139. Jesus as King: Rediscovering the True Translation of "Christ" with Duncan Palmer and Matt Mouzakis

Jesus the King: Redefining Our Understanding of Christ's Authority

Have you ever considered the profound impact of a single word? In the realm of biblical translation, one word can reshape our entire understanding of Jesus' role in our lives and the world. This episode of the Bad Roman Podcast delves into a revolutionary perspective on how we view Jesus Christ, challenging us to reconsider our approach to faith, politics, and our place in God's kingdom.

The Power of Translation

When we read the Bible, we often take the words at face value, rarely questioning the choices made by translators. But what if a crucial term has been consistently mistranslated, obscuring a fundamental truth about Jesus' identity?

Duncan Palmer, a self-described "Bible curmudgeon," shares a startling revelation:

The word 'Christ' is not even an English word, it's a Greek word. And nobody knows what it means. Very few people out there really know what it means.

This insight opens up a world of misunderstanding that has shaped Christian theology and practice for centuries. The term "Christ," which we often use as a surname for Jesus, actually means "anointed one" or, more precisely, "king."

Reimagining Jesus as King

Imagine if every time you read "Jesus Christ" in the Bible, you instead read "King Jesus" or "Jesus the King." How would this shift your perception of His authority and your relationship to Him?

Matt Mouzakis, co-host of Expedition 44, emphasizes the importance of this perspective:

If we started saying Jesus the King instead of Jesus the Christ, would it change how we approach others when it comes to politics?

This simple change in terminology has the power to revolutionize how Christians engage with the world around them, particularly in the realm of politics and governance.

The Kingdom of God vs. Earthly Kingdoms

One of the most striking implications of recognizing Jesus as King is the stark contrast it draws between His kingdom and the kingdoms of this world. Duncan Palmer puts it bluntly:

Every politician is an antichrist. They are a substitute king. They are replacing Jesus in our minds and hearts.

This challenging statement forces us to reconsider our allegiances and priorities. If Jesus is truly our King, how can we justify pledging allegiance to earthly rulers or placing our hope in political systems?

Matt Mouzakis adds depth to this perspective by referencing the work of political scientist Neel Isaiah:

He outlines three different approaches to Christians in the world: Christianism (essentially Christian nationalism), separationism, and prophetic witness.

The concept of "prophetic witness" emerges as a compelling alternative to both political engagement and complete withdrawal from society. It calls Christians to live in the world while maintaining a distinct identity and message, speaking truth to power from the margins rather than seeking to dominate from the top.

Practical Implications for Christian Living

Recognizing Jesus as King isn't just a theological exercise—it has profound implications for how we live our lives:

1. Redefining allegiance: Our primary loyalty is to Jesus, not to any earthly government or leader.

2. Rethinking political engagement: Instead of trying to "transform" secular institutions, we focus on building God's kingdom through love and service.

3. Embracing a counter-cultural lifestyle: We're called to live differently, embodying the upside-down values of God's kingdom.

4. Speaking prophetically: We have a responsibility to critique unjust systems and point to God's better way.

As Duncan Palmer reminds us:

We don't pledge allegiance to these fakes and substitutes. We pledge our allegiance to Jesus as King. Follow him only as King.

What We Learned About Jesus' Kingship

This episode challenges us to radically reorient our understanding of Jesus and our place in the world. By recognizing Him as our true King, we're called to:

• Question our assumptions about the role of government and our participation in it.

• Reevaluate our translations and interpretations of Scripture.

• Live as ambassadors of God's kingdom, distinct from the systems of this world.

• Speak truth to power from a place of humility and service.

The implications of this shift in perspective are far-reaching and potentially transformative for both individual believers and the church as a whole.

Are you ready to see Jesus in a new light? To embrace His kingship not just in theory, but in practice? The challenge is clear: to live as citizens of God's kingdom first and foremost, allowing that allegiance to shape every aspect of our lives.

