Governed by God

REPLAY:Politics is dirty (right?), so the Bible has nothing to say about it (or does it?). But when we look closely at Scripture, I think we will find that it says more about politics (i.e., the concerns of the city) than we give it credit for.If you have any questions, comments, or other topics you would like me to address, please email me at [email protected] can follow me on Facebook or Twitter, or go to http://www.ericluppold.com/And if you would like to support the show, please become a patron!

Due to various time constraints, including finishing a PhD, I will be pausing our study of America's history and will be providing shorter content. Today I read my first Substack article of a series titled Loving God, Loving Neighbor. I begin by defining terms such as "law" and "covenant" and set the groundwork for how Christians should understand and apply God's law today.As always, if you have any questions or comments, please email me at [email protected] or go to my Substack page at http://www.governedbygod.com and message me there!And if you would like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron!

In this week's episode, I finish looking at the pastors known as the Black-Robed Regiment who, through their teaching and preaching, helped solidify and give a moral defense of the American War for Independence. Today, I end this series with John Witherspoon, who served as the President of the College of New Jersey (i.e., Princeton University) and then was chosen to be a delegate of New Jersey at the Continental Congress. Although John Witherspoon gave numerous sermons throughout his long life, one of the most influential was titled, Dominion of Providence Over the Passions of Man. This sermon was given in 1776 in Philadelphia just as the American Colonies declared independence from England. Witherspoon was the only active clergyman and college president to sign the Declaration of Independence, and so I hope that you will enjoy this brief look at one of our Founding Fathers.As always, if you have any questions or comments, please email me at [email protected] can follow also me on Facebook or Twitter, or go to http://www.governedbygod.comAnd if you would like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron!

In this week's episode, I continue looking at the pastors known as the Black-Robed Regiment who, through their teaching and preaching, helped solidify and give a moral defense of the American War for Independence. Today I consider Ashbel Green, who served as the chaplain for the U. S. House of Representatives, and then later as President of the College of New Jersey (i.e., Princeton University). While Pastor Green ministered for many years, one sermon that I wanted to focus on was given by him in 1798 in Philadelphia. It was titled: Obedience to the Laws of God, the Sure and Indispensable Defense of Nations. Perhaps one of the best treatises on how God blesses or punishes a nation, it is very much applicable today in America as it was over 200 years ago.As always, if you have any questions or comments, please email me at [email protected] can follow also me on Facebook or Twitter, or go to http://www.governedbygod.comAnd if you would like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron!

In this week's episode, I continue looking at the pastors known as the Black-Robed Regiment who, through their teaching and preaching, helped solidify and give a moral defense of the American War for Independence. Today I consider Samuel Stanhope Smith, who served as both a professor and President of the College of New Jersey (i.e., Princeton University) in the late 1700s and early 1800s. As such, Pastor Smith exercised an incredible influence over the founding fathers. On this episode, I go over two of his sermons: Religion Necessary to National Prosperity and Patriotism. Those sermons, along with many others, can be found in the two-volume set titled The Sermons of Samuel Stanhope Smith.As always, if you have any questions or comments, please email me at [email protected] can follow also me on Facebook or Twitter, or go to http://www.governedbygod.comAnd if you would like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron!

In this week's episode, I continue looking at the pastors known as the Black-Robed Regiment who, through their teaching and preaching, helped solidify and give a moral defense of the Declaration of Independence and American War for Independence. Today I consider both William Cooper and his son, Samuel Cooper. Both men served as pastor of Brattle Street Church, an influential church in Boston whose congregants included John Hancock, John Adams, and Samuel Adams.As always, if you have any questions or comments, please email me at [email protected] can follow also me on Facebook or Twitter, or go to http://www.governedbygod.comAnd if you would like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron!

In this week's episode, I begin looking at several influential pastors at the time of the founding of the United States. These men were known as the Black Robed Regiment who, through their teaching and preaching, helped solidify and give a moral defense of the Declaration of Independence and subsequent conflict with Great Britain. The first pastor that I consider is Reverend Samuel Langdon, specifically two of his most well known sermons as well as his private letter to George Washington.As always, if you have any questions or comments, please email me at [email protected] can follow also me on Facebook or Twitter, or go to http://www.governedbygod.comAnd if you would like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron!

In this week's episode, I read through the Declaration of Independence and explain the historical context of each grievance. I also discuss whether or not the colonists had sufficient reasons to "divorce" England. I wonder how many Americans today would side with the colonists?As always, if you have any questions or comments, please email me at [email protected] can follow also me on Facebook or Twitter, or go to http://www.ericluppold.com/And if you would like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron!

In this week's episode, I interrupt my regularly scheduled programming to respond to an article from Pastor Kevin DeYoung titled 6 Questions for Christian Nationalists. DeYoung's article (linked below) explains why he does not like the term 'Christian Nationalism' and why he thinks it is problematic. While I agree with much of what DeYoung says, there are several points where I differ with him. Today I discuss both agreements and disagreements with DeYoung's article from the position of Theonomy.Here is the full article from DeYoung: 6 Questions for Christian NationalistsAs always, if you have any questions or comments, please email me at [email protected] can follow also me on Facebook or Twitter, or go to http://www.ericluppold.com/And if you would like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron!

