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In episode 503 of The Reformed Brotherhood, Tony Arsenal and Jesse Schwamb conclude their deep dive into Luke 10:25–37 — the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Far from a simple morality tale about helping strangers, this episode unpacks the parable's confrontational legal context, its reversal of expectation, and its profound Christological undertones. Tony and Jesse examine why the lawyer's question about self-justification was always destined to be unanswerable on his own terms, how the priest and Levite serve as a damning mirror for religious professionals, and why the Samaritan's lavish, costly mercy points beyond mere ethics to the gospel itself. The episode also explores the Mary and Martha account that immediately follows, arguing it cannot be read in isolation. Closing with Matthew Henry, the hosts land the discussion squarely on gratitude for Christ, the supreme Good Neighbor. Key Takeaways The parable is fundamentally about self-justification, not mercy ministry. The lawyer's question — "Who is my neighbor?" — is a legal maneuver, and Jesus' answer exposes the impossibility of fulfilling the law through self-effort rather than merely defining the scope of neighborly obligation. Jesus reverses the expected identification of "the neighbor." The listener naturally assumes the beaten man is the neighbor to be loved, but the punchline identifies the Samaritan — the one who showed mercy — as the neighbor, redirecting the question from who must I love to what does love actually look like. The Samaritan's mercy is deliberately, impossibly lavish. His actions — binding wounds, providing transport, paying an open-ended debt for a stranger and likely an enemy — exceed anything a reasonable person would do, pointing to a mercy that transcends mere human virtue. The priest and Levite indict religious professionalism. Their failure is not incidental; it demonstrates that meticulous law observance and ceremonial religiosity can actually obstruct the very love the law commands, hollowing out its spirit while preserving its form. The parable functions under all three uses of the law. For the unregenerate, it terrifies and condemns. For the regenerate, it is a third-use call to Spirit-empowered, grateful obedience. As civil law, it commends a society of compassion over indifference. Christ is the typological Good Neighbor. The Samaritan's actions — pouring oil and wine, bearing the cost, promising to return and settle all debts — carry genuine Christological resonance without requiring a full allegorical reading of every detail. The immediately following Mary and Martha account is thematically inseparable. Luke's editorial placement of that narrative directly after the parable creates a deliberate counterpoint: the one thing necessary is not anxious service but sitting at the feet of Jesus. Key Concepts The Lawyer's Question Was Never Going to Work The lawyer who approaches Jesus in Luke 10 is not a neutral inquirer — he is, as Luke tells us, seeking to justify himself. Tony and Jesse explore what this means with precision: the desire to be justified is not inherently wrong, but the mechanism the lawyer employs — the law — is catastrophically insufficient for the task. When Jesus responds with the parable, he does not sidestep the legal framework; he weaponizes it. The Samaritan's mercy is so extravagant, so far beyond ordinary moral expectation, that it functions not as an achievable standard but as a devastating exposure of how far short every human attempt at law-keeping falls. The command "go and do likewise" is not an encouraging send-off — it is, for the self-justifying lawyer, a door slamming shut. The Samaritan's Mercy Is Intentionally Beyond Reach One of the most important contributions this episode makes is resisting the domestication of the Samaritan's actions into a feel-good story about helping those in need. Tony reframes the scenario in contemporary terms: finding a gravely injured stranger from a hostile ethnic group, providing emergency first aid, transporting them to care, and writing a blank check for all future medical expenses — with no personal obligation to do so. No reasonable person would do this, and that is exactly the point. The mercy described is not aspirationally difficult; it is humanly inconceivable at scale. This is what Christ-like love looks like, and it is precisely what the law demands. The gap between the demand and human capacity is the gospel's entry point. The Mary and Martha Account Cannot Be Separated from the Parable Tony raises a hermeneutical observation that deserves more attention than it typically receives: Luke chose to place the Mary and Martha account immediately after the Good Samaritan parable, and that editorial decision is not accidental. Martha — busy with hospitality and service — looks, on the surface, like the practical application of everything the Samaritan modeled. Yet she is gently rebuked, and Mary, who sits at Jesus' feet, is commended for choosing "the one thing necessary." This creates a stunning theological counterweight: the parable exposes the impossibility of self-justifying law-keeping, and the very next story shows that even well-intentioned merciful activity, when it crowds out receiving from Christ, misses the point. The one thing necessary is always Christ himself. Memorable Quotes If you think you're the good Samaritan, if you think you're the one that's gonna come and rescue people — you're much more likely to see this as a sort of law beat-down. Where those of us who are regenerated and in Christ, this is third-use law. This is us seeing what it means to be holy, and going and doing likewise, trying in our power, recognizing that we can't, and trusting the Lord to accept our feeble attempts. - Tony Arsenal This text is not really to be preached or applied as some kind of bare moral exhortation. It's not 'try harder to be like the Samaritan.' That's totally disconnected from the gospel. It should be preached in a manner that exposes the impossibility of self-justification... and then of course it does point us to Christ as the one whose perfect, costly, self-giving mercy alone satisfies the law's demand on our behalf. - Jesse Schwamb If this parable and our conversation about it does nothing except stirring you to gratitude for the fact that our supreme good neighbor threw us on his donkey and carried us to the public house, and bound up our wounds, and paid for our debt — if it does nothing but drive you to gratitude and thankfulness and wonder, then we've succeeded in our task and we've left you with the Gospel. - Tony Arsenal Full Transcript Jesse Schwamb: Welcome to episode 503 of the Reformed Brotherhood. I'm Jesse.  Tony Arsenal: And I'm Tony, and this is the podcast with ears to hear. Hey, brother.  Jesse Schwamb: Hey, brother. Well, at this point, there's one thing that we know for certain, and that is if you're gonna come at the law giver, the one who's composed and written the law, with a legal question to try to entrap the one who has given you the law, you better not miss. And it turns out, in Luke 10 where we've been hanging out, the lawyer who poses Jesus with the question of, "Who is my neighbor?" is a big swing and a miss. Yeah. And we're finally gonna get to all the characters that are part of this amazing parable in this conversation. But of course, there's something we gotta do first. Affirmations And Denials Jesse Schwamb: It, it's everybody's, what I'm led to believe everybody's favorite segment of this entire show. I mean, the crowds out there say, "Why even have a full podcast? Just do affirmations and denials for the entire time." And we, we hear you, because we're borrowing from that beautiful confessional format of the dead reformers to settle all the much not confessional [00:02:00] disputes. So in the great tradition of the Westminster Divines, who of course cannot just simply say, "We like grace," without also clarifying 17 things that grace is not- ... we're now again going to bring you our own binding, authoritative, and entirely unneeded but very official statement of affirmations and denials. It's affirming the things we love and denying things we don't. So Tony, as is our own custom, are you affirming with something or are you denying against something on this episode?  Tony Arsenal: Um, I'm denying something. Uh, it's a sort of a weird situation that has cropped up, uh, online. And I, I try not to use this segment too often to sort of wade into, um, I don't know, the, like, latest social controversy in the Reformed world. But every once in a while I come across something that I feel like you just need to sort of talk about. And, um, many of our listeners are probably already [00:03:00] aware of the situation that I'm gonna talk about, and it's very well-publicized and, and very public. Um, but I'm denying the sort of weirdness that has happened with the G3 Conference. Um, I'm not sure how familiar with G3 you are, Jesse, but for the, the listener who may not be, G3 is a conference, um, primarily run by Baptists, and is, in my understanding, is primarily attended by sort of Reformed-ish Baptists. And I don't, I don't say Reformed-ish to be pejorative necessarily. Um, but it, it's sort of like predominantly, um Non-confessional but not anti-confessional Calvinistic Baptists, sort of think more like covenant framework MacArthur-style Baptists maybe is, is a way to look at it. Um, and a few years ago, one of their main figures, I don't remember exactly what position he held, but it was a relatively high position in, in [00:04:00] the conference. Uh, his name was Josh Boyce. He, uh, w- was caught/confessed to maintaining, like, multiple anonymous or pseudonymous, uh, Twitter accounts and publishing several s- like pseudonym-based Substacks, um, that he used to basically attack the character of not only anyone online that seemed to cross him, but, like, people that he shared an office with. Like, anyone and everyone was targeted by him. And at the time it was a big hullabaloo. He, uh, he resigned. As far as I can tell, he's faded into obscurity and has not sought to come back, although that's always, you know, yet to be seen. But at the time there was very firm statements by the r- remaining sort of board members, leadership of G3, at how inappropriate this was, and how acting anonymously requi- you know, sort of evacuates accountability and, [00:05:00]and all these different things. And it's come out recently, um, just over the last week, that four of the members of the G3 board, um, who are all elders at the same church, had assembled a sort of anonymous dossier of accusations against, um, a- another pastor, uh, that he had been sort of serially plagiarizing sermons. Um, and when nothing really happened when they sent their anonymous dossier, they started distributing this to other, other, like, platforms and other church and m- parachurch ministries, kind of encouraging people to do their own investigation. Um, one such, uh, outlet was ... It's a, it's a, I don't know, sort of a news discernment blogger kind of a thing, um, has done some pretty decent reporting work I think in, in the recent past, although it has sort of a s- storied beginning, um, called Protestia They did just [00:06:00] that. They did an investigation, and in the course of their investigation, they identified who these anonymous, uh, the anonymous reporters were, and it was the same, the very same people who a few years ago, uh, pontificated, uh, at, at length about the importance of accountability and how anonymity has, uh, taken that away. Uh, people that accepted Josh Boyce's resi- resignation for acting anonymously have now done the same thing. They have since, uh, resigned from their church eldership, um, which is gonna be awkward because they haven't resigned from the board of G3, which, uh, the offices of G3 are in the same building as the church that they've now resigned at. Uh, and I guess where, where my denial comes in and the reason that I feel like it, it might be worthwhile for us just to Even reflect on it a little bit is there is an element in the Reformed world that seeks a platform and seeks an audience and seeks notoriety, and I, I was musing [00:07:00] today a little bit on my own Twitter that th- there was a time in my life where that was very much what I wanted. I wanted to be a, a very public, well-known theological voice, and, um, a- and I just have sort of like drifted away from that. And the, the reason I think it's worth mentioning on our show is that we do have an audience. We have a, a modest audience. It's not huge. It's not nothing. Um, but th- there is a real temptation to seek fame and notoriety that is absolutely destructive and really antithetical to, uh, to Christian principles of what it means to serve those around you, to serve with humility, to r- you know, redound any glory that might come to you for your actions to, to the fact that it is Christ who empowers all things and brings all good blessings. So I don't know that I have much more commentary on it. It's just a weird... It's a very weird situation, but it, it seems like it very much has come from a [00:08:00] place of feeling as though minor slights by people you associate with warrant sort of a, a nuclear option like this because, uh... and I don't wanna read too much into motives, but, but it seems like because your reputation and your notoriety is so great that any offense to it needs to be responded to in kind, and that's just not, that's just not the Christian way. So again, I don't know that I have any more commentary or thoughts on it. It just was a weird situation that I'm, I'm like, "Why do we gotta do this to each other, folks?" Like, why are we, why are we biting at each other all the time? Why are we doing these things except from a place of sinful pride? So I'm denying that. I'm denying sinful pride. I'm denying my own tendencies to seek glory in a spotlight. Um, I'm very thankful that God did not, uh, see fit to grant me that desire 'cause it probably would've been even more destructive for me than it has been for these guys. So I'm very happy to live in obscurity, [00:09:00] to serve the local church, to share our voices in this very modest, tiny platform that we have, and perhaps the Lord will see fit to change that one direction or the other, and I'll, I'll be happy to serve at His, uh, at His will. But I'm glad for now that, uh, the, the temptation of international fame has not been something that I even have the opportunity to lay hold of. Um, I'm very thankful for that, that, uh, grace from the Lord.  Jesse Schwamb: I had that light, sarcastic, some might say somewhat humorous opening and affirmations and denials, and you, you just brought the heaviness, which is okay. Sometimes that's, sometimes that's what happens.  Lament Devotional Spotlight Jesse Schwamb: And- Yeah ... I- fortunately, I have an affirmation, but it's, uh, of, like, a weird, heavy kind now that I think about it. So, um, I'm trying to, I'm trying to get everybody on the cusp of good books that I think are coming out. And so here's another one where it's not even gonna be released until September 30th, and so you have plenty of time to go out and find this thing. So P&R Publishing, many may be [00:10:00] familiar, does this whole series, topical series, which are called 31-Day Devotionals for Life, and there's a new one being released by Christine Chappell. It's called Lament: Crying Out in Faith. So I'm affirming with this piece because I've had the joy of been working through some of this stuff, and I think this is some of the best treatment I've ever read, been able to practice, been coached into for lamenting. We've talked before at length about how Christians, especially in the West, often because we just have great lives, we aren't familiar with lament. We don't practice it well. We hardly sing any songs of lament. We're unfamiliar with it. It's like a foreign land to us. And then sometimes when we're, we get convicted we should lament, we kind of interpret that as, "Well, yeah, I, I know I can blow up at God. I can get angry with him and, and that's okay." David does it too, and it's okay to express all your feelings with God. What I like about this work is it cultivates more of a prayer language. It gives voice to pain and grief so that there can be a real healing. It's not just a complaining. It's not just [00:11:00] throwing your voice out into the ether to, you know, wildly pontificate or self-aggrandize about how hurt or upset you are. It enables us to cry out to God in such a way that it promotes emotional authenticity, but at the same time maintains reverence. I think that is, uh, at least what I need. The beauty of this book is somebody you know or yourself need to lament something. Actually, I think we all have something to lament, even as it's getting older or things changing in our lives. So I highly, highly, highly affirm with this book. It's Lament: Crying Out in Faith. P&R does a lot of great publishing in this way. It's just the year of the devotionals, Tony. I don't know why. Yeah. I mean, I even hate to use devotional. It's the year of good resources for daily praise and worship- Yeah ... and lament should be part of our praise and worship. Yeah. So, but doing it in the right way is something I'm learning. I had mixed understanding of it. So this will clarify, encourage, edify in all the ways that I think we need.  