To dive deeper into these revolutionary ideas, you can listen to the full episode of the Bad Roman Podcast wherever podcasts are found. And for further exploration, check out Matt Mouzakis's new book, "Principalities, Powers and Allegiances," available on Amazon, which delves into these themes in greater detail.

Let's embrace the radical truth of Jesus' kingship and allow it to transform how we engage with the world around us. After all, as Christians, we are called to follow Christ, not the state. It's time to live that truth boldly.

🤝Connect with OUR Guests:

1. Matt Mouzakis'

• New Book: Principalities, Powers and Allegiances - available on Amazon

  1. Previous Episodes wth Matt:

     • "What about Romans 13?"

     • From Eden to Empire: Deuteronomy 32 & Christ’s Nature with Matt Mouzakis (Part 1)

     • From Eden to Empire: First Peter's Insights (Part 2)

     • From Eden to Empire: Romans 13 Line by Line (Part 3)

     • The Beasts and the Lamb of Revelation: From Eden to Empire (Part 4)

• Expedition 44 podcast:

• Website: expedition44.com

• Co-hosted by Matt Mouzakis and Dr. Will Ryan 

2. Duncan Palmer

• Duncan’s Writings 

• https://peakd.com/a/@creatr/b

• https://ecency.com/a/@creatr/b

• The Curmudgeon's Bible series

• Duncan’s Christian Library series

• Email: duncan@sharefreely.com

• Previous Episodes with Duncan Palmer:

  • Tyrants be Gone with Duncan Palmer

  • Translating the Bible – Is the Greek Right?

Episode Timestamps:

(0:22) Discussing Jesus as King vs. Christ

• Duncan Palmer and Matt Mouzakis return to explore the meaning of "Christ"

• Consideration of how viewing Jesus as King might change political perspectives

(1:04) Duncan Palmer's return and personal anecdotes

• Craig and Duncan reminisce about Duncan's visit to Memphis

• Discussion of Craig's homemade salsa and its varying heat levels

(3:05) Matt Mouzakis’s return and book announcement

• Matt's new book "Principalities, Powers and Allegiances" is introduced

• Book's success on Amazon and forward by Brian Zahn

(7:45) Greek translation issues and Bible interpretation

• Duncan's frustration with modern Bible translations

• Importance of understanding historical context in Bible interpretation

(13:22) Duncan's epiphany about the word "Christ"

• Realization that "Christ" means "King" in Greek

• Impact of translating "Christ" as "King" in Bible reading

(19:41) Antichrist as replacement for Christ

• Discussion of the Greek prefix "anti" meaning replacement or substitute

• Every politician as an "antichrist" by replacing Jesus as king

(22:58) Personal experiences with "King Jesus" terminology

• Matt shares stories of explaining "Christ" meaning "King" to others

• Challenges faced when emphasizing Jesus as King in church settings

(50:20) Exploring the concept of Jesus as King

• Duncan and Matt discuss the implications of viewing Jesus as King

• Critique of Christian nationalism and hierarchical church structures

(1:04:43) The church as God's method of ruling

• Matt explains how God rules through spiritual gifts, not hierarchy

• Comparison to body parts working together without hierarchy

(1:14:26) Call to recognize Jesus as the true King

• Duncan emphasizes Jesus' right to rule as Creator

• Encouragement to pledge allegiance to Jesus, not earthly rulers

(1:19:40) Closing thoughts and resource recommendations

• Matt and Duncan share final reflections on Jesus as King

• Promotion of Expedition 44 podcast and Duncan's writings

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105. Translating the Bible – Is the Greek Right? with Duncan Palmer

About this Episode

Have you ever considered how the subtle nuances of ancient Greek can reshape our understanding of biblical scriptures? Well get ready, because in this episode Craig welcomes back Duncan Kerry Palmer to dissect his thought-provoking article, "Political Power and the Connotation Conspiracy." The conversation delves into the complex relationship between Christianity and state authority, with a particular emphasis on the impact of ancient Greek language on biblical scripture interpretation.

