— “‘Analogia’ and Paul the Wordsmith”: “Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?” – Romans 3:3 Geneva Bible – by Christian Observer Contributing Editor David Brand – Part 17 in a continuing series examining the effects upon the church of the change in meaning of the Greek word pistis from faith to faithfulness by the English Revised Version Committee that began meeting in February 1870;

— The Devolution of Evolution in Education – by Christian Observer Contributing Editor Dr. Joe Renfro – How the Progressive influence in public education has subtracted Judeo-Christian values and multiplied secular, evolutionary values, resulting in a mixture of everything that ultimately adds up to nothing;

Plus, regular features including weekly Sabbath School Lessons by Christian Observer Assistant Editor Dr. Robert LaMay, and Daily Devotionals by T.M. Moore, Christian Observer Contributing Editor, dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum, and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe.

+ Christian Observer, Post Office Box 1371, Lexington, Virginia 20110, christianobserver@christianobserver.org

[2] Dr. N. Bradley Christie Named Acting President of Erskine College and Theological Seminary

The Erskine College and Theological Seminary Board of Trustees announced 1 July 2013 that Dr. N. Bradley Christie will serve as acting president effective 1 July 2013, until an interim or permanent president is appointed by the Board.

Christie currently serves as senior vice president for academic affairs and has fulfilled various roles in his twenty-two years at Erskine, including professor of English and vice president and dean of the College. He earned his Ph.D. in English at Duke University in 1988 and also earned the M.Div. degree from Erskine Theological Seminary in 1999.

+ Erskine College and Theological Seminary, 2 Washington Street, Due West, South Carolina 29639, 864-379-2131, 864-379-2167, nbc@erskine.edu

+ Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, 1 Cleveland Street Suite 110, Greenville, South Carolina, 29601, 864-232-8297, Fax: 864-271-3729

[3] Dr. Stephen J. Nichols Named Ligonier Ministries Teaching Fellow

Ligonier Ministries announced 27 June 2013 that Dr. Stephen J. Nichols has been named a Teaching Fellow of the ministry, joining Drs. Robert Godfrey, Sinclair Ferguson, Steven Lawson, and R.C. Sproul Jr.

Currently, Dr. Nichols is research professor of Christianity and culture at Lancaster Bible College and Graduate School in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where he has taught since 1997. He is also a visiting professor for Reformation Bible College and has served as a lecturer in church history for Westminster Theological Seminary since 2004. From 1996–1997, he served on the faculty of the Philadelphia College of Bible. Dr. Nichols earned his Ph.D. from Westminster Theological Seminary in the year 2000. Prior to that, he earned masters degrees from both West Chester University and Westminster Theological Seminary. His bachelor’s degree is from the Philadelphia College of Bible. In addition to his time spent writing and teaching, Dr. Nichols chairs the Jonathan Edwards Study Group for the Evangelical Theological Society.

+ Ligonier Ministries, 400 Technology Park, Lake Mary, Florida 32746, 407-333-4244, Fax: 407-333-4233

[4] Evangelical Leader First to Speak to National Media on Same-Sex Marriage Rulings

The Reverend Rob Schenck (pronounced “Shank”), chairman of the Evangelical Church Alliance and president of Faith and Action in Washington, DC, was present 26 June 2013 in the courtroom at the U.S. Supreme Court and was the first to address the national media outside immediately following decisions on two cases on same-sex marriage. The following is his opening statement:

“I am Rev. Rob Schenck, president of Faith and Action here in Washington, DC and chairman of the Evangelical Church Alliance headquartered in Bradley, IL.

“No matter how any of us feel about the outcomes in these cases, one thing is true: the Supreme Court has no authority when it comes to the nature of marriage; that authority belongs to the Creator, whom our founders declared is the source of all our rights. The public conversation over marriage continues and that’s a good thing.

“When it comes to the Defense of Marriage Act, there are a myriad of perspectives among evangelicals, but some believe it’s best to get the federal government out of as many areas as possible, including marriage. So there are those of us who are disappointed with the Court’s action on DOMA, while others who say, Yay! Another tooth has been extracted from the federal monster!

