysic. To round out the list, in our month on the book of Hebrews, we had an excellent article on why Jesus’s humanity was necessary to save mankind. The Son of Man had to assume the very humanity that he saved, and this article explains why with wonder.

Taking a Larger View of 2024

Surveying the whole year, ten of our twenty four most read articles were longforms. These longforms come in around 3,000–5,000 words. This suggests that even in a day of soundbites, memes, and X posts, people are willing to read longer articles to learn what the Bible says about a given topic.

At the same time, many of our themes had no most read articles. This reminds us that popularity is not a reliable metric for what is best. Some of our best articles (in my estimation) are “vegetables” on the dinner plate; they relate to the nature of theology, exegesis that sings, guarding against emotional manipulation, and even a delightful article on an overlooked antidote to busy souls.

In our day of online polemics, controversial topics will inevitably get more clicks, but from the beginning, Christ Over All has not joined the fray for clicks. We’re here for Christ. That is, we are here to proclaim the fact that Christ reigns over everything: from dead theologians to very live problems, from biblical texts to theological topics, from nation-states to particular bad teachings that have yet to filter much to the church.

To that end, we will continue to publish on topics that are hot and cold, biblical and cultural, theological and philosophical. It all belongs to Christ, and we will gladly proclaim this while the Lord sustains our faithfulness and labors (through the means of happy givers!). With the wind of God’s kindness in our sails, we have launched into 2025.

We are grateful for what great things God has done, and we look to him to empower us for more kindness. In the new year, come join us for the journey. And as the Lord allows, we’ll look to see what the top 25 articles are in 2025.

At the heart of the gospel message, and the message of Christmas, is the kingdom of God and the kingship of Christ. Again, every kingdom needs a king. Christ is the anointed king of God’s kingdom. Sections 18–21 of Handel’s Messiah capture the glory of Christ’s coming and show the character of his kingdom. Christmas is a time when we mark his first advent and long for his return. A weary world aches for its king, and Christmas reminds us that as surely as he came the first time, he will return to fully establish his kingdom.

The King Comes

Section 18 of Handel’s Messiah opens with a command to “rejoice!” This joy springs forth from the coming of the King, a savior. The term messiah means “anointed one” and is tied to promises of David’s offspring who will sit on his father’s kingly throne forever (2 Sam. 7:1–17). [KM1] The title of Christ is royal. Every time we say, “Jesus Christ,” we are declaring that Jesus is king.

Recently, I preached through the Gospel of John. The more I teach Scripture the more convinced I am of the centrality of Christ’s kingship to the gospel message. In John, Jesus is crowned and coronated through his death on the cross (John 19). His humiliation and the cross are the very door to his throne. After the resurrection, Christ ascends to his Father to rule until his enemies are made his footstool. In short, any declaration of the gospel that ignores or contradicts his title as king is incomplete, at best. Jesus is the King of kings, and he demands that all bend the knee to him. There is no future hope without Christ’s kingship; without his universal reign. It is profoundly good news that Jesus is the King. All other political leaders will let us down, but Christ’s perfect kingdom will never end.

Handel recognizes this glorious truth by citing Zechariah 9:9–10. This is a royal pronouncement of the long-awaited king. At last, the prophesied one has come. He provides salvation for his people and he “speak[s] peace unto the heathen.” That central longing for a kingdom of peace, for deliverance from the wickedness of this age, comes to us through Christ. Therefore, we are to shout out praises, to rejoice greatly!

The King’s Kingdom

In section 19, Handel gives us a glimpse of the nature of Christ’s kingdom by pointing to Isaiah 35:5–6. What makes Christ’s kingdom so great? The curse and all its entailments are being undone. Wrong is being set to right. We hear how the blind will see, the deaf will hear, the mute will speak, and the lame will jump like an adult deer. To live in this fallen world is to be familiar with its brokenness. It is to be familiar with the hurt of life under the curse of sin. While some figures promise to overcome the evils of this world through might, wealth redistribution, or personal liberation, all such attempts fall woefully short. They are mere Band-Aids placed on gaping wounds. The heart of the problem is sin, and thus our king must also be a savior.

In his earthly ministry, Christ heals the blind, mute, deaf, and lame. These miracles are signs of two greater realities. First, they point to Christ’s true identity. The prophets spoke of what the Messiah would do, and so as Christ heals it is proof that he is the promised one (Matt. 11:4–5). Second, these miracles are signs of what the kingdom will be like. The Kingdom of Christ is one of life, not death; healing, not cursing; renewal, not decay; health, not illness. Christ alone can bring these realities, and we see glimpses of that final healing with his first advent.

At Christmas, we are reminded that the incarnation is but the beginning. Though our bodies waste away, though the world still lay under the shadows of sin and death, Christ has come and he will return. His kingdom is destroying everything that robs the sweetness and goodness of God’s creation. This age is and all rebellious kingdoms are merely sinking ships because Christ’s kingdom extends as far as the curse is found.

The Character of the King

Finally, in sections 20–21 Handel gives us a glimpse into the character of our king, drawing from Isaiah 40:11 and Matthew 11:28–30. Many a strong man seeks to gain power and position for his own gain. By brute force, strong men advance their own agendas and for their own glory. Christ instructs his followers to not be like the world, we must never use authority to lord it over others. This command stems from Christ’s own example. He comes as a shepherd, and he gathers his own and cares for them, just as Isaiah 40:11 prefigures. He leads them “gently” and offers a lasting rest (Matt. 11:28–29).

In John 10:14, Jesus identifies himself as the Good Shepherd. In contrast to the wicked leaders of Israel (see Ezek. 34:1–10), Jesus seeks the good of his people. This is chiefly demonstrated in laying down his life for his sheep. Leadership is to be other-directed. One’s position of authority as a father, boss, pastor, or elected official does not exist for one’s own sake, but for the good of those under one’s authority. Christ came and sought his own at great personal cost.

Through Christ’s work, he offers rest and an easy burden (Matt. 11:30). He does the heavy lifting, and we benefit from his work. Throughout history, kings ruled over their subjects. These subjects existed for the good of the king and his kingdom. Jesus’s turns this thinking on its head, as his kingdom exists, to an extent, for the benefit of his people. Thus, he invites us to come to him and rest. To cease the vain search for peace and the good life through worldly means and fake kings. Instead, we come to Christ to find rest and to taste his goodness. 

Conclusion

Christmas is the most wonderful time of year because it points us to the first and second advents of the King. It reminds us that peace on earth is not an empty slogan, but a purchased reality brought by the Shepherd King. We sing and rejoice because Christ came, he died, he rose again, he ascended to the Father, he reigns on high, and he is coming back. Everything must be seen in light of this reality—the King has come and he is coming back.

