Dr. Robert S. Morley

I have chosen to live by all Jesus's sayings and every word of God. "Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me" (Luke 18:22). Here, Jesus tests a particular man who said he kept the commands that Jesus listed. Notably, Jesus hadn't mentioned the one about coveting. Jesus homed in on his wealth, commanding him to sell all he had and give the proceeds to the poor, and to follow Him. The rich man was unable to obey Jesus because he coveted his many possessions above God. For, "when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich" (v. 23). The command Jesus gave to this rich man to sell all he had is not universal, though we should be able to obey it at a moments notice. Naturally speaking, one can understand that it is much harder for rich people for we must forsake all to follow Jesus. Sadly, this man couldn't. Note that obeying the law doesn't procure eternal life. It only shows our need for a Saviour. Believing in Jesus does. The passage continues, "And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved? And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God" (v. 24-27). The final verse indicates that God is able to get rich people into heaven. Many wealthy people have come to faith. Abraham was rich, Job was wealthy, and God made Solomon rich. The New Testament describes Cornelius, the Centurion (Acts 10), Joseph, called Barnabas (Acts 4), Lydia (Acts 16), and Philemon (Phm. 1) as people who were well off. Sometimes covetousness leads poor people astray too. Both rich and poor need to recognise that true riches are in following Christ, and not in mammon.

I don't follow, like, or agree with all mega church preachers. They're not one homogenous group. In the same way, I don't agree with all small church pastors. Btw, I especially love watching old Billy Graham messages. I had no idea that his net worth was an estimated $25 million at the time of his death. Should I stop viewing his sermons? I don’t agree with all his views, but he was a very special gift to the church.

In case I'm misunderstood, despite Solomon's wayward behavior, I read the Proverbs of Solomon and Ecclesiastes. I believe the entire Bible to be God-breathed and inerrant in its original texts.

I agree that money, fame, and status can be a problem for many. Yes, we enjoy occasionally listening to Rick Warren's messages. I like him a lot. Personally, I haven't found any serious problem yet. That said, I'm sure there are many who have issues, one or two of which I may agree with. Do you read any of the Proverbs of Solomon? He certainly went off the rails. "And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father. Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods" (1 Kings 11:6-8). We must definitely be wary of any who have strayed, but test even what those who credible say, like the Berean Jews who "received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true" (Acts 17:11). Btw, I'm not sure Jesus was necessarily poor. You'll recall that, as a child, God provided gold through the wise men. Not sure how much or how long it lasted. It might have supported the family when fleeing to Egypt, or kept for His adulthood. He grew up as the son of a carpenter, becoming one too. During His ministry, there was a time certain women supported Him and His disciples (Luke 8:3). Also, He had a valuable seamless garment that the soldiers at the cross gambled for. It was possibly a gift. Jesus never lived for money, saying on one occasion, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head" (Luke 9:58). God provided in various ways, often miraculously. I think Jesus lived like Paul, who said of himself, "I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound" (Php. 412).

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Wow! No way! 1987 is when I came to Christ at the age of 20. I don't blame you for investigating. Maybe you'll have noticed that, outside of the training I received as a missionary, I began my theological Studies quite recently. The doctorate was for my book, Dismantling Dispensationalism, a work I had already completed before my masters degree. I did "formal" studies, in part, to open doors to some who would more readily listen if they saw credentials. And, while I was blessed to have done these studies, I certainly don't think it's a requirement as there are many ways to "[s]tudy to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15). That said, I highly recommend the inductive Bible study method.

I was called into missionary service early on and developed my pastoral care and teaching ministry in that environment. I received a deeper love for the Bible and all its truths after attending a three month (full-time) intensive inductive Bible study training course, which I was privileged continue with as a staff member, teaching on it, and eventually leading it. In terms of my faith, except for coming to Christ, and living by faith, it is the best thing that happened to me and one that I'm most thankful for. I may still pastor one day, but the ministry I'm involved in gives me freedom to share God's word with anyone.

? about the Dr. Funnily enough, when I became a Christian, I soon became part of a KJV only house church, and grew to love the translation. I still do, though I believe it has its problems. My son, who is now an adult, is devoted to his KJV an aunt gave him as a baby. I can't quite remember what I searched for on the internet that led me to the forum. I am simply a Bible believing Christian with a teaching ministry who enjoys sharing his faith with others. As Paul taught, "Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do" (1 Thess. 5:11).

