I have noticed more and more people talking about being part of the conversation, as if there is a worldwide discussion happening, and they want in on it. I have heard people say that Christianity is "part of the conversation." I'm not sure how this sets with me.
I recently read an article about a "progressive" church in Tennessee that stated that they don't believe the Bible is inspired, or even God's word. The pastor was quoted as saying the Bible is a "product of community" (whatever that means!), and that when fundamentalists (like myself!) say it is infallible, it is putting pressure on it that it can't live up to. He accuses fundamentalists of making an idol of the Bible. Now that is a weird concept! He said he partly made these bold claims because he wants to "start the conversation." He says that these topics are taboo to fundamentalists because we are afraid of what we'll discover if we really try to talk about it.
Well...here is my response to that. Is this man really opening up the floor for people of dissenting views to express their thoughts, or is he just trying to make it clear where he stands? I believe he has built a strawman--an imagined enemy that he can defeat. I will expound on this, point by point:
Point 1: The Bible is a "product of community." The article didn't expound further on what was meant by this, but the Bible itself tells us what kind of book it is. Second Peter 1:21 says, For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. The Bible was written by godly, or "holy" men who were inspired by the Holy Spirit. According to this verse, they didn't impose their own opinions onto it. They didn't push their own agenda. They said exactly what the Holy Spirit told them to say. Second Timothy 3:16 tells us, All scripture is inspired by God... The Bible is a bold book, claiming to be God's word. Jesus is a bold Savior, claiming to be the Only way to salvation (John 14:6). The Bible and Jesus go together! If the Bible were of human origin (as this progressive pastor claims), yet clearly claimed to be God's word (which we have seen it does), it should be thrown out as a total lie. Some very basic proofs of the Bible being the word of God are archeology (many artifacts support the claims of scripture), fulfilled prophecies, and the words of scripture themselves. For example, if the Bible was of human origin, it would probably make mankind look a little bit better off than inherently sinful, redeemable through faith in an outside Savior. Our human pride wouldn't let us come up with that. No other religion's sacred text has a faith-based salvation, apart from works. Also, continuing along those lines, the writers of the Bible share their own shortcomings (for just a few examples, Moses describes his own sins in Exodus 4 and Numbers 20, Jonah shares his disobedience and selfishness in the book of Jonah, David relives his sin and need of forgiveness in Psalm 32 and 51, and the Apostle Paul states his own regrets about his life in Philippians 3). Again, this goes against human tendencies. God clearly led them to write as they did. Also, the Bible doesn't contradict itself. It was written over a period of about 1500 years, and had approximately 40 God-inspired human authors. Try to get forty people to agree on anything! Yet God's word never contradicts itself. There are a few places where the Bible appears to have contradictions. An example is that, Matthew's and Mark's accounts of the Mount of Transfiguration state the event to have taken six days after Peter confessing Christ, the previous event mentioned, while Luke's gospel says it was eight days after. This does look like a small error, and there are other small things like this a few places in the Bible, but upon closer study into the original languages, these differences are a result of the English language, not the truth contained therein. Also, these few seeming discrepancies are technical things, never theological truths. All this to say, if the Bible were a "product of community" as this progressive pastor says, it would not have come out the way it did. People would never have agreed enough to make it happen, and their own inclination would have created a very different message.
Point 2: The Bible can't live up to expectations of it being infallible. In saying this, that pastor also said that it can't live up to modern standards, but God has said, For I am the Lord, I change not... (Malachi 3:6). Hebrews 13:8 says Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Sounds to me like God had that covered. God doesn't have to live up to modern standards...modern standards would do well to align with the Bible. If you were to say that I'm perfect, I would not be able to live up to that, because I'm not perfect. Sooner or later, I would sin, or make a mistake of some kind, and everyone watching would know that I'm not perfect after all. I can't live up to that. But can the Bible? Yes! The Bible contains no mistakes. It is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction and for instruction in righteousness. (Second Timothy 3:16b). The Bible itself tells us how to use it. It also tells us For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. It is more than infallible (though it is that). It is powerful! I have shared in the last point all the things that make the Bible reliable, and are indicative of its infallibility.
Point 3: Fundamental Christians make an idol out of the Bible. This was a very odd concept for me, but I'll try to go into this. The Bible is God's true word, how He has chosen to reveal Himself to us. Once we have embraced the truth it teaches us about ourselves and the salvation offered, we are endwelt by the Holy Spirit, who illuminates the Bible to us, further confirming the truth of God's word. We continue our relationship with the Lord, being led by the Spirit, experiencing Him working in our lives. The Bible is God's word to us, but it isn't God. It is how we know the truth of what God has said, so our relationship with God is entirely based on it. If we remove the Bible from the equation, we remove everything we know about God. Imagine you have a best friend who lives far away and writes you a letter. Is that letter your friend? Of course not! It is a message from the heart of your friend, but the letter itself isn't your friend. On the flip side, you can't disregard that letter and say that it isn't really from your friend, or really true. If you did that, what would be the basis of hearing from your friend? How do you know this person really is your friend if you no longer value the correspondence they sent? There is a correct balance in the way we view the Bible. We view it as God's true word, and the basis for our faith. We don't worship it, but we worship the God revealed in it.
