The Ground Erodes under Feminists’ Feet
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Scripture as a Divine-Human Book
If God were to speak to us with the “language of heaven” would we be able to understand such a revelation? Could it ever be translated or would it be mystical and sublime, suitable only for incantation?[2] Many world religions approach spiritual concepts with the presumption that they must be esoteric and hard to understand.[3] But in the case of the Scripture, the emphasis is on their clarity and intelligibility to all who open them with a humble heart (Deut 6:6–7; Ps 19:7; Mat 11:25–26). Because of God’s graciously accommodating himself to our human languages and brain activity, he has made himself knowable to us.
Is the Bible too human to be a perfect divine revelation? Recently I (re-)watched the video of the 2016 debate between Dr Bernie Power of Melbourne School of Theology and Islamic scholar Shaykh Soner Coruhlu.[1] Toward the end of the debate, Shaykh Coruhlu raises the issue of the reliability of the New Testament, given that it is written by human hands. Dr Power didn’t have opportunity to reply in the time left for the debate, but this provoked me to think through what could have been said.
How can we respond to those, who assert that Scripture is an altogether too human book? In this article I want to explore a range of answers to that question. Although I will often be in dialogue with Islam, I am confident that it will be helpful to a wider audience, as this is an objection that many people raise, and even a doubt Christian themselves sometimes entertain.
The Divine-Human Scriptures Point to God’s Power
Our secular friends and our Muslim friends who refuse to accept the Bible as God’s infallible word do so because they cannot imagine God could ensure a piece of literature be both fully human and fully divine. Ironically both the secular person and the Muslim thereby limit what it is possible for God to do.
It comes as no surprise that our friends who deny that God could inhabit a human body would also deny that God’s words could also be human words. To deny the character of Scripture as a divine-human book is, by extension, to deny that God could ever come into our world, our times, our lives, but must inevitably be detached from us. To affirm the divine-human word is to affirm God’s immanent involvement in our everyday, often ordinary, lives.
What Form Should a Book of Direct Revelations Take?
If God were to speak to us with the ‘language of heaven’ would we be able to understand such a revelation? Could it ever be translated or would it be mystical and sublime, suitable only for incantation?[2] Many world religions approach spiritual concepts with the presumption that they must be esoteric and hard to understand.[3] But in the case of the Scripture, the emphasis is on their clarity and intelligibility to all who open them with a humble heart (Deut 6:6–7; Ps 19:7; Mat 11:25–26). Because of God’s graciously accommodating himself to our human languages and brain activity, he has made himself knowable to us.
The human nature of Scripture thus encourages comprehension and translation. As Paul emphasises in 1 Corinthians chapter 14 verse 19: ‘in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.’
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Mission to Paganistan
Over the course of Paganicon, our little team had opportunities to have conversations. Some went deep, sharing the overlap between John 1 and Genesis 1, bringing forward Bible prophecy as a touchstone to what is authentic (and, in doing so, landing on the Gospel). Sometimes, it wasn’t about the conversation per se but about respectfully asking probing questions during workshops. In a few cases, and one that happened at the end of the last session on the final day, it was about building a relationship.
The start of Paganicon, was three weeks ago, tomorrow. Pagonican is a large gathering of Witches, Wiccans, Druids, and an assortment of others – including Hoodoo practitioners – in the heart of Paganistan, as it is affectionately referred to by the local Pagans in the Twin Cities region. Now, this wasn’t my first kick-at-the-can; I’ve been to Paganicon before, and I have traveled to other Pagan events such as Pantheacon.
So why attend? First, as a Christian researcher and author on worldview issues, I take that task seriously. And like any other profession, it’s imperative to stay abreast of issues and changes. I happen to cover a wide swath of subjects, from transformational culture (think Burning Man) to transhumanism, global governance and world federalism, interfaithism, new religious movements, and Paganism. Therefore, attending events in these categories is an essential part of my work, with the information and knowledge gleaned being used in a variety of ways.
