I just read the news about Joseph Duggar, and I am truly shocked. After everything that came out a few years ago about his brother Josh, I never thought we would be hearing of another accusation like this tied to that family.
Has anyone else heard about this? My heart breaks for the child, and I am praying the truth comes fully to light.
I have not heard this yet. I do truly believe that this is why the bible tells us to flee from, run from, sexual sin. It is one of those sins that corrupts our very souls.
Peter
Having all the children God would give you is great.
Knowing how to raise them is better
Having them trust in Jesus is best
Having them learn to walk by the Spirit rather than the flesh is a blessing.
Then you have Islamists enforcing their version of Sharia law, alongside Marxist groups promoting cultural and ancestral forms of worship.
Also, we need to tighten the borders of online predators visiting online forums, wouldn’t you say @samuel.bell ?
J.
Some things never change,
Matthew 22:15
Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words.
Forgetting context, as per usual…
The setting of ~Matthew 22:15 is a calculated escalation in hostility toward Jesus during His final week in Jerusalem, immediately following His public denunciation of the religious leaders through parables that expose their rejection of God’s authority (cf. the preceding chapter).
The Pharisees, having just heard parables like the wicked tenants (~Matthew 21:33–46), perceive that Jesus is speaking against them; their response is not repentance but strategic opposition, hence the verb “laid plans” (συμβούλιον ἔλαβον), indicating deliberate counsel with the aim of entrapment rather than inquiry.
¹ Matthew 22:15[1]
The phrase “trap him in his words” translates παγιδεύσωσιν (“to ensnare,” literally “to catch in a net”), a metaphor drawn from hunting, signalling that this is a hostile forensic setup, not a theological dialogue; they intend to force Jesus into a statement that could either alienate the people (if He appears disloyal to Israel) or incriminate Him before Roman authority (if He appears politically subversive).
This becomes explicit in the immediate continuation: they send disciples with the Herodians, a politically motivated faction supportive of Roman rule, posing the question about paying taxes to Caesar (~Matthew 22:16–17); the trap is binary by design:
If Jesus rejects the tax, He can be accused of sedition against Rome.
If He affirms it, He risks being seen as compromising covenant loyalty and loses credibility with the Jewish populace.
Thus, the context is juridical and political, not merely religious; it is an attempt to weaponise language against Him in a high-stakes environment where a misstep could lead to arrest.
Within the broader narrative, this episode contributes to the progressive hardening of opposition that culminates in the crucifixion, where the same dynamic, false witness, manipulated charges, and political pressure, reaches its climax, yet is ultimately overturned in the resurrection, vindicating the very One they sought to ensnare.
Please stay on the topic under discussion.
J.
Welcome to our community @samuel.bell Thanks for sharing this.
Peter