“The question of whether the people will get to decide for themselves how marriage will be practiced in their states appears to await another day, and that’s a good question to pursue. We’re disappointed in the short-term that the question remains unsettled, but the public conversation continues and that’s a good thing.

“One thing true about today’s court decisions on marriage: They do not change the biblical or timeless nature of true marriage as between a man and a woman. But just as importantly, for Christians of traditional faith, like the evangelicals for whom I speak, today’s decisions are an invitation to look at the reality of same-sex couples and families differently — through the lens of God’s love and to seek to minister, with grace and mercy, to all people. The Gospel is open to all regardless of their sexual orientation or the configuration of their families. This is a challenge our folks need to meet, and in prayer and with God’s wisdom, I know we’ll meet it.”

+ Faith and Action in the Nation’s Capital, 109 Second Avenue Northeast, Washington DC 20002, 202-546-8329, Fax: 202-546-6864, Info@FaithAndAction.org

+ Evangelical Church Alliance International, 205 West Broadway Street, Bradley, Illinois 60915, 815-937-0720, Fax: 815-937-0001,

info@ecainternational.org

[5] Americans for Truth about Homosexuality President Peter LaBarbera Slams ‘Craven’ Justice Anthony Kennedy for Striking Down DOMA Provision ‘In the Name of Children’

The following statement was issued 27 June 2013 by Peter LaBarbera, president of Americans For Truth About Homosexuality:

“Yesterday’s decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court striking down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and effectively invalidating Californians’ vote to preserve marriage as between a man and a woman — continues America’s godless trajectory toward sexual and gender chaos. We have become a Profane Nation at war with our own heritage and the Judeo-Christian moral values that helped make us great.

“Healthy societies discriminate against sexually immoral behavior: homosexuality, sex outside marriage, pornography, incest, etc. This benefits children and adults by using the law to reinforce stable moral boundaries and steer citizens away from destructive (sinful) behaviors. So it was stunning to read the majority decision by Justice Anthony Kennedy — a Reagan appointee — overturning DOMA’s pro-natural-marriage provision in the name of the children.

“Kennedy surely has earned his future laudatory obit in the New York Times for capitulating to “gay” activist ideology — but among clear-thinking Americans who still know right from wrong he will go down in history as one more craven elitist who sold out Almighty God for a place in the Gay Hall of Fame.

“Jettisoning the dictates of his own Catholic religion — which has some pretty strong words for putting children in homosexual-led households — Kennedy declares that by not recognizing legalized homosexual “marriages” in New York and other states, DOMA:

“… “places same-sex couples in an unstable position of being in a second-tier marriage. The differentiation demeans the couple, whose moral and sexual choices the Constitution protects….And it humiliates tens of thousands of children now being raised by same-sex couples.”

“What philosophical drivel. Only a decadent society — in which God and common sense have been kicked to the curb — would use its laws to enforce the egalitarian nightmare whereby government treats households that are fatherless or motherless ‘by design’ as if they are morally and practically equivalent to normal mom-and-dad homes. (And if you dare to disagree, you’re a hateful bigot.)

“Homosexual practice is a perversion and homosexual role models are NOT healthy for kids. Neither is replacing dad with a “second mom,” or mommy with Daddy Number Two.

“The Kennedy majority’s legal insanity is what emerges from an Isaiah 5:20 culture (evil is good and good evil) that puts deviant sexual identities on a pedestal, to be celebrated as protected “civil rights.” The LGBT Pandora’s Box has been flung open, and there will be much more folly and destruction to follow — including the public policy madness of establishing “gender identity” (read: extreme gender confusion) as a parallel “civil right.”

“At least the Supreme Court did not create a national “right” to homosexual “marriage.” But we must be vigilant, as future LGBT litigation, coupled with the appalling self-righteousness of Kennedy’s liberal court majority, will combine to make this the next goal of the judicial supremacists.”

