1995 Issue 6
One of the objections frequently urged against Christian Reconstructionism is that its agenda does not align with the New Testament. The objector asserts that many of the concerns emphasized by Christian Reconstructionism are not found upon the pages of the N.T. Now this is a very serious objection as Christian Reconstructionists, as Reformed Christians, are totally committed to the Reformation principle of Sola Scriptura. Thus, with the Westminster Confession of Faith, they affirm that the Scriptures contain "The whole counsel of God, concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man's salvation, faith and life..." (Chap. 1. Sect. VI.). It is for this reason and upon this basis alone that Reconstructionists make a self-conscious effort to align all their thinking and doing, albeit imperfectly, with the whole Word of God.
Luke's lack of concern for chronological order underlines the fact the he is not merely an historian or chronicler of events; Luke is an evangelist. Luke is not writing as a detached historian, but as a passionate evange1ist, who is preaching the true and historical gospel to his readers, with the earnest desire that they know, believe and act on "the exact truth about the things you have been taught," 1:4. "As an evangelist he can allow himself considerable flexibility in the ordering of his materials. Nevertheless, there is no evidence that he is taking liberty with or doing violence to the facts at this point." - Stonehouse. He is not creating a new chronological order of the events in Jesus' life that suit his purposes, he is choosing incidents in the life and ministry of Jesus which are meant to illustrate the character of His Galilean ministry, Lk. 4:43.
Since I have been given the opportunity to furnish a report on the Fifth Annual Confederate Heritage Conference in Monroe, La., I thought it would be fitting to start by asking the question, "Why weren't y'all there?"
Actually, some of you were. There were nearly three hundred people in attendance, representing more than twenty different states. Yes, that means some of the states represented were from outside the South. This is an important fact in pointing out the relevant nature of the conference - but more on that later.
Mercantilism was one important factor that brought on the War for Independence. Apart from this mistaken theory there would likely never have been a war at all. The early Americans were British by birth and ancestry. They loved Britain and would never have considered war but for the fact that they were being treated as second-class citizens. They existed to be exploited and it was this unjust treatment that became one of the sparks that ignited the fires of independence. Mercantilism always produces evil effects: It invariably promotes "centralism" (the concentration of power in one man or entity). Under this system, the government is assumed to have the right (and responsibility) to control and direct the economic decisions of men. Mercantilism supported the idea that "everything and everyone in a country must be brought under the power of the government, and usually of one person." (Carson, A Basic History of the United States, vol. II, p. 106)
