Greetings
all past and future post from the institute can be found in a much easier format at
splctn.360unite.com/blog-archive
Goodby Blogishpear it was fun
Blessings to all
Pastor Robert Portier
Smoky Mountain Bible Institute
Scientific Disciplines through a Biblical Worldview
This online institute is designed to give a brief analysis and discussion of all scientific disciplines through the lens of a biblical world view. +++ SDG +++
Friday, December 21, 2018
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Dear 6 followers,
It has been 10 years since I joined the blogusphere and I think it is time for a new approach.
Smoky Mountain Bible institute is not going away it is moving.
in the past 7 years I have had here over 10,000 page views for over 10 countries but I would like to make these articles a little easier to find because that was the original reason for doing this.
Most of these articles are designed to answer specific questions.
I will continue to work on the Pastor what is the difference question
and I still have to address the scientific disciplines of Sociology and Theology
That all being said my next post will have a link to a web site with all these articles arranged by topic.
Blessings to you all and have a blessed day
In Christ Pastor Portier
It has been 10 years since I joined the blogusphere and I think it is time for a new approach.
Smoky Mountain Bible institute is not going away it is moving.
in the past 7 years I have had here over 10,000 page views for over 10 countries but I would like to make these articles a little easier to find because that was the original reason for doing this.
Most of these articles are designed to answer specific questions.
I will continue to work on the Pastor what is the difference question
and I still have to address the scientific disciplines of Sociology and Theology
That all being said my next post will have a link to a web site with all these articles arranged by topic.
Blessings to you all and have a blessed day
In Christ Pastor Portier
100, 101, 102
Smoky Mountain Bible Institute
(Est. 2009) Lesson #100
We have
discussed the three ladders that separate people from God and his truth in
doctrine and practice now let’s jump into the five errors or departures from
biblical truth that just refuse to die. All modern departures from biblical
truth (either directly or indirectly) fall into one of these five categories.
There are two commonly parroted phrases that can show the difference between a
heretical statement and a sound biblical one. "All paths lead to god"
This statement is heretical, and "There is nothing new under the
sun." this is a sound biblical truth found in the ninth verse of
Ecclesiastes chapter one. Heresies are like viruses that infect sound doctrine
and grow within the church, attacking biblical truth and sound practices. So,
before we discuss the five historic types, let us first define ‘heresy’.
Heresy: A doctrine or practice
contrary to clear biblical truth. This is of course, a confessional Lutheran
definition of this word. Some will argue that "clear biblical truth"
is a topic for debate and I will refer that debate to lessons 96 & 97.
"All paths lead to god" departs from the biblical principal of
exclusivity. This is a clear principal taught throughout scripture. The first
commandment, and Christ himself claimed this exclusivity in John 14 verse 6 “I
am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through me." The issue of exclusivity is offensive in our postmodern
society. Interestingly, those who
condemn this principal as too exclusive....exclude those who hold this view,
while claiming to be inclusive of all....except of course those who are too
exclusive. If that seems a bit circular, illogical, and ridiculous to
you...welcome to the club.
The devil is not very original when seeking to deceive God's
people he just repackages the same old lies. "There is nothing new under
the sun." Knowing about these heresies can function like a vaccine to
protect us from false doctrines and practices.
The first and oldest of the
heresies is Legalism, which made its first appearance in the Garden of Eden
when Eve added to God's instruction by saying they should not touch the fruit.
God said they shall not eat of it, but He did not prohibit touching. I find it interesting that this first form of
legalism could be seen as laying the ground work for the first sinful act of
disobedience. When we create our own rules,
it leads to confusion which leads to sin. The early Christian church dealt with
this heresy in the form of the Judaizers. Again, the problem with this form of
heresy is that it makes rules where God does not and in so doing drives a wedge
between God and man. It could be said that this is what all heresies do, but
each one does it in a different way.
With legalism, you end up with rules that are works you must do in order
to be saved or have access to salvation.