The promise of Christmas is the promise of King Jesus and his eternal kingdom. All those longings for a home, for paradise, for peace, and for wholeness come through Christ. Advent declares his conquest has already been set in motion, and that this world is being redeemed by him. Therefore, we have a sure hope in the face of all trials. David Wells captures this wondrous reality:

Christian hope is not about wishing that things will get better, that somehow emptiness will go away, meaning will return, and life will be stripped of its uncertainties, its psychological aches and anxieties. Nor does it have anything to do with techniques for improving fallen human life, be those therapeutic or even religious. Hope, instead, has to do, biblically speaking, with the knowledge that “the age to come” is already penetrating “this age,” that the sin, death, and meaninglessness of the one is being transformed by the righteousness, life, and meaning of the other, that what has been emptied out of life, what has scarred and blackened it, is being displaced by what is rejuvenating and transforming it. More than that, hope is hope because it knows it has become a part of a realm, a kingdom, which endures, where evil is doomed and will be banished, that it has left behind it the ship of “this age” which is sinking.[1]

1. David Wells, Above All Earthly Pow’rs: Christ in a Postmodern World (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2005), 206.

Christ is the king! Therefore, rejoice!

2020 revealed many of the deficiencies in our political theology. All of a sudden, pastors, many of whom were trained to ignore the political realm, were forced to think on their feet about the relationship between church and state, civil disobedience, and the church’s ministry in the public square. The results were not pretty. Romans 13 is indeed a foundational text for understanding the state, but it must be understood in light of an entire biblical theology. In short, pointing to Romans 13 without understanding texts like Revelation 13 produces a distorted political theology.

The Bible presents neither an idealistic view of the state nor a wholesale rejection of it. Rather, it offers both good and bad examples of government. Only by expanding our knowledge beyond proof-texting can Christians come to see the tyrannical and demonic possibilities of the state presented in Scripture. This means understanding a biblical theology of the state and examining other key passages like Revelation 13.

Revelation 13: The State is Either Servant or Beast

The Bible lays out two basic trajectories for the state: it will either be God’s servant or it will become a demonic beast.[1] In Romans 13:1-7, Paul informs us the state is to function as God’s servant by fulfilling its God-given role. Paul describes even the corrupt and tyrannical Roman state, at least in part, as God’s servant.  God establishes ruling authorities for our good. The state’s ministry is to be an avenger of God’s wrath by punishing evildoers (Rom. 13:4). In a fallen world, such a ministry is needed. For Christians, anarchy is not an option. By punishing evildoers, the state secures the rights of its people from threats both foreign and domestic. At a minimum, these rights include life, liberty, and property. Christians must ask, “What happens when a state becomes destructive of these ends?”

1. Of course, even rebellious and wicked states and rulers end up serving God’s purposes.

When the state becomes an unfaithful servant, it tends to become a beast. Revelation 12-13 recounts how the state is perverted and weaponized against God and his people. In Revelation 12, John recounts a heavenly vision of the birth of Christ. As he is born, Satan, pictured as the Great Dragon, waits to devour the newly-born Christ. The Dragon fails. As Revelation 12 closes and the next chapter begins, the Dragon stands on the edge of the sea and summons the first of two beasts to his service.

Who are these beasts? The first beast has crowns (Rev. 13:1) and he is given a throne and authority from the Dragon (13:2). John describes this beast as part leopard, bear, and lion (Rev. 13:2) pointing back to the beasts of Daniel 7:4-8. In Daniel, these beasts point to different kings and empires that rise in opposition to God and his people. Daniel looks forward to when these beasts will be finally crushed by God and the Son of Man (Dan. 7:9-28).

In Revelation, we see Daniel’s prophecies applied to the era of the church. These passages warn Christians of the potential for the state to become a beast that serves Satan. In short, the state will either serve God its master, or it will serve the Dragon.

Robert Mounce helps us understand the beast in Revelation 13:

The beast has always been, and will be in a final intensified manifestation, the deification of secular authority. It is a “counterfeit power” that is self-centered, behaves as if it were fully autonomous, and demands total allegiance and excessive praise.[2]

2. Robert Mounce, The Book of Revelation Revised (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), 246.

The beastly nature of the state rises when it claims autonomy and a form of deification. The state acts like God (autonomy) and eventually demands God’s worship (deification). The imagery in Daniel and Revelation uncovers the ghastly potential of a “godless” state. Like everything God created good, the state can be perverted, corrupted, and put into the service of the Dragon.

There are two primary ways this beastliness is lived out. First, if there is no God above the state, then the state becomes a de facto god. The highest authority in every system functions as that system’s god. The state is thus deified and worshiped. Thus, man exchanges the glory of God for an idol.

Second, as a state claims God’s status it will begin acting like it really is divine. As the state tries to replace the Lord, it does so through petty and tyrannical imitations of his nature. Thus, the state attempts to be omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. It oppresses the people by devouring all of life, demanding total allegiance, and trying to control everything. Only recently has technology made such attempts more feasible as the modern state attempts to be everywhere, control everything, and define all truth.

We see this beastly imitation as nation-states move toward globalism in an attempt to rule the whole world. Global kingdoms mock and rival Christ’s universal rule. He alone will rule over everything. Therefore, a biblical view of the state rejects globalism and embraces a limited, small form of government because only Christ possesses that universal kingdom and authority (Eph. 1:10, 20-23).

The beasts, first in Daniel and then in Revelation, establish this tendency of the state to become demonic as it attempts to usurp God’s authority. No matter one’s eschatological views, whether you believe Revelation describes the past, future, or this age in general, the principle is the same—the state is not always a faithful servant. Sometimes, perhaps even often, the state becomes a demonic beast as it tries to seize God’s role.

This corruption of the state is demonstrated time and again as we read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.

A Biblical Theology of the Demonic State

Whether the state is a pre- or post-fall reality, its current job presumes the existence of sin (Rom. 13:4). To punish evildoers, sin must exist. By punishing the guilty, the state protects the good. It secures the rights of its people. Yet, often rulers and governments do the opposite by punishing good and promoting evil. At the heart of becoming a demonic beast, is the idea of statism—treating the government as the highest authority. The state, though designed to be a servant, is ever seeking to usurp its master.

When reading the Bible cover-to-cover, Christians must understand that frequently the main earthly adversary of God’s people is the state. The pages of Scripture scream to us about the beastly reality of the state in this world. In the Old Testament, we have Egypt, Philistia, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, and even the evil kings of Israel and Judah. All of these governing authorities, in various ways, oppose and oppress God’s people. This constant perversion of the state rises and falls at major points of redemptive history.

