Peter Witkowski Discipleship, Ecclesiology

Church Wolves Will Come

The downfall of pastors both great and small should sadden us. But such events should not surprise us. In Matthew 7:15, Jesus tells his disciples, his church, to “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” In other words, false teachers will come. Pastors will fall. The church should prepare for the arrival of wolves.

Why no Guards?

The prevailing sentiment of God’s people makes no allowance for the possibility of such false teachers. The local congregation sees no need to guard the pulpit or its ministry apparatus for it assumes that only qualified, sincere, and devoted candidates will express a desire to pastor or lead a class. The local church assumes the very inclination towards the pastorate, mission field, or Sunday school room is the greatest prove of the person’s qualifications for the said ministry. When a question or two does arise that challenges the persons fitness, the majority of the congregation falls back upon this or that positive experience that they shared with the pastoral or missional candidate. The members remark that he was pleasant a conversationalist at lunch the other day or that she passionately cared for the kids in nursery the other night. Moreover, they assume that if the soon-to-be installed leader were truly of the devil, he would tell us about his love of money, or she would list teaching heresy as one of her hobbies on her social media profile. Since he’s nice, he must be qualified to lead the youth group. Since she’s nice, we really should support her trip to Nepal. No thought is given to the possibility that that the nice face could just be a mask hiding the soul of a wolf.

Beware the Wolf

According to Jesus, we should entertain such a possibility. Instead of blindly trusting every person with a Bible, our savior longs for us to test the spirits. In other words, we should examine the fruit of those who aspire to church and ecclesiastical leadership. Jesus notes in Matthew 7:18, “A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.” When a prospective leader arrives at the church, the church should pat down the person’s character to see what fruit he or she has produced. Anyone can say “Lord, Lord,” talk passionately for a few minutes, or make a charming impression at a church social. But a man called by God to serve as an elder will bear fruit well beyond the controlled interactions tied to his professional ministry. He will consistently affirm others with his words, demonstrate a love for his family, a compassion for his enemies, a contentment with his income, and sexual purity. The man who spews out hate, hungers for money, and focuses inordinate amount of his attention upon sexual topics should not be advance into the pulpit even if he seems sincere, passionate, and gifted. In other words, the man who justifies his moral failings through appeals to his ability (an ability he may truly possess) is unquestionably wolf. To borrow the words of Paul, a faithful teacher must be above reproach (Titus 1; 1 Timothy 3). There is no room for equivocation. A good teacher will not preach truth on Sunday and then lie on Monday. A godly leader will produce good fruit.

What A Wolf Does

Once the church grants the wolf unfiltered access to the sheep, the false teacher will feast on the lives, relationships, and finances of the sheep, leaving a path littered with the bloody fruit of sin. The wolf may not stop feasting until he has eaten that local church into extinction. The damage one wolf or a wolf pack can do stretches the limits of our imagination. If a wolf cannot be removed quickly, the sheep should flee.

What God Does

Though wolves remain a very real threat, no wolf will overthrow the Church. Local outposts may fall into disrepair when their pulpits are left unguarded, but the church militant will forever survive. Moreover, justice will come. Someday soon, the false trees will be cut down and cast into hell (Matt 7:19). The good shepherd will also attend to his wounded sheep, restoring them to health. God will always show himself faithful even during a wolf attack.

Though God will stand by his church, wisdom demands that local churches should exam a potential church leader’s spiritual fruit long before giving him the keys to the pulpit or the ministry framework. Not every wolf has to run rampant among the sheep if we will but stand guard. Will you?

Peter Witkowski Apologetics

Responding Biblically to the Russo-Ukrainian War

While war proves scary, the Bible proves ever relevant. When the images of the first Russian rocket attacks lit up my phone with notifications, my heart sank. While I cannot grasp the geopolitical consequences of the Russo-Ukrainian War that began in earnest on February 24, 2022, I do know that we have indestructible hope. The Scriptures offer us 5 life-inspiring principles that will guide us through this age of international turmoil:

1: Do not Fear

While wars and rumors of war catch our media pundits and military analysts by surprise, Jesus fully anticipated all that we are experiencing today.

And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet – Matt. 25:6.

Christians should understand that war is the natural disposition of men and women who refuse to bow the knee to king Jesus (Jm. 4:4). As Jesus makes clear in Matthew 5:9, peace proves to be the exclusive fruit of the Kingdom of God. Until men and women submit to God’s will on earth like the angels do in heaven, wars will remain. The day is coming when every knee will bow. But that day is not today. Wars remain.