+ Americans For Truth About Homosexuality, Post Office Box 5522, Naperville, Illinois, 60567, 630-546-4439, Contact Form

[6] Worldview Clash and the Repeal of DOMA

A 1 July 2013 post from The Chief End of Man blog by Dr. Don Sweeting:

Last week [26 June 2013], the [U.S.] Supreme Court issued rulings that boosted the cause of same sex marriage by a 5-4 decision, and ruled that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was unconstitutional.

This is a major decision that will have long term impact. The court accelerated the advance of gay marriage in the US, and decided that defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman is unconstitutional.

No Christian should be unaware of this decision or its implications.

But rather than read articles about the Supreme Court ruling, I read the entire seventy-six page decision myself. I slogged through all seventy-six pages of the complete decision—majority and dissent, in order to get a firsthand, undistorted sense of what each side was arguing. Let me summarize what I found—the majority supporting gay marriage, and the dissent opposing it. As you read, see if you can discern the worldview clash taking place among the justices and the two conflicting visions on the court.

First, for the majority who favored gay marriage, equality and freedom are the ultimate values. They view DOMA as unconstitutional for depriving liberty and writing inequality into the law. For the dissent, on the other hand, tradition and Christian morality have greater weight than freedom and equality. It’s not that freedom and equality don’t matter. But they are valued within the wider framework of a traditional moral order.

Second, the majority argued that the constitution guarantees equality but has no bias on marriage. The dissent, on the other hand, argued that the Constitution’s silence on marriage should not be taken as indifference. They do not believe the right to same sex marriage is deeply rooted in our nation’s history or tradition. In fact, they argued that no country has allowed same sex couples to marry until the Netherlands did so in 2000.

Third, the majority said DOMA denies rights and privileges to hundreds of thousands. Whereas the dissent loudly argued that enshrining gay marriage as a civil right will discriminate against all those who hold to a traditional view of marriage.

Fourth, the majority emphasized that perspectives on marriage have evolved. They spoke of new insights which “enlarge the definition of marriage.” The dissent, on the other hand, underscored that marriage and family is an ancient universal human institution. Justice Roberts said that DOMA defends a definition of marriage which has been adopted by every state in our nation and every nation in the world for virtually all of human history. They added that we do not know the long term consequences of this radical new experiment in marriage and family.

Fifth, the majority argued that homosexuality and homosexual marriage is as acceptable as heterosexuality and heterosexual marriage, implying that Judeo- Christian morality is wrong. The dissent repeatedly differed with the majority on this.

Sixth, the majority opinion said that DOMA was primarily motivated by a “bare desire to harm.” DOMA’s supporters, they said, demean, injure, humiliate and degrade a class of persons. In other words, the traditional view promotes hateful bigotry. The dissent, however, countered that DOMA was written primarily to defend a view of marriage which sees it as highly beneficial to society. Justice protested that DOMA’S supporters are now being cast as “hateful of the human race.”

Seventh, the majority opinion said the federal government has no legitimate interest in marriage and family, and said that this is primarily a matter for states and not the federal government to decide. The dissenting justices did not buy this. They said that government does have a legitimate interest in marriage and family for the well-being of society. Furthermore, they argued the majority was posturing with its “states rights” justification. Behind their rhetoric is a cloaked federalism, driven by judicial overreach.

Finally, according to the majority opinion, this is a singular ruling that stands on its own. Whereas the dissent said that no one should be fooled. It is only a matter of time before the other shoe drops and this opinion becomes enshrined in constitutional law, and that anyone who opposes same sex marriage will be seen as an enemy of human decency. This ruling, said the dissent, will be used to claim that the traditional definition of marriage has the purpose and effect to disparage and injure the person and dignity of same sex couples.

I would not review a Supreme Court case like this if I did not think that it will have immense consequences. And while the judicial process has not yet fully run its course on this issue, (the legal battle moves to the states), I think it is heading in the wrong direction. I think the court got this wrong, because ultimately marriage is defined by God’s law.

This decision is symptomatic of a disordered liberty, and another indication of how lost our Western world is becoming. But having said this, I am not hopeless. Nor should you be. Truth is truth. God’s moral law and order stand. There is an ordered liberty which is good. And Jesus Christ still sets people free!