Yes, the LGBTQ community is an evil movement, yet they're made of people who are not unlike how we were, "dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others" (Eph. 2:1-3). As "the salt of the earth" and "the light of the world" (Matt. 5:13-14), we can sometimes influence people and governments in the right direction. But we should not place our hope in the governments of this world to get people to see and behave better, because "the god of this world hath blinded" (2 Cor. 4:4) many of them still, as he has most of the people they govern. However, "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation" (Rom. 1:16). "To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in [Christ]" (Acts 26:18), and breaking the bondage of any and all sin. When the gospel first came, it was into a cesspool of sin, and it made inroads into society. Let's trust its power to do that again, by changing hearts.

To some extent, there is nothing wrong with a government run by non-Christians as long as they focus on the role they have been mandated by God. "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God" (Rom. 13:1). Note that the reference to Noah and Lot in Luke 17:26-29 is not to the heinous sins that were being committed around them but to the normality of life when the judgments came. It reads, "And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all" (Luke 17:26-29 KJV). That said, I am sure societies that tolerate the LGBTQ lifestyles are heaping judgment upon themselves too.

I said of Jesus, "He is God" (John 1:1, 20:28). To be clearer, Jesus is God and is equal to God the Father (John 10:30). I'm 100% evangelical.

I have never cared about any church position ahead of a biblical one.

Regardless of your take on the SBC passing resolutions, the content of that resolution outlines biblical values for leadership in public office that most conservative Christians agree on. So it seems odd that you go on to emphatically say, "If the individuals voted for Trump did they leave their conservative and Biblical principles? Certainly not," because they did by ignoring those very conservative principles. Lets us not forget that there is a journey to becoming the nominee and that no vote is an option too.

Throughout the Bible, God distinguishes between those given over to Him, and those given over to sin. For example, the kings of Judah were all measured by King David, a man whose heart longed after God, and who humbled himself when he was found in sin. Furthermore, God taught us what character to choose when He chose Moses, Joshua, David, and Nehemiah among others. In choosing David, "God sought him a man after his own heart" (1 Sam. 13:4 KJV). The standards you put forward would excuse many leaders God judged to have failed because of their character, like King Abijam, who "walked in all the sins of his father [Rehoboam], which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father" (1 Kings 15:3). Others, like Josiah, God praises, saying, "he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left" (2 Kings 22:2). Among the heathen, Pharaoh was judged, but Nebuchadnezzar was spared. Why? Because he humbled himself. Similarly, Belshazzar was judged and Darius was spared. God has standards for leaders. Humility is one of them.

Yes, Christ is not just our source. He is the Son of God (John 20:31). He is God (John 1:1, 20:28).

Yes, absolutely!

“In 1998, the Southern Baptist Convention . . . passed, what they called, a Resolution On Moral Character Of Public Officials. If it had been followed, Trump would have been kept out of office in 2016 and evangelicals would have distanced themselves from him in 2020.”1 The resolution outlines biblical standards of character that many expect Christians would insist of public leaders, yet, more than 80% of white evangelicals voted for Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020. The Southern Baptist Convention’s Resolution On Moral Character Of Public Officials reads as follows: WHEREAS, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people” (Proverbs 14:34 NAS); and WHEREAS, Serious allegations continue to be made about moral and legal misconduct by certain public officials; and WHEREAS, The Bible calls upon all citizens to submit themselves to their governing authorities as ministers of the Lord (Romans 13:1; 1 Peter 2:13); and WHEREAS, Scripture further teaches, “Whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves” (Romans 13:2); and WHEREAS, Governing authorities are not themselves exempt from the rule of law and must submit to the nation’s statutes, rather than mocking them (Romans 13:1; 1 Peter 2:14; Proverbs 19:28-29; 2 Samuel 12:7; Mark 6:17-18); and WHEREAS, Some journalists report that many Americans are willing to excuse or overlook immoral or illegal conduct by unrepentant public officials so long as economic prosperity prevails; and WHEREAS, Tolerance of serious wrong by leaders sears the conscience of the culture, spawns unrestrained immorality and lawlessness in the society, and surely results in God’s judgment (1 Kings 16:30; Isaiah 5:18-25); and WHEREAS, Many public officials and candidates deserve our gratitude and support for their consistent moral character and their uncompromising commitment to biblical principles of right and wrong, resulting in blessing upon their people. Therefore, be it RESOLVED, That we, the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention, meeting June 9-11, 1998, in Salt Lake City, Utah, affirm that moral character matters to God and should matter to all citizens, especially God’s people, when choosing public leaders; and Be it further RESOLVED, That we implore our government leaders to live by the highest standards of morality both in their private actions and in their public duties, and thereby serve as models of moral excellence and character; and Be it further RESOLVED, That we urge all citizens, including those who serve in public office, to submit themselves respectfully to governing authorities and to the rule of law; and Be it further RESOLVED, That we urge Southern Baptists and other Christians to fulfill their spiritual duty to pray regularly for the leaders of our nation (1 Timothy 2:1-4); and Be it finally RESOLVED, That we urge all Americans to embrace and act on the conviction that character does count in public office, and to elect those officials and candidates who, although imperfect, demonstrate consistent honesty, moral purity and the highest character.2 God's Word Above all Else Having read through these principles, would you say they're biblical? If so, would you say evangelicals forsook them in 2016 and 2020? Is it ever worth it to forsake God's directives? Consider that Jesus said, "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Matt. 4:4 KJV). Was the lesser of two evils chosen, or did evangelicals get it wrong? I put it to you that rather than take the longer and harder road of generational discipleship that Jesus took, having rejected the kingdoms offered by Satan, evangelicals chose to disregard Trump's serious character issues and, in so doing, God's word to grasp power on offer to effect cultural change. What do you think? Rob Morley 1Morley, R. S. (2022). EVANGELICALS, TRUMP, AND THE BIBLE: The Bride and The Beast of The Apocalypse. Self-published. 2Southern Baptist Convention. (1998, June 1). Resolution On Moral Character Of Public Officials. SBC.

