Breath of God in Earthen Vessels

Then the LORD God formed man
of dust from the ground,
and breathed into his nostrils
the breath of life;
and man became a living being.  
      - Genesis 2: 7

“We are machines built by DNA
whose purpose is to make
more copies of the same.”
  — Richard Dawkins, River Out of Eden

Can you imagine the scene?  There it was, the handsome but lifeless body that would soon become the first human being.  This lifeless creation from the dust of the Earth became Adam, a living person as God breathed life into his nostrils.

As we ponder the creation of the first human as described in Genesis 2 of the Bible, several questions come to mind.  What is it that made Adam and his descendants unique among all living creatures?   In particular, how have humans been equipped to personally know God and choose whether or not to worship and serve Him?  Are our bodies composed of different chemical elements or different molecules from other creatures?  Do we possess a unique anatomy and physiology?  Or, are humans unique because of the “breath of God” that our father Adam received and that we have inherited?

Are Humans Chemically Unique?
According to the Bible, prior to the creation of Adam, and before there was anything, …God created the heavens and the Earth out of nothing (ex nihilo) (Genesis 1: 1)!  Then, He used the material elements of the Earth to “bring forth” each genetic kind of animal and plant including the lifeless form of what would become Adam.  Therefore, it was no surprise when chemistry revealed that all 19 essential chemical elements that compose the human body are found in the natural world and in most animal species.  Four elements, Carbon (C), Hydrogen (H), Oxygen (O), and Nitrogen (N) compose 99% of human cytoplasm.  

If humans are not unique because of the chemical elements they contain, what then?  Could it be that the 19 elements in humans are combined to make unique molecules?  Here, we must recognize how the biblical view of the origin of life contrasts with the evolutionary biology view represented in the quote from Richard Dawkins above.  According to naturalistic evolution, life is not the result of the intelligent, purposeful, creative, and sustaining power of God.  Rather, we owe our existence to the special “creative ability” of atoms and molecules acting according to physical and chemical laws. However, to date, no one has observed the spontaneous generation of life from inanimate matter.

A humorous argument in support of supernatural creation goes something like this:

Scientist: “God, we no longer need you.  We can create a human just like You did.”

God: “Maybe you can.  Let Me see you do it.”

Scientist: “Okay.” 
[Then, the scientist bends down to scoop up a handful of dirt.]

God:  "Just a minute.  That's my dirt.  Go make your own dirt." 

Modern science has been unable to create even one living cell or organ.  Still, science textbooks and journal articles deny God’s “intelligent design” while attributing a “creative intelligence” to molecules like DNA!  But any science that excludes God, must “go make its own DNA.”  And, so far, science has come up short.

“Breath of Life”
If we are honest, we should admit that a supernatural intervention was necessary to infuse life into a lifeless form.  All necessary organs and molecules were present, but the lifeless form was not yet a man, not a functioning human being, not a person.  It was not until God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life [that the] man became a living being (Genesis 2: 7).  So far, no scientist has been able to isolate or define “the breath of life” given by God.  Nor can science even restore the “breath of life” to a person once they are fully deceased.

The “breath of life” is not unique to humankind.  In Genesis 1: 30, we read that …to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to everything that moves on the Earth which has the breath of life in it, I have given every green plant for food”; and it was so.  Centuries later, the Apostle Paul reasoned with the Greek philosophers on the subject of the origin of things, and said, The God who made the world and all things in it… He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; (Acts 17: 25).

Some Hebrew scholars [See HERE.] interpret the Hebrew word ruach to apply more broadly to mean the “breath of life” in non-human animals (cf. Genesis 7: 15).  But note that ruach is also translated “Spirit of God” as in Genesis 1: 2.  Although not without exception, the Hebrew word neshamah is used more frequently to mean the “divine breath” that God breathed into the nostrils of the first human form to bring Adam to life (cf. Genesis 2: 7; Job 33: 4). 

“This divine breath is not merely a physical phenomenon but also carries spiritual significance, particularly in the context of human life, which is seen as possessing both physical and spiritual dimensions” (The Hub Study Bible, HERE).  Pastor Douglas Hamp adds, “This breath of God animated Adam’s body in a manner similar to the animals in that they also have breath (neshamah) in their nostrils.  But it was also so much more, for we know that God did not breathe directly into the animals. Thus, the breath that God breathed into Adam must have been so much more than the mere animation of the body (spark of life).  It was also the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.” [See HERE.]

