There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. —Soren Kierkegaard. "…truth is true even if nobody believes it, and falsehood is false even if everybody believes it. That is why truth does not yield to opinion, fashion, numbers, office, or sincerity–it is simply true and that is the end of it" – Os Guinness, Time for Truth, pg.39. “He that takes truth for his guide, and duty for his end, may safely trust to God’s providence to lead him aright.” – Blaise Pascal. "There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily" – George Washington letter to Edmund Randolph — 1795. We live in a “post-truth” world. According to the dictionary, “post-truth” means, “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” Simply put, we now live in a culture that seems to value experience and emotion more than truth. Truth will never go away no matter how hard one might wish. Going beyond the MSM idealogical opinion/bias and their low information tabloid reality show news with a distractional superficial focus on entertainment, sensationalism, emotionalism and activist reporting – this blogs goal is to, in some small way, put a plug in the broken dam of truth and save as many as possible from the consequences—temporal and eternal. "The further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it." – George Orwell “There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.” ― Soren Kierkegaard
Did you know that simply praising the Lord is one of the best way to glorify Jesus. We read in (Psalm 50:23): “Whoever offers praise glorifies Me…” I don’t know about you but having a constant attitude of gratitude, a heart full of thanksgiving, and a lifestyle of praise to our God are all simple things that glorify the Creator of the universe.
Too often Christians complain and murmur about what is wrong with society rather than focus on what is right about Jesus. While society is in a mess complaining about it won’t change things. But spending more time in praising our Lord will change our attitude about life and focus it more on the goodness of Jesus and not on the badness of our world. If more Christians would have a passion for praise our God would be glorified more and we would spend less time focusing on Satan’s power over the lost souls on planet earth.
I believe it is time for all Christians to have a (Psalm 100) frame of mind. Perhaps you might even want to memorize this incredible psalm and use it as a template for your life. (Psalm 100) reads as follows:
1 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. 2 Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs. 3 Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name. 5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.
And the great thing about praise is that it isn’t based on our feelings, which change with the circumstances, but on the goodness of God – which never changes. (Psalm 150:2) says: “Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!” We don’t praise God based on how we feel, but based on who He is – and He is always worthy to be praised. Knowing this, I believe, is the secret that will allow us to praise God in both the good and bad times.
When we realize that our circumstances don’t have to determine our praises we can focus on what should determine our praises – and that’s God’s goodness. As a result, we can echo what King David proclaimed in (Psalm 9:1-2): “I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works. I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.” This is the mindset that all Christians should have when it comes to thinking about God. We should realize just how special we are to God and how good Jesus always is. This is summed up so beautifully in (1 Peter 2:9): “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
This awesome verse has fueled my passion for praise for two main reasons. First, it tells me how special I am to God. And second, this verse lets me know that I am no longer living in darkness but in the marvelous light of Christ. I challenge you to meditate on (1 Peter 2:9) and (Psalm 150:2) and see if you don’t get excited about praising Jesus at all times. I believe if you let these two special verses sink deep into your soul then praise will bubble up to overflowing in your heart!
And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last. REVELATION 1:17
There is a point in true worship where the mind may cease to understand and goes over to a kind of delightful astonishment—probably to what Carlyle described as “transcendent wonder,” a degree of wonder without limit and beyond expression! That kind of worship is found throughout the Bible (though it is only fair to say that the lesser degrees of worship are found there also). Abraham fell on his face in holy wonderment as God spoke to him. Moses hid his face before the presence of God in the burning bush. Paul could hardly tell whether he was in or out of the body when he was allowed to see the unspeakable glories of the third heaven. When John saw Jesus walking among His churches, he fell at His feet as dead. These were in unusual circumstances—but the spiritual content of the experiences is unchanging and is found alike wherever true believers are found. It is always true that an encounter with God brings wonderment and awe! The pages of Christian biography are sweet with the testimonies of enraptured worshipers who met God in intimate experience and could find no words to express all they felt and saw and heard! Christian hymnody takes us where the efforts of common prose break down, and brings the wings of poetic feeling to the aid of the wondering saint. Open an old hymnal and turn to the sections on worship and the divine perfections and you will see the part that wonder has played in worship through the centuries.
Tozer, A. W., & Smith, G. B. (2015). Evenings with Tozer: Daily Devotional Readings (p. 42). Moody Publishers.
Yes! dearest Lord Jesus, thou art all this, and infinitely more to my soul; more fragrant than both, and more precious than all the flowers of the field. Help me, this evening, to contemplate my Lord under those sweet similitudes. Do I not, and shall I not henceforth, in the red blushing beauty of the rose; behold thy human nature, which thou hast assumed for the redemption of thy people? Are not thy bloody sufferings, and thy red apparel, strikingly set forth by the image of the rose; as thy spotless purity is shown under the loveliness of the white lily? Can the sweet-scented rose, even of Sharon, vie with the perfume of the incense of thy righteousness to a poor sinner’s soul? Or can the beauty of the lily be as grateful to the eye as the purity of Jesus to a mind conscious of its own pollution, and beholding itself complete in his salvation, who is “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens?” But wherefore Sharon’s rose, and the valley’s lily, unless it be to speak thine infinite greatness in the excellency of Sharon, and thine infinite humbleness in the lowest part of the earth, as the valley. And indeed, Lord, in thine own wonderful person, thou comprehendest all things, in the length, and breadth, and depth, and height! Thou art both the Alpha and Omega: the first and the last. And though Lord of all, thou didst condescend to become servant of all. Be thou to me, my Lord, every thing that is precious and lovely, as the rose of Sharon, and as the lily of the valley. And oh! give me a sweet conformity to thyself, and thy loveliness. And though my sins be red as scarlet, do thou make them whiter than the snow: though they be as the crimson, do thou make them as the wool! Cause me to be washed in that fountain which thou hast opened for sin and for uncleanness; and bring me to join that happy multitude before thy throne, “who have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb!”
Hawker, R. (1845). The Poor Man’s Evening Portion (A New Edition, pp. 44–45). Thomas Wardle.
Many persons, if they are asked what they understand by salvation, will reply, “Being saved from hell and taken to heaven.” This is one result of salvation, but it is not one tithe of what is contained in that boon. It is true our Lord Jesus Christ does redeem all his people from the wrath to come; he saves them from the fearful condemnation which their sins had brought upon them; but his triumph is far more complete than this. He saves his people “from their sins.” Oh! sweet deliverance from our worst foes. Where Christ works a saving work, he casts Satan from his throne, and will not let him be master any longer. No man is a true Christian if sin reigns in his mortal body. Sin will be in us—it will never be utterly expelled till the spirit enters glory; but it will never have dominion. There will be a striving for dominion—a lusting against the new law and the new spirit which God has implanted—but sin will never get the upper hand so as to be absolute monarch of our nature. Christ will be Master of the heart, and sin must be mortified. The Lion of the tribe of Judah shall prevail, and the dragon shall be cast out. Professor! is sin subdued in you? If your life is unholy your heart is unchanged, and if your heart is unchanged you are an unsaved person. If the Saviour has not sanctified you, renewed you, given you a hatred of sin and a love of holiness, he has done nothing in you of a saving character. The grace which does not make a man better than others is a worthless counterfeit. Christ saves his people, not in their sins, but from them. “Without holiness no man shall see the Lord.” “Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” If not saved from sin, how shall we hope to be counted among his people. Lord, save me now from all evil, and enable me to honour my Saviour.
Spurgeon, C. H. (1896). Morning and evening: Daily readings. Passmore & Alabaster.
AS our endeavour is to gather up the substance of the Scriptures during the reading of one year, we are unable to pause over each of the ten great plagues. We ought, each one of us, to read them for our own instruction. We have them for our family reading summed up in
PSALM 105:24–38
24 And he increased his people greatly; and made them stronger than their enemies. (The Lord is just as able to increase his church at this time, and he will do so in answer to prayer.) 25 He turned their heart to hate his people, to deal subtilly with his servants. (Persecution generally attends the prosperity of the church. Where God blesses, Satan is sure to stir up all his wrath to vex the church.) 26 He sent Moses his servant; and Aaron whom he had chosen. (When evil days come, the Lord has deliverers provided, who shall appear at the exact moment when they are most required. Let us pray the Lord to raise up eminent ministers and evangelists at this time, for they are greatly needed.) 27 They shewed his signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham. 28 He sent darkness, and made it dark; and they rebelled not against his word. (This unusual darkness filled all hearts with horror, and the Egyptians were so cowed that they yielded for the time, but were hardened again when the plague was over.) 29 He turned their waters into blood, and slew their fish. 30 Their land brought forth frogs in abundance, in the chambers of their kings. Fish died, but frogs lived. God can with one hand kill our comforts, and with the other multiply our miseries. This time Pharaoh himself had to endure personal annoyance, for frogs swarmed upon the royal bed. 31 He spake, and there came divers sorts of flies, and lice in all their coasts. Here filthiness and venom were united; these little tormentors made the Egyptians feel the power of the great God. Often little plagues are the worst of plagues. From this visitation Pharaoh’s bodyguards could not defend his royal person. Such enemies laughed at sword and spear. 32 He gave them hail for rain, and flaming fire in their land. It is a judgment indeed when the fountains of blessing become the channels of wrath, and the very rain is fire. Let the enemies of God beware. 33 He smote their vines also and their fig trees; and brake the trees of their coasts. God’s blows are heavy, and they leave no place unbruised. Egypt must miss its wine and its pleasant fruits if it will not obey the Lord. 34 He spake, and the locusts came, and caterpillers, and that without number, 35 And did eat up all the herbs in their land, and devoured the fruit of their ground. Locusts literally eat up every green thing, and there is no preserving anything from them. God has many ways of punishing men. In this case we wonder at the hardness of heart of those who stood out against such humbling judgments. He who can with a word bring up countless hosts of devourers is not a God to be trifled with. 36 He smote also all the firstborn in their land, the chief of all their strength. (This was the last and heaviest blow, and the proud king and nation staggered under it. When one arrow does not suffice, the Lord has others in his quiver, and one way or another he will hit the mark.) 37 He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes. What a miracle that after all their toil and bondage they should all be in health. They were all called to go upon a long journey, and therefore the Lord prepared them for it. 38 Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of them fell upon them. Thus can providence so work that the stoutest opponents shall only be too glad to yield. Let us beware of provoking this terrible God. Let us by faith enlist him upon our side: then we shall have no ground for fear, for all the creatures he has made will be our friends. Fire and water, locusts and flies, darkness and death, were all the allies of Israel. He who is at peace with God has the whole creation enlisted upon his side.
