Barry Jones barryjoneswhat@gmail.com |
Tekton Website Updates
January 10, 2021
The site review continuies. Meanwhile here are some external notes:
An up and coming apologetics website; sample here and here.
Special notice: Nick Peters now has a Patreon account.
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11 But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler-- not even to eat with such a one.
12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church?
13 But those who are outside, God judges. REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOURSELVES. (1 Cor. 5:11-13 NAU)
2. Christians should try to avoid calumny (1 Tim. 5:14), but when exposed to it (cf. Mt. 5:11) they should follow Christ's example (1 Pet. 2:23; cf. Mt. 26:63; Jn. 18:23), repaying railing with blessing (1 Pet. 3:9). This is the apostolic way of 1 Cor. 4:12: “When reviled, we bless” (cf. Diog. 5.15). By this answer to calumny the reality of the new creation is manifested. [H. HANSE, IV, 293-94]
Chrysostom: The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Timothy, Titus, and Philemon: Homilies on 1 Timothy
And, "If any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater" (1 Cor. v. 11.), such a man honors not God.
Origen's Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, ch. 30
as the Apostle says, "If any one that is named a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, etc., with such an one not to eat;"14 for no one who is an idolater, or a fornicator, or covetous, is a brother; for if he, who seems to bear the name of Christ, though he is named a brother, has something of the features of these, he would not rightly be called a brother.
Clement of Alexandria: The Instructor, book 2, ch. 1
Thus the apostle, in his solicitude for us, discriminates in the case of entertainments, saying, that "if any one called a brother be found a fornicator, or an adulterer, or an idolater, with such an one not to eat;"5 neither in discourse or food are we to join, looking with suspicion on the pollution thence proceeding, as on the tables of the demons.
6 For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience,
7 and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them.
8 But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.
9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices,
10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him-- (Col. 3:6-10 NAU)
3 But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints;
4 and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
5 For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. (Eph. 5:3-6 NAU)
18 "But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man.
19 "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.
20 "These are the things which defile the man; (Matt. 15:18-20 NAU)
19 He who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets, Therefore do not associate with a gossip. (Prov. 20:19 NAU)
Publication
of a true statement if done with ill will can be defamatory. See
Finch v. City of
The parties argue over whether truth is an absolute
defense to defamation under
Friedman v. Schiano, Court
of Appeals, fn. 16 (11th Cir. 2019)
U]nder
Lispig v. Ramlawi, 760 So.
2d 170, 183-84 (
For the people who are thinking about donating money to Holding, you'd rightly fear that your money might go not for ministry work but to pay me damages. Yes, I sued Holdings corporation, but Florida law is explicit that where the corporation has been found guilty of wrong-doing, the corporation's officers and agents who committed the wrongs will be personally liable to pay the damages even if the Plaintiff doesn't ask the Court to pierce the corporate veil:
Under
Skypoint Advisors, LLC v. 3 Amigos Productions LLC (D.C. MD Florida 2020)
15 "If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.
16 "But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED.
17 "If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. (Matt. 18:15-17 NAU)
Download my 534-page Complaint against Holding here. Holding's lawyer has already told him that there is no meritorious defense against my charges.
Remember, I filed my Complaint in November 2020, so that was the time when Holding first started reading it. Due to the Court not ruling on my case and due to the Corona virus epidemic causing the Florida court litigation to slow down, this means these events caused Holding to be given what is now about 8 extra months to review the Complaint, when in fact in normal circumstances he'd be required to file an Answer to Complaint within 30 days of it being served on him.
So Holding's followers need to listen up: If the jury awards me any damages, you will not be able to trifle that maybe Holding was somehow prevented from making rebuttal arguments as powerful as he possibly could have. No, Holding and his lawyer have been working together trying to brainstorm how they will answer my charges on the merits, and they've been given 8 extra months beyond the normal 30 day responsive window required in the Court rules. If then Holding loses this lawsuit, it will only be AFTER he brought to bear on it all arguments he and his lawyer of 20+ years of corporate litigation experience thought would most powerfully exonerate him of the charges.
Which would probably lead a reasonable person to conclude that there is only one reason Holding lost: there simply ISN'T any possible defense on the merits, and Holding was undeniably guilty as charged.
The reasonable Christian at that point would insist that Holding has been committing the sin of slander for more than 20 years, and was so spiritually blind, he seriously thought a sinful act was a holy act. Sure, authentically born-again Christians can sin, but if you wouldn't think Holding truly possessing salvation if he committed adultery every day for the last 20 years, why would you think he could possibly be saved in spite of his sins of slander every day for the last 20 years?
YOU might think reviling is "less evil" than adultery, but NT theology says commission of any type of sin makes you guilty of breaking ALL the commandments:
9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.
11 For He who said, "DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY," also said, "DO NOT REVILE." Now if you do not commit adultery, but do revile other people, you have become a transgressor of the law. (Jas. 2:9-11 NAU)
Inerrantist K. A. Richardson:
2:11 ...every sin constitutes a state of opposition to God. Sin is never a question of breaking a single command but of violating the integrity of the whole law. Each command is integral to the whole law.... We offend the whole through every single trespass because we are actually refusing submission to the being and person of God rather than simply the instrument itself (cf. 4:11f.).
Richardson, K. A. (2001, c1997). Vol. 36: James (electronic ed.). Logos Library System;
The New American Commentary (Page 122). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.