In summary, all humans and air-breathing animals have many chemical and anatomical traits in common as endowed by their Creator.  In addition, they all possess the “breath of life.”  However, Adam was uniquely formed by God in that he received the “breath of life” into his nostrils directly from God’s divine breath (Heb. neshamah; Greek, pneuma, breath, wind, spirit).  Upon being enlivened by God’s divine breath (Spirit), Adam became a complete person in the image of God and was indwelt by the Spirit of God (Genesis 1: 26-27).

Unlike Adam who was created from the dust of the ground, Eve was created from the living flesh of Adam’s side (Genesis 2: 21-22) to be “a helpmate suitable for him” (v. 20).   Adam and Eve lived for a time in perfect spiritual communion with God (Genesis 3: 8-9).  God gave them the free will to choose to love and serve Him as stewards of the Garden of Eden.  We can only try to imagine the inexpressible love and joy that was shared between God and His image bearing creatures as they “walked in the Garden in the cool of the day (Genesis 3: 8).

The Curse of Sin
But when Adam and Eve chose to disobey God’s command not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, the Spirit of God within them departed and their close communion with God ended (Genesis 3).  Because of their act of disobedience to God, …sin entered the world through one man, and death [both physical death and spiritual separation from God] through sin, so also death was passed on to all men, because all sinned (Romans 5: 12).  From Genesis onward, the Old Testament reveals that the Spirit was upon only certain individuals including Joseph (Genesis 41: 38), gifted craftsmen of the tabernacle (Exodus 28: 3), Moses (Numbers 11: 25),  Joshua (Num 27:18), Gideon (Judges 6: 34), Samson (Judges 14: 6), Saul (1 Samuel 10: 10), David (1 Samuel 16: 13), Isaiah (Isaiah 59: 21), Ezekiel (Ezekiel 2: 2), Daniel (Daniel 4: 8), and Micah (Micah 3: 8).

The Old Testament is a record of God’s plan to restore His fallen and broken image-bearers from the curse of sin that separated them from His love and communion.  At the same time, it is a record of God at work to teach mankind His expectations (moral and ceremonial laws) for anyone who wishes to come into His holy presence (cf. Exodus 20; Psalm 15).  The Apostle Paul summarized the essence of the Gospel of Christ as follows:  For since death came through a man [Adam], the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man [Jesus Christ].  For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.  God had breathed the life of His Spirit into formless clay that became the “first Adam.” In order to reconcile fallen Adam, God will breathe His Spirit once again into all who believe in Christ who died and rose victorious over sin and death.

God Breathed Again
On the Sunday evening after the discovery of the empty tomb that morning, Jesus appeared to His disciples.  They were together in a room with the doors closed for fear of the Jews.  Jesus greeted them with, “Peace be with you,” and showed them his nail-pierced hands and side.  After comforting them, Jesus ...breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit (John 20: 19-22).  According to Douglas Hamp, the Greek word for “breathed on” or “inbreathed” is enephusesen.  The exact same word is used in Genesis 2: 7 of the Greek Septuagint to translate the Hebrew word for “breathed:” vayipakh.  The significance of this second inbreathing by the Lord Jesus is worth noting.

According to the Bible Hub Study Bible, “The act of breathing on the disciples is symbolic and reminiscent of God breathing life into Adam in Genesis 2:7.  This signifies a new creation where the disciples are being spiritually renewed and empowered for their mission.  The breath of Jesus here is a precursor to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, as described in Acts 2.  It also connects to Ezekiel 37:9-10, where the breath brings life to dry bones, symbolizing spiritual revival.”  This biblical concept is affirmed in the ancient wisdom book of Job when his friend, Elihu, testifies (emphasis added): 
The Spirit (Heb. ruach) of God has made me,
And the breath (Heb. (neshamah) of the Almighty gives me life.  – Job 33: 4

The Bible Hub Study Bible addresses the greater theological implications of pneuma (breath, wind, spirit): “Breath, as depicted in the Bible, is not merely a physical necessity but a profound theological symbol.  It represents the life-giving and sustaining power of God, the intimate relationship between the Creator and His creation, and the transformative work of the Holy Spirit. The act of breathing, therefore, serves as a constant reminder of humanity's dependence on God for both physical and spiritual life.”

