Word. We read Paul's exhortation to Timothy in 2nd Timothy chapter 4:
2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;
4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
We can consider the importance of passing on truth to others. And, we have to make sure that the principles that are being taught are consistent with God's Word. What may sound good and righteous may in fact be a departure from the heart of God. So, humbly, submitting to the authority of God's Word, we study and allow His Spirit to direct us. We can develop and exhibit a strong devotion to truth and be careful to implement it.
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In Psalm 145, we read a passage that underscores a topic area we have been exploring this week - passing on truth to generations to come. We can read:
3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable.
4 One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts.
5 I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, And on Your wondrous works.
There have been two major deaths impacting the Christian community over the last few weeks. Warren Wiersbe has impacted many preachers and teachers of the gospel throughout the years, and his impact on evangelical Christianity cannot be understated. But, much of the attention has gone to the passing of Rachel Held Evans, who, at 37, leaves behind a husband and two young children, dying of a complication following an infection.
In the social media world and on a number of Christian websites, the Evans death received the lion's share of the attention. Truly, this is a young woman who had an impact. And, while we should be sensitive in this time to someone who has recently passed away, I think it's important that we critically examine the impact of her teachings, as well as those who carry her message. Because of the wealth of attention that her death has received, I don't think it's a stretch to say that people will be investigating what she wrote about - and that is why a warning should be sounded.
Evans, by no means, embraced orthodox teaching of the Scripture. She admittedly ditched her evangelical upbringing and was exceedingly critical of it. She pushed for full LGBT inclusion in the Church and was a strong proponent of redefining the roles of men and women. She was "pro-choice" regarding the abortion issue. She typlified what many call "progressive" Christianity. A Washington Post article proclaimed her as the "most polarizing woman in evangelicalism," which is odd, considering she did not identify as an evangelical during the latter years of her life. Her books were removed from LifeWay stores. I do not wish to disrespect her or her family; she, because of her sincerity and her conviction, gained admiration even from those who disagreed with her.
Rod Dreher, at the American Conservative, wrote an excellent piece about the response to Evans' death. And, he outlined the mob mentality that came against his friend and Breakpoint speaker John Stonestreet, who penned what I regarded as a touching, sensitive, and even-handed tribute to Evans - he knew Rachel, her husband, and her father well, having attended and served on the faculty of Bryan College in Dayton, TN. But, he was excoriated for his truthfulness; Stonestreet removed the article from the website who published his piece, Christianity Today, which ham-handedly tried to explain why, after deciding to publish it, felt it had not been a good idea. Reportedly, John had learned that he had offended a member of the family. Unfortunately, we find all too often among progressives, even those who belong to the progressive wing of Christianity, that criticism of their views yields an attempt to silence differing opinions, and some of Evans' followers seem to reflect that perspective.
Dreher quotes from Anne Kennedy, who wrote a critical analysis in the aftermath of Evans' death. In paraphrasing her writings, he said she believed that "RHE had departed so far from the core teachings of the historic Christian faith that she had departed the church." She had written:
Alisa Childers summarized Evans' viewpoint in an analysis of material from the intro to one of Rachel's own books, saying that Evans herself had "three theological approaches:"
The occasion of one's death provides an opportunity to evaluate a person's life. This is common when a well-known person passes away. And, because Evans was in a high-profile teaching position in the Church at large, her work should be open to scrutiny. Just as mine or yours should be. So, we can consider how we are influencing people positively for the Kingdom, or conversely, how our actions might be adversely affecting people.
The critical evaluation of Evans' life also can cause us to look at her associations. Some of her more voracious defenders also share her broad view of what it means to be a Christian. I was concerned to see some high-profile teachers tweet out glowing words of praise for Evans; but likewise and thankfully, you will find those who did not. The LGBT inclusion, the redefinition of the role of women (to the extent that this tired "patriarchy" viewpoint seems to be prevalent), the questioning of the authority and authenticity of Scripture - these are all perspectives that are embraced by this bold, new generation of so-called Bible teachers who are attempting to redefine Christianity. We have to be humble before God and dedicated to truth; it's good to have discussions and debate, but our discussions should be centered on a respect for His principles.
In the social media world and on a number of Christian websites, the Evans death received the lion's share of the attention. Truly, this is a young woman who had an impact. And, while we should be sensitive in this time to someone who has recently passed away, I think it's important that we critically examine the impact of her teachings, as well as those who carry her message. Because of the wealth of attention that her death has received, I don't think it's a stretch to say that people will be investigating what she wrote about - and that is why a warning should be sounded.
