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Peter gives us reminiscences in his Epistles of significant events and sayings that occurred during the personal ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ.  The comparisons are between Peter in his writings and Peter when he was the Lord’s companion.  The comparisons aid in the interpretation of Peter’s writings.  They serve to emphasize the veracity of what he wrote and the inspiration of the Scriptures as a whole as comparisons are made between Peter’s Epistles and Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Jesus promised the apostles, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26).  These sacred memories are part of the vital testimony of men who were eyewitnesses of the events and sayings of Jesus during His earthly ministry.  The remembrance is rooted in historical reality!  Consequently, the body of information given in the writings of these men is true.
Whom having not seen ye love.  I Pet. 1:8
The phrase found in I Pet. 1:8 certainly sounds like it was written by someone who had personally seen the Lord while addressing those who had not seen Him.  “Ye” is plural.  The ones that Peter is writing to have not seen the Lord.  Their love and faith in the Lord is not diminished by their having not seen Him in the flesh.  Peter continues, “In whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable.”  Isn’t this a most evident recollection of the words of Jesus to Thomas?  “Because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29).  Peter heard those very words spoken to Thomas by Jesus.  That scene never faded from Peter’s memory.  No doubt, it was in his mind as he wrote these very words in I Peter. An undesigned coincidence.
A lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus From the dead.  I Pet. 1:3
Peter’s memory of the resurrection of Jesus involved:  (1) He was an eyewitness of the resurrection of Jesus (Luke 24:34; I Cor. 15:5); (2) He possessed a vivid memory of this significant event; (3) Peter saw the empty tomb being the first to enter it after Jesus and risen from the dead (John 20:6); (4) Peter felt all of the despair which came before the resurrection in the events leading up to the crucifixion itself, and the days immediately following Jesus’ death; And, (5) Peter felt all of the power of the assurance of hope that came with the knowledge that Jesus was alive after being dead.  This new and living hope is what he is writing about in I Pet. 1:3.  “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”  Again, Peter writes, “who by him (Christ-DS) do believe in God, that raised Him from the dead, and gave Him glory, that our faith and hope might be in God” (I Pet. 1:21).  Nowhere in the writings of any of the New Testament apostles and prophets is the expression of hope in connection with the resurrection of Christ so vivid.
Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God.  I Pet. 3:21,22
Not only was Peter an eyewitness of the resurrection of Jesus, but he also witnessed His ascension into heaven (Acts 1:10,11).  He writes, “The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also ow save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.”  The ascension of Jesus into heaven is His coronation.  Dan. 7:13-14.  Peter and Daniel both speak of His dominion.  This is the rule of Christ from heaven.  Peter’s statement agrees with the prophet Daniel and it also agrees with the historical facts thus establishing the veracity of his own words.
Fear God.  I Pet. 2:17
“Honour all men.  Love the brotherhood. Fear God.  Honour the king” (I Pet. 2:17).  Jesus used similar language when Peter was present.  The occasion was when Jesus called His apostles and gave them their commission.  In Matt. 10:2, Peter is named among them.  Then, in Matthew 10:28 Jesus said, “Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear Him which is able to destroy should and body in hell.”  The force of this precept regarding the fear of God and its momentous importance is perhaps seen when we contrast it to the fear of man.  Peter knew the fear of man.  This type of fear led him to deny Jesus three times!  Afterwards, he wept with bitter tears.  A sacred memory was born.  We must not separate Peter’s words from his personal life involving his fall, repentance, and reconciliation to Jesus.  Solomon declares that the whole duty of man is to fear God and keep His commandments (Eccl. 12:12-13).  Peter’s words once again harmonize with Old Testament prophets and the historical events surrounding the life of Christ.  Both factors undergird the truth of Peter’s own words.
Honor the king.  I Pet. 2:17
Peter was present with the Lord when Jesus gave the answer to the question, “Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?”  (Matt. 22:17-22).  Jesus said, “Show me the tribute money: and they brought unto Him a penny–the silver denarius of the day–with the head of Tiberius on it.  “And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then He said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s.  When they heard these words, they marveled, and left Him, and went their way.”  Peter emphasizes in his writings that Christians should obey government leaders. “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well” (I Pet. 2:13-14).