Three Dimensions: Spirit, Soul, Body
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23).  This powerful prayer of the Apostle Paul has been the subject of much discussion among theologians.  Does the apostle mean that “spirit and soul and body” exist as separate dimensions of our being, or in one integrated whole?  Bishop Ellicott writes, “This is St. Paul’s fullest and most scientific psychology, not merely a rhetorical piling up of words without any particular meaning being assigned to them. (Ellicott Commentary, HERE.)  The commentator then expounds on each dimension (emphasis added):

“The "spirit" (pneuma) is the part by which we apprehend realities intuitively--i.e., without reasoning upon them; with it we touch, see, serve, worship God (John 4:23-24; Romans 1:9; 1Corinthians 6:17; Revelation 1:10, et al.); it is the very inmost consciousness of the man (see, e.g., 1Corinthians 2:11); it is the part of him which survives death (Hebrews 12:23; 1Peter 3:19; comp. Luke 23:46; Acts 7:59).”

The "soul." (psyche) includes the intellect, the affections, and the will: and it is of the very essence of the gospel to force sharply upon men the distinction between it and the spirit (Hebrews 4:12).  Low-living men may have soul (i.e., intellect, affection, will) in abundance, but their spirit falls into complete abeyance (Jude 1:19)…  Because of the unique moral significance and accountability of the human soul toward God, the Bible has much to say about the spiritual warfare that uniquely challenges humans as fallen creatures.

Spiritual Warfare: Body and Spirit
The location of “the soul” becomes potentially problematic when the Apostle Paul combines the three dimensions into “body and spirit” to describe the spiritual warfare we face as believers (cf. e.g. Romans 7: 14).  Bishop Ellicott believes the soul belongs altogether to the lower nature—the “flesh (body).”  In support of this interpretation, note that in Galatians 5: 19-21, Paul gives us a list of the “deeds of the flesh (body)” which clearly include what may be considered “soul-sins”—e.g. “jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, etc.  These contrast markedly with the “fruit of the Spirit” which result when we submit our mind and spirit to the Holy Spirit in us—e.g.  love, patience, kindness.

Far be it from this writer to expound fully and accurately the relationship of body, mind, and spirit; or, even “body and spirit.”  Yet hopefully, our limited understanding will be enough for us to make some practical points that are useful for those pursuing a disciplined life so that their spirit and soul and body [will] be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23).  As you explore the points below, we invite you to do so prayerfully, asking God to speak into you through His Spirit and Word.

Stewards of the Breath of God
1)  God breathed life into the lifeless.  When the “breath of God” was uniquely and directly imparted into the lifeless form that became Adam, he was enlivened with a “spirit” (“breath”) (Genesis 2: 7).  Adam’s spirit served like an electric lamp to receive power from God’s Spirit.   When Adam’s “spiritual lamp” was “plugged in” and lighted by God’s Spirit, he was able to see the truth of God’s Word and walk in His light.  However, when Adam sinned, his spiritual connection to God was broken.  Although Adam and his descendants retained a “spirit,” nevertheless, they were separated from God’s Spirit and power.  The human “spirit” became like an unplugged lamp.  The light went out!

2) Sin brought death—“lights out!”  In his epistle to Christ-followers in Rome, the Apostle Paul quotes from Psalm 14:  The LORD has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.  He concluded:  They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.  To the Ephesians, Paul wrote (emphasis added):   And you were dead in your trespasses and sins… (Ephesians 2: 1a).  Paul adds in Ephesians 4: 18 that we were darkened in [our] understanding and alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in [us] due to the hardness of [our] hearts.  Each person living apart from God is a lifeless form without the Spirit of God.  Indeed, he is worse off than the spiritless, lifeless form that would become Adam. Think of this!  Not only do sinners love darkness and separation from God, they also hate the light of Christ who came to illuminate God’s Word of truth through the life He lived. Whereas, the lifeless “pre-Adam” lay still waiting for God’s life-giving Spirit, the fallen descendants of Adam hate the Light of God and run from the Light not knowing they are blind and ignorant of God’s love and purpose for them.

3) We must confess we are blinded and lifeless.  The Apostle John wrote, This is the verdict: Light [Jesus Christ] has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of the Light because their deeds were evil.  For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed (John 3: 19-20). John MacArthur wrote, “they seal their own condemnation because they reject the only One who can save them from their spiritual darkness” [Daily Readings from the Life of Christ.  Moody 2008]   But by God’s grace, it did not need to end in darkness.  John continued (v. 21):  But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.  Confession of our sin (“saying what God says about our sin and darkness”) is what God requires.

4) We must be “born again.”  Jesus had told Nicodemus, “You must be born again” (John 3: 3).  Like the earthen form into which God breathed during His creation of Adam, each of us are  lifeless spiritually –unless and until we are “born again.”  The good news is …if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you (Romans 8: 11).  When we die to our sin and yield to God’s Spirit, our spirit is “plugged into” God’s Spirit and our spiritual lamps burst into light which then illuminates God’s Word for our instruction in becoming more like Christ.  With the psalmist David, we can exclaim, For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light (Psalm 36: 9).  Have you been “born again?” Have you received the Light of life and been filled with the “breath of life” through the indwelling Spirit of God?  To learn more, go HERE.

