What about Newsweek, Inerrancy, and the Bible?

Last night I preached a message in which I was laying out the doctrine of inerrancy.  In doing so, I wrestled with Kurt Eichenwald's recent Newsweek article "The Bible: So Misunderstood It's a Sin."  The article is written as an intellectual journalistic piece but is really little more than a liberal rant against the Bible and conservative Christianity.  There is so much thrown into that article that there was no way for me to adequately respond to each and every point in my message last night, nor do I plan to do so here.  While I do appreciate the responses of Michael Brown, Darrel Bock, and Al Mohler, the best response I found to this article was actually written way before it was.  I want to offer here the explanation John Calvin made of critics of the Bible in the 1500s.  I found it to still be very true today and relevant for Newsweek's article and the different responses to it. 

“But although we may maintain the sacred word of God against gainsayers, it does not follow that we shall forthwith implant the certainty which faith requires in their hearts.  Profane men think that religion rest only on opinion, and therefore that they may not believe foolishly, or on slight grounds, desire and insist to have it proved by reason that Moses and the prophets were divinely inspired.  But I answer, that the testimony of the Spirit is superior to reason.  For as God alone can properly bear witness to his own words, so these words will not obtain full credit in the hearts of men, until they are sealed by the inward testimony of the Spirit.  The same Spirit, therefore, who spoke by the mouth of the prophets, must penetrate our hearts, in order to convince us that they faithfully delivered the message with which they were divinely entrusted.  This connection is most aptly expressed by Isaiah in these words, ‘My Spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever’ (Isa 59:21).  Some worthy persons feel disconcerted, because, while the wicked murmur with impunity at the Word of God, they have not a clear proof at hand to silence them, forgetting that the Spirit is called an earnest and seal to confirm the faith of the godly, for this very reason, that, until he enlightens their minds, they are tossed to and fro in a sea of doubts.”[1]

So I see the real issue at stake here is not whether or not we can intellectually prove the infallibility or veracity of the Bible, but the issue is an issue of faith.  Faith that comes from God.  Faith that informs about His Scriptures.  Faith that the Holy Spirit uses when making the scriptures alive and active in our lives.  So, my response to Kurt Eichenwald is not one of anger but is one of compassion.  I hope the Lord reveals to him the truth of His Scriptures and for this I pray.  I pray that the Lord will send his Holy Spirit upon this man, and that he will see the truth.  I know God's word to be fully true and holding the truth of the gospel.  I pray that God will make that truth clear to those who doubt Him and His Scriptures.

If you are looking for a point by point analysis of the facts of Eichenwald's piece, look to Bock or Brown, but if you have faith in God and in his Holy Scriptures, please join me in praying for those who do not.

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[1] John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 1 Chapter 7 Section 4. 

What about Foot Washing?

In response to my recent post on the ordinances as a reason why Christians need the local church, several people asked me why I did not include foot washing in with Baptism and the Lord's Supper as ordinances of the church.  Let's examine this.

I have been a part of foot washing ceremonies in the past, and I found them to be very humbling and edifying to one another.  More importantly, Jesus said, "If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.  For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you." (John 13:14-15) So, if Jesus commanded it, why don't more churches have foot washing ceremonies today?

Let's compare foot washing to Baptism and the Lord's Supper:

1. Baptism and Communion symbolically point to Christ's atoning work on the cross.  These ordinances that we practice point to the most significant act in human history and pronounce the gospel to those who see it.  Unless extra meaning is added to the story of foot washing, it does not.  
2. There is record throughout the New Testament of the role of baptism and communion in the early church, there is no other mention of foot washing.  
3. Through church history we do not see foot washing elevated to the role of an ordinance until the Anabaptists did so during the protestant reformation.  Even then they did not really hold it on equal standing with Baptism and the Lord's Supper, but instead treated it as an additive to the Lord's Supper.  
4. Instead of instituting another ordinance in this passage, what Jesus is really doing is teaching his disciples to humbly care for one another and meet even the most menial but practical needs of one another.  It would be easy to have a foot washing ceremony, which has really no practical need in our culture, and miss the point of caring for one another and meeting each other's needs.  