Cast All your care upon him.  I Pet. 5:7
In I Pet. 5:7, Peter captures the beauty of extreme care that God provides for His people.  “Cast all your care upon him, for he careth for you.”  We remember the eager, anxious, and impetuous nature of Peter who wrote these words.  Are these words not a remembrance of the Sermon on the Mount?  In Matt. 6:32-34, Jesus said, “Your Heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things; but seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take no thought for the morrow; for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.”  Jesus refutes materialism by emphasizing spiritual reliance upon God.  We must choose where we will put our trust.  Will we trust in uncertain riches or in the living God?  The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah answers this question.  “Thus said the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departed from the LORD. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.  Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.  For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit” (Jer. 17:5-8). A “heath” is an uncultivated, wilderness area.  The contrast between the two individuals, the one who trusts in man and the one who trusts in God is stark.  The one who trusts in man is impoverished.  The one who trusts in God is prosperous.  While the contrast/analogy is physical in nature, the meaning has spiritual implications.  The soul of man cannot prosper apart from God.
In Part II, we will continue this study.

A violation of God’s Law (the very essence of sin -I John 3:4) is not an exercise in true freedom, but injustice (a violation of the righteous standard given by God in His holy word).  And, where there is sin, there is bondage, not freedom.
Let us correlate three terms:  truth, freedom, and justice (John 8:30-36).  If there is no truth, there can be no freedom.  If there is no truth, there can be no justice.  Are we in bondage or free?  Are we the children of God or the children of the devil?  Can we know the truth, obtain true freedom and pursue justice?
Truth
The word truth is an English translation of the Greek word alētheia, which means, true to fact, conforming to reality.  Truth is that which conforms to reality as God defines that reality (John 14:6, Jesus is the truth; John 17:17, the Word of God is truth).  Truth comes from God because God is holy and cannot lie (Titus 1:2, Hebrews 6:18).  God is all-knowing and so He knows what is true as opposed to what is false.  God has revealed His will to humanity by means of the divine superintendence of the Holy Spirit who guided holy men of God to write the words of truth (II Tim. 3:16-17; II Pet. 1:20-21).  God has also revealed Himself through His Son, Jesus Christ, who is the truth (John 14:6).  The truth is powerful (Heb. 4:12).  It enlightens and so dispels darkness (the world of sin and wickedness, lies and false ideas) (John 1:5, 9). It guides and so is a lamp unto our feet (Psa. 119:105). It anchors and so creates a foundation that grounds us in God’s thoughts and ways (Isa. 55:8-11).  It transforms and so makes children of God out of children of the devil (I Pet. 1:20-25; Gal. 3:26-29).  It judges/ discerns and so discriminates between good and evil, right and wrong (Heb. 4:12).  The truth is knowable (John 8:32). To know means that we can perceive with the mind and so understand with the heart what God means by what God says in His Word (Eph. 5:16-17).
Freedom
True freedom is liberation from the servitude of sin (John 8:32, Rom. 6:6-7).  The first correlation:  truth and freedom.  Where there is no truth, there can be no freedom.  Freedom is not the ability to do anything you want to do anytime you want to do it, that is lasciviousness (Gal. 5:19).  Lasciviousness is shameless conduct where by we violate God’s Will and act without restraint.  God restricts our attitudes and behavior through His Word which demands self-denial and self-restraint.  Self-indulgence is not freedom.  True freedom involves the forgiveness of our sins and transformation of life (conversion and consecration) whereby we honor God’s truth by incorporating it into our lives.  True freedom means that we are set at liberty from the bondage of sin.  “Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free…” (Gal. 5:1).  Paul’s use of the noun and verb together in one sentence emphasizes the completeness of the act of liberation through the power of God.  Once liberated from sin, we do not want to return to bondage.  The liberation from the bondage of sin is directed by truth and the power of truth affects it (Rom. 1:16).  The gospel is God’s power unto salvation!
Justice
The second correlation is truth and justice.  Where there is no truth, there can be no justice.  Justice is a communicable perfection of God, manifesting His holiness.  The word justice is closely associated with righteousness.  Used of man, justice refers to right rule, or right conduct, or to each getting his/her just do whether good or bad.  God’s absolute justice is the rectitude by which He upholds Himself against violations of His holiness.  God’s moral excellence made necessary either the punishment of sinners or the expiation (forgiveness) of their sins whereby the punishment would be removed and they would be rewarded.  Expiation or forgiveness is accomplished by Jesus Christ through His death on the cross.  Paul declares in Rom. 5:8-9, that we are saved from wrath through Him. And, we are justified by the blood of Christ.   If there is no truth, there can be no justice.  Truth is the objective standard for all righteous judgments.  Without truth, spiritual discernment and righteous judgments could not be made.
