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It's Saturday, September 2, 2023.

Today’s edition covers a deadly church-led march against a gang in Haiti, the guilty verdict of pro-life activists who blocked entrance to an abortion clinic, the people in the Bible who never died (you may be surprised!), and much more.

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Of Christian Concern

AT LEAST 7 DEAD IN CHURCH-LED MARCH AGAINST HAITIAN GANG

Screenshots from an interview with protestor Francois Vicner (CGTN America)

At least seven in Haiti are dead and several more kidnapped after gang members opened fire during a church-led march of protest in a gang-controlled suburb of Port-au-Prince.

The church’s pastor, Marcorel Zidor (known as Pastor Marco) of the Evangelical Piscine de Bethesda church, rallied several hundred to confront the gang in response to ongoing gang violence. Some protestors were “armed with sticks and machetes,” Reuters reports, and some organizers allegedly “carried assault rifles.”

The actual death toll has not been confirmed, but may be as high as 20. Police have launched an operation to recover the bodies.

In an interview, Zidor defended the march, claiming that those who were shot had lost their faith, and saying, "Those who died are those who went to hide in the houses. Ninety-five percent of my parishioners were being shot at, none of them got hit.” Some are calling for Zidor to be held responsible for his provocation of the deadly confrontation.

For an explainer of Haiti gang violence and how civilians and pastors have been “taking matters into their own hands,” read here.

PRO-LIFE ACTIVISTS FOUND GUILTY FOR BLOCKING ENTRY TO ABORTION CLINIC

Pro-life activist Lauren Handy was found guilty for actions at a D.C. abortion clinic (Screenshot: WUSA9)

Five pro-life activists have been found guilty for “conspiracy against rights and violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act” after blocking entry to an abortion clinic in 2020.

Lauren Handy, William Goodman, John Hinshaw, Heather Idoni, and Herb Geraghty potentially face 11 years in prison for rushing into Washington Surgi-Clinic, a D.C.-based abortion clinic, and forming a blockade for three hours before being removed by authorities.

Prominent pro-lifers have applauded the activists and condemned the verdict. Lila Rose, founder of Live Action, stated, “The injustice seen in the court today is indicative of the injustice committed daily in America’s abortion mills[.] These pro-life activists should be seen as HEROES.”

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America stated, “This is a shameful day for a nation founded on unalienable rights, first and foremost including life. Pro-life advocates like Lauren Handy have put their freedom on the line – peacefully and bravely – to protect babies and women from the brutality of abortion.”

Abortion abolitionists have joined in condemning the verdict but criticized blocking access to clinics, calling it “a foolish strategy.” Abolitionists Rising argued, “There is no link between the rise of a movement to block clinics and the abolition of abortion. All such a movement would accomplish is making a few headlines and putting many of our most passionate people behind bars.” Pastor Wes Russel likewise offered a number of reasons that blocking clinics does “way more harm than good.”

Also Noteworthy

→ Crown prosecutors in Canada have withdrawn charges against Pastor Timothy Stephens and Fairview Baptist Church, who were charged in 2021 with violating Public Health Orders during COVID-19 restrictions.

→ Most American Protestant churchgoers (52%) “say their church teaches God will bless them if they give more money to their church and charities,” according to a new study by Lifeway Research. The study also found a significant majority (76%) of the same group “believe[s] God wants them to prosper financially.”

→ Around 1,000 professions of faith were made last Saturday during a Billy Graham Evangelistic Association event in London, called the “God Loves You” tour.

→ Richie the Barber, a man with full-facial clown makeup tattoos who once appeared on America’s Got Talent, is studying to become a pastor after his recent conversion.

→ Barna reports that 75% of U.S. Protestant senior pastors agree “It is becoming harder to find mature young Christians who want to become pastors.” As of last year, only 16 percent of Protestant senior pastors are 40 years old or younger, the average age being 52.

→ 1 out of 6 “churched adults” in the U.S. (16%) have at some point paid for, or encouraged, or had an abortion, according to a national survey released last week by the Center for Biblical Worldview.

