I wanted to put these together somewhere as I both follow Dr. Piper's podcasts daily and have a huge firearms interest. These are in chronological order. I'm not necessarily looking for any particular comments, but feel free to remark as you feel led.

How Should a Man Physically Protect His Wife and Family? March 2007
http://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/how-should-a-man-physically-protect-his-wife-and-family
Youtube video of same: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7ETd4cqHF8

Are You Opposed to People Owning Guns? October 2008
http://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/are-you-opposed-to-people-owning-guns
Youtube video of same: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bo3IEWmsfNY

Guns and Martyrdom June 2008
http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/guns-and-martyrdom

God, Guns, and Biblical Manhood March 2014
http://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/god-guns-and-biblical-manhood#

More on Guns and Self-Defense April 2014
http://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/more-on-guns-and-self-defense

Should Christians Be Cops and Soldiers? April 2014
http://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/should-christians-be-cops-and-soldiers

Yeah, ole Johnny's wrong. But we're all allowed to be wrong every once in a while. Overall, I like Piper quite a bit.

I appreciate the fact that he says that's what he does and not what he prescribes. As residents of a free country he has as much of a right to not arm himself as I have the right to arm myself.

As a pastor for 14 years who's just a dissertation shy of a PHD from one of Piper's favorite seminaries, I feel that the Bible makes a very strong case for personal self defense.

I don't think a precedent can be set for owning or not owning. Personally I didn't so much care about concealed carrying. Then I started having really vivid clear dreams for about a year and a half to get a concealed handgun license. I finally took the class, got my license, and aurora co happened the week after I received it. I had no idea what handgun to buy so I prayed and asked, "God help, You told me to do this, what handgun should I buy?" I had a dream that night where I went to a gun shop and was told to buy a sig p229. I woke up thought wow, went back to sleep and had another dream where a friend said to me in the dream, "Remember that dream you just had about buying a sig p229, you need to pay attention to it." So I bought a sig p229 and carry it everyday.

Same thing happened with ar15's. Had a dream that I needed to buy an ar15. Confused and not wanting an AR15 i couldn't bring myself to buy one. Two days later newtown shooting happened and you couldn't find one anywhere. A couple months went by though and I felt like I should go to academy one morning, no body was there and they had just gotten in a shipment of a couple AR's so I picked one up.


My point isn't to set a precedent but I think we should approach the Lord and ask, "God what should I do? I know what the law is but I know our country doesn't always have laws that agree with Your opinions. Help me." If we want to know what He thinks and we wait on Him, He will give us insight and wisdom on how to live and move forward.

In suggesting the state as the sole appropriate power for applying lethal force, he ignores the particular philosophical foundation of the American nation, which is that individual citizens have basic rights including the application of lethal force, particularly where no appeal to the law and magistrate is possible due to imminent threat to life (primarily developed in Locke, 2nd treatise on government, chapter 3, http://www.constitution.org/jl/2ndtr03.htm).  In that context, the power to apply lethal force in this manor does not originate within the state or a king, rather, it originates within the people, and the state derives it's power of capital punishment etc. from the powers of the people to defend themselves.  



Where the state can not be appealed to for redress due to immanent violence, the original right of the people to apply lethal force for self protection remains, at least based on how the United States was founded philosophically.  In our case and particularly in the context of immediate threat to life, "the citizen" does not "wield the sword in vain" any less than the governors appointed by the people, because it is from the citizen's basic rights that the state derives it's own.  At least that was the original promise, contemporary post-constitutionalism not withstanding.

FPNI

God has told me many times to "behold and buy thee thy shiny armament." alot of times, like a lightening bolt.