This week, Joe Biden will become the 46th president of the United States. He deserves our support and respect as Christian citizens. Here is some of what that means.

We are responsible to pray for President Biden. The Bible says, “First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity” (1 Tim. 2:1-2). If your church has prayed publicly for President Trump, you should continue the pattern and pray publicly for President Biden. If this troubles you, it reveals what should be an alarming confusion of Christian Nationalism with healthy patriotism. The biblical call to prayer applies to all governmental leaders, not just those in your preferred party.

We are responsible to respect President Biden. The Bible says, “Let everyone submit to the governing authorities, since there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are instituted by God” (Rom. 13:1). Respect means honoring the officeholder, recognizing their role in God’s governing economy, and trusting God to supervise and intervene as He wills. Respect means speaking truthfully about others, even people in public life. Respect means evaluating actions and basing our response on facts, not prejudging and demeaning every proposal or action.

We are responsible to communicate with President Biden about his policies. Jesus said he came to “proclaim justice to the nations” and that his ministry would lead “justice to victory” (Matt. 12:18, 20). As Christian citizens, we have a responsibility to call for justice and work to achieve it. Admittedly, the word justice has become politically loaded and means different things to different people. While we continue to debate those meanings, we can still use every ethical and legal means—but not false narratives and destructive actions—to influence decisions made by governing authorities to promote justice as best we understand it. We live in a culture of competing ideas and must advocate and vote for policies and decisions that express what we believe.

Christians are fragmented right now over what it means to be a Christian citizen. The recent appropriation of Christian symbols and vocabulary for criminal purposes has embarrassed, disgusted, and divided many of us. Finding a way forward will be difficult but begins by taking purposeful, intentional steps to fulfill core Christian responsibilities like those summarized above. Doing this will not solve every problem, but prayer, respect, and meaningful communication can put us on a healthier trajectory this week.


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Devaluing Marriage

Dr. Iorg challenges the church and its leaders to continue and uphold the institution of marriage.

Jeff Iorg
President
Dr. Jeff Iorg is the president of Gateway Seminary. Prior to his service at the Seminary, Dr. Iorg was the Executive Director of the Northwest Baptist Convention for almost ten years. He was also the founding pastor of Greater Gresham Baptist Church in Gresham, Oregon, and has served as a pastor in Missouri and a staff pastor in Texas.

A Perfect Opportunity

Dr. Iorg expresses why he loves living in the West and in particular Southern California. The need for the gospel is great and Dr. Iorg encourages others to do more work in areas that may not be so comfortable for Christians.

Jeff Iorg
President
Dr. Jeff Iorg is the president of Gateway Seminary. Prior to his service at the Seminary, Dr. Iorg was the Executive Director of the Northwest Baptist Convention for almost ten years. He was also the founding pastor of Greater Gresham Baptist Church in Gresham, Oregon, and has served as a pastor in Missouri and a staff pastor in Texas.

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10 Questions with 10 Pastors
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Will Browning

Will Browning is the final guest of season two of Ten Questions with Ten Pastors! He is the Send City Missionary for Los Angeles with NAMB.

In this episode, Browning shares how he went from planting a church in South Carolina to being a church planting

Lead On Podcast
March 26, 2023

The Use of Power and Authority in Ministry Leadership—Part 1

The concept of power and authority can lead to mixed reactions depending on who you talk to. Dr. Iorg defines and provides an overview of power and authority and provides ways for leaders to examine if they are using power and authority responsibly and effectively. <


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Spirituality of Jonathan Edwards | JEC at Gateway Seminary

Dr. Chris Chun hosted a digital symposium with Dr. Michael Haykin and Dr. Robert Caldwell to discuss Edwards’ spirituality, devotional life and theological impact in American Christianity.

Chris Chun
Professor of Church History | Director, Jonathan Edwards Center
Dr. Chris Chun is the professor of Church History and the director of Jonathan Edwards Center at Gateway Seminary. Chris’ doctoral research at St. Andrews University was focused on the eighteenth-century Edwardsean Baptists in Britain. He also has served as president of The Evangelical Theological Society (Far West Region).

Faculty Dialogues: Dispensationalism or Not

In this episode of Faculty Dialogues, Dr. David Rathel and Dr. Paul Wegner held a live discussion on their views on dispensationalism.

David Rathel
Associate Professor of Christian Theology
Dr. Rathel is the associate professor of Chrisitian Theology at Gateway Seminary. Prior to Gateway, Dr. Rathel supplied pastoral care to churches in the United States and Scotland, served as an Adjunct Professor of Theology and Philosophy for the Baptist College of Florida, and provided teaching assistance for the University of St Andrews.

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