Content Catch-Up

Recent, notable content by Christian creators.*

→ A Message To Her Kidnappers: Alex Dorsainvil, the nurse who was kidnapped in Haiti along with her daughter in late July and released two weeks later, shares a message of forgiveness to her kidnappers. (Video)

→ Christianity vs. Other Religions: Podcaster Aaron Stamp interviews professor and author Doug Groothuis about his new book World Religions in Seven Sentences. (Video)

→ Dear Christian Freshman: In a thread of posts on the social media platform X, Tim Wilson, the pastor of a church in an English village, addresses college freshmen about how to maintain their faith while at university. (Thread)

→ Islam Debunked In 56 Seconds: The YouTube channel Daily Dose of Wisdom reacts to a short clip of apologist Sye Ten Bruggencate presenting a logical refutation of the Quran. (Video)

*Not necessarily an endorsement

The Bible, Briefly

Who In the Bible Never Died?

“Death of Korah, Dathan and Abiram,” Gustave Doré, 1865 (Public Domain)

If you ask many biblically informed Christians, “Who in the Bible never died?,” they’ll answer, “Enoch and Elijah.” Even the ESV Global Study Bible claims, “Enoch and Elijah are the only people in the Bible who did not die a natural death. Instead, they were ‘taken by God.’”

But is that true?

Well, the Bible says, “Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him” (Genesis 5:24). The statement appears in the context of a genealogy where it is said of every other person, “he died.” So, it’s clear Enoch was an exception. Rather than die, he was simply taken.

Then also, the Bible says, “Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven” (2 Kings 2:11). This is not euphemistic for being killed by a tornado. The event was accompanied by the sudden appearance of “chariots of fire and horses of fire” that separated Elijah from his protege, Elisha, just before his dramatic ascension. In other words, it was a miraculous event. He didn’t die, but went into heaven alive.

So, it’s true: those two men never died. But that’s not the whole truth. There is another group of people who never died.

Numbers 16 reports how a man named Korah, along with some others, rebelled against Moses. They challenged him to a test of authority, and Moses responded in part, “If these men die as all men die, or if they are visited by the fate of all mankind, then the LORD has not sent me” (v. 29).

Of course, “the fate of all mankind” is death. So, Moses staked the validity of his divinely appointed role as Israel’s leader on a prophetic claim that these men would not die. Then he continued: “But if the LORD creates something new, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into Sheol, then you shall know that these men have despised the LORD” (v. 30, emphasis added).

Notice that he doesn’t say the earth would swallow them up and they would die, but that it would swallow them up and they would “go down alive” into the place of the dead. Then, that’s exactly what happens: “And as soon as he had finished speaking all these words,” the earth opened and swallowed up the households and possessions of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, and they “went down alive into Sheol” (vv. 31-33).

Church History Tidbit

Leo the Great and Papal Authority

“Saint Leo Magnus” (pope Leo I), Francisco de Herrera el Mozo (1622-1685), Prado Museum, Madrid, Spain (Public Domain)

Pope Leo I (c. 400-461), also called Leo the Great, was Bishop of Rome from 440 until his death. Here are three things to know about this “Doctor of the Church.”

First, he is famous for a meeting with Attila the Hun that convinced the conqueror to abandon his invasion of Italy. Second, he’s known for writing a letter called the Tome of Leo, in which he detailed the Papacy’s position on the nature of Christ (two natures, divine and human). Third, he significantly advanced the idea of papal authority—that is, the idea that the Pope who resides in Rome is the rightful leader of the worldwide church.

Regarding this third point, Leo preached a sermon on the third anniversary of his ascension to the papacy, in which he details an argument for papal authority. He argues on the basis of Matthew 16:16-19 that Peter, “the chief of the Apostles,” is the rock upon which the church was built, and he claims that Peter continues in that role in perpetuity—only now, he speaks through the Pope.

“Therefore,” Leo says, “when we utter our exhortations in your ears, holy brothers, you should believe that it is he whom we represent [i.e., Peter] that is speaking to you. When we warn you, it is his warning that we give; and we preach nothing but his teaching…”

Acceptance of the Pope in Rome as leader of the global church became nearly universal in Western Christianity until the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century.

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Why "18:15"? The name Project 18:15 is based on Proverbs 18:15: “An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.” The aim is for this weekly email—a Christian news briefing, a Bible study, and a Church history lesson rolled into one—to be one way you keep abreast of current events and acquire knowledge you might not acquire elsewhere.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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