Anytime God’s Word is violated three things result:  bondage or servitude to sin which identifies us with Satan rather than God; condemnation by God (the justice of God); and prohibition of sonship with God (because we are the children of the devil).  Overcoming sin involves: utilizing the power of truth to overcome the lies and ignorance caused by Satan; the power of the blood of Christ to atone for sin; and our faith and love for God which causes us to honor Him by keeping His commandments.  When truth is internalized, faith is active in the human heart and commits us to God’s Word.  When love for the truth is authentic, then, the human heart is bound to God in devotion to His Will and purposes.  Truth will affect an all-encompassing transformation within us that binds us to God in true freedom and respect for His justice.

Is everyone awake?  The apostle Paul used the word awake in a metaphorical sense in I Cor. 15:33-34.  “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.  Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.”  Paul used the Greek word eknēphō which refers to a return to soberness of mind from the stupor consequent upon the influence of false doctrine.  The context shows that the false doctrine being taught at Corinth was that there was no resurrection from the dead (I Cor. 15:12).  Paul thoroughly answers this false doctrine in I Corinthians 15 showing the disastrous spiritual consequences of such a doctrine.
Stop Being Seduced
In I Cor. 15:33, Paul issues a negative imperative.  The KJV translates this phrase, “be not deceived.”  Paul commands that they cease to err, no longer be led astray, or stop being seduced. False doctrine seduces and deceives.  Evil communications is a direct reference to the associations, intercourse, or company that is kept with false teachers with whom they have become closely bound.  The warning is against allowing false teachers to influence their thought and their actions.  False doctrine corrupts godly character.  When truth is corrupted, character is corrupted (sin abounds).  The doctrine of the resurrection affirms life after death.  At death, the soul is separated from the body (James 2:26). When Jesus died, His body was placed in a tomb and His spirit/soul went to paradise (Luke 23:43; 23:53).  When He was resurrected, His soul and body were reunited (a miracle).  The doctrine of the resurrection implies the intermediate state of the soul.  This also indicates that human beings are a duality–body and soul.  Consequently, the doctrine of the resurrection proves that we have a soul.  The soul of man never dies.  To deny the resurrection, is to affirm a materialistic view of human anthropology.  It is the view of the atheist who affirms, “Let us eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die.”  An atheist does not believe that there is any life beyond the grave and so advances a philosophy of hedonism.  This belief produces a spiritual stupor from which we must awake if we are going to be right with God.
Awake to Righteousness
Awake is a positive imperative.  The Greek word translated awake is found only here in the New Testament.  The word means to become sober.  It is used metaphorically in this context.  False doctrine inebriates the mind and causes a spiritual stupor or intoxication that puts us to sleep (unaware, ignorant, vulnerable).  The knowledge of God enlightens the mind and arouses us out of this stupor.  Awaking to righteousness is accomplished by turning to God and the truth.  Righteousness is truth lived out in godly conduct.  Righteous conduct is defined by God through the moral and religious precepts given in His Word.  Truth produces moral power and godly character.  Paul rebukes the brethren at Corinth because some did not have the knowledge of God.  This reminds us of a similar rebuke that Jesus gave to the Sadducees because they denied the resurrection from the dead (Matt. 22:29).  Jesus told them that they erred not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God.  Ignorance of God and His truth contributes to spiritual stupor.  The knowledge of God is essential to awaken us to righteousness.  Paul states, “I speak this to your shame.”  They permitted false teachers to deceive them.  All false teachers and those who follow them are ignorant.  They rejected the doctrine of the resurrection thus denying the fact that they had a soul and their own salvation.  They corrupted themselves in ungodly living.
Awake to righteousness is a positive imperative that powerfully leads to overcoming false doctrine by adhering to the truth of God’s Word.  False doctrine seduces the soul and corrupts the whole person.  The knowledge of God is essential to righteousness living.  This is a message that all people need to hear and heed.

A contemporary commercial from Spectrum uses a variety of descriptive terms to indicate words that are vain, empty and meaningless.  Words like:  hooey, balderdash, flimflam, flapdoodle, jibber-jabber, hemming and hawing, and hogwash.  Hooey is nonsense.  Balderdash is senseless talk or writing.  Flimflam is “deceptive nonsense.” Flapdoodle is nonsense, silly or stupid.  Jibber-jabber is senseless talk.  Hemming and hawing is to speak in an evasive, vague way to avoid the truth.  Hogwash is nonsense.  The terms are colorful and make a distinctive point.