The beastliness of the state flows downstream of false worship. Such false worship plays out in two main ways. First, evil rulers tend to worship false gods. Whether it is Molech, Baal, or Dagon, wherever you find a state connected to a false deity you will also find tyranny and beastliness. We become like what we worship. To be a faithful servant, the state must recognize its true master—Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord (Psa. 33:12)

When the state rejects its master it becomes an agent of wickedness. Conversely, when godly rulers come in and institute faithful worship, the nation is blessed (E.g., David, Josiah, Hezekiah). Contrary to the lies of secularism, it’s not if there will be a spiritual authority over the state, but which one authority will the state appeal to?

Second, false religion often manifests itself through the divinizing of the state. The state has a tendency, in action or word, to pretend to be a god. Pharoah was connected to the sun god, Nebuchadnezzar demanded worship (Dan. 3:1-12), and Darius outlawed prayer to anyone but himself (Dan. 6:7). The Dragon summons two beasts, one that directs its wrath at God’s people while the other that demands that the state be worshiped (Rev. 13:12). The state, untethered from the true God, becomes a ravenous beast which eventually demands worship.

The war between God’s people and the state continues in the New Testament. At Jesus’s birth, it is King Herod who seeks to kill him and who then murders innocent children (Matt. 2:12-18). It is the Sanhedrin, which possessed some governing authority (John 18:31), that arrested Christ. It is Pilate, a Roman governor, who executes Christ. Notably, Christ’s sentence is sealed when the Jews reject him and swear allegiance to a beastly Caesar (John 19:15). The monstrous state is always at war with God’s people.

The story continues to the time of the early church as the Apostles are arrested and some are martyred by the state. The early church faced fierce persecution from the Roman state until Christianity became the dominant religion. Yet this new acceptance did not eradicate persecution. In the Reformation, many were persecuted and killed for their beliefs. The beastliness of the state endured and morphs from age to age.

In modern times, countless Christians have been martyred by evil governments under the sway of ideologies like Marxism and Islam. Throughout world history, empires rise and fall attempting to play God. Some promise salvation and a political utopia (e.g., Communism), while others, through the pursuit of a global empire, seek to conquer the whole and enforce a faux sovereignty over all of life (e.g., Rome, Persia, Nazism). By repeating the errors of Babel, some today seek a one-world rule through globalism (e.g., World Economic Forum). These are all manifestations of the same beastly spirit. It is anti-Christ. Thankfully, all such attempts are doomed to failure because Christ alone possesses all authority in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28:18).

When Christians understand the storyline of Scripture and world history, we see the beastly tendency of the state. It is a dominant biblical theme that American Christians have neglected for too long. While God created the state for our good, the evil one perverts it in a vain attempt to usurp God’s authority and supplant Christ’s kingdom. It is no accident that the end of this age is marked by the coming of the King of kings who crushes all beastly rulers (Rev. 19:11-21).

Conclusion

Christians of all people should favor limited government. As the government grows into a nanny state or attempts to become a world empire, we see an ancient story that’s on repeat. The Serpent recruits the state to do his bidding and to attack God’s people. Then a nation rises in mockery and defiance of the reign of God through Christ. Christians know that tyranny is inherently demonic and is not something God requires submission to.

Scripture and history alert us to the dangers of a government unhitched from its master. Big government is always the enemy of God’s people. The state is one of Satan’s favorite tools and one of the church’s main enemies. Christians must understand both the potential good and evil of the state. Therefore, it is God-honoring and wise to seek biblical limits upon the state lest it become a monstrous beast.

While Romans 13:1-7 commands a general submission to the state, as it fulfills its God-given purpose, a fuller reading of Scripture reminds us that men and women of faith have consistently disobeyed the state because of their faith in and allegiance to God alone. To disobey demonic tyrants is to disobey wannabe gods. To disobey false gods is to obey the one true God.

Some suggest that voting is amoral: that Christians are free to vote for whomever they want, or to not vote at all. Consider this recent tweet from David French:

The next couple of months are going to be full of accusations that a person can’t be a Christian and vote how they’re voting. Ignore those voices. There is no credible argument that our vote defines our walk with God.

French’s argument assumes the neutrality, not only of voting, but of the entire political sphere. It is true that how we vote does not grant us special status before God. Yet, since voting is a moral action, it certainly reflects our walk with God. For too long, evangelicals have divorced politics from a wholistic Christian view of life. Such disjointed reasoning encourages a form of moral disconnect and cultural cowardice that muzzles our Christian witness.

As Christians, in our form of government, there are two reasons we have a moral duty to vote. First, Christians are mandated to vote because by doing so we partake in the governing process of our nation. Second, Christians are obligated to vote because the realm of government is not morally neutral. In other words, we have a moral duty to vote and to vote distinctively as Christians. The American church must recover this moral clarity to courageously confront our current political confusion. 

Our Christian Duty to Vote

American Christians have a duty to vote, before God, because we live in a representative republic. This is a bold claim, but it rests on the reality that God judges governing officials (Psa. 82:1-8; Hab. 2:2-20; Rev. 19:11-21). In the American system, to be a citizen is to be a governing official. The United States is neither an empire nor a monarchy. We are a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. At the top of our governing structure is: the people. In short, in a representative republic, the people function as one of the highest authorities in the land, alongside the Constitution, as we elect individuals to represent us.

These representatives govern with the authority we the people grant them. They stand in our place. In this way, being a citizen is a ruling office with real authority. Therefore, every citizen is like a miniature governor, senator, mayor, president, etc. If we, out of cowardice or apathy, refuse to faithfully discharge the duties of our office, then we are guilty of sin before God.[1]

1. There is a place, in extreme circumstances, where one could theoretically refuse to vote out of protest, particularly if both options are thoroughly wicked. If, for example, you had to choose between Hitler or Stalin, then the Christian should choose neither. In such a circumstance, Christians would need to consider more drastic options. Thankfully, I do not believe America is at such a crossroads.

Few Christians would argue that a Christian governor, senator, or representative is free to govern however he wants. Few would argue, as French implies above, that God is disinterested in how such an individual uses their authority. In short, Christian representatives should govern according to the ethics of Christianity because God will judge every ruler (Psa. 2:10–12). In America, every citizen is a part of the governing process and is morally culpable for how he uses his authority.

For example, refusing to vote would be similar to a governor refusing to lead because a situation was too hard, there were no perfect solutions, or he was afraid of offending. In a fallen world, to be in leadership is to be faced with difficult decisions. Refusal to face these challenges, and to make the best choice possible, is worse than a failure of nerve. It’s a dereliction of duty and betrayal of trust.

