HIERARCHY and DOMINION an ECONOMIC COMMENTARY on FIRST TIMOTHY Other Books by Gary North
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
HIERARCHY AND DOMINION AN ECONOMIC COMMENTARY ON FIRST TIMOTHY Other Books by Gary North An Economic Commentary on the Bible, 31 vols. (198 – !1 " Marx’s Religion of Revolution (19#8, 1989" An Introduction to Christian Economics (19$3" Puritan Economic Experiments (19$%, 1988" None Dare Call It Witchcraft (19$#" nconditional Surrender (198!, !1!" !uccessful Investing in an Age of Env" (1981" #overnment by Emergency (1983" %ack'ard, Christian Soldiers) (198%" *+ Bible Questions Your Instructors Pray -ou Won’t As& (198%" Coined Freedom (198%" Conspiracy: A Biblical Vie' (198#" 1onest Mone" (198#" nholy Spirits (198#, 199%" Dominion and Common Grace (198$" Inherit the Earth (198$" 2iberating Planet Earth (198$" 1ealer of the Nations (198$" 3he Pirate Econom" (198$" Is the World Running Do'n) (1988" When Justice Is A$orted (1989" Political Polytheism (1989" 4udeo5Christian Tradition (199!" 3he Hoax of Higher Criticism (199!" 0ictim’s Rights (199!" Millennialism and Social Theory (199!" Westminster’s Confession (1991" Christian Reconstruction (1991), with Gary De(ar 3he Coase Theorem (199 " Salvation Through In6ation (1993" Rapture Fever (1993" 3ithing and the Church (199%" %aptized Patriarchalism (199)" Crossed Fingers (199#" 3he Covenantal Tithe (2!11" Mises on Mone" (2!1 " HIERARCHY AND DOMINION AN ECONOMIC COMMENTARY ON FIRST TIMOTHY GARY NORTH Hierarchy and Dominion: An Economic Commentary on First Timothy Co*yri+ht © Gary North, 2!1 -econ. E.ition /0blished by1 Point Fi e Press /.O. Box 2$$8 Dallas, GA 3!13 All ri+hts reserved. 3ritten permission m0st be sec0red from the *0blisher to use or repro.0ce any part of this book, except for brief 50otations in critical reviews or articles. /rinted in the United States of America. 7his book is dedicated to Nick Ko#e$ 3ho un.erstan.s Christian ed0cation as dominion TA%&E OF CONTENTS Intro.0ction . 1 1. 7heonomy as Ortho.oxy (I 7im. 11)–11" . 9 . Intercessory Prayer (I 7im. :1– " . %9 3. (ono+amy an. -ocial Or.er (I 7im. 3:1– " . #1 %. Economics an. Or.ination (8 7im. 31 –%8" . 8 ). 7he Alien -*irit o4 /rohibition (I 7im. %:1–#" . 9! #. Common Grace (I Tim. 4:1!" . 9) $. 7he -0**ort o4 Wi.ows (8 Tim. ):3–%" . 99 8. 7he /ower o4 the /0rse (I 7im. ):1$–18" . 1!8 9. (asters an. -ervants (I Tim. #:1– " . 1 $ 1!. Go.ly Contentment (I 7im. #1)–11" . 1) 11. 7he Uncertainty of Riches (I 7im. 6:1$–19" . 18 Concl0sion . 11 A**en.i2 A–Divorce an. Remarriage . $ A**en.ix B–Economic :al0e an. Im*0tation . $3 A**en.i2 C–A.am -mith;s 7heory o4 Economic Causation . 8! A**en.i2 '–-lavery as a Ca0se o4 the American Civil 3ar . 31! vii INTRODUCTION .or there is one God( and one mediator $etween #od and men( the man Christ 4esus8 Who gave himself a ransom for all( to $e testified in due time :I Tim. </+–=>; Jes0s Christ established the de=nitive o*erational mo.el for coven> ant>keepin+ man to 40l=ll the terms o4 the .ominion covenant (Gen. 11 #– 8).1 7his mo.el is .ominion thro0+h hierarchy. Christ serves as a ?0.icial intermediary between Go. an. man, on behal4 o4 both. @e is sim0ltaneo0sly the hi+h *riest (@eb. :1$), the head o4 the ch0rch (Col. 1:18), the Ain+ o4 kin+s (Rev. 1$11%), an. the bri.egroom (L0ke ):3%–3)). A( Trinitarian Theolo)y of Hierarchy Jes0s Christ is both Go. an. man. As Go., @e is the -econ. /er> son o4 the 7rinity, the son o4 Go. (Mark 1%1#1–# ). As man, @e was born *erfect, an. @e .i. not sin. CDor he hath made him to be sin for 0s, who knew no sinE that we mi+ht be made the ri+hteo0sness o4 Go. in himF (II Cor. 51 1). In @is capacity as Go., the -econ. /erson o4 the 7rinity, the r0ler over creation (Col. 1:1!–1$), <es0s Christ has *rovi.ed mankin. an. the &orl. with 0nmerited +race, i.e., gifts in history that are 0nmerited by the covenantally .isinherited sons o4 A.am. On this basis, redem*> tion comes to 4ormer covenant>breakers. “An., havin+ ma.e *eace thro0+h the bloo. of his cross, by him to reconcile all thin+s 0nto him> sel4E by him, 8 say, &hether they be thin+s in earth, or thin+s in heaven. An. yo0, that were sometime alienated an. enemies in yo0r min. by wicked &orks, yet no& hath he reconciled In the bo.y o4 his Gesh thro0+h .eath, to *resent yo0 holy an. 0nblameable an. 0nreprove> able in his si+ht” (Col. 11 !