A recent example from my life of seeing Jesus's command to "do just as I have done to you," happened on a Sunday night after church in our church parking lot around my truck.  I had several bags of maternity clothes in my truck that I was returning to a lady in the church who had loaned them to my wife while she was pregnant, and then at the same time another guy came up to me to return an air compressor that I had loaned him so that he could work on his home improvement project.  I think in a small way, these are examples of meeting the needs of one another in the same way that Jesus did. Now these are imperfect examples as they don't truly show the humility that Jesus showed in washing the disciples' feet, but I think you get the idea.

So, is it wrong to have a foot washing ceremony?  No, in fact I would encourage anyone who has never humbled themselves to the level of washing someone else's feet to do so.  But do not elevate it to the ranks of Baptism and the Lord's Supper which symbolize the gospel.  Do, however, learn the all important message that Jesus was conveying and is repeated throughout the scriptures: 

"All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.'" (1 Peter 5:14) 

Bread, Blood, and Water

"The responsibilities and duties of members of a Christian church are simply the responsibilities and duties of Christians.  Church members, like Christians, are to be baptized and regularly attend the Lord's Table." -Mark Dever

In continuing to answer the question about "Why Christians need the local church."  We should consider what are called the ordinances.  The Catholic Church at the time of the Protestant Reformation had seven of these ordinances which they called sacraments and claimed them all to be necessary for salvation.  Coming out of the protestant reformation, we can rightly understand there to be two sacraments or ordinances that Christ commanded Christians to follow together.   While they do not provide salvation, they do point to the good news of Jesus Christ saving sinners.

The two ordinances that we see Christ commanding the church to follow and the Apostles practicing are the Lord's Supper and Believers Baptism.  They are expected of those who are saved and are necessary in the process of becoming more like Christ. (1 Cor 11:24-25)

Baptism

The first act of obedience for a follower of Christ is baptism.  In Matthew 28, part of Jesus' last instructions to his disciples was to baptize new believers.  Through out the rest of the New Testament, we see this practice continued.  Through church history a connection has been made between the act of baptism of the individual and the corporate worship of a body of believers.  Any new believer who is wanting to follow Christ, should follow Christ's command and example in baptism.  This is properly done in connection with the local church, so that fellow believers can rejoice with the new believer over what Christ has done in their life.

Reasons to be baptized:

• Follow Jesus' example. (Matt 3:13-17)
• Follow Jesus' command. (Matt 28:18-20) 
• Identify with Christ. (Col 2:12, Rom 6:4, Gal 3:26-27)
• Show outwardly what has happened inwardly. (Acts 2:41)

There are however examples from Scripture where baptism is practiced and it does not seem to be in connection with the local church.  For example, Philip baptizes the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts 8 solely in the presence of the Eunuch's entourage.  So, does this mean this is the proper method of baptism?  No it means there was not a church (group of believers) in the area, and thus the church consisted of Philip and the new believer.  In places where there is a church (body of believers) new believers should be baptized in their presence.

The Lord's Supper (Communion)

There are no examples in scripture of the Lord's Supper being taken as an individual practice void of the local church.   Communion is to be taken in community with other believers. 


The Lord's Supper serves to:

• Unite believers together on the common ground we share.  (1 Cor 10:17)
• Be an impetus for resolution of conflict between members. (Matt 5:23-24, 1 Cor 10-11)
• Remind the believer of the price that Christ paid on the cross. (1 Cor 11:24-25)
• Draw the believer to repentance over sins prior to taking part in the Lord's supper. (1 Cor 11:27-30)
• Point the believer's attention forward to when Christ will return.  (Matt 26:28-30, Mark 14:25, Luke 22:18)
• Proclaim the gospel. (1 Cor 11:26)

Scriptures points us to the fact that the Lord's Supper is to be practiced with fellow believers, never alone.  The option to not take part in the Lord's Supper is also not offered to Christians.  Thus the ordinances are another reason why Christians need the local church.  

Are Tattoos Ok? Why?

To tat or not to tat that is the question.  

Some say, "Of Course," while others say, "No Way!"  Several people very close to me have tattoos. Others question whether it is ok or not.  So instead of leaving this all up to popular opinion let us ask:

What does the Bible say?  

While some try to twist some passages into applying to this issue, such as the mark of the beast in Revelation, there is really only one verse that specifically speaks on the subject at hand.

"You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourself: I am the Lord." (Lev. 19:28) 

So, on face value it appears that the Bible forbids getting tattoos.  However, when you read the context of the surrounding verses it also seems to forbid:

• Eating flesh with blood in it. (No rare steaks!)
• Trimming your beard. (Duck Dynasty here we come!) 
• Leaving part of your field unharvested. (Wait... I don't have a field.) 

So do we just ignore these passages that seem very weird to us?  I hope not, because Paul told his protege Timothy, "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 complete, equipped for every good work." (2 Tim 3:16-17)  So, since these verses in Leviticus are a part of Scripture, we need to see what we can learn from them.

Jesus and the Old Testament

Before we dig further into Leviticus, we need to understand Jesus' role in understanding the Old Testament (including Leviticus) in light of the New Testament covenant (how Christians are saved today.)  Near the beginning of his earthly ministry, Jesus said, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." (Matt. 5:17) So we need to understand that we should not think of anything in the Old Testament as abolished, but rather we should think about certain aspects of the old law as having been fulfilled by Christ.

One of the easiest examples of this is seen in the sacrificial system.  The old covenant pointed to the fact that sin required death for atonement. The new covenant shows that Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice.  Therefore, we no longer need to follow all of the old sacrificial practices because we have the ultimate sacrifice in Christ's atoning death on the cross.  So, those passages are not abolished, but instead fulfilled.  So, when we read about all the different kinds of sacrifices that God required of the Israelites, we can appreciate what Christ did even more.  So does this mean that everything in the Old Testament has been fulfilled and is no longer binding for us to follow anymore?  No.

Kinds of Law

Theologians have categorized the law in the Old Testament into three different kinds of law:

• Moral Law: the laws that teach right and wrong and how to live in relation to one another. 
• Ceremonial Law: the laws concerning the Israelites worship, sacrifices, diet, and priestly duties. 
• Civil Law: the laws relating to how the Israelites should govern themselves as a theocracy (state run by God). 

Now, we can see many of the Moral laws repeated in the New Testament and thus we know that we need to still follow them as we follow Christ.  However, the ceremonial and civil laws fall under the category of things that Jesus has fulfilled, and we no longer practice them.  We see examples of this in the fact that Jesus is now our high priest fulfilling the old system of priests (Heb 4:14-16).  So that is an example of the change in how we view the ceremonial law.

It is pretty obvious why we do not continue to follow the civil law:  we no longer live in a theocratic state here on earth.  Jesus and Paul both showed and taught submission to earthly kings.  They were not trying to set up a new earthly state that ruled based on the civil law. (examples: Mark 12:17, Rom. 13:1-7)

I am not saying that these parts of scripture are irrelevant, but that they are fulfilled in Christ.  The tricky part lies in figuring out where specific laws fall in these three categories, because they are not easily delineated in Leviticus and some have overlap.

How to understand and apply the Old Testament Law

I give you four questions to ask to help decipher such passages, and then we will return to the question at hand about tattoos.

1. What was the purpose of this passage for those who first received it? (Do your homework and find out what was going on in that culture and that day, that would relate to the passage.)
2. What is the theological principle behind the passage? 
3. What does the New Testament Say about this principle? 
4. How can I apply this principle to my life? 

So let's ask these questions of Leviticus 19:28.

1. It appears that the cutting of the body and tattooing for the dead was a practice of the surrounding pagan culture.  This was a symbol of the agony that they had in losing loved ones and their lack of hope for those who had passed.  It was also likely a part of the worship of their gods.  It appears that this is a ceremonial law relating to the old way of worship.
2. From knowing the context, it appears that this passage is supporting these theological principles:
   
   • Do not worship false gods. 
   • God's people are called to be set apart and different. 
   • God's people have their identity in Him alone.  
   • God's people have hope for life after death. 
3.  While the New Testament does not directly speak on the issue of tattooing, it does speak a lot on these four principles that apply to the Leviticus passage.  The New Testament also teaches us a lot about the freedom we have in Christ (Gal 5:1, 2 Cor 3:17), while giving us ample warnings about abusing that freedom or using that freedom at the expense of others (Rom 14:13-21, 1 Cor 8:13). 
4.  So, are tattoos ok?  Yes, just like trimming your beard.  Is it wise to be cautious about what kind of tat we get and where we get them? Yes.  There are those among the Christian faith who struggle on this topic. Let us not abuse our freedom at their expense.  In dealing with a similar issue of eating meat sacrificed to idols, Paul said, "Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God.  Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats." (Rom 14:20) So, let me say, "Do not, for the sake of a tattoo, destroy the work of God." 

 

Practical Advice for considering tattoos

A couple of things to consider if you decide to get a tattoo:

1. Can you afford it? Is this a wise use of your money?  
2. What does your tattoo mean?  
3. What does it convey to others without you explaining it? 
4.  If you live at home with your parents, are your parents supportive of this decision? 
5. Where are you going to put the tattoo?  Why? 
6. Is your tattoo in a place where it can be covered so as to not offend others?  (This may affect some job opportunities down the road.) 
7. How does this tattoo reflect on Christ? 
8. Armpits and wrists hurt the most. (So I'm told.)

The Salty Bride

Imagine this: a guy tells you,"Hey man, I really like you and I want to be friends, but here is the deal: I can't stand your wife.  Your bride is annoying.  There is always conflict surrounding her.  I am bored whenever she is around.  She is really hypocritical, and honestly, I just don't want to have anything to do with her.  But, remember I like you and I think we should hang out."  Now if you are like me, you are not going to have a lot more to do with this guy after this conversation.  Sadly, this is exactly how some people treat Jesus.

The Church is the bride of Christ.  As I  have already covered: the Church universal is represented by the church local.  So for someone to say that they love Jesus but not his church, is to say that they love him but hate his bride.  Jesus builds an analogy of his bride being salt and light (Matt. 5:13-17).  She is supposed to stand out and be different.  In Jesus' day salt was very useful not only for adding flavor to food but also for preserving food.  It was a daily essential.  The church is made up of people who are just as essential.

Scripture offers several more metaphors for the Church.  Those who make up the church are described as branches on a vine (John 15:5), a field of crops (1 Cor. 3:6-9), an olive tree (Rom. 11:17-24), a building (1 Cor. 3:9), a harvest (Matt. 13:1-30; John 4:35), a holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:5), a pillar of truth (1 Tim3:15), and a new temple (1 Cor 3:16-17).  All of these metaphors can be used to explain why being a part of the local church is essential for a believer, but let's look at one final analogy that is used in several different places in scripture. In 1 Corinthians 12 Paul explains that the church is the body of Christ which is composed of different parts.  We have different roles to play in that body.  So for someone to claim to be under the headship of Christ (Eph 1:22-23), but to not be an active part of his body is nonsensical.  If Christ shed his blood for you and has redeemed you from your sins, he has a purpose and plan for you as a part of his body.  To follow Christ means to submit to him as the head, and the head wants the body together.  A hand that is doing its own thing apart from the rest of the body is useless.

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." (Eph 2:10)

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Sheep need Shepherds

Have you ever received a gift that you were not real excited about?  I grew up in a family of very practical gift givers.  Probably next to my dogs my horse Poco was my favorite pet, but when my seventh birthday rolled around, right after we got Poco, apparently my parents told everyone to give me gifts that would be stuff that we could use for the horse.  As a seven year old I did not see the silver lining in unwrapping presents for a horse such as a mineral block.  (I mean seriously who gives a seven year old a mineral block for his birthday?)

While at the time I did not really appreciate the gifts that I was unwrapping, I now look back at all the fun that I had as a result of having those gifts.  I have many fond memories riding on Poco.  Had I not received those gifts, I would not have been able to enjoy Poco for her intended purposes such as horse back riding.