Often Americans complain about the ‘government,’ but they forget that they are the government. In a representative republic, we not only get the government we deserve, we are that government. Our country’s problems begin with the people in the voting booth, not the people in Washington D.C.

Because the people are the government, and Christians are part of the people, we have a moral duty to use our authority to seek righteousness. God very much cares about how we conduct ourselves in the voting booth. How we conduct ourselves politically will demonstrate either rotten or righteous fruit. It can display genuine faith or apostasy.

Some may object, “But I didn’t sign up to be a governing authority!” Generally, leadership roles involve some desire to fulfill the office and then some affirmation from the community (1 Tim. 3:1). Yet, God, as he does with all governments, has established the system we’ve been born into (Rom. 13:1). He has appointed us for this exact time and place. A neglectful elder, police officer, or parent will be judged for abandoning of their just authority. To neglect our authority is sinful. 

Whether we want this responsibility or not, it is ours. Consider the example of a young a man who unexpectedly gets his girlfriend pregnant. Despite his possible intentions, feelings, and preparedness he is now a father whether he likes it or not. No amount of excuses remove the moral obligation he has to fulfill his role as a father. Whether we signed up to be citizens of the United States or not, we likewise have a role to fulfill in the governing of our nation.

While our cultural problems are daunting, Christians must not cower in fear, hoping that the problems will somehow resolve themselves. What is needed is not righteous-sounding platitudes that ignore the world burning around us. What is needed is a clear Christian ethic that acknowledges that politics is important, but not ultimate. God cares how his people vote; therefore, his people must have the courage to vote distinctively as Christians.

The Morality of Voting

Governing is all about morality, and so is voting. Underneath French’s assertion that how we vote says little about our walk with God, is the assumption that the act itself is morally neutral. One of the great lies of secularism is the myth of neutrality—that the state can be detached from morality. It’s never if the state will enforce morality, but which morality it will impose.

Romans 13:1–7 reminds us that the state was instituted by God for our good (Rom. 13:4). The state’s job is to wield the sword as an agent of God’s justice. The state’s main purpose is irreducibly tied to justice as it punishes evildoers. Thus, the state needs to be able to distinguish between good and evil. It needs to direct its blade at evildoers, not at the righteous. Sadly, the state often becomes a ghastly beast destructive to its God-given purpose (Rev. 12:17–13:10). Politics is never amoral. Governing must never be separated from God’s moral standards.

When we vote, we are not just voting for politicians, but for policies that the sword of the state will impose on society. Under every policy is a belief about what is righteous and what is wicked.  When we vote for specific politicians and their policy goals, we are approving of their vision of morality and delegating them power to carry out their vision. To vote is to govern. To vote is to impose either righteousness or wickedness.

For this reason, some suggest that Christians must never vote for the lesser of two evils. To be sure, the era of Trump v. Harris in 2024 poses particular challenges for evangelicals, but the lesser of two evils objection is not new.

The framing of this objection is unfair at best. How one poses a question often dictates the desired answer. When I am asked, “Can Christians vote for the lesser of two evils?” The framing itself demands the answer, “No.” Christians are never to partake in evil. I believe this question is unfair because there are no perfect politicians or governments in this age. If Paul can write about the good God intends for the state to accomplish when talking about a tyrannical Roman Empire, then we can also seek to implement good amid the imperfections of our day.

Francis Schaeffer warned us that if we demand perfection or nothing in any area of life, we will always get nothing.^[2] According to Schaeffer, it is terribly cruel to demand perfection from our fellow sinners, as it blinds us to the real human potential before us. Whether it be a parent to a child, spouse to spouse, or a congregation to its pastor, if you demand perfection or nothing then you will get nothing every time.

2. Francis Schaeffer, No Little People (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 1974), 50.

We should also apply this wisdom to our political involvement. If we demand a perfect party or candidate or nothing, then we will get nothing every time. We are not looking for a political savior, but for the person who will most wield the sword of the state with the most justice.

In light of this reality, we must reframe our expectations. We are not looking for the lesser of two evils but rather the most righteous option. When we frame our political dilemma in this way, as a search for the most righteous option, it frees us from unrealistic expectations and the path forward becomes clearer. While the GOP has many imperfections and problems, they are the more righteous option on virtually every major political issue, as a comparison of their party platforms demonstrates (see the Republican platform and the Democrat Platform).[3]

3. [Editor’s Note: Check back later this month for an article that compares and contrasts these two party platforms.]

Conclusion

Christians must have the courage to vote distinctively as Christians. God cares about everything we do, including who we vote for. While our cultural problems are daunting, we must not cower in fear.  Christians must have the courage to use whatever authority they have to seek good for our society.  

Therefore, Christians must vote for the party and politicians who will enact the most righteous laws and policies. We must do so with great courage and hope—a hope not in politicians—but in the God who is sovereign over the affairs of men. As a part of we the people, Christians must execute their office according to God’s standards and for his glory.

1. A special thanks to Richard Lindstrom and Randall Johnson for providing invaluable insight and direction for this article.

According to Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings is a “fundamentally religious” work.^[2] To enjoy the richness of Middle-earth, one must grasp how Tolkien infused his world with Christianity. When we do this, we see that visiting Middle-earth is not an escape from reality, but an escape from our transient age. The emptiness of life in a secular age haunts us, but Tolkien beckons us back to reality. Thus, Middle-earth feels both other-worldly and just like home. Fantasy novels come and go, but Middle-earth endures because it is built on transcendent truths. In this article, we will learn what great truths Middle-earth teaches us about the human condition, our enchanted world, and the cosmic battle between good and evil.

2. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. Humphrey Carpenter (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1981), 172.

The Human Condition

Whether it’s displayed in Elves, Dwarves, or Hobbits, Middle-earth offers a Christian understanding of the human condition. Ours is a day obsessed with the self. Because of the influences of worldviews like postmodernism and critical theory, many locate evil outside of the individual. Allegedly, humanity’s greatest problems are external; society and unbalanced power structures enslave the individual. Enter the gospel of expressive individualism: salvation comes through personal empowerment, believing in yourself, and casting off the shackles of society by expressing your truest self. In Middle-earth, however, seeking your own empowerment has more in common with Mordor than it does with the Shire.

Tolkien offers a different moral vision than the expressive individualism of our age. At the heart of Frodo’s struggle to destroy the Ring is the realization that the main threat is found within himself. To be sure, there are many external threats in Middle-earth to the Fellowship of the Ring—orcs, betrayal, and even Sauron himself. Yet, when Frodo accepts his quest, the main obstacle is not an oppressive society, but his own temptation to keep the Ring. At any moment, he could give in and take the Ring for himself and evil would triumph.