5) “Born again” to be a “living sacrifice.”  When we are “born again,” we are babes in Christ who ought to “desire the pure milk of the Word of God” (1 Peter 2: 2).  If we have been “saved by grace” (Ephesians 2: 8-9), we should also recognize that the same grace of God also helps us develop the disciplined life of a Christ-follower (Titus 2: 11-14).  The Apostle Paul wrote, Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship. And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you] (Romans 12: 1-2).  But we cannot “present our bodies as a living sacrifice” with our own discipline and strength.  We need the power of God’s indwelling Spirit to stand firm in a “spiritual warfare.” 

6) Realizing our spiritual warfare.  The Scriptures make it clear that each Christ-follower faces opposition from both the material dimension (“body”, “flesh”) and the spiritual realm (cf. Ephesians 6: 10-12).  Victory in our spiritual warfare requires that we consider our “old self” as having been “crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2: 20) so that His resurrection life and Spirit can rule in our lives.  Here, the Apostle Paul’s teaching on the “body” and “spirit” helps us focus on the nature of the spiritual warfare (emphasis added):   For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please (Galatians 5: 17).  Then, in vv. 19-21, Paul lists examples of the “deeds of the flesh.”  This is a very depressing listing of evil attitudes and behavior.  In contrast and very uplifting is the “fruit of the Spirit:” love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, etc. (vv. 22-23).  If we take time to self-assess our attitudes and behavior, especially in difficult situations, we can literally feel the tension that often arises.  We offer the model below for sake of meditation and discussion, realizing that it oversimplifies the dynamic relationships of “spirit, soul, and body” we have been discussing.

7) Disciplines for spiritual warfare.  Here is where the “rubber” of our spiritual disciplines “meet the road” in the arena of daily living where spiritual warfare is a continual reality.  If you are not a Christ-follower, we urge you to pursue a relationship with God as explained in (4) above.  Writing to Christ-followers, we assume you have the Gift of salvation through faith in Christ, and are cultivating a relationship with God through His indwelling Spirit.  If so, the “lamp of your spirit” is lit up by God’s Spirit so that you can see His Word and be encouraged in the spiritual disciplines of surrender, prayer, worship, service, and witness to others. However, we still live within physical bodies, “earthen vessels,” that are prone to illness, sudden misfortunes, addictions, etc. which can wear us down emotionally and spiritually.  These factors are complex and dynamic from day to day.  Therefore, we close with some specific suggestions to incorporate into your spiritual disciplines drawn from study resources of the Hub Study Bible [Link]:

Strategy 1: Suit Up—Put On the Full Armor (Ephesians 6: 13-18)

• Belt of Truth — anchor every thought to God’s Word.
• Breastplate of Righteousness — walk in daily obedience; unconfessed sin leaves gaps.
• Shoes of the Gospel of Peace — stay ready to share Christ; peace steadies your footing.
• Shield of Faith — raise specific promises of God when doubts or temptations fly.
• Helmet of Salvation — guard your mind with the certainty of Christ’s finished work.
• Sword of the Spirit (the Word) — quote, pray, and apply Scripture as Jesus did (Matthew 4).
• Prayer in the Spirit — the supply line that keeps every other piece effective.

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Strategy 2: Stand on Scripture, Not Feelings

For though we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh… We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10: 3-5)
• Memorize key verses that answer your recurring battles.
• Replace lies with truth; meditate until your mind reroutes automatically (Philippians 4:8).

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Strategy 3: Active Resistance

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)
Resist him, standing firm in your faith. (1 Peter 5:9)

• First step is surrender to God; resistance without submission has no power.
• Speak truth aloud when attacked—darkness hates light.
• Persist; fleeing may not be immediate, but it is promised.

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Strategy 4: Continual, All-Kinds-of Prayer

Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. (Ephesians 6:18)

• Conversational prayers through the day keep you alert.
• Intercede for others; a wider scope denies the enemy easy targets.
• Include praise and thanksgiving—praise enthrones God and unsettles evil (Psalm 22:3).

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Strategy 5: Fellowship and Accountability

And though one may be overpowered, two can resist him. (Ecclesiastes 4:12)

• Honest relationships expose hidden schemes; secrecy is the enemy’s ally.
• Corporate worship multiplies faith and courage.