Tony Arsenal: That sounds great. I, I do agree with you. I think, um- [00:12:00] Although I think it may be a little bit less so in, in the sort of confessional Reformed tradition just because the Psalms in general play such a prominent role in Reformed worship. Um, I do agree with you that broadly, like, we, we in the Western evangelical w- world don't, we don't know how to do laments. Um, I'm not one of those people that would say im- imprecatory prayers are inappropriate. I know there are some even within the Reformed world that would say im- imprecatory prayers are not appropriate for God's people in, in the new covenant. Um, I don't know that I agree with that, but, but that's another example of, like, that's in the prayer and hymnbook of our people- Right ... and we don't really know how to do it. Yes. So, and, and imprecation and lament are very closely related to each other. They're, they're very similar, um, ways of thinking and they're, they're both kind of modes of prayer that, uh, we don't, we don't really engage in. And so when we do have- when the occasion arises, we're, like, out of practice. So that's a great, uh, a great [00:13:00]affirmation and yeah, a little, a little weirdly heavy. Maybe this is gonna be a, a weirdly heavy episode. Who knows?  Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, it very well could be.  Good Samaritan Deep Dive Jesse Schwamb: I mean, listen, it was no doubt heavy for the lawyer who stood up- True who was  Tony Arsenal: like- Nicely done ...  Jesse Schwamb: I'd like to justify myself, so Jesus, let me ask you, we took our question, "Who is my neighbor?" I do all these things. I'm down with the law. Yeah. I know all this stuff. And I think we had some really great conversation last time. I'm biased, but I think we had some really fantastic unpacking of the first part of this, and if you haven't heard that yet, you should go back and listen to episode 502. But in this episode, we're really getting into all of these wonderful and somewhat colorful characters. So I'm gonna pick us back up in Luke chapter 10, starting in verse 25. So I'm going back a little bit just to set that proper context for this amazing parable that Jesus tells us. So he says, "And behold, a scholar of the law stood up and was putting him," that is Jesus, "to the test, saying, 'Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?' And he said to him, 'What is written in the law? How do you [00:14:00] read it?' And he answered and said, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.' And he said to him, 'You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live.' But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, 'And who is my neighbor?' And Jesus replied and said, 'A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. And a priest happened to be going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise, a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him, and when he saw him, he felt compassion.'" And he came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them, and he put them on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And on the [00:15:00] next day, he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, "Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, when I return, I will repay you." Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers' hands? And he said, "The one who showed mercy toward him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do the same."  Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah, this is one of those parables we, we mentioned, uh, I guess we've invented a new classification of parables called the Big Daddy parables. That's right. Um, uh, this is one of those parables that is so ubiquitous and well-known, uh, that word there, choice there was a little hat tip to my Lutheran friends. Um, so ubiquitous and well-known that I think we actually can, can rush into a common understanding and not, not be right at all about it. And I think the, the way this, uh, uh, the way I've seen this commonly done in, in circles I've run in in the past is this [00:16:00] becomes a parable about mercy ministry. Um, and, and the primary point is about how we serve our neighbors. And I think there certainly is, um, there certainly is an element of that that we can glean from this, that Christ is making a commentary on the fact that, um, the, the, the right way to not only serve your neighbor but to even identify your neighbor, uh, and it's funny because I think this is, this is where I think people go wrong. The, the Samar- or the, um, the, the lawyer is asking, "Who is my neighbor?" Right. And I think we commonly read this, and we read it to say, well, the Samaritan, uh, or the, the guy who got beat up is the neighbor. Right. And so we have to serve our neighbor like the Samaritan did. But the, the, the punchline, whatever, of the story is that the Samaritan is the g- is the neighbor, right? We, we call this the Parable of the Good Samaritan, but we might wanna call it the [00:17:00] Parable of the Good Neighbor. And so it says more about what it means to be a good neighbor than it does to, um, to say about who, who our neighbor necessarily is, right? The, the s- uh, the lawyer was asking, "Who's my neighbor?" And the answer was the one who shows mercy. And there's kind of a weird, there's kind of a weird paradox there, and this is something Jesus commonly does, where, like, He doesn't really answer the question. Um, the, the lawyer is like, "Well, who is it that I have to love," right? "The, I have to love my neighbor as myself, and who is it that I have to love?" And Jesus' answer basically is like, "Well, the good neighbor is the one who showed mercy." Well, that doesn't answer- Right ... His question. So I think we have to be careful when we, uh, we work through this not to just sort of default and jump to what might be called, like, the lowest common denominator interpretation, right? These are things that, yes, um, there is something to say about, uh, mercy ministry and how important it is to serve the, [00:18:00] serve those around us who are in need, right? That's, that's the command that comes out of this or the outcome that comes out of this is Christ is commanding this, um, this lawyer to go and be merciful to others. Um- But if we, if we move too quickly to that, we miss a lot of what this has to say about the nature of justification- Right ... the nature of Christ as, as the capital T good neighbor, right? The, the good neighbor who, who takes care of our sin and pays the debt for us to be restored, right? I don't, like I said last week, I don't think that that is too on the nose. Um, I think we miss the fact that the question, uh, the question is coming from a place, and we talked about this a little bit last week, but and maybe we'll get into it a little more. The question is coming from a place, um, whether you view this negatively, like I think most do, and there's warrant for that, or whether you view it a, a little bit more neutrally or maybe even positively, which is where I land, the desire to justify or to be [00:19:00] justified is not a bad desire. And the, the text doesn't seem to offer a lot of commentary on the fact that the, the, um, lawyer is desiring to justify himself, other than the implied commentary o- of what the parable says about salvation in that someone else needs to save you, so you can't do it yourself in the first place. So I'm excited to get through this. Um, I, I think we're probably gonna be here, we're gonna camp out here for at least another week after this, 'cause there's just so much to this parable. Who knows? Maybe we'll fly through it and it'll be a quick conversation, but I, I don't... That's not really our jam. Um- That's not really what we do But yeah, it, it's, it's a big daddy parable. There's a lot here to unpack.  Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. You're right about that. Interestingly, as always, Jesus flips the law, but here the law flipping, like, ends up smacking you in the face because it does start with this inquiry about just identify for me who my neighbors are. If you give me these discrete instructions like the law has given me to do all these things, which by the way, I mean, even that when we have this lawyer saying, [00:20:00] "I've done all these things. I've identified just for instance that the law includes loving the Lord God with everything, every part of who I am." He says like, "Yeah, I've done all these things." This is, I've already accomplished that. So now let me get, become self-justified in confirming I've done all these things. If you just tell me who the neighbors are, I'll be able to say to you, "Yep, I've already done that." Instead, what happens is Christ says, "Here's what neighborly love looks like. And what it's gonna look like is so dramatic and so shocking that you ought to take pity and have concern and show compassion for those not just who are unlike you, but are, like, abhorrent, those who you would even never identify with in the parable of the story I'm about to tell you." So I think there's all of that, like you said, to move away from just kind of categorizing this as a nice homily about how we ought to behave. However, there might be, like, some kind of moralistic theme in this that directs us toward actions of love and generosity, which by the way, could just be common grace. Those exist outside of strict belief and adherence to the gospel, and certainly can be far afield from actually loving Christ. [00:21:00] The other thing that I think sometimes happens with this, and I'm gonna be unpopular on this one, I'm afraid, but is that I think there is often a lot of allegorical excess. And certainly there are people more intelligent than I who really embrace that. So I'm looking at you, Patristic Fathers. Like, you know, if you wanna read some interesting stuff, everybody can go look up Origen or Augustine on this. Yeah. And they allegorize this parable in New England what we would call wicked fine detail. I mean, down, down to everything. So the oil and the- Yeah ... wine, the soil, each of the persons here representing something that in itself, like, everything. And I think that that is okay. What I struggle with on that is, and this is where I'm unpopular, I think, is that- There are a lot of other exegetes, I don't think I'm alone, that would look at this and say, "Yes, there is something about this that draws us into, like, just general typological resonance. I'm not gonna reject that." There are these, like, broader canonical themes of, like, helpless [00:22:00] humanity, like you said, and undeserved mercy. Those all legitimately, I think, echo the gospel truths. But I'm kind of resisting, or I'm prone to resist, treating every narrative detail in this as some kind of, like, independent cipher. Yeah. And so I think I want to come a little bit in criticizing, like, the allegorical method here, that instead what happens when we do that is we're, we're... I think we're obscuring a little bit Christ's actual didactic purpose, which is fundamentally ethical and legal, 'cause that's the question he's answering. He's trying to answer this question, "Who's my neighbor?" And he's gonna do it- Right ... with this definition-shattering example. And so I think, like, the most responsible hermeneutic here affirms that, like we said before, a parable should have a single main point, and it's determined in this context by that punchline, like you said. Um, at the same time, I think we can legitimately, like, permit some restrained theological reflection on, like, that broader resonance with the gospel. I'm not denying that. But without multiplying, like, allegorical [00:23:00] correspondences like the text itself doesn't even make. Even, even coming down to, like, who we see as Christ in the story, while that can be useful and helpful, it's not the same identification that we've seen in other parables. Yeah. So that's what makes this, like you're right, Tony, like, really unique and very interesting because we can draw lots and lots of parallels, and perhaps we should. But at the same time, it's always good to remember what is it that Jesus is on about here? What is it that the hearers were really being prone to understand and mull over and meditate on? And that's, like, this first principle of neighborly love, like you already called out.  Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah, and I, I agree with you, too, is I, I think, um- We can sort of fall into a trap or a pit of assuming that all of the parables are meant to explain the same thing. Sure. And I think, like, within Matthew maybe that's a little bit more, uh, accurate because m- I think all, if not [00:24:00] most of, of the Matthean parables, you know, the Kingdom of God is like, the Kingdom of God is like. So th- like, that repeated f- refrain of, like, the Kingdom of God is... In, in Matthew, Christ is using parables to teach about the mysterious hidden reality of the kingdom in a way that people can understand. Um, this is different, right? This is not a Kingdom of God is like. There is no, um, clear this is like that, uh, introduction to this parable. Right. I, I've actually even read some commentaries that would question the assignment of the title parable to this, because they want to restrict what a parable is to those sort of kingdom, like, explicit simile- Good point ... things. Yeah. So- Right ... but I, I do think, um, w- we, we have to be careful not to run down that road, because this parable is not really... Again, like, it's not explaining what the Kingdom of God is like. This is trying to, um, not trying to, Christ is [00:25:00]articulating a reality that is baked into the law, um, and he's flipping the question on its head, and this is what I think is so, um, so wrong about the allegorical approach, right? Is that the allegorical approach seeks to find symbolism in every discrete character or element of the, of the parable, or of the, the allegory if you wanna, we wanna distinguish it. This really is, is trying to just get at that one point. And what- Mm-hmm ... I think is so, what must have been really just infuriating for this lawyer, um, regardless of what happened after this, right? We don't, we don't get commentary like we do with the rich, young ruler, and the stories are in many ways are very much the same. Like, it's the same basic setup. But we don't get commentary that, like, he went away sad, like we do with the rich, young ruler. We don't know what happened with this guy. We don't know what his reaction... But I, I'm sitting there putting myself in his place, and I'm, I'm thinking through this, and this is one of those things that it's actually hard even to mentally get yourself there. The, [00:26:00] the, each character that is introduced here, um, is a candidate for the neighbor. Right. But the most obvious candidate based on, um, the way we commonly interpret