In the New Testament, there are a variety of descriptive terms and phrases that indicate false doctrine.  Since all false doctrine is untrue, it is meaningless and vain.  What follows is a survey of some of these terms.
The traditions and commandments of men.  “But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?” And, “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matt. 15:3,9.  See also, Col. 2:8 and 22).  In religious conduct and action, it is vain to follow the traditions and commandments of men.  Vain worship is the result of such blindness.
Vain jangling.  “Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling” (I Tim. 1:5-6).  Vain jangling is foolish talking.  When a person attempts to teach another person what they themselves do not understand, the result is vain jangling.
Blasphemy.  Paul speaks of Hymenaeus and Alexander whom he delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme (I Tim. 1:20).  To blaspheme is to speak against God or that which is holy.  Paul, before his conversion, describes himself as a blasphemer (I Tim. 1:13).  At the time, Paul did not believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God.  He spoke against Christianity and persecuted the Lord’s church.
Seducing spirits and doctrines of devils.  “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils” (I Tim. 4:1).  Seducing spirits are working through men who are filled with hypocrisy and speak lies.  Lies are pure vanity or hogwash.  Lies cannot save.  Only the truth saves!  Doctrines of devils describes the source and content of the lies delivered by men.  Satan himself is the father of lies (John 8:44).  When men lie, they do the work of the devil and his cohorts.
Lies.  “Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron” (I Tim. 4:2).  Some examples of lies:  (1) the first lie in the Bible, Satan said to Eve, “Ye shall not surely die” (Gen. 3:4); (2)  Hymenaeus and Philetus taught that the resurrection is past already and overthrew the faith of some (II Tim. 2:17-18); (3) Some Jewish Christians were teaching that Gentiles had to be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses which was not true (Acts 15:1, 24).  The apostles and elders wrote a letter to be distributed among the Gentile churches which, in part, said, “Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment” (Acts 15:24).  Yet, there are still religious teachers today who affirm that Gentiles have to keep the law of Moses (the Ten Commandments are part of the Law of Moses).  The Mosaical Law was fulfilled by Jesus Christ and, upon His death on the cross, a new law or testament went into force (Col. 2:14; Heb. 9:15-17).  Today, we are living under the law of Christ, not the law of Moses. All men are amenable to the law of Christ (Matt. 28:18-20).
Profane and old wives’ fables.  “But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness” (I Tim. 4:7).  The word “fable” is translated from the Greek word muthos.  A fable or myth is an account that does not align with the facts.  It is not grounded in historical reality. Hence, it is the opposite of the truth. These fables are profane, i.e. without sacred merit.  Superstitious stories such as are told by old women to children.  Timothy was to avoid these and reject them.
Profane and vain babblings.  “O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and opposition of science falsely so called: which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen” (I Tim. 6:20).  Profane babblings are worldly chatter or godless speaking.  Timothy is to hold to the gospel of Christ and not forsake it for such flapdoodle.
Oppositions from science falsely so-called.  This phrase does not refer to modern science as we know it.  The word “science” in this sense is not found in the New Testament.  Rather, this phrase refers to those who claimed a knowledge inaccessible to others (proto-Gnostics). This type of knowledge was a “falsely named” ideology.  It was not knowledge at all.  If you do not know the truth, you do not know anything. All false doctrine is classified as ignorance and is part of the darkness of this world.  Only the knowledge of God will dispel this darkness (I Cor. 15:33-34).
Folly.  In a list of nineteen sins which would characterize the last days (Christian Age), Paul names folly or senselessness.  These men were without understanding.  Consequently, they opposed the truth as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses.  The content of their teaching was flimflam.
Fables and Jewish fables.  Paul warns Timothy of Christians who would be turned away from the truth unto fables (II Tim. 4:4).  In Titus 1:14, he warns against Jewish fables.  As we have already seen, a fable is a myth and does not comport with the truth.  Jewish fables were likely stories based upon perversions of the Old Testament incidents. A current illustration of a myth would be Darwin’s theory of the origin of humanity or organic evolution.
Philosophy, vain deceit, rudiments of this world.  “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ” (Col. 2:8).  Worldly systems of philosophy must be rejected.  Acts 17:18 mentions Epicureans and Stoics at Athens.  These men were materialistic deists and pantheists.  Epicureans sought happiness through serene detachment.  Stoics sought salvation by aligning the will with the inherent Reason of the universe.  Happiness results when one does not want things to be anything but what they are.  Both forms of philosophy missed the truth of the gospel of Christ.  Paul called them to repentance in Acts 17:30.