– ). In @is capacity as a *erfect man &ho was com*letely s0bor.inate 1. Gary North, Sovereignt" and Dominion/ An Economic Commentar" on #enesis ('allas, Geor+ia: /oint Dive /ress, !1 ", chaps. 3, %. 1 HIERARCHY AND DOMINION to Go. (Luke 1% ), @e oHered Go. a s0itable sacri=ce to *ro*itiate Go.;s wrath an. thereby make +race ?0.icially *ossible (Heb. 1!). By vol0ntarily h0mblin+ @imsel4 before Go. an. man at Calvary, Christ enabled Go. the Dather to exalt @im above heaven an. earth in @is capacity as *erfect man. “An. Jes0s came an. s*ake unto them, sayin+, All *o&er is +iven 0nto me in heaven an. in earthF ((att. 8:18). As Go., @e had *ossessed this *ower before the incarnation. As man, @e +ained it thro0+h com*lete s0bor.ination to Go. an. man in history. 1is a$solute su$ordination in history produced 1is a$solute dominion over history. This is the covenant>keeper;s ethical mo.el, Paul ta0+ht. Bet this min. be in yo0, &hich &as also in Christ <es0s1 Who, bein+ in the 4orm o4 God, tho0ght it not robbery to be e50al &ith Go.1 B0t made himsel4 o4 no re*0tation, an. took 0*on him the form o4 a ser> vant, an. &as made in the likeness o4 men1 An. bein+ 4o0n. in 4ash> ion as a man, he h0mble. himself, an. became obedient 0nto death, even the death o4 the cross. Wherefore Go. also hath highly exalte. him, an. +iven him a name &hich is above every name1 That at the name o4 <es0s every knee sho0l. bo&, o4 things in heaven, an. things in earth, an. things 0nder the earthE An. that every ton+0e sho0l. confess that <es0s Christ is Bord, to the glory o4 Go. the Dather. Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have al&ays obeyed, not as in my *res> ence only, b0t no& much more in my absence, &ork o0t yo0r o&n salvation &ith fear and trembling (/hil. 1)–1 ". 7here is r0lershi*1 Christ as Go.. There is s0bor.ination1 Christ as Go.>man (the incarnation). 7here was s0bor.ination in history1 .oin+ Go. the Dather;s business, which incl0.ed the cross. 7his led to even +reater r0lershi* 4or the s0*reme representative o4 *erfect h0manity1 Christ;s bo.ily res0rrection an. @is bo.ily ascension to the ri+ht han. of Go.. @ereafter shall the -on o4 man sit on the right han. o4 the *o&er o4 God (B0ke 1#9". @im hath Go. exalte. &ith his right han. to be a /rince an. a -a> vio0r, 4or to give re*entance to 8srael, an. forgiveness o4 sins (Acts )131". Who is he that condemnethI 8t is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, &ho is even at the right han. o4 God, &ho also maketh intercession for 0s (9om. 813%". Gary North, Ethics and Dominion/ An Economic Commentar" on the Epistles ('allas, Geor+ia: /oint Dive /ress, !1 ", ch. !. Introduction 3 Christ;s ?0.icially representative, hierarchical work in history on behal4 o4 covenant>keepin+ mankin. (s*ecial +race’s regeneration" an. also on behal4 o4 the fallen &orl. (common +race’s *reservation"3 *rovi.es the workin+ mo.el for covenant>keepers in exercisin+ .om> inion. Christ;s sen.in+ of the @oly -*irit has enabled covenant>keepers to un.erstan. this mo.el. B0t the Comforter, &hich is the @oly Ghost, &hom the Dather &ill send in my name, he shall teach yo0 all things, and brin+ all thin+s to yo0r remembrance, &hatsoever 8 have said 0nto yo0 (<ohn 1%1 #". B0t &hen the Comforter is come, &hom 8 &ill sen. 0nto yo0 from the Dather, even the -*irit o4 tr0th, &hich *roceedeth from the Dath> er, he shall testify o4 me1 An. ye also shall bear &itness, beca0se ye have been &ith me from the beginning (<ohn 1)1 #– $". Nevertheless 8 tell yo0 the tr0thE 8t is e2*edient 4or yo0 that 8 +o a&ay1 4or i4 8 go not a&ay, the Comforter &ill not come 0nto yo0E b0t if 8 de*art, 8 &ill send him 0nto yo0. And &hen he is come, he &ill re> *rove the &orld of sin, and of righteo0sness, an. o4 ?0dgment1 O4 sin, beca0se they believe not on meE O4 righteo0sness, beca0se 8 go to my Dather, an. ye see me no moreE O4 ?0dgment, beca0se the *rince o4 this &orl. is ?0dged. 8 have yet many things to say 0nto yo0, b0t ye cannot bear them no&. @o&beit &hen he, the -*irit of tr0th, is come, he &ill +0ide yo0 into all tr0th1 4or he shall not s*eak o4 himsel4E b0t &hatsoever he shall hear, that shall he s*eak1 an. he &ill she& yo0 thin+s to come. @e shall glorify me1 for he shall receive o4 mine, an.