The podcast reveals how the translation of words such as 'exousia' and 'hupotaso' from Greek to English can drastically change meanings from 'authority' to 'power' and 'obey' to 'align with.' These linguistic transformations shed new light on well-known scriptures like Romans 13 and Acts 5:29, prompting a reevaluation of Christian perspectives on government, law enforcement, and societal roles.

Palmer provides anecdotes from his biweekly theological debates, adding depth to the discussion on how these subtle linguistic changes can impact Christian views on governance and societal roles. The dialogue is as rich as the cigars enjoyed during those fraternal exchanges, emphasizing the importance of humility and the acknowledgment that our understanding of absolute truth may be more fragile than we'd like to admit.

Listeners are challenged to critically examine scripture and question long-held beliefs, embracing the journey towards a deeper understanding of God's word. The episode concludes with an exploration of the controversial issue of translation conspiracies and their impact on Christian doctrines, particularly in relation to the alleged divine sanctioning of governmental authority. As they grapple with convenient passages like "render unto Caesar," the hosts encourage believers to reconsider what they've been taught. This episode is not only informative but also encourages transformative engagement with faith and politics. Tune in and be prepared to have your perspectives challenged and potentially reshaped.

Connect with Duncan Cary Palmer:

• Social Community: Peakd.com 

• Blog: Hive Blog

• Duncan’s email: creator@sidefire.com

Episode Timestamps:

Timestamps:

01:02 Christian-State Relationships

• Duncan Kerry Palmer's article "Political Power and the Connotation Conspiracy"

• Impact of translation on scripture interpretation, conspiracy possibility in translations.

• Updates on biweekly theological discussions.

• Engaging in debates, acknowledging limited understanding.

02:04 Scripture Through Translation

• Understanding scripture beyond face value translations.

• Potential for translation errors to influence interpretations.

05:02 Modern-Day Pharisees and Wisdom

• Concept of modern-day Pharisees, wisdom with age.

• Humility continued learning in understanding scripture.

07:07 Connotation in Translation

• Challenges faced by translators, subtle meaning shifts.

• Translation leads to misconceptions about divinely sanctioned powers.

• Importance of critical analysis of biblical language.

15:30 Greek Words in Scripture

• Biblical Greek nuances, influence on scriptural concepts of authority and submission.

• Significance of consistent word usage for understanding.

• Mistranslations of "exousia" and "hupotaso", importance of context.

28:43 Biblical Terminology

• Directive to "make disciples of all nations", misinterpretation related to converting governments.

• Personal anecdote about a speeding ticket, reaction to authoritative language.

• Difference between persuasion and command in leadership.

42:56 God's Government Through His Assembly

• Concept of governance, spiritual authority from a Christian perspective.

• Biases in translation and interpretation, the word "Ecclesia."

• Scripture implications for Jesus' role as a ruler, governance through the church.

54:16 Translation Conspiracies in Christianity

• Misuse of scripture to justify statism, complacency in accepting interpretations.

• Acceptance of out-of-context verses need for deeper scripture study.

• Potential influence of translation committees on skewing original text meanings.

10:02 Lost in Translation

• "Connotation stack up" effect on scriptural interpretation.

• Stacking translations misleading readers about biblical instructions.

21:24 Romans 13 and Governing Authorities

• Interpretation issues surrounding Romans 13, historical context.

• Critical difference between "submit" and "obey" in scripture.

24:14 Christianity and Politics

• Relationship between Christianity and politics, scriptural translation.

• Role of political authority in relation to faith.

36:43 Untranslated Greek Words in the Bible

• Presence of untranslated Greek words in the Bible, implications for understanding.

• Translating certain Greek terms for clarity in Christian doctrine.

42:56 Government, Church, and Satan's Kingdom

• Secular nation-states as "fiefdoms of Satan."

• Governance, spiritual authority through the church vs secular entities.

47:06 Power and Authority of Christ

• True power, authority of Christ vs earthly rulers.

• Recognition of Jesus as the one true King, rejection of secular authority figures.