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Strategy 6: Cultivate Holiness

Make no provision for the flesh. (Romans 13:14)

• Remove media, habits, or environments that invite darkness.
• Replace them with practices that nourish the Spirit—service, Scripture, worship.

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Strategy 7: Practice Discernment

Beloved, do not believe every spirit,
but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. (1 John 4:1)

• Weigh teachings, impressions, and emotions against clear biblical doctrine.
• The Holy Spirit never contradicts the written Word.

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Strategy 8: Rest in Christ’s Victory

He disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (Colossians 2:15)

• Spiritual warfare is fought from victory, not for it.
• Remind yourself that final authority already belongs to Christ; you stand in His triumph.

When an Atheist Longs for a “Higher Love”

Atheists reason, and some profess, that God and other deities do not exist.  Maybe I’m wrong, but I have a hunch that many self-proclaimed atheists remember being offended and perhaps deeply hurt by one or more well meaning persons of faith.  Some Christians may act toward unbelievers out of ignorance, others out of arrogance, and yet others out of a sincere but carnal desire to “win” a God-denier to faith in order to claim the atheist as a trophy of a hard-to-win pagan.  By the way, I have probably already unintentionally offended at least some atheistic readers who argue that their belief is based on sound logic, not emotional scars.  No offense intended as you will hopefully see by reading on.

The Bible teaches that those who deny God are on the road to eternal judgment (John 3: 16; Romans 3: 10,23; 6: 23).   God does not “clear the guilty” (Numbers 14: 18) just because they can point to a Christian who offended them sometime in their life.  Yet, it ought to be true that every sinner saved by God’s grace is constrained by Calvary’s love and desirous of sharing the Gospel of God’s love with unbelievers—and, in a way that is not disrespectful (2 Corinthians 5: 14-15; 1 Peter 3: 15).

I cannot deny that there has been selfishness in my motivation to communicate with atheists in recent years.  Therefore, it has been good medicine for me to read The Faith of Christopher Hitchens (Nelson, 2016).  I discovered this title in a book review by Benjamin Wiker, Senior Fellow at the Veritas Center for Ethics and Public Life, Franciscan University.   The book’s author, Larry Taunton, director of Fixed Point Foundation, refers to Hitchens in his subtitle as “the World’s Most Notorious Atheist.”  I was immediately intrigued upon learning that Taunton is an evangelical Christian who writes from his experience as a close friend of Hitchens between 2007 and 2011 when Hitchens died of cancer.

Readers of The Faith of Christopher Hitchens are humbly and respectfully introduced to the man whom reviewer Benjamin Wiker describes as “a real, lovable, cantankerous, flawed, hilarious, foolish, brilliant, sinful, and multi-faceted human being.”  But more fascinating and valuable is the way in which an evangelical Christian, Larry Taunton, respectfully and lovingly earns the right to become a friend of Hitchens.  Though reluctant to publish many aspects of their unusual friendship, Taunton finally agrees with a publisher that he should write the book.  What resulted is a captivating narrative that recounts the tumultuous boyhood of Christopher Hitchens in England during the 1950’s, his rejection of the notion of God as a teen, and his development of a separate public and private “set of books” that governed his thinking, communication, and behavior in his adult life.  As Taunton explains, the growing chasm between the public and the private Christopher Hitchens is a key to understanding how an atheist could drastically change his allegiance from the Left to the Right following the 9/11 attack on America, and eventually gain new respect and friendships with evangelical Christians.

Christopher Hitchens and brother, Peter Hitchens

As further incentive for you to read The Faith of Christopher Hitchens, I will provide a list of questions the book has caused me to ask, each one dealing with a facet of the larger question, What can I as an evangelical Christian learn from Larry Taunton about building a friendship of mutual trust and respect with those who have a different view than I of the natural world and beyond (if they acknowledge such?  Hopefully, this article will motivate you to read The Faith of Christopher Hitchens.  And better yet, maybe some of my questions will promote  a more in-depth reflection and discussion.  If so, I’d love to read comments posted to me from the link below.

1.   Am I cultivating friendships with people who deny the existence of God, or reject His claim on their lives?  If so, how well am I representing the love of Christ to them?

2.   Hitchens’ favorite song was Steve Winwood’s, “Higher Love.”  He admitted to Larry Taunton’s son, Michael, “I do long for a higher love (p. 4).”  With all humility, do I recognize that within the heart of every man and woman is the need to experience God’s redemptive love, and that God might use me in some way as an important channel of His love?