With regard to the headship passages, here is an extract from a book my wife and I just published: Church Leadership In a nutshell, complementarian wives cannot take on leadership roles in society where they are ‘over’ their husbands.‌ And so, fueled by a common misconception that church leadership roles are hierarchical, despite Jesus’ command to the contrary (Matt 20:25-27), complementarians also restrict women in church roles to prevent them from violating their concept of male headship in the home.‌ Regarding church leadership, complementarians are especially quick to implement this practice, believing that Paul was addressing the possible violation of this spousal headship structure in passages like 1 Tim.‌ 2:11-15 and 1 Cor.‌ 14:34-35. Head – Authority or Source? What is clear is that this belief hinges on the principle of hierarchical headship in the home.‌ However, even though Ephesians 5:23 certainly speaks of the husband as the head of the wife, the biblical era meaning of head (Gk.‌ kephale) is source1 and not rank, status, or position of headship.‌ Note that the text says, “the husband is the head of [not over] the wife, even as Christ is the head of [not over] the church,” for Christ is our source of life.‌ Someone might ask, what of 1 Corinthians 11:3, which reads, “But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God”? Here, the term “head” (Gk.‌ kephale) is also understood as “source” or “origin” without the idea of rank and conveying the concept of chronology rather than hierarchy.‌ To further substantiate this, the sequence in 1 Corinthians 11:3 of Man – Christ, Wife – Husband, and Christ – God does not illustrate a hierarchy.‌ A hierarchical meaning would get conveyed as Wife – Husband, Man – Christ, Christ – God.‌ Thirdly, the hierarchical interpretation of this passage begs the question, is the ascended Christ, the Son of God, under God? As the Word, equal to God, He relinquished His equality for our salvation.‌ But His equality with God has been restored.‌ He has received all authority in heaven and earth.‌ Order Given by Chronology of Source “. ‌.‌ . the head of every man is Christ” means Adam got made by Christ.‌ “.‌ .‌ .‌ the head of the woman is man” means Eve came from Adam. It also describes that period when a husband provided physical and spiritual resources, which, unlike his wife, he could readily access.‌ “. . . the head of Christ is God” points to Christ coming from God, begotten of God, when He as God became flesh to become the man, Jesus Christ.‌ In their 2000 book, Why Not Women, Cunningham, Hamilton, and Rogers cite Cyril of Alexandria of the 5th century, who said, Thus we say that the kephale of every man is Christ, because he was made through Him and brought forward to birth….‌ And the kephale of woman is man, because she was taken from his flesh and has him as her source.‌ Likewise, the kephale of Christ is God, because He is from Him according to nature.‌2 . . . 1 Fasullo, L.‌ (n.‌d.‌).‌ What about the word Kephale ("head") in the New Testament? https:/‌‌/‌‌searchingtogether.‌org/‌‌kephale.‌htm 2 Cunningham, L.‌, Hamilton, D.‌J.‌, & Rogers, J.‌ (2000).‌ Why Not Women: A Biblical Study of Women in Missions, Ministry, and Leadership.‌ YWAM Publishing.‌ ‌

WWJD? That's a good question. 1) Jesus only did what He saw His Father doing. He said, "The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise" (John 5:19 KJV). How do we do that? 2) God's word teaches us that Jesus was "full of the Holy Ghost" and "led by the Spirit" (Luke 4:1). Can we do that? 3) Yes, for we too are "led by the Spirit" (Rom. 8:14) and are instructed to be "filled with the Spirit" (Eph. 5:18) and to "walk in the Spirit" (Gal. 5:25). 4) Going to God's word apart from this that it teaches is not enough. For which of these must I do in a situation - "Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him" or "Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit" (Prov. 26:4-5)? 5) Jesus said we are to "love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind" (Matt. 22:37), and Proverbs teaches that we should "[t]rust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths" (Prov. 3:5-6). 6) This, along with prayer, is how you can do what Jesus would do, being led by the Spirit and a part of what the Father is doing "in earth, as it is in heaven" (Matt. 6:10).