Thus shall the nations be destroy’d
That dare insult the saints;
God hath an arm t’avenge their wrongs,
An ear for their complaints.
Thine honours, O victorious king,
Thine own right hand shall raise,
While we thine awful vengeance sing,
And our Deliverer praise.
Spurgeon, C. H. (1964). The Interpreter: Spurgeon’s Devotional Bible (p. 78). Baker Book House.
For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, that I might win the more. And to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law, though not being myself under the Law, that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some. And I do all things for the sake of the gospel, that I may become a fellow partaker of it. (9:19–23)
The primary purpose of Paul’s not taking full advantage of his Christian liberty was that [he] might win the more. He deeply believed that “he who is wise wins souls” (Prov. 11:30) and was willing to do anything and to sacrifice anything to win people to Jesus Christ. As far as his rights were concerned he was free from all men, but because of his love for all men he would gladly limit those rights for their sakes. He had, figuratively, become a slave to all. He would modify his habits, his preferences, his entire life-style if any of those things caused someone to stumble, to be offended, or to be hindered from faith in the Lord.
Again we are reminded that in the gray areas of living, those that involve practices about which the Bible does not speak, Paul, as all believers, was free to do as his conscience allowed. But love would not let him do anything that the consciences of weaker believers would not allow. Love would not even allow him to do things that would be offensive to unbelievers to whom he witnessed. He would put every questionable thing in his life under the control of love.
Under the Mosaic law every Hebrew who was enslaved by another Hebrew had to be offered his freedom after six years. But if he loved his master and preferred to remain in that household, he could become a permanent slave, and his ear was pierced as a sign of his voluntary enslavement (Ex. 21:2–6).
In a figurative way Paul made himself such a slave to other men. I have mademyself a slave is only two words in Greek (edoulōsa, “I enslave,” and emauton, “myself”). That word for enslavement is very strong. It is used to describe Israel’s 400-year experience in Egypt (Acts 7:6), the marriage bond (1 Cor. 7:15), addiction to wine (Titus 2:3), and the Christian’s new relationship to righteousness (Rom. 6:18). It was not a small or easy thing that Paul enslaved himself to all. But his Lord had taught that “whoever wishes to be first … shall be slave of all” (Mark 10:44).
Paul’s willing adjustment of his living in order to identify with those to whom he witnessed was part of what today we call preevangelism. What he did in this regard was not a part of the gospel; it had nothing to do with the gospel. But it helped many unbelievers to listen to the gospel and be more open to receive it.
To illustrate his voluntary slavery Paul mentions three ways in which he had adapted, and would continue to adapt, his living in order to help others be more receptive to Christ. Each of these illustrations, like the statement of the principle itself (v. 19), ends with a purpose clause (“that I might/may …”) indicating his great desire to win people to Christ.
To the Jews I became as a Jew. First, within scriptural limits he would be as Jewish as necessary when working with Jews. In Christ he was no longer bound to the ceremonies, rituals, and traditions of Judaism. Following or not following any of those things had no affect on his spiritual life. But if following them would open a door for his witnessing to Jews, he would gladly accommodate. What had once been legal restraints now had become love restraints. His motive was clearly to win Jews to salvation in Jesus Christ.
Speaking of his fellow Jews, Paul said, “My heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation” (Rom. 10:1). Even if preaching to the Gentiles caused some Jews to accept Christ out of jealousy, that would be good (11:14). Earlier in that same letter he said, “For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh” (9:3).
If he was willing to do that for the sake of his fellow Jews, he could surely abide by their ceremonial regulations, observe a special day, or refrain from eating certain foods—if doing those things would help win those who are under the Law. When Paul wanted to take Timothy with him in his ministry he had him circumcised, “because of the Jews who were in those parts” where he intended to go (Acts 16:3). Timothy’s circumcision was of no benefit to him and certainly not to Paul. But it could be of great benefit to their ministry among Jews and was a small price for the prospect of winning some of them to the Lord.
At the advice of James and other leaders of the Jerusalem church, Paul willingly paid for and participated in a Jewish purification ceremony with four other Jewish Christians. He took part in the ritual in order to prove to the Jewish critics of Christianity that he was not teaching Jews to completely abandon Moses and the Old Testament law (Acts 21:20–26). The special Jewish vow Paul took in Cenchrea (Acts 18:18) may have been for the sake of some Jews.
Because Jews were still under the Law, Paul would himself act as under the Law when he worked among them. He did not believe, teach, or give the least suggestion that following the law was of any spiritual benefit. It could not gain or keep salvation, but it was a way of opening doors to work among the Jews.
To those who are without law, as without law. Second, Paul was willing to live like a Gentile when he worked among Gentiles.
To keep from being misunderstood, he makes it clear that he is not talking about ignoring or violating God’s moral law. The Ten Commandments and all of God’s other moral laws have, if anything, been strengthened under the New Covenant. For example, not only is it sin to commit murder but also to be inordinately angry with your brother or to call him a fool. Not only is adultery sinful, but so is lust (Matt. 5:21–30). Love does not abrogate God’s moral law but fulfills it (Rom. 13:8, 10; cf. Matt. 5:17). None of us in Christ is without [outside] the law of God, but rather are under the law of Christ. Every believer is under complete legal obligation to Jesus Christ—even though love, rather than the externalities of the law, is to be the guiding force.
In other than moral matters, however, Paul identified as closely as possible with Gentile customs. He ate what they ate, went where they went, and dressed as they dressed. The purpose again was to win the Gentiles to Christ.
To the weak I became weak. Third, Paul was willing to identify with those, whether Jew or Gentile, who did not have the power of understanding to grasp the gospel. When among those who were weak he acted weak. He stooped to the level of their weakness of comprehension. To those who needed simple or repeated presentations, that is what he gave them. No doubt he demonstrated that kind of consideration in the case of the Corinthians themselves (cf. 2:1–5). His purpose was to win them to salvation.
In summary, Paul became all things to all men, that he might by all means save some. He did not compromise the gospel. He would not change the least truth in the least way in order to satisfy anyone. But he would condescend in any way for anyone if that would in any way help bring him to Christ. He would never set aside a truth of the gospel, but he would gladly restrict his liberty in the gospel. He would not offend Jew, Gentile, or those weak in understanding.
If a person is offended by God’s Word, that is his problem. If he is offended by biblical doctrine, standards, or church discipline, that is his problem. That person is offended by God. But if he is offended by our unnecessary behavior or practices—no matter how good and acceptable those may be in themselves—his problem becomes our problem. It is not a problem of law but a problem of love, and love always demands more than the law. “Whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone wants to sue you, and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. And whoever shall force you to go one mile, go with him two” (Matt. 5:39–41).
Paul’s life centered in living out the gospel and in preaching and teaching the gospel. Nothing else was of any concern to him. I do all things for the sake of the gospel. His life was the gospel. He therefore set aside anything that would hinder its power and effectiveness.
Fellow partaker (sunkoinōnos) refers to joint participation, joint sharing. The idea here is that Paul wanted everyone else to be a fellow partaker with him in the benefits and blessing of the gospel. He wanted them to be with him in the family of God.1
22 Those with a weak conscience (1 Cor 8:9–12) he also wants to be sure to win (v. 22). He becomes “weak”—that is, he refrains from exercising his Christian freedom, and acts as they do respecting these indifferent things. He has forfeited his freedom for the sake of all, that by all these means some may be saved.2
22a Paul’s final category is “the weak,” precisely the category that has been at issue in ch. 8. In 8:10–13, he admitted that he would voluntarily give up his right to eat meat if in doing so he would keep a fellow believer “with a weak conscience” from falling away from the faith. So here he may be suggesting that to the weak he acted as one who was weak in order to make sure that he did not destroy the faith of the weak. However, in the other three examples Paul is referring to “winning” people for Christ, not keeping them in the faith. While the overall context of this chapter must always be kept in view, Paul may also be referring to his coming to the Corinthians “in weakness” (2:3) rather than trying to cater to the wise and sophisticated (as he had done in Athens). Since so many of Paul’s converts in Corinth could be classed sociologically as “the weak” (1:27), he is reminding them of his initial style of ministry among them.
22b–23 In vv. 22b–23, then, Paul sums this principle up: “I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.” It is not that Paul is wishy-washy; rather, he tailors his message to his audience with the intention of reaching them for Christ—i.e., so that they together “may share in [the gospel’s] blessings.”3
22 Since the three preceding items have to do with Jewish or Gentile social settings, what then does Paul intend by this final item, “to the weak I became weak”? On the one hand, this is probably Paul’s way of beginning to bring the argument back around to where he left it (at 8:13–9:1). This seems all the more likely, since it follows hard on the heels of the discussion of the previous group, who almost certainly represent those with whom Paul is in conflict in this church and with whom he has been arguing throughout the letter. At the same time, however, especially since he speaks also of “winning them,” one must be careful of too specific an identification with the “weak” mentioned earlier (8:7–13). Perhaps the missing comparative (“like”) is more significant than is often allowed.378 This may well reflect a moment of realism and thereby intentionally be a more generalizing category. For any number of reasons, partly related to his working with his own hands, Paul experienced considerable weakness in Corinth (see on 2:1–5; 4:9–13; cf. 2 Cor. 4:7–18; 11:16–12:10). As noted regarding an earlier passage (4:9–13), he considered this to be a paradigm of the Christian life; thus “to the weak,” that is, the majority of the Corinthian believers (cf. 1:26–31), he “became weak, to win the weak.” Thus this language probably represents a more purely sociological category than a socio-religious one. And the comparable contrast (“strong to the strong”) not only would not fit the present argument, but would finally border on nonsense. At this point Paul is a conscious follower of the humble carpenter from Nazareth, who had “nowhere to lay his head.”
