The The Antioch Declaration (TAD) struck me like a plow hitting a hard stone buried deep in the soil. There’s something heavy here—something that speaks to why people follow so blindly, like sheep trotting after the shepherd without knowing the path. So, I’m going to try to lay this out simply. My approach is straightforward: I’ll explain each part twice to two imaginary dummies, first for the younger, whose understanding is still growing, and then for the older, who may grasp subtler nuances. My translations aren’t endorsements, but rather attempts to build a bridge of understanding. I’ll pull pieces of the declaration, answer them, and then break them down. This process, like all meaningful conversations, will unfold slowly, over a few days, so that we can stand a little straighter and think a little deeper for ourselves. God help us find clarity. Lord knows, we’ll need His help to do that.

The church stood silent, its walls thick and sturdy, sheltering something no one dared to name. The greatest wrong in our time, tied up in its very soul, wasn’t confronted or even whispered about. Instead, it lay buried deep, safe and shielded by a fortress of endless affirmations and denials, each brick in that wall placed with care. I couldn’t help but wonder how long the silence could hold before the truth burst through.

Here we go.

Sections

I have reviewed all the sections of this declaration. You may click on the link to jump to that section.

Declaration	Due	Status
Preamble, 1-2	11/27/24	Completed
3-7	11/29/24	Completed
8-10	11/30/24	Completed
11-14	12/04/24	Completed
15-17	12/06/24	Completed
18-19	12/12/24	Completed
20-21	12/14/24	Completed
22	12/17/24	Completed
23	12/19/24	Completed
24	12/23/24	Completed
25	12/25/24	in progress

WE AFFIRM that there is a vital biblical difference between the self-loathing of men in the grip of disillusionment over a failed idol, and the true repentance of the Christian man.

☒ Agree   ☐ Disagree   ☐ Uncertain    Comment:

I agree.

INTERPRETATION and EXPLANATION

To The Younger

Sometimes people believe in things that aren’t true or good, like believing that they’re not important or that they’re bad people. This can make them feel really sad and upset with themselves, like they hate who they are. This feeling is called “self-loathing.”

But the Bible talks about a different way to feel bad about yourself. It’s called “repentance,” and it’s when you realize that you’ve done something wrong or sinned, and you want to change and ask God for forgiveness.

The statement is saying that there’s a big difference between feeling really bad about yourself because you believed in something that wasn’t true (self-loathing) and feeling bad about yourself because you know you’ve done something wrong and you want to change (repentance).

Self-loathing is like being sad because you believed in a fake god or idol that let you down. But repentance is like being sad because you know you’ve done something to disobey the real God, and you want to make it right.

So, the statement is saying that it’s important to know the difference between feeling bad about yourself because you believed in the wrong thing and feeling bad about yourself because you know you’ve sinned and want to change.

To The Older

The authors are saying that there is a big difference between feeling really bad about yourself because you believed in something that turned out to be wrong (self-loathing), and truly being sorry for your mistakes and asking God for forgiveness (repentance). The author believes that only through repentance and following Jesus can people find true happiness and peace.

WE DENY that it is possible to recover an ethic that honors our fathers and their momentous sacrifices while actively and openly dishonoring them.

☒ Agree   ☐ Disagree   ☐ Uncertain    Comment:

I agree. Every generation has the challenge of showing respect for their fathers’ bravery and sacrifice along with protecting the truth about the reasons and causes of their battle, so that future generations may walk in righteousness and truth. Until the reasons and the causes of any life altering war are understood, recovering an ethic is always going to be difficult. This delicate balance is expressed in Scripture.

Ezekiel 18

Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “What do you mean by using this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, ‘The fathers eat the sour grapes, But the children’s teeth are set on edge’?

“As I live,” declares the Lord God, “you are surely not going to use this proverb in Israel anymore. “Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins will die.

“But if a man is righteous and practices justice and righteousness, and does not eat at the mountain shrines or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or defile his neighbor’s wife or approach a woman during her menstrual period — if a man does not oppress anyone, but restores to the debtor his pledge, does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing, if he does not lend money on interest or take increase, if he keeps his hand from iniquity and executes true justice between man and man, if he walks in My statutes and My ordinances so as to deal faithfully — he is righteous and will surely live,” declares the Lord God.