Vain deceit is another way of describing lies.  The rudiments of the world were delusive speculations of Gentile cults and Jewish theories treated as elemental principles.  Both were devoid of truth.  A modern illustration of worldly rudiments would be the belief that the arrangment of constellations at the time of one’s birth makes you behave in a certain way or display certain characteristics.  This is a form of determinism and superstition.  It is pure hooey!
All of these words and phrases denote information that is contrary to the truth.  None of these things can save a person’s soul from eternal damnation.  Only the blood of Christ saves from the wrath of God (Rom. 5:8-9).  Jesus is the truth (John 14:6).  The doctrine of Christ frees the soul from the servitude of sin (John 8:32).  True freedom is found only in Christ and His truth.

James Bales published, Communism, Its Faith and Fallacies in 1962.  Chapter nine of this book is titled, “The Communist Attitude toward Religion.”  In this chapter, Bales gives nine reasons why Communism is opposed to religion.  While Communist propaganda insists that there can be peaceful coexistence between communism and religion, that notion is false.  The basic tenets of communism makes it an enemy to true religion. The following content is largely taken from Bales work on communism.
Reason Number One:  Communism is militant atheism.  Therefore, by its very nature it is antagonistic to theism.  The goal of communism is to change the world.  That change involves the total acceptance of communistic ideology. Khrushchev said to the 20th Congress in 1956 that “Revolutionary theory is not a collection of petrified dogma and formulae, but a militant guide to act in in transforming the world, in building communism.  Marxism-Lenninism teaches us that a theory isolated from practice is dead, and practice with is not illumined by revolutionary theory is blind” (163).  Communist fight for the full victory of atheism.
Reason Number Two:  Communism is a totalitarian system which demands the complete loyalty of its subjects.  It demands control of the inner and the outer life of man.  Thus, by its nature, it must oppose religion which says that there is a higher will and law than that of the state or Party.  Communism is a world-view that is in direct conflict with the Christian worldview.
Reason Number Three:  Communism is antagonistic to religion because it claims to be the scientific world view which must oppose religion because religion represents an unscientific and prescientific world view which is opposed to scientific progress.  Stalin said, “The Party cannot be neutral towards religion, and it does conduct anti-religious propaganda against all and every religious prejudice because it stands for science, while religious prejudices run counter to science, because all religion is something opposite to science” (164).
Reason Number Four:  Communism maintains that religion is a tool of the ruling class for the perpetuation of its power and the control of the masses.  Lenin looked upon religion as a tool in the hands of the “oppressing classes.” He said, “All oppressing classes need two social functions to safeguard their rule:  the function of the hangman and the function of the priest.  The hangman is required to quell the protests and the indignation of the oppressed; the priest is required to console the oppressed, to paint for them the prospects of mitigation of their sufferings and sacrifices (this is particularly easy to do without guaranteeing that these prospects will be “achieved”), while preserving class rule, and thereby to reconcile them to class rule, wean them from revolutionary action, undermine their revolutionary spirit and destroy their revolutionary determination” (164-165).  Religion stands in the way of success in pursuing revolution and overthrowing the ruling classes.  In  order to overthrow capitalism and establish socialism, religion must be opposed.
Reason Number Five:  Communism is anti-religious because, as a corollary to the above, it claims that religion is the opiate of the masses which leads them to be submissive to their masters and more or less content with their lot.  Karl Marx said that ‘Religion is the opium of the people’ (165).  Marx believed that religion is an instrument of the bourgeois reaction whose aim is to defend exploitation by stupefying the working class (165).  To the Communist, religion functions to deaden the conscience of the oppressed masses and so must be removed.
Reason Number Six:  Communism is anti-religious because it regards religion as a symbol of mans’ alienation from himself.  Religion, as man’s reaction to mystery and misery, leads man to look outside of himself for help, and thus keeps him from bringing about his own emancipation.  Communism is basically humanistic.  Consequently, it must oppose religion which focuses upon God.  Communists view religion as standing in the way of man’s own self-actualization.
