Christian-ish?

Is Your Church Christian or Christianish?

May 7, 2018   Tim Challies

 

Three little letters make a world of difference. Together i, s, and h distinguish Christian from Christianish and mark the difference between right and wrong, life and death, heaven and hell. There is nothing better for your spiritual wellbeing than to be in a Christian church. There is nothing worse for your spiritual wellbeing than to be in a Christianish church. Here are a few marks of each.

A Christian church teaches the Bible. It is committed to the inerrancy, sufficiency, clarity, and authority of the Word of God and therefore preaches it week by week with confidence and consistency. A Christianish church teaches about the Bible. It is committed to imparting life lessons and uses the scriptures as a starting point to teach people how to live lives of success and fulfillment.

A Christian church admits the deep depravity of human beings. It acknowledges that we are all deeply disordered so that not one of us has even the least righteousness to plead before God. A Christianish church proclaims the inherent goodness of humanity. It acknowledges that we aren’t what we could and should be, but encourages us to believe that with enough effort we can get there.

A Christian church makes its core declaration the finished work of Christ. The good news of grace frees us from the impossible task of earning our own salvation and instead simply receives what Christ has already accomplished. A Christianish church has its core declaration the unfinished work of humanity. The bad news of works becomes the brutal and impossible path to impressing God with deeds that will catch his eye and win his favor.

A Christian church proclaims the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ. Believing that our sin has provoked the just wrath of God, it declares in awe that the Son of God willingly took our sin upon himself and absorbed the full fury of the Father’s wrath. A Christianish church proclaims the wrathless love of God and the exemplary life of Jesus Christ, upholding Christ as the ultimate example of what a human being can and should be.

A Christian church preaches the gospel of justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. It calls people to repent of their sins and turn to Jesus Christ for forgiveness. A Christianish church preaches a gospel of social justice or personal prosperity. It calls people to right social wrongs or to claim financial enrichment, to repent only of insufficient action or insufficient faith.

A Christian church gathers each week to worship the God of the Bible according to the Bible. Knowing their desperate need for divine wisdom, they read the Bible, preach the Bible, pray the Bible, sing the Bible, and fellowship around the Bible. A Christianish church gathers each week for empowerment or entertainment. Their services are shaped more by pop culture or personal preference than by holy Scripture.

A Christian church preaches the exclusivity of Jesus Christ. It echoes scripture in saying Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life and that there is no other way to be reconciled to the Father but through him. A Christianish church insists Jesus Christ may be a way but not the way, and proclaims instead that all roads lead ultimately to the same destination.

A Christian church proclaims the existence of heaven and hell. It takes hold of the authority of the Bible to plead with people to turn to Christ and be saved from destruction. A Christianish church affirms an afterlife but denies the possibility of eternal punishment for those who have chosen to reject the free offer of the gospel.

There is nothing in all the world as precious as a truly Christian church. There is nothing in all the world as dangerous as one that is merely Christianish. Choose your church well.

Communion

Bread
³ He was despised and rejected^[b] by men,
    a man of sorrows^[c] and acquainted with^[d] grief;^[e]
and as one from whom men hide their faces^[f]
    he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

⁴ Surely he has borne our griefs
    and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
    smitten by God, and afflicted.
⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions;
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
    and with his wounds we are healed.
⁶ All we like sheep have gone astray;
    we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity of us all.

Wine
¹⁹ For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, ²⁰ and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Communion meditation

Bread:

Clement of Alexandria, c. A.D. 190

Clement of Alexandria describes the Church of Christ like the bread offered in the Eucharist (or Thanksgiving). Like you, various members, who were once scattered amongst the fields of this world like so much wheat, you have been gathered together by our sovereign Harvester to be bundled up together here as one loaf (the church). He thinks too that the trials & troubles that buffet the church in this Age, rather than being ultimate problems, are more like the temporary fires that cook that bread. To this he says, “In truth it has risen through the fires of trails for the joy of the world, the Church, presented as fresh baked bread”, joined unto the body of Christ, through baptism & similar sufferings being refined like gold in fires of trial. (The Instructor I)

Wine:

Clement of Rome, AD 96

Let us look steadfastly to the blood of Christ, and see how precious that blood is to God, which, having been shed for our salvation, has set the grace of repentance before the whole world. (1 Clement 7)

Book Reco: Interpreting the Parables by Craig L. Blomberg

In the last century, more studies of the parables were produced than for any other section of comparable length in the Bible. The problem is that most Bible readers are unlikely ever to know of most of them. In this substantially new and expanded edition, Craig Blomberg surveys and evaluates contemporary critical approaches to the parables, challenging the prevailing consensus and making his own important new contribution to parable studies. Within proper definitions and boundaries, the author defends a limited allegorical approach. In support of this view of parable interpretation, Blomberg not only sets forth theoretical considerations but devotes attention to all the major parables, providing brief interpretations that highlight the insights to be gained from his distinctive method. Interpreting the Parables can be read with profit by scholars, students, pastors and educated laypeople.