You think? What if this text that dispensationalists have palmed off to another era was designed to encourage you, as a member of Jesus Christ's Church, through its symbolism that pertains to God's people living in this world? Have you considered that dispensationalism makes most of Revelation irrelevant to the Church? I believe many are missing out because they are unaware that Revelation applies to them.

It is unhelpful to the discussion to mention "acceptance of LGBTQ community lifestyles" when discussing the issue of women as pastors as it distracts from the topic and can fuel an unfounded and unfair bias. Also, the allegation that the doctrinal position Saddleback took is for money is ungrounded. Regardless of how we feel about an issue, we must be careful not to spread baseless claims (Ex. 33:1 KJV).

Saddleback and others have taken a biblical stand. Having considered all the texts, they have concluded that none forbid a female as a pastor in all its functions, including teaching. Patriarchy that began in Genesis 3 has pervaded the church, twisting the interpretation of texts, and greatly diminishing its potential.

The book of Revelation is jampacked with the symbolic language of apocalyptic literature. The prophecy was given to encourage Christ's Church then and throughout history until His return. The "two witnesses" are among the many symbols used for that purpose. John explains their symbolism by using further symbolism. Below is an extract from what I wrote elsewhere that might shed light on how to interpret the "two witnesses": Who Are the Two Witnesses? ‘“And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth’ (Rev. 11:3-4). Meaning: - two witnesses = double witness Context: - two witnesses = two lampstands = two olive trees - lampstands = churches Allusions: - olive trees = kingly & priestly authority of Zerubbabel as governor & Joshua as high priest (see Zech. 4) - Elijah and Moses at the transfiguration - Jesus sent disciples out in 2’s - 2 churches = Old & New Testament Church - 2 churches = Smyrna & Philadelphia as ideal churches - two or three witnesses required to establish truth - foundation of the apostles and prophets Interpretation: - The ‘two witnesses with authority to prophesy’ depict 'those who worship in the temple' (Rev. 11:1), in other words, those who are truly God’s people of the Old and New Testament eras. The ‘temple’ is God’s dwelling, which was a physical place in the Old Testament and is the body of Christ in the New. Purpose: . . . the Church in the 1st century would have received comfort from the vision if they saw the slaying and resurrection of the two witnesses as a figurative depiction of the Old and New Testament Churches that included them. The two witnesses represent God’s people who lay down their lives (not necessarily literally) in service to God, therefore, we too should take comfort and encouragement from this in our service to the Lord.

Psalm 11:5 teaches that the Lord's soul hates the wicked and those who love violence. "The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth" (KJV). This is true despite 1 John 4:16 saying "God is love" and John 3:16 saying "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." So we can confidently say God is love (1 John 4:16), and He loves the world (John 3:16), but He hates the wicked (Ps. 11:5). Consequently, God's love must include having hate for those he loves and sent His son to die for. Similarly, it's possible for humans to hate those who do evil while loving them at the same time. "Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?" (Ps. 139:21) and yet "[l]ove [my] enemies and pray for those who persecute [me]" (Matt. 5:44). Clearly, love and hate are not always mutually exclusive, and hate can be an expression of love. For God, who is love, hates the wicked.

Baptism with the Holy Spirit: Titus 3:5-7 KJV reads, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." Being "saved" is described here as "the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified . . . " The baptism (described here as "shed on") with the Holy Spirit is described occuring along with and as the means for regeneration, renewing, and justification at salvation. Though they might not know it, each individual who comes to Christ for salvation experiences this personally. Water baptism is an outward demonstration of this reality. As for the concepts of universal church and local churches, consider that we, here, are mostly from different local churches and yet we're connected to one another universally. As brothers and sisters in Christ, who are locally connected and built up, we're nevertheless building one another up in Christ across the globe. John said, "I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man" (Rev. 1:12-13 KJV). He is seeing seven distinct churches with Christ in the centre, but this image of seven candlesticks is one candelabra. Paul, is not from Corinth, yet he writes, "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:13 KJV). His use of the pronoun "we" appears to clearly imply that though he views the local church in Corinth distinctly, he does so with Christ's universal church in mind. Note, he uses the pronoun "we" in his teaching to the church in Rome, a church he hadn't planted.