However one is able to “fine tune” what has preceded, Paul’s concluding sentence, “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means381 I might save some,” summarizes and thereby generalizes the argument. The apostle’s actions, which appear to them to be inconsistent, have integrity at a much higher level. Whereas he is intransigent on matters that affect the gospel itself, whether theological or behavioral (e.g., 1:18–25; 5:1–5, etc.), that same concern for the saving power of the gospel is what causes him to become all things to all people in matters that don’t count. The substitution of the verb “save” in this final clause makes it certain that the verb “win” in the five earlier clauses meant precisely that—eschatological salvation for the perishing through Christ’s death and resurrection (cf. 1:18, 21). For Paul everything is subordinated to this central concern of his life, this “destiny” that God has laid upon him (v. 16).4
9:22 / Paul relates the pattern of his ministry to the situation that existed in Corinth. There, some persons whose religious scruples precluded their eating idol meat were regarded as (and perhaps called) the weak. Paul explains how he behaved toward such persons in keeping with his selfless method of mission, and by implication he calls for those who were not weak to do the same. Paul declares that he sought to become all things to all people in all ways so that he might serve as God’s agent in all possible circumstances in order to save some.5
9:19–23Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave. Paul summarizes the paradox of a Christ follower’s lifestyle in yet another “imitate me” statement that gives content to his charge in 9:24. Verses 19–23 set the stage for his exhortation in verse 24, illustrating how his life exemplifies what theirs should be. Instead of focusing on their rights, they should “run in such a way as to get the prize” (9:24). The specific examples function as personal illustrations designed to highlight the goal. They are not designed to highlight Paul’s achievements. He simply covers the fields of tension among the Corinthians—the areas that generated conflict between the “strong” who claimed rights and the “weak” whose faith was hurt or hindered because of those claims.
To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. All the common English translations translate the Greek Ioudaios as “Jew.” As a mere rhetorical contrast to Gentiles, such a translation seems natural. However, Paul obviously was a Jew, even a law-abiding one (Phil. 3:4–6). Emphasizing that he “became” a Jew to the Jews seems somewhat odd and suggests that Paul was less than a Jew to other groups. It is possible, therefore, that Paul refers to Judeans as an ethnic group distinguished from, for example, Galileans in their clothing and traditions.
Traditionally, verses 20–21 are read as a simple contrast between Jews and Gentiles. On the surface it seems Paul argues in favor of a somewhat duplicitous approach to evangelism. When among Jews (“those under the law”), he keeps the law; when among Gentiles (“those not having the law”), he feels free to break the law. Part of the difficulty is Paul’s wordplay in verse 21, which proves rather difficult to express in an English translation. He uses anomos four times, referring to those outside Jewish law, and ennomos (“under the law”) once, referring to Christ’s law. In regular Greek usage, the terms anomos and ennomos respectively mean “illegal” and “legal.” Paul’s parenthetical statement in 7:21 then highlights that his eagerness to be “legal” in relation to Christ’s demands does not make him “illegal” in relation to God’s. Paul does not argue in favor of duplicity (the end justifies the means), but he underscores how his personal rights and preferences must be put aside for the sake of evangelism (7:22).
I do all this for the sake of the gospel. Paul’s motivation and purpose do not waver. He is driven by one vision and one love—that he may become a participant of the gospel. Verse 23b expresses his longing through a purpose statement (introduced by hina): “that I may share in its blessings,” or “that I may become its participant” (lit., “co-sharer”). The reference is the gospel, not those he wins for it. To participate in the gospel means to participate in the life of Jesus, sharing in the suffering necessary to bring salvation to the weak and those outside God’s community. This means bringing together the socially dependent and the socially superior, restoring love between alienated ethnic groups, and establishing a Christian community, where suffering for the sake of others finds direction and motivation from the death and resurrection of Jesus.6
19–23 It must not be supposed, from these expressions of the Apostle, that he was a time-serving man, for he had before declared, that it was the Gospel which he preached, and that a woe would be unto him, if he preached not the Gospel. But the sense is, that he explained the Gospel to the Jew upon Jewish principles, and to them that were without law as without law, the Gospel superseding the law by the finished salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ; meaning, that in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision availed any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. Paul preached wholly Christ, knowing, that if righteousness came by the law, then Christ was dead in vain. Gal. 2:21. So that this kind, accommodating spirit, never relinquished a single point of importance in the Gospel, but only enabled the Apostle to address himself to his several hearers, as might best come up to their apprehension of divine things, and to gain and gather out the Lord’s people in every place, and among every class, wheresoever he found them. Sweet pattern for ministers, while studying to shew themselves approved of God!7
Ver. 22.—To the weak. His whole argument here is a plea for condescension to the infirmities of weak converts. A similar condescension to their prejudices might be necessary to win them to Christianity at all (ch. 8:13; “We that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves,” Rom. 15:1). St. Paul often touches on our duties to weak brethren (ch. 8:7; Rom. 14:1; 1 Thess. 5:14; Acts 20:35). All things to all men. He repeats the same principle in ch. 10:33, “I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved;” and once more, at the end of his course (2 Tim. 2:10). This condescension laid him open to the malicious attacks of religious enemies (Gal. 1:10). But not on that account would St. Paul ever be led to abandon the fruitful aid of that universal sympathy and tolerance which is one of the best tests of Christian love. That I might by all means save some. He adds this explanation of the motive of his condescension to various scruples (συγκατάβασις) lest any should accuse him of men-pleasing, as some of his Galatian opponents had done (Gal. 1:10). In his desire to win souls he acted with the wisdom and sympathy taught by experience, suppressing himself.8
Paul’s Strategy
9:19–23
19. For though I am free from all men, I was a slave to all to win as many people as possible.
With the word free, Paul returns to the discussion on freedom that began this chapter (v. 1). There he implied that he was free from the dietary restrictions that the Mosaic law placed on Jews. Now he intimates that he is free from financial dependence on anyone. By not accepting compensation from the church at Corinth for his ministry, he was free from any hindrance that could obstruct his preaching.
Freedom is a relative concept with its own limitations. Paul does not say that he is free from all things but free from all men. He echoes the idea that began the chapter (v. 1). There he states that he is free because he has Christian liberty. Here he asserts that he is free from all men, as an objective fact, because he has not availed himself of the complete freedom he possesses.
Paul could say that he was at liberty to eat or not to eat meat, and that he enjoyed financial freedom because of his tentmaking trade. Yet he was never free from God’s law, for he had freedom only within the context of that law. Augustine put it succinctly: “Man is most free when controlled by God alone.”
As a free man, Paul is able to relate to every believer in the Corinthian church. He has full apostolic rights to be free from human control, yet he chooses to be a servant of all the Corinthian believers. He literally fulfilled Jesus’ words addressed to the disciples: “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave” (Matt. 20:25–27). Paul imitates Jesus, who came not to be served but to serve.
Being a slave to all, Paul’s objective is to win as many people as possible for Christ. Let it be understood that he is not vying with other apostles to bring in the most converts. Instead, he hopes to gain more adherents with the strategy of being a slave than by any other method. Conclusively, Paul demonstrates that he is a servant of Jesus by being a servant to Christ’s people (compare Gal. 5:13).
20. To the Jews I conducted myself as a Jew to win the Jews; to those who are under the law I became as one under the law, though I myself am not under the law, to win those under the law.
a. “To the Jews I conducted myself as a Jew to win the Jews.” As one who is a slave to all, Paul begins with his own people and abides by the principle “first to the Jew and then to the Gentile.” Paul was born a Jew and was a Hebrew of the Hebrews (Phil. 3:5). But when he writes that he became a Jew to the Jews, he implies that by becoming a follower of Jesus he is a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17) and thus he is no longer a Jew or a Greek.
During his ministry, Paul adapted himself to Jewish customs when he tried to win the Jews to Christ. These are a few striking examples: He had Timothy circumcised “because of the Jews” (Acts 16:3); he made a Nazirite vow to express thanks to God for deliverance (Acts 18:18); he joined four Nazirites in their purification rites and paid their expenses for the sacrificial offering (Acts 21:23–24, 26).
Paul tried to promote the unity of the church by bringing Gentile Christians from Macedonia and Asia Minor (Acts 20:4) to Jerusalem. Although he was accused of not teaching the law of Moses to the Jewish people living in the Dispersion (Acts 21:20–21), he willingly appeased the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. He wished to demonstrate that he had no objections to obeying the law of Moses.
b. “To those who are under the law I became as one under the law, though I myself am not under the law.” Here is a parallel to the first sentence in this verse. Both sentences apply to the Jews who are under the law of Moses and also to Christians with weak consciences. But why does Paul again call attention to the Jews? The answer seems to be that he wants to make a clear distinction between those who are under the law (v. 20) and those who do not have the law (v. 21). This distinction not only applies to the Jews on the one hand and the Greeks on the other; it also seems to relate to the Christians with weak consciences who are under the law and the strong Christians who exercise their freedom from the law.
The word law in this verse and the next (v. 21) alludes to the Mosaic law. To be precise, the civil and ceremonial part of that law proved to be a burden to the Jews (compare Acts 15:10; Gal. 5:1). Yet Paul is willing to associate with those Jews who consider obedience to the Mosaic law their duty. With fellow Jews he observes their customs that include dietary rules, washings, and Sabbath observance.
