by Joel V Webb | Jan 18, 2024 | Uncategorized
What does it mean to be orthodox? I don’t really mean part of the Eastern Orthodox churches that came from the Great Schism many centuries ago. What does it mean to be inside of the big tent of acceptable Christian theology?
As a start we know that to be inside of orthodoxy there must be some core things affirmed that are essential to the gospel
The Gospel: An Outline
1. Jesus preexisted with the Father,
2. took on human flesh, fulfilling God’s promises to David,
3. died for sins in accordance with the Scriptures,
4. was buried,
5. was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
6. appeared to many,
7. is seated at the right hand of God as Lord, and
8. will come again as judge.
By this we know that there are certain groups who fall outside of this definition of the gospel such as Mormonism and Jehovah’s Witness’ who deny key elements of Christ’s divinity and what His work on the cross accomplished. In most parts of the Church these are considered first-tier issues. These are undeniable elements of calling yourself a follower of Christ. Roger Olson makes this point in his book about the variety of Chrisitan beliefs when he says, “If “Christianity” is compatible with any and every truth claim, it is meaningless. It would then be indistinguishable from, say, Buddhism or atheism. Truly it would be chaotic, shapeless and devoid of identity. Christian thinkers and leaders have always recognized this and have sought to identify a core of essential Christian beliefs that all mature, capable Christians must affirm in order to be considered truly Christian. There must be a distinguishing border between what is Chrisitan and what is not. If there is no line, then Christianity means nothing as Olson points out.
But what about those other pesky issues that seem really important as well? This is where things can get really messy. Across the board there are doctrines held dear by many Christians that seem to come into regular conflict. Some of these are things like, are the gifts of the Holy Spirit still in operation, women in ministry, Arminianism vs Calvinism, creation and age of the earth, what do the end times look like, and the list can go on and on.
So how do we handle these issues?
The question we must ask is, does this particular issue strike at the core of not just the gospel, but it’s very foundation. I can look at the Calvinism vs Arminianism debate and see well-made arguments on both sides, and also can understand the possibility of weaknesses in my own position. But in that I am still able to be in fellowship, be encouraged and grow with my brothers and sisters who hold to strong reformed doctrine. There are many pastors and theologians who are ardent Calvinists that I very much appreciate, and I have no issue listening to their sermons or reading their books.
We then have a different category of issues. These are those that strike at not just the core of Chrisitan belief, but the foundation of them. In our day and age, we know that this primary issue is that of sexuality and marriage. Why is this issue so different? We don’t see the difference between man and women, or what marriage is listed directly in any creed or explanation of the gospel. But, in everything that is foundational to that core belief is how God has established them. All throughout Scripture God likens His relationship with His people (physical Israel in the OT, and the Church in the NT) to marriage. He has the groom, and the Church as His Bride. We see in Scripture and in nature how God has instilled different aspects of who He is into both men and women. As a general note, I see both men and women fully equal in the image of God. That being said, there does seem to be general temperamental differences between men and women that do come into play. Men are just as capable as women to be nurturing, though it seems women tend to generally be more predisposed towards this characteristic. The term “motherly instinct” is something seen around the world regardless of culture, so there’s something there.
So, when I hear someone say that “faithful Christians can disagree on sexuality and marriage”, the question that I have heard posed that I will ask is, faithful to what? We can have our disagreements on a whole litany of issues. But when it comes to something as foundational as sexuality and marriage, that is treading into waters that go deep to the heart of the foundations of how God has created all things. Because of this, I see the question of sexuality and marriage within the Church to be something that if not grounded in the classic Christian consensus as something that puts a person outside of Christian orthodoxy. How I interact with a person on this issue then is greatly dependent if they “are a Christian” or if they are not.
For those who are not followers of Jesus you will receive the same love and mercy that Christ showed to all He interacted with in need of a savior, one to redeem the broken lostness all of us were in before Christ. For when we come to Christ, He is our new identity, and source of fulfillment. As we follow and become more like Him, whatever it was we made our concept of who we are should fade away, be it who we are attracted to, the color of our skin or even our favorite hobby.
For those who profess to be followers of Christ, that is a different conversation. No cultural context, or “new understanding” can work its way around the clear distinctions found in the Word. I pray, just as I pray for myself that the light of Christ and the conviction of the Holy Spirit would open our eyes to His way and truth. Holding convictions from Scripture is not unloving. It is truly unloving to say we follow the One who leads us into all truth, but then not do so. His transforming work is effectual to all areas of our life.