In the case of the Judaizers, they required circumcision, in essence
saying that you had to first become Jewish in order to become a Christian. This
shifts the work of salvation away from Jesus and puts it on our shoulders. We
see St. Paul and the other Apostles working hard to root out this heresy in the
early Church in the book of Acts and in some of Paul's epistles, especially
Galatians. They came together specifically to deal with this question in Acts
15. We know from Romans 4: 5 & 6
that we are justified objectively by works outside of ourselves in the person
and work of Christ. "5. And to the one who does not work but believes in
him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, 6. Just as David also speaks of the blessing of
the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works…" ESV
We see legalism sadly alive and well within
Trinitarian Christianity today in many forms. They are man-made rules that are
not biblical. For example, the idea that some form of penance is required for
forgiveness, or that some form of decision on my part is required for a heart
troubled by its own sinful nature to be given the gift of faith, turning
Baptism and the Lord’s Supper into works of obedience, or requiring speaking in
tongues as evidence of faith. Whenever we require a rule or activity that is
not based on a clear biblical doctrine, as I pointed out earlier with the
doctrine of exclusivity, we fall into the same legalistic trap Eve did when she
put words in God’s mouth about touching the fruit. Next month we will discuss
Gnosticism.
In Christ
Pastor Portier
(Est. 2009) Lesson #101
Gnosticism:
Shortly after the early church dealt with the problem of Legalism, Gnosticism
which actually predates Christianity took on a Christian form even while the
church was still dealing with Legalism.
The word Gnosticism comes from the Ancient Greek “gnosis”
meaning knowledge. This heresy first shows up in a number of ancient religions
which taught that people should shun the material world and embrace the
spiritual world. Gnostic ideas influenced many religions, including
Christianity. Gnosticism is basically a pendulum swing away from the first
heresy, legalism. Where the Judaizers
combined Jewish practice with Christianity, Gnosticism combined pagan
philosophy with Christianity. The Judaizers were holding on to the past, while
Gnostics broke with the past looking to be attractive to the society of their
day.... sound familiar?
Ancient
Gnosticism is hard to pin down. It requires a “special knowledge” but that
special knowledge is never clearly defined, much like today’s New Age movement
(which is already decades old, so it is no longer new and therefore has faded
from popularity like all fads).
Christian varieties of Gnosticism did not really come into full form
until sometime in the second century. That is when things such as the Gnostic
gospels show up. Christianity survived Gnosticism by confronting it head-on.
Many of the early church fathers fought for Biblical truth, laying down their
lives rather than compromising their faith in Christ by mixing it with
Paganism.
Gnosticism
made numerous claims over the years, and as one version was squashed by the
church, another would pop up in its place. However, most forms of Gnosticism
fall into three categories. Dualism claims that everything in the universe is
reducible to two fundamental realities, for example Good & Evil or Flesh
& Spirit. Syncretism is the merging of two different systems of belief, for
example, modern day Unitarian Universalism, or the beliefs of many Americans
who claim to be Christian but will say "all paths lead to God". The
last category is Docetism, which claims that Christ only appeared to be human.
Modern historic critics make a similar sort of claim when they try to explain
away all of Christ’s miracles with human reason, making him an aberration of a
collective consciousness or the creation of a deluded individual or
individuals. Modalism is another variation of Docetism reasoning that God can
only be in one place at one time so he manifests himself as father or son or
spirit but not all three at the same
time.
Next, we
have Arianism: which shows us how heresy can arise from within the church.
During a climate of tolerance after Constantine made Christianity the official
religion of the Roman Empire, Arianism became a movement within the church
before anyone rose up to oppose it. This is one of Satan’s favorite tactics;
disguising himself as an angel of light. Arianism is an attack on the deity of
Christ. The Arians claimed that Jesus Christ was a created being, higher than
humanity, but less than truly God. The Gnostic attacked the church from outside
the church, but Arianism brought false doctrine to the church from within.
Arius was the heretic for whom this doctrine is named. He devised a view of
Christ that made Him a created being, neither divine nor truly human, but a
mediator between God and humanity. According to Arius, Christ was the firstborn
of all creation, higher than other creatures, but a creature nonetheless. This
is exactly what modern Jehovah’s Witnesses teach. Jehovah's Witnesses use the
very same arguments Arius did.