As the champion of Christian liberty (see, e.g., Gal. 2:4; 5:13), Paul will put aside his freedom in Christ and place himself in bondage to the Mosaic law. He will do so in Jewish settings for only one reason: to win the Jews to Christ. However, he adds a telling disclaimer to his willingness to observe the commandments of the law of Moses: “I myself am not under the law.” He remains free in Christ Jesus.
c. “To win those under the law.” Paul’s purpose for obeying Jewish law is to encourage Jews to convert to Christianity. He is not alluding to Jewish Christians who already know that they have freedom. He has in mind the Jews who as yet do not know Jesus and the liberating power of the gospel. He desires that “those under the law” may have the same freedom he enjoys in Christ.
Even though Paul was appointed an apostle primarily to the Gentiles (see Gal. 2:7–9), he preached the gospel of salvation to both the Jews and the Greeks (Acts 20:21). Thus he sought to win both “those under the law” and “those who are without the law.” To both Jews and Gentiles, Paul adapted himself for the benefit of the gospel.
21. To those who are without the law I became as one without the law, though I am not without the law of God but under Christ’s law, to gain those who are without the law.
a. “To those who are without the law I became as one without the law.” Why does Paul not say forthrightly “Gentiles” instead of writing the lengthy circumscription “those who are without the law”? First, in this epistle he avoids alienating the Gentiles and is cautious in addressing them directly. Next, he faces both the Gentiles who are ignorant of God’s law and the Gentile Christians who are free from the Mosaic law. And last, “those without the law” might even refer to the strong Corinthians.
God had entrusted to the Jews the “very words of God” (Rom. 3:2) but had bypassed all the other nations (Ps. 147:19–20). The nations were people without the law. In Greek, Paul writes the term anomos, which has a twofold meaning: objectively, the Gentiles were without the law of God; subjectively, they were people who paid no attention to that law. In the present verse the objective meaning prevails. Paul contrasts those who are without the law with those who had received the law. Yet the subjective sense is also in force, because Paul immediately adds that he himself is not without God’s law. He lives in accordance with Christ’s law.
Whenever Paul spent time with Gentiles, he did not observe the Jewish food laws, circumcision, and New Moon and Sabbath celebrations (see Gal. 2:11–14; Col. 2:11, 16). No wonder that in Jerusalem he was accused of teaching the Jews in Dispersion to turn away from the laws and customs of Moses (Acts 21:21). From a Jewish point of view, Paul’s conduct among the Gentiles made him a Gentile. The Jews reasoned that he was not ignorant of the law; therefore he transgressed God’s precepts.
b. “Though I am not without the law of God but within Christ’s law.” With these words, Paul makes clear to both Jewish and Gentile Christians that he is not a lawless person. Notice that in three successive verses Paul emphatically informs his readers about his state:
I am free from all men (v. 19).
I myself am not under the law (v. 20).
I am not without the law of God but under the law of Christ (v. 21).
The first assertion (v. 19) should be explained in the light of the other two statements (vv. 20, 21). “Being free means being neither under law nor outside law, but in Christ.” And the one who is in Christ Jesus is a new creation. In relation to Christ Paul is free, yet at the same time he is under Christ’s law.
Engaged in a play on the term law, Paul is saying that he is free from the law by which the Jews sought salvation. But now that salvation has come through Jesus Christ, he subjects himself to the law of Christ. Through Christ, Paul’s view of the law of God has changed. He no longer seeks salvation in relation to the law but now he wants to keep the law to show his gratitude to Christ.
What, then, is this law of Christ? The expression occurs once more in the New Testament (Gal. 6:2) and describes the implementation of love: bearing one another’s burdens. Although Christ has abolished the civil and ceremonial laws, God’s moral commands remain. Paul tells his reader that the keeping of these commands is important (7:19). He even places the word of Jesus, that the worker is worthy of his wages (Luke 10:7), on a level with one of the Mosaic precepts (Deut. 25:4; 1 Cor. 9:9, 14; 1 Tim. 5:18). If the believer is within Christ’s law, at the same time he is within God’s law and obeys his will. Because Christ mediates God’s law, Paul must abide by the constraints of that law in the setting of Christ’s covenant. “Whatever God demands of him as a new-covenant believer, a Christian, binds him; he cannot step outside those constraints. There is a rigid limit to his flexibility as he seeks to win the lost from different cultural and religious groups; he must not do anything that is forbidden to the Christian, and he must do everything mandated of the Christian. He is not free from God’s law; he is under Christ’s law.”
c. “To gain those who are without the law.” In his effort to win as many people as possible to Christ, Paul seeks to win the Gentiles to the Lord. When they put their faith in Christ, these Gentiles order their lives in accord with the law of Christ.
22. To those who are weak I became weak to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all means I may save some.
We make two observations:
a. Adaptation. “To those who are weak I became weak to win the weak.” Paul now returns to his discussion on the Christians with weak consciences (8:9–13). In a roundabout way he has come full circle by reviewing the freedom he has in Christ. Thus he discusses his relationship to the weak. We would have expected syntactical balance that included the strong. But Paul is not interested in comparing the strong with the weak. The strong were free in Christ and had no guilty conscience when they ate meat that had been sacrificed to an idol. The weak were those Corinthians who were weak in conscience; they needed Paul’s counsel and his encouragement to be strengthened in their Christian faith (Rom. 14:1; 15:1).
Verse 22 intimates that in this particular passage Paul also may have been thinking of winning the economically weak Corinthians for the Lord. Earlier in his epistle he stated that among those whom God had called there were not many who were powerful and not many of noble birth, and that God had chosen the weak and insignificant things to shame the strong (1:26–28). Now Paul resonates this same message when he writes, “I became weak to win the weak.” In context, he uses the verb to win for both the Jews (vv. 19–20) and the Gentiles (v. 21) to lead them to a saving knowledge of Christ. But when Paul speaks about the weak—those whose consciences are weak—there is no need to write the verb to win. The weak already know Jesus Christ as their Savior; as weak in conscience they require help from those who are strong.
We suggest that with the phrase I became weak to win the weak in verse 22, Paul may have had in mind a double connotation—a connotation that refers to both the weak in conscience and the economically weak. Consider the fact that during his ministry in Corinth Paul readily identified himself with the poor not only in word but also in deed. His tentmaking trade was a vivid demonstration of siding with those who were economically weak (Acts 18:1–4). Paul himself belonged to the upper class, as was reflected in the education he had received. Just the same, he voluntarily donned his apron and headband to ply his trade. The social elite of the Greco-Roman world scorned him for his demeaning trade, but the lower-class people accepted him gladly. The elite considered the workshop a place not for the freeman but for the slave. Paul, however, was willing to identify with the poor to win them to Christ.
b. Actuality. “I have become all things to all men so that by all means I may save some.” The apostle is a model for everyone who desires to win people to Christ. Paul adapted himself to different situations in every culture. With the Jews he lived as a Jew, and with the Gentiles as a Gentile (within the boundaries of Christ’s command). And to the weak he became weak, so that he might become “all things to all men.”
Opponents might accuse Paul of being ineffectual, unstable, and changeable. If so, they would completely misunderstand his motive. They would fail to see the driving purpose that motivated Paul in his mission endeavor: to bring the gospel to as many people as possible.
Paul was convinced that as he preached the good news of salvation, God would open the heart of every person he chose to save. If God was pleased to save Paul, who calls himself the worst of sinners (1 Tim. 1:15), the Lord Jesus Christ could break into the heart of anyone who lived in spiritual darkness. Paul served as God’s instrument to bring sinners to God through the gospel. Paul preached, counseled, and encouraged, but the actual work of salvation belonged to God.
In a few words, Paul expresses sober realism when he writes that by being all things to all men “by all means [he] may save some.” Some Greek manuscripts have the reading “I may save all,” but the evidence favors the text we have adopted, “I may save some.” Understandably, Paul would be the first one to say that although he worked hard to present the gospel to all people, not he but God effects salvation (Phil. 2:13). He works as if all people are to be saved but he knows that only some will respond to the gospel (see 10:33; Rom. 11:14).
23. And I do all things for the sake of the gospel that I may jointly share in it.
a. “And I do all things.” Notice that Paul writes the word all four times in verses 22 and 23. That is, he is a humble servant of the gospel who will go to any length, descend or ascend to any level of society, perform any menial task as long as the gospel is proclaimed to all people. To Paul the word discrimination was unknown, for he declared that in Christ there “is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female” (Gal. 3:28). He knew that in Christ all believers are one.
b. “For the sake of the gospel.” The clause repeats the thought of verses 15–18. Paul is a servant of the gospel, as he demonstrates by serving all classes of people. He thinks of the task which the Lord has given him and which he hopes to complete. It is the task of fully proclaiming the gospel of God’s grace to all people everywhere (Acts 20:24; and see Phil. 3:7–14). Paul was ready to travel to Illyricum (modern Albania and the former Yugoslavia) and Spain to give the gospel the widest possible hearing (see Rom. 15:19, 24).
c. “That I may jointly share in it.” We would expect Paul to be the loser when he announced his intention to be a servant of all those who wanted to listen to the gospel. Paul is not the loser but the beneficiary of the blessings that accompany the preaching of the good news. Whenever a person turns in faith to Christ, there is joy and happiness in the Lord. And Paul the proclaimer of the gospel participates in the joyous celebration. In addition, he receives a rich blessing from the work of preaching the good tidings of salvation.
The literal translation of this part of verse 23 is, “that I may be a co-partner in it.” The word co-partner signifies not so much that Paul participates in the work of preaching with his associates. Rather, he is a partner in the blessings which the converts to Christ receive; that is, he rejoices with them as they claim the spiritual benefits that accrue from a life of obedience to the gospel.
Practical Considerations in 9:19–23
If Paul wanted to be all things to all men, did he not expose himself to criticism from those who would call him weak? They expected him to be a strong leader. But Paul himself shows his willingness to be a weak person among those who are weak. Remaining true to the teaching of the gospel, he was free with respect to neutral things including matters of food and drink. Paul was free from the Jews, the Gentiles, and the weak, but ministered the gospel effectively to all.