May we all have the grace, peace and wisdom of Christ as we move forward.
by Joel V Webb | Jan 17, 2024 | Uncategorized
We look at the world around us and wonder what is going on!? We see so much polarization, conflict and no matter what issue it seems there is either one side or the other.
What do we do? What is our path forward?
The question among most faithful Christians is “do we have the right position?” This is an important question to ask. Is the position we have truly grounded in a faithful interpretation of Scripture. Are we in line with what Christians have believed for most of our history and is it in line with God’s story seen in Scripture.
I don’t think for most of us this is the issue. For many we seem to be inside the big tent of orthodoxy. Yes, we don’t all line up exactly on every single issue, but overall, we are in agreement about the big stuff.
So, then what is the problem? Why is it that in some towns there needs to be 2 pastor’s prayer groups. Not because of schedule, but because some feel they can’t be in the same room praying as others. Why are we so quick to circle the wagons when our issue of choice comes up?
This comes down to not being an issue of position, but of posture. We spend so much time making sure we are thinking the way Jesus wants me to think about this thing (which does have importance), and taking no time to think “how would Jesus have gone about this?”
If we are honest, we realize that in most cases we would be with the group of people who were ready to stone the woman in adultery. How many of us would truly be the ones standing in the way of that. Yes, we are to follow Jesus faithfully in all things. Though we seem to get that confused with living our lives with rigid legalism, that if no one lines up then “TO HECK WITH EM”.
The last couple days I have spent a lot of time thinking about this. This side of new creation we are ALL going to image Christ imperfectly. No matter how hard we try, or how good we think out theology is, it’s going to be imperfect.
Maybe what needs to happen in a world that is rife with conflict, and people going to either side of the spectrum on any given issue to be the person standing in the middle. Yes, having a position that is consistent with a faithful Christian witness, that does not compromise the truth. And a posture that is loving and merciful, being a healing balm to a world that is hurting and in search of something more than the next talking point.
by Joel V Webb | Jan 16, 2024 | Uncategorized
I’m sure most of us have read a lot of books about the gospel, discipleship, getting saved and the like. While a lot of them over the years have been good, more often than not they were either too long, or so short they didn’t cover much in depth that needed to be.
This book hits all the check boxes. I have never read a better book in my life that summarizes the whole point of why we are here (other than the Bible of course!). In this short volume, Michael Heiser summarizes from Scripture why are we even here. If all this, then why.
It can be so easy to look around at everything we understand and ask that question, “but why would God do it all anyways?” It’s been a question that I’ve started wrestling with for the first time in my life. Actually,, seeking out the answer why without just shrugging it off.
That is when I found this book. I already was a fan of Heiser. His deep knowledge and understanding of the Bible and are great expanse of context that has opened up my eyes to so many different nuances I missed before were on full display here. Even though his academic works can be thick, this book is very accessible. It was made for the new Christian and anyone else who wants to get an idea of what does God want.
Between giving a big picture overview of the story we see in the Bible, to the practical steps of how to get saved, and the easy-to-understand elements of discipleship, I now have the book I will recommend to anyone who is wanting to know what it means to follow Jesus…or just needs to have some questions answered no matter how long they have been.
By the end of reading this book (which took around 2 hours start to finish) I have a renewed excitement about my walk with Christ, and I look forward to the same happening for you.
The book can be found for purchase
HERE
by Joel V Webb | Jan 10, 2024 | Uncategorized
What is Biblical Justice?
This is often a hot button issue of discussion. Many Christians completely ignore issues of justice and don’t involve themselves in transforming the world around them through the gospel. While others take concepts of justice with almost no discernment or differentiation from political ideologies that are antithetical to Scripture and hiw we are to see the world.
Here are some points I have found helpful in assessing how we enact justice.
If a view of justice blames all evil on external systems of oppression while ignoring Solomon’s pride-deflating insight that our own hearts are full of evil and moral insanity (Eccles. 9:3) then it is not true justice. A biblical worldview sees evil not only in systems (Ps. 94:20), where we ought to seek justice, but also within the twisted hearts of those who make those systems unjust. All the external activism in the world won’t bring about any lasting justice if we downplay our need for the regenerating, love-infusing work of God through the gospel.
If a view of justice deconstructs relationships in terms of “power differentials” and argues that all such hierarchies are oppressive and must be abolished in the name of “equality” then it is not true justice. A biblical worldview totally opposes the sinful abuse of power, but sees many hierarchies, like the parent-child, rabbi-disciple, elders-congregation, teacher-student relationships, as part of God’s good design for human flourishing.