53:03 Frustration With Christian Statism

• Frustration with Christians accepting statist interpretations of scripture.

• Active effort in studying scripture for discerning true message.

01:00:59 Explore Duncan’s Work

• Reading articles on Peakd.com or his Hive Blog

• Duncan’s email: creator@sidefire.com

• Engagement with content, resources for deeper understanding.

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68. Tyrants be Gone with Duncan Palmer

About this Episode

The Kingdom of God is at hand! Duncan Palmer joins Craig for a discussion of what the Good News entails and a key point that Christians are missing today: The Kingdom of God is here and now. Poor Bible translations go all the way back to Augustine, leading God’s people into confusion about their purpose. For example, ‘ecclesia’ is often rendered ‘church’ in modern translations, whereas a better translation refers to a gathering or assembly of people who managed the local city. The only God-ordained governance structure is the ecclesia, which happens when the church willingly submits to servant leadership and God’s laws alone. 

Craig and Duncan discuss the historical points where the church went wrong, then turn to Duncan’s article “Tyrants be Gone: Say Hello to the New Boss”. There are no good guys in the fiefdoms of Satan; even your favorite candidate is nothing more than a tinpot tyrant playing with authority that does not belong to him. No human being is given authority to rule over another. Therefore, instead of participating in politics, Christians are to opt out, declare independence, and make worldly governments obsolete. When we do, we will usher in the Kingdom of God. We need to be creating things of value helping and encouraging each other, and trading amongst ourselves. Jesus invites us to live freely in this voluntary society. He welcomes us into the Kingdom of God! This is the missing part of the Good News!

Duncan’s article

Duncan’s Hive Blog Articles

Episode Timestamps:

2:25 – Introduce Duncan’s article

• Well shared in the discussion group

• Written so that people can get a glimpse of what the good news really is

3:33 – Who is Duncan Palmer?

• Grew up in America in the 50s and 60s

  • Heard that America was the freest country in the world

  • Republican family background

• Supported Ron Paul when he ran for office

• In the 90s, Duncan realised he was being extorted for tax money

  • Not as free as he thought

  • Taxation is a fraudulent system

• Learned from Larken Rose

  • Book: The Most Dangerous Superstition

  • Podcast: Outside the Cage

  • Not a believer but has a lot to say to Christians about neighbourly love and oppression

7: 11 – The importance of language

• Duncan uses the label anarchist

• Bad Bible translations are of the devil

• The Bible is misquoted, mistranslated, and misread

• Get back to the basic teachings of Christ

• Duncan’s definition of anarchist:

  • No human rulers  

  • God is the only legitimate ruler

  • He is a benevolent ruler

  • A Christ-archist or Thearchist

• The enemy has taken the term ‘anarchist’ and perverted its definition

  • It doesn’t mean bomb throwing radicals out to destroy everything

  • Words ought to be our servants, not the other way around

• Voluntaryist

  • The Kingdom of God is based on voluntary interactions

    • Radically different from the kingdoms of the world

  • The ‘kings’ of this world have no legitimate authority

• The early church lived in a voluntary society

  • Anarchism and Christianity should be synonymous 

14:16 – The church is in bed with the state

• Learning the history of the church

• Craig has become fascinated by church history

  • Prior to Constantine

  • This is how the church should behave today too

  • They had their own disagreements

  • Universally recognized Jesus as King

  • Tertullian believed in Eternal Conscious Torment

  • Tertullian was vocal about the state

  • Some of the early church writers were taught directly by the apostles

    • Polycarp

    • The church has gone in the opposite direction of these writings

• Ecclesia – The gathering of people who managed the local city

• Duncan is reading through the New Testament in Greek

  • Trying to get the whole picture

  • Major points:

    • Ecclesia – church is a poor translation

    • Gathering, assembly or congregation might be better options

    • The church should guide the local population rather than the worldly institutions

• David Bently Hart

  • New Greek New Testament Translation of the Bible

  • Augustine translated the Bible from Latin not Greek

  • There are differences that change the meaning of the text

  • Mistranslations are being taught in the church

• 1 Corinthians 1:26 – Not too many bright believers verse

• The Curmudgeons Bible Library

  • Complaints about poor Bible translations

22:20 – How Duncan became a Christian Anarchist

• The state lies to everyone and imposing an illegal income tax

• The Law – Frederic Bastiat

  • Recommended reading

  • Very thin

  • Made Duncan realise that the only law that we should respect is God’s law

    • More than 400 instances of the word ‘law’ in the Bible maybe only a dozen of them reference human made laws.

