Bullwhip Guy

The following video is a satire of Rob Bell's "Bullhorn Guy".

Post-Modernism and the Emergent Church

This footage comes from a Q&A session at the 2007 Ligonier National Conference that was held in Orlando, FL. Being interviewed is R.C. Sproul, Al Mohler, and Ravi Zacharias.

Emergent Motivational Posters!

Can I get an amen?

http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/posters.htm

Postmodernism vs. Christ

Albert Mohler has aptly stated that postmodernism "allows for infinite forms of meaning." From an epistemological standpoint, defending the Christian faith against this type of thinking can seem impossible. Aside from the infiltration of postmodern thinking in others, those fighting for the faith must also battle postmodern tendencies within themselves. It's no wonder that some Christians find themselves frustrated as witnesses for the gospel of Christ.

This short article is a broad summary of continuing thoughts I have had concerning this struggle. There was a time when I sought to be a well-spoken apologist with an answer for any anti-Christian argument that faced me. Besides the fact that I have the memory of a goldfish born from the inter-breeding of thirteen generations, I realized afterwards that my particular goal to become a great apologist was objectively unreasonable.

By no means am I suggesting that apologetics are unnecessary. God often uses apologetics as a bridge to the gospel. The situation of Paul at the Areopogus is a classic example of this (Acts 17:16-34). Paul researched the belief system in Athens to understand the worldview held by the people. He did his homework first, and then he spoke. When he addressed the people, he did so in a way that was relevant to their expansive cultural context. From that point, he masterfully transitioned into a presentation of the gospel.

Pictured above: One suggested method for converting postmodernists.

The point I'm trying to make here is that Paul's objective was to present the gospel of Christ through Scripture. Paul's chief end was to arrive at a point where he could say, "Here is Christ, your Savior." Yes, he studied. Yes, he reasoned. Yes, he philosophized. But in the end, when he had finished reasoning with them, he says in verse 24, "this I proclaim to you." Paul had come to proclaim the gospel of Christ to these people, not to defeat their arguments or show them their deficiency of logic.

In light of these things, I am writing as a reminder to all of us who labor hard for the truth of the gospel that we must not forget our objective, who is Christ of the Scriptures. We must not compromise the power of God's Word for the eloquence of any argument of logic. No matter how impenetrable or beautiful a philosophical argument may seem, it will never bring someone to Christ. The gospel "is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile." Peter wrote "And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts."

The Word is power. The Word reveals the hidden darkness as light. We must not be ashamed of the Word or be afraid that it is too weak to overcome the most brilliant arguments of intellect. When we feel overwhelmed by the many faces of postmodernism, we must not rely on philosophical reasoning. We must spiritually assault the confused reasoning of postmodernists with the penetrating power of Scripture. This will keep us centered. This will keep us humble. Most of all, this will bring God the most glory as we battle against the enemies of the gospel.

James White on Postmodernism and a New Word!

A couple items that may be of interest to the Mafia:

1. James White critiquing some of Brian McLaren's nonsense...
Part 1 and Part 2

2. A new vocabulary word to describe the response you get when dealing with a Postmodern thinker: Circumlocution.

RK

Truth and Clarity

Liberal postmodernism is a passionate lover of the ancient Gnostics. Both use as an interpretative grid some form of higher knowledge, whether that is “secret” knowledge available to only a few, or philosophy. Ancient or modern, wolves continue to creep in, wanting to distort scripture by denying the clarity with which God has spoken. Both ancient and modern repeat the first lie ever told: “Has God really said…”

Here is a small sample of those who fought against that lie. Notice what each appeals to in their own struggles.

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Basil

Basil wrote against those who would deny that the scriptures were sufficient to establish the Trinity:

"But all who maintain that either Son or Spirit is a creature, or absolutely reduce the Spirit to ministerial and servile rank, are far removed from the truth. Flee their communion. Turn away from their teaching, they are destructive to souls. If ever the Lord grant us to meet, I will discourse to you further concerning the faith, to the end that you may perceive at once the power of the truth and the rottenness of heresy by Scriptural proof." (Letter 105)

1)Notice who is denying the scriptures.
2)Notice what it is that Basil makes his appeal to.

This in itself presupposes not only the clarity but the sufficiency of scripture as well. Notice that there is no appeal to such nonsense as “well, that is just your interpretation.”

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Hilary of Poitiers

Hilary is another example much like the above. Lest some postmodern misunderstand, the point isn’t about the Trinity. The point is about how the heretics wanted to distort what was clear in the scriptures. Hilary writes:

"For there have risen many who have given to the plain words of Holy Writ some arbitrary interpretation of their own, instead of its true and only sense, and this in defiance of the clear meaning of words. Heresy lies in the sense assigned, not in the word written; the guilt is that of the expositor, not of the text." - Hilary of Poitiers (On the Trinity, 2:3)

As the above, notice that it is the heretics who gave some “arbitrary interpretation of their own” in the face of the “plain words” of scripture. Hilary also affirms what all who hold to the Perspicuity of Scripture, that error lies not in the written word, but in the motivation of the expositor.

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Julius Africanus

Julius Africanus refers to the clarity of Biblical prophecy, such as Daniel's 70 weeks prophecy, which is surely one of the more difficult passages of scripture. He says that Jews and other non-Christians can easily understand these things:

"But I am amazed that the Jews deny that the Lord has yet come, and that the followers of Marcion refuse to admit that His coming was predicted in the prophecies when the Scriptures display the matter so openly to our view." (The Extant Fragments of the Five Books of the Chronography of Julius Africanus, 18)

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John Chrysostom

"All things are dear and open that are in the divine Scriptures; the necessary things are all plain." (Homilies on Second Thessalonians, 3, v. 5)

That should be very easy to understand. That is as plain as saying that “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Yet to remain consistent, who is it that would have to deny what is mentioned above? We have seen a demonstration of that here on this very blog.

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Theophilus of Antioch

Theophilus of Antioch doesn't seem to have thought that scripture is as unclear as neither ancient nor modern (postmodernism) Gnosticism would want everyone to believe:

"And why should I recount the multitude of prophets, who are numerous, and said ten thousand things consistently and harmoniously? For those who desire it, can, by reading what they uttered, accurately understand the truth, and no longer be carried away by opinion and profitless labour” (Theophilus to Autolycus, 2:35)

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Irenaeus

What does the man who wrote against the early heretics have to say? Quite simply:

"A sound mind, and one which does not expose its possessor to danger, and is devoted to piety and the love of truth, will eagerly meditate upon those things which God has placed within the power of mankind, and has subjected to our knowledge, and will make advancement in acquaintance with them, rendering the knowledge of them easy to him by means of daily study. These things are such as fall plainly under our observation, and are clearly and unambiguously in express terms set forth in the Sacred Scriptures....the entire Scriptures, the prophets, and the Gospels, can be clearly, unambiguously, and harmoniously understood by all" - Irenaeus (Against Heresies, 2:27:1-2)

As in the previous examples, his arguments were against heretics. And it is Irenaeus who affirms clarity, which is something no Gnostic, ancient or modern, would ever support.

As the saying goes, "The more things change, the more they stay the same." As such, one thing is guarenteed: Those who do not hold to the clarity of the written word will prolly not get what this post was about.

John Piper on Postmodern Error

Error is probably too soft a description...

A Place for Truth

In an age where uncertainty is disguised as "epistemological humility" and any claim to certainty and objective truth is considered absurd and arrogant, can today's Christian's make any claim to know the truth?

Many people, callling themselves Christian would say no but I answer with an emphatic YES! and this is why.

Knowing the Truth for Certain is a result of Salvation

"If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:31-32

This verse follows the logical form of the if, then statement.
If you abide in my word....If you study it, live by it, love it, obey it, conform to it, submit to it...continually.

• You are truly my disciples...True believers are discerned from false believers in their relationship to the word of Christ, indeed, the word of God.
• You will know the truth...surprisingly, those who have an ongoing relationship with Jesus Christ, Jesus, the Son of God who is truth incarnate (John 14:6), who cannot lie, says they will know the truth. This very fact flies in the face of post modernism. Certainty of truth is a result of salvation by the Spirit of God through the Word of God.
• The truth will set you free...Free from all lies, free from sinful living, free from worldly philosophies and false ideologies.

Knowing the Truth is a means of Sanctification

Sanctify them in the truth, your word is truth. John 17:17

Truth is the means by which we are sanctified. If truth is ambiguous, uncertain, and unclear, then sanctification seems impossible. Yet Jesus prays for the sanctification for those that the Father had given him, and goes on to say, "your word is truth." God's Word does not just contain truth, but it IS truth. Everything against it is against truth. The Scriptures are clear, the Scriptures are truth, the Scriptures are the means by which we are sanctified.

Rejection of Truth is a strong indicator of Unbelief

The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved." 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10

Notice the last portion of this text. These people mentioned, those who are perishing will not be saved why? Because the refused to love the truth. Rejection of the truth prevented them from being saved. Notice the first part. The lawless one performs false signs..signs that are not authentic or true. A rejection of truth leads to being deceived by that which is opposed to the truth. If you despise truth, if you do not "know the truth" then the warning light should be flashing, for that is an indicator that you have not been born again of the Spirit of truth (John 13:17, John 16:13). If you have been born again of the Spirit, and are abiding in the Word of God, then the Spirit of truth will guide you in the truth as Jesus has infallibly promised. Can we know the truth for certain? Yes we can, because the Spirit of truth WILL guide us into all the truth.

Those who try to blend postmodern ideas of uncertainty and ambiguity with Christianity are attempting to blend to things that are antithetical. Uncertainty is antithetical to the certainty of the Scriptures. Subjectivity is antithetical to the objectivity of the Word of God. Rejecting certainty is not "epistemological humility," it is rebellion against the truth, rebellion against the Scriptures, and ultimately rebellion against the one TRUE God.

As John MacArthur states in The Truth War,

Speaking Plainly: If you are one of those who questions whether truth is really important, please don't call your belief system Christianity," because that is not what it is."

The Truth War

Yesterday I began reading John MacArthur's new book entitled The Truth War. If you don't have a copy, buy one today and start reading it!

What I've read so far reads as if -prior to writing the book- MacArthur performed a Vulcan Mind-Meld to get inside the heads of these "epistemologically humble" Postmodern/Emergent folks that are cropping up all over.

MacArthur is cutting through the Postmodern epistemological fog with his typical commitment to truth as revealed in the Scriptures. (A much needed breathe of fresh air considering some of the blather I have seen posted in the Mafia "Speak-Easy" as of late!)

So far, this is probably one of the best MacArthur books I've laid my hands on in a while...

Soli Deo Gloria!

(The copyright the Star Trek image above belongs to Paramount Pictures or CBS Paramount Television)