this, is that the dude who gets beat up and left stripped naked is, is the neighbor that we're supposed to love Right? So the lawyer, as he's hearing this parable, as it's being told, and the, the people who are there listening, right, the, the other people that are around, there's this character introduced, "Who is my neighbor? Well, a man was going down to Jerusalem. He fell among roggers, Roger, robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead." Like, the obvious answer is that Christ is introducing this poor, destitute, beat-up, naked dude, uh, as the neighbor that needs to be loved. And so he goes through the whole parable, and you're like, oh, well, like, the, you know, the, the priest and the Levite, they didn't love this guy. Uh, the Samaritan, you know, I think an audience of Jews probably would've been thinking like, "Well, the Samaritan can't be..." You know, the Samaritan [00:27:00] is just a dude. Like, none of these people are loving the, the, the beat-up dude like a neighbor should. Right. And then all of a sudden, Christ flips the script, and the neighbor is not the dude who's laying there naked, half dead, who's been rescued and, and, you know, restored and is being healed. It's actually the Samaritan. And so there's this... We have to... Part of the reason, I think, I mean, I, I, I guess I don't know for sure, but part of the reason I think s- that parables have this, like, reversal of expectation baked into many of them is that it is there to challenge our assumptions, and th- that sort of whiplash effect when you get to the end of it, you're like, "Whoa, that was like he was talking about totally, something totally different than what it seemed like he was talking about." I think that's actually a teaching tool here as well. Right. That the, the whole time you're thinking like, "Oh, this dude is the neighbor, and I've gotta figure out how to love him best," and that's what plays into these mercy ministry interpretations, is thinking that the, the point of the parable is to show us how to take [00:28:00] care of the, the people who need help, when really the point of the parable is the good neighbor. And, uh, we might butt heads a little bit on this, 'cause I think I take probably more of a Christological, uh, topological, typological interpretation than you do. I, I think that the point of the parable is that you can't justify yourself, and the only one who can justify you is the one who's kept the law perfectly. And what does it mean to keep the law perfectly? Well, love the Lord your God, but also love your neighbor as yourself. Well, who's the only person in the story who's loved the neighbor as himself? The one who s- rescues and heals and pays for this poor man who's been, you know, waylaid by robbers. He's the good neighbor who fulfills the law. He's the one who's justified himself. Now, yes, "Go do likewise," there's some echoes there of, of the go and sin no more language that we see in other places, too. So I, I think this parable is more, is more about- A, and this is where it shares some affinity with the rich young ruler, [00:29:00] right? The rich young ruler is told to go and to, to sell everything he has and donate it to the poor and to come and follow Christ. And he says, you know, he, he can't do that. He walks away sad. In this instance, it's the same kind of situation. It's an, a question about how do I fulfill the law? What do I need to do to be saved, to inherit eternal life, to obtain eternal life, whatever the phrasing is. And the answer is, "Obey the law perfectly." And the guy goes, "Well, hey, I did that." And he said, "Well, let me show you how much you didn't do that." And the reality is the only one who did that is Christ, the good teacher, right? I mean, there, there's so many parallels between these two accounts. It, it's almost the same, it's almost the same story. This one just in sort of parable answer form versus a more direct form, which we see with the rich young ruler. Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, what I find really fascinating about these is that whereas, like you said, the, some of the other parables, they come under the volitional teaching of Christ. That is, He is presenting forward the topic at hand. So usually it's in the context of conversation, but He essentially makes [00:30:00] the segue. He presents and opens up this new kind of vista to explore. In this case, or in both those cases you talked about, the confrontation really comes from the outside. Of course, God, through Christ, predestined all of these things to pass, so I'm not saying that Christ was caught off guard, of course, by this line of questioning. And presumably He understands that when the lawyer asks this question, He knows that it's from a position of self-justification. So I don't disagree that that might be there, some of that at play, and that really the ultimate end of this would bring, to bring one's self to the realization that you can't do this. At the same time, though, I think almost, especially in this one, I think, uh, it's not that Jesus withholds that, but I read that do, go and do likewise is this is what you said you wanted. You asked me for an answer, and I gave you the answer. You asked for the law- Yeah ... I will give you the law. So I actually don't know how this ended. It doesn't strike me that it ended well, and I think, I don't know if there was some kind of massive realization there, but it's almost as if there is some [00:31:00] obscuring of this. This is like typical parable, parable language where I think if you're there and you're listening, and you're trying to just track with the question and track how that compounds and corresponds with the law, that you would leave more destitute, more confused, and perhaps more angry than before, and certainly not in a position of understanding, "Well, th- this one before me is the Christ." But that's exactly what parables do. So again, I, I think to me- Right ... I see this more as certainly, again, there are these wonderful themes These kind of overtures of the gospel within, but they are dark and very obscured because the man asks a question about the law, and Jesus comes with a message about the law. And like you said, that law is- Yeah ... like, there's almost no grace in his tone as I read it because, not that he is not graceful or full of grace and gracious, but this guy asks for justification under the law. And so it ends with saying, it ends with this really phenomenal phrase, of course, of the lawyer realizing he's got himself [00:32:00] caught in having to respond truthfully in answering the question of who is the neighbor, but of course doesn't identify the neighbor except to say, "Oh, the one who has compassion," as if like he himself couldn't bring himself- Right to say these words. And then for Jesus to say, "Yeah, go do it," is, is kind of like the ultimate nail in the coffin.  Tony Arsenal: Yeah, and to tell a first century Jew to go and do, to be- Yes ... like a Samaritan is- Yes ... you know, e- even, even though that's not, like, highlighted in the text, you're right. Like, the, the lawyer probably couldn't bring himself to say the Samaritan was, right? And I, I think, um, you know, whether you take, uh, and maybe I'm novel on this. I guess I haven't really read, read a lot of people that take a, a more optimistic approach of this. But whether you take a more optimistic outcome approach or a more pessimistic or neutral, whatever, the, the actual outcome is the same, right? The, the lawyer is asking about self-justification under the law, like you said. Right. And Christ gives him [00:33:00] that. He tells him exactly what that means and what that looks like. And I think the, the impossibility of being the good neighbor as is described in the parable is exactly the sort of beat down of the law that, that, you know, we've talked about in the past is it's not as though, um, the, the, the actions of the Samaritan are not, uh, outwardly impossible, right? We- Right ... it's not unreasonable to think that someone could rescue someone from the side of the road and bring them to ... And like, the scenario itself is not that crazy. But the, the overall complex of the scenario, right? The fact that this man, um, was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, right? The, the ... All of this points to sort of like an impossible circumstance, an impossible situation. And, and the idea that even [00:34:00] within that impossible situation you're still expected to take care of the person who is your enemy, right? The Samaritan seeing a Jewish man beaten by the side of the road- That's right ... and although the parable doesn't specifically call out that he's Jewish, if he's going from Jerusalem to Jericho, there's an implication that he may actually also have been a priest. Um, we, we don't need to get into all the details on that, but there's, there's some good, uh, some good research out there that would point to the fact that the road from Jerusalem to Jericho is, uh, was actually a very common pathway traveled by either priests or Levites. And further evidence is that a priest and a Levite are also on this same road. And so the idea that the Samaritan would, um, would- Sacrifice of himself to take care of someone who very likely considers him to be an enemy, and sacrifices in a pretty significant way. Um, I, I'll, I'll pause and now as you're [00:35:00]talking I'll do all the, the background scrambling to make it look like I know exactly how much- a denari is supposed to, to be, and I know we've talked about it before, it's just not there.  Lavish Impossible Mercy Tony Arsenal: But, but it's not a- Yeah ... it's not a trivial amount of money. That's right. We're not talking about checking this guy into, like, a Motel 6 and, and dropping a couple hundred dollars. We're, we're talking about a substantial amount of money and, and we're talking about a commitment to pay whatever is required. Okay. An unknown amount of money for this man who has been left for dead. We're not talking about a minor injury. The, the robbers beat him up, they took his clothes, and they expected him to die in the desert. He needed to be carried on a donkey. He needed to have immediate first aid attention. We're talking about a, a relatively long-term recovery. So the scenario would be more like, we think of it like, "Oh yeah, I dropped him off at the local hotel for him to sleep it off." The scenario would be more like, "I found a guy on the side of the road. I didn't know who he was. He's, he's of a group of people that would consider me to be their enemy, and he's been shot 100 times, and I'm gonna patch up his [00:36:00] wounds. I'm gonna take him to the hospital. I'm gonna not only pay and say, 'Here, I, I've already used some supplies. Let me pay for that,' but I'm gonna pay for all of his medical bills until he's healed." Like, that's the scenario we're talking about. So it's not, it's not just, like, a good deed that has been done that is maybe, like, a really, really good deed, like it's a really nice thing to do. It's a, it's an outlandishly almost impossible to conceive of doing good deed. N- I don't know anyone, um, who would... And, and I know a lot of really great people. This is not a slam. I don't know anyone who would find a stranger on the road and who is, who's gravely injured and commit to pay for all of their medical care until they're healed. I just don't know anybody who would do that. Right. Um, some might say there's actually some wisdom in that, and, uh, we've talked about how sometimes the parables present a situation where maybe, like, this isn't actually the best practical knowledge. It's there to prove a point. Right. But I don't know anybody who, I don't know anybody who would do that, who, who would even think about doing that. Um, so the, the scenario here is one [00:37:00] of impossible lavish goodness being extended to those who you have no reason to be good to, and probably have reason to not be good to. That's what we're talking about. And so the, when the, the lawyer is told to go and do likewise, he's being told to do something that is impossible to fulfill, or even to conceive of fulfilling. And so there is this element of, like, "You think you can obey the law? Well, let me tell you how much you can't  Jesse Schwamb: obey  Tony Arsenal: the law."  Jesse Schwamb: Right. By the way, this episode is brought to you by State Farm. Like a good Samaritan, State Farm is there. Every time we've been saying good neighbor, I've been just been trying to avoid thinking about- Yeah Jake from State Farm. That's what I've been doing most of this time.  Tony Arsenal: Jake from State Farm?  Jesse Schwamb: Um, I totally agree, of course.  Priest Levite And The Law Jesse Schwamb: Like, what strikes me here is that it's, like you said, there is all this emphasis on what it means to show neighborly love, but the setup is also in those who basically should be showing it but aren't, and that's where we get, can get into this lovely... It's, [00:38:00] it's okay to kinda think through some of these characters. You know, for this priest and the Levite here, and what we know about them is that they, at first it sounds like there, there's almost this sense in the language like the priest falls ab- upon this, this, you know, bloodied man by chance, and that kinda heightens the drama, I think. The priest's confrontation is a little bit unplanned, but it's immediate and unavoidable, and he chooses to cross on the other side of the road, which is of course a deliberate act of avoidance. It's not mere obliviousness. And then the Levi almost goes further, or he came to the place, he saw him closer inspection, you know, greater culpability, and yet he still passes by. I really do wish I could hear this, like, in real time, like be among, because I have to- Yeah ... wonder that there'd be this kind of sense of building in the story. And the people might be kind of getting the sense that the characters that they know and love or should love as the heroes are not gonna be performing that way. And so I think even they're curious. They might be hoping against hope that it's gonna turn out well, but knowing the question and maybe something about Jesus, [00:39:00] they might anticipate that he's gonna go in a different direction. And so again, I think we have to stick with the text here. Like, Jesus doesn't explicitly state the motives of these gentlemen, but it's truthful. What's true- Right ... is that, like, these boys should have known better. You know, a lot of people have speculated that it was for ritual purity concerns or the, another ambush or social distance or just callousness. And I think that ambiguity might be deliberate because, again, what cuts against the lawyer here is whatever the specific excuse, the point is that these, like this kind of professional religiosity and even, like, meticulous law observance are of course not identical with, and probably can even distract or obstruct the love of neighbor that the law itself commands, which is wild, right? Because we talked about how, again, this just shows the law doesn't empower you to do the thing, and in fact, here- Right ... you could essentially abuse the law so that you suck the spirit right out of it and therefore do not do the very thing that it was intended to accomplish. So even this by itself, you just stop the parable here, it's kind of condemning because it's really this [00:40:00] potent warning against some kind of merely external ceremonial, professionalized religiosity that fails to produce, I guess, what Matthew calls, like, the weightier matters of law, like justice and mercy and faithfulness. And, you know, we should understand this because I think those that are from tradition have a certain affinity for the third use of the law as a guide for the grateful Christian living, and that's, you know, kind of what we're talking about here. But it insists that true law keeping is never merely ritual or notional, but it must issue in love, like costly love. Love outside of being inconvenienced is not genuine. I, I guess we'll get there. But, you know, I don't wanna harp on the characters as some are prone to do, but that is, I think, why the characters are here. It's both to set up and show, like, you're about to see that you really do not wanna identify by your own persuasion, by your own presuppositions with the one who's gonna be the hero, that is the, the one that shows neighborly love. At the same time, I'm gonna show you by way of condemnation that those who should exercise the greater love, [00:41:00] that do know better, that should know better, that should emblem- be emblematic of the spirit of the law, have done the exact same thing. Which I can only, uh, hope but believe is what this lawyer heard as well was that he was hearing that he was being stuck into this place before he was even given the question, well, who was the neighbor here? Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah, and I, I think, um- There is a real sense in some of the parables that are sort of spoken against people. Um, this one doesn't specifically use that language, but it, it is a targeted, kind of a targeted response. There is a sense that throughout the course of the parable being told, they start to recognize midway through that they're like- Right you are the man. Like, this is one- Right, right ... of those Nathan and David kind of parables where, like, at some point the realization must have dawned on this guy that, like, "I've gotta be somebody in this parable." And I think that's where, where the, the challenging part is, is it's not clear, um, [00:42:00] it's not really clear even at the end of the parable who Christ is intending this guy to be, right? Right. Is he the lawyer or is he the, uh, is he the, the dead man on the side of the road, right? Is he... Or the dying man. Is, is he the l- the priest and Levite who pass by? Is he supposed to be the Samaritan, which would just be wildly offensive. Um, he's not necessarily, like, supposed to be anyone except for the fact that now at th- the punchline of the, the encounter here, Christ says, "Go and be like the Samaritan." And it's kind of like y- you know, if you were really following God's law, you would be the Samaritan in this one- Yeah, that's right ... but you're not. That's right. You're not and you can't be. Um, and so go, go ahead and do likewise.  Christ As True Neighbor Tony Arsenal: Um, I, I do think, too, there is some elements here where, um, I- Again, I, I think I take a little bit more of a typological, Christological-centered approach on this, but I, I don't think they're incompatible. But I do think there's an element here where Christ is also [00:43:00] unveiling, uh, sort of what he would do, like what, what his own plan of salvation is as the good, as the capital G, capital N good neighbor. Um, he is the one who does pour oil and wine on our wounds, right? A- and I don't wanna ... I don't think we need to fly off the allegorical deep end of reading oil and wine to be a reference to the Holy Spirit and t- Right but sometimes those things are evocative, indirect things that should, we should call our mind to those things. Like, I think, um, you know, when Melchizedek comes to bless Abraham and he, he presents him with bread and wine, right? I, I think, like, it's okay for us to go, "Wow, the Holy Spirit really made a point there that's subtle." And I think those little things within this parable drive me to look at this a little bit more along the lines of not only is there this sort of, like, law beat down, you [00:44:00] know, John Bunyan or not, um, Bunyan style, like the, "Moses just beat the crap out of me," kind of a- Right ... kind of a thing from Pilgrim's Progress. There's that, and I think it's really there. But it's also, uh, it's also sort of like this, uh, you know, "Blessed is the one who has ears to hear" side of it of, like, for those who are regenerated and can see the parable, can see the figures in the parable, it is now this beautiful picture of what it is that Christ does for those who cannot do it for themselves, right? And it's almost like the parable becomes a litmus test. If you look at the parable, and as you're reading through it, you sit there and you go, "Yeah, man, I'm like that guy who got beat up and left for dead. That, that really describes me," um, you're gonna get to the end of this and you're gonna be sort of, like, sitting in awe of, like, "Man, I have such a great savior who threw me on his donkey and, and promised to take care of all of my, all of my wounds, and promised to pay whatever it, whatever it cost." Um, y- you know, and all of these elements of, [00:45:00] like, oil and wine and, and all of these things be- kind of become alive to you in a way that someone who sees themselves as the, the good Samaritan, who thinks they're the one who's gonna come and rescue people, or I think increasingly in our day, and it's, it's weird to even say this, I think there are people who would look at this and resonate with the priest and lawyer and actually say, like, "Yeah, they shoulda, they shoulda crossed to the other side of the room." Mm-hmm. I've heard defenses of that in trying to argue that- The priest and the Levite, if they had, if this person was dead, they had touched the dead body, then, you know, they would've been ceremonially unclean. Uh, all of that is, I think, worth speculating about. But the reality is, um, who you see yourself in the parable actually says a lot, I think, about how you see Christ in light of either our ability to fulfill the law or our inability to fulfill the law, and therefore have our need for Christ. If you think you're the good Samaritan, if you think you're the one that's gonna come and [00:46:00] rescue people, that you're gonna be, you're gonna be the good neighbor, you're much more likely to see, uh, to, to be needing this as a sort of a law beat-down. Where those of us who, maybe this is the way you wanna parse it out, right? There's those of us who are, uh, regenerated and in Christ, and this is third-use law, right? This is, this is us- Right ... seeing what it means to be holy, and going and doing likewise, trying in our power, in our, our best to go and do likewise, empowered by the Holy Spirit, recognizing that we can't, and trusting the Lord to accept our feeble attempts- Right and be pleased by them. Right. Um, or maybe if you're not regenerated, this is f- this is first use, right? Right. And, and, and this is actually there to terrify you and to show you your condemnation and to serve as your condemnation. And, and there's even, and I didn't really intend to go all the way with this, but there's, there is also an element in here, and this is where, like, the mercy ministry interpretation comes in, where this is civil, this is civil law, where this is the, the, the, um, you know, the civil use of the law [00:47:00] to restrain evil, to show society what it is to be good, to, to restrain sin. Right. Yes, we want to be, uh, we, I would rather live in a society where people stop and help someone who's stranded or injured on the side of the road than, than a society where people pass by. Um, so I, I think all of those elements are in play here, and we do have to be careful not to take the full-on, like, never go full allegory approach to this, 'cause y- you can really... That's just a good general wisdom for all of, all of the Bible, but especially the parables and other figurative stuff. You can really just go totally far afield of what actually the point of the parable is- Right ... if you're not grounding it in the purpose that Christ is teaching it for, and, and the stated outcome of the parable, right? No one in the Bible makes c- I don't know that anyone in the Bible makes specific commentary on this within scripture, but the, the idea that, like, there's all these hidden meanings, well, if those are the hidden meanings, then why doesn't Christ talk about it? Why doesn't he come back- Right ... and [00:48:00] interpret those symbols later on like he does, like the Parable of the Sower or the Parable of the Seeds or Soils. Um, that one is much more directly allegorical in that the different seeds, the different soils represent specific people with specific s- scenarios. Christ comes and, and does that allegorical interpretation later on in the passage. There's nothing like that here. So I think we have to be really careful not to slip down that road. Jesse Schwamb: I think that it could be all those things. I, I totally agree with you on that. I think it could be all the use cases of the law. I think what makes this so wonderfully complex and a little bit tricky is that when I read this, I actually don't necessarily find myself gravitating toward putting myself in one place or the other. It almost depends on where I am or what's going on in my life. So for example, I think any time that any one of us, and we've all done this as Christians, have quenched the spirit, especially with respect to helping, serving, or loving others as my, our neighbor, then we're firmly in this parable in the place [00:49:00] of the priest and the Levite. Sometimes I think we are the one on the side of the road. We look to the church, to our brothers and sisters to help us, and what do they help us with? Like you were saying, Tony, they help us with that blood and oil. They help us with this, the power of the Holy Spirit, which is given to each one to help and to serve, to identify, to comfort with the comfort we ourselves have been received. And then I do think, and this might be unpopular, that, that sometimes by the grace of God, He empowers us to be the Samaritan, but only through His empowerment. Not, of course, because we're trying to just self-justify or because we're overtly generous in our own merit, but in fact, this is the way we ought to live, and that we ought to commend that kind of behavior to, again, acknowledge it as God-given and to promulgate it, especially among the body of believers. So I do think all three forms of the law are present there, but I do think I tend to, for whatever reason, right or wrong, I tend to tilt a little bit toward that third use here, just to see this as it's not wrong to, of course, to, I think, uh, lay over all of this, all these delightful variables and [00:50:00] details. Again, this idea of blood and oil, n- normative things, normal things, standard things that are being used to address- Yeah ... wounds. They're, they're... Of course, that would've been the practical way which you would've provided some kind of medicinal care to somebody in both that extreme circumstance, but also generally, because nobody's, like, keeping gauze or popping Advil to help this, this poor guy. And so it is- Right ... like this beautiful complexion of, I think, everything that we just talked about, that there is the law present, and depending on where you are, both in terms of your ingrafting into eternity, into the Kingdom of God, and then where you are in life, you- we should read ourselves probably, or l- let me say it this way, not so it's like eisegesis, but, like, that we should see ourselves often at different pli- times maybe playing or being tempted to play the parts of these different characters. And in that we find, I think, ultimately, of course, as you're saying, that Christ is over all, and that He is the one that, of course, perfectly emphasizes all of what it means to be the Savior, the [00:51:00] true loving neighbor who cares and binds and heals completely full stop. And yet there is something instructive here, I think, as well about going and bringing that compassion. I was just thinking, like, as we were talking, that there's such a difference, isn't there, like, in our world between these days, like, pity and compassion? Like, pity often is like, "Yeah, I feel sorry for you," but it strikes me as kind of like the James, is it James 1 or James 2, where it's kind of like, "Oh, you're... I, I'm so sorry that, like, you're, you're hungry and cold. You know what? Go, be warm, and be well-fed." You know, that's like pity. Like, "Yeah, I just- Yeah ... I feel a little bad. I identified with your emotions." Sending  Tony Arsenal: good vibes.  Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. I've got- Yeah. Yeah. That's right, right? Sending good thoughts and good vibes your way. I wanna say, like, keep those to yourself 'cause they're probably not all that- Yeah ... good. Um- I  Tony Arsenal: don't want your vibes.  Jesse Schwamb: I don't want your vibes. Get your vibes out of here. What I need is that power of God himself, uh, to bring compassion, and compassion is always wrapped in action. It identifies- Right ... and then goes. It, it's, it [00:52:00] is not self-promoting, it's self-sacrificing. And so that rule of law, which is like the good rule of law, the good teaching, the kind that brings life because it's the Decalogue wrapped in skin perfectly performed by the power of the Holy Spirit through the one who is perfect again in his passive obedience and active obedience. Yes, yes, we need, we need all of that. It's modeled here, I think, to a certain extent, but I think the go and do likewise is actually for all of us, but it's not the kind like we would say, "Well, like, good luck." It's more the- Yeah ... you know the one from whose side the blood flowed. You know the one who is pressed in the garden as if olives under the press leaking oil. You know who that one was, and that one is His spirit resides in you. So now go and do these acts- Yeah ... of mercy. Again, not s- for some kind of meritorious reward, but because you were made for good works, which were set apart for you to do, and part of those good works are [00:53:00] just always being a good neighbor. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah, and, and maybe to, to close out, I, I, I think maybe we actually did it. I don't know that we're gonna have to do another episode on this. I guess we'll see after we do- Who would've guessed? ... our postmortem here.  Mary Martha And Final Charge Tony Arsenal: But I, I think part, part of, um, part of what we need to at least acknowledge is that what, what follows this parable, right? This, this goes from a parable of a lawyer seeking to justify himself to now the account of Mary and Martha, and the fact that, uh, that, um, M- Martha, you know, is busy with much work, and Mary is sitting and listening to, to Jesus and is said to have chosen the better part. And I think, like- Mm ... this is something that I think because of the way, like, Bibles are formatted, the way that certain things are sort of, like, extracted out as discrete teaching units, this parable is pulled out and separated from this next part. And I, I think we can [00:54:00] really run into problems when we do that because- You know, even if we, even if we were to sort of treat the scripture as, like, a purely human book, right? Luke chose to put this account of Mary and Martha after this, right? And, and- Right ... probably not just because, like, it happened chronologically. There's no real, um, there's no real necessity that this account of Mary and Martha in this particular story had to happen immediately afterwards. Like, there's no organic link in, in the chronology of the story to drive that, right? And the two aren't related in terms of, like, historical cause and effect or, uh, proximity. There's none of those things. So the only answer as to why this was selected to follow the parable of the Good Samaritan is that there's some thematic connection that drove Luke as an author to put this, put this right following that. And so I think even that should drive us to thinking about, all [00:55:00] right, we've got this statement of go and do likewise, show mercy. Now there's almost this foil that the, the, the person in, in the account in the, the narrative here, and a, a true narrative, right? We're not in parable land anymore, but the person in the narrative that seems to be showing mercy, seems to be taking care of people the most, is actually the one who's chastised a little bit for, for being- Right overly zealous about m- mercy ministry, hospitality ministry- Right ... is what you might call it. She's the one who's like, "Tell my sister to help me with this." And she said, like, "You know, you're always gonna have time to do this, but, like, I'

