I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Rose Spiller and Christine Paxon of Proverbs 9:10 Ministries on their delightfully named No Trash, Just Truth podcast – “taking out the trash of false teaching and replacing it with biblical truth”.
Listen in (or watch and listen above) as we chat about the Old Testament, Andy Stanley, Bible study, evangelism, a balanced view of the role of women, and more!
Check out the Proverbs 9:10 website, and find all their social media links so you can give them a follow. Also, be sure to subscribe to the Proverbs 9:10 YouTube channel so you’ll never miss an episode of No Trash, Just Truth, or add it to your queue on your favorite podcast platform.
Articles / resources mentioned or touched on in the episode:
Got a podcast of your own or have a podcasting friend who needs a guest? Need a speaker for a women’s conference or church event? Click the “Speaking Engagements” tab in the blue menu bar at the top of this page, drop me an e-mail, and let’s chat!
Grace Community Church has filed a motion against Los Angeles County in their ongoing legal response to the county’s harassment regarding COVID regulations. In support of GCC’s motion, John MacArthur has filed a rebuttal declaration against Julie Roys’ slanderous and false accusations of a cover up of COVID cases.
Or in simpler terms (as I understand it – I’m not a lawyer1):
Los Angeles County files an injunction against GCC for refusing to follow unbiblical COVID regulations
GCC defends itself
Los Angeles County finds Julie Roys’ blog article2 and tries to use it as evidence against GCC
GCC and John MacArthur respond, essentially, “Judge, we request that you not allow the Roys blog article as evidence because it is factually untrue, and here’s why.”
All of that is really neither here nor there, because it’s the content of the document, rather than the procedural aspect of it, that I thought was edifying and wanted to pass on to you.
A court document? Edifying?
Yeah, actually.
In items #2-9 of the document (found in its entirety here), Dr. MacArthur sets the record straight on Roys’ false accusations, but of far greater interest are items #10-22. This is a study in the church rightly relating to, and biblically correcting the civil magistrate.
Consider, as you read these sections, the way GCC and Dr. MacArthur are bearing witness to the court of the Lord Jesus Christ and His holy Word. They are reminding the governing authorities of their place as servants of God, not pretenders to His throne.
Read through the points that are being made. Look up and study all of the Scriptures that are mentioned. Think critically. Make biblical application to your own beliefs and to your local church.
1If you’re a lawyer, I’m open to correction on the nature of the document. :0)
2I’m purposely not linking the Roys blog article. False accusations should not earn blog and social media traffic, and it’s not really the point of this post anyway.
Last week I had a wonderful time interviewing with Melissa Morris on the very first episode of her Sharing the Journey podcast. Listen in (and watch!) as we chat about biblical womanhood, Beth Moore, discernment, and how women can and should serve the local church.
We also talked a bit about the women’s conference I’ll be speaking at this fall at Melissa’s church. It’s going to be on the topic of biblical womanhood, and we hope you can make it. Here’s the info (from my Speaking Engagements tab):
October 22-23- Women’s Conference, Pop-Up Church in Faber, Virginia. (This conference will be open to women in the surrounding areas, but you must contact the church directly for details.)
Got a podcast of your own or have a podcasting friend who needs a guest? Need a speaker for a women’s conference or church event? Click the “Speaking Engagements” tab in the blue menu bar at the top of this page, drop me an e-mail, and let’s chat!
Good Monday morning, readers. It is an honor and a joy to serve you in Christ. Welcome to all the newbies and to you seasoned veterans of the blog.
Because some of y’all are new, you aren’t yet aware of all of the resources here to help you. Or maybe you’ve been around a while and haven’t noticed something that might be helpful. Let’s remedy that!
Second, be sure to familiarize yourself with all of the tabs in the blue menu bar at the top of the page. That’s where I keep the info I’m most frequently asked about.
Third, there’s a search bar at the bottom of every page (and one in the blue menu bar at the top of every page) which might help you find what you need.
And finally, let me get you new readers some answers to the questions several of you have asked. Some of you long time friends may have missed these along the way, so I hope they’ll be helpful to you, too!
I’m throwing this question in with this Asked & Answered article because it’s coming up soon and because, though I haven’t answered it in article form, I’ve been asked and have answered multiple times on social media. This is the first year women have been asking me whether or not they should attend, and I think that should give us all pause.
I am recommending against attending or viewing TGC’s (The Gospel Coalition) women’s conference for two reasons:
The two headline speakers this year are Jackie Hill-Perry and Jen Wilkin, neither of whom I would recommend. (Reformed / Calvinistic churches, I know a lot of y’all have parked your women’s Bible study classes exclusively on Jen Wilkin because you think she’s “safe,” but it’s time to take another look. Read the article linked to her name above.)
