DKQ

“I say that we are bound to love as ourselves, all those whom we must hold as our neighbors. But it does not follow that I am equally bound to everybody. For the husband is more bound to his wife, and the wife to her husband, and the fathers and mothers to their children, and the children to them, and the brothers and sisters to each other, than to strangers. For this reason, St. Paul says ‘Do good to all, but especially to those of your own household.’ If, therefore, it is a question of a Christian, a Turk, and a Jew, I am more bound to the Christian than the other two; and must let the others help themselves, if I cannot help them at all. Similarly, in the law of God, many things were permitted to the people of Israel towards foreigners, which were not permitted to them in their own nation, such as usury and other things.”

Pierre Viret
Reformer
Instruction Chretienne II – pg. 768-769

Viret teaches, that while we must hold all as our neighbors, that does not mean that all neighbors are treated in the same neighborly way. This means that there exist differing degrees of “neighbor.” This means that while we might use the word “neighbor” for our relation to people we come across in a casual manner, we must assign a ranking mechanism to the word neighbor so that some are 1st rate neighbors, while others are 2nd rate, and some are 3rd rate, etc.

Think about it … if everyone is a neighbor in the same sense of the word neighbor that means no one is a neighbor, just like if everyone is our friend then no one is our friend. These words lose their meaning if they are applied universally and without distinction.

Rev. Joseph Spurgeon and Rev. Jerry Dorris and others were just in error on this subject a few weeks ago when the subject of “neighbor” was being tossed about.

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“He tells them the charge of his master had given him, to fetch a wife for his son from among his kindred, with the reason of it (v. 37-38). The highest degree of divine affection must not divest us of natural affection.”

Matthew Henry
Commentary on Genesis 24:29-53 – pg. 134

What is interesting in Gen. 24 is that Abraham sends his servant to secure a wife from among his people so that Isaac doesn’t end up marrying a Canaanite woman. Still, even though Isaac doesn’t end up marrying a Canaanite pagan he does marry a woman from his own kindred who did not reveal themselves to be particular believers in the God of Abraham. (Consider Rebekah’s pagan brother Laban and her niece Rachel who later stole Laban’s idols.)

This teaches the Kinist idea that marrying from among one’s own people is a priority vis-a-vis marrying outside one’s people group. Of course, we are commanded to marry those who are Christian but the above suggests that marriage should be between Christians who belong to the same people group.

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“The temper of some nations in more inclined to some vices than others.”

Matthew Henry
Commentary on Titus 1:12
Comprehensive Commentary – pg. 1360

Compare Matthew Henry’s statement (which is not unusual in the least in Church history) with the statement making the rounds in NAPARC churches,

“That the 221st General Synod of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church do on this solemn day condemn without distinction any theological or political teaching which posits a superiority of race or ethnic identity born of immutable human characteristics and does on this solemn evening call to repentance any who would promote or associate themselves with such teaching, either by commission or omission.” 

It sure seems likely to be the case that St. Paul in the book of Titus 1:12f would be required to repent for what he said about “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” Sounds like Matthew Henry agreed with Paul as against the NAPARC Keystone Clergy.

Author: jetbrane

I am a Pastor of a small Church in Mid-Michigan who delights in my family, my congregation and my calling. I am postmillennial in my eschatology. Paedo-Calvinist Covenantal in my Christianity Reformed in my Soteriology Presuppositional in my apologetics Familialist in my family theology Agrarian in my regional community social order belief Christianity creates culture and so Christendom in my national social order belief Mythic-Poetic / Grammatical Historical in my Hermeneutic Pre-modern, Medieval, & Feudal before Enlightenment, modernity, & postmodern Reconstructionist / Theonomic in my Worldview One part paleo-conservative / one part micro Libertarian in my politics Systematic and Biblical theology need one another but Systematics has pride of place Some of my favorite authors, Augustine, Turretin, Calvin, Tolkien, Chesterton, Nock, Tozer, Dabney, Bavinck, Wodehouse, Rushdoony, Bahnsen, Schaeffer, C. Van Til, H. Van Til, G. H. Clark, C. Dawson, H. Berman, R. Nash, C. G. Singer, R. Kipling, G. North, J. Edwards, S. Foote, F. Hayek, O. Guiness, J. Witte, M. Rothbard, Clyde Wilson, Mencken, Lasch, Postman, Gatto, T. Boston, Thomas Brooks, Terry Brooks, C. Hodge, J. Calhoun, Llyod-Jones, T. Sowell, A. McClaren, M. Muggeridge, C. F. H. Henry, F. Swarz, M. Henry, G. Marten, P. Schaff, T. S. Elliott, K. Van Hoozer, K. Gentry, etc. My passion is to write in such a way that the Lord Christ might be pleased. It is my hope that people will be challenged to reconsider what are considered the givens of the current culture. Your biggest help to me dear reader will be to often remind me that God is Sovereign and that all that is, is because it pleases him.

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