Reason Number Seven:  Communism is against any religion which teaches the reality of moral law.   Bales devotes chapter ten to the Doctrine of Communist Morality.  The communist repudiates the moral values of Christianity and of Judaism.  He repudiates the so-called values of the bourgeois society.  Morality cannot be the expression of the will of God because the communist does not believe in God.  Morality to a communist is but a means of achieving class interests.  Marx wrote, “Law, morality, religion, are to him so many bourgeois prejudices, behind which lurk in ambush just so many bourgeois interests” (195).  Bales illustrates the communist view of morality by considering the command “Thou shalt not steal.”  The communist maintains that this is the law of a property-holding class whereby they protect their property. It is thus subordinated to class interest.  If theft be wrong, the institution of private property must be right although it may be abused.  The communist maintains that the institution of private property is wrong, therefore the law, “Thou Shalt not steal” is but a way the property-holding class maintains its hold on its ill-gotten gain.  Since the communist represents a class with interest which oppose that of the property-holding class , he believes that it is right to steal if stealing will help the Party (198).
Reason Number Eight: Communism is against any religion which teaches love, since class hatred is the way of progress. Communist must be “hard as steel.”  They must not know what pity, mercy, and compassion are.  Revolution is advanced through class hatred and struggle.  In a revolution, one cannot be soft.
Reason Number Nine:  Since communism may be aptly described as the Communist Crime Syndicate, an international organization of criminals directed by cunning and ruthless thugs in the Kremlin, it must be antagonistic to any religion which stands for any measure of truth, holiness and justice. Earl Browder wrote in What is Communism, “Communists do not distinguish between good and bad religions, because we think they are all bad for the masses” (167).
Bales concludes:  “These elements of the communist world view justify the conclusion that communism is basically anti-religious” (167).

Lydia McGrew has revived an old apologetic for the veracity of God’s Word. In her book, Hidden in Plain View, she references forty-seven undesigned coincidences in the New Testament that form a powerful argument for the integrity and veracity of the Scriptures.  She defines an undesigned coincidence in the following way:  “An undesigned coincidence is a notable connection between two or more accounts or texts that doesn’t seem to have been planned by the person or people giving the accounts.  Despite their apparent independence, the items fit together like pieces of a puzzle” (12).  McGrew acknowledges that she is building on the shoulders of others who have made this argument in defense of the truthfulness of God’s Word.  She references: William Paley, Horae Paulinae; John Blunt, Undesigned Coincidences in the Writings Both of the Old and New Testament, an Argument for Their Veracity; J. S. Howson, Horae Petrinae and The Evidential Value of the Acts of the Apostles; and T. R. Birks, Horae Apostolicae. I have written a brief review of this book and posted it on my Book Reviews page.  A good Bible student needs to be aware of this powerful argument for the integrity and veracity of God’s Word.

The following analysis of communism by Leroy Brownlow is an appropriate summary of the communist form of government.  The communist government is at its core atheistic and materialistic.  Brownlow summarizes it thus:
“We unhesitatingly say the Free World today faces a false way of life which poses a far greater menace in scope, cruelty, and servitude, than any the world has ever known. Communism is a system of both internal and external slavery.  It would reduce man to the brute level by teaching him he has no spirit within and no right to own property without.  The Communistic Party is to Communists the only kingdom ever to exist.”
“A study of Communism reveals that it is a spectacle of vice and depravity, seething in the mire of materialism, and literally crawling like a snake in the dust of agitation, ever ready to strike and release its venom.  It is an atheistic philosophy, villainous in nature, corrupt in principle, and immoral in practice.  It is the very essence of hypocrisy and falls under the condemning words of Jesus: “They say, and do not.”  It is a contradictory philosophy which glories in zigzags, inconsistencies, and broken promises; a degraded system which has elevated vagrant politicians to despotic lords who have bombarded the world with their infidel attacks upon God, the Bible, and a free society which respects the dignity of man; an assemblage of bombastic and conceited claptraps which exploits man; a system of wayward vanity and selfish ambition which foments struggles and squabbles, revolutions and wars, from the lowest level to the highest plane in every organized democratic society; a system that feeds on human carion and then vomits the mass of corruption upon a helpless people that survives; an ideology which has raised up madmen, selfish, brutal, and horrendous, in their quest for world enslavement, which they gleefully and blasphemously seek by defying God and defiling man.  At no other time in the history of man has an ideology so notoriously prostituted the talents, the labors, and the freedoms of so many people.  The culminating point in their infamy is to throw the nonsense of all their ill-spent lives into the creation of a one-world government, controlled by the Party dictators.  If this seems hard, remember there are no soft words that will describe a hard system.”  (Bible vs. Communism, pp. 8-9, c. 1961).