As we approach the presidential election of 2024, more and more Christians are turning their thoughts to the Bible to guide their actions and decisions.

For similar reasons, as we begin each new year, it is good to turn to a trainer to guide our actions and decisions about our health.

To establish good health, we need to put into practice all of our trainer’s good advice. All of our trainer’s good wisdom.

Rest tired muscles. Warm up before a workout. Cool down after a workout. Stretch frequently. Eat healthy foods. Get plenty of high quality sleep.

Depending on circumstances, the details of warming up, cooling down, stretching, eating, and sleeping must vary.

Similarly, to establish good civilizations and good governments, we need to put into practice all of the good advice—all of the good Wisdom—that the Bible and Jesus give us. (Matthew 7:24-27).

Depending on circumstances, the details must vary.

Therefore we shouldn’t memorize and apply the literal government practices that are described by the Bible in vastly different circumstances thousands of years ago.

What kinds of such practices must we condemn? Polygamy! Slavery! Stoning!

Instead of practicing memorization of commands that no longer make sense, we must put into practice the Wisdom of the Bible and of Jesus by applying the principles that undergird the Wisdom of the Bible and of Jesus.

Mere memorization of Bible verses won’t be enough. Indeed, if applied out of context, words that were wise at the time they were given may become foolish, if applied unthinkingly in the circumstances that exist today.

For example, suppose a mother tells her 3-year old son, “Never cross the street unless you’re holding Mommy’s hand!”

His mother’s command is very wise in the circumstances in which she gave it.

But think how foolish her 30-year old son would be if he refused to cross a street because he wasn’t holding his mother’s hand.

Instead of foolishly applying his mother’s advice so literally, he should wisely apply the principles that can be inferred from his mother’s advice: never cross a street without carefully listening for traffic and looking both ways first!

Similarly, instead of blindly, foolishly following words of the Bible that don’t make sense in today’s vastly different circumstances, we need to put into practice the timeless, wise principles that we can infer from the words of the Bible and of Jesus.

We need to put into practice wise principles such as:

—in everything do for others what you would want them to do for you (Matthew 7:12);

—proclaim good news for people who are physically or spiritually poor;

—proclaim freedom for people who are physically or spiritually imprisoned;

—restore the sight of people who are physically or spiritually blind; and

—set free the physically or spiritually oppressed. (Luke 4:18-19)

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

What wise commands did your parents give you that no longer make sense now that you’re an adult?

What wisdom can be inferred by civilizations and governments from the Apostle Paul himself telling us: “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.” (1 Corinthians 13:11)?

What wisdom can be inferred by civilizations and governments from the Gospel of Luke telling us that Jesus himself “grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” (Luke 2:52)?

READ MORE

For related thoughts, please read my blogs “Civilizations and Governments: An Independent Path”; “Civilizations and Governments: Giving Wisdom Without Finding Fault”; and “Civilizations and Governments: Using the Word To Build a New Earth”.

In my blog “Building Houses on Rock: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”, I apply the principles of the Sermon on the Mount to explain why the Freedoms of Speech and of Religion are essential to a good civilization and a good government.