Steve Bateman | First Bible Church | February 28, 2024
[Note: For the final session of our Public Theology Course, I asked an expert on digital communications to teach the class. The contents of that class will not be available online. Instead, here’s an article I wrote today as an example of what it means to do public theology, bringing our theology to bear on the public issues of the day.]
Two years ago this month, Russia amassed their military on the border with Ukraine while at the same time denying that they were planning an attack. On February 24, 2022, Russia attacked Ukraine but declared they had no plans to occupy it. Two years later, Russian forces are still there, daily committing murder.
Putin is angry that Ukraine wanted to join NATO because Ukraine feared Russia’s aggression. So, to prove that Ukraine had nothing to fear, Putin violated international law and invaded Ukraine? Along the way the Russian military has committed unspeakable war crimes. Current estimates are that at least 120,000 Russians and 70,000 Ukrainians have been killed in the last two years because of Vladimir Putin’s decision to attack the sovereign nation of Ukraine without just cause. The total amount killed or wounded is approaching 500,000 people made in the image of God.
NATO is arguably the most successful treaty in history, guarding unprecedented peace in Europe for 75 years. Now, that peace is threatened and at the very moment NATO seems most necessary, Americans are having second thoughts.
Donald Trump recently claimed he had a conversation with an unnamed leader of a NATO country in which he warned that if a NATO country doesn’t spend enough on defense, he would “encourage Russia to do whatever the hell it wants.” Think about that for a minute. A leading candidate for President of the United States just invited one our most dangerous enemies to attack some of our closest friends. Humanly speaking, the only thing keeping Russia from doing whatever it wants right now is the courage of the Ukrainian military, but because of political spats in the U.S. Congress, they are running out of ammunition.
Recently, Tucker Carlson gave Putin an enormous platform that allowed the former KGB officer to speak directly to American voters. Putin rambled on about Russia’s historic claim to Ukraine seeking to justify the bloodshed. But Tucker didn’t ask Putin many difficult questions like, Why is Alexi Navalny in prison? The correct answer is that he was an outspoken critic of Putin who dared to call out government corruption and run for president. Navalny conveniently died in prison a few days after Tucker’s interview of what Russian authorities called “sudden death syndrome.” His widow isn’t buying it. The Kremlin refused to surrender the body for an independent autopsy.
Russia has no free press, but that doesn’t mean it won’t take advantage of ours. To better understand how foreign governments are fighting a war of disinformation against us right now, I highly recommend Destin Sandlin’s series on the subject. It is to Putin’s advantage to use American media personalities and the algorithms of the internet as a vehicle for his propaganda strategy. If Putin can deceive our nation, he can divide our nation, and if he can divide us, he can weaken us. And if he can influence the United States to withdraw support from NATO or Ukraine, he will almost certainly win the war in Ukraine.
And what are the implications of a Russian victory for the advance of the gospel? If Russia annexes Ukraine, expect Russia’s policies on religious freedom be enforced there. In Russia, the Russian Orthodox Church serves at the pleasure of Putin’s policies and promises Russian soldiers that dying in the war with Ukraine “washes away their sins.”
In Putin’s view, to be truly Russian is to be Russian Orthodox. It’s the Russian version of Christian Nationalism. Therefore, it’s illegal for Baptists and evangelicals to evangelize in their neighborhoods, the marketplace, or any public place. They can meet for worship in their church buildings if they register their church with the government, but they are not permitted to practice public theology like we are doing right now. That brand of religious oppression would come to Ukraine, and probably with a vengeance.
Just before our Missions Conference last weekend I received a text from dear friends in Ukraine who are courageously advancing the beautiful gospel in the middle of this grotesque war. Here’s a report from the war zone: “People are starting to think more and more about what will happen after Ukrainian defeat rather than victory. Ukrainians feel betrayed when they see the news of how Western countries are decreasing military and financial support.”
I don’t know how much Donald Trump, or Tucker Carlson, or Joe Biden know or even care about the Great Commission. I’ve argued throughout this course that knowing and embracing the Great Commission is not a qualification for president. But I do know that they had better know and understand the four-term president of Russia. I also know that the fuel of good policy is the truth, and the truth is not something we will dependably get from Vladimir Putin.
Pray for the church in Ukraine. Pray for the church in Russia. Pray for Joe Biden. Pray for Donald Trump. Pray for Vladimir Putin. Pray for Mike Johnson. Pray for Nikki Haley. Pray for a just peace in that blood-soaked place on our planet.
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
–1 Timothy 2:1-4