But the outcome of this ruling will not lead to true freedom, or human flourishing.

Dr. Don Sweeting is the president of the Orlando campus of Reformed Theological Seminary and the James Woodrow Hassell professor of church history. RTS was founded in 1966 and is one of the largest seminaries in the country with campuses in Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Jackson, Memphis, Orlando and Washington D.C., in addition to RTS Global Education (US & International) that offers online degrees and classes.

+ The Chief End of Man Blog

+ Reformed Theological Seminary Orlando, 1231 Reformation Drive, Oviedo, Florida 32765, 407-366-9493, Fax: 407-366-9425

[7] Enemies of the Human Race: When Western Civilization Goes Backwards

A 2 July 2013 post from The Chief End of Man blog by Dr. Don Sweeting:

In the [26 July 2013 U.S.] Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage reversing the Defense of Marriage Act [DOMA], dissenting judge Antonin Scalia offered the longest opinion as to why this was a misguided and ominous ruling.

Some on the left have tried to present Scalia as a nut case. They talk of his “intemperate dissent.” It was passionate, I’ll grant you that—all twenty-six pages of it.

He criticizes the verdict as judicial overreach. But most interesting is his statement that Justice Kennedy and his colleagues in the majority have essentially resorted to calling opponents of gay marriage (i.e. those who defend traditional marriage) “enemies of the human race.” Scalia does so on the grounds that the ruling itself uses intemperate language, saying those who support DOMA and traditional marriage “disparage,” “injure,” “degrade,” “demean,” those who are homosexual. “All that,” wrote Scalia, “simply for supporting an Act that did no more than codify an aspect of marriage that had been unquestioned in our society for most of its existence—indeed, had been unquestioned in virtually all societies for virtually all of human history.”

Scalia’s statements are striking and not overstated. Because since 2010 the Department of Justice (DOJ) has argued that acting to protect traditional morality shows hostility to gays and lesbians as a class. In other words, to the DOJ, and now to the Supreme Court, traditional notions of morality are themselves hostile. So, by implication, Christian morality is not just discriminatory, it is hostile.

Most people do not seem to realize where this little phrase “enemies of the human race” comes from. It was used by Tacitus, the first century historian of the Roman Empire. It was used to describe the Neronian persecution against early Christians. Nero accused, arrested and tortured many. He used them as scapegoats for his own troubles. One of his accusations was that Christians hate the human race. Tacitus goes on to say that as a result—Nero mocked them, covered them with skins of beasts, had them torn apart by dogs, nailed to crosses, or tied to posts and burnt as living torches for a spectacle in his garden parties.

All this because Christians believed in Christ crucified and did not find the self-indulgent life style of many Romans acceptable (including the homosexual life style).

The use of this phrase “enemies of the human” race by Justice Scalia serves as a warning for what may be ahead. Not that Washington is about to burn Christians. But some are putting us in the same category as anti-Semites and the KKK because of our objection to gay marriage.

Scalia’s words are a warning that a season of church-state conflict lies ahead—that litigators will start suing groups that are “discriminatory,” and that there will be more ostracism of Christians in public leadership. He also said that the ruling is a sign that the majority on the Supreme Court is now ready to declare gay marriage a constitutional right.

What is particularly striking about the timing of this ruling is that it takes place on the 1700th anniversary of Emperor Constantine’s Edict of Milan (313 A.D.). That famous edict reversed a 200 year old policy of the Roman Empire against Christians which led to discrimination and persecution. The Edict of Milan decreed that freedom of religion is inherent to each human person. It announced that “all who choose a religion are to be permitted to continue therein, without any hindrance, and are not to be in anyway troubled or molested.”

The Western world is not interested in celebrating Milan. Instead it is going backwards. It is embarrassed by Christianity. It refuses to even recognize the contribution Christianity made in shaping our culture. It casually defies the laws of God. It reduces the freedom of religion. And it forgets that all civilizations rise and fall and will be judged by the Supreme Judge of all the earth.

