This episode expands on the previous episode, emphasizing the appropriate posture of believers to non-Christians, based on 2 Timothy 2:22-26. "The Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to ALL, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition," who "are held captive by him [the devil] to do his will." The present culture war mentality of many evangelicals in the United States is evidently not informed by Pauline theology, where the devil is the real adversary and unbelievers are his hostages. The episode bluntly confronts the quarrelsome posture of culture warrior Christians whose mission and hatred are misplaced. More informed by the vitriol of Fox News than the liberating imperative of the Great Commission, these believers make worldly power an end, and some version of Christian nationalism the means, resulting in, not surprisingly, further alienation and mistrust from non-believing hostages. Their mission is misplaced and is tantamount to shooting prisoners that Christians are commanded to liberate. The culture war mentality contradicts the winsome mission-oriented focus of Paul, in which believers are admonished to "pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart." (2 Timothy 2:22)
Christian Nationalism: Subjugating Hostages Instead of Freeing Them
This episode mostly addresses the posture of believers towards the world. Christ's kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36), and therefore wars against people and the unbelieving culture at large are completely misplaced. Believers should war against the real enemy, "spiritual hosts of wickedness," instead of foolishly wrestling with flesh and blood. (Ephesians 6:12). The unbelieving culture around us is composed of hostages of the devil who are "held captive to do his will." (2 Timothy 2:26). Christians are called to liberate these hostages, not subjugate them to a so-called "Christian state," that essentially governs according to the power dynamics of this world. That many evangelicals are open to Christian nationalism underscores the misplaced identity of believers who haven't yet grasped their "alien" status, with respect to this world (1 Peter 2:11). And critically, the mission of Christ's kingdom alien ambassadors is neglected and undermined when worldly believers wrestle with flesh and blood and slaughter POW's in a misplaced culture war.