The Nicene
Creed was the church’s response to Arianism, but it marked the beginning, not
the end, of the controversy in the church. After their doctrine was condemned
by the council, the Arians pleaded for tolerance, and they succeeded in
infecting the church worldwide with their doctrine. Emperor Constantine was
frustrated when the Nicene Council was not successful in quelling the Arian
controversy, because he wanted harmony in the church to promote harmony in his
land. Arianism became so popular that only one man ended up standing against
it—Athanasius (the same Athanasius after whom the Athanasian Creed is named).
Although
Athanasius stood alone against the majority of the church in his day, his
arguments won out, because he employed Scripture skillfully and persuasively to
demonstrate the error of the heresy. This episode is a classic example of why
Scripture, not majority opinion, is the first and last test of every doctrine.
This is why we hold to the Book of Concord as the clearest exposition of
biblical truth.
In Christ Pastor Portier
(Est. 2009) Lesson #102
Next we have Pelagianism, this
heresy is named after the British monk named Pelagius (354-420 or 440) who
first popularized the view. Pelagianism is the belief that original sin did not
taint human nature and that mortal will is still capable of choosing good or
evil without special divine aid. Modern day Pelagians reject the doctrine of
original sin or what Calvinists call total depravity, and they reject the
practice of infant baptism. This heresy leads to works righteousness or partial
works righteousness known as Semi-Pelagianism.
Pelagius
and Augustine were opponents and this controversy they were involved in some of
the very same debates Calvinists and Armenians have today. Pelagius was
motivated by a concern to elevate human free will, because he was (wrongly)
convinced it was the only way to preserve human responsibility. Augustine
defended the sovereignty of God, because he (rightly) knew it was the only way
to preserve the centrality of divine grace in salvation.
Augustine
responded by demonstrating from scripture that the human will is not free in
the sense Pelagius taught; our wills are hopelessly bound by sin (Romans
8:7–8). Sinners are utterly helpless to change for the better apart from the
external working of divine grace in their hearts (Jeremiah 13:23). The Council
of Ephesus in 431 condemned Pelagianism as heretical.
We see
modern day versions of this in what is called decision theology, making a
conscious decision to follow Jesus before you in essence accept the gift of
salvation. Scripture teaches us that faith is a miraculous gift that we cannot
take a hold of without the Holy Spirit gathering and enlightening us.
Traditional Christian monergist hold that saving faith is the work of God and
that is why most monergist baptize infants. Traditional synergist hold that
saving faith is something you must choose that is why most synergist do not
baptize infants. Monergist would contend that we cannot choose God in our
fallen sinful nature and would site Ephesians 2 and Colossians 2 that we were
dead in our sins and trespasses. Dead beings can choose nothing. We also see
works righteousness in the sacrament of penance (Roman Catholic) in some way
adding to what Christ did for us on the cross. This heresy has a lot in common
with the ladder of feelings mentioned a couple of lessons ago. The Holiness
movement, and revivalism are at their root Pelagian or Semi-Pelagian.
Finally, Socinianism is a system of
Christian doctrine named for Fausto Sozzini (Latin: Faustus Socinus), which was
developed among the Polish Brethren in the Minor Reformed Church of Poland
during the 16th and 17th centuries, and embraced by the Unitarian Church of
Transylvania during the same period. It is most famous for its Non-Trinitarian
Christology but contains a number of other unorthodox beliefs.
Socinianism
is the culmination of heresy—an amalgamation of all the other heresies—and it
is without a doubt the most widespread of all the heresies in our generation.
Modern theological liberalism is nothing more than a variety of Socinianism.
Rejecting everything Catholic, the Socinians ended up with a doctrine that
embraced virtually every serious error that had ever assaulted the church. Like
the legalists and the Pelagians, they taught salvation by works. Like the
Gnostics and the Arians, they were Anti-Trinitarian. In fact, they denied not
only the deity of Christ but also every miraculous element of scripture, just
as many do today. They blended the skepticism of the Sadducees with the
humanistic rationalism of the enlightenment era, and that combination is what
gave birth to this heresy. Modern day Unitarian Universalism is a clear
representation of this heresy. This heresy does away with the authority of
scripture and makes human reason supreme. Socinians would say that Jesus came
to show us how to live not to die for our sins.