Frodo’s objective is not to find his truest self or to seek empowerment; he must reject the power and temptation of the Ring. Frodo’s quest warns us about the corruption of human nature and the allure of power. Author Tom Holland explains, “True strength manifested itself not in the exercise of power, but in the willingness to give it up. So Tolkien, as a Christian, believed.”^[3] Tolkien’s story teaches us to distrust our own hearts. It rejects self-empowerment and embraces self-sacrifice instead.

3. Tom Holland, Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World (New York: Basic Books, 2019), 485.

For Tolkien, the primary threat is not found in society but within our fallen human nature. Where we locate the problem informs where we look for a savior. Expressive individualism positions evil outside of the self and therefore turns within to find redemption. We are our own saviors. Conversely, Tolkien locates evil within the hearts of individuals. In the ethics of Middle-earth, we find self-denial in the place of self-expression. Instead of looking for salvation within, we are forced to look to God for deliverance.

Thus, Frodo brings the Ring to the Cracks of Doom where he intends to destroy it, but as a fallen sinner, he cannot defeat evil. In his corruption, Frodo claims the Ring for himself. Reflecting on his own story, Tolkien tells us that Frodo was bound to fail for evil is “not finally resistible by incarnate creatures.”^[4] Salvation must come from the divine “Author.”^[5] God himself had to defeat evil because we cannot.

4. Tolkien, Letters, 252.

5. Tolkien, Letters, 252.

To the casual reader, the final destruction of the Ring appears accidental as Gollum falls into the fire, but the preceding providential events suggest this is really an act of divine deliverance. God ordained this “accident” to happen, and In The Hobbit, Bilbo refused to kill Gollum. Preserved by Bilbo’s pity, Gollum reaches the Cracks of Doom where he steals the ring but falls into the fire through a God-ordained slipping. Thus, the destruction of the Ring is set in motion through mercy, not power, and the ring is finally destroyed through a God-ordained “accident.” Tolkien, in a masterstroke of storytelling, has the Ring unmade on March 25, the date Catholics believe Christ was both incarnated and crucified.^[6] Salvation in Middle-earth comes through self-denial, mercy, a rejection of power, and divine providence.

6. Holland, Dominion, 487.

An Enchanted World

Several years ago, I visited the movie set of Hobbiton in Matamata, New Zealand. The tour guide told the story of a very tall German man dressed as a Hobbit. When his tour ended, he refused to leave. The man insisted that Hobbiton was his real home. While we may chuckle at his childishness, his actions touch on the ache of life in a disenchanted age.

Charles Taylor argues that as the West secularized, it rejected an enchanted view of life. This understanding of life views the world as full of meaning. But today, everything becomes disenchanted as it is reduced to the natural.^[7] With no transcendent God, life is reduced only to the here and now. Today, we make our own meaning, but we know that all such meaning dies with us. As we live in this disenchanted age, we yearn for something more (Eccl. 3:11).

7. Charles Taylor, A Secular Age (Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2007), 542.

Middle-earth offers an escape from this secular age by returning to a world charged with meaning. Our modern ache for greater significance draws us into Tolkien’s world. In this way, Middle-earth feels both foreign to us and just like returning home. By creating volumes of history, languages, and characters, Tolkien shaped an enchanted world soaked in both transcendence and meaning. Every sword, rock, and tree has a history and has a part to play in the grand story of Middle-earth. Tolkien’s world makes us reconsider the enchanted world we live in as he appeals to our God-given desire for meaning.

A Cosmic War

Tolkien is sometimes critiqued for the simplicity of good and evil in his stories. The bad guys are bad and the good guys are good. Yet, the moral clarity of his story reflects Tolkien’s Christian belief in a universal morality. In The Lord of the Rings, the cosmic war between good and evil colors everything. Frodo’s quest occurs in a time of increasing darkness, societal decay, and deepening despair. For us who live in the twilight of the West, it all sounds too familiar. Today, just like in Middle-earth, evil may appear undefeatable. How then should we live?

Through the examples of different characters, Tolkien warns us which ways we must not go. Because King Théoden believed the lies of the enemy, he couldn’t tell what time it was. He thought his enemies were really his friends, and treated his friends as his enemies. By ignoring the clear threat to his people, Théoden initially helped the enemy. Saruman, who was sent to Middle-earth to defeat the enemy, betrays the cause of righteousness to seek his own power. Denethor, the one in charge of the first lines of defense, beholds the power of the enemy and is consumed with despair and gives up. Through ignorance, betrayal, and despair, each of these parties advances the cause of evil. Evangelicals would be wise to learn from the mistakes of these characters.

There are also positive examples in Middle-earth. Ultimately, Tolkien’s story is a call to courage and hope in the face of evil. He reminds us that there are things in life worth fighting for. What are we to do in the face of a growing menace? Gandalf pictures endurance in the face of both betrayal and personal attacks. He is often dismissed by the very people he seeks to help as a “disturber of the peace,” “Stormcrow,” or a “herald of woe.” In the face of a growing evil and such personal losses, Gandalf never loses hope and inspires others to resist the enemy. Aragorn radiates a courage that emboldens others at both Helm’s Deep and the Paths of the Dead. It is the strength of his resolve that unites and inspires others. Frodo’s willingness to sacrifice everything for the good of others mirrors the gospel’s call for us to lay down our lives as Christ did. Finally, Sam’s loyalty and service teach us that even seemingly small acts of bravery in defiance of evil can change the world. One does not need to be a “big name” with lots of recognition to strike a major blow against the enemy. These characters, and many more, are positive examples for us to emulate. They remind us that evil is never as strong as it appears, and it is always sowing the seeds of its own destruction.^[8]

8. Tolkien, Letters, 76.

Conclusion: There and Back Again

Tolkien reminds us that evil is not the only force at work in this world. Through the story of Middle-earth, he invites us to see the sovereign hand of God as he orchestrates the final defeat of evil. The story of The Lord of the Rings directs us outside of ourselves toward the transcendent God. It teaches us that humanity needs a savior, that this world has meaning, and that we must oppose evil with both courage and hope. God has appointed our time, location, and the challenges we face. All we have to do is choose what we will do with the time given to us. Once we understand Middle-earth as Tolkien intended, not only are we changed, but we come to understand God’s world a little better.

For all who read this, please pray for the Southern Baptist Convention and its ongoing and increased fidelity to all of God’s Word.

