Scott Brown Discusses: Jackson Brothers Alleged Sex Abuse, Brother Responds to Preaching, and Love Your Wives Webinar

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Scott Brown on the Jackson brothers sex abuse case, the gospel message, and Husbands Love Your Wives webinar

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Scott Brown, Director of the National Center for Family-Integrated Churches (NCFIC), is also a pastor of 2 of the 6 Jackson brothers who were recently arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting their younger sister for approximately 10 years (Six Homeschool Brothers Arrested for Alleged Sex Abuse against Younger Sister). This week, Brown published an article, Eric Jackson and The Power of the Gospel, regarding the Jackson sex abuse scandal and shared how Eric Jackson, the eldest Jackson and how he came to repentance.

Brown wrote about how Jackson came to discover the sin in his life and wanted to walk in the truth:

By now, you may have heard that Hope Baptist has two of her members in jail on sex offenses against their sister. The tragic family life of the Jacksons is almost overwhelming. It is a story we will never forget.

But how did this come to light? The reason this story is in the national news right now is because of the power of the gospel. Eric Jackson came to the church, responded to the preaching of the Word of God, recognized that he was a false convert, embraced the true gospel, and was born again. His new heart compelled him want to walk in the light. As a result, he confessed his sin.

Brown claims that Eric Jackson “responded to the preaching of the Word of God.”  It’s hard to say if it was the actual preaching that softened his heart.  Scripture tells us there are several ways in which God can speak to our hearts:  through people, through His Word, through the Holy Spirit, through the Words of Jesus Christ, and even through a donkey!

Then the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” Number 22:28

Brown may have been the vessel by which God used to speak his truth to Eric Jackson, or maybe not.  We’ll never know. But we do know that pastor’s words are powerful and influencing.

That brings me to a recent mailing sent from Scott Brown’s family-integrated church organization, NCFIC.  I’ve taken a screen shot of the top of the mailing.

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This e-mail was sent out to promote a webinar: “Husbands Love Your Wives.”

At the webinar website, the top line reads:

Husbands, This is for you! Would you like to sit under the instruction of the foremost voice on family life during the Puritan era?

There are a lot of people who really like material from the Puritan era.  I’m not sure why that specific time period is so important  – even more than other times for Christians. Maybe someone can clue me in. There is one thing I like about the Puritan era – I do like virtue names (Hope, Faith, hey, I just saw Modesty as a virtue name – can you imagine? ok, enough of that.)

Back to the webinar. There is a cost involved to listen to this webinar of how husbands ought to love their wives.

But is all of that teaching really good and godly?

Scott Brown says in his bio that he is very interested in the church and family: **

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So, just what is he promoting for family?  And is it good teaching?

Brown praises Puritan author William Gouge.  He uses an excerpt from Gouge’s “classic work” (Brown’s words, not mine), Domestical Duties. Actually, if you look it up, there are a couple of variations to the title which I assume to be the same:  Domestical Duties, Of Domestical Duties, and this old spelling, Domesticall Duties, all by William Gouge. Brown states:

“For years, William Gouge’s Domestical Duties has stood as the foremost Puritan treatment of Christian family life.” ~Brown

Joel R. Beeke and Scott Brown have rewritten Gouge’s works into modern language into three volumes. Here is the volume recommended in the webinar:  Building a Godly Home, Vol. 2.

But if you want to go really old school, here’s an excerpt.  (You can get the pdf of Domestical Duties at digitalpuritan.net.)  Those who are fond of Old English (Ed, I’m looking at you) will have no problems understanding:

Ok, I think you get the idea. But I’d like you to take a look at the following excerpt which was taken from the NCFIC e-mail pictured above.

Now think about this. When you are sending a mass e-mail to your subscribers, you want something that is profound, that reflects the message you want to portray, something that will draw people in and compel them to get on board, right?  This is an appeal to get you to participate in the webinar (the one that costs $$ to listen to others’ interpretation of scripture).

Look carefully at this part of the e-mail.  The first paragraph is from Brown, the 2nd is another excerpt from William Gouge’s Domestical Duties.  Brown begins:

William Gouge casts a vision of spousal love that is unparalleled compared to the other literature I have read on the husband/wife relationship. He uses such beautiful language and imagery. In a section for the webinar this week we read of the depth of a husbands [sic] love, and how she should experience it.

“A wife then beholding gentleness and amiableness in her husband’s face, beholds it as the face of God, and as in a looking glass beholds the kindness and love of his heart, and so has her heart more firmly knit to him, and is moved to respect him more.”

Brown is talking about Gouge’s beautiful language and imagery in marriage – the depth of a husband’s love and how the wife should experience it.  What kind of imagery?  Is this Biblical?  You tell me. Keep in mind this is a family-integrated church, predominantly homeschool families. I think you’ve got the picture. Ok, have at it.

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