Every cult
and every false doctrine that exists today has something in common with one or
more of the five false doctrines, discussed in this and the two previous
lessons. Now you are equipped to take on any serious heretic. So, remember, if
you run into any of these garden variety heretics, let them know the church
condemned Legalism in the first century, Gnosticism in the second century,
Arianism in the third century, Pelagianism in the fifth century, and
Socinianism around 400 years ago. Or, just tell them to read the Bible.
The Primary source for these three articles is; Phil Johnson,
“Survey of Hericies”
In Christ
Pastor Portier
Wednesday, July 18, 2018
#99
Smoky Mountain Bible Institute (Est. 2009) Lesson
#99
Last month
we discussed the second ladder; the ladder of emotions, feelings and
enthusiasm. You may be wondering “why ladders?” The answer is that these
categorizations of the many incorrect ways in which we strive to reach God or “climb”
to him. On to ladders 1 & 3.
Ladder #1: the mind, knowledge
about God, we will convince no one about the gospel with our rhetorical skills.
However good Rhetoricians (debaters) should use their knowledge to be ready to
give an answer to those who ask about the hope you have within you. Trusting more
in logic than God himself however makes our intellect god. Even Christians who
are good logical debaters can fall into this trap, especially if they have
degrees and credentials. Degrees and credentials are good things as long as you
do not trust in them above God. If someone tells you that they can prove,
beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Jesus is who He claims to be because they have
irrefutable proof, proceed with caution. The Holy Spirit, not our mind is the
purveyor and giver of saving faith.
Finally
Ladder #3: works. “Look at what I am doing; look at all the great stuff Jesus
gave me because I am a hard worker for the kingdom and He clearly rewards those
who follow His laws and do His will.” This of course does not tell you about
Jesus and what He did for you, it tells you how good this “believer” thinks he
is. What if I am poor, or my car gets repossessed; what if I lose my job or my
home? Does this mean Jesus does not love me and I just need to work harder to
earn His blessing? This prosperity or works righteousness gospel falsely
teaches that God loves and blesses you based on you and your good works. There
are some real problems with this kind of false gospel. Some theological terms
for this ladder are “works righteousness” & “preaching prosperity”.
If this
were true, then all happy, healthy, wealthy people would be the clearest
examples of good Christians, and vise-versa. While this may describe the
membership found at some of the more popular self-help, have your best life now
kind of “churches”, it is no way to describe a biblical Christian. We might
like to think that a life of faith is one of flowers, pleasant smells, soft
luxurious clothing, fine furniture, clean, pleasant surroundings, delicious
food, fine wines, beer, brats, beautiful women, handsome men, and full bank
accounts, but scripture and history paint a very different picture. A life of
faith in Christ is one of pain, suffering and endurance. More Christians were
martyred for the faith in the 20th century than in the previous 19 centuries
combined. Christians today are getting their heads cut off all over the world. Some
will say the end must be coming soon because it has never been this bad, but
there is nothing new under the sun; suffering for the faith is a long-standing
reality of a life of faith. Consider Noah, Job, the apostles, and the millions if
not billions of others martyred for the faith. Paul brags of all the scars and
wounds he has for preaching the faith; not about his fine tent or camel.
One of the
church fathers, Tertullian, is quoted as saying “The blood of the martyrs is
the seed of the church”, and history bears this out. In times of great
persecution, the church experiences great growth. The real Jesus came for,
loves, and serves all sinners and tax collectors. It does not matter what side
of the tracks you come from. You know
you are living right not if you are blessed with material things but if your
activities reflect a redeemed life of repentance that seeks to love God and neighbor
as best you can with his help.
We all at some level look to these ladders as
ways to get to God without Jesus. Ladder #1 is the one I often find myself
climbing, because it sure would be nice to be able to prove God is who he
claims to be. While there is solid evidence of God in all scientific
disciplines, it is not knowledge and evidence that saves, but faith in Christ.
