Dear friend, This blog post is about my own thought process as I answer the question for myself: "to "V" or not to "V"." This decision about whether or not to take the C19 "V" is very personal and each person needs to decide for themselves. I respect each person's decision for themselves. I love and respect you no matter what you decide for yourself and your family.
To "V" or not to "V", especially if the government (to include my employer?) mandates that it be taken?
This is a complex subject especially for me because I am naturally skeptical and analytical. These notes are to help "find my rudder" on this issue and bring clarity.
A few videos by Todd Friel of Wretched Radio were very helpful to me in this process and analysis: Check out "Mandated V's: the Christian response": https://youtu.be/4KzOD_sWZ3o by Todd Friel of Wretched Radio... and also these other two videos: "Should Christians take the..." ( https://youtu.be/iOb9wKzlEi4 ) and "Does Romans 13 give Christians permission to resist the government?" ( https://youtu.be/0WBwfYne83M )
First, Mr. Friel says that we need to set aside (eliminate) any "pre-understandings"; we can deal with those after we have a Biblical understanding. This allows us to be objective in our reading of the scriptures.
First, we find explicit and/or implicit Bible verses that apply to the issue:
Explicit verses:
Romans 13 "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor."
1 Peter 2:13-17 "Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a coverup for evil; live as servants of God. Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king."
Titus 3:1-8 "Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men."
Acts Ch. 4 Peter and John get put into prison for preaching the gospel. The authorities (Sanhedrin) ask them to stop preaching the gospel, "...not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus." (v. 18) and Peter and John say (v. 19-20) "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."
...and again in Acts Ch. 5:29-32 "But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.”
Implicit verses:
The human body, ours and others. Genesis 1 - we are image bearers of God. Exodus 20 - thou shalt not murder. Would taking the "V" "murder" the body? I need to research what are genuine risks and what are not. 1 Corinthians 6 - body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. The body matters. Jesus had a body and died for us. Our bodily death is inevitable. 1 Corinthians 15 - I am going to have a resurrection body.
We are commanded to protect our wife and children (and others). Matthew 12 - love our neighbor. We should consider other people's well-being.
Paul teaches us to "be all things to all people." His strategy is Love.
1 Corinthians 9:19-23: “For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. Now this I do for the gospel's sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.”
This article from John Piper provides insight on Paul's instruction to "become all things" to all people (click link, see excerpts below): https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/becoming-all-things-to-all-men-to-save-some
A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none. A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.
and also...
We are under the law of Christ. This is the law of love. In Galatians 6:2 Paul says, "Bear one another's burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ." The law of Christ is the law that fulfills all laws: Galatians 5:14, "The whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" This is called in James 2:8 the "royal law" and "the law of liberty" (1:25; 2:12). It's the law that free people submit to gladly because they are led by the Holy Spirit. That's what Paul means when he says in Galatians 5:18, "If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law." Instead, you bear the fruit of love, and so submit gladly to the law of Christ, the law of love.
and this!!!...
In freedom, for love's sake, you try to overcome unnecessary, alienating differences that cut you off from unbelievers. In freedom, for love's sake, you learn the Maninka language and translate the Bible. In freedom, for love's sake, you eat dinner together the way they eat dinner. In freedom, for love's sake, you dress pretty much like the middle class American natives. In freedom, for love's sake, you get into their politics and their sports and their businesses.
And all the while you keep a vigilant watch over your heart to see if you are in the law of Christ. Here are two tests of how you are doing in this delicate balancing act. I close with these:
- Are you becoming more worldly minded than they are becoming spiritually minded? If so, you have probably crossed the line of the law of Christ. Christ does not call you to lose your holiness, but to gain theirs.
- Is your passion for winning your friends and family growing, or is it shrinking as you become all things to them? If it is shrinking, then you are not in the law of Christ at that point.
Here is the sum of the matter: Christ died to set us free. Free from the wrath of God, and free from the loveless limits of the law. Free for love and eternal life. Are we using our freedom to make this good news plain? Or are we so separatistic that we have no connection with unbelievers; or are we so worldly they don't know we have anything radically different to offer?
O may the Lord grant us to use our freedom to become the servants of all, that we might by all means save some!
This article from "Let Us Reason" ministries is also helpful, providing additional insight on the topic of "becoming all things to all people", click link here: http://www.letusreason.org/Biblexp78.htm
Discussion:
So, the question at the heart of the matter is whether or not the "rulers and authorities" (which can include our government leaders, business leaders and employers) are commanding us to sin? If not, then as Christians, we should obey them. There are a lot of good reasons to do so, as the Bible teaches us, including that by "doing good we should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men", while we are living as free men.
- spike protein - is it cytotoxic? what does that mean?
- A: I have determined that this claim is dubious and difficult to confirm. I asked a pharmacist (PharmD) about this term and it was basically explained that the word means "toxic to cells." Probably true, and that doesn't necessarily means that it's harmful long term. A person will have the spike protein within them whether they are infected with C19 or take the vaccine. The body is trained to attack it as an immune response to the intruder.
- variants - are C19 variants caused by "V'd" hosts? Does universal V make the pandemic worse over time or does it prolong it?
- A: this one is even more challenging to confirm. There seems to be good scientists on either side of this. Regardless, this is a massive-scale policy decision which I have zero influence to. For example, even if I didn't take the "V" because I didn't want to be a host for a new variant to find a way around my immune system, I am still potentially exposing myself to greater harm if I get really sick from C19... which is also not good.
- A2: everyone I spoke with in person indicated that taking the "V" was more important to protect myself from a greater infection, and wasn't worried about variants being spread by the masses that had already taking the "V"
- long term effects on myself or others. C19 infection ("long haul") vs. effects of the "V"
- only time will tell. I hope and pray that I am protected against series illness by taking the "V" and that long term effects, whether they be from the "V" or C19 infection, are in God's hands. He has my days numbered no matter what I do.
- viral vector V's
- I won't get into the technology here, but I have concluded that a "viral vector" type "V" is the one I will choose to take, rather than the mRNA type. The viral vector type seems a bit more traditional in its delivery method (like a "V" that uses heat inactivated virus to generate the immune response).
- In any case, the "single dose" of the J&J viral vector "V" is appealing to me rather than the two-dose alternative.
- Recommendations from experts and loved ones:
- I have spoken with multiple doctors (MD or PharmD), including my own family practice physician. They all recommend that I take the "V" because C19 is potentially dangerous.