Paul follows in the footsteps of Jesus, who during his earthly ministry ate with tax collectors and prostitutes. Jesus was known as their friend (Matt. 11:19) and thus was considered to be one of them. Jesus drank water given to him by a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well, and his disciples were surprised to see him talking with a woman (John 4:9, 11, 27). Jesus told the Pharisees to pay taxes to Caesar and to give to God that which belongs to God (Matt. 22:21). Jesus sets the example of accommodating himself to the culture and circumstances of the people among whom he preached the gospel. Yet the gospel itself remained unchanged.
In the interest of the gospel, missionaries, evangelists, and pastors must adapt themselves to the people and community in which they are placed. Without ever compromising the demands of the gospel, their purpose should always be to bring the people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. As Jesus puts it in his high-priestly prayer to his Father, “That they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). And having this knowledge is life eternal.9
1 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1984). 1 Corinthians (pp. 211–213). Moody Press.
2 Mare, W. H. (1976). 1 Corinthians. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Romans through Galatians (Vol. 10, p. 246). Zondervan Publishing House.
3 Verbrugge, V. D. (2008). 1 Corinthians. In T. Longman III &. Garland, David E. (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Romans–Galatians (Revised Edition) (Vol. 11, p. 339). Zondervan.
4 Fee, G. D. (2014). The First Epistle to the Corinthians (N. B. Stonehouse, F. F. Bruce, G. D. Fee, & J. B. Green, Eds.; Revised Edition, pp. 475–476). William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
5 Soards, M. L. (2011). 1 Corinthians (p. 193). Baker Books.
6 Vang, P. (2014). 1 Corinthians (M. L. Strauss, Ed.; p. 130). Baker Books.
Exodus 29:12 — Blood is found 363 times in the Old Testament. We’ll read about blood sacrifices quite regularly. Hebrews 9:22 tells us “without shedding of blood is no remission.”
Exodus 30:9 — In a few days we’ll see how seriously God took a violation of this command (Leviticus 10:1).
Matthew 26:14 — Who is Judas? Chafer Theological Seminary published a helpful overview of the life of Judas Iscariot. By the way, a good friend of mine did an interview with the new president of Chafer – keep our seminaries and Bible colleges in prayer. Pray that they hold faithful to the Word of God!
Matthew 26:28 — As you read through this passage, feel free to underline this verse. Jesus’ blood was shed for the remission of our sins.
Psalm 31:24 — Sixteen times in the Old Testament we see “good courage.” What’s the conditions? Hope in the Lord (Psalm 31:24), wait on the Lord (Psalm 27:14), finish all the work for the Lord (1 Chronicles 28:20), and fulfill the statutes of the LORD (1 Chronicles 22:13).
Proverbs 8:22 — From John MacArthur: “As long as there has been God, there has been wisdom.” While Jehovah’s Witnesses claim this refers to Jesus, Stand to Reason shows why this doesn’t refer to Jesus but just a personification of wisdom.
Share how reading through the Bible has been a blessing to you! E-mail us at 2018bible@vcyamerica.org or call and leave a message at 414-885-5370.
Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body. (Philippians 3:21)
Often when we are racked with pain and unable to think or worship, we feel that this indeed is “the body of our humiliation,” and when we are tempted by the passions which rise from the flesh we do not think the word vile at all too vigorous a translation. Our bodies humble us; and that is about the best thing they do for us. Oh, that we were duly lowly, because our bodies ally us with animals and even link us with the dust!
But our Savior, the Lord Jesus, shall change all this. We shall be fashioned like His own body of glory. This will take place in all who believe in Jesus. By faith their souls have been transformed, and their bodies will undergo such a renewal as shall fit them for their regenerated spirits. How soon this grand transformation will happen we cannot tell; but the thought of it should help us to bear the trials of today and all the woes of the flesh. In a little while we shall be as Jesus now is. No more aching brows, no more swollen limbs, no more dim eyes, no more fainting hearts. The old man shall be no more a bundle of infirmities, nor the sick man a mass of agony. “Like unto his glorious body.” What an expression! Even our flesh shall rest in hope of such a resurrection!
“I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness” – Isaiah 41:10
Fear of falling is wholesome. To be venturesome is no sign of wisdom. Times come to us when we feel that we must go down unless we have a very special support. Here we have it. God’s right hand is a grand thing to lean upon. Mind, it is not only His hand, though it keepeth heaven and earth in their places, but His right hand: His power united with skill, His power where it is most dexterous. Nay, this is not all; it is written, “I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” That hand which He uses to maintain His holiness and to execute His royal sentences — this shall be stretched out to hold up His trusting ones. Fearful is our danger, but joyful is our security. The man whom God upholds, devils cannot throw down. Weak may be our feet, but almighty is God’s right hand. Rough may be the road, but Omnipotence is our upholding. We may boldly go forward. We shall not fall. Let us lean continually where all things lean. God will not withdraw His strength, for His righteousness is there as well. He will be faithful to His promise, and faithful to His Son, and therefore faithful to us. How happy we ought to be! Are we not so?
Sometimes we act like we know what’s best, and we’ll even tell God what we think He’s doing wrong. But Romans says, “O man, who are you to reply against God?” Let Pastor Jack remind you to rely on God’s omniscience and sovereignty in today’s episode of Real Life TV.
We often feel we need to provide all of the answers in a discussion about faith. If that is the case, then we will never be ready. However, some of the most important moments are when we can lovingly reveal that the questioner has gaps in their understanding.
Approximately 30 million people watched and listened to a recent Joe Rogan podcast with New Testament scholar and apologist Wes Huff (Wes Huff on the Joe Rogan Experience: warning: Rogan curses quite a bit). Huff was invited onto Rogan’s podcast after a debate with agnostic Billy Carson went viral (Wes Huff vs. Billy Carson debate).
Over the past few weeks, I’ve spent a fair chunk of time digesting these two appearances (the Rogan show alone is over three hours) and the reactions to them across the internet. I think Huff’s popularity is a cause for great encouragement and also a challenge to us as Christians.
Three encouragements:
1.People are hungry for truth
In a time where disinformation and misinformation are rampant, people are hungry for solid answers. A look at the top of the podcast charts finds podcasts like Joe Rogan, The Daily from the New York Times (news), and Huberman Lab (health). Jordan Peterson, whose long-form conversations cover psychology, well-being, and religion has a significant following. People are not afraid of hard conversations.
2.Apologetics is very much alive
Apologetics (a defense of the faith) has a long history within the church. Justin Martyr, Tertullian, Origen, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, CS Lewis, GK Chesterton, and Blaise Pascal are some of the greatest voices in responding to questions about the faith throughout history. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, perhaps because of a more laissez-faire culture attitude, it seemed as though many Christians had moved away from apologetics to relational approaches in evangelism. While relationships remain as important as ever in evangelism, responding to the questions of unbelievers seems to be rising in importance. Some of my favorite public apologists are Tim Barnett (Red Pen Logic), Gavin Ortlund (Truth Unites), and Glen Scrivener (The Air We Breathe).
3.There is a specific opportunity with young men
Joe Rogan’s podcast audience is 80% male, most between 18 and 34 years old. Young men seem to be particularly spiritually motivated right now. Gen Z is the first generation where a more significant proportion of men attend church than women.
All Christians can and should have a real spiritual impact on other Christians. Church history provides countless examples of this. This article is just a brief historical, theological and spiritual look at two past spiritual giants: John Wesley and George Whitefield. The background to it, and rationale for it, goes as follows:
I recently wrote a piece looking at John Wesley and his famous 22 Questions. In it I offered some quotes from two authors: Fred Sanders and Thomas Oden. As I often do, parts of that article were shared on the social media. One of the quotes from my piece that I put on Facebook was this:
“The early evangelical revivals in Great Britain were profoundly shaped and informed by the ministries of George Whitefield, the Countess of Huntingdon, William Wilberforce, and William and Catherine Booth. Earlier than all of these, however, was the evangelical revival initiated by the Spirit through the calling of John and Charles Wesley. All of the above owed a great debt to the Wesleys.” Thomas Oden
One long-standing friend, Ed, who is a keen student of history, sent in the following response to that quote:
We’ll actually Whitefield preceded the Wesleys in his ministry. He was the one who started preaching in the open air and encouraged John Wesley to do the same, which John was at first reluctant to do. Because they were friends I’m sure George did owe a great deal to him, as I do to you, my friend. But it is wrong to suggest the Wesley’s came earlier.
I offered this quick reply to him:
Yes correct Ed, although it is Oden who needs to be challenged here, since I simply shared his quote. Perhaps I could have shared another quote, but Oden would have been a good enough theologian and historian to know that bit about open-air preaching. But as a Methodist minister and theologian, and the author of a 4-volume work on Wesley, he was obviously rather partial to Wesley!
I could have said more but decided that this was sufficient for a little Facebook discussion. But still, the issue was interesting, and I wanted to explore it a bit further, and thus this article. The truth is, I do not know exactly why Oden stated that as he did (he passed away in 2016, so we cannot now ask him). As I said in my reply, he would have known the actual timelines of each man.
So what he actually meant by saying “Earlier than all of these, however, was the evangelical revival initiated by the Spirit through the calling of John and Charles Wesley” is not fully clear. And I have not read every word of the four-volume set by Oden to see if he addresses it elsewhere.
But the whole matter does raise the issue of the sorts of influence one believer can have on another. One can ask who might have had more of an impact on the other: Wesley or Whitefield? They of course both had mentioned their debt to one another, even despite their theological differences.
Comparing their chronologies can give us some insights into this, but not all. So let me just do a combined timeline of the pair, at least for parts of their lives, and then offer a few closing thoughts. Obviously, Wesley preceded Whitefield in terms of birth by some 11 years. But who might have had the first spiritual birth and the like is a more important matter to explore.