It was the early African Christian apologist Tertullian (160 c-225) who wrote to his pagan accusers, “You choose to call us enemies of the human race, rather than of human error.” But then he added, “to tell the truth, we are enemies, not of the human race, but of human error.”

In light of history, Scalia’s words were no rant, but an insightful observation of the immense clash of vision that this ruling represents. He is historically informed enough to know what has happened before and where we may be headed.

+ The Chief End of Man Blog

+ Reformed Theological Seminary Orlando, 1231 Reformation Drive, Oviedo, Florida 32765, 407-366-9493, Fax: 407-366-9425

[8] United Church of Christ Articles from the Past Week

— UCC Leaders Celebrate Marriage Equality’s Return to California

— UCCers in Cleveland Rally for Equality at City Hall

— UCC Leaders Celebrate Major Victory for Equality in Supreme Court Ruling

— United Church of Christ Officers Encourage Fossil Fuel Divestment

— UCC National Offices, Local Churches Sponsor Cleveland Pride 2013

— UCC Pastor Leads Prayers at Supreme Courthouse Moments before DOMA Decision

— UCC National Officers Overwhelmingly Re-Elected at General Synod

+ United Church of Christ, 700 Prospect Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115, 216-736-2100, ogm@ucc.org

[9] News from the Deepest Recesses of Hell

— Obama Tweets Support for Texas Lawmaker Filibustering Late-Term Abortion Ban

— U.K. May Approve Creating Babies with DNA from Three People

— Abortionist Killed Baby Born Alive After Abortion, Hid Evidence Cremating Body

— NAACP Attacks Arizona Bill Prohibiting Abortions Based on Race

+ LifeNews.com, Post Office Box 270841, Fort Collins, Colorado 80527, news@lifenews.com

+ Fox News, 1211 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10036, 888-369-4762, Fax: 212-462-6127, yourquestions@foxnews.com

+ LifeSiteNews.com, Incorporated, 4 Family Life Lane, Front Royal, Virginia 22630, 888-678-6008, Contact Page

[10] Headlines from Christian Concern

Headlines of the past week from Christian Concern:

— ‘Dr. Death’ Holds Suicide Seminar in London

— U.K. MPs Move to Ban Therapy for Unwanted Same Sex Attraction

— Scottish Civil Partnerships and Gay Marriage Bill Published

+ Christian Concern, 70 Wimpole Street, London W1G 8AX, England, 020 7935 1488, Contact Page

[11] Headlines from The Christian Institute

Headlines of the past week from The Christian Institute:

— Law to Allow Male ‘Wives’ and Female ‘Husbands’

— Sex Education at Preschool Will Cut Teen Pregnancies Say MSPs

— ‘Dr. Death’ Allowed into U.K. – Despite Call for a Ban

+ The Christian Institute, Wilberforce House, 4 Park Road, Gosforth Business Park, Newcastle upon Tyne NE12 8DG, England, 44-0-191-281-5664, Fax: 44-0-191-281-4272, info@christian.org.uk

[12] Articles from LifesiteNews.com

Articles from the past week from LifesiteNews.com:

— Six-Year-Old ‘Transgender’ Boy Must Be Allowed to Use Girls’ Bathroom: Colorado Officials

— Latin America Buckling Under Anti-Life, Anti-Family Imperialism of Obama Administration

— Ontario’s Gay Premier Will Be Province’s First Head of Government to Join Gay Pride Parade

— U.S. Supreme Court Paves the Way for Homosexual ‘Marriages’ in California in Proposition 8 Decision

— U.S. Supreme Court Strikes Down Part of Defense of Marriage Act as ‘Unconstitutional’

— Police Used Systematic Violent Force against French Traditional Marriage Demonstrators: Report

— NARAL Receives the Only Exemption to New York Public Disclosure Law

— Pro-Family Leaders: Expect ‘Persecution from the Government’ over Gay ‘Marriage’

— After Granting Foreign Same-Sex ‘Marriage,’ Canadian Senate Now Approves Gay Divorce Bill

— Video: Kenyan Deputy President Strongly Rebuffs Obama on Gay ‘Marriage’: ‘We Believe in God’