“Then he may have a violent son who sheds blood and who does any of these things to a brother (though he himself did not do any of these things), that is, he even eats at the mountain shrines, and defiles his neighbor’s wife, oppresses the poor and needy, commits robbery, does not restore a pledge, but lifts up his eyes to the idols and commits abomination, he lends money on interest and takes increase; will he live? He will not live! He has committed all these abominations, he will surely be put to death; his blood will be on his own head.

“Now behold, he has a son who has observed all his father’s sins which he committed, and observing does not do likewise. “He does not eat at the mountain shrines or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or defile his neighbor’s wife, or oppress anyone, or retain a pledge, or commit robbery, but he gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing, he keeps his hand from the poor, does not take interest or increase, but executes My ordinances, and walks in My statutes; he will not die for his father’s iniquity, he will surely live. “As for his father, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother and did what was not good among his people, behold, he will die for his iniquity.

“Yet you say, ‘Why should the son not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity?’ When the son has practiced justice and righteousness and has observed all My statutes and done them, he shall surely live. “The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son’s iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.

“But if the wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed and observes all My statutes and practices justice and righteousness, he shall surely live; he shall not die. “All his transgressions which he has committed will not be remembered against him; because of his righteousness which he has practiced, he will live. “Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked,” declares the Lord God, “rather than that he should turn from his ways and live?

“But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity and does according to all the abominations that a wicked man does, will he live? All his righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered for his treachery which he has committed and his sin which he has committed; for them he will die. “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not right.’ Hear now, O house of Israel! Is My way not right? Is it not your ways that are not right? “When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity and dies because of it, for his iniquity which he has committed he will die. “Again, when a wicked man turns away from his wickedness which he has committed and practices justice and righteousness, he will save his life. “Because he considered and turned away from all his transgressions which he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. “But the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not right.’ Are My ways not right, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are not right?

“Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, each according to his conduct,” declares the Lord God. “Repent and turn away from all your transgressions, so that iniquity may not become a stumbling block to you. “Cast away from you all your transgressions which you have committed and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! For why will you die, O house of Israel? “For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” declares the Lord God. “Therefore, repent and live.”

This proverb is about the children’s teeth set on edge and shows that the actions of one generation has an impact on the next. The main point is that each person is responsible for their own choices and actions.  This means that we do need to pay attention to what we do today, not because the next generation will hold us accountable, but because God will hold us accountable for our own choices and actions.  At the same time, it’s important for us to learn from the mistakes of previous generations and to try to do better. We can honor our fathers and mothers by building on the good things they did and by trying to avoid the mistakes they made.  So, while we are each responsible for our own actions, we can also show love and respect for others, both those who came before us and those who will come after us, by learning from the past and striving to do what is right in the present.

Another important truth to consider on this is…

Proverbs 13:22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children…

This proverb is talking about the importance of being wise and responsible with the things God has given us, and of using them to bless others, especially our families. But what happens when a father does not act in a wise and responsible way, but instead squanders his wealth and leads his children into hardship? In such a case, it can be very difficult for the children to honor their father, especially if they feel that he has acted selfishly and harmed them in the process.

In the Bible, there are many examples of fathers who made mistakes or did wrong things, and their children had to deal with the consequences. One example is David, who was a great king but also made some serious mistakes that affected his children and his kingdom.  In these cases, it’s important for children to remember that their first loyalty is to God, and that they are called to follow Him even if their parents did not. They can still show respect for their parents by not speaking badly about them and by trying to learn from their mistakes, but they don’t have to agree with everything their parents did or follow in their footsteps.  It’s also important for children to remember that they are not defined by their parents’ actions or mistakes. They can choose to follow God and live a life of wisdom and righteousness, even if their parents did not.

So, while it can be difficult to know how to honor a parent who has made serious mistakes or acted selfishly, the most important thing is to follow God and to seek to live a life that is pleasing to Him. We never want to be in a position where, if asked, we answer in the affirmative on a question like Jesus asked these people:

Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? Matthew 7:9-10

The welfare of our children must be foremost.

So yes on this declaration, I agree, but would add, beware, it is not as simple as simply saying,

WE DENY that it is possible to recover an ethic that honors our fathers and their momentous sacrifices while actively and openly dishonoring them.

