Christianity: Misunderstood

In Deuteronomy 12, we see Moses declaring to the children of Israel that they were to keep the Lord's statutes and judgments.  In verses 8 & 9, we can read:
8You shall not at all do as we are doing here today--every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes--9for as yet you have not come to the rest and the inheritance which the Lord your God is giving you.

What happens when we do right in our own eyes?  Think about that.  How does that play out in our individual lives or in our culture.  A lack of right or wrong; a lack of being anchored in truth.

We may think we know best, but we do not.  For there is One who has stated His intention for us, who gives us rules to follow, but not to ensnare us, but to provide for a rich and meaningful life, a life in relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ.   A God who has given us principles to follow, that can provide reliable truth upon which we build our lives and upon which we can build a culture.  Is it a coincidence that the demise we see in so many areas of culture as we know it today can be tied to a departure from the foundational principles of God's Word?

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The final verse in the book of Judges offers this evaluation - chapter 21, verse 25 says:
25In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

In Proverbs 12, we read:
15The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But he who heeds counsel is wise.

Newsweek has wished its readers a "Merry Christmas" by devoting its cover story for the January 2, 2015 issue to The Bible.  That doesn't seem too unusual on the surface - after all, I like to start a new year on The Meeting House by encouraging listeners to develop a plan to absorb more of God's Word.

The author of the article is veteran business and financial reporter Kurt Eichenwald and the piece is entitled, "The Bible: So Misunderstood It's a Sin." Eichenwald does not cite any conservative evangelicals as sources but does quote Bart Ehrman, a New Testament professor who has gained a reputation for attacking historic Christianity.

Get ready - here's how the 8,500-word essay begins:

They wave their Bibles at passersby, screaming their condemnations of homosexuals. They fall on their knees, worshipping at the base of granite monuments to the Ten Commandments while demanding prayer in school. They appeal to God to save America from their political opponents, mostly Democrats. They gather in football stadiums by the thousands to pray for the country's salvation. They are God's frauds, cafeteria Christians who pick and choose which Bible verses they heed with less care than they exercise in selecting side orders for lunch.

The article reportedly presents as fact a list of supposed errors, contradictions and problems in the Bible. Though all of Eichenwald's assertions have been addressed by conservative biblical scholars, he does not mention that in the essay.

However, as Southern Baptist Theological Seminar president Dr. Albert Mohler, puts it, according to Baptist Press, Newsweek's cover story "is an irresponsible screed of post-Christian invective leveled against the Bible and, even more to the point, against evangelical Christianity. It is one of the most irresponsible articles ever to appear in a journalistic guise."  That's what he wrote in a blog post.

In his article, Eichenwald asserts that what we read as the Bible today is just a bad translation.  Charles Quarles, professor of New Testament and biblical theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, commented, "The author of this article is clearly unaware of the outstanding biblical research conducted by Christian scholars or conveniently chose to ignore it."

Eichenwald also suggests that Scripture does not teach the doctrine of the Trinity, and he criticizes Christians who believe the Bible condemns homosexuality.

Mohler countered that while there is not an isolated proof text that says God is one essence and three persons, "the doctrine of the Trinity [is] drawn from the totality of the New Testament." Regarding homosexuality, Mohler noted that Eichenwald "appears unable to deny ... that Romans 1:27 identifies men lusting after other men as sinful."

Eichenwald also contends that, "Every female politician who insists the New Testament is the inerrant word of God needs to resign immediately or admit she is a hypocrite."

Mohler countered that Eichenwald "seems to believe that the teachings about women teaching and leading in 1 Timothy would apply to a woman in political office, failing to read that the text is clearly speaking of order within the Christian assembly."

And, Fox News commentator Todd Starnes is quoted in the article, as he asked why national news magazines do not level similar criticism at adherents of other world religions. For instances, he proposes, "The national news magazines never seem to target Islam. When was the last time Newsweek or Time published an attack piece on Muhammad during Ramadan?"

Mohler wrote, "Kurt Eichenwald probably has little to lose among his friends at Vanity Fair, but this article is nothing less than an embarrassment. To take advantage of Newsweek's title -- it so misrepresents the truth, it's a sin."

This piece definitely does not rise to the level of tribulation or persecution, but it does remind us that there is an element in society that would want to discredit the teachings of the Scriptures. Needless to say, if the Scriptures are deemed to be less credible, then it makes less sense to some people to follow them.

But, what do you have in a life that is not governed by the Word of God?  Confusion, an unhealthy consumption mentality, and a lack of compassion, to name a few.  A life that is devoid of true meaning. The Bible can provide for us reliable, foundational truth - not only a guide for our lives, but the power to bring us into conformity with a God who wants us to be in relationship with Himself.

And, what do you have in a culture that is not governed by the Word of God?  Well, confusion, an unhealthy consumption mentality, a lack of compassion.  If there are not rules for acceptable behavior, then humanity, left to its own devices, spirals out of control.   Families are fractured, standards erode, and people begin to do what they want.  No restraint.  No respect for each others.  Is this really the type of culture that the secularists want?   Our laws are based on and consistent with the Scriptures.  Remove their influence, and what do we have?  

We have to be forthright in declaring God's Word, living our lives according to it, and offering the people a better way than those who promote a humanistic, man-centered worldview - God's way, laid out for us in the Bible - yes, it can be misunderstood, just as this Newsweek author has done.  But, its proven reliability demonstrates for us that it offers for us answers to the challenges we face in our individual lives and in our culture, pointing us to the value of a relationship with Christ.