3.   What can I learn from the accounts of the boarding school experience of two English boys—one, Christopher Hitchens who found in its harsh and often unreasonable discipline what became for him “metaphors for rejection of God and church;” the other, C.S. Lewis, who found an equally harsh experience what became for him “a metaphor for how faith, patience, and anticipation is built into life.” (p. 12-13)

4.   How many pre-adolescent and adolescent children today experience a roadblock to conversion to faith in God, often resulting in a hatred of God and Christianity, because of a failure of parents and teachers to help them acquire a truly Christian view of God’s gift of   sexuality?  

Michelangelo's "The Awakening Slave"

5.  Is each human being “self-made” as illustrated in Michelangelo’s The Awakening Slave, pictured 

as a man writhing to get free of the marble block restraining him?  Hitchens denied that his father’s lack of faith had anything to do with his own becoming an atheist; instead, seeing himself as a “self-made man” who came to atheism purely out of rational means.  But, Hitchens’ father had two sons, both “Bible-burning atheists and communists.”  The fact that God works in the affairs of fathers and sons is evidenced by what eventually happened--one of the sons becomes a Christian (p. 48)!

6.   Is it possible that many atheists do not embrace atheism so much because it is logical and intellectually fulfilling as because it allows them the opportunity to legitimize their rejection of moral claims upon the lifestyle they choose?

7.   Hitchens embraced atheism because it allowed him to square the public and private “sets of books” that he kept.  And, he chose words as his weapons to defend his position, “rather than loving words insofar as they lead to truth (p. 22-23).”  Do I fall into the same trap when I give priority to eloquence and scholarship over pursuit of truth, understanding, and respectful discourse with those who do not share my beliefs?

8.   For Hitchens the atheist, the logical political allegiance was to socialism which is antithetical to Christianity.  As Dostoevsky wrote, “Socialism is not merely the labor question, it is before all things the atheistic question….”  Do we realize why socialism today is increasingly popular in spite of its dismal history of economic failure and the deaths of millions of people?  Socialism is increasingly popular because many are deceived into believing that “our generation” will avoid the “Stalinist perversion of an otherwise perfect system” and will “get it right” in the attempt to “set up heaven on earth?” (p. 24)

9.   Do some atheists see Christian attempts to relate to them as trophy-hunting expeditions?  Taunton suggests that Hitchens often found the efforts of Christians who sought to “convert” him as intellectually stimulating and entertaining.  But, he also loathingly considered other professing Christians like Rev. Al Sharpton as “intellectual frauds” when he learned that they held little or no allegiance to the authority of the Bible.  Read how Hitchens exemplifies a God-denier or God-hater who warms to some conservative evangelicals who displayed intellectual competence integrated with warmth and respect.

10.  What happens when an atheist like Christopher Hitchens is confronted with a horrific event like 9/11?  Hitchens could not help but judge the terrorist act as “simply evil” and not, as liberal progressives often claim, the result of some outside injustice--economic, social, political, or cultural?  If instead, murderous acts originate by “human free will” out of an evil heart, it becomes “freely chosen evil.” It follows that our whole “human family” is morally corrupt and in need of an outside Deliverer—the God an atheist claims does not exist!  Read how Hitchens came to see the contradiction.  Psalm 49: 7-9:  No man can by any means redeem his brother, or give to God a ransom for him-- For the redemption of his soul is costly, and he should cease trying forever--that he should live on eternally, that he should not undergo decay.

Christopher Hitchens (1949-2011)

11.  How did the gradual warming of Christopher Hitchens toward Christianity come about by a Gospel witness grounded in the authority of Scripture as the sole arbiter of what defines Christianity, and not (as Hitchens often encountered) personal testimonials and human opinions?   How many times does my witness for Christ become diluted by too much emphasis on “my experience” as opposed to presenting the objective claims of the Gospel message?

12.  How did Larry Taunton, upon first meeting Hitchens, in 2007, avoid getting stuck in a “cart-before-the-horse” misunderstanding over how their lifestyles differed (e.g. smoking, drinking), allowing Taunton to say, from almost the beginning, “I knew I liked him…our rapport was immediate (p. 96).”

13.  How does a Christian friend of an atheist locate the moral limits (if any) beyond which the atheist will not go?  For example, was Hitchens’ atheism consistent enough (as was Peter Singer’s atheism) that he was comfortable with the Godless conclusion that there is no moral basis for treating human babies any differently than piglets or peeps?

14.  How did the adoption of a Russian girl, Sasha, by Larry and Lauri Taunton; and, Sasha’s vibrant Christian testimony to Christopher provide him with a glimpse of the “higher love” which he longed (see #? Above)?  Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him (Isaiah 30:18 ).