Secondly, when possible, as an Ambassador for Christ I want to engage in meaningful conversations. Not all events are conducive to this, but it does play a major role in my engagement at Burning Man and at the Parliament of the World’s Religions, and it’s happened at Paganicon and elsewhere. Although I normally travel as a solitary researcher, my time at Burning Man and the Parliament – and at this year’s Paganicon – has been with a small team of dedicated and like-minded friends.
What then, are some of the takeaways from this latest venture? Keep in mind that I sat through eleven workshops and panel discussions and observed other aspects of the event, so to relay everything would require producing a small book… In any case, here are a few important points that were reinforced from this trip to Paganicon:
1) The rise of neo-Paganism is, in many respects, a reflection on the state of the Christian community and a microcosm of what John Daniel Davidson, senior editor at The Federalist contends is America’s Stunning Embrace Of Paganism Signals The End Of This Country As We Know It. From the standpoint of the Christian community, it would be safe to say that a majority of the participants have a church background.
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3 Things You Should Know about 2 Corinthians
Second Corinthians teaches us that genuine Christian ministry is characterized by “simplicity and godly sincerity” (2 Cor. 1:12), that church officers aren’t self-sufficient (2 Cor. 3:5), and that ministry is more dying to self than it is self-promotion (2 Cor. 4:11–12). Paul elected not to accept compensation from the Corinthians, not wanting to introduce a stumbling block (2 Cor. 11:7–9). He didn’t carry letters of recommendation with him (2 Cor. 3:1–3). He refused to practice cunning (2 Cor. 4:2) or to tickle ears (2 Cor. 2:17) because it wasn’t his ministry or his message—it is God’s. The same is true of all Christian servants in the new covenant.
Like 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians covers a myriad of issues in addressing a church that is beset by immorality, false teachers, sectarianism, and theological confusion. In this letter, the Apostle Paul’s care and concern for the Corinthian church are palpable. Let’s consider three important characteristics of the letter that help us understand and apply its overall message.
1. Second Corinthians represents the culmination of Paul’s intense dealings with the church at Corinth.
The founding of the church in Corinth (around AD 52) took place during Paul’s second missionary journey (see Acts 18:1–11). Luke tells us that Paul stayed in Corinth for more than eighteen months. It seems that soon after Paul left Corinth for Antioch, significant problems arose in the new congregation. Paul found out about these problems while in Ephesus on his third missionary journey (see Acts 19). In all likelihood, 2 Corinthians is the fourth letter that Paul had written to the church within a span of roughly two years:Letter 1: The “previous” (nonextant) letter (see 1 Cor. 5:9)
Letter 2: 1 Corinthians
Letter 3: The “severe” (nonextant) letter after the “painful” visit (see 2 Cor. 2:3–4; 7:8–12)
Letter 4: 2 CorinthiansPaul sent the “severe” letter through Titus, who returned to Paul with a joyful report of the church’s repentance and loyalty to the Apostle and the Apostolic teaching. Thus, 2 Corinthians is a “happy” (though not perfect) culmination of a complex relationship between the Apostle and the Corinthian believers. Paul’s joy at the report from Titus regarding the Corinthians’ welfare (see 2 Cor. 7:6–7) demonstrates what the Apostle valued in the life of the church. These include the peace, purity, and unity of the church (including church discipline), as well as the Christian’s ethical conduct, humility, and generous stewardship. If the Apostle was so anxious that this church possess and manifest these attributes, we ought to work toward these in our churches and our Christian lives as well.
2. Second Corinthians provides a strong defense of Paul’s Apostolic ministry.
Paul goes to great lengths to demonstrate, contra the false “super-apostles” (2 Cor. 11:5), that his Apostleship is genuine because he has been commissioned and entrusted by the risen and ascended Lord Jesus Christ to speak in His name (see 2 Cor. 5:18; 13:3).
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