    • Man-made laws are always spoken of with disdain

    • Romans 13:1 refers to God’s law not human mandates

• Christians are afraid of the other team, so they resort to using the state

26:52 - The church has gone wrong at a few historical points:

• Constantine co-opted the church

  • The church is to replace and obviate the rule of Satan on earth

•  Replacing the commandments of God with the traditions of men

  • During the Reformation

    • The Reformation did not go far enough

    • Reformers divided the world into ecclesiastical governments and civil government

    • A better distinction is the Kingdom of God and Fiefdoms of Satan

    • Civil government is seen as legitimate and desirable

    • Throughout scripture those structures are Satan’s government systems

    • Evil and influenced by demons

    • The church should be separate from those structures 

    • Jesus refused the authority that Satan tempted him with

    • The early church recognised this

• The Empire of the United States is crumbling

  • Current trajectory is unsustainable

  • Christians need to be ready for this

  • It is going to be chaotic and scary

  • If we follow Jesus everything will be fine

  • Secular anarchists could learn from Christians

  • It’s too exhausting to keep wasting time arguing about going back to the Mises Caucus

32:02 - The church should act as God’s new governance structure

• The Bible is a handbook for governance

• The only authority God grants the church is directly going to our brother, or bringing others into an argument or bringing conflicts before the whole ecclesia from where they may be ejected

• There is nowhere left to go when looking for somewhere where liberty can be found

• Seasteading: the idea that people could build communities out in the ocean

  • Out of the fiefdoms of Satan

  • We are supposed to be denying territorial jurisdictions

  • We are to be a Holy nation from every tribe and nation

  • Our common ruler Jesus is to be our common ground

• The good news of the Kingdom has been abandoned

  • John and Jesus preached it

  • There’s a new boss in town

  • We need to take power and authority to deny the tyrants around us

37:34 – Tyrant be Gone. Say hello to the New Boss

• The church is misunderstood

  • What we have now is not what was supposed to be

• There’s a new boss in town

• We’ve done a marginal job of letting people know who King Jesus is

  • We’ve misdirected everyone sitting in pews into worshipping the state

    • Romans 13 is mistranslated

    • Use as a bludgeon on the head of believers

    • Teaching to do everything as the government says to do it

  • Let every soul be subject to the highest authorities, namely God and His Word

    • The only true authority

• The government will be upon His shoulders

  • Is Afghanistan or China upheld by Jesus?

  • Christians seem to think that America is the good guy

    • Patently not true given all the overseas deaths caused by foreign policy

41:53 – There are no good guys at all in the fiefdoms of Satan

• The sooner the church realises that Jesus is in the process of destroying those fiefdoms the better

• The right number of Christians in office won’t make things better

• George W Bush said God wanted him to run for office

  • 9 months later the never-ending war began

• Ambassadors do not participate in government

  • We are to be God’s ambassadors

• The missing part of the good news of the Kingdom of God

  • The church pushes news of the Kingdom into some distant future

  • Whereas it should be here and now

• America is not your friend

  • America is not a saviour

  • It is destruction

46:34 - Aren’t you sick and tired of tyrants?

• Even your favourite candidate is a tyrant

• Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results

• People are scared of the Democrats or Republicans

  • So, they put libertarians in office

  • They are still putting someone in power over their brothers and sisters

    • Jesus didn’t say to do that

    • You see how the gentiles lord it over them? It should not be so among you

• Satan likes to divide and conquer

  • Splitting people into camps to do battle with each other

• The only power they have is to rob, hurt and enslave

• God has not ordained or authorised the state to do that

  • This is a lie from the deepest pit of hell

  • Backed by demons

  • Christians need to walk away and follow Jesus

• In light of Romans 13 how do you read Acts 5?