Enjoy!

Question: "Should Mark 16:9-20 be in the Bible?"

Question: "Should Mark 16:9-20 be in the Bible?"

Answer: Although the vast majority of later Greek manuscripts contain Mark 16:9-20, the Gospel of Mark ends at verse 8 in two of the oldest and most respected manuscripts, the Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus. As the oldest manuscripts are known to be the most accurate because there were fewer generations of copies from the original autographs (i.e., they are much closer in time to the originals), and the oldest manuscripts do not contain vv. 9-20, we can conclude that these verses were added later by scribes. The King James Version of the Bible, as well as the New King James, contains vv. 9-20 because the King James used medieval manuscripts as the basis of its translation. Since 1611, however, older and more accurate manuscripts have been discovered and they affirm that vv. 9-20 were not in the original Gospel of Mark.

In addition, the fourth-century church fathers Eusebius and Jerome noted that almost all Greek manuscripts available to them lacked vv. 9–20, although they doubtless knew those other endings existed. In the second century, Justin Martyr and Tatian knew about other endings. Irenaeus, also, in A.D. 150 to 200, must have known about this long ending because he quotes verse 19 from it. So, the early church fathers knew of the added verses, but even by the fourth century, Eusebius said the Greek manuscripts did not include these endings in the originals.

The internal evidence from this passage also casts doubt on Mark as the author. For one thing, the transition between verses 8 and 9 is abrupt and awkward. The Greek word translated “now” that begins v. 9 should link it to what follows, as the use of the word “now” does in the other synoptic Gospels. However, what follows doesn’t continue the story of the women referred to in v. 8, describing instead Jesus’ appearing to Mary Magdalene. There’s no transition there, but rather an abrupt and bizarre change, lacking the continuity typical of Mark’s narrative. The author should be continuing the story of the women based on the word “now,” not jumping to the appearance to Mary Magdalene. Further, for Mark to introduce Mary Magdalene here as though for the very first time (v. 9) is odd because she had already been introduced in Mark’s narrative (Mark 15:40, 47, 16:1), another evidence that this section was not written by Mark.

Furthermore, the vocabulary is not consistent with Mark’s Gospel. These last verses don’t read like Mark’s. There are eighteen words here that are never used anywhere by Mark, and the structure is very different from the familiar structure of his writing. The title “Lord Jesus,” used in verse 19, is never used anywhere else by Mark. Also, the reference to signs in vv. 17-18 doesn’t appear in any of the four Gospels. In no account, post-resurrection of Jesus, is there any discussion of signs like picking up serpents, speaking with tongues, casting out demons, drinking poison, or laying hands on the sick. So, both internally and externally, this is foreign to Mark.

While the added ending offers no new information, nor does it contradict previously revealed events and/or doctrine, both the external and internal evidence make it quite certain that Mark did not write it. In reality, ending his Gospel in verse 8 with the description of the amazement of the women at the tomb is entirely consistent with the rest of the narrative. Amazement at the Lord Jesus seems to be a theme with Mark. “They were amazed at his teaching” (Mark 1:22); “They were all amazed, so that they debated among themselves” (Mark 1:27); “He healed the paralytic, and they were all amazed and were glorifying God saying, ‘We’ve never seen anything like this’” (Mark 2:12). Astonishment at the work of Jesus is revealed throughout Mark’s narrative (Mark 4:41; 5:15, 33, 42; 6:51; 9:6, 15, 32; 10:24, 32; 11:18; 12:17; 16:5). Some, or even one, of the early scribes, however, apparently missed the thematic evidence and felt the need to add a more conventional ending.

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Personal thoughts: 
1- I am SOOO convinced this is not Scripture that I would not have a problem telling a congregation to literally tear it out of their bibles. However I do realize they would loose some actual bible from the other side of the page so, this is a no go. 
2 - I could be convinced that just out of the sheer providence of the Holy Spirit that its been around for so long it could be seen a worthy of being left in. 
3- My best guess of what 9-20 is; without an in-depth cross-reference is a prequel to Acts where much of the stuff suggested here is played out in acts including Paul being bitten by a poisonous snake & not dying & Acts 2 citing get baptized.