Videos of Support

Background

• Mr. Smith Goes to the Convention By Megan Basham – How the Law Amendment began with a regular SBC Pastor, Mike Law, and an unresponsive Credentials Committee.
• Is the Slippery Slope Actually Slippery? Egalitarianism and the Open-and-Affirming Position By Colin Smothers – How accepting female pastors theologically paves the way for LGBTQ+ acceptance, documented by LGBTQ+ writers themselves.
• How Many Female Pastors are in the SBC? By Kevin McClure – Approximately 1,844 female pastors serving in 1,225 SBC churches show why the Law Amendment is necessary to pass.
• The SBC Credentials Committee Does Not Recommend Removal of Church that Affirms Female Senior Pastors By Denny Burk – Proof that the SBC Credentials Committee has failed to act for years on a full-blown egalitarian Church.

Arguments in Favor

• Stand Where the World Stands Against Us By Jonathan Leeman and Juan Sanchez – In our cultural moment, a confused and increasing trans-gender world needs to know the truth of God’s beautiful design for men and women.
• Three Reasons to Pass the Law Amendment By Heath Lambert – Pass the Law Amendment to avoid confusion, embrace conviction, and bring closure to this debated issue.
• A Personal Appeal to SBC Messengers on the Law Amendment By Mike Law – A call to adopt the Amendment for the sake of the SBC’s fidelity, clarity, and unity.
• An Exegetical and Theological Case For Male-Only Pastors by Michael Clary – From Eden until today, God’s created order for men and women remains the same.
• In Support of the Law Amendment: A Call to Confessional Fidelity by Blake White – The issues comes down to what the Bible says, what the Baptist Faith and Message says, what Baptist history says, and what a compromise here will mean for the future generation.
• Passing the Law Amendment: A Defining Moment for the SBC by Michael Crosswhite – why do the opponents of the Law Amendment often begin their arguments touting their complementarian convictions only to say that they oppose the very Amendment that upholds their convictions? Something is wrong.

Addressing Arguments Against

• A Taxonomy of Bad Arguments Against the Law-Sanchez Amendment By Jason Gray – Addressing ad hominems, red herrings, emotional appeals, and irrelevant argument.
• Complementarian Confessional Conflagration by Denny Burk – At the end of the day, at least some people oppose the Law Amendment because they are willing to cooperate in the SBC with churches that have female pastors. This article addresses five such arguments.
• Curious Objections to the Law Amendment by Mark Coppenger – Responding to twelve strange arguments made against the Law Amendment.

Additional Factors Affecting the Amendment

• The SBC Isn’t Drifting, It’s Being Steered: A Sober-Minded Response to Emotional Sabotage by Michael Carlino – Emotional sabotage has steered and shaped many of the major decisions of the Southern Baptist Convention from the early 2020s to the present. How? Keep reading.
• The Perils of Procrustean Triage: Redefining the Debate on Women’s Ordination by David Attebury – Female pastors are often called a “secondary issue,” but are there some secondary issues that dig away at first-tier issues?
• “The Power And Duty of An Association”: Have Baptist Associations Historically Disfellowshipped Disorderly Churches? By Caleb Morell – Some have claimed that the Law Amendment will infringe on local church autonomy. But what have Baptist associations historically done when a local church has gone off the rails?

2024 SBC Amendment Guide

Even for those who believed and confessed Jesus, his actions and teaching often seemed less than messianic. For instance, John the Baptist, after hearing reports about Jesus’s ministry and message had doubts and sent two of his disciples to ask Jesus if he was the Messiah or if they should “expect someone else” (Luke 7:19). Jesus goes to his hometown and faces widespread unbelief and rejection (Mark 6:1-6). Peter believes and confesses that Jesus is the Messiah (Mark 8:29), but moments later, hearing Jesus’s version of what it means for him to be the Messiah—suffering and the cross—Peter takes him aside to correct what he thinks is obviously a bad idea (8:32). As an aside, anyone who thinks he would have reacted differently than Peter at that time is deeply mistaken.

Approaching the Cross in Mark’s Gospel

The “Triumphal Entry” into Jerusalem, particularly in Mark, displays Jesus as the unexpected, expected Messiah. Jesus rides in on a donkey to the sound Psalm 118: “Hosanna (‘save’), blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” (Mark 11:9; Ps. 118:25). In addition, the people shout: “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” (Mark 11:10). The messianic overtones are unmistakable.

The preceding scene in Jericho sets the scene for Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem. The blind man Bartimaeus hears that Jesus is passing by and calls out: “Jesus son of David, have mercy on me!” (Mark 10:46). When the people around Bartimaeus try to shut him up, he shouts even louder: “Son of David have mercy on me!” (10:47) and, because he believed, Jesus healed him. We don’t know what Bartimaeus was thinking, or what he knew about the messianic buzz surrounding Jesus, or whether he was willing to say anything out of desperation to be healed, but none of that matters. What matters is that Mark, building up to Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem, narrates the event in messianic terms.

The crowd, including Bartimaeus (Mark 10:52), follows Jesus, the Son of David, to Jerusalem. Whatever they thought in detail, this event is the bookend to Jesus’s first entrance in Mark: “After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. ‘The time has come,’ he said. ‘The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!’” (Mark 1:14-15)

Now, at the climactic moment of Christ’s approach to Jerusalem, Mark is again building anticipation. Before going into the city, Jesus arranges his transportation. He sends the disciples ahead to get a donkey.^[1] Mark is not interested in telling his readers whether Jesus knew the owner, but only that, if asked, the disciples are to simply say: “The Lord needs it” (Mark 11:3). By doing so, Jesus asserts his authority and connects the event to Zechariah. The connection is, however, more subtle than either Matthew 21:1–9 or John 12:12-15 make it.

1. The word in Greek can refer to either a donkey or a small horse (“colt” NIV ), but a donkey is probably more likely.

Though Psalm 118 is explicit, Mark (like Luke) implies the fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9: “Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Zechariah goes on to prophesy the Lord coming as a warrior-king to initiate and complete the total defeat of Judah’s and Ephraim’s enemies and establish his kingdom (Zech. 9:10–10:12).

Readers of Mark, however, should be cautious about interpreting this text based on “echoes” of Zechariah. That is, reading the larger context of Zechariah 9:9 (which is not quoted to begin with) into Mark’s narrative. Identifying Old Testament echoes and allusions is a valid pursuit, but only when the text at hand directs us to do so.

In this instance, Zechariah 9:9 provides an implied backdrop with Psalm 118 in the foreground. Jesus comes into Jerusalem but not exactly according to expectations. It is true that Jesus will win the decisive victory prophesied by Zechariah, but as he enters the city on a donkey, no one expects the form the triumph will take on Friday afternoon.