Here is how I translated that.

INTERPRETATION and EXPLANATION

To The Younger

This statement is about how we should treat those who came before us, like our parents, grandparents, and the people who made sacrifices for us in history. It’s saying that we can’t truly honor them and what they’ve done if, at the same time, we are openly disrespecting or dishonoring them. These two things don’t go together—they cancel each other out.

The Bible teaches us to “honor your father and your mother” (Exodus 20:12). This commandment isn’t just about how we treat our parents; it’s also about showing respect and gratitude to those who came before us. Honoring them means recognizing their sacrifices, learning from their lives, and being thankful for what they’ve given us. It doesn’t mean we have to agree with everything they did, but it does mean we should approach their legacy with humility and respect.

If we disrespect or criticize them unfairly, especially in a way that shows no gratitude for their sacrifices, then we’re not really living out an ethic of honor. For example, if we enjoy the freedoms and blessings that they worked hard to secure but speak badly about them without understanding their struggles or context, that’s dishonoring.

As Christians, we’re called to balance truth and grace. We can acknowledge the imperfections of those who came before us, but we should do so in a way that still shows gratitude and respect. This is part of loving our neighbor and living out God’s command to honor others.

To The Older

The authors are saying that we can’t truly show respect and gratitude for the brave things our ancestors did, like fighting in wars, if we also say and do things that make them look bad. The author believes that we should always try to honor and remember the good things our ancestors did, even if they weren’t perfect.

WE AFFIRM that as the secular liberal edifice crumbles, many will refuse to turn to Christ. As the “strong gods” inevitably return, godless influential figures will arise the same way Theudas did (Acts 5:34-39).[i] The temptation for some Christian leaders will be to ape such methods for the sake of clicks, followers and the ephemeral notion of ‘influence.’ [i] Act 5:36: Theudas was a Jewish magician, revolutionary and false Messiah, who gathered followers to the river Jordan, promising to part it. The Roman governor Fadus sent troops who killed and captured members of the crowd; Theudas was himself captured and eventually beheaded.

☒ Agree   ☐ Disagree   ☐ Uncertain    Comment:

I agree and affirm this declaration. The church has a job: to guard its leaders and make sure they follow Christ.  In 2 Peter 2, there’s a warning: leaders must follow Christ, only Christ. Yet now, the modern church bends to the weight of Zionism, a faith not its own. It’s as though leaders barter their loyalty for a false peace, afraid to speak against Israel lest they lose their power. These men are more like Amaziah, clinging to comfort in Amos’ time, than like Christ, who carried the burden of truth on His back.

Amos 7:10-17 Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent word to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel; the land is unable to endure all his words. “For thus Amos says, ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword and Israel will certainly go from its land into exile.'” Then Amaziah said to Amos, “Go, you seer, flee away to the land of Judah and there eat bread and there do your prophesying! “But no longer prophesy at Bethel, for it is a sanctuary of the king and a royal residence.”

Then Amos replied to Amaziah, “I am not a prophet, nor am I the son of a prophet; for I am a herdsman and a grower of sycamore figs. “But the Lord took me from following the flock and the Lord said to me, ‘Go prophesy to My people Israel.’ “Now hear the word of the Lord: you are saying, ‘You shall not prophesy against Israel nor shall you speak against the house of Isaac.’ “Therefore, thus says the Lord, ‘Your wife will become a harlot in the city, your sons and your daughters will fall by the sword, your land will be parceled up by a measuring line and you yourself will die upon unclean soil. Moreover, Israel will certainly go from its land into exile.'”

The authors appended a footnote, and it’s quite revealing.  They mention how Fadus, a Roman governor, sent soldiers to track down and kill what we might call, “rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers who upset whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain.” (Titus 1:10-11). These men weren’t leading with truth; they were exploiting people for profit.  But consider this paradox: it was not the church, guardian of truth, that rose to action, but a pagan Roman governor.  Think about that—a man of no faith acting while the church did nothing!  The men who wrote this declaration seem blind to this point of fact.