Thoughts on Baptist Autonomy – Cory Matlock

Thoughts on Baptist Autonomy – Cory Matlock

Let me be clear in the very onset of this article. This is merely an honest opinion. That is all it is. I am not writing this to argue or to put anyone down. I am merely writing concerning a struggle that I have being in the Baptist circle. I am a reformed guy. In fact, at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary I was known by my friends as the Presby (for those who don’t know that Presbyterian). Honestly, I kind of deserve that title from day to day. I can take the insult day in and day out about being one of those rotten “Calvinist.” That really doesn’t bother me at all. I have come to grips with the animosity in the Baptist circle over the Doctrines of Grace a long time ago. The one issue I’ve not yet come to grips with is probably the one that pushes me the closest to being a Presby and that’s the issue of Autonomy. To be real honest, I don’t think its Biblical! Not in the way that we practice it today in the SBC. Now, before my many SBC brothers cast me out to the wolves for saying that, please understand that this is something that I have studied at great length and I’m not knocking the SBC for their stance on this. They corporally agree that the local SBC Church is autonomous and that’s great. My issue is not with the SBC. Instead my issue is that I don’t see the democratic form of autonomy taught in Scripture. In fact, I remember joking with a class mate one time that it would be easier for me to join the local Presbyterian Church and baptize babies than it would be for me to stay in the SBC and fight against this issue. The end result of the conversation between us was that maybe we should just create a new denomination. We could call it the Presbapterianist or something like that. All joking aside, for a brief moment I thought of the many people I had challenged on this issue who had no response. I thought of all those people who agreed with me on the issue but couldn’t go Presbyterian because of the infant baptism issue and wondered how many of them would join the movement. But then I looked on the internet at the vast numbers of denominations have evolved since the time of the Protestant Reformation and instantly wanted to cry. I didn’t want to be the cause of anymore division within the Body of Christ. Instead I want to glorify God and unite His people towards one another. I want to cause them to see their need to be united in the Gospel and to set their tertiary issues on the backburner for the furtherance of the Gospel. No, starting another denomination simply won’t solve or resolve the issue. So how should I as an Elder, a Student of God’s Word, a man redeemed by that precious and atoning work of Christ Jesus at Calvary approach this issue with my fellow brothers? For one I am called to live peaceably among all men (Romans 12:18) and that would most assuredly apply to those who are redeemed. So, in one way I could keep my struggle internal and never really speak of the issue amongst my brethren. But what should I do when I come to those passages that show very clearly Paul’s authority over the Church’s which he had already established Elders? What could I say to the congregation that God has entrusted me to faithfully preach His word to when I see how Paul addresses not the Elders which he appointed but the congregation? How could I faithfully preach the Word of God and not address what I see as a very clear error within the Church? How could I not speak about the rise of democracy in the Church being caused by the rise of democracy in the culture? Honestly, to avoid the issue altogether isn’t really an option for me. My conscience would eat me alive for not staying faithful to the Word of God. What about addressing the issue with my local Director of Missions? Maybe he would be willing to give a gentle ear on the topic? Maybe that would ring true! Yet one DOM in this vast Baptist circle really isn’t going to have the ability to do much besides get annoyed with me. I know that I can’t remain silent with my friends in the Baptist circle either. What am I to do with the thoughts I’m having about what I believe to be a major error within the Baptist circle? I can do what I am doing right now. I can warn against what happens when there is no authority to keep that autonomous Church in check. Now I know many of my friends would argue back with the point that there have been many cases where local Presbyteries have been corrupted and in error. Okay, I get it. Nothing is perfect! We won’t get the joy of seeing perfection until the day that the Lord of glory calls us home! But that doesn’t give us an excuse to not strive towards being Biblical. If we did a quick comparative study for the number of corrupt or erroneous Presbyteries compared to the number of local Baptist Churches which have blatant heresy being preached within their walls, what would our numbers be? How would they compare? In just my short tenure in the ministry of 11 years, I have been privy to many men who doctrinally had no need to be in the pulpit. Men who make Steven Furtick look like an expositor. And now, my first Church out of Seminary is one which for forty years was a victim to many abuses of authority. Now that is not a knock against my congregation at all! I love them to death and as anyone who has been here can and will attest, they are a wonderful group of redeemed in Christ, lovers of the Word people. Yet there was nobody there to see the atrocities done to them by their autonomous pastor who almost led them into many great disasters. Nobody was around to remove this man from his twisting of Scripture to motivate the people’s hearts to do what he wanted them to do. I sit through counseling sessions with the wonderful people in my congregation and am often forced to either grab us both a Kleenex or fight back the tears as I listen to their stories. And every single time that I hear these accounts, the very same thoughts roll through my mind. Where was the local Presbytery which could have seen this issue and helped to resolve the problem? Where were the men of God which have been placed in a position of authority for the very purpose of protecting the hearts of Christ’ Bride? I honestly wrestle with this! A congregation which for many years thrived. One which exploded in growth during the period of time where Liberalism was rising through the ranks of our Churches. A Church where people gave up their entire lives quite literally to follow Jesus and do what they believed to be right. Where was the oversight which had the authority to protect those hearts bought with the precious blood of Christ? Maybe in reality what we as Baptist wrap in the term autonomy is nothing more than a rejection of authority. An authority given by God for the very protection and safe guarding of His Holy Word and His redeemed people. Maybe that’s really the issue. We as a free western people have fallen so in love with the idea of independence and that we are free moral agents, that we have now introduced that very same ideology to the Bride of Christ and how we “do” Church. To be honest, I don’t know what to expect from writing this. I’m sure this will be more ammunition for my Baptist Brothers and give them more reason to call me a Presbyterian, yet that’s okay with me. When the Southern Baptist Convention was going liberal and supporting issues like abortion, it was our Presbyterian brothers who called us to repentance. Maybe this issue will be the same someday. Maybe our Presbyterian brothers will be able to formulate an argument that raises the red flag in the minds of the Baptist on the issue of Baptist Autonomy. Maybe there are enough of us Reformed Baptist who wrestle with this issue that we can address the issue from the inside. For the moment though, I will continue to be one of the many blessed by God to be in a congregation trying to pick up the pieces of shattered hearts that could have been stopped many years ago if it weren’t for autonomy. I am and will continue to wrestle with the very real issue that impacted just one Church out of millions. And in my time working through these issues, I will continue wondering if autonomy as we practice it is really that Biblical? Or is it just another failed experiment in the Church which has left countless of hearts shattered and lives broken?