If a view of justice interprets all truth, reason and logic as mere constructs of the oppressive class, if it encourages us to dismiss someone’s viewpoint on the basis of their skin tone or gender, then it is not true justice. The Greatest Commandment calls people from every ethnicity and gender to love God with our whole minds. A mind that loves the Father assesses ideas based on their biblical fidelity, truth-value and evidence, not the group identity of those articulating it.
If a view of justice encourages rage and resentment toward people groups as a motivator for social activism then it is not true justice. A biblical worldview calls us to overcome evil with good, love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Family and reconciliation among every tongue, tribe and nation, not intertribal warfare, is the Bible’s model for justice.
If a view of justice breaks people into group identities, generating a spirit of mutual suspicion, hostility, fear, labeling, offended-ness and preoccupation with one’s subjective feelings then it is not true justice. A biblical worldview champions a unifying kind of love that “is not easily offended,” and offers us the fruit of the Spirit like joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control.
If a view of justice treats individuals as exemplars or ciphers of their identity groups, attributing goodness or guilt on the basis of skin tone, gender or social status, then it is not true justice. A Christian worldview assesses everyone as guilty based on our group identity “in Adam.” This guilt can be erased only by finding our new and deepest group identity in Jesus, “the second Adam.” Rather than condemning people for ethnic or gender group identity, “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1).
If a view of justice seeks behavior modification, often through intimidation, speech codes and ideological re-education, then it is not true justice. A biblical worldview seeks character transformation not through political coercion but through the in-working power of the Holy Spirit, the discipleship of the family and the local church.
If a view of justice teaches that the human telos (i.e., our ultimate purpose and meaning) is defined by the creature, and that anyone who challenges our self-defined telos is an oppressor, then it is not true justice. A biblical worldview teaches that our telos is defined by the Creator and the sinful refusal to live within that God-defined telos brings oppression to ourselves and those around us. Real authenticity and freedom don’t come from defining yourself and “following your heart,” but from letting God define you and following his heart.
(taken from Thinking Biblically About Social Justice – Talbot Magazine – Biola University)
by Joel V Webb | Jan 3, 2024 | Uncategorized
The Context of Scripture
“The proper context for interpreting the Bible is the context of the biblical writers—the context that produced the Bible. Every other context is alien or at least secondary.”
― Michael S. Heiser, The Bible Unfiltered: Approaching Scripture on Its Own Terms
How are we supposed to read Scripture? This is often hotly debated because the implication of praxis (how we live it out) are profound. Church history, systematic theology, creeds and theologians are certainly helpful means for us to understand what Scripture is saying… but they are not the be all end all.
Ultimately, if we are not looking at and understanding the historical context of the Biblical writers (for both Old and New Testaments), we are doing a disservice when we attempt to exegete what the author intended. It can at times lead to eisegesis, where we read out own meaning or cultural understanding onto what Scripture says.
I love Church history and the writings of the patristics, reformers and others who have shaped the Christian faith through the generation. But they are not the context in which Scripture was produced. Yes, they are helpful and important to the development of understanding Scripture, but they are not the context of Scripture itself.
Why is this hard…because it is not easy. It is much easier to take the “plain reading” of the version we are reading in our native tongue. IT is much harder to look into not just the language being used (Hebrew & Greek), but also the meanings, understandings and nuances that were prevalent in that day.
Don’t misunderstand me. There are many parts of Scripture that are clear. There are also other parts that may seem unclear or muddy in how it is understood across the tent of orthodox Christianity, where then the context becomes essential in understanding what was intended by what was written.
Thankfully we live in an amazing age of information and technology that can give anyone access to scholarly information that we can use to not just enrich but also to at times realign our interpretation to reflect the context in which it was written.
by Joel V Webb | Jan 1, 2024 | Uncategorized
So often in our western culture, the idea of ‘faith’ is spiritualized and almost taken to a point of feeling. What if it was more tangible? In this book, Bates posits that the better translation for the word pistis which is often rendered as faith, would be better said as allegiance.
By giving our allegiance to King Jesus, we are secured in His salvation and righteousness. Becoming a follower of Jesus isn’t over after we just say a prayer, it must be realized by the evidence of obvious allegiance to Christ.
Salvation is and always will be a free gift. A gift to those who give their allegiance to Christ the King and embody it will loyalty and the works that show His Spirit lives in them.
Book can be purchased HERE