Despite what the social media says, Christians should not assume that every war represents the beginning of the apocalypse. As Jesus notes in Matthew, “the end is not yet.” The fact that Putin could be labeled the anti-Christ today more than 505 years after Luther determined that Pope Leo X was the anti-Christ and more than 218 years after English protestants determined that Napoleon was the Anti-Christ should give us pause. Like the Christians before us, we hate suffering and want to console ourselves with the hope that our suffering will be special and short lived. Yet, Jesus anticipates his church will suffer much non-apocalyptic harm because of wars and unjust governments prior to his return. Wars and rumors of war reveal the need for Jesus to come quickly but they do not necessarily serve as the guarantee of his immediate return. Do not place your hope in the apocalyptic predictions of pastors; place them in the God who promises to never leave us nor forsake us no matter our circumstances. Jesus will come back but until then we must live by fatih.

2: Do not Trust in War Horses, Tanks, or Kings

The images of burning trucks, exploding buildings, and wounded civilians prove to be a powerful reminder of the folly of trusting in things other than Christ. Though politicians promise peace and claim their military policies will prevent World War III, no nation-state can prevent sin from taking hold of another nation state for it is intrinsic to the human condition. Tanks and missiles alone cannot guarantee our safety and security. Psalm 33:17 informs us that:

The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue. – Ps 33:17

Those who trust in warhorses, tanks, and aircraft carriers will be disappointed. But those who trust in the Lord who controls the hearts of kings need never fear. For the God of the universe cares for his children and has liberated them from the sin within and from tyrants without. As Jesus told his followers in Matthew 10:28, Christians no longer need to fear those “who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.” Though nations can kill us, no nation-state or forty-mile-long convoy of tanks, troop carriers, and mechanized artillery pieces can separate us from the love of God. Such things can destroy the world order and our lives. But our eternity remains secure. When war rages, we should trust our Lord and savior Jesus Christ and not in the empty rhetoric of politicians however patriotic or common sense their appeals maybe. The Psalmist concludes, “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes (Ps 118:9).”

3: Pray For Peace

Except for the small numbers of us who work in the State Department or in the strategic planning wings of our various military branches, few of us can meaningfully advocate for peace on the world stage. All of our tweets and endless speculations about what should have been done or about what our governments should do now will move almost no one to action expect perhaps our friends who will ask us to stop talking while rolling their eyes. Our words will do little.

Even if we do travel in geopolitical circles, the success of our pleas for peace still depend upon God’s kindness. “Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain (Ps 127:1).

Though we can do little, our God can and does much. Quite naturally then, Paul instructs us in 1 Timothy 2:1-2 to pray to the God of peace:

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly, and dignified. – 1 Tim 2:1-2

Peace both within and without is a gift of the Lord. When the fears of war invade our hearts, we should pray to the author of all peace in heaven and on earth.

4: Share Christ

Though I do not fully understand Putin’s political, cultural, and economic reasoning, I can speak to Putin’s spiritual motivations. According to the Scriptures, wars forever remain the byproduct of the sinful heart. Jesus claimed that “evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander,” all come out of the heart (Matt 15:19). Children squabble over toys because the evil thoughts of their hearts lead them to unjustly snatch their sister’s doll. Nations fight over resources and national pride because their leaders possess the same corrupt hearts the makes kindergarten classes so dramatic. In other words, kings, presidents, and dictators take aggressive military actions because they lack inherit goodness and by consequence are enslaved to evil desires which invariably produce disastrous consequences on the national and international stage. “None is righteous, no, not one (Rom. 3:10).”

While negotiations have their place and we should pray for God to bless them (see above), the grand solution for war resides not in diplomacy but in salvation. Jesus alone possesses the power to bring stone cold hearts to life. When people repent and believe and gain the spiritual ability to promote peace, extend mercy, and grant forgiveness, the impulse to fight begins to die. The more men and women embrace Christ, the more war and conflict dissipate. Heaven has no wars for there the love, mercy, and peace of God reign without interruption. If we long for peace on earth, we should share the gospel, which alone enables men and women to experience community with God through the power of the Holy Spirit. Community with heaven produces peace on earth. As long as children willful disregard the commands of God and fight on the playground, the possibility for international conflict will remain.

5: Help The Hurting

While sharing the hope of peace, Christians should also care for the practical needs of their brothers and sisters who suffer under the terrors of death. In Hebrews 13:3, the biblical author encourages those of us in peaceful lands to, “Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison.” Paul clarifies in 2 Corinthians 8:13-14 that our financial abundance has been given to us not so that we can go on dream vacations but so that we can care for the needs of our brothers and sisters around the globe who are suffering. Paul writes,

For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness, your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. – 2 Cor 8:13-14

In other words, those of us who enjoy peace and abundance should take an avid interest in the Ukraine church and in Christians around the world who lack such peace. We care for them because at some point they will be caring for us. If God has blessed you with excess funds, I encourage you to click here and to give to Send Relief or to give to other Christian organizations working to help Ukrainian believers.