You cannot prove God to anyone; only the Holy Spirit can create faith. And
reason is but a maidservant to her mistress, faith. As long as the maidservant
and the mistress sleep in their own beds they get along nicely. However if the
maidservant tries to sleep in her mistresses bed, confusion, idolatry and
anarchy are sure to follow. We walk by faith and not by sight, so if your
pastor says he can prove to you that God exists, remind him that he cannot.
Another recently published book that does a good job of discussing this topic
is “Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up? 12 False Christs” by Matthew Richard.
Till next month,
In Christ, Pastor Portier
Wednesday, June 13, 2018
#98
Smoky Mountain Bible Institute (Est. 2009) Lesson
#98
Where is Jesus??? In our world
today, full of little churches and mega churches trying to sell you Jesus by
saying ‘Come over here, we have the Jesus you didn't even know you needed or
wanted’, how does one find the real Jesus? Well, first let’s make a typically
Lutheran statement..."you do not find Jesus He finds you!" That is
all fine and good and true but not very helpful in responding to the constant
barrage of trendy Jesus marketing. So, let’s briefly review the three main
marketing tools used to sell you a Jesus that is really more about you than the
Savior who came to save you. That is what marketing naturally does, appeals to
the individual.
The reason for identifying these
false Jesus marketing models is to help us to see them in a sort of sea of
theological positions. Even those of us
who hold to sound biblical doctrine fall into these traps or to put it the way
Luther did, the Church is like a drunken peasant that climbs out of one ditch
only to stager across the road and fall into another. These metaphors may be a
bit of an over simplification, but good books have been written to deal with
this topic in detail. I would recommend these three; 1. Broken: 7 ''Christian''
Rules That Every Christian Ought to Break as Often as Possible Dec 5, 2012, by
Jonathan M. Fisk, 2. Spirituality of the
Cross Revised Edition February 1, 2010
by Gene Edward Veith, 3. The Quest for Holiness: A Biblical, Historical and
Systematic Investigation August 26, 2004, by Adolf Koberle (Author), John C.
Mattes (Translator).
Even if we are aware of the “three
ladders” so to speak the great deceiver does his best to disguise falsehoods in
a myriad of ways. Trying to get us to focus on our; ladder 1- mind, ladder 2-
feelings, or ladder 3 - work instead of our Savior. While it is important for
us to keep our focus on who Jesus is, it is also helpful to know who Jesus is
not, to avoid putting our focus in the wrong place.
With the eyes of faith, it is as
easy to see where Jesus is to be found. Just like looking for Waldo on a busy
multi-coloured page. You know exactly what Waldo looks like. His candy cane
shirt and hat, the glasses and blue jeans are unmistakable. The true Jesus
might make you feel good, He will bless you but not necessarily in the way you
wish. Science and history are His friend, but those things are not how you will
know Him. You will know Him because He is where He says He will be in His word
and sacraments. You can know with absolute certainty that you are a baptized
child of God whom He loves more than His own life which He gave on a cross. He
regularly nurtures you through His word proclaimed and His (body / bread) and
(blood / wine) put in your mouth for your forgiveness. Take comfort in His
assurance "Lo I am with you always even unto the end of the world"
Amen.
As I said earlier even though we
know these truths about Jesus, we will still struggle with these three ladders.
The first and most popular ladder is that of the shallow self-centered versions
of ‘marketing Jesus’ is the, "Look at how good I feel Jesus".
This version of marketing Jesus is easy to identify. Followers talk a lot about
Jesus, but Jesus is not really ‘doing’ any of the verbs. This version of Jesus
does not talk about what Jesus did for you or what Jesus does for you. The "Look
at how good I feel Jesus" follower is always telling you about how
Jesus makes you feel. In truth, Jesus
does not manipulate our emotions. How we feel is about us, not about
Jesus. Emotions are a gift from God and
yes, when we sing His praises or listen to His word or read His words or share
how He has blessed us, it can and should make us feel good. But those feelings are not Jesus, and they
are no indication of how close He is to us. The one who bled and died for ours
sins is always close to us no matter how we feel. When I do not feel good Jesus
it there whether I feel Him or not. If I do not feel good, if I am grieving, if
I am hungry, if I am sick? Jesus is right there suffering with me, tending to
my needs through the loving actions of others. Our feelings can fool us into
thinking Jesus in not there when we need Him most.
When we are
hurting He provides means to assure us of His presence and we don’t have to
doubt this truth because his word plainly spells it out. He gives us pastors to
proclaim us to be absolved when we confess. He gives us baptism in which he
takes ownership of us by putting His name on us, washing us into his death and
resurrection. He gives us Bread and Wine that is His flesh and blood,
forgiveness we can smell, taste and touch. When we need Him the most, He is
there providing the peace He promised. So, if someone tries to sell you a
"Look at how good I feel Jesus" say no thanks I am feeling a
bit nauseous and I know he is here at my side! The official theological term
for this ladder is “Enthusiasm”.
We will have to address the other two ladders next month
Until then have a blessed Summer
In Christ Pastor Portier
Wednesday, May 16, 2018
Smoky Mountain Bible Institute
(Est. 2009) Lesson #97
As promised last month, here is our
discussion of the ministerial hermeneutical method. I cite a lot of texts in
this article, so you may want to have a Bible handy. The main method in this
category is called the “Historical Grammatical” method. This method also
employs human reason, but only as far as we finite beings are able
(acknowledging that we cannot fully comprehend the infinite) and lets God's
word have the final say especially when it says things that are illogical to
us. This method acknowledges that God is all-powerful and can reveal his truth
to us in any way he chooses, and that happens to be his inerrant written word,
clearly defined through history and grammar, the Bible. As such, this method
produces interpretations that are clear confessions of biblical truth. If your
ultimate authority is God's word, then you will acknowledge that all human life
is created in his image and is intrinsically valuable. All races, locations,
sizes, and conditions of humans are therefore worthy of the highest respect and
protection we can provide. We also have the freedom to function within the
gifted order of his creation. He put “norms” in place for our benefit and we
let his word have the final say no matter how politically incorrect or
illogical it may sound.
God gives men and women different
roles, like mother, father, husband, wife, or pastor. Scripture attaches gender
to each of these roles (see 1 Tim 3:1-13, Titus 1:6-9, 1 Cor 14:33-35, Eph
5:21-26, Col 3:18-19, 1 Tim 2:9-13, 1 Cor 11:3-10, and 1 Peter 3:1-5). History
and grammar can help us better understand these things but we cannot redefine
what the words mean. To be a pastor, one must be male, rightly called, and
ordained. Marriage is defined for us in Genesis as being between one man and
one woman. Other scriptural mandates are chastity for all, celibacy for the
unmarried, and monogamy and fidelity for the married. These are the gifts of a
loving God to us all regardless of our fallen sinful condition.
To say that only God can forgive sins is most
certainly correct, and he can do so however he wishes. To that end, he has
established means through which forgiveness can be given, including through
words spoken in his stead, by his command following confession (see John
20:22-23).
Baptism is
a gift from God, even if it does not seem logical. Water and word certainly
cannot normally save and give faith miraculously, but scripture tells us that
God’s word combined with water does just that (see Matt 28:19; Mark 15:16; 1
Peter 3:21; Acts 2:38-39; 22:16; 1 Cor 6:11; 12:13; Eph 5:26; Titus 3:5-6; Heb
10:22; John 3:5; Rom 6:3-6; Col 2:11-12, and Gal 3:27-29).
The
Lord’s Supper is a gift from God, even if it does not seem logical. Bread and
wine normally cannot also be flesh and blood and give forgiveness when
consumed, but scripture tells us that they can, and they do (see Matt 26, Mark
14 Luke 22, and 1 Cor 11).
As you can
see, the “leaves” on these two hermeneutic trees are very different. So, the
next time you are sharing your faith with someone and they argue against your
“interpretation”, you can politely tell them “yes, and it is also the
confession of the universal, historic, Christian faith, so your disagreement is
not with me, but with the plain, clear, historic, apostolic exposition of God's
truth”. Or perhaps you could just say, “your disagreement is not with me, but
God's word”; that might be simpler.
