One of the consistent themes was that TVC did not handle cases of domestic abuse well. Highland Village is a bedroom community on the shores of Lake Lewisville in the northern suburbs of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. All of the research instruments used in this project were reviewed and approved by The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Research Ethics Committee prior to use in the project.
Third, the initial intensive training took place several months prior to the rest of the project. Spousal abuse can be defined as the desecration of the image of God in one's spouse through patterns of intentional abuse of power, overt or covert, in word or deed, for self-gratification.1 In the beginning, the Creator formed humanity in His own. image (Genesis 1:26-27). 1 This is my definition, based on studying the scriptures and literature on domestic violence from a biblical perspective.
Unlike any of the creatures before, mankind was made in the image and likeness of God. God's perspective informs the believer's perspective of sin and suffering, and of the oppressor and the oppressed.
As we look thus, what a comfort to the oppressed to imagine Jesus the Savior uttering these words while suffering at the hands of wicked and violent mankind. God is on the throne of the universe and is on the side of the oppressed. If we endeavor to uphold the example and honor of our Lord, we may suffer reproach and misrepresentation, but it is a great comfort to remember that he who sits on the throne knows our hearts, and will not leave us to the ignorant and ungenerous judgment of a mistaken man. 16.
As David continues to ponder the fate of his enemies, Kidner notes that the Lord's actions in 9:5-6 are "prophetic perfections" that "describe future events as if they had already happened, so certain is their fulfillment and so clear vision."17 According to these lines, God "rebukes the nations." It causes "the wicked to perish." He "uprooted" their cities; "the very memory of them is gone." These sentences speak not only of God's judgment on the present oppressor, but also of the coming day when all oppression will end. In contrast to the utter insignificance of the enemy, “the Lord sits on the throne forever; he has set up his throne for justice, and with it he judges the world. DeClaisse-Walford, Jacobson, and Tanner note that "God's sanctuary and protection is specifically intended for the needy, for those who have been figuratively crushed by the reality of fallen human society." 18 God's promise of refuge is linked in verse 10 to the promise of his compassionate presence.
This contrasts with the end of the wicked in verses 5-6—while God will wipe their memory from the face of the earth, he will not forget the cries of the afflicted. In summary, Psalm 9:1-12 describes God as the most powerful enthroned Sovereign who executes strong and complete justice for the wicked while providing protection and compassionate presence for the afflicted who call upon Him.
Sees, Knows, and Acts
Kidner comments: “A revealing nuance in the sentence pronounced against the wicked is that they will return to Sheol (v. 17), not just depart there. Craigie and Tate write: "The word 'poor' is synonymous with the word 'afflicted'" in this verse.25 Those who commit abuse and oppression may forget God, but God will not forget those who have harmed them. In the abusive man, pride places him above God and his needs/desires above God's laws and commands.
He is intensely focused on achieving his desires at the expense of the image of God in the other person. There is not, in my judgment, a psalm which describes the mind, manners, deeds, words, feelings, and destiny of the wicked with so much decency, fullness, and light as this psalm. The hymn begins with a well-known cry from the abused and afflicted: “Why, Lord, do you stand far away.
Why do you hide in times of trouble?” (Ps 10:1) God often seems distant and hidden in such times. The phrase "time of trouble" is unusual,27 found only here and in Psalm 9:9, where God is praised for being a refuge for the oppressed "in time of trouble." David confronts those "twin realities": while God sometimes seems removed from the scene of oppression (Ps 10:1), he is still a fortress for those "who know his name and trust in him" (Ps 9:9 ).
Anatomy of Abuse
Any person who dares to confront him (his wife, children, leader of a small group, pastor or elder) is "blown up" and sent away, as he is determined to continue and confident that he will get what he wants . While an abuser might even claim to follow God, his functional god is himself. Abusive people are like those "enemies of the cross of Christ" whom Paul thus describes: "Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with their lusts for earthly things" (Phil. 3:19). ). ).