Point 4: Certain subjects are taboo to fundamentalists because they fear the answers. This is where he builds a major strawman. I don't know about you, but I am not afraid to search out the truth, even if it means changing my mind at times. The question is where we go for our source of these answers. There is no real issue the Bible doesn't address the heart of. When these progressive types talk about the "tough questions" they are really referring to the biblical answers they dislike, and are looking for a loophole, or another source for answers. Today more than ever, evangelical churches are addressing the issues being discussed out in the world. We want to have a biblical response for those who come through our doors. I don't know of any subject that is "taboo" in my church. I know that as human beings, we might become uncomfortable with certain topics, but I have not seen that stop Bible-teaching churches from addressing important subjects. We have studied the Bible on these things and come up with the answers God has given. These progressives don't like that, so they say we have made these things taboo to discuss, and are afraid. Logic is on our side, and they can only resort to insults, and rewriting the narrative.
I get deeply concerned by progressive Christianity. The words Progressive Christian are oxymoronic. If you let go of the absolute truth of the Bible, what do you have left? Why even be Christian at all if there is no basis for it? I have a much greater respect for those who follow other beliefs entirely than those who claim to believe some semblance of the truth, but then discard much of it. It's like trusting someone who lies a lot. How do you know when they're actually telling the truth? What if we can't agree about which parts to discard and which parts to keep? This progressive pastor says that certain things in the Bible can't be God's word because they go against the character of God. How would he know what the character of God is if he isn't trusting God's revealed word? If the verses in the Bible aren't all God's word, how would he know he's choosing the "right" verses to say what God's character is? Is his view of God just what he thinks God should be? Trying to be a progressive Christian is problematic. Hebrews 6:19 says, We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. The truth is meant to be an anchor. Anchors aren't progressive. They don't move along with the currents. They hold fast. That is how our faith should be.
Worth noting about this progressive church that made these claims: they started in 2003 as an evangelical church. In 2015, they chose to change their theology to progressive Christianity. They lost half of their congregation, and as a result, were unable to remain in their building. They are in a smaller building now. The one issue that made them decide to change their entire belief system, including whether or not the Bible is God's word, was their desire to include the LGBT (etc.) community. Another strawman they stated was that evangelicals won't allow this group of people into their churches. I don't know any evangelical churches that would refuse to allow homosexuals or those struggling with their identity to come in and worship with them. They would be just as welcome as anyone to come in, sit down, and hear the word of God. This also extends to the person who cheats on his taxes, the heterosexual couple living in sin, the person who struggles with unforgiveness or gossip...or anyone else. Like all these others, the LGBT person would be faced with the fact that what they are doing is not in accordance with God's plans for them, and be challenged to change, with the Lord's help. No one gets a free pass. We are all called to deny ourselves, take up our crosses daily, and follow Jesus. No one's sin is "okay." Evangelical churches won't indulge anyone's pet sin. They are usually loving, simply not affirming, of that lifestyle as being of God. People indulging any sort of sin--whether it has anything to do with their sexuality or not--should expect to hear the Bible preached, and light shed on what God has said about it. These people, if unwilling to agree with God, would most likely not be allowed to be an active member of such a church. In contrast to evangelical protocol, this progressive church doesn't want to challenge people to let the Lord change them, and make them into who He has said they are in Him. That is very sad. God could very rightly accuse them of holding back progress! Also, is it fair for them to preach against things like gossip, complaining, hatred, but affirm the sin of homosexual practice? How is that fair to the person struggling with hatred? Their sin is a problem, but the next person's sin is okay? What did these LGBT folks do to get this free pass on their sin? How can I get one? I don't want to hear my sin preached against either!
One more thing I will add about churches affirming LGBT folks, but not other sinners. Our society has convinced everyone that you ARE your sexual orientation. You aren't a real person besides that, so if you reject someone's sexual behavior, the world is programmed to think you are rejecting that person. In reality, you are NOT your sex life. You are NOT your habits. You are a human being, created by God, sinful, but redeemable through faith in Jesus. With His help, and by His grace, you can live a victorious Christian life. He can give you greater joy than your current lifestyle gives you. This truth isn't being proclaimed. These progressive churches are leaving people enslaved, withholding the victory Christ promises.
Some people accuse Christians of thinking all other people are wrong while we are right. They say this as if it is only Christians who have firm beliefs. The truth is, every belief is held at the expense of opposing beliefs. Belief that George Washington was the first President of the United States precludes the belief that John Adams was the first President (he was actually the second!). You can't believe both. It might sound kind and inclusive to vaguely say that all faiths are really right in some way, but that is logically fallacious. My friend Garry told me that, as a Christian, he was accused of being brainwashed. At first that hurt his feelings, but after he thought about it, he realized it was true. His brain (as well as the rest of him) was washed in the Blood of the Lamb!
So, is the world having some big conversation that Christianity is one small part of? I don't really know what the world is doing, but I do know that Christians are to be ready always to give an answer to every man who asketh you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear. (First Peter 3:15). We are to be ready to share the gospel at a moment's notice, and not worry about what to say, because the Holy Spirit will give us the right words when the time comes (Matthew 10:19). The only conversations I want to have are those that honor the Lord, not that affirm other beliefs as being equal to the Truth!
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