Vine & Fig Tree's Web Pages


We have organized all our web pages under two categories for your convenience:


General Subject Headings


The "Archetypes" of Micah's Prophecy

1. Victory
The Kingdom is Now.
The Gospel is not Escape
2. Catholicism
The Future is Glorious
The Kingdom is not the Church
3. Theonomy
Law: God's is Life; Man's is Death
God's Law has not been abolished
4. Peace
Peace is possible
The State is not divine
5. Family
The Home is Central
The Family is not "Victorian"
6. Garden
Eden is being restored
The City is not Normal
7. Community
Faith Works through Love
The Individual is not an Island
95 Theses Against the New World Order

New Pages


The Meaning of "Vine & Fig Tree"

"Vine & Fig Tree" in American History


The Christmas Conspiracy


CONTENTS/OVERVIEW



FOUNDATIONS: THE BIBLE

The Issue Is Authority

Predestination



ONE: VICTORY

Victory: The Present Presence of Christ's Kingdom

Preterism: Victory Secured in the Past
         Christians Now Working, not Waiting
                   Christians Now Resting, not Fearing


TWO: "POSTMILLENNIALISM" --
The Universal Triumph of the Gospel in History

True Catholicism

The Prophets Predicted Victory

False Catholicism
The Fall of Rome and the Triumph of the Gospel --
A History of Christians and Christianity Outside the Roman Ecclesiocracy

A. Constantine: A Dying Paradigm
Augustine vs. Salvian the Presbyter: Christianity Without Empire?
The World of the "Polis"
 
B. The "Pre-Reformers"
Premature Critics of Romanism

C. The "Anabaptists" -- Non-Magisterial Reformers

1. Introduction
Personal Involvement * The Major Issues * The Recent Controversy * Goals of this Examination

2. Who Were the Anabaptists?
Different Groups Distinguished * New Sources of Anabaptist History * The Medieval Church * The Medieval Reformers

3. In Praise of Humanism
The Tenets of Humanism * Humanism and the Establishment * Reformation and Accreditation

4. Anabaptists and Heresy
Anarchy * Revolution * Pacifism * Communism * Perfectionism

5. Anabaptists and Orthodoxy
Biblicism * Trinitarianism * Justification * Sanctification * Humility

6. Baptism and Statism
Mode of Baptism * Members of the Church * Infant Baptism

7. When Did Protestantism Begin?
The Great Reformation Flip-Flop * Waiting for the State (or someone like him) * Acts 5:29

8. Pagan Education and the Reformers
Calvin: Ambition * Seminary * Law School * Classics * Parallels in Zwingli:

9. The De-Education of the Anabaptists
Ambition * University * Education under Zwingli * Rejection of Paganism * Berean Mentality (Acts 17:11) * Obedience and Systems

10. Politics from Seneca to Calvin
Conversion and Humanism * State and Freedom * State and Spirit * The Organic State * The State Glorified * Parallels in Zwingli

11. Theonomy and Justification by Faith
The Church vs. The Gospel * Living Faith * Doctrine and Obedience

12. Statism and Justification by Faith
Doctrinal Diversions * Doctrine from the Outside

13. From Victory to Defeat: The Reformers and Theonomy
Westminster and Fascism * Natural Law * The Expansion of the Faith * Lang * Rushdoony * Nelson

14. Should We Celebrate Reformation Day?
Universal Priesthood and Reform * The Myths of Theology * Rome and Justification

15. Deformed Reform
The Early Reformers * The Threatened Reformers * The Later Reformers

16. The State as Pastor
Calvin and the "Reconstructionists" * The Ninth Commandment * Crushing the Opposition

17. Macho Theology
Verbal Pyrotechnics * Intimidation * Coercion * Politics and Put-Downs

18. Police State, Police Church
Omnipotent Regulation * Socialism as Discipline * Winning Through Intimidation

19. Plato and Calvin: Artistry in Dictatorship
Plato's Laws * Empire Medieval * Roman Law and Plato's Laws * Momentary Reform * Power vs. Reform * "Anabaptists!" * Plato Resurrected

20. A Legacy of Compulsion
Through One Man's Eyes * Luther * Calvin * The Puritans * The Pendulum Swings

21. Fascism and the Reformation
Fascism Defined * Westminster's Arguments Against God's Law * Fascism and the New "Christian Right"

The Institutional Church is Not the Kingdom

Patriarchy and The End of Churchianity


A Summary of Each Essay Below is Found Here

Essay No.