Combined timeline
Here I simply borrow from the two timelines found on the Christian History Institute:
1703 JW is born
1714 GW is born
…
1720 JW goes to Oxford
1726 JW elected fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford
1727 JW takes up assistant pastorale of Wroote, Lines
1729 JW returns to Oxford, takes over leadership of Holy Club
1732 GW enrolls at Pembroke College, Oxford University. Begins praying three times a day and fasting weekly.
1733 GW invited to breakfast by Charles Wesley and introduced to the Holy Club’s 10 or 11 earnest members. Borrows from Wesley The Life of God in the Soul of Man by Henry Scougal, which “showed me that I must be born again, or be damned!”
1734 Like his Holy Club friends, GW seeks salvation through severe discipline and good works, which causes a breakdown of his health from which he never fully recovers.
1735 John and Charles leave for Georgia
1735 Following five years of penitence, GW becomes first of the Oxford methodists to experience “a full assurance of faith broke in upon my disconsolate soul!” Begins evangelizing, with converts organized into a society.
1735 GW leads the Holy Club (the Wesleys had become missionaries to Georgia). Completes his degree, is ordained a deacon in the Church of England, and preaches his first sermon. Returns to Oxford to pursue graduate studies, but then leaves to substitute preach for various friends. Decides to become a missionary to Georgia.
1737 While voyage is delayed, GW’s preaching electrifies Bristol and London; thousands pack churches to hear him. Publishes six sermons, while opponents publish against him.
1737 JW departs from America
1738 JW’s “conversion” at a meeting house on Aldersgate Street in London, May 24
1738 GW spends three months in Georgia.
1739 GW ordained a priest but finds many pulpits are now closed to him. Begins preaching outdoors, and soon tens of thousands hear of Christ in the fields. Some nobility, including the countess of Huntingdon, are drawn to Whitefield. In August, sails for America and preaches to throngs in New York and Philadelphia. Meets Ben Franklin.
1739 JW’s first open-air sermon modeled after the style of George Whitefield
1740 JW separates from Moravians
1740 In Georgia, GW selects a site for Bethesda, his orphanage, and preaches at every opportunity. April: Preaches in northern cities like Philadelphia and small towns like Fagg’s Manor, where 12,000 hear him. Midyear: Back in Georgia. Fall: Preaching tour takes New England by storm.
1741 Arriving in England in March, GW meets with great hostility, stirred largely by John Wesley’s attacks against his Calvinism. Publishes a counterattack against Wesley. Preaches extensively in England, Scotland, and Wales.
1741 JW Preaches in South Wales for first time
1742 JW preaches in the north of England for the first time with Charles. They establish an orphanage and Sunday School
1747 JW reaches in Ireland for first time (first of 42 trips).
Those who are far greater Wesley and Whitefield scholars than I am would be the ones to speak here, but I can raise a few quick points. As can be seen from the above timeline, Whitefield seems to have had the first spiritual awakening of the pair. And yes, he started open air preaching first. And one can debate when exactly we date the beginning of ‘the evangelical revival’ that Oden refers to.
But the pair would have had a fair amount of influence on each other. Some years ago I wrote three articles on Whitefield, and I can quote from two of them here:
Theologically he was a staunch Calvinist which put him at odds with John Wesley. This strong disagreement went quite public, although the two remained friends. Eventually the Methodists split between Calvinist and Arminian wings. But Whitefield always had a high regard for Wesley, and Wesley did preach at his funeral. https://billmuehlenberg.com/2015/03/31/notable-christians-george-whitefield/
Whitefield, who was as much a founder of the Methodist movement as the Wesleys were, was Calvinist in his theology, while the Wesleys were Arminian.
That led to plenty of longstanding divisions, and John Wesley published a book denouncing what he saw as major errors in Whitefield’s theology. Eventually and reluctantly Whitefield published a reply to it. But all along Whitefield sought to be a peacemaker, and never gave up hope of having Christian unity with the Wesleys.
Decades later this became a reality. But for many years Whitefield was all but written off by the brothers. But he never gave up attempting to reconcile and unite. He hung on to his theological convictions, to be sure, but he always sought to bring peace and restoration.
And as the revival and awakening in England progressed, three distinct bodies began to emerge: the Moravians (founded by Zinzendorf), the Methodists, and the Whitefieldians. The three tended to attack each other and seek to take members from each other. Whitefield himself had long sought and worked for unity, and long sought to keep all the parties as one – but without compromising key doctrinal beliefs. https://billmuehlenberg.com/2018/02/19/lessons-life-whitefield/
One article on the relationship between the two is well worth reading, but here are its closing paragraphs:
Both Whitefield and Wesley (and the Moravians) deserve credit as Founding Fathers of the great revival. What is most striking is the providential complementarity of the two men’s gifts. More than any evangelist before him, Whitefield was given the ability to scatter the seed of God’s Word across the world. To Wesley, preeminently, was granted the ability to garner the grain and preserve it.
In 1770, the year of his death, Whitefield wrote to Charles as “my very dear old friend” and described John as “your honoured brother.” To each he bequeathed a mourning ring, “in token of my indissoluble union with them in heart and Christian affection, notwithstanding our difference in judgment about some particular points of doctrine.” On Whitefield’s death, Charles penned a noble elegy. And at Whitefield’s request, his funeral sermon was preached by none other than his former opponent, John Wesley. https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/article/wesley-vs-whitefield
Closing reflection
A final thought on all this. After my friend and I on FB went back and forth, another friend, Michael, sent in a comment which was quite helpful: “Bill, I’m sure that all of these men would agree that it was the Spirit of God that was responsible for the great awakening in Great Britain, and later, in the American colonies as well. We are fortunate that we can read their sermons and their journals.”
Yes wise words indeed. And let me briefly discuss these two old friends who formed the basis of this article. They both were into the hippy scene long ago like I was, and both became Christians around the same time that I did. I first met Ed in Holland in 1979 when we came to do a YWAM missionary school. I have known him ever since.
And Michael I knew way back in high school, since at least 1970. Here they both are, many decades later, still having an influence on me, and hopefully I am having a bit of an impact on them. So whether it was Whitefield and Wesley back then, or these two friends today, they reinforce the theme of my article: Christians are to be in the business of encouraging and influencing one another.
Recommended reading
Collins, Kenneth, The Theology of John Wesley: Holy Love and the Shape of Grace. Abingdon Press, 2007. Oden, Thomas, John Wesley’s Teachings, vol. 1, God and Providence. Zondervan, 2012. Oden, Thomas, John Wesley’s Teachings, vol. 2, Christ and Salvation. Zondervan, 2012. Oden, Thomas, John Wesley’s Teachings, vol. 3, Pastoral Theology. Zondervan, 2012. Oden, Thomas, John Wesley’s Teachings, vol. 4, Ethics and Society. Zondervan, 2014. Pollock, John, John Wesley: Servant of God. Victor Books, 1989. Sanders, Fred, Wesley on the Christian Life. Crossway, 2013. Tomkins, Stephen, John Wesley: A Biography. Eerdmans, 2003. Waller, Ralph, John Wesley: A Personal Portrait. Continuum, 2003.
Dallimore, Arnold, George Whitefield: The Life and Times of the Great Evangelist of the Eighteenth Century, 2 vols. Banner of Truth, 1970, 1980. For those not wishing to read those 1200 pages, a 200-page abridged version is available: Dallimore, Arnold, George Whitefield: God’s Anointed Servant in the Great Revival of the Eighteenth Century. Crossway Books, 1990. Kidd, Thomas, George Whitefield: America’s Spiritual Founding Father. Yale University Press, 2014. Lawson, Steven, The Evangelistic Zeal of George Whitefield. Ligonier, 2014. Noll, Mark, The Rise of Evangelicalism: The Age of Edwards, Whitefield and the Wesleys. IVP, 2004. Pollock, John, George Whitefield and the Great Awakening. Lion, 1972.
“So, as they had made known to him the people of Mordecai, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.” – Esther 3:6
Haman is an anti-Joseph figure in Esther 3. Haman advises the king to destroy the Jews; the king approves, takes off his ring, and gives it to Haman as a symbol of Haman’s power, second in command (verse 10). In Genesis 41:42, Pharaoh gives his ring of power to Joseph as second in command.
Mordecai and Haman’s contrast is set; Mordecai is the Joseph figure and Haman is the anti-Joseph figure. Mordecai is poised to save God’s people, while Haman appears ready to destroy God’s people. Mordecai is not jealous of Haman; he simply refuses to bow to an anti-Christ, while every other knee bows.
Haman uses chance to determine destruction’s date, proclaiming it on the 13th of Nisan, the first month of the year – Passover Eve (Exodus 12:18). Chance seems to have triumphed over God’s promises! What Haman did not realize is that while the lot is cast in the lap, its every decision is from the Lord (Proverbs 16:33). God’s people are not delivered to chance; God works all things for their good by His providence in Christ. Haman offers silver to annihilate God’s promises – to assure that every knee would bow to him.
Haman differs from Jesus Christ, who offers neither silver nor gold, but His precious blood – not to annihilate God’s promise, but to fulfill it. Haman proclaims death to the world, but the gospel of Jesus Christ proclaims life to the world – to all who bend the knee and confess with the mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Suggestions for prayer
Pray with thanksgiving that God does not hand us over to the whims of fate. Pray that the Lord will bring more people to a saving knowledge of Christ – a bend of the knee and a confession of the mouth.
Rev. John Vermeer is Pastor Emeritus of Doon United Reformed Church in Doon, Iowa and is currently living in Cedar Lake, Indiana. He has served churches in Kansas, Iowa, and Illinois over the course of 34 years. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com.
Israeli Representatives Attend Prestigious Doha Diamond Conference Historic participation signals potential for broader economic ties. For the first time, an Israeli delegation attended the International Diamond and Gem Conference in Doha, Qatar, marking a significant step in economic engagement between the two nations. The delegation, led by Nissim Zuaretz, president of the Israel Diamond Exchange, and Eran Zini, CEO of the exchange, participated openly, entering Qatar with Israeli passports a previously unthinkable occurrence.