Responding to questions from listeners about the recent news of the cancellation of the G3 National Conference, what Josh Buice did and whom this affects, and also thinking through methods of evangelism. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

On today's program, Calvin Robinson was dismissed by the Anglican Catholic Church earlier this year after making a nazi-like salute at a pro-life summit. This week, another denomination has restored him to service…but not without pushback. We'll have details. The Episcopal Church is ending its partnership with the U.S. after refusing to settle refugees from South Africa. We'll take a look. Plus, long-time Carolina University President Charles Petitt passed away last week. His two-decade tenure transformed the small North Carolina school. First, influential Calvinist pastor has been suspended from his church over multiple fake social media accounts he ran where he criticized pastors and elders in his inner circle. The producer for today's program is Jeff McIntosh. We get database and other technical support from Stephen DuBarry, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth. Writers who contributed to today's program include Bob Smietana, Kathryn Post, Tony Mator, Jack Jenkins, Bruce Barron, Kim Roberts,  Shannon Cuthrell, and Christina Darnell. A special thanks to Illinois Baptist and Bruce Barron for contributing material for this week's podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.   MANUSCRIPT:    FIRST SEGMENT Warren: Hello everybody. I'm Warren Smith, coming to you this week from Charlotte, North Carolina. Natasha: And I'm Natasha Cowden, coming to you from Denver, Colorado, and we'd like to welcome you to the MinistryWatch podcast. Warren: On today's program, Calvin Robinson was dismissed by the Anglican Catholic Church earlier this year after making a nazi-like salute at a pro-life summit. This week, another denomination has restored him to service…but not without pushback. We'll have details. And, the Episcopal Church is ending its partnership with the U.S. after refusing to settle refugees from South Africa. We'll take a look. Plus, long-time Carolina University President Charles Petitt passed away last week. His two-decade tenure transformed the small North Carolina school. Natasha: But first, influential Calvinist pastor has been suspended from his church over multiple fake social media accounts he ran where he criticized pastors and elders in his inner circle. Warren: Josh Buice, founder of the G3 Conference and pastor of Pray's Mill Baptist Church in Douglasville, Georgia, was placed on indefinite leave last week after church leaders “uncovered irrefutable evidence that Dr. Buice has, for the past three years, operated at least four anonymous social media accounts, two anonymous email addresses, and two Substack platforms.” According to a statement from the church. “These accounts were used to publicly and anonymously slander numerous Christian leaders, including faithful pastors (some of whom have spoken at G3 conferences), several PMBC elders, and others,” “These actions were not only sinful in nature but deeply divisive, causing unnecessary suspicion and strife within the body of Christ, and particularly within the eldership of PMBC.” Natasha: Buice has also resigned as president of G3, which was founded in 2019 and brought in $2.3 million in revenue for the 2023 calendar year, according to its public IRS financial disclosures. The group grew out of a conference started by Buice in 2013 — the name G3 stands for “Gospel, Grace, Glory.” The group claimed its annual conference drew 6,500 people in 2021, according to the G3 website. Warren: The board of G3 has canceled the group's annual conference, which had been planned for September, and promised full refunds. Natasha: So who was he criticizing? Warren: Buice especially criticized former Southern Baptist ethicist Russell Moore and Bible teacher Beth Moore (not related) for allegedly promoting liberal ideas in the church, as well as former SBC President Ed Litton for alleged sermon plagiarism. He has also apparently been running anonymous social media accounts that criticized other pastors...