In this week's episode, I had the opportunity to speak with Pastor David Reece on the topic of civic covenanting. Pastor Reece, who has done extensive work on the topic, discusses the importance of covenant and its role in the founding of the United States. We also look at the role of the civil magistrate and the various ways in which humans have historically tried to justify using force upon each other. Ultimately, the foundation of civil power must be grounded in God and is, by nature, covenantal.For more information on Pastor Reece and the work that he is doing, please take a look at Reece Fund.As always, if you have any questions or comments, please email me at [email protected] can follow also me on Facebook or Twitter, or go to http://www.ericluppold.com/And if you would like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron!

In this week's episode, I address the events leading up the American War for Independence. What was English Parliament trying to do, and how were the colonists responding? Was that response correct and Biblical? I consider these questions and similar ones on the podcast.As always, if you have any questions or comments, please email me at [email protected] can follow also me on Facebook or Twitter, or go to http://www.ericluppold.com/And if you would like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron!

In this week's episode, I discuss the context surrounding the English Civil War that eventually led to the Glorious Revolution of 1688. There was both a political/economic aspect as well as a religious aspect that resulted in conflict between English Parliament, the New Model Army, King Charles I (and later Charles II), and the Scots. And through all of that chaos, the American colonies remained neutral and ultimately governed themselves. This set the stage for a future movement toward greater American independence.As always, if you have any questions or comments, please email me at [email protected] can follow also me on Facebook or Twitter, or go to http://www.ericluppold.com/And if you would like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron!

In this week's episode, I look at the church-state relationship in Europe at the time of the Reformation, and how many of the Protestant areas continued with Catholic practice. There were some slow changes, such as in Geneva under John Calvin, but in England there were many who saw that the Reformation did not go far enough. These individuals were known as the Puritans, who sought to purify the beliefs and practices within the Church. Finally, I look at the concept of the Divine Right of Kings, as held by King James I, and how that encouraged many folks from England to settle in America.As always, if you have any questions or comments, please email me at [email protected] can follow also me on Facebook or Twitter, or go to http://www.ericluppold.com/And if you would like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron!

In this week's episode, I continue my response to a discussion of Romans 13 hosted by Rev. Chris Gordon on Abounding Grace Radio. In that conversation, Rev. Gordon, Dr. Jim Cassidy, and Rev. Dan Borvan look at Romans 13 and consider how that applies to Christians today. They also dive into related topics such as Theonomy and Christian Nationalism. While they say several true things, I believe that they misunderstand the Theonomist and Christian Nationalist position. At they very least, they appear to attack a straw man and do not deal with the best Theonomist arguments. My hope in this two-part response is to provide some counterpoints and to move the conversation into a productive direction.As always, if you have any questions or comments, please email me at [email protected] can follow also me on Facebook or Twitter, or go to http://www.ericluppold.com/And if you would like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron!

In this special edition of the podcast, I deviate from my planned recording in order to respond to the recent martyrdom of Charlie Kirk. I say 'martyrdom' because Charlie was a casualty within a spiritual war and was killed specifically because of the gospel of Jesus Christ.And while Tyler Robinson may have been the man who pulled the trigger, Charlie Kirk was ultimately murdered by Asherah. Do I mean to say that Tyler Robinson was demon-possessed? While that is not outside the realm of possibility, my central argument is that the battle over the ideas surrounding transgenderism is a spiritual battle that is thousands of years old. And so, on today's episode, I do a historical and theological dive into the topic of transgenderism to explain and expose the demonic forces behind it.As always, if you have any questions or comments, please email me at [email protected] can follow also me on Facebook or Twitter, or go to http://www.ericluppold.com/And if you would like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron!

In this first episode of Season 6, I respond to a discussion of Romans 13 hosted by Rev. Chris Gordon on Abounding Grace Radio. In that conversation, Rev. Gordon, Dr. Jim Cassidy, and Rev. Dan Borvan look at Romans 13 and consider how that applies to Christians today. They also dive into related topics such as Theonomy and Christian Nationalism. While they say several true things, I believe that they misunderstand the Theonomist and Christian Nationalist position. At they very least, they are attacking a straw man and not dealing with the best Theonomist arguments. My hope in this two-part response is to provide some counterpoints and to move the conversation into a productive direction.As a reminder, please sign up to attend the Future of Christendom conference from October 9-11 in Lancaster, PA. The theme of the conference is No Other Name and includes an address by Pastor Jeff Durbin. If you use the code GovernedbyGod when you sign up, you will get a 10% discount on your tickets!As always, if you have any questions or comments, please email me at [email protected] can follow also me on Facebook or Twitter, or go to http://www.ericluppold.com/And if you would like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron!

On this final episode of Season 5, I look at the topic of Statism. Despite using that term in the past, I wanted to do a deeper dive into Statism - the idolatry of the civil government. Referencing works such as Idols For Destruction and Identity and Idolatry, I discuss what Statism is, what it looks like, and how to respond to it. I also play a recent clip from New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani regarding government-run grocery stores as a perfect example of Statism. Ultimately, the answer to Statism is not separatism, or staying removed from politics/civics, but the word of God and the good news of Jesus Christ. Please sign up to attend the Future of Christendom conference from October 9-11 in Lancaster, PA. The theme of the conference is No Other Name and includes an address by Pastor Jeff Durbin. If you use the code GovernedbyGod when you sign up, you will get a 10% discount on your tickets!As always, if you have any questions or comments, please email me at [email protected] can follow also me on Facebook or Twitter, or go to http://www.ericluppold.com/And if you would like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron!