Silly Christian Comments – Part Four – We just preach the Bible

Perhaps you have seen them.  They are the congregations with those truly in depth descriptive names like “Faith Bible Church.”  These are the church’s whose claim to fame is that they “just preach the Bible.”  Yet the question ought to be asked is that really possible.  Is there truly no interpretive framework from which these congregations draw their teaching?

Their goal is a noble one.  To avoid eisegetical error and strictly exegete the text of Holy Writ.  Again, the question ought to be asked if this is actually possible.  Noble as a goal might be, if its nature is pure folly, what use can it be?  To understand why one can claim that “just preaching the Bible” is not possible, let us examine what conditions would have to be present in order for this to occur.

1)  No historical theological system can have influenced the teaching of such a congregation.

This condition is required due to the influence of historical developments that have taken place in Christian theology that have shaped our understanding and presentation of the faith.  The pastor of such a “Bible Church” must avoid any influence of systematized theological or run the risk of offering not merely the Bible but the Bible as understood through the lense of such a theological system.

2) No theological controversies could have taken place in the history of the Christian Church.

Theological controversies force the church to choose between potential interpretations of the biblical text.  It is through these controversies that the church distinguished orthodoxy from heresy as well as developed the many theological systems that make up the larger body of orthodox beliefs.  The diversity that is found within the church as the result of such disputes influences the way in which modern biblical interpreters understand the text of the Bible.  When coming to a fork in the road one must choose a direction in order to continue.  You cannot simply ignore the existance of such controversies and preach as though no personal decision is required in one’s teaching.  One must either own up to which side of a given theological controversy one ends up on or simply fail to reveal that fact, you cannot avoid the decision itself.

3) The pastor would have to be unaware of the existence of a theological system within their own thinking and interpretive work.

All I can say here is that I would truly worry about preaching coming from a pastor unaware of what has influenced his theological understanding.

Thus it might be an ideal to claim “we just preach the Bible,” but it is a reality that no pastor or congregation can live up to.

One Seriously Weak Witness

Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson offers his Christless prayer at the inauguration.  Hearing his words I find myself saddened that this man claims any kind of spiritual authority in the name of Christ over anyone.  Oh, and did you notice the “mere tolerance” is no longer acceptable.

Silly Christian Comments – Part Three – Preach Christ, if necessary use words

The words of St. Francis of Assissi “Preach Christ, if necessary use words” are very popular in the modern American church.  We seem to believe that words get in the way.  This does not reveal a very high very of the Word.  The Gospel is tied to words.  God communicated to us throgh words.  He sent His Son to us, as John states “The Word became flesh.”  So why avoid words?

I think the concern is to not come on too strong.  We want to be sensitive to our neighbors and avoid the perils of street preachers calling out about the damnation of those who have not repented.  Yet, are there only these two choices?  Is is obnoxious words or no words?  Is there not a Word to be spoken that mediates these extremes?

If we avoid words all together what do we have left?  We are told to replace words with deeds.  Show that we are Christians by our love.  It makes for a nice song, and Christians should be knows as loving, caring people who do go out of their way to help others, but this is not how the Gospel is defined, thus it cannot be the way it is preached.  Your Mormon neighbor is just as capable of being loving and nice, but his gospel is no gospel at all.

We should make certain to seek out ways in which we can serve those God places in our lives (see Matthew 25:31-46), but this does not negate our need to preach Christ using His Word (see Matthew 28:19-20).  What else might Paul be after in Romans 10:17 when he says “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ”?

Worshipping the Trinity? Sort of.

CBS news covered a service at Detroit’s Greater Grace Temple Church where Rev. Charles Ellis offered prayers for successful passage of the congressional bailout of the big three auto makers.  Take a look at the clip below from CBS with the sound off and see if you can identify the Trinity being worshipped here.

Definitely not the clearest witness of Christ and His Gospel that could have been presented that morning.

Silly Christian Comments – Part Two – Deeds not Creeds

The original list did not include this silly comment, but having heard it in a recent podcast, I just had to make some comment of my own.  The idea that the Christian church and more specifically, individual Christians are defined by what they do rather than who they believe in can result in silly comment number two “Deeds not Creeds.”  Sounds nice doesn’t it?  Aren’t Christians to be mercyful, tenderhearted, and of service to God and others.  Does not Jesus talk about how we are to be of service to “the least of these” in Matthew 25?

Though it might sound good and noble, deeds without creeds lack proper motivation.  Why do we as Christians do the things we do?  It is not in order that we might save ourselves, for we are saved not by deeds but by the faith defined in the Ecumenical Creeds.  Rather it is the creeds themselves that motivate our deeds.  Coming to an understanding of our place in the universe is a humbling experience.  We are sinners deserving death, when instead we receice grace and new life in Christ.  Seeing that love expressed for us and for all humanity, we in turn are taught to express our own love for our fellow man, through deeds.  Thus we are motivated by creeds toward deeds.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.  Ephesians 2:8-10

Silly Christian Comments – Part One – No Creed but Christ

With an apparent intent to focus exclusively on the person of Christ, many well meaning Christians use the statement “No creed but Christ.”  Now while it is possible that this statement is not intended to undercut the message of Christ, the way in which they focus on the person of Christ is done in such a way that the content of who Christ is is sacrificed.  The Ecumenical Creeds make specific Biblical statements about who Christ is and who Christ is not.  The creeds make specific claims.  The Apostles’ Creed talks about how Christ was concieved and was born, how he was crucified, dead, and buried, and how the third day He rose again from the dead.  The Nicene Creed goes into great detail on the nature of how Jesus was both God and Man, explaining that he is “the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made.”  The Athanasian Creed focuses on how the Son is both distinct from the Father and the Holy Spirit and yet unified with the Father and the Holy Spirit as a member of the Godhead.