Final Thoughts

War always proves to be a horrible thing. But believers are not without recourse during global suffering. When war rages, we are to cast out of fear, trust the Lord as opposed to tanks and kings, pray for peace, share the gospel, and help the hurting. May God help us all to live consistent and godly lives in the present age as we await the hope of the appearing of our glorious God and savior.

Peter Witkowski Sermon on the Mount

The Golden Rule: A New Ethic?

When Jesus gave us the Golden Rule, he did not appoint us to serve as the judges of truth, goodness, and love. The Golden Rule does not liberate the soul from the commands of God through the founding of a new ethic. Rather, it is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. Jesus clearly articulates the rule in connection to the Old Testament saying,, “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 7:12).”

Does Spirituality Evolve

Despite the context of Matthew, the vendors of popular culture have claimed that Jesus’s rule can have variety of meanings. Former President Barak Obama famously summed up the American understanding of the Golden Rule a few years back when speaking about his evolution on the topic homosexual marriage. President Obama said,

But – you know, when we think about our faith, the…thing—you know at…the root that we think about is not only – Christ sacrificing himself on our behalf – but it’s also the golden rule, you know? Treat others the way you’d want to be treated.”

In other words, the President longs for others to respect his marriage and his commitment to those whom he loves. Working from his expectations, he concludes that he should extend homosexual couples the same rights and privileges that he values. Even if the practical extension of love and acceptance in this circumstance works against his personal ideological and spiritual preferences, President Obama will treat others as he would have them treat him. He will follow the ethic of the Golden Rule as he understands it.

With regards to the practice of love, the President’s sentiment proves biblical. Human beings typically build their interpersonal relationships upon the concept of friend and foe. We love those that love us and hate our enemies. Jesus redefines this common paradigm, calling his followers to “Love your enemies and to pray for those who persecute you (5:45).” In other words, chants such as “Let’s go Brandon” which unquestionably insult President Joe Biden have no place in Christendom. Believers may disagree with politicians and vote them in and out of office. But even in the middle of those disagreements, the Christian is to love his enemies.

What is Love?

The need for love raises an even more profound question, “what is love?” Or perhaps better stated, who gets to define love? Can homosexuals tell us how to love them? Even more pertinently, can we tell others how they are to love us? Do we get to define what love is? Do we get to define the Golden Rule?

The Messiah says, “no.” In Matthew 5:17, Jesus says, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” Jesus does not liberate his hearers from the vision cast by the Law and the Prophets. Rather he calls his listeners to obey the commands in both action and thought. “But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Mt 5:28).” Jesus intensifies the law and then obeys it perfectly, dies, and comes back to life so that he may save us through his Spirit which will enable us to obey his law. In other words, love is not a fluid thing open to interpretation. Love consists of living with others in accordance with the law of God. Paul restates Jesus’s intent, Romans 13:9-10 writing:

For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

To live out the Golden Rule as Jesus would have understood it, men and women must do unto others as they would have them do unto them in accordance with the Word of God. Regardless of our station in life or society, we should not interpret the Golden Rule according to our experiences or wants but according to the Scriptures.

Why We Need Help

Jesus does not allow men and women to define love because they lack the moral ability to do so (Eph 4:18) Every utopian experiment has failed because humanity lacks the organizational and philosophical ability to overcome basic human impulses such as selfishness and pride. The fate of Adam and Eve has been the fate of every human being and human society. When we look within for love, we find only darkness and confusion.

God’s Word alone contains the ethic of the kingdom of God and of perfection. To envision happiness and fulfillment, we need to envision a world in which the ten commandments are perfectly followed by every citizen. In other words, God’s law does not keep us from fulfillment but rather leads us towards human perfection.

If someone’s actions or thoughts run counter to the commands of God, we cannot validate their wishes. To do so would be to further cut them off from true human flourishing. We cannot support someone as they gossip because they find joy in judging others. We cannot let someone sleep with underage minors because they find satisfaction in deviant behavior. And we cannot support a homosexual marriage even if the event brings the individuals involved happiness for it defies the command of God. Such actions convey their practitioners further into darkness. Just as we long to flourish, we should long for others to flourish. We should long for people to know and obey the laws of God.

To do unto others is to extend mercy instead of anger to our coworker who insults us. To love others is to pray for our mother-in-law when her hypercritical judgement rests upon the dinner we cooked. To do unto others as we want them to do to us is to pursue the hurt spouse who refuses to talk by washing of the dishes and taking the kids to school. We do not get to define love according to our preferences or love languages. A loving spouse, a loving child, a loving parent, or a loving neighbor is one who loves others according to the commands of God.

Final Thoughts

The Golden Rule is not a new ethic but the practical fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. To do unto to others as we would have them do unto us, we must both know and obey the commands of God. Apart from them, the Golden Rule cease to be Golden.