The crowd that followed Jesus into Jerusalem were undoubtedly sincere. They had no idea, though, that they were escorting him to his death. We don’t know whether any of these people were standing outside Pilate’s court, but the next time we hear from the crowds they scream “Crucify him!” when given a choice between Jesus and a convicted murderer (Mark 15:12–14).

Seeing Triumph in an Empty Tomb

In Mark, Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem isn’t near as “triumphant” as in the other three Gospels. That’s not to say that Mark is ambiguous, much less asserting some notion of a “messianic secret,” but that he chose to include Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem in a way that fits his narrative. Consider how the entry comes to such an abrupt end. The excitement surrounding Jesus fades as quickly as it began. Jesus enters the city late in the day, goes to look at the Temple, looks around and goes back to Bethany (Mark 15:11). Jesus enters Jerusalem as abruptly as he entered Galilee at the beginning. As at the beginning, Jesus will proceed to bring his kingdom in his own way. As for triumph, that is just a couple days away.

The end point of the journey is the Temple—the main arena in which chapters 11–13 take place. Over the course of a couple days, Jesus will clearly exert his authority over the Temple, the practices surrounding it, those in charge of it, and all the religious elite in Jerusalem. Jesus doesn’t come to take his place in it or even in the city, but to condemn and judge it. That Jesus didn’t live up to expectations is most clearly seen in how the Pharisees, the scribes, and the Sadducees reject him.

Most of the elites rejected Jesus outright and began hatching plans to kill him from the early days of his ministry (Mark 3:6). What Jesus has to say about them, the temple, and himself will be the last straw. Finally, with the help of one of Jesus’s closest companions (Judas Iscariot), the support of the mob, and a self-serving Roman governor and his brutal soldiers, they will succeed.

Who would have expected that? Expecting a Messiah? Yes. Expecting a Messiah revealed in suffering and the cross? Impossible. Consider their final words to Jesus as he hangs dying on the cross: “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” (Mark 14:31­–32).

The triumph in Mark isn’t an entry but an exit. That is, the triumph of an empty tomb (16:4–8). Yet, even with the teaching meant to prepare his followers for this moment (Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:33-34), Jesus’s resurrection far exceeded their expectations. What made it so was not that they had no concept of a resurrection. They did. They did not, however, expect a resurrection of one person, much less the long-expected Messiah. It was Jesus’s suffering and death that made them slow to accept his resurrection.

It is true that many expectations were misplaced and simply wrong, but it’s not so much that Jesus didn’t fulfill expectations—he exceeded them all but in the most unexpected ways.

1. Special thanks to Ardel Caneday and Bill Kron for reviewing this article and providing insightful feedback.

2. Francis Schaeffer, He is There and He is Not Silent (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House, 1972), 3-4.

A recent study found that only 37% of pastors have a biblical worldview. That’s like discovering only 37% of American History teachers know who George Washington was! Such ignorance casts doubt on the qualifications of many pastors. This revelation should shock and humble evangelicals, but all we seem to manage is an apathetic yawn.

The truth is, many seminaries treat worldview as an elective. We have required courses on theology, Old and New Testament, pastoral ministry, Greek, and Hebrew, but not worldview. Sure, you can sign up for an elective or two on the subject, and some professors might dabble with Weltanschauung (Worldview), yet too many pastors make it through seminary without ever applying their theology to a world-and-life view. The anemic worldview thinking found in our pulpits cripples those in our pews.

Worldview can be a slippery term. For some, it conjures up thoughts of apologetics or philosophy. While these fall under the idea of worldview, what I mean is far more expansive. Worldview, or world-and-life view, means seeing and living in a holistically Christian way. It is taking every thought captive to Christ and then offering our entire lives as a living sacrifice to God (2 Cor. 10:2; Rom. 12:1-2).

Schaeffer summarized it well: “Biblical Christianity is Truth concerning total reality—and the intellectual holding of that total Truth and then living in the light of that Truth.”^[3] Contrary to this, American Christians sometimes partition off their faith from parts of life and end up thinking in bits and pieces instead of totals.^[4] Disjointed thinking leads to disjointed living.

3. Cited in Nancy Pearcey, Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from Its Cultural Captivity (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2004), 15.

4. Francis Schaeffer, A Christian Manifesto (Westchester, IL: Crossway, 1981), 17.

Christians, from our pulpits to our pews, need to understand that worldview isn’t an elective. It is an essential part of the Christian life. Moreover, as this article demonstrates, it is indispensable to both the gospel and biblical theology. If we understand the Bible and the gospel correctly, it must change how we think and live.

The Gospel and Worldview

For decades, the broader American culture operated with a basic Christianized view of the world. There were many shared assumptions between believers and unbelievers based on our common Christian heritage. But today, we can’t agree with unbelievers on basic issues like truth, reality, or whether the genital mutilation of children is right or wrong. Times have changed because Christian and non-Christians no longer have a collective set of foundational beliefs. And beyond this, Christians themselves struggle to articulate their own foundational beliefs. Our preaching and teaching must fill in these gaps to disciple our people in a gospel worldview.

To declare the gospel effectively, we must recognize that it both assumes and produces a worldview. To understand the gospel, people must first comprehend a whole set of categories and concepts: Who God is as God, who they are as humans, what’s wrong with the world, and so on. In many ways, our age is like the pre-Christian or pagan world the church was born into. Thus, part of our evangelism includes laying the building blocks necessary for people to understand the good news.

Paul, when he preached the gospel to Jews, began with Scripture (Acts 17:1–2). He could do this because the necessary worldview was already in place. But Paul changed tactics in Athens. He confronted the pagan worldview and framed his presentation to the men of Athens with a basic Christian understanding of the world. He started with God as the Creator (Acts 17:24), God’s independence (Acts 17:25), the identity of humanity (Acts 17:26, 28–29), and the certainty of coming judgment (Acts 17:31). Only after laying the foundation did Paul introduce the work of Christ (17:31b). You cannot understand the death and resurrection of Christ if you do not understand God, creation, and who man is. The gospel assumes the biblical view of reality and obligates hearers to embrace that true reality. And when people finally accept the gospel, they begin to view the world in a new way.

The gospel produces a worldview. To be Christ-centered must be more than a tagline for pastors. It is a call to see all of life in light of the work and lordship of Christ (2 Cor. 10:5). Christ’s work is more, though never less, than saving sinners. Christ died for sinners because it is man’s sin that brought the curse upon creation. Everything in the created order longs to be liberated from sin (Rom. 8:21–23). Therefore, the gospel message applies to all of reality.

For example, in Colossians 1:15–20 we find an early Christian summary of the gospel. These verses assert the cosmic scope of Christ’s work: he created all things, he holds all things together, everything exists for him, and he is reconciling it all by the blood of his cross. The gospel must change how we view everything because Christ presides over everything.