There are
much more thorough treatments of this topic available, but this will help
define the two main schools of thought which will appear in our discussion of
American Trinitarian Christian church bodies. Next month we will begin
discussion of the “three ladders” or the “three ditches” we often find
ourselves falling into, regardless of our church’s confession. We all struggle
with these, but some church bodies have them as part of their public confession
of faith.
In Christ,
Pastor Portier
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
#96
Smoky Mountain Bible Institute (Est. 2009) Lesson
#96
Before discussing church bodies, we
must consider a number of issues which define and explain the positions that
different church bodies hold. The first and largest divide falls in the area of
biblical interpretation. So lets dive into the exciting topic of Hermeneutics.
"That is your
interpretation…" Such is often the response I get when I try to share
God's truth with others. It is frustrating to get this response when you try to
tell someone about God’s truth as you have come to understand it through the
help of your family, church and especially the Holy Spirit. When people reject
God's truth you can't help but feel a little rejected yourself. In an effort to
assist you in this endeavor, lets briefly touch on two topics: Hermeneutics and
Evangelism. These two words sometimes elicit reactions of confusion and/or fear
among most Christians. Let’s first deal with confusion, so we do not need to
run in fear.
Hermeneutics
is the#96 branch of knowledge that deals with interpretation of the Bible. When
you are discussing the “living out” of faith with your neighbor, you may be
using different methods of biblical interpretation, which will mean you will
reach different conclusions. Using the metaphor of leaves on a tree, your
discussion about a leaf may be confusing because you may be picturing an oak
leaf while your neighbor is thinking of a maple leaf. The “leaves” or
conclusions are different because they come from completely different trees. It
is the same with biblical interpretation. While there are many methods or
lenses out there through which people look at God’s word, they all fit into one
of two categories: magisterial or ministerial. (I know, two more big words to
define, but be patient as I explain how these lead to very different
applications and conclusions about the unchangeable truth of God's word.)
Magisterial hermeneutics appeal to
human reason over God’s word. The “Historical Critical” method is the main one
in this category. The conclusions that this method derives are based on the
preconceived notions of those using it. In other words, if God's word says
something they do not like or agree with, then they simply use this method to
say “I know what it says, but it cannot mean that, so I’ll find a different
approach which will produce a result which seems good to me”. This method puts
all the authority in human reason, above the revealed truth of God’s word. Most liberal biblical scholars, atheists, and
agnostics interpret scripture using methods that fall into this category. What
they have in common is the idolatry of the human mind over God's revealed
truth. This method leads to a
misapplication of biblical principles or just outright denial of any biblical
authority at all. If your ultimate authority is the human mind, then you (being
a human) can hold the rights of one individual over and above the rights of
someone else defined as less than individuals (e.g. those of other races, the
opposite sex, those not yet born, those with a lifestyle you do not like, or
those with a quality of life you arbitrarily decide is not worth the status of
individual with protected rights.) Even those who claim that God’s word is
wrong because it condemns their lifestyle.
Those
holding to a magisterial hermeneutic also have the freedom to depart from God's
word completely and make new rules for themselves and society. To declare
“anyone can be a pastor” is to say that call, training, ability, and gender
have no bearing on who should fill the role even if scripture says otherwise.
To declare “marriage is for any consenting adults at all" is to say that
chastity, monogamy, heterosexuality, and fidelity are the products of a
manipulative, medieval, patriarchal society, and that the oppressive cultural
norms of the past are invalid. To declare “only God can forgive sins" is
to say that God’s biblical directive to the church through Peter to forgive
sins (Mt 16:19; 18:15–20; Jn 20:22–23; Rv 1:18) does not mean what it says. To
declare "baptism and the Lord’s Supper are acts of obedience" is to
say that it is not logical that water and word can save or that bread and wine
can be flesh and blood. Many “conservative” Christians would agree with
scripture on most of the things in this paragraph but each of them is an example
of an appeal to reason over scripture, and this is what leads to error.
I am afraid
we have run out of space for this month, so we will pick up our discussion next
month with the ministerial approach. Until then have a blessed Easter season.
In Christ,
Pastor Portier
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