15.  Finally, does an increasingly warm and tender friendship of mutual trust and respect between an evangelical Christian and a professing atheist lead the latter to bow his knees at the altar of repentance and faith in God, and to take hold of that “higher love” he had longed to find?  You’ll have to read The Faith of Christopher Hitchens, but please don’t start with the last chapter.

Learning How to Respect and Exercise Authority

Students at U. of Missouri caused their president to resign.

Yesterday, University of Missouri President Tim Wolfe resigned in response to increasing pressure from students over racial tensions on campus.   Racial injustice continues to be a problem in America.  Authority figures in America are not without blame whether they are university administrators, civic leaders, or local police.  However, what is most disconcerting to me is the manner in which objecting parties approach the injustice or perceived injustice.  Different opinions or philosophies are no excuse for the absence of mutual respect between authorities and their subjects.

Authority figures are responsible to govern and enforce laws or protocols on the basis of their own integrity and respect for their constituents.   Likewise, subjects of authority are obligated to show respect through polite behavior and a respectful appeal for change in cases where reformation is needed.  Otherwise, the structure that upholds our communities and our nation will be weakened and destroyed.  

The riots in Ferguson, Missouri and Baltimore, Maryland this past summer clearly reveal what happens when the relationship between authorities and their subjects comes unraveled.   Therefore, we must ask, “How does a person learn the proper exercise of authority?” and, “How does a person learn to respect authority?”  According to the Word of God our “Ultimate Authority”, the respect that fuels healthy relationships between authority and subjects must be learned and incorporated into ones character beginning at a young age.

In Genesis, the “Book of Beginnings”, we read how God created humans, male and female (Genesis 1: 17) and ordained that a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh (Gen. 2: 24).  This separation from the parent generation and the union of man and wife provides the foundation for distinct families in which children can be nurtured and taught to become responsible adults.  Ephesians 6 explains the fundamental commands that provide for a healthy and loving respect for authority by children (upper case lettering distinguish parts quoted from the Old Testament (Torah)): 

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER (which is the first commandment with a promise), SO THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH YOU, AND THAT YOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH.   – Ephesians 6: 1-3

Likewise, the Scriptures teach the importance of parents exercising loving authority over children:

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord – Ephesians 6: 4

How many of the protestors in Ferguson, Missouri; or, the protestors on the University of Missouri campus had the privilege of being nurtured in a loving home with two parents in which respect for authority was taught?  How many were taught not only to exercise reverent respect for mom and dad, but also reverent respect for the men and women teachers in their school classrooms; or authorities dressed in the uniform of law enforcement in the community?  How many were taught American history and how our nation was founded on the basis of Christian virtues and a proper understanding of the depravity of man, how power corrupts, and hence, the need for checks and balances in government?

Surely, we live in a sin-corrupted world, and this corruption has infected all authorities—parents, teachers, church and civic leaders, and law enforcement officials.  Many of our young people have been mistreated at one or more levels of authority in the home or in the community.  Many have never been respectfully challenged to objectively consider how their own narrow experiences may inaccurately “color” their view of the world around them.  As a result, many have grown up to despise authority at all levels, and have joined the voices of those who reject God and His plan for biblical marriage, family, church, community, and America.  Biblical teaching which was fundamental to the founding and sustaining of America for nearly two and one-half centuries is being eliminated from our homes, schools, churches, and communities. 

Sons and daughters of dysfunctional families, schools, churches, and communities are encouraged to see themselves as victims by selfish or well meaning politicians who offer false hope of relief through empty promises from big government.  Paul Krugman, leading liberal economist and columnist of the New York Times, lamented yesterday, there is a darkness spreading over part of our society. And we don’t really understand why.  He seems confused about the possible causes of increased drug abuse and suicides in the face of recent government offerings that include universal health care, higher minimum wages, and aid to education.  Could it be that these achievements, instead of delivering a better quality of life, are simply reminders that outside of God’s plan for family and government, we can only expect an increasing population of “victims” existing in a culture of dependency and despair?

Welcome back to the University of Missouri campus, where student groups and boycotting football players have just caused the resignation of the president of the university.  Surely, there are more civil and respectful means of advancing racial reconciliation than this.  I can only speak from my own personal journey toward learning to respect authority and later, to exercise authority in a godly manner.

My childhood was largely free of verbal and physical abuse.  I feel great sorrow toward anyone, including one of my dearest friends, who has been abused by someone in authority.  My parents disciplined me lovingly and with “loving force” at times when necessary.  However, when I began elementary school in first grade, I quickly learned that my social interaction skills were in need of major adjustments.

