by: Allen Domelle
On Saturday, February 13, 2016, Supreme Court Justice, Antonin Scalia, was found dead at a luxury resort. Justice Scalia had been a Supreme Court Justice since 1982 when he was appointed to the court by President Ronald Reagan. His death caught many by surprise, and the absence of an autopsy has led to many rumors as to how he died. His passing is certainly a great loss to the court, but a more significant loss to conservatism.
Justice Scalia was known for his brilliant conservative mind. His dissents were often sharply worded as he laid out his case as to why a Supreme Court ruling was wrong. He was considered by many as one of the more prominent legal thinkers of our generation. He was also one of the more vocal justices. His writings and speeches were always, and will probably always be used by conservatives as a basis for their beliefs.
Justice Scalia was best known as an originalist. His strict interpretation of the United States Constitution often put him at odds with the liberal justices of the court. He believed that the Constitution, as originally written, should always be adhered to in every ruling. He didn’t believe that the Constitution evolved with society, but that every law should be strictly based off the original intent of the authors of our United States Constitution. This is why he was best known as an originalist. There is no doubt that the Supreme Court will miss his brilliant mind and his textualist position.
When I reflect on the battles that Justice Scalia fought over many years for his originalist position, I see a similarity of a battle being fought today among the independent, fundamental Baptists. Many originalists in the independent, old-paths Baptists believe that the Scriptures don’t evolve with society. When God gave us the Scriptures, He expected us to adhere strictly to His Word. Every action we do should be based on a strict interpretation of the Scriptures.
The battle throughout the ages has always been to question the originalist position. Satan started in the Garden of Eden when he said, “Yea, hath God said…” Satan’s question to Eve is still the same battle that independent, old-paths Baptists still fight today. There are those who call themselves, “The New Independent Baptists,” who attack the originalist position of those who believe that the Scriptures don’t change with societal changes. Satan’s attack against the originalist position will be a battle that every generation will fight. The life of Justice Scalia and his originalist defense should cause every Christian to pause and consider several things concerning old-paths Christianity.
1. God’s Word doesn’t evolve with societal changes.
To attack the King James Bible 1611 is to attack the deity of Jesus Christ. Psalm 119:89 says, “For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.” We are reminded in John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Jesus Christ is the Word, and we are reminded in Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” The world is in constant change, but we must always remember that God’s Word never changes. I often remind people that the originals are not the text that God preserved on Earth, but the Original is Jesus Christ. Everything we have had on Earth is a preservation of the Original; therefore, having a strict interpretation of the Scriptures is only a defense of the person of Jesus Christ.
2. Christians should be passionate about what they believe.
I wish that independent, old-paths Baptists were as passionate about defending the Scriptures and what God originally meant as Justice Scalia was about the United States Constitution. God challenges the Christian to be an ardent defender in Jude 1:3 where He provokes the Christian to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” If what we have is truth, and it is, we should be passionate about living it and keeping it as originally intended by God. A passionless Christian concerning God’s original position will lead to compromise.
3. The only hope to perpetuate the originalist position is through teaching others.
Timothy became a strong originalist Christian because of the teaching of his mother and grandmother. Paul reminds us of this in 2 Timothy 1:5 when he says, “When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.” We will never perpetuate the original positions of God’s Word unless we teach them to others. The Scriptures should be taught to the next generation in their originality. We should be careful not to tell people to do as we say do, but we should teach them by showing them from the Scriptures why we do what we do. Christians will more easily defend the originality of God’s positions when they are taught them from the Scriptures.
4. Never give place to change due to the questioning and attacks of originality.
The mistake Eve made in the Garden of Eden was when she paused at Satan’s question. His attack against the originality of Scripture was through questioning rather than through an absolute statement that it wasn’t true. I love Nehemiah’s response to the attacks while he built the wall. He said in Nehemiah 6:3, “…I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?” The best defense of the originalist position is to continue to do right. Always remember that the Devil tries to get you to change through questioning and attacking your originalist position. Don’t let the questioning of your motives and the attacks of what you are doing by those who desire change to justify their compromising lifestyles cause you to change.
The battle we face today both politically and spiritually are eerily alike. The battle is over whether what we place our beliefs and faith in should change or be adapted to societal changes, or if we should adhere to the original intent of our forefathers and God’s Word. I’m thankful for Justice Scalia’s unwavering defense of a textualist position and his contribution to the preservation of the Constitution. I only hope that every Christian would have the same fortitude to stand as strong for the Scriptures and their standards for salvation, holy living and reaching the lost as Justice Scalia did for the Constitution. May every Christian let Justice Scalia’s life be a motivation to “earnestly contend for the faith.”