Evans, by no means, embraced orthodox teaching of the Scripture. She admittedly ditched her evangelical upbringing and was exceedingly critical of it. She pushed for full LGBT inclusion in the Church and was a strong proponent of redefining the roles of men and women. She was "pro-choice" regarding the abortion issue. She typlified what many call "progressive" Christianity. A Washington Post article proclaimed her as the "most polarizing woman in evangelicalism," which is odd, considering she did not identify as an evangelical during the latter years of her life. Her books were removed from LifeWay stores. I do not wish to disrespect her or her family; she, because of her sincerity and her conviction, gained admiration even from those who disagreed with her.
Rod Dreher, at the American Conservative, wrote an excellent piece about the response to Evans' death. And, he outlined the mob mentality that came against his friend and Breakpoint speaker John Stonestreet, who penned what I regarded as a touching, sensitive, and even-handed tribute to Evans - he knew Rachel, her husband, and her father well, having attended and served on the faculty of Bryan College in Dayton, TN. But, he was excoriated for his truthfulness; Stonestreet removed the article from the website who published his piece, Christianity Today, which ham-handedly tried to explain why, after deciding to publish it, felt it had not been a good idea. Reportedly, John had learned that he had offended a member of the family. Unfortunately, we find all too often among progressives, even those who belong to the progressive wing of Christianity, that criticism of their views yields an attempt to silence differing opinions, and some of Evans' followers seem to reflect that perspective.
Dreher quotes from Anne Kennedy, who wrote a critical analysis in the aftermath of Evans' death. In paraphrasing her writings, he said she believed that "RHE had departed so far from the core teachings of the historic Christian faith that she had departed the church." She had written:
...we are not sitting at opposite sides of one long table. We are not eating of the one bread and drinking out of the one cup. We are talking about two different faiths, two different kinds of love, two different lords.
Christians who love sinners, as Christ has commanded them to do, must speak the truth about who that God is, and who we are as his creatures. Moreover, we ought to pray that those who are walking away from his warm and gracious mercy will turn around, will repent, will walk back toward him. And that when they come to the haven of the church, the church does not throw away that mercy by saying that it is something other than what it really is.And, that's where we are getting to today. Read social media, especially from supporters of RHE, and you see a totally different approach to the Scriptures. I agree wholeheartedly with Dreher that we are not attempting to debate Rachel's salvation or place in eternity; only God can judge. But, she, and so many of her "flock" have departed from an orthodox view of Christianity to the extent that it is unrecognizable in some circles.
Alisa Childers summarized Evans' viewpoint in an analysis of material from the intro to one of Rachel's own books, saying that Evans herself had "three theological approaches:"
It seems as if the response to Rachel Held Evans' death falls into three categories: 1) those who enthusiastically embraced her teaching, 2) those who respected her even though they disagreed with her, and 3) those that believe that she had departed from the faith and led people astray. I am probably somewhere between #2 and #3, but do believe that her questioning of faith traditions and Bible doctrines could negatively influence especially young Christians who need to experience unmitigated truth.Historical Criticism deals with the legitimacy of the writings of Scripture. The earliest threads can be traced to the 16th century, and they started gaining ground in the 18th. Generally speaking, historical critics don't believe the Bible is divinely inspired, and they typically believe the Old Testament was not written until the Jews went into Babylonian captivity in the 6th century BC. The conclusions of these critics usually fall in line with a secular, naturalist view that denies things like miracles and the supernatural.
- Historical Criticism
First developed in the 1950s and 1960s, Liberation theology is a way of interpreting the Bible through the lens of oppression and liberation. With a strong focus on the plight of the poor, liberation theologians believe the number one job Christians have is to align themselves with the marginalized and work to create a more just society through political and social means. In this view, the heart of the gospel is social justice, not sin and redemption.
- Liberation Theology
An offshoot of liberation theology, feminist theologians began re-interpreting the Bible through the lens of female oppression by patriarchal structures in the 1960s and 1970s. Female empowerment becomes the ideal the biblical writings point to. Feminist theologians typically resist the use of male pronouns for God and the idea of female submission in marriage. They advocate for women in clergy positions and for reproductive rights.
- Feminist Bible Interpretations
The occasion of one's death provides an opportunity to evaluate a person's life. This is common when a well-known person passes away. And, because Evans was in a high-profile teaching position in the Church at large, her work should be open to scrutiny. Just as mine or yours should be. So, we can consider how we are influencing people positively for the Kingdom, or conversely, how our actions might be adversely affecting people.
The critical evaluation of Evans' life also can cause us to look at her associations. Some of her more voracious defenders also share her broad view of what it means to be a Christian. I was concerned to see some high-profile teachers tweet out glowing words of praise for Evans; but likewise and thankfully, you will find those who did not. The LGBT inclusion, the redefinition of the role of women (to the extent that this tired "patriarchy" viewpoint seems to be prevalent), the questioning of the authority and authenticity of Scripture - these are all perspectives that are embraced by this bold, new generation of so-called Bible teachers who are attempting to redefine Christianity. We have to be humble before God and dedicated to truth; it's good to have discussions and debate, but our discussions should be centered on a respect for His principles.
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