So, a Roman governor, serving his people and answering to the Senate, worked to keep order in the province. His task was to enforce Roman laws, protect against threats from within and without, and keep rebellion at bay. The result of his efforts wasn’t hostility toward Christianity—far from it. By wielding the authority given to him by his people, he created a safe and stable home for everyone under his rule. Roads became secure for travelers, including Christians spreading their message. Quiet towns and cities gave people space to hear and reflect on the Gospel. The Roman world, governed by its own strict ideals, provided exactly what Paul encouraged the church to pray for: a government that maintained peace and order.

1 Timothy 2:1-4 First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Church and State are two separate, but interdependent entities created by God for our good. Fadus understood that truth better than almost every American “Christian” today, including Pastors.

Such things are rarely noted, but they are in the Bible. Consider the line in the sand that Luke points to when describing another incident involving a Roman governor, the proconsul of Achaia.

Acts 18:14-16 But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrong or of vicious crime, O Jews, it would be reasonable for me to put up with you; but if there are questions about words and names and your own law, look after it yourselves; I am unwilling to be a judge of these matters.” And he drove them away from the judgment seat.

The point Luke makes here is that the natural man, by way of his reason, not revelation from God, sees the line dividing church and state. It’s clear and sharp. He doesn’t question it. His will desires to follow along. A born-again experience is not required. The secular mind knows the line is there, and that’s enough.

Christian pastors are tasked with watching over the souls of their congregation. A governor is tasked with watching over the soul of the nation. They each have separate tool sets to do their jobs; they each run in separate lanes. Back when God took a mob of slaves and began to form them into a nation, He assigned only one tribe to conduct the work needed upon the soul of man. The other 11 were given the task of foraging for food and protecting the family. That ratio, 11:1, is probably a divine and natural balance when it comes to having a healthy nation. I think one would be wise to expect that most of the help they would like to have to secure the blessings of liberty to themselves and their posterity will come from outside the church, not inside the church.

Consider the interplay between church and state this way: Consider the church as the sun and clouds up above. They cast their warmth and shade upon all that lies down below. Down below is the earth and sea; here is where men practice their stewardship over the earth. Here is where we see the power of the state play out – on earth and sea. The sun and clouds up above, they will be felt, but they will not, could not, and should not control.

Consider further Genesis 4 where Cain murdered Abel. There was yet to be any government on the earth at that time. Yet see how God played the part of government here. He resisted evil when evil appeared. He confronted Cain to persuade him to do otherwise; He did not go so far as to control him though. Then, after the crime, when judgment was needed, God bent His own law of capital punishment to fit the context of the situation. God’s law was not an end unto itself; it served a higher purpose which was the need to fill the earth with mankind. (If you have seen the movie End of the Spear then you know how revenge can spiral out of control to exterminate a race of people.) God, with His superior wisdom, averted this by implementing a civil law that protected a murderer, a law that lasted at least 600 years as it was later recalled by Lamech verbatim. By then we see Cain’s great grandchildren contributing back to society in positive ways, compensating for the one that had upended it. If justice had been served, that would not be. Such is the marvelous role of government (see Romans 13:1-10). We should not get too religious about it. We should not overlook its place either as the authors of this declaration and many others have done.

I have said enough; here is my…

INTERPRETATION and EXPLANATION

To The Older

The authors are saying that as the ideas of separating religion from public life start to fall apart, some people will not turn to Jesus for help. Instead, they might follow other leaders who don’t believe in God and use tricks to get people to listen to them. The author warns that some Christian leaders might be tempted to act like these false leaders to get more attention and followers, but they shouldn’t do this.

To The Younger

Sometimes people believe in things that aren’t true or good, like not believing in God or following the wrong ideas. When these things start to fall apart, some people might not want to believe in Jesus and follow what the Bible says.

Instead, they might start to believe in other things or follow other leaders who don’t believe in God either. This is like what happened in the Bible when a man named Theudas tried to get people to follow him instead of following God.

The statement is saying that when this happens, some Christian leaders might be tempted to act like these other leaders who don’t believe in God. They might try to get people to follow them by using the same methods, like trying to get lots of attention or followers on social media.

But this would be the wrong thing to do. Christian leaders should always try to follow Jesus and what the Bible says, even if it’s not the popular or easy thing to do. They shouldn’t try to act like leaders who don’t believe in God just to get more attention or followers.

So, the statement is saying that it’s important for Christian leaders to stay true to their beliefs and to follow Jesus, even when it might be tempting to act like other leaders who don’t believe in God.

