In Light of the Gospel

Ben Witherington is continuing his review of Pagan Christianity by posting Part 3 and Part 4. He has some helpful clarifications in the reviews about his backgrounds and interest(s), especially since he has come under criticism for this review.

One criticism has come from Jon Zens, whose response to Witherington is posted at the Pagan Christianity website. Hmm…that should tell us something. Zens has some helpful points, but I am confident that Witherington will deal with some of it as he progresses through the book, which is something Zens doesn’t seem to realize about WItherington’s review.

I think it would have been helpful if Zens would have allowed for a little bit more of a “full disclosure” of his background and interest in this project. I first came into contact with Zens due to his connection with the New Covenant movement among Baptists, and of course his interest in the “house church” movement and disdain for the “institutional church.” So Zens has a vested interest in defending Pagan Christianity. Of course, one could say the opposite about Witherington (or me). Indeed, none of us are innocent in our approach to this. If postmodernism has taught us anything, it is that we all have assumptions and presuppositions, and it is best to acknowledge those up front.

Thabiti Anyabwile recently posted some questions on the 9Marks blog about entertaining the possibility of becoming a member of a church of a different denomination. I didn’t consider the question until Michael McKinley posted his thoughts and included this statement:

But if the person is mature in the faith and able to withstand the downward pull of an unhealthy church, then I might encourage them to find the Baptist church in town and work to make it healthy.

I think we need some clarity here on this issue. I cannot see myself giving that advice to someone if there no pastor in place who is working towards Reform. I have been in that situation as a pastor, and longed for someone to come alongside me and help. However, that doesn’t seem to be the kind of situation McKinley is envisioning because in the previous paragraph he said:

Assuming that there isn’t a healthy Baptist congregation in town, if the person is spiritually weak or even just not strong enough to resist the influences of a less healthy church then I want them to find a Word-centered church that is clear on the gospel. If that church is Presbyterian or Methodist or Bible Church… it’s not my preference, but so be it.

So the unhealthy church is defined as a church that is not Word-centered and not clear on the gospel. I personally would not put my family in a Baptist that misses those marks, especially if I had a Presbyterian church down the road that is clear on both those issues.

I would also consider something else. If I have a Baptist church and a Presbyterian church in the same community, and the Baptist church has clarity on the gospel and the preaching is decent, but the worship is terrible, while the Presbyterian church has a stronger grasp of the formative power of worship, I would choose the Presbyterian church over the Baptist church, and I would encourage any family in my current church to do the same. For me, the mode/timing of Baptism (the choice to be credo-baptist) falls in line behind several other things which would include the gospel, the preaching, and the worship.

But there is a deeper issue to consider here. If you give that advice to a family or individual, you have to take into account the current pastor/leadership. I have actually told healthy Christians to leave a situation like McKinley is describing because the pastor does not agree with the need for Reform. At some point, if the leadership of the church does not agree with the need for Reform, then to stay and work toward it is not wise and could actually be divisive and subversive. At that point, the health of a church or a family will have to be examined from a different direction. I think it is possible that obedience could actually mean that I go to a church of a different denomination.

From Part 1 of his review of Pagan Christianity:

We are given the usual litany about Christians meeting in homes, and how they did not have church buildings. This is of course partially true, so far as we can tell, but frankly they didn’t just meet in homes, nor were there any mandates for them to do so saying “in order to be truly Christian thou shalt meet in cramped quarters.” They also met in Solomon’s Portico, which is to say in the Temple precincts as the early chapters of Acts informs us, and furthermore they went to synagogue services in purpose built buildings, and furthermore they occasionally rented halls, like the Hall of Tyrannus in Ephesus, and later in the first century, as the archaeological evidence makes clear, they met in caves, namely the catacombs in Rome, as well. I don’t see much of a movement in the church today to go back to cave dwelling.

Make some cool paper airplanes for the 4th of July!

[HT: Jim Hamilton]

The new personal size reference Bibles for the English Standard Version (ESV) are really helpful. Westminster Bookstore is selling them at 40% off, which might be the best price on the web. Take a look at some of them:

• Personal Size Reference TruTone Bible (Navy/Khaki/Pearl)
• Personal Size Reference TruTone Bible (Forest/Tan)
• Personal Size Reference TruTone Bible (Black)

There are also several others that you can view here. You really need to see the inside of them, so take a look at this pdf.

The new 9Marks eJournal is on the topic of marriage, particularly how it related to the pastoral ministry and the role(s)/struggle(s) of a pastor’s wife. Here are the articles online:

Speaking of Luther and his tradition, the Rev. Paul T. McCain says:

Here is a PDF flyer featuring a myriad of theological books and other resource that are presently on sale. Please take a look at these items, featuring remarkable value for the price, and note: those who quality for the professional church worker discount [all those on  church’s body roster as a professional, full-time church worker] are able to take an additional 20% off the listed prices. Please do not miss this opportunity.

Download professional_book_sale.pdf

In his classic book Luther on Vocation, Gustav Wingren summarized Luther’s view on good works and our neighbor: “God does not need our good works. But our neighbor does.”

The PCUSA is going to fight the New Wineskins and the EPC, even if that means going to court. From the Aquila Report:

The Layman Online reported  that on a 395-286-9 vote Thursday, June 26, 2008, delegates to the 218th Presbyterian Church (USA) General Assembly passed a resolution to provide up to $2 million “for the purpose of sharing the cost of legal fees defending our Constitution against the New Wineskins non-geographic presbytery of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.”

The Pew Forum has released part 2 of their study on American religion. You have several options for looking at the report: a summary page or the main page the new data. The Washington Post has an article on it here. Here are a few interesting findings.

92% of Americans believe in “God or universal spirit”

BUT

Only 39% of Americans say they attend a religious service every week

No surprise there. But we are not a dogmatic country about religion because 70% of Americans believe that many traditions can lead to eternal life. What is shocking, however, is that 57% of evangelicals believe that many traditions can lead to eternal life. Very sad indeed.

From the Christianity Today LiveBlog:

Tonight at 9pm Eastern, PBS’s Frontline/World will air a documentary (a joint project with the Tribune) on Christianity in China.

The Chicago Tribune today published its second cover story in a row on “Jesus in China.” Their articles this week hit on many of the recent issues in Chinese Christianity, including the rapid rise in attendance, the compromises of membership in the Three-Self Patriotic Movement (the state church), and the fact that this wave of Christianity is not led by foreign missionaries.

Evan Osnos, the Tribune’s Beijing bureau chief, draws a lot of material from Zion church in the first installation, “Jesus in China: Christianity’s rapid rise”:

Rev. Jin Mingri peered out from the pulpit and delivered an unusual appeal: “Please leave,” the 39-year-old pastor commanded his followers, who were packed, standing-room-only on a Sunday afternoon, into a converted office space in China’s capital. “We don’t have enough seats for the others who want to come, so, please, only stay for one service a day.”

A choir in hot-pink robes stood to his left, beside a guitarist and a drum set bristling with cymbals. Children in a playroom beside the sanctuary punctuated the service with squeals and tantrums. It was a busy day at a church that, on paper, does not exist.

The piece also gets into some of the Chinese church’s cultural aspirations, such as encouraging basically ethical behavior.

“Jesus in China: Life on the edge” began by showing Christians taking the offensive in claiming religious rights in China. “Christians form a diverse lobby that is rare in a nation split by class, opportunity and geography” and are often inspired by the American Civil Rights movement, Osnos reports. (CT covered this movement—and its admiration for Martin Luther King Jr.—in 2006) One non-Christian rights advocate even called Christianity “China’s largest non-governmental organization.”