To claim that having no creed but Christ is a way in which to uphold a pure Biblical faith, is to call into question the attempts to summarize or explain who Christ claimed to have been.  This claim is merely an intellectual duck to avoid making tough statements that by their very nature embrace certain statements while rejecting others.  To our modern ears the anathemas of the Reformation sound harsh and unforgiving.  In fact the purpose of providing anathemas was to make certain the the boundary of orthodoxy was recognized.  Both affirmative and negative statements are necessary to make this clear.  Thus having not creed to bind Christians together with respect to what they believe is foolishly simplistic.  There are ways to present the Gospel in simple clarity, but to reduce the Christian faith to Christ alone does not mean to empty that faith of its doctrinal content.

So do not fear the creeds.  They have served the church well for centuries.  They have bound the church together across time and across the planet.  Both what is included and what is excluded is necessary to define our faith in juxtaposition to other faiths.  One cannot claim to know Christ while knowing nothing about HIm, no can they?

Haggard Preaches? Sort of, maybe?

Ted Haggard, on the 2nd annivesary of the sex scandal that brought down his ministry at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, preached a pair of sermons and Open Bible Fellowship, a congregation of a friend of his.   I took a look for the original audio file as posted on www.tedhaggard.com, but as you can tell by following the link there is no site currently there.  Take a listen to the ABC news broadcast of parts of the sermon.  There might be more in the orignal complete “sermon” but as presented below, I cannot say that this should really be called a sermon.  The content is all about Ted.  How can this be called a sermon?  What just because he was a pastor anything he does is called preaching?  You be the judge.

Silly Christian Comments

The following is a list of a few of the many silly comments that otherwise well meaning Christians make without much thought of the implications of their use.  In the coming days I hope to offer thoughts on the nature of the foolishness of these statements.  In other words, I will attempt to offer the reflection on each of the below listed comments that might give their commenter pause when tempted to employ their usage.

1. No Creed but Christ
2. Deeds not Creeds
3. Preach Christ, if necessary use words
4. We just preach the Bible
5. Dead Orthodoxy
6. Its a matter of the heart not the head
7. Our church is a “Bible Church”
8. We only preach Christ
9. In case of rapture this car will be unoccupied
10. Your best life now
11. Spiritual not religious

As more come to mind the may be added to the list and to further posts.

David’s Song of Thanks

Proverbs 16:8-36 (ESV)

8^(D) Oh give thanks to the LORD;^(E) call upon his name;
^(F) make known his deeds among the peoples!
9Sing to him; sing praises to him;
tell of all his wondrous works!
10Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!
11^(G) Seek the LORD and his strength;
seek his presence continually!
12^(H) Remember the wondrous works that he has done,
^(I) his miracles and the judgments he uttered,
13O offspring of Israel his servant,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!

14He is the LORD our God;
^(J) his judgments are in all the earth.
15Remember his covenant forever,
the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,
16the covenant^(K) that he made with Abraham,
his sworn promise to Isaac,
17which^(L) he confirmed as a statute to Jacob,
as an everlasting covenant to Israel,
18saying,^(M) “To you I will give the land of Canaan,
as your portion for an inheritance.”

19When you were^(N) few in number,
and of little account, and^(O) sojourners in it,
20wandering from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another people,
21he allowed no one to oppress them;
he^(P) rebuked kings on their account,
22saying, “Touch not my anointed ones,
do my^(Q) prophets no harm!”

23^(R) Sing to the LORD, all the earth!
Tell of his salvation from day to day.
24Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works among all the peoples!
25For^(S) great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised,
and he is to be held in awe^(T) above all gods.
26For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
^(U) but the LORD made the heavens.
27Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and joy are in his place.

28Ascribe to the LORD, O clans of the peoples,
^(V) ascribe to the LORD glory and strength!
29Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
bring an offering and come before him!
^(W) Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness;^[b]
30tremble before him, all the earth;
yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.
31^(X) Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice,
and let them say among the nations,^(Y) “The LORD reigns!”
32^(Z) Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
let the field exult, and everything in it!
33Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy
before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth.
34Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever!

35^(AA) Say also:

“Save us, O God of our salvation,
and gather and deliver us from among the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name,
and glory in your praise.
36^(AB) Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting!”

Sola Scriptura

It is not often that I get to combine two of my great loves: Lutheran Christianity and Progressive Rock.  Here is the best merger of the two, a sample of Neal Morse’s album Sola Scriptura.