Israel Successfully Tests Advanced Gabriel 5 Naval Missile The Israeli Navy has successfully conducted its first operational test of the Gabriel 5, a next-generation sea-to-sea missile designed to strengthen Israel’s maritime superiority. The test, announced by the IDF, was carried out by the Missile Ship Flotilla in collaboration with the Defense Ministry’s Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D) and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).
More Government Workers Accept Trump Admin Buyout Offer, Official Says The number of workers who have decided to accept the buyout offer from the Trump administration has risen by about 25,000, according to a White House official, with some 65,000 government employees now having signed up for the offer.
Trump Says He Will Investigate California’s High-Speed Rail Project President Donald Trump told reporters Tuesday that his administration will investigate the long-delayed California high-speed rail project, which was authorized by voters in the state in 2008. California has dedicated billions to the project so far, yet no track has been laid. According to recent California High-Speed Rail Authority disclosures, 38 structures and 39 miles of guideway have been completed after spending $13.6 billion.
Syria’s New HTS Government Clashes With Hezbollah On Lebanese Border In First For the first time since Assad’s ouster in early December, Syrian Army under the new Islamist government of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) have entered areas of Hermel, Lebanon, resulting in fierce clashes with Hezbollah fighters. … “artillery shelling and heavy machine gun fire on the town of Jarmash on the city of Hermel’s northern border with Syria.”
Trump Signs Order Sanctioning The Hague’s ICC Over Treatment Of Israel The Trump-signed order states that “The ICC was designed to be a court of last resort” and that “Both the United States and Israel maintain robust judiciary systems and should never be subject to the jurisdiction of the ICC.” Biden had actually reversed Trump’s 2020 sanctions in order to back ICC investigations into Russian war crimes in Ukraine; however, Trump reversed Biden’s ending of the sanctions on his first day back in office. Washington has had a shaky relationship with the ICC going back to the Bush years. Republicans railed against the idea that top US officials could be tried.
Philippines, US stage joint air patrol, exercise over South China Sea American and Philippine warplanes flew together in a coordinated patrol and drill above the South China Sea, in the allies’ first joint maneuvers over contested waters since U.S. President Donald Trump returned to office, Filipino officials said.
Santorini under state of emergency after thousands of earthquakes, Greece A state of emergency was declared for the Greek island of Santorini on February 6, 2025, due to significant seismic activity affecting the region over the past 10 days. The measure was announced by General Vasilis Papageorgiou, Civil Protection Secretary, and will remain in effect until March 3. The most powerful earthquake recorded so far, measuring 5.2 in magnitude, occurred on February 5. The continuous seismic activity has led to the evacuation of over 10 000 residents and workers from the island.
Strong M6.0 earthquake hits south of Fiji Islands A strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.0 hit south of the Fiji Islands at 10:27 UTC (23:27 LT) on February 7, 2025. The agency is reporting a depth of 59.2 km (36.8 miles).
Wildfires engulf Argentina, prompting state of emergency Wildfires have caused significant damage in Argentina’s Patagonia region, resulting in one fatality and the evacuation of hundreds of people from the area around El Bolson.
Is America on the brink of another Jesus Revolution? There’s a new wind blowing across America. It’s a wind of freedom, optimism, hope, and yes, patriotism. What’s even more remarkable is that this movement isn’t just being carried by the older generation — it’s gaining momentum among the young.
Wi-Fi, Cell Towers May Soon Be Spying on You Without Your Consent Wireless radiation could be used to surveil people without their knowledge or consent, even if they aren’t wearing a “smart” device or holding a cellphone, according to the authors of a new study…The study showcases hardware the authors designed that leveraged ambient wireless radiofrequency (RF) radiation to detect and render a visual image of human activity — such as waving a hand or a person’s breathing rate — with over 90% accuracy.
Federal Agents May Arrest Illegal Immigrants at Churches The day after President Trump took office, the Dept of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a directive allowing ICE and CBP agents to arrest illegal immigrants in churches and schools. The DHS stated, “This action empowers the brave men and women in CBP and ICE to enforce our immigration laws and catch criminal aliens—including murderers and rapists—who have illegally come into our country. Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest. The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense.”
Globalists are conducting an intense war against both our children and our elderly The globalists are conducting an intense war against both our children and our older generations, Dr. Peter and Ginger Breggin say…the Breggins discussed their recent experience of having to rescue Ginger’s 98-year-old mother from doctors who, through Medicare regulations, are being forced to kill the elderly. “Doctor after doctor, at least three in number, in the ER and then on the hospital ward felt compelled by government regulations to impose death measures on our beloved mother simply because of her age,” the Breggins said.
Democrats Cry As “Liberal Supply Chains” Are Wiped Out And Their Favorite Multi-Billion Dollar Money Machine Is Shut Down How much power would you have if you had a giant money machine that showered your political allies and political causes that you favor with tens of billions of dollars every year? The corruption that is being uncovered at USAID is truly historic. USAID has a budget that is larger than the CIA and the State Department combined, and much of that money was funding a vast network of liberal activists and liberal causes all over the globe. When Laura Ingraham of Fox News asked U.S. Senator Josh Hawley about this, Hawley explained that Democrats “are just losing their minds” because “liberal supply chains” are being cut off…
Leftist Screeching “Elon Musk spent over $280 million to elect Trump and his GOP allies. Now Musk is collecting on that investment — grabbing control of the system that gets your grandpa his Social Security check, pays your mom’s doctor through Medicare, and keeps your kid’s Head Start center open.” —Senator Elizabeth Warren “We’ve got Donald Trump and his co-president Elon Musk, and they’re just running a wrecking ball through it.” —Elizabeth Warren speaking about Big Government “Before our very eyes, an unelected shadow government is conducting a hostile takeover of the federal government.” —Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer “The American people will not stand for an unelected secret group to run rampant through the executive branch. Being innovative is good, but Mr. Musk, this isn’t a tech startup. These are public institutions.” —Chuck Schumer forgetting that Donald Trump runs the executive branch and empowered Elon Musk “If DOGE attacks USAID today, then you can be sure they’ll move on to another target tomorrow. Who knows, maybe it’ll be the Postal Service, or the IRS, or even the Social Security Administration. They could be next!” —Chuck Schumer “We talked about Trump wanting to be a dictator on day one, and here we are. This is what dictatorship looks like.” —Congresswoman Ilhan Omar “I think what is really important for the American people to understand is that this [USAID] money really amounts to less than 1% of what our budget is as a country. It is money that goes to the most vulnerable around the world. It is already appropriated and it can’t be reappropriated. And so what we are seeing right now is Elon Musk, a billionaire, who is attempting to take away resources from the poorest people around the world.” —Ilhan Omar “[USAID] not only leads on humanitarian assistance around the world but also works to combat corruption and foreign aid programs. It’s a big part of what they do. I kind of see how that could make Elon Musk a bit uncomfortable.” —MSNBC’s Jen Psaki “The deep state is far preferable to the Trump state.” —Bill Kristol showing his true undemocratic colors Projection “This dude is probably one of the most unintelligent billionaires I have ever met or seen or witnessed.” —Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez regarding Elon Musk Say That Again … Slowly “They are raiding the government, attempting to steal taxpayer money. That’s what the situation at the Treasury Department is all about.” —House Democrat Leader Hakeem Jeffries “Tone Down the Rhetoric” “We are going to fight it legislatively, we are going to fight it in the courts, and we are going to fight it in the street.” —Hakeem Jeffries Death Cult “Donald Trump is turning his back on our servicemembers — and our servicewomen in particular — to score political points. It’s shameful, and it will only make us less safe.” —Elizabeth Warren responding to the Pentagon striking a Biden-era order to pay for abortion travel expenses Dumb & Dumber “We have decided … to demonize a certain type of immigrant … either from Central America or Mexico. They are brown.” —”The View” co-host Sunny Hostin “How does President Trump make sure that the effort to deport people who are not in the country legally doesn’t end up hurting Americans who want safe borders … but also don’t want to see even more higher prices in groceries?” —CNN’s Jake Tapper The BIG Lie “The people that commit 80% of the most violent crimes in this country are white supremacists.” —Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett Race Bait “Iowa is 90% white and only 4.5% black. … So when Republicans suggest Iowa should be a national model, they’re advocating for a government that doesn’t reflect our country.” —Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley “More than a third of Black NFL players surveyed by the AP are discouraged by a lack of Black coaches.” —Associated Press Can’t Fix Stupid “Karine Jean-Pierre Would Not Have Done It Any Differently.” —Rolling Stone headline Non Compos Mentis “President Donald Trump will sign an executive order Wednesday designed to prevent people who were biologically assigned male at birth from participating in women’s or girls’ sporting events.” —ESPN “Trump claims there are only ‘2 genders.’ Historians say that’s never been true.” —CBC News headline “I have a trans daughter. There are threats against her life. … There are people that want to annihilate her and people like her. The level of hatred — as if we haven’t learned from fascism. Like we haven’t learned what the result of that is: the extermination of human beings.” —actress Jamie Lee Curtis “In God’s Kingdom, immigrants and refugees, transgender people, the poor and the marginalized are not at the edges, fearful and alone. They are at the center of the Gospel story.” —Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe “Lego can be anti-LGBT, says Science Museum.” —headline at The Telegraph
With about three programs worth of material to present, Jim covered as much ground as he could. Here’s a sample of what was shared during the first quarter-hour of the broadcast.
–The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) paid almost 2 million dollars to empower transgender organizations in Guatemala. 1.5 million was spent to promote the LGBTQ+ agenda in Serbia. About 151 million went to aid terrorists in Gaza and the West Bank. Overall, Elon Musk estimates that your federal government squandered about 700 billion dollars per year on fraud and more than a trillion dollars on waste.
–Elon Musk has hired a team of six software engineers between the ages of 19 and 24 as members of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
–The interim U.S Attorney for Washington, D.C., is suggesting individuals threatening employees at DOGE could be prosecuted.
–Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed Tuesday that preliminary recruitment figures for the military show how interest in serving is quickly rising under President Trump.