1.  INTRODUCTION

PATRIARCHY, CHURCH, AND WORSHIP

2.  Life-as-worship vs. Institutional "Worship"
3.  Patriarchy and Community
4.  Revolution, Repentance, and Redemption
5.  Revolution and Church History
6.  History and the Hidden Patriarchs
7.  Who Were the True Reformers? (The Priesthood of All Believers)
9.  Objection -- Believer-Priests in the Old Testament
11.  Christian Radicalism

PATRIARCHY AND OBEDIENCE

12.  Authority, Submission, and Obedience in the New Covenant
14.  Objection -- On Being "Willing to Obey"
15.  "The Depravity of Man" and the Fear of Patriarchy
16.  Spontaneous Obedience
17.  The Promise of World-Wide Patriarchy
18.  The End of Teachers
19.  "The Pastor" vs. The Patriarch

THE DUTIES OF THE PASTOR

In this section we examine the duties of the "Elder" (Pastor) as spelled out in "The Form of Presbyterial Government," drawn up in 1645 by the writers of the Westminster Confession of Faith. We argue that every legitimate duty set forth for the "Elder" is a duty for all believers.

Duties Relating to Scripture Dissemination

20.  The Bible: Monopolies and Famines
21.  Pastors Must Pray
23.  Pastors Must Read the Bible
25.  Pastors Must Feed the Flock
27.  Pastors Must Catechize
29.  Pastors Must Comfort
31.  Pastors Must Exhort
33.  Pastors Must Convince
35.  Pastors Must Teach
37.  Are You "Apt to Teach"?

Pastors Must Preach

38.  Word Study
39.  Objection -- The delivery of Religious Lectures
40.  Lexical Observations by Craig A. Evans
41.  Biblical Styles of Preaching and Teaching
42.  Pulpits and Peripatetics - The Greek Origin of the Sermon
44.  The Primacy of the Preacher (by James B. Jordan).
45.  What is "Authoritative Preaching"?
46.  Who Should Excommunicate?

47.  Pastors Must be Mysterious

Duties Relating to Rule and Discipline [?]

48.  Pastors Must Administer the Sacraments

Traditional Considerations

50.  Objection -- "Sacerdotalism"
51.  What is Sacerdotalism?
52.  The Sacraments as "Discipline"
53.  Sacramental Retrogression?

Sacraments in the New Age

54.  Sacraments and the Sacral Society
55.  Baptism: Spirit vs. Water
56.  "Till I Come": The Parousia and the "Christian Passover"
57.  Footwashing and Shallow Sacramentalism
58.  Pastors Must Bless
59.  Pastors Must Take Care of the Poor
60.  Charity and Church Government
61.  Pastors Must Be An Example
63.  Pastors Must "Oversee"
65.  Objection -- Clergy in I Peter 5:1-6
66.  Objection -- Office or Function?
68.  Pastors Must Lord it Over the Flock
69.  Statism in the Churches
70.  Objection -- Elders in the Old and New Testaments
71.  Objection -- Spiritual vs. Appointed Elders
72.  Objection -- Pastors: Among vs. Over.
73.  Equality as a training ground for Leadership
74.  Robes in Review
75.  Pastors Are Worthy of Double Honor

ORDINATION AND PATRIARCHY

76.  Ordination
77.  Objection -- On God's Desire for Empires
79.  Ordination in the Westminster Standards
80.  The Laying on of Hands
81.  Objection -- Its True Purpose
82.  Study Questions -- Hands and Voting
83.  Are Presbyterians Democrats? 
84.  Perpetual and Ordinary Officers
85.  Ad Hoc Authority vs. Institutionalism
86.  Natural Ordination
87.  Amateurism and Professionalism

88. CONCLUSIONS

APPENDICES

151.  Gary North: "Family Authority vs. Protestant Sacerdotalism"
152.  James B. Jordan: "God's Hospitality and Holistic Evangelism"

Every man a Lawyer -- No man a lawyer
THE CHRISTIAN LAWYER AND THE LAW OF GOD
Showing the Pastoral Functions of an Attorney at Law

In their own way, every vocation has pastoral responsibilities. The Attorney is but one example.
 
189.  What is "Theonomy"?
190.  What is "Law"?
191.  Every Man a Lawyer
192.  The "Theonomic" Lawyer
193.  The "Judicial Law"
194.  Unconditional Surrender and the "Attorney"
195.  The Sacerdotal Attorney

THE DUTIES OF THE PATRIARCH/LAWYER

Now we parallel our discussion of the "Pastor's" duties by examining the same list of duties in "The Form of Presbyterial Government" and showing how those responsibilities are particularly incumbent upon any who would take upon themselves the mantle of "Christian Attorney."

Duties Relating to the Dissemination of Scripture

196.  Lawyers: Keys and Closed Doors
197.  The Shepherding Lawyer Must Pray
199.  The Pastoring Lawyer Must Read the Bible.
200.  The Pro-nomian Pastor Must Feed the Flock
202.  Pastoral Lawyers Must Catechize
204.  Christ-like Attorneys Must Comfort
206.  Shepherding Lawyers Must Exhort
208.  Pro-Nomian Patriarchs Must Convince.
210.  Shepherding Attorneys Must Teach
212.  Pastoral Lawyers Must Preach
214.  Christian Attorneys Must NOT Be Mysterious

Duties Relating to Rule and Discipline [?]

