March 2026 Ordained Servant

From the Editor. Lots of ideas are floating about among the chattering class about the relationship between church and state, and the nature of authority in the family and the church. Christian Nationalism and Patriarchy are among the labels used frequently.

Aaron Mize takes issue with the idea that patriarchy in the Bible gives us a model for the authority structure of family, church, and state. “In Defense of Union, Not Patriarchy” contends that “The Fatherhood of God is not an archetype of hierarchy but the source of communion, to imitate that Fatherhood is not to rule but to give life. The church’s task, therefore, is not to restore a patriarchal system in the world but to embody the new humanity . . .”

Darryl Hart’s review article, “Bite-Sized Christian Nationalism,” reviews a new book on this topic, King of Kings: A Reformed Guide to Christian Government, by James Baird.

That Baird can call for a government powerful enough to promote the true religion, only five years after governments ignored civil liberties to enforce public health, is well-nigh amazing. And yet, the author does not appear to be bashful in calling upon government to implement the idea of the public good affirmed by a minority of the American people.

Shane Lems reviews a remarkable new book about Meredith G. Kline’s work on Revelation, Christ and His Church-Bride: Meredith G. Kline’s Biblical-Theological Reading of the Book of Revelation, by Danny E. Olinger. As a brilliant linguist, although an Old Testament professor by vocation, Kline was as capable with Koine Greek as he was with Hebrew and New Testament theology. Combine this with insightful biblical theology in the Vosian tradition and you have a treasure trove. The first half of the book is Olinger’s exposition of the sources of Kline’s theology and exegesis from Kline’s other writings, which form the basis of his commentary.

Jack VanDrunen reviews Return of the God Hypothesis: Three Scientific Discoveries That Reveal the Mind Behind the Universe, by Stephen C. Meyer. As commendable as Meyer’s insistence is that the existence of God and modern science are not antithetical, VanDrunen cautions Christians about the principles of the philosophy of science employed by Meyer to prove intelligent design. He recommends Meyer’s work on the history of modern science. On this important topic, I recommend Bryan Estelle’s article “Preachers in Lab Coats and Scientists in Geneva Gowns” in the 2010 Ordained Servant Online (https://www.opc.org/os.html?article_id=223).

Our poem this month is Sonnet 65 by William Shakespeare (1564–1616). Sonnets 15, 17, 18, 19, 55, 60, 63, 65, 81, and 107 each explore the ability of Shakespeare’s poetry to defy time and death. This is one of the most beautiful. It reminds us of Ecclesiastes which deals with mortality, concluding with a poetic description of our diminishment ending in death (Eccl. 12:1–7). Like Shakespeare’s poetry, this biblical book has survived the ravages of time. But unlike the bard’s poems Ecclesiastes points beyond the under-the-sun world to a Redeemer.

The cover photo is an unusual selfie. It is the shadow of a Nordic skier on deep powder at Derryfield Country Club in Manchester, New Hampshire. It is I!

Blessings in the Lamb,

Gregory Edward Reynolds

FROM THE ARCHIVES “CHURCH AND NATION, INTELLIGENT DESIGN”
https://opc.org/OS/pdf/Subject_Index.pdf

• “Church and State in Historical Perspective.” (Alan D. Strange) 16 (2007): 93–100.
• “Christianity and Nationalism.” (Richard M. Gamble) 33 (2024): 134–39.
• “Christians, Churches, and Public Aid.” (David VanDrunen) 32 (2023): 73–83.
• “City on a Hill: Caesar’s or God’s?” (Richard M. Gamble) 17 (2008): 127–29.
• “The Decline of Christianity in the West? A Contrarian View.” (T. David Gordon) 16 (2007): 84–93.
• “What Is the State For?” (Gregory Edward Reynolds) 16 (2007): 22–26.
• “Preachers in Lab Coats and Scientists in Geneva Gowns.” (Bryan Estelle) 19 (2010): 67–71.

Ordained Servant exists to help encourage, inform, and equip church officers for faithful, effective, and God-glorifying ministry in the visible church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Its primary audience is ministers, elders, and deacons of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, as well as interested officers from other Presbyterian and Reformed churches. Through high-quality editorials, articles, and book reviews, we will endeavor to stimulate clear thinking and the consistent practice of historic, confessional Presbyterianism.