This episode addresses the recent fall of a prominent pastor and the cancellation of the G3 Conference, using it as a sobering example of the dangers of online anonymity, slander, and spiritual ambition. Dr. Richard Caldwell emphasizes the need for accountability, self-examination, and pastoral integrity. With humility and clarity, he challenges both leaders and believers to guard their hearts and speech, reminding us that faithfulness to Christ requires holiness in both public and private life.

This episode addresses the recent fall of a prominent pastor and the cancellation of the G3 Conference, using it as a sobering example of the dangers of online anonymity, slander, and spiritual ambition. Dr. Richard Caldwell emphasizes the need for accountability, self-examination, and pastoral integrity. With humility and clarity, he challenges both leaders and believers to guard their hearts and speech, reminding us that faithfulness to Christ requires holiness in both public and private life.

Covered a few bookmarks in X I had saved, including an Episcopalian "priestess" who is confused on the Trinity and transgenderism, then an X account called The Classical Ponderer who ripped into me as a coward and a vulture. Then finished with some thoughts on yesterday's announcement of the cancellation of the G3 Conference in Atlanta and the attendant issues. Don't forget the debate on Thursday, 8pm EDT on the Bible Dinger's channel on YouTube!

Time is a gift from the Lord—but if you're anything like me, you've had those days where it feels like it just slipped away. In this episode, I'm sharing some real-life examples (yes, the dryer fluff cycle makes an appearance!) and walking through five simple, biblical ways we can be more intentional with the time God's given us. You'll find encouragement to live wisely, practical tips to stay focused, and a gentle reminder that we're not aiming for perfection—but faithfulness. Head over to ThankfulHomemaker.com for full show notes on all the links and resources mentioned in today's episode.  G3 Conference has been cancelled - please click here for more info RESOURCES: Join Thankful Homemaker for access to the Free Library of Resources Follow ThankfulHomemaker on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest & Instagram Patreon Support Join the Thankful Homemaker Facebook Group Subscribe to the Podcast on Your Favorite App  Online Courses & Printables Thankful Homemaker Merchandise Buy Marci a Cup of Coffee xo 

In this can't-miss episode of The BAR Podcast, Dawain sits down with his longtime friend Virgil Walker of G3 Ministries. From deep theological truths to the evolution of podcasting and cultural commentary, this is more than just an interview—it's a masterclass in purpose, platform, and faith.They chop it up about the G3 Conference, cultural shifts affecting the church, podcasting with purpose, and why real value matters more than ever. Plus, Dawain drops a 20% discount code for G3 attendees!

Lisa and I conclude our conversation on praying with and for one another. I gently consider the faux pas of the G3 conferences VIP experience. Jacob and the family make their way to Goshen and the importance of recognizing the context of evangelism doesn't change- it's about sinners being reconciled to the living God.

In this enlightening episode of Stop & Think About It, we engage with the profound subject of the Bible's infallibility, a cornerstone of Christian faith. Phil Sessa, alongside the esteemed Dr. Anthony Silvestro, provides listeners with a robust exploration of the challenges facing contemporary believers who uphold biblical truth amidst a skeptical culture. They delve into the misconceptions that often portray Christianity as intellectually deficient, countering such narratives with sound doctrine and practical wisdom. Throughout this discourse, Dr. Silvestro shares his personal journey from skepticism to faith, emphasizing the necessity of a biblical worldview in understanding the Gospel. As we navigate these pivotal themes, we invite you to reflect on your own faith journey and the foundational truths of Scripture that guide us in our walk with Christ.Join host Phil Sessa and special guest Dr. Anthony Silvestro in this thought-provoking episode of Stop & Think About It, recorded live at the 2023 G3 Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Links referenced in this episode:creationtraining.orgcreationrevivalmail.comstopandthinkpodcast.comsoulfishingministries.org

In this enlightening episode of Stop & Think About It, we engage with the profound subject of the Bible's infallibility, a cornerstone of Christian faith. Phil Sessa, alongside the esteemed Dr. Anthony Silvestro, provides listeners with a robust exploration of the challenges facing contemporary believers who uphold biblical truth amidst a skeptical culture. They delve into the misconceptions that often portray Christianity as intellectually deficient, countering such narratives with sound doctrine and practical wisdom. Throughout this discourse, Dr. Silvestro shares his personal journey from skepticism to faith, emphasizing the necessity of a biblical worldview in understanding the Gospel. As we navigate these pivotal themes, we invite you to reflect on your own faith journey and the foundational truths of Scripture that guide us in our walk with Christ.Join host Phil Sessa and special guest Dr. Anthony Silvestro in this thought-provoking episode of Stop & Think About It, recorded live at the 2023 G3 Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Links referenced in this episode:creationtraining.orgcreationrevivalmail.comstopandthinkpodcast.comsoulfishingministries.org

Send us a textJeremy continues to give us a behind the scenes look at the G3 conference, hosted at FBC Mustang on October 3-5th, 2024. Join us today as we talk with Dr. Scott Aniol, the Executive Vice President and Editor-in-chief for G3 Ministries. In addition, we have a special guest host, tune in to find out who!

Send us a textJoin us as Jeremy takes you behind the scenes of the G3 Cessationist Conference hosted at FBC Mustang on Oct 3-5th, 2024. In this episode, we welcome Dr. Josh Buice, the founder and president of G3 Ministries and Pastor of Pray's Mill Baptist Church in Douglasville, GA. 

Scott Aniol is back, and he and Steve discuss a common error in the church today. Namely, many churches and believers mistakenly use language as to suggest that they are receiving personal revelation, straight from God. Episode Chapters: 9:11 - Reflection on individuals claiming divine messages from the Bible, contrasting with Moses' unique communication with God. 12:33 - Challenges in interpreting divine guidance and expressions among Christians. 17:58 - The danger of relying on personal feelings over the wisdom of the Book of Proverbs and Scripture. 22:39 - The weight of claiming divine communication and the importance of aligning with biblical standards. 27:38 - Warning against insubordinate preaching and teaching, emphasizing the weight of the calling. 32:30 - The impact of embracing charismatic music in non-charismatic churches and its influence on theology and worship. 36:53 - The importance of illumination in understanding and accepting God's word for believers. 41:09 - It's imperative to correctly utilize scripture, church doctrine, and collective wisdom for theological understanding. 45:23 - Final caution against claiming divine guidance in decision-making, emphasizing credit to God but acknowledging human wisdom. End of Episode Chapters. We hope that today's episode has been helpful in your walk with our Lord. -Grounded team

Send us a Text Message.We share with you our commentary on our time at the G3 conference in Fort Worth, Texas. From preaching to our understanding of modesty; the church is far away today in America from a desire glorify the Lord in all things. Is it true that we must always be reforming. This weekend showed us that this is very much the case. Support the Show.Please Rate & Comment!Hosts: Brandon and Daren SmithWebsite: www.blackandblurred.comPatreon: www.patreon.com/blackandblurredPaypal: https://paypal.me/blackandblurredYouTube: Black and Blurred PodcastIG: @BlackandBlurredPodcastX: @Blurred_Podcast

Today the guys dive into the intricate interplay between faith, politics, and controversial issues. Special guest John Root, a bold Christian voice in the world of media, brings his unique perspective to the table during the G3 Conference, discussing the challenges of maintaining faith in the tumultuous landscape of modern politics.One of the significant issues grappled with in today's discussion is the concept of idolatry and its undeniable connection to the political landscape today. This is a delicate balance for many Christians, as individuals may prioritize certain policies over their Christian beliefs, leading to an idolatry issue.The alarming trend of biblical illiteracy among the younger generations is another concern. Lack of biblical knowledge can lead to confusion about what is good and evil, causing young people to align with a “lesser evil” for the sake of perceived eternal good. As Christians, it is essential to stand firm in our faith, prioritize God's Word above all else, and reach the lost with the gospel.The guys' conversation with John prompts listeners to stand for the truth, even when it's against those on “our own side”—a lesson gleaned from Daniel in the Old Testament. Through Daniel's story, Christians can observe that the decision of how to fight is not decided in the battle itself but is determined by the preparation beforehand. John also shares his own experiences surrounding the controversy stirred up by the Christian series, The Chosen's handling of LGBTQ+ issues and interactions with conservative media figures.The guys also tackle the compromise and misdirection that can occur when conservatism is packaged in a godly wrapping. Many individuals are so politicized that they feel conservatism will save this country, but this is a view which is eternally empty. While it is widely understood that liberalism is godless, we must also realize that conservatism can create an illusion of righteousness, which is often false as well.Christians must remember that this world is not our home, and we should not assimilate to the world's values. Instead, believers should always strive to show love and respect for others, while at the same time standing firm in our faith and refusing to compromise on biblical truth. The key takeaway from this discussion is the importance of having a biblical worldview and the courage to challenge idolatry where it is found while maintaining a loving and respectful approach to all.This episode was recorded at G3 2023 National Conference.Thanks for listening! If you've been helped by this podcast, we'd be grateful if you'd consider subscribing, sharing, and leaving us a comment and 5-star rating! Visit the Living Waters website to learn more and to access helpful resources!You can find helpful counseling resources at biblicalcounseling.com.Check out The Evidence Study Bible and the Basic Training Course.You can connect with us at podcast@livingwaters.com. We're thankful for your input!Learn more about the hosts of this podcast.Ray ComfortEmeal (“E.Z.”) ZwayneMark SpenceOscar Navarro