I find this to be a good analogy for the situation today with those who claim to be Christians who do not need the local church.  You see in Ephesians 4 Paul tells us about the gifts that Jesus Christ has given us in order to be able to grow into mature Christians.

"And he (Jesus) gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of the ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes." - Ephesians 4:11-14

You see our goal as Christians is to grow into maturity.  What does maturity look like?  Well it looks like Jesus.  He is our standard that we are striving to emulate with our lives.  Anyone who has been striving for this for very long, knows how hard this standard is to meet.  The great news is that Jesus didn't just leave us alone to try to figure it out, he gave us help.  He gave us the apostles and the prophets who we still have in the form of the Scriptures they produced, and he continues to raise up evangelists to lead us to him.  Once we know him as our Lord and Savior, he gives us shepherds and teachers to help us grow into maturity.  This is his gift to us.  The problem is many times when we first encounter this gift, it does not really seem like the gift that we wanted.  One of the jobs of the pastor/ teacher is to take us to the word of God and show us the ways that we are not yet mature in Christ.  And honestly, this is not fun.  It is not fun to have your lingering sin revealed to you, and so at times it is tempting to say, "Can I get a gift receipt for this gift and take it back?"

While at times the local church and its pastor seem the same as a mineral block does to a seven year old, we need to recognize in the end that pastors are a gift from Jesus to us.  Christ has given us shepherds over our souls, ultimately for our good.  Instead of complaining and being downcast about the gift we have been given, let's see it for its intended purposes and be grateful.  Just like all the horse supplies that I received, pastors are of no benefit to you unless you use them.  If you do not sit under their teaching, engage their counsel, follow their leadership, and participate in their churches, you will never experience the blessings of this gift.  I leave you with the thoughts of a pastor from years ago during the protestant reformation.

"By the ministers to whom he has committed this office, and given grace to discharge it, he dispenses and distributes his gifts to the church, and thus exhibits himself as in a manner actually present by exerting the energy of his Spirit in this his institution, so as to prevent it from being vain or fruitless.  In this way, the renewal of the saints is accomplished, and the body of Christ is edified; in this way we grow up in all things unto him who is the Head, and unite with one another in this way we are all brought into the unity of Christ..." -John Calvin

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Ekklesia

"The New Testament, written in Greek, used the word ekklesia to describe 'C/church.' Ekklesia is a compound word consisting of ek, meaning 'out of,' and klesis, 'a calling.'  Used one hundred and fourteen times, ekklesia is sometimes translated as 'assembly' (three times), 'church' (seventy-four times), 'churches' (thirty-five times), and 'congregation' (two times.)  Therefore, whatever the C/church is, it consists of a group of people who have recieved a calling out of something for a particular purpose." - J. D. Payne, Missional House Churches, p. 21-22.

In answering the question as to why Christians need a local church, it is important to consider the original word that is translated as church.  As the early church was forming they needed a word to use to talk about this new thing, the church.  They landed on the word that was currently used for an assembly.  Whenever there was need for a meeting of the people in the town a herald would go out and summon people to come together in a certain place to meet and discuss the issue at hand.  The word ekklesia was used to refer to those people who had been called out.  

How does this word paint the picture for the church?  Let's consider what Jesus said in John 5:24-25:

"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life.  He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.  Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live."

 Let's put this together with what Paul explains to the christians in Ephesus about what happened when they were saved.

 "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ." Eph 2:4-5

So let me ask you, have you heard the voice of the Son of God?  Has he thus made you alive and called you out of your death and darkness?  The church is the gathering or assembly of those who have been called to follow Jesus.  From the origin of the church it's name symbolizes the fact that it is made up of a group who has been called out.  The Holy Spirit is the herald who calls us out of darkness into the light, and anyone who has been called out is expected to come together.  So, from the beginning of Christianity, the idea of a Christian who does not assemble with other Christians is a foreign concept.

I leave you with this instruction from the Apostle Paul to Titus:

"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.  Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority.  Let no one disregard you." Titus 2:11-15

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