215.  Shepherding Lawyers Must Administer the Sacraments

Traditional Considerations

216.  Baptism -- The Covenant Sign of Unconditional Attorn
218.  The Lord's Supper -- Communion and Government 

Sacraments in the New Age

219.  Jeremiah 31: The End of Sacraments

220.  Theo-Nomic Pastors Must Bless 
221.  Pastoral Lawyers Must Take Care of the Poor
122.  Justice and Poverty
224.  Shepherding Attorneys Must Be an Example
226.  Patriarch/Lawyers Must "Oversee"
228.  The Servant-Lawyer Must Shepherd
230.  Doctrinally-sound Attorneys are Worthy of Double Honor
231.  Law and Doctrine
232.  Working for a Living

THE LEGAL MINISTER
PATRIARCHY AS RIVAL GOVERNMENT/LAW-SYSTEM

234.  Law, Religion, and State

The Attorney as Patriarch

235.  Government and the Patriarch
236.  Elders, Lawyers, and Judges
237.  Levites and Lawyers

The Lawyer as "Church Officer"

238.  The Myth of the "Separation of Church and State"
239.  The Lawyer as Priest
240.  The Magisterial Pastor
241.  The War of the Pastors
242.  Excommunication and the Lawyer

The Lawyer as Reconciler

243.  The Legal Pimp
244.  The Theonomic Lawyer
245.  Resolving Disputes in the Home Church

Legal Mediation and Arbitration in I Corinthians 6

246.  The Arbitrators
247.  State Enforcement of Church Arbitration
248.  Arbitration and the "Rash Vow"
249.  The "Local Church" vs. The Christian Conciliation Service
250.  Punishment, Criminal Defense, and Patriarchy 

The Gospel in the New World

Much more here: Separation of Church and State in the Modern World



THREE: GOD'S LAW-WORD

Law as Archetype -- God's Law: Conspiratorial Blueprints

"The Moral Law"
The Abiding Validity of God's Law: Why Christians Should Obey the Law

"The Ceremonial Law"
"Behold the Lamb of God" -- The New Pedagogical Law

The Cleansing of the Land by the Blood of Christ

The Law of God vs. The Law of Man: Confronting "Ceremonial Deism"

The Ten Commandments Home Page

The Ten Commandments Applied in American Legal History


Putting God's Law into Practice in Our Lives


  1. The Ten Commandments
  2. Virtue
  3. Recovery
  4. Meditation
  5. Godly Character Traits

The Ten Commandments


Preface

The First Commandment 

The Second Commandment 

The Third Commandment 

The Fourth Commandment 

The Fifth Commandment 

The Sixth Commandment 

The Seventh Commandment 

The Eighth Commandment 

The Ninth Commandment 

The Tenth Commandment 


Vine & Fig Tree's Path to Virtue

Recovery

Meditation

Christlike Character

Spirit-Empowered Obedience to God's Law
Produces Men Who Are:

Accomplished Accurate Alert
Amiable Analytical Aspiring
Availability Bold Calm
Cautious Charitable Chaste
Cheerful Composed Concentration
Confident Contentment Cooperative
Courage Courteous Creativity
Decisiveness Dependability Diligence
Discernment Discretion Earnest
Endurance Efficiency Emotions
Energy Enthusiasm Expressiveness
Fair-mindedness Faithful Flexibility
Foresight Forgiveness Frankness
Frugality Generosity Gentleness
Goal Apprehension Goal Direction Gratefulness
Honesty Hope Hospitality
Humility Industry Initiative
Interest in People Kindness Loyalty
Manners Maturity Meekness
Memory Motivation of Others Music
Neatness Non-violent Objectivity
Organization Overcomer Parenting
Patience Perfection Perseverance
Persistence Persuasiveness Planning
Punctuality Purposefulness Reading
Recovery Relaxation Resoluteness
Resourcefulness Respectfulness Responsibility
Reverence Security Self-Assurance
Self-Discipline Self-Education Self-Improvement
Self-Respect Self-Starting Sensitivity
Sincerity Speech Success
Thoroughness Thriftiness Tolerance
Touch Truthfulness Virtuous
Wisdom Work for Quality


FOUR: PEACE

The Fourth Archetype - Peace

PACIFISM: A Survey

Articles

The Christian Conciliation Manifesto - Overview
Away from a Vengeance-based Society


CAUSE -- Christians Against the U.S. Empire




FIVE: FAMILY

The Fifth Archetype: Family

Patriarchy: A Definition

Family vs. Church and State: A History

The Bible Describes the Battle



SIX: GARDEN

The Sixth Archetype - The Garden

Christmas: A Celebration of Paradise

A Survey of Edenic Themes in Scripture



SEVEN: COMMUNITY

The Seventh Archetype - Community

Experiments in Community

Confronting the Culture

Christians Against Ceremonial Deism

Pleadings in Court

Separation of Church and State: Key Cases and Comments


Vine & Fig Tree News


Definitions


About the Author

Mailing Lists



The Christmas Conspiracy


Virtue


Vine & Fig Tree


Paradigm Shift


Theocracy


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