For the last several years, TGC has been moving more and more into the woke / social justice stream of evangelicalism. I’m not saying every single speaker at this year’s women’s conference is woke or into social justice, I’m just saying that’s the way the organization has been headed, so it would not be surprising if that kind of thing is espoused at the conference.
(And, not for nothing, but my goodness is it expensive!)
The Lord has graciously opened my eyes to the fact that I was following several false teachers. Unfortunately, I have accumulated a large number of their books over the years. My question is what do I do with them now? Do I donate them? I was thinking of donating them to the MOPS ministry at my church.
Amy and I also covered this question in our most recent episode of A Word Fitly Spoken.
(Also, if your church is hosting a MOPS group, your pastor needs to know that there are serious biblical problems with some in MOPS leadership and with their books/materials.)
A lot of unbiblical things are happening at our church, but my husband seems oblivious. I want to leave and find a doctrinally sound church, but my husband wants to stay. What should I do?
And can I just say to all spouses – husbands and wives (because I’ve gotten this same question from husbands too) – if your spouse lovingly comes to you, Bible in hand, and says, “I’ve got some serious biblical issues with our church,” listen. Talk about it together. Pray about it.
And if the only reasons you’re insisting on staying at the old church are non-biblical issues like friends, fun, you’ve been there forty years and you’re comfortable, the preaching and the music are pleasant enough, you don’t want to start over meeting new people at a new church, it’s close to home, etc., can I encourage you to give some serious thought to dying to self and trying to find a new church your spouse won’t be miserable in?
If you insist – for superficial reasons – on staying somewhere your spouse – for good biblical reasons – is so uncomfortable in, you’re being selfish. Wives who do this aren’t submitting to their husbands’ spiritual leadership. Husbands who do this aren’t loving their wives or leading them in a God-honoring way. Love your spouse and put him or her first.
I’m writing you in regards to your stance on the prohibition of women teaching men in reference to 1 Timothy 2 and did not find an adequate rebuttal in your FAQ document linked in several places on your website. I must respectfully disagree and gently request your consideration of the contextual and cultural cues of the time and in that specific circumstance in which it was written.
My stance on 1 Timothy 2 is to believe, obey, and teach obedience to plain, black and white, rightly handled Scripture. Women are prohibited from holding the office of pastor or elder, preaching to men, instructing men in the Scriptures, or exercising authority over men in the gathering of the church body because the Bible says so and means so, not because people are misinterpreting the Bible based on failing to understand the culture of Ephesus at the time.
First Timothy 2:11-3:7 does not say what it says because the Ephesian women were ignorant or disruptive or false teachers. It is a pastoral epistle, which means it is basically a “policy and procedure manual” for the local church – everywhere in the world at every point in history. The church has not been getting this wrong for 2000 years and, suddenly, we enlightened folk in 21st century Western culture are going to come along and set things straight.
This article should help: The Mailbag: Counter Arguments to Egalitarianism (and for readers not yet acquainted with what the Bible teaches about the biblical roles of men and women, I would encourage you to start by reading the articles linked in the “Additional Resources” section of that article).
I am looking for a new Bible. I was looking into the She Reads Truth Bible until I saw your article about the authors being associated with known false teachers. I am looking into The Jesus Bible and maybe the (In)Courage Bible but wanted to know your input on this. I really like the resources like maps, reading plans, and book intros in the SRT Bible. Do you have input on a good Bible with room to take notes and similar resources? Does one exist that doesn’t have input from those who follow false doctrine?
If you’re looking for a good study Bible you can’t do better than the MacArthur Study Bible. I also highly recommend the Faithlife Study Bible app (which is free). I’ve discussed both a little more (with links) here. If you have to compromise on something for a good study Bible, compromise on taking notes in the Bible. You can always get a separate journal or notebook for taking notes.
I want to get baptized. Who is allowed to baptize? Can a woman baptize? Does the person have to believe in the same basic doctrines as I do (e.g. women shouldn’t preach to men or be leaders in church, homosexuality is a sin, you must believe in the full gospel to be saved etc.)?
I’m so glad you want to get baptized. Everyone who has confessed Christ as Savior should be baptized. I think my article Basic Training: Baptism will answer a lot of your questions (don’t forget the Additional Resources section at the end).
You may be able to infer the answer to your last question from the article, but in case you need a little clarity: Yes, you and the person baptizing you should be pretty much in agreement on doctrinal issues. Not because that’s what qualifies someone to baptize, but because baptism is an ordinance of the church, normally performed by the pastor or an elder of that church, and you should be baptized into a doctrinally sound church whose doctrine you agree with.