In today's discussion on the role and opportunities of the local church, Ray, E.Z., Mark, and Oscar are joined at the G3 Conference by special guest Mike Riccardi. Together, they examine how the local church is not just somewhere to go every week but is in fact a vital and irreplaceable part of the life of every believer.The discussion dives into the deeply personal and significant role of the local church in our spiritual journeys. Sharing a personal anecdote, Mike illustrates the shepherd-like qualities of his own pastor, John MacArthur and his wife Patricia, who provided care for his newborn twins in the hospital during a health complication. The local church, when you look closer, is more than a structure. It's a family of God, a source of teaching, guidance, and shared experiences, an irreplaceable part of our walk with Christ.In their conversation, the guys also highlight the implications of the trend of Christians substituting physical church attendance with online sermons. This practice, which grew in popularity during the pandemic, often lacks accountability and personal application of the Word of God. Meaningful membership in a local church is key to fulfilling the commands of the New Testament.Reflecting on the Reformation, the guys illuminate its role in shaping our understanding of the priesthood of all believers. This understanding is vital for discerning where each of us can best contribute to the church. They also explore the myriad of ways churches can engage in outreach and evangelism, from door-to-door visitation to prison ministries.Today's episode makes a compelling case for church attendance and integration into a local congregation. It also encourages listeners to reflect on their own commitment to the local church, challenging Christians everywhere to be better ambassadors for Christ in our communities.This episode was recorded at G3 2023 National Conference.Thanks for listening! If you've been helped by this podcast, we'd be grateful if you'd consider subscribing, sharing, and leaving us a comment and 5-star rating! Visit the Living Waters website to learn more and to access helpful resources!You can find helpful counseling resources at biblicalcounseling.com.Check out The Evidence Study Bible and the Basic Training Course.You can connect with us at podcast@livingwaters.com. We're thankful for your input!Learn more about the hosts of this podcast.Ray ComfortEmeal (“E.Z.”) ZwayneMark SpenceOscar Navarro

Dawain is chopping it up with Bradley Pierce this week. This is another episode recorded during the G3 Conference - enjoy!https://twitter.com/bradleywpiercehttps://faa.life/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-b-a-r-podcast/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Dawain is back in the building with a special guest - David Lovi - to talk about the new film "Cessationist". He spoke with David after the premiere at the G3 Conference.http://www.cessationistmovie.com/https://twitter.com/TheCessationistSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-b-a-r-podcast/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

My husband and I have been attending the G3 Conference in Atlanta since 2017. I want to share some of my favorite aspects of the conference (with the hope you'll put it on your list for 2025) and provide some helpful resources so you can benefit from the conference at home. G3+ App - sign up here and use the code MARCIG3PLUS for two months free. Head over to ThankfulHomemaker.com for full show notes RESOURCES: Join Thankful Homemaker for access to the Free Library of Resources Follow ThankfulHomemaker on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest & Instagram Patreon Support Join the Thankful Homemaker Facebook Group Subscribe to the Podcast on Your Favorite App  Online Courses & Printables Advertise/Sponsor the Podcast Thankful Homemaker Merchandise Buy Marci a Cup of Coffee xo     

Your hosts just returned from their trip to G3. This episode is an update. Thank you for listening and supporting Theologic!Check out our Bi-weekly Topical Episodes, Monthly Interviews, and Quarterly Debates!Support the show

I'm discussing the upcoming G3 Conference to prove Cessationism true and Charismatic false. This is Cessationism at its worst. Check out my website for more: https://restoringyourvoice.substack.com/ To donate: https://restoringyourvoice.substack.com/p/donate Come hang out on my channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/DavidCMcGuire --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/restoring-your-voice/message

My wife and I just returned from the G3 National Conference in Atlanta. Here's what happened.

On this episode of Protestia Tonight for September 26th, we go live to discuss the fallout from the G3 Conference and answer sincere questions about the state of the anti-woke schism occurring on the issue of Christian Nationalism.

Responding to questions from listeners after Day 1 of the G3 Conference, how did Jesus use the Greek word malakoi in Matthew 11:8, and what's with the upcoming Christmas musical? Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

“Virgil L. Walker serves as the Executive Director of Operations for G3 Ministries. Virgil served as the Discipleship Pastor at Westside Church in Omaha, Nebraska for 6 years and is the co-host of the Just Thinking Podcast.” To Follow Virgil:  Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/virgillwalker/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/1BlkConservative Twitter: https://twitter.com/VirgilWalkerOMA G3 Ministries: https://g3min.org Uncle Tom (The Movie):  https://www.uncletom.com The Just Thinking Podcast: https://justthinking.me/start/ LISTEN EVERYWHERE: https://instabio.cc/extraordinarylives Going to the G3 Conference? Get 30% OFF using our discount code: G3OPEL Where to Find us? Ordinary People Merch: https://ordinary-people-with-extraordinary-lives.myshopify.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ordinarypeoplepodcast/ Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ ordinarypeoplewithextraordinarylives/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ordinarywith Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ordinarypeoplepod Check out our website: http://ordinarypeoplewithextraordinarylives.com/   Need help with audio? Reach out to Andrea Cline: https://andreaclineaudio.com      Find us on the BAR Network:  https://www.instagram.com/thebarnetwork/ SUPPORT US! Patreon:  Become a Patron! www.patreon.com/Ordinarypeoplewithextraordinarylives   WANT TO SHARE YOUR TESTIMONY WITH US?  Email us: podcast@ordinarypeoplewithextraordinarylives.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ordinarypeoplepodcast/support

Responding to questions from listeners about the location of the Garden of Eden, did God ever allow incest in the Bible, is it okay for Christians to attend huge conferences, and teaching resources. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

In this episode, I had the opportunity to talk with Josh Buice. We discuss manhood, the church, the gospel, making the most of Christmas, and more. I think you're really going to be encouraged by this conversation. In his words..."Josh Buice serves as the pastor of Pray's Mill Baptist Church, a 180-year-old church that hosts the G3 Conference. Josh is the husband to Kari and father of four children: Karis, John Mark, Kalli, and Judson. He studied at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he earned his MDiv and DMin in expository preaching. Josh has a passion for biblical preaching, missions, church planting, and the local church. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, running, hunting, and spending time with his family." Learn more about G3 Ministries here: https://g3min.org Follow Josh on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/joshbuice/ Learn more about Be A Man here: https://linktr.ee/be_a_man_bam If you enjoyed the episode, please like, subscribe, and share with a friend!

Marc Stasio and his wife, Alyssa, are going into full-time ministry with CRU. It was founded in the 1950's as a ministry to reach and equip college students. They are looking for both financial and prayer partners as they embark on this new adventure. He is also a regular attendee at the G3 Conference with his co-hosts from the Bibledingers podcast. This is a weekly podcast where they teach through the Bible with an emphasis on the historical context of the scripture. Web: www.bibledingers.com Here's our giving link:https://give.cru.org/1132706Sign up for our online newsletter:https://cru.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=99f2a6a1feb23dc60d6eadc9b&id=59fac825a5Learn more about Marc and Alyssa:https://express.adobe.com/page/qJ4S8DS6mwave/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-b-a-r-podcast/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Started off with a little ministry report from the G3 Conference and my time in Pennsylvania. Then we talked a little bit about the Master's Seminary controversy, then about the debate from Saturday afternoon, and finished up with a response to Costi Hinn about-Doug Wilson and Michael Brown. An hour and twenty minutes.

Started off with a little ministry report from the G3 Conference and my time in Pennsylvania. Then we talked a little bit about the Master's Seminary controversy, then about the debate from Saturday afternoon, and finished up with a response to Costi Hinn about-Doug Wilson and Michael Brown. An hour and twenty minutes.

The Grubers are TIRED after last week's G3 Conference in DC. We got to reconnect with a bunch of friends, meet new ones, and get fed some GOOD sould food! Listen to this week's episode for a recap of G3 and the Ligonier's 2022 State of Theology report! RESOURCES Check out this awesome clip of Dr James White checking out some old manuscripts of the NT on our Instagram! 2022 State of Theology GRAB OUR NEWEST SHIRTS! We launched TWO new shirts! One is our new Gather shirt with a beautiful design set on a heather maroon shirt. The second shirt is on a Midnight Blue heather shirt with a light blue design stating very plainly "I want Scripture, not your opinion." Head to carpefide.com/shop to pick these up in the US store today! SUPPORT THE LIBERTY COALITION CANADA! Grab one of our Hold the Line Shirts or Hoodies or Come Take It Pulpit shirts to support Liberty Coalition Canada as they continue to cover Canadian news & events and seek to glorify God in all things. No one likes fake news, so lets support our brothers and sisters on the front lines!US & Canada Store: carpefide.com/shop CREDITS Audio Post Production by Jaeger WincklerJaeger is a high school senior who enjoys writing, theology, audio editing, and music. He has many projects underway, including, but by no means limited to, writing a book, composing musical accompaniments to some of Tennyson's poems, and saving up for college at New Saint Andrews in Moscow, Idaho. You can read more about him and his thoughts at jaegerwinckler.com.

Douglas Wilson is a popular pastor, theologian, and author. He has many friends in the Biblical, Reformed, G3 Conference, Shepherds' Conference, Evangelical world. He's considered a champion of Biblical truth and Reformed-Protestant Christianity by many. He is not. Douglas Wilson is a false teacher. He's a counter-reformer and an enemy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He teaches that Catholics are his brothers and sisters in Christ. He says Catholics are participants in the New Covenant, but not necessarily regenerate or born again. That is a Biblical and theological impossibility -Jer. 31-31-34-. He declares Catholics to be saved by faith alone despite the fact that they reject salvation by faith alone and participate in a system of sacramental works righteousness that blasphemes Christ's tetelestai. Douglas Wilson has -a different gospel, which is not another- -Gal. 1-6-9-. He declares the premier Roman Catholic apologist, G.K. Chesterton, to be saved despite his ardent adherence to and defense of soul damning Catholic heresy because in Doug's estimation -contrary to Scripture- Chesterton yet evidenced the grace of God and Holy Spirit at work in his life. Wilson dogmatically says he's not going to make it to Heaven if G.K. Chesterton -Catholic Apologist-, J.R.R. Tolkien -Catholic-, and C.S. Lewis -Pseudo-Catholic, mystic, pagan- didn't make it to Heaven. In addition to Wilson's false teaching regarding salvation-he's a consistently profane and immoral man who enjoys using highly sexualized -sometimes pornographic- illustrations, imagery, terms, and demeaning slurs toward women. I pray Christ's men will stand up, defend the Gospel, defend women, and protect the Church.

Douglas Wilson is a popular pastor, theologian, and author. He has many friends in the Biblical, Reformed, G3 Conference, Shepherds' Conference, Evangelical world. He's considered a champion of Biblical truth and Reformed-Protestant Christianity by many. He is not. Douglas Wilson is a false teacher. He's a counter-reformer and an enemy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He teaches that Catholics are his brothers and sisters in Christ. He says Catholics are participants in the New Covenant, but not necessarily regenerate or born again. That is a Biblical and theological impossibility -Jer. 31-31-34-. He declares Catholics to be saved by faith alone despite the fact that they reject salvation by faith alone and participate in a system of sacramental works righteousness that blasphemes Christ's tetelestai. Douglas Wilson has -a different gospel, which is not another- -Gal. 1-6-9-. He declares the premier Roman Catholic apologist, G.K. Chesterton, to be saved despite his ardent adherence to and defense of soul damning Catholic heresy because in Doug's estimation -contrary to Scripture- Chesterton yet evidenced the grace of God and Holy Spirit at work in his life. Wilson dogmatically says he's not going to make it to Heaven if G.K. Chesterton -Catholic Apologist-, J.R.R. Tolkien -Catholic-, and C.S. Lewis -Pseudo-Catholic, mystic, pagan- didn't make it to Heaven. In addition to Wilson's false teaching regarding salvation-he's a consistently profane and immoral man who enjoys using highly sexualized -sometimes pornographic- illustrations, imagery, terms, and demeaning slurs toward women. I pray Christ's men will stand up, defend the Gospel, defend women, and protect the Church.