  • There are two different definitions of submission and obedience

  • There are a lot of poorly understood words

• The Bible calls for leadership that we voluntarily follow rather than dictatorships

  • The only legitimate rules are God’s laws

    • These rules are written on our hearts

    • Respect the scriptures, but don’t slavishly check every move we make

    • Follow Jesus’ law of love

• The calling as the assembly is to step out of the world, voluntarily submit to servant leadership in the church

• We are not to participate in the failed kingdoms of this world

  • Even the US is based on satanic principles

  • Instead become a decentralized replacement governance system

  • Acknowledge King Jesus and deny allegiance to any other jurisdiction

• People are not understanding this

• How do we make people see that the state is evil, and we should abstain from it?

• Comparison chart that shows principles that the state runs on versus what the ecclesia should be running on.

• Libertarian philosophy states we should not initiate violence

  • The state runs on violence

  • Violence in defence might have legitimate value

    • When providing for one’s own household

• No human being or group have legitimate rights to rule over other humans

  • Satan said in his heart that he would be like God

    • Ruling over people

    • Taking the place of God

  • People may rule over creation, but never other human beings

    • Only Jesus holds this right as creator

  • The state is committing the same crime as Satan

    • Asserting that they have the right to arbitrarily dictate to us what we must do

55:06 – Implementing God’s Kingdom

• Entering God’s Kingdom means we leave the kingdoms of the world

  • Leave them in the dustbin

  • Establish something superior

  • Make them obsolete

  • This is what it means to seek first the Kingdom of God

• Humanity will be drawn towards their true King when we do this

• Opt out of the state

  • And everything else will be added to you

• The church seems to have missed this important part of the good news the Kingdom of God

• The assembly needs to stop viewing the assembly as purely spiritual

  • Ecclesia is not a spiritual social club

• We need to be God’s Kingdom in this world

  • We need to be creators in this world

    • We reflect God when we create things of value

• We need to encourage each other through our occupations

• We need to help one another provide for our families

• Trade with one another

  • We need solid ‘weights and measures’ like Bitcoin

  • We need our own economic system

  • We need to encourage each other’s endeavours, such as the Bad Roman Project

    • Helping to expand God’s Kingdom in the world

• We need to encourage each other’s development in writing and the arts

  • We need to do these in the name of God

  • We need to help each other

• There is no church/state separation where churches are 501 C3 corporations

  • The church becomes subservient to Satan himself

• We need to declare our independence

  • Shelter our members from taxation and state depravations

• We need to be encouraging entrepreneurism 

  • Establishing enterprises

  • Bringing wealth into the Kingdom

    • Use the wealth to advance God’s Kingdom

• We need to declare independence from territorial jurisdiction

• Covid made it clear that the state is out to shut the church down

  • We need to push back

• We need more Christian podcasters flooding the arena with this

• Jesus’ generous offer is still available to us

  • Let those who are thirsty come

  • Take the water of life without cost

1:02:37 – 1 Timothy 6: 11-17

• Paul says to Timothy:

  • Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love and steadfastness

  • He ties that good confession in with Jesus

• Jesus confessed before Pontius Pilate that His Kingdom is not of this world

• Jesus is the blessed and only sovereign, the King of Kings

• He dwells in unapproachable light

• He holds a branch of peace to His enemies

  • He hasn’t crushed them under His feet yet

• We need to be the assembly that draws people to Him

• Jesus says we can come and be a part of this voluntary society

  • We can live totally free

  • Jesus the only worthy ruler

  • He continues to bless us

• We just need to trust Jesus

• We have an eternity of God’s kindness to look forward to

  • And an entire universe to explore

  • A childlike wonder about the vastness of God and His creation

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