To know and proclaim the gospel message is to know and proclaim the Christ who has all authority in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28:18). In this way, the gospel produces a comprehensive view of reality with Christ as the head of all things (Eph. 1:20–22). To be Christ-centered cannot be less than seeing everything as under Christ’s feet (Heb. 2:8–9). The gospel is a worldview that asserts Christ’s universal reign as the world’s creator, sustainer, meaning, and savior.

If we hope to effectively preach the gospel in our day, then we must recapture its totalizing worldview. The gospel assumes and produces a worldview that leaves no corner of life untouched by the authority and redemptive power of Jesus Christ.

Worldview Is Indispensable for Biblical and Systematic Theology

In recent years, there has been a resurgent interest in biblical theology, understanding the storyline of Scripture and how it works itself out across the covenants. By reemphasizing the unfolding drama of Scripture, Christians see the big picture of God’s plan of redemption as centered on Christ. Biblical theology often summarizes the storyline of Scripture as creation, fall, redemption, and consummation. By seeing Christ on every page of Scripture, the church glories all the more in his work. Biblical theology is fundamental to a right understanding of God’s Word, but Christians must not stop there.

The storyline of creation, fall, redemption, and consummation is more than the movements of Scripture—it tells the story of the entire universe. It’s not just about God’s Word; it’s about God’s world. It is your story and mine. For those trained in theology, it feels comfortably familiar to stay in the safety of sanitized theological discussion and thus fail to take the necessary step into the rest of life. But biblical theology is not just about recovering the storyline of the Bible. Biblical theology offers the framework to understand all of life. For example, the goodness of creation establishes the norms for morality (i.e., sexuality, life, property), and the fall reminds us that we live primarily in a moral universe, not a therapeutic one. Our primary problem is moral, not how we feel. The work of Christ in salvation brings everything under his redemptive reign and trains us to look forward to his triumphant return. All of life post-fall must be seen in light of creation, fall, redemption, and consummation.

These are not just biblical truths; they are the truths of reality. It is easy to keep such things intellectual or within the cage of spiritual or immaterial realities, but to do so neuters their power and importance. This world is created, it is fallen, it is being redeemed, and the new creation will come with the shout of command from Christ. A proper biblical theology keeps us from narrowing in on one part of the story to the exclusion of the others. It also instructs us how to rightly live in this world.

In the same way, systematic theology is inseparable from worldview. One example of how this relationship plays out is in the doctrine of the Trinity. This doctrine reveals God’s nature and is then reflected in his creation (Ps. 19:1-3). The triune nature of God provides the foundation for the unity and diversity we find within our world. Robert Letham asserts, “We need to recapture and refashion a Trinitarian view of creation . . . that expressly and explicitly accounts for both the order and coherence of the universe and the distinctiveness of its parts.”^[5]

5. Robert Letham, The Holy Trinity: In Scripture, History, Theology, and Worship (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R, 2019), xxxvi.

Conversely, if the universe is the result of an exploding singularity, then everything is ultimately one. Diversity is a mere illusion. Such an impoverished worldview destroys the distinctions we find in creation, including the differences between male and female. If everything is only an inherent oneness, then the particularities we observe are merely the result of our own cultural whims. Yet, if the universe comes from the three-in-one God, then there is a proper foundation for both unity and diversity.

Consider also Calvinism. The beating heart of Calvinism is the sovereignty of God over creation, mankind, salvation, history, etc. God reigns over everything. Despite this, some Calvinists will assert God’s sovereign authority over only parts of life—salvation, church, and the family. Yet, the Bible asserts Christ’s sovereignty over everything visible and invisible (Col. 1:15–20). Christ reigns over it all. The sovereignty of God cannot be reduced to soteriology. That God is sovereign over the minutest detail of his universe must shape how we think and live throughout all aspects of human existence.

For example, God’s comprehensive sovereignty is at the heart of a right understanding of human authority. What gives someone the right to have authority over others? Or, what limits earthly authorities? If there is no God, then “might makes right.” The strong will rule and do whatever they desire. But, if there is a sovereign God who is the head over all authority, then he delegates authority to various created structures. Such divine delegation brings legitimacy to authority in the home, church, and state and also establishes their limits. The husband, pastor, and magistrate are nothing less than servants of God (Rom 13:4). These servants possess their authority only because it is given to them by their master. The Calvinist view of God’s sovereignty shaped Western views of human rights, common law, and limited government.^[6] Despite these inescapable implications from systematic theology, many preachers and teachers prefer the safety of ivory towers that ignore actively building a Christian world-and-life view. In all our theologizing, we must not forget the truth of Herman Bavinck’s words: “Christianity is the only religion whose view of the world and life fits the world and life.”^[7]

6. Abraham Kuyper, “Calvinism: Source and Stronghold of Our Constitutional Liberties,” in Abraham Kuyper: A Centennial Reader, ed. James D. Bratt (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans: 1998), 279–322.

7. Herman Bavinck, Christian Worldview (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2019), 28.

When pastors and teachers treat worldview as an elective, they remove the teeth of the Christian faith. Systematic theology is not about building the best system, but it is about informing life and conduct to the glory of God. Biblical theology is not only about tracing the storyline of Scripture but about understanding the entire cosmos in light of its Creator and Savior. Without worldview thinking, both systematic and biblical theology remain incomplete and are reduced to mere intellectual exercises. Worldview is not an elective but a necessary entailment of all theologizing as the necessary application of God’s truth to all of life.

Conclusion

Christians must see that worldview thinking, teaching, and preaching is not an elective to be left to those who are interested in it. It is the necessary foundation for the gospel and the necessary byproduct of accepting the gospel. As society teeters on the brink of insanity, many are searching for real answers. They feel the need for a unified world-and-life view.

Many fellow Baptists are perplexed by the rise of postmillennialism and what seems to be a constant stream of Baptists becoming Presbyterians. Some respond to this by leaning even more into a hyper-spiritualized version of Christianity that downplays entire parts of life, but such a response will only push more toward those offering answers to today’s problems.

A Christianity that majors on biblical and systematic theology but never applies it to the world fits all too comfortably in the secularist cage. Such theologizing may appeal to theological nerds, but it demonstrates a cold indifference to the problems our people face.

The call for the pastor and the congregant is the same—see the world from the totalizing worldview of Scripture. Understand every square inch of this universe as belonging to Christ as its Creator and Savior. It’s not enough to be Christ-centered in our theology. We must be Christ-centered in all of life. This is his world, and we’re just living in it.