Douglas Wilson is a popular pastor, theologian, and author. He has many friends in the Biblical, Reformed, G3 Conference, Shepherds' Conference, Evangelical world. He's considered a champion of Biblical truth and Reformed-Protestant Christianity by many. He is not. Douglas Wilson is a false teacher. He's a counter-reformer and an enemy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He teaches that Catholics are his brothers and sisters in Christ. He says Catholics are participants in the New Covenant, but not necessarily regenerate or born again. That is a Biblical and theological impossibility -Jer. 31-31-34-. He declares Catholics to be saved by faith alone despite the fact that they reject salvation by faith alone and participate in a system of sacramental works righteousness that blasphemes Christ's tetelestai. Douglas Wilson has -a different gospel, which is not another- -Gal. 1-6-9-. He declares the premier Roman Catholic apologist, G.K. Chesterton, to be saved despite his ardent adherence to and defense of soul damning Catholic heresy because in Doug's estimation -contrary to Scripture- Chesterton yet evidenced the grace of God and Holy Spirit at work in his life. Wilson dogmatically says he's not going to make it to Heaven if G.K. Chesterton -Catholic Apologist-, J.R.R. Tolkien -Catholic-, and C.S. Lewis -Pseudo-Catholic, mystic, pagan- didn't make it to Heaven. In addition to Wilson's false teaching regarding salvation-he's a consistently profane and immoral man who enjoys using highly sexualized -sometimes pornographic- illustrations, imagery, terms, and demeaning slurs toward women. I pray Christ's men will stand up, defend the Gospel, defend women, and protect the Church.

Douglas Wilson is a popular pastor, theologian, and author. He has many friends in the Biblical, Reformed, G3 Conference, Shepherds' Conference, Evangelical world. He's considered a champion of Biblical truth and Reformed/Protestant Christianity by many. He is not. Douglas Wilson is a false teacher. He's a counter-reformer and an enemy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He teaches that Catholics are his brothers and sisters in Christ. He says Catholics are participants in the New Covenant, but not necessarily regenerate or born again. That is a Biblical and theological impossibility (Jer. 31:31-34). He declares Catholics to be saved by faith alone despite the fact that they reject salvation by faith alone and participate in a system of sacramental works righteousness that blasphemes Christ's tetelestai. Douglas Wilson has "a different gospel, which is not another" (Gal. 1:6-9). He declares the premier Roman Catholic apologist, G.K. Chesterton, to be saved despite his ardent adherence to and defense of soul damning Catholic heresy because in Doug's estimation (contrary to Scripture) Chesterton yet evidenced the grace of God and Holy Spirit at work in his life. Wilson dogmatically says he's not going to make it to Heaven if G.K. Chesterton (Catholic Apologist), J.R.R. Tolkien (Catholic), and C.S. Lewis (Pseudo-Catholic, mystic, pagan) didn't make it to Heaven. In addition to Wilson's false teaching regarding salvation…he's a consistently profane and immoral man who enjoys using highly sexualized (sometimes pornographic) illustrations, imagery, terms, and demeaning slurs toward women. I pray Christ's men will stand up, defend the Gospel, defend women, and protect the Church.

Why do we go to church? Give me 20 mins and let me answer the question in this live episode from the G3 Conference 2021 in Atlanta, GA.

The past few years have been a strange few years of numerous cases pf black people claiming they have experienced a racist event only to come out it's been false... Pastor Darryl Miller, A pastor in Atlanta Georgia, claimed he had a racist and life changing experience at the G3 Conference recently held. Upon investigation I found conflicting evidence to his claims as well as many who were there came out and stated things did not go the way Darryl claims it did. Hope you enjoy this video! God Bless! #G3Conference #JustThinkingPodcast #VoddieBaucham Subscribe & click

Listen to this recap of our experience at this year's G3 Conference. https://g3min.org/ justthinking.me --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

New Episode!!! Live from Atlanta at the G3 Conference!

This episode is also available as a blog post: http://the-end-time.org/2021/10/02/home-from-g3-conference-a-report/

THE PATRIARCH IS IN THE HOUSE! Justin and Jesse have their Pop, John, in for a recording on some hot topics. We cover hardcore school boards, drone strikes on civilians, and Facebook fact checkers. Oh my!See some of you at the G3 Conference next week!CREDITSAudio Post Production by Jaeger WincklerJaeger is a high school senior who enjoys writing, theology, audio editing, and music. He has many projects underway, including, but by no means limited to, writing a book, composing musical accompaniments to some of Tennyson's poems, and saving up for college at New Saint Andrews in Moscow, Idaho. You can read more about him and his thoughts at jaegerwinckler.com.

The Bible has plenty of warnings about false teachers and how to identify them. Because of its rejection of Scripture, the essence of God, the divinity of Jesus, and so much more, Progressive Christianity can fairly be called a counterfeit version of true Christianity.But, with all it rejects about the good news of Jesus Christ, what does the movement teach is the gospel? That question, and so many more, are answered in this episode, as Ciara and Jessi wrap up their look at a theology that puts man and his feelings at the center of his worship instead of God and His word. Show Notes:The Christian Post: Michael Gungor Fully Embrace Atheism for a Year, Wife Lisa Says  https://www.christianpost.com/news/gungor-i-dont-believe-in-god-anymore.htmlMichael Gungor tweet https://twitter.com/michaelgungor/status/1418657203116986372Michael Gungor IG live video https://www.instagram.com/tv/CRuUNhjgvau/"Ex-New Age Guru Steven Bancarz Debunks the Universal Christ" https://youtu.be/1AIwGpaNX4QPhil Johnson, Social Justice vs. Authentic Biblical Justice https://youtu.be/i-5CkaqCHkUTim Challies, What's the Purpose of the Church? https://www.challies.com/articles/whats-the-purpose-of-the-church/ContendGlobal.com on Jonathan Edwards https://www.contendglobal.com/blog/revival-of-holiness-day-24Michael Kruger, The Ten Commandments of Progressive Christianity https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0821X99RM/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1Apologetics Resources:Canon Fodder, Michael Kruger (resources of the origins of the New Testament canon) https://www.michaeljkruger.com/And book by Michael Kruger https://www.amazon.com/Michael-J-Kruger/e/B001JRX244?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_4&qid=1628054952&sr=8-4Voddie Baucham, Why You Can Believe the Bible https://youtu.be/G1XJ7DeR5fcVoddie Baucham, Expository Apologetics https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016WOAICW/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1Natasha Crain (great for both kids and adults) https://natashacrain.com/resources/The Truth Project (Focus on the Family) https://www.focusonthefamily.com/faith/the-truth-project/Dr. James White, New Testament Reliability Part 1 https://youtu.be/pL0P6sH0cJMDr. James White and Michael Kruger on the Biblical Canon, G3 Conference https://youtu.be/LVVRfu1eLSU

Run the Race Part 2. Let's go!!! Running the race with endurance is resting in the accomplished work of our Savior, Jesus. He gives His followers what is needed to endure and grow in the faith.This is part 2 of a conversation between Anthony and guest Tony Bennet as they unpack what running the race looks like. “let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith”. Hebrews 12: 1-2Listen to Run The Race Part 1#runtherace #philippians #savedbygrace #abideinchrist #loveforchrist #sanctification #justificationBe sure to check out and make plans to attend the 2021 G3 Conference, Biblical Christology.Christ is supreme over all.Sep 30 - Oct 2, 2021 Atlanta, GA. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pastor Andrew, our guest speaker for our G3 Conference, gave a message that fits nicely into the new series on Different. He used the wedding at Cana (John 2;1-11) as a metaphor for the party (life), gone bad/dry when the wine (joy/life) runs out. Stay connected:Website: https://www.lifechurchww.com​​​Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lifechurchww​​Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifechurchww​​Vida Music: https://www.vidamsc.com​​

It may seem simple and straightforward: Don't make or worship idols. But our idea of what constitutes an idol may just be the tip of the iceberg when reading deeper into the second commandment and what God is really trying to communicate. For the Lord, worship - right worship - of Him is a big deal. In this episode of crosswise, Ciara and Jessi discuss ways Christians are accidentally stepping over the line into what is actually prohibited in the second commandment even in their attempts to avoid idolatry and worship the true God rightly. You may hear "idol" and think "golden calf," but don't be deceived into thinking that's all there is to it. G3 Conference on Worship: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4k0RewlNCcCXvyurlTdKJ_CYbkND-UHw"Make No Graven Image" from Ligonier: https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/make-no-graven-image/Thomas Watson on the Second Commandment: https://ccel.org/ccel/watson/commandments.iv.ii.htmlHeidelberg Catechism on the Second Commandment: http://www.heidelberg-catechism.com/en/lords-days/35.htmlInterview with John Piper - Ask Pastor John - "Does the Bible Forbid My Nativity Set?"https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/does-the-bible-forbid-my-nativity-set

In 2019, Paul Washer delivered a stirring message at the G3 Conference defining a biblical missionary. His challenge begs the question: must missionaries meet the standard set by 1 Timothy 3:1-13 and Titus 1:5-9? Are all missionaries elder-qualified lead church-planters, or is there room for a diversity of roles on missionary teams? Scott and Alex explore this intricate topic with their Bibles open in this episode. Want to ask a question or suggest a topic? Email us. The Missions Podcast is powered by ABWE International and the Global Gospel Fund. This episode is also sponsored by Radius International, CROSS Conference, Fusion, and Evangelical Council for Abuse Prevention. Abuse Prevention National Conference 2021 attendees: use promo code ABWE21 to receive 20% off your registration.

In 2019, Paul Washer delivered a stirring message at the G3 Conference defining a biblical missionary. His challenge begs the question: must missionaries meet the standard set by 1 Timothy 3:1-13 and Titus 1:5-9? Are all missionaries elder-qualified lead church-planters, or is there room for a diversity of roles on missionary teams? Scott and Alex explore this intricate topic with their Bibles open in this episode. Want to ask a question or suggest a topic? Email us. The Missions Show is powered by ABWE International and the Global Gospel Fund. This episode is also sponsored by Radius International, CROSS Conference, Fusion, and Evangelical Council for Abuse Prevention. Abuse Prevention National Conference 2021 attendees: use promo code ABWE21 to receive 20% off your registration.

This is part two of Eddie Roman’s interview with me at the G3 Conference. Eddie works, largely, behind the scenes at Ray Comfort’s “Living Waters” ministry, which some of you may be familiar with.