WE DENY that it is possible to be a faithful Christian shepherd without identifying, naming and fighting the wolves which prey on the flock. As such, pastors have a duty to confront and rebuke wickedness in all its forms within their congregations.

☒ Agree   ☐ Disagree   ☐ Uncertain    Comment:

I agree.

Ephesians 5:6-13 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.

The pastor should lead and teach his congregation how to do this. The church should be the pillar and support of the truth, not just for the church, but for the family, the state, and the world.

1 Timothy 3:15 …I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.

Attack On Mankind

If a man or a people seek to convince you that a man can become a woman, the shepherd should lead the way to expose this lie. The Church may not have the tools to stop it, but it does have the tools to expose it, or if not, it should find them. Fadus, the governor will stop it. (See the previous affirmation for my comments on Fadus.)

Genesis 1:28 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Remember this video from my previous post? What do you remember about it?

Attack On Family

If a man or a people seek to convince you that a man can marry a man, the shepherd should lead the way to expose this lie. It may not have the tools to stop it, but it does have the tools to expose it, or if not, it should find them. Fadus, the governor will stop it.

Genesis 2:24 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.

There are people acting like pillars regarding this truth; these people committed to God’s design for mankind should be supported and their information disseminated. For a fitting example regarding this topic see The Ministry of Minority-Worship: Gay Rights and Goals of Globohomo, specifically the extensive quote starting at “Frank Kameny – “our Rosa Parks.”

Attack On Nation

If a man or a people seek to convince you that a nation is multiculturalism, then the shepherd should lead the way to expose this lie. The church may not have the tools to stop it, but it does have the tools to expose it, and if not, it should find them. Fadus will stop it.

God has been clear on this:

Genesis 10:5 From these the coastlands of the nations were separated into their lands, every one according to his language, according to their families, into their nations.

Genesis 10:20 These are the sons of Ham, according to their families, according to their languages, by their lands, by their nations.

Genesis 10:31-32 These are the sons of Shem, according to their families, according to their languages, by their lands, according to their nations. These are the families of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, by their nations; and out of these the nations were separated on the earth after the flood.

So everyone ignored all that (like we do today as everyone follows the Nimrods of our day) and then…

Gen 11:8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city.

Now we are right back to marching our way eastward to the plains of Shinar. Who is resisting this? All the early Christians reverenced these sacred truths:

1 Cor 10:6 Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved.

1 Cor 10:11 Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

Rom 15:4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

The church must be the pillar and support of the truth, not just for the church, but for all these institutions created by God for our good.

“If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christ. “Wherever the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved and to be steady on all the battlefield besides is mere flight and disgrace if he flinches at that one point.”

I support this declaration.

INTERPRETATION and EXPLANATION

To The Younger

In the Bible, Jesus sometimes talks about His followers as being like sheep in a flock, and He calls Himself the Good Shepherd. He says that there are also bad people out there who are like wolves, who want to hurt and trick the sheep.

The statement is saying that pastors, who are like the shepherds of the flock, have a very important job to do. They need to be able to see when there are “wolves” among the sheep – people who are doing bad things or trying to trick others – and they need to do something about it.

This means that pastors have to be brave and speak up when they see something wrong happening in their church. They have to tell people when they’re doing something that’s against what the Bible says, and they have to try to stop the bad things from happening.

So, the statement is saying that it’s very important for pastors to be able to see and fight against the bad things that might be happening in their church, just like a shepherd has to protect his sheep from wolves.

To The Older

The authors are saying that Christian leaders, like pastors, have a responsibility to protect the people they lead from bad things and people who might try to hurt them. This means that pastors should always speak out against anything that goes against what Jesus taught, and make sure that their followers are safe and following God’s rules.

Sections

I have reviewed all the sections of this declaration. You may click on the link to jump to that section.

Declaration	Due	Status
Preamble, 1-2	11/27/24	Completed
3-7	11/29/24	Completed
8-10	11/30/24	Completed
11-14	12/04/24	Completed
15-17	12/06/24	Completed
18-19	12/12/24	Completed
20-21	12/14/24	Completed
22	12/17/24	Completed
23	12/19/24	Completed
24	12/23/24	Completed
25	12/25/24	in progress