Alcohol & the Church, a symptom of Worldly Wisdom vs Biblical study

Alcohol & the Church, a symptom of Worldly Wisdom vs Biblical study

Rethinking the World Biblically

Recently there was an article that seems to have brought about a stir in our small town. The issue at hand? Should a restaurant be allowed to serve alcohol in a “dry” county? Now to be honest, this is not my hometown and I’m not a southerner. In fact, it’s quite evident when I have conversations with people in the area that I’m not from around here. Yet, this doesn’t negate the issue that our small town is facing. My being from here only allows for me to input my two cents as an outsider. Although what I’m saying may sound like an opinion, this is not an opinion piece. I want to offer some insight from a source that most of us would probably agree governs the vast majority of our life. The Bible. Simply put, I want to offer an understanding on the nature of alcohol according to the Bible and let each of us check the way we understand this issue in accordance with what the Word of God says. With that in mind, I want to challenge you for just a moment to grab that old leather-bound work of beauty off of your shelf and scour through its pages in search of the issue of alcohol. For some of the more tech savvy, do a google search of the use of alcohol in the Bible. This next point may surprise you. Did you know that nowhere in the Bible does it say that alcohol is sinful? In fact, alcohol doesn’t have the ability to be sinful because it is an inanimate object. It doesn’t have the ability to break God’s moral Law nor does it have the ability to reason or rationalize. By now you’ve probably scoured through those life preserving pages looking to see if that last statement is right and you’ve found it to be true. So, let’s ask another question. Is there a passage of Scripture where the Word of God condemns the use or consumption of alcohol? No! In fact, many might be surprised to find that what God actually says about alcohol in its right context can be a good thing. Psalm 104:15 tells us that wine gladdens the heart of man. Paul tells the Elder Timothy to take a little wine for his stomach in 1 Timothy 5:23. Both of those passages are actually showing something quite opposite to what most of us would believe. We have somehow come to believe that the consumption or use of alcohol in any way is somehow sinning against God. But that is not what the Bible actually teaches. Instead what the Bible teaches is the right use of that which is created by God. Alcohol is like anything else given by God to mankind. In its right form and use, there is no sin. It is the misuse and abuse of that which has been given to mankind that makes something sinful. This is where sin actually comes into the picture. The abuse of through drunkenness or by breaking the law of the land is what makes the consumption of alcohol sinful. What the individual chooses to do with the alcohol is what would either make it sin or not sin.

I know that many will read this and believe it to be an endorsement for the consumption of alcohol. This is not the case! As a minister of the Gospel I cannot function as the Holy Spirit and tell people what they can and cannot do. Instead my calling is to dust off the generational gap that occurs from the time of Christ and our own and explain what it is that God has called us towards. It is our duty as Christians to seek out the pages of Scripture, and from only the Word of God, draw out a worldview in which we live our lives by. We are called to make Christ known and live this life with as much accuracy toward Scripture as is humanly possible. Because of this, we have to examine real world issues to see where it is that we should land. If our opinions ever do not line up with God’s Word, we are called to reshape how we see these issues and conform them to Scripture. We cannot conform Scripture to what we want it to say.

SDG – Pastor, student, Christian, friend Cory Matlock.