However, they are the language of his choices and actions, as the thoughts in verse 4 mean "schemes" in verse 2. Thus, he is willing to defile the image of God in another person to get what he wants. The abusive person commits this desecration of the imago Dei through patterns of deliberate abuse of power, overtly and covertly, in words and actions.
Notice in verse 7 what comes out of the mouth of the wicked oppressor: cursing, deceit and oppression, wickedness and injustice. After carefully describing the mission, master, and means of his assailant, the psalmist now turns his gaze to the Lord, pleading with him to act as the judge and protector he praises in Psalm 9.
O Lord
He showed God's sovereign work both in the salvation of the individual believer (2:1-10) and in His salvation of the Gentiles (2:11-22). While seeking understanding, they simultaneously force change for the good of the victim and the perpetrator. One of the goals of this TVC project is to make domestic violence visible by exposing it to the light (Ephesians 5:13-14).
Acute abuse occurs in the rejection phase - in which the abuse is most pronounced and the victim is convinced of their worthlessness in the eyes of the abuser. Lundy Bancroft, probably one of the most articulate secular voices on domestic violence today, says, "The term abuse is about power." He goes on to explain, “The deciding point. The church must have a working definition of domestic violence that includes all the elements described in this section.
The previous chapter developed critical elements of a church policy and protocol for domestic abuse, based on a thorough review of the relevant literature. This project was an integral component of the care and corrections initiative, which I also led. Since abuse is first and foremost a desecration of the image of God, the church can and must get involved.
When abuse is discovered, reconciliation of the marriage should be in the background before reconciliation with the Lord (Ps 51:4). The safety of the victim takes priority immediately after the abuse is disclosed. TVC staff, elders and deacons have greatly gained confidence in recognizing abuse as a result of the training.
Prior to the training, 19 percent of lay leaders agreed with this statement, compared to 17 percent of staff, elders, and deacons. In the leadership training, respondents answered correctly 96 percent of the time after the training, improving their scores by 18 percentage points. In contrast, in the staff training, respondents answered correctly 90 percent of the time after the training, improving the score by only 7 percentage points.
This project improved some of the deficiencies in the previous maintenance and repair process. One of the main weaknesses of the project is related to another described strength.
Would Do Differently
The elders of the church serve God's people as under-shepherds of the true Shepherd. Which of the following is NOT considered an abusive tactic in the context of an intimate relationship. When reporting abuse, it is important to talk to the other spouse/partner to verify the truth of the report.
The statistical probability is that domestic violence is as ubiquitous in TVC as it is in culture outside the church, and so we should be alert to it. The self-sacrificing love of Christ encourages the flourishing of the individual, while domestic violence seeks to stifle the victim's autonomy through domination, replacing love with fear. However, it is important to note that all of the behaviors listed are descriptors of abuse and are destructive.
clenched fists; slamming doors; Getting in the other person's face; Poking or flicking; Self-harm to punish and manipulate;. Refusal to provide simple physical assistance; Using law enforcement, legal advice, and churches to threaten the other person's physical and financial livelihood. Active involvement of law enforcement or churches to threaten or seriously harm the physical and financial well-being of the other person.
It is a safety issue to confront the perpetrator of abuse without prior advice and consent from the victim and the victim's counsellor. Once the victim's safety is assured, the elders will follow the directions of the victim and the victim's counselor regarding the best way to confront and lovingly correct the offender. Reconciliation of the relationship is always our hope, but it is not always guaranteed.
God is a fortress for the oppressed, a fortress in times of trouble. He does not forget the cry of the oppressed. Thus saith the Lord: Establish justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor the spoil." (Jer 22:3a). Of course, a complete tracing of the subject of oppression in the Scriptures would require many more words than would this short study allowed.
This project developed a domestic violence policy and protocol to help the leaders of The Village Church in Flower Mound, Texas, care for victims and correct the perpetrators of domestic violence in her midst. Biblically speaking, abuse is a desecration of the imago Dei in both the abuser and the abused person and a desecration of the mandate of creation, which requires a God-like response from the church to both the abused and the abuser in order to advance God's kingdom.