My question is about women correcting or pointing out a false belief of Scripture or interpretation to men. Am I as a woman allowed to correct or advise a Christian brother if he is teaching/preaching or spreading something that’s not Biblically sound or correct?
Yes, with a couple of provisos.
First, since you mentioned you’re a new Christian, you need to be sure you are correct about what the Bible says on the issue and that he is definitely wrong. Study your Bible hard, see what doctrinally sound pastors and Christians you trust have to say about the issue, etc. As Davy Crockett once said, “Be always sure you are right, then go ahead.”
Next, be sure you keep the “golden rule” foremost in your mind. If someone had to approach you and tell you that you were wrong about something, how would you want to be approached? Treat the other person with the same love and care.
If possible, take the person aside privately to explain his error, maybe with another friend to support you. We have a great example of this in Acts 18 with Priscilla, Aquila, and Apollos.
If it’s in a group setting, such as a Bible study class, in which it’s not possible to wait until later to speak to the teacher alone about the false doctrine he has just taught, I’ve addressed that in #5 in my article Rock Your Role FAQs.
If you have a question about: a Bible passage, an aspect of theology, a current issue in Christianity, or how to biblically handle a family, life, or church situation, comment below (I’ll hold all questions in queue {unpublished} for a future edition of The Mailbag) or send me an e-mail or private message. If your question is chosen for publication, your anonymity will be protected.
But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. 2 Timothy 3:1-7
If someone were to ask you, “What kind of person do you want to raise your daughter to be?” how would you answer? Caring? Independent? Loyal? Kind?
I’m betting none of us would answer “weak,” “burdened with sins,” “easily led astray by her passions,” or “unable to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.” Yet in these last days in which we find ourselves, that’s exactly what many good-hearted Christian mothers with nothing but the best of intentions are raising their daughters to be. It’s not that they want their daughters to grow up to be spiritually weak or led astray by sin or unbiblical teaching, it’s just that they lack the skills and tools necessary for properly training their daughters in the Scriptures and godliness.
Maybe you’re one of those moms. You want to train your daughter to be a wise, godly, discerning woman, but you’re not quite sure how. Hey, we all have those areas of our lives that we need a little help with. As an older mom myself, maybe I can lend a hand.
My daughter is almost twenty, and while she’s nowhere near perfect, by the grace of God, she is a godly young lady. Looking back, there are many things my husband and I did wrong as parents. But God, in His mercy, covered our failures and saw all of us through as He taught us through His word how to raise a biblically strong woman.
6 Ways to Raise a Biblically Strong Woman
1. Set an example.
Our daughters learn by watching us. Faithfully study your Bible, pray, attend church, obey God’s word, submit to your husband, repent and ask forgiveness when you sin, and serve others and your church together.
2. Learn, and teach your daughter, good hermeneutics.
Hermeneutics is just a fancy word for rightly handling God’s word. Use a reliable Bible translation. Understand Scripture in its immediate and overall context. What was the author’s intended meaning, his audience, genre, and culture? Point your daughter to Christ as you study God’s word together.
3. Find a doctrinally sound church, join it, and attend faithfully as a family.
Study God’s word and compare everything that’s preached and taught to Scripture (in context). Does your church’s teaching line up? Then be committed to attending every single week, not just when you feel like it or when there’s nothing better to do. Instill in your daughter a love for, and a commitment to, the church.
4. Fight the fluff.
Unfortunately, many of the most popular preachers, teachers, and Christian authors (including women’s Bible study authors) teach and write things that may sound good and make us feel good, but are in direct conflict with Scripture. These are the very people Paul was speaking of in 2 Timothy 3. Teach your daughter to follow only trustworthy teachers whose theology is in line with Scripture.
5. Bring prayer and Scripture into every situation.
She can’t find her favorite doll? Kids picking on her at school? She wants to wear clothes that barely cover her? Discuss what the Bible say about these things. Pray together about them. Lead your daughter into prayer and Scripture as part of daily life, and it will teach her that God is to have authority over every aspect of our lives and that we are to obey Him in all things.
6. Teach her how to share the gospel.
If you’re not sure how to properly present the gospel to someone, learn. You can’t lead your daughter to Christ if you can’t share the gospel with her. If your daughter is already saved, make sure she knows how to share the gospel correctly. The Great Commission was the last instruction Christ gave us before leaving earth, and we are all to be about the business of carrying it out until He returns.
The 2 Timothy passage at the beginning of this article is our commission to guard our households against ungodly ways and people – even those who may falsely call themselves Christians – who might creep in and steal our daughters’ hearts and minds away from Christ. He has charged us to train them in godliness, and we must faithfully answer His call to raise wise, discerning, and biblically strong women of God.
What advice would you offer moms who want to raise biblically strong women?