–Last Saturday President Trump declared a national emergency along the U.S./ Canada border.
–On Thursday, President Trump authorized economic and travel sanctions against the International Criminal Court for targeting the U.S. and Israel.
–The U.S. Department of Defense is developing plans to withdraw all U.S. troops from Syria citing some defense officials.
–On Wednesday, Elon Musk vowed to end the federal government’s wasteful expenditure of nearly 8.5 million last year on premium subscriptions to Politico.
–Biden’s U.S. Department of Agriculture sought to punish schools that did not adopt the radical LGBT agenda by denying underprivileged children access to free or reduced lunches under the national school lunch program.
–There are zero academic subjects in which more than half of America’s public education students are proficient.
–President Trump is preparing an executive order aimed at eventually closing the Education Department and in the short term, dismantling it from within according to people briefed on the contents.
–On Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent signaled that the White House wants Trump’s tax cut package from 2017 to be extended permanently before the expiration this year rather than a temporary extension.
–President Trump signed an executive order that calls for an end to men’s participation in women’s sports.
–The NCAA fell in line yesterday, announcing a new policy that limits college women’s sports to those “assigned female at birth only.”
–A judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked President Trump’s executive order mandating that transgender women in federal prison be housed in male facilities and the government stop funding their gender-affirming care.
When Sports Rule the World DiJonai Carrington is a guard for the Connecticut Sun, a WNBA team. She is expecting the WNBA to take a “clear and serious stance” against the new (democratically elected) president. What specifically she’s expecting isn’t clear, but it’s not a pat on the back for Trump. Always classy, DiJonai.
Extortion Note Writ Large In a brilliant attempt to make their message known, a large crowd shut down the 101 Freeway in Los Angeles for hours, protesting the deportation of illegal immigrants. There’s nothing like an “in your face” “We don’t care how much trouble we cause! We’re going to make you knuckle under” protest (read “extortion”) to win the hearts and minds of the people. Well, okay, you’re right. Let’s discard the rule of law and the universal notion of national borders and just open ’em up. Well see how that works for you. Just stop destroying our Sundays.
Obstructionist U.S. Senator Brian Schatz said he would block Senate votes on Trump’s nominees in protest over closing the USAID … because everyone knows that diplomats don’t deserve to be considered if you don’t like the guy nominating them. It’s not on merits; it’s on political disagreement. It’s stupid. It’s obstructionist.
Hate Speeches Angry protesters descended on Washington D.C. to demonstrate against Elon Musk. They’re battle cry: “Nobody elected Elon.” The truth is no one elected a single member of Trump’s cabinet. No one ever has elected any cabinet member for any president. But it’s only Elon they’re irate about. Because “We hate billionaires!” Cabinet members have been doing what cabinet members have always done and no one has argued “We have to stop the destruction of our democracy!” Until now. Please … stop … you’re embarrassing yourselves. You have to know that American democracy is not predicated on giving foreign aid, right?
Trump Derangement Syndrome Democrats have filed for impeachment of Trump because they didn’t like what he said about Gaza. I can’t even …
A Breaking Story Here’s a breaking story. On the cutting edge of research, scientists have found the recipe for boiling eggs. While we’re in an egg crisis. Because no one has ever figured out how to boil eggs before. Your research dollars at work. Sigh. (And, no, that’s not a story from the Bee.)
In Other Fake News … The WHO is warning that Trump’s funding cuts may delay the release of the newest pandemic. Elsewhere, liberals are outraged that Trump won’t let men punch women in the face for sport. And then there’s the sad news that with USAID shut down, Ecuadorian children may never discover their true gender.
After just under 3 weeks in office, President Trump has already delivered on many of the promises he made on the campaign trail. Praise God!
From Just the News. When President Donald Trump affixed his signature on Executive Order 14168 at an Oval Office ceremony Wednesday afternoon, he drew smiles from the young female athletes who surrounded him. They knew he had delivered on his promise to protect women sports from the intrusion of transgender men.
Such scenes have played out almost daily since Trump took office [19] days ago, a historically aggressive start to a presidency that on Wednesday checked off yet another of the 20 items on his 2024 campaign platform’s promises made, promises delivered list. …
Hours after being inaugurated, Trump declared the national emergency at the southern border. Construction on the partially-completed border wall has resumed and the CBP One app has been rendered defunct in its usage by illegal immigrants. At the southern border, a new and formidable presence of United States Coast Guardsmen, Marines, and other soldiers have emerged to aid Border Patrol. …
2. CARRY OUT THE LARGEST DEPORTATION OPERATION IN AMERICAN HISTORY
On January 24, the first deportation flights flew back to their home countries. …
3. END INFLATION, AND MAKE AMERICA AFFORDABLE AGAIN
Republicans on Capitol Hill are readying “one big, beautiful bill” that will slash roughly $1 trillion of spending from the budget and make his 2017 tax cuts more extensive and permanent. …
4. MAKE AMERICA THE DOMINANT ENERGY PRODUCER IN THE WORLD, BY FAR!
Energy production has always been a sweet spot on Trump’s agenda. … Another one of Trump’s Inauguration Day Executive Orders, “Unleashing American Energy” encourages energy exploration in our energy and resource-rich country, to establish the U.S. as a leading producer of non-fuel minerals …
5. STOP OUTSOURCING, AND TURN THE UNITED STATES INTO A MANUFACTURING SUPERPOWER
With fresh investments to the tune of $500 billion by SoftBank, Open AI and Oracle for an AI infrastructure project, and an injection of $600 billion by Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, the business boom is revving up in America. …
6. LARGE TAX CUTS FOR WORKERS, AND NO TAX ON TIPS!
President Trump has been working closely with Republicans on Capitol Hill to ensure these measures …
7. DEFEND OUR CONSTITUTION, OUR BILL OF RIGHTS, AND OUR FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS, INCLUDING FREEDOM OF SPEECH, FREEDOM OF RELIGION, AND THE RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS
8. PREVENT WORLD WAR THREE, RESTORE PEACE IN EUROPE AND IN THE MIDDLE EAST, AND BUILD A GREAT IRON DOME MISSILE DEFENSE SHIELD OVER OUR ENTIRE COUNTRY — ALL MADE IN AMERICA
An early victory in President Trump‘s effort to secure the United States was the confirmation of Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem with bipartisan support. Additionally, unanimous confirmation allowed for the swift confirmation of his pick for Secretary of State Marco Rubio. It is now the official policy of the Department of State to put America first. On January 27, Donald Trump signed another Executive Order directing the construction of an iron dome missile defense shield for our homeland.
9. END THE WEAPONIZATION OF GOVERNMENT AGAINST THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
Having discussed extensively on the campaign trail the weaponization of the United States government against him, this was high on the priority list for the President. On Inauguration Day, he signed the “Ending the Weaponization of the Federal Government“ Executive Order …
10. STOP THE MIGRANT CRIME EPIDEMIC, DEMOLISH THE FOREIGN DRUG CARTELS, CRUSH GANG VIOLENCE, AND LOCK UP VIOLENT OFFENDERS
During a press conference Wednesday, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt revealed that over 8,000 illegal aliens have been arrested and are pending deportation, with crimes ranging from terrorist activity and association with MS-13 and Tren de Aragua, to pedophilia, murder and DUIs. …
11. REBUILD OUR CITIES, INCLUDING WASHINGTON, DC, MAKING THEM SAFE, CLEAN, AND BEAUTIFUL AGAIN.
The White House has laid out its plan to rebuild infrastructure in the United States. Beyond that, President Trump met with Washington, D.C. Democrat mayor Muriel Bowser shortly before taking office to discuss shared priorities, which include improving Washington, D.C. …
12. STRENGTHEN AND MODERNIZE OUR MILITARY, MAKING IT, WITHOUT QUESTION, THE STRONGEST AND MOST POWERFUL IN THE WORLD
13. KEEP THE U.S. DOLLAR AS THE WORLD’S RESERVE CURRENCY
Aligned with President Trump’s priorities, his pick for Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, has stated unequivocally that “we must ensure that the US dollar remains the world reserve currency.”
14. FIGHT FOR AND PROTECT SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE WITH NO CUTS, INCLUDING NO CHANGES TO THE RETIREMENT AGE
This has been an ongoing and mutual priority for President Trump and many members of Congress. Upon negotiation and passage of the budget reconciliation bill, it will be delivered and signed into law by the 47th President. …
15. CANCEL THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE MANDATE AND CUT COSTLY AND BURDENSOME REGULATION
… In a November 2024 Pew Research study, a plurality, 50% of respondents said they were either not too likely or not at all likely to purchase an electric vehicle.
16. CUT FEDERAL FUNDING FOR ANY SCHOOL PUSHING CRITICAL RACE THEORY, RADICAL GENDER IDEOLOGY, AND OTHER INAPPROPRIATE RACIAL, SEXUAL, OR POLITICAL CONTENT ON OUR CHILDREN
In his January 29 Executive Order signing ceremony, schools were the focus: not only promoting school choice and allowing tax dollars to follow the student but also to block federal funding from any schools or school systems that push “gender ideology or discriminatory equity ideology.” …
17. KEEP MEN OUT OF WOMEN’S SPORTS
… President Trump signed the “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” Executive Order, protecting women and girls in their chosen field of competition. …
18. DEPORT PRO-HAMAS RADICALS AND MAKE OUR COLLEGE CAMPUSES SAFE AND PATRIOTIC AGAIN
… The Executive Order “Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Threats” was signed by President Trump on day 1.
19. SECURE OUR ELECTIONS, INCLUDING SAME DAY VOTING, VOTER IDENTIFICATION, PAPER BALLOTS, AND PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP
President Trump is supportive of multiple proposed pieces of legislation to secure US elections. Upon signing, this will complete another priority.
20. UNITE OUR COUNTRY BY BRINGING IT TO NEW AND RECORD LEVELS OF SUCCESS
Pending. The American people will ultimately decide if this promise made is kept. …
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