"At [a particular institution] we have made our peace with evolution and it has been liberating and even faith-affirming. We encourage conversations to further that agenda and make no excuses for that. We are not destroying Christianity. We are saving it."
I am always thrown for a loop when I hear that Christianity is in need of saving. I am pretty sure the Bible teaches that it is we who are in need of saving. Does God the Father, the creator of the entire universe, really need our help to save Christianity (Gen 1:1)? Is Jesus, the author and perfecter of the faith, up in heaven right now wringing His hands just hoping that some of us will stand up and save Christianity for Him (John 1:1-3)? Or is the Holy Spirit, Who in the beginning hovered over the face of the primordial waters, waiting with baited breath for someone to take the initiative and put Christianity back on the right track (Gen 1:2)? I believe it is safe to say that the answer to all three of these questions is a resounding no!
We cannot "save Christianity" because Christianity is not about us; it is about Jesus (Eph 2:20). We- Christians- are sinners, who have been saved by God's grace through faith in Jesus- faith in: Who He is, what He has done, and why He had to do it. We can bring no merit or accomplishment of our own to the table, we have no bargaining chip to offer, no ace in the hole to play; we are wholly dependent on God for our initial salvation and the preservation of our relationship to Himself. God is all in all (Eph 2: 8-10).
I do not believe the author, of the above statement, meant to say that he, and others like him, him "are saving Christianity" in the way that I just addressed. I am sure he meant that, in his opinion, they are keeping Christianity relevant, engaged with the world, and scientifically honest. In any case, I do not have any real interest in debating the subject of evolution. My concern (at least in this instance), is not with the author's position on evolution, but with the anthropocentric view of Christianity that his language reveals. Statements, like the one above, completely miss the heart of Christianity- a loving and righteous God, Who created the world and is redeeming it to Himself for His own glory. Our faith is not rooted in humanity, it is not sustained by humanity, and does not depend on human understanding. God testifies to Himself and all creation declares Who He is (Rom 1:19-20).
Christianity, like its name, is founded on Christ Heb 12:2). It was not initiated by man and has no need of man's "saving." Quite the opposite; we have every need of God's saving work and without Him we can do nothing (Jhn 15:5). Tim Keller, Pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian in NYC, gave great three minute teaching on the question of what the Bible- and by extension Christianity- is all about. Check it out here: http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2010/08/26/the-bible-is-not-basically-about-you/
Friday, August 27, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Paradoxes and Contradictions
Just yesterday, I posted the following on my Facebook profile; "When wrestling with difficult passages in the Bible, it is important to keep in view the difference between contradiction and paradox. A contradiction is 'a statement or proposition that contradicts or denies another or itself and is logically incongruous." However, a paradox is "a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth'" (both definitions taken from www.dictionary.com).
So, imagine my surprise today, when I just happened to read the following: "Religious belief is complex and full of mystery, paradox, and contradiction. Those without faith often seem unable to even understand it, much less enter into meaningful conversation with believers. And often they express this with caricature and ridicule. But our conversation, as shaky and precarious as it may be, should always be anchored to whatever bits of truth we can find and agree on."
This quote is taken from an article in the Huffington Post by Karl Giberson, Ph. D., the VP of the Biologos Foundation. He is an Evangelical Christian leader who is seeking to reconcile the truth of Scripture with, what he believes, is very strong evidence to for evolution. I may not agree with him academically, but I respect his desire to see truth win out in the end. But I have to ask; why he feels he has to include 'contradiction' side by side with 'mystery and paradox?' In so doing he has halted the conversation with anyone who holds to the inerrancy of Scripture.
Two people who believe the Bible contains paradoxes, albeit see them differently, can at least have a constructive conversation. However, someone who maintains that God's Word espouses contradictions stands in opposition to what God says about Himself. Is this statement too harsh? I do not believe so; Numbers 23: 19 says, "God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?"
Make no mistakes, God is not a liar, He does not promote falsehood or contradiction, and His Word to us is faithful and true. "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work" (II Timothy 3: 16-17). Does this mean we will never disagree with one another about what the Bible is saying? Definitely not; there will always be room for disagreement. In fact, disagreement and constructive discussion can help us to grow in wisdom, understanding, and maturity. But, once we begin to tread the slope of inherent Biblical contradiction, we are on dangerous ground. Even the Apostle Peter, in the closing remarks of his second letter, wrote of how Scripture (Paul's writings in particular) can "be hard to understand." But far from giving it up to contradiction, Peter calls us to wrestle with Scripture, so as not to get " carried away" into lawlessness and instability, but to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" (II Peter 3: 15-17).
So, as I said in my Facebook post, when studying Scripture, keep in view the difference between contradiction and paradox (we can easily add mystery here too). Contradiction is, at best, logically incongruous and, at worst, running the gambit of calling God a liar. So instead, let’s look at the Bible and discuss the more difficult passages in light of paradox or mystery, knowing that God is so much bigger that we (a grain of sand contemplating the desert doesn't even begin to describe it). No one has put it better than the Apostle Paul, "Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 'For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?' 'Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?' For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen" (Romans 11: 33-36).
So, imagine my surprise today, when I just happened to read the following: "Religious belief is complex and full of mystery, paradox, and contradiction. Those without faith often seem unable to even understand it, much less enter into meaningful conversation with believers. And often they express this with caricature and ridicule. But our conversation, as shaky and precarious as it may be, should always be anchored to whatever bits of truth we can find and agree on."
This quote is taken from an article in the Huffington Post by Karl Giberson, Ph. D., the VP of the Biologos Foundation. He is an Evangelical Christian leader who is seeking to reconcile the truth of Scripture with, what he believes, is very strong evidence to for evolution. I may not agree with him academically, but I respect his desire to see truth win out in the end. But I have to ask; why he feels he has to include 'contradiction' side by side with 'mystery and paradox?' In so doing he has halted the conversation with anyone who holds to the inerrancy of Scripture.
Two people who believe the Bible contains paradoxes, albeit see them differently, can at least have a constructive conversation. However, someone who maintains that God's Word espouses contradictions stands in opposition to what God says about Himself. Is this statement too harsh? I do not believe so; Numbers 23: 19 says, "God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?"
Make no mistakes, God is not a liar, He does not promote falsehood or contradiction, and His Word to us is faithful and true. "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work" (II Timothy 3: 16-17). Does this mean we will never disagree with one another about what the Bible is saying? Definitely not; there will always be room for disagreement. In fact, disagreement and constructive discussion can help us to grow in wisdom, understanding, and maturity. But, once we begin to tread the slope of inherent Biblical contradiction, we are on dangerous ground. Even the Apostle Peter, in the closing remarks of his second letter, wrote of how Scripture (Paul's writings in particular) can "be hard to understand." But far from giving it up to contradiction, Peter calls us to wrestle with Scripture, so as not to get " carried away" into lawlessness and instability, but to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" (II Peter 3: 15-17).
So, as I said in my Facebook post, when studying Scripture, keep in view the difference between contradiction and paradox (we can easily add mystery here too). Contradiction is, at best, logically incongruous and, at worst, running the gambit of calling God a liar. So instead, let’s look at the Bible and discuss the more difficult passages in light of paradox or mystery, knowing that God is so much bigger that we (a grain of sand contemplating the desert doesn't even begin to describe it). No one has put it better than the Apostle Paul, "Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 'For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?' 'Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?' For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen" (Romans 11: 33-36).
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