Mrs. Nile Johnson

Enter Mrs. Olive Johnson, my first grade teacher.  She was a mature, godly woman who seemed very old and stern to me at the time.  I do not remember the exact nature of my infractions of her rules, but I do remember “feeling” her consistent and loving discipline whenever I stepped over the line.  In one instance, while I was being kept in detention for one offence, I was unwise enough to commit another and received a double dose of discipline.   I very much needed Mrs. Johnson’s expenditure of time and energy, sometimes physically applied to my bottom, to bring discipline, respect, and order to my wild, farm boy nature.

Mrs. Johnson was more than simply my first grade teacher.  She worshiped and served at Dundee Methodist Church where my family and I attended.  In summer, she and her husband, Nile, would invite members of our church to gather on their lovely farm for a church picnic.  And, when I graduated from her class, she continued to remember my special day each year for several decades by mailing a birthday card and a poem which she had written.  I understand that Mrs. Johnson practiced this loving ministry to many if not all of her former students until she was unable to continue.   She also gave me a book filled with short stories; and, she lovingly marked her approval in pencil those stories that best taught good character qualities.   Thank you, Mrs. Johnson, for teaching me reading, writing, and arithmetic.  But also, thank you for your example as an authority dressed in love, consistency, firmness, and fairness.

Mrs. Lloyd Gardner

Thankfully, God knew this farm boy well enough to know that one year would not be enough to straighten me out.   My second and third grade teacher was Mrs. Kathryn Gardner, a much younger lady, but no less committed to an orderly classroom and playground.  Whereas, Mrs. Johnson had to break me from some of my wild behavior, Mrs. Gardner’s approach was best suited for helping me develop my attitudes and character.  She set a high standard of achievement for me and was not reserved about putting me on the spot in front of the class when she perceived that I was being careless or lazy with my work. 

Like my first grade teacher, Mrs. Gardener’s life was also visible to me beyond the classroom and playground.  She and her husband, Lloyd, the Dundee postmaster, were friends of our family.  On Sunday mornings, my teacher demonstrated herself to be an accomplished organist as well as a good Sunday school teacher.  As I grew older, I attended Lloyd’s Sunday School class.  He was among those who first sparked my interest in the subject of politics.  Lloyd’s training and experiences as an officer in the armed services and his godly character provided a good example of what it is to be a gentleman.  Meanwhile, in Kathryn I saw a godly woman whose adornment was not merely external, but which included the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God (1 Peter 3: 3-4).  As an adolescent, I regularly remember the admiring and respectful smiles she gave me as if speaking confidence and approval into my life.

I thank God for providing many good teachers throughout the years of my formal education, some of whom deserve similar recognition here in Oikonomia.  However, Olive Johnson and Kathryn Gardner provided a critical part of my education at the beginning there in Dundee School.  It was through them that God taught me a very important lesson about honor and respect for authority.  This lesson is perhaps best articulated by Doctor Luke in his Gospel, Luke 6: 39-40  

A blind man cannot guide a blind man, can he?
Will they not both fall into a pit?   
A pupil is not above his teacher;
but everyone, after he has been fully trained,
will be like his teacher. “

This Scripture teaches a principle may be lost on campus these days; namely, the principle I will call the “stewardship of education.”  The teacher/professor and administrator must understand the importance of exercising authority in a loving, purposeful, consistent manner to everyone on campus.  In turn, the students (disciples) must exercise the discipline of showing honor and respect toward those in authority.  Both teacher and student ought to recognize that they are under the authority of God.  This notion is firmly based in Judeo-Christian Scripture, and to the extent that it is applied in the lives of today’s teachers and students as it was at Dundee School, America’s schools and colleges can expect a brighter future.  May God inspire and give courage particularly to Christian educators who are now the minority voice on campuses like the University of Missouri.

Dundee School Revisited:  

Mrs. (Gardner) Weber delights in a former student.

In October, Abby and I were blessed with the opportunity to attend the 100^th anniversary of Dundee School.  In addition to getting reacquainted with some of my former schoolmates, we were able to sit and talk with Kathryn (Gardner) Weber, who, like Dundee School,  is also 100 years of age.  At this reunion, sixty years after I sat in her classroom, I sat again and learned from this teacher.  I learned that one can be an honored, 100-year-old teacher who has taught for 35 years, and yet masterfully deflect attention away from herself to a stream of former students in whom she took great delight.  I am privileged to have been one of those in whom she expressed delight.  When Abby asked to take our picture together, Kathryn said, “You take the picture.  I just want to look at my student.”