He told Herod to consider the fact that he was breaking the law of God.  Herod, you are living in sin. You have broken the law of God, and unless you repent you will perish.  John the Baptist was probably thinking, “I may lose my head over this, but I’m going to say it anyway.”  

For Herod himself had sent and had John arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, because he had married her.  For John had been saying to Herod, (Mark 6:17)

It is nontraditional for you to have your brother’s wife.

Herod, the traditional view of marriage has been well established for hundreds of years.   If you would take a poll you would find that the majority of people still support the traditional view of marriage.  It has worked well in the past and there is no reason to change it.  It is always dangerous to tinker with tradition.  It’s a little like moms and apple pie. We love them both.  They have served us well in the past and it will be to our detriment to change those traditional values.

It is anti-family for you to have your brother’s wife.

Herod, the family is the basic unit in society.  It consists of one man married to one woman for life along with their children.  Studies have proven that children raised in traditional families are much happier than children of divorced parents.  The breakdown of the family will be the end of society as we know it.

It is unhealthy for you to have your brother’s wife.

Herod, when men start sleeping around with more than one woman, medical studies have proven that disease increases proportionally.  Remember the maxim that when you sleep with another woman, you sleep with every man she slept with.  Just think of the numerous venereal diseases that you might have.

It is not my place to tell you what to do with your brother’s wife.

Herod, I believe in the separation of church and state.  As a ruler you represent the Roman Empire, the highest authority in the land.  You are the civil magistrate and the civil magistrate is only obligated to keep the natural law.  I know what God’s law says about your situation, but God’s law is only for God’s Kingdom, the Church.  And let me remind you, too, that even in the Church, we are now under grace and not under law.

God is love and has a wonderful plan for your life.

Herod, I am a minister of God and I must always in every situation immediately tell the good news to everyone I meet, including men in your position.  Jesus will soon die on the cross to pay for the sins of the whole world and that includes you, Herod.  All you have to do is accept Him.  Let us bow down here now and say the sinner’s prayer and everything will be alright.

What did John the Baptist actually say to Herod? “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife” (Mark 6:18).  John broke every modern evangelical rule in the book.  He did not speak about tradition, the family, disease, the separation of church and state, nor present the gospel.  He told Herod to consider the fact that he was breaking the law of God.  Herod, you are living in sin. You have broken the law of God, and unless you repent you will perish.  John the Baptist was probably thinking, “I may lose my head over this, but I’m going to say it anyway.”

Larry E. Ball is a retired Teaching Elder in the Presbyterian Church in America and a CPA. He lives in Fleming Island, Florida.