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The Social Gospel In Evangelical Theology & Church Life

14
Jul
posted by Andrew Dragos               filed under Church Life, Theology

Just in case you’re not “in the know”, there’s been a large-scale debate in the evangelical church especially in recent years (though its roots can be traced to earlier in the 20th century) about what exactly defines the “Gospel” and what the essence of God’s work here on earth is.

If you’re an evangelical Christian you’ll agree that sin separates people from God and that the atonement–however you define it–provided for us, through Jesus’ death on the cross, reconciliation.  In other words, the Gospel is largely about sin in the heart of the individual and that God saved us and allowed us to be in right relationship with him both now and in eternity.

The disagreement lies in how complete this good news is.  Certain churches and authors have rightfully, I think, reacted to conservative Christianity’s failure in reaching the social needs of the world in which we live.  New perspectives submit that God has a much bigger plan in salvation, that goes beyond the condition of individuals persons.  He is “reconciling the world to himself” (2 Corinthians 5:19) and working on restoring all of creation to its original design (see Romans 8:19-22 & 2 Peter 3:10-14 & the end of Revelation).  So, although Jesus Christ came to save persons, persons are merely the parts of a bigger picture.  Part of the bigger picture includes how redeemed persons are to relate to this world.

This is to say that too many Christians have an escapist mentality when it come to salvation.  An unbiblical theology will tell you that this world doesn’t matter, our bodies don’t matter, the environment doesn’t matter, and the poverty of my neighbor doesn’t really matter all that much either.  What matters is eternity and saving people from their sin.  This type of teaching stands in stark contrast to the word of God.  If we are to include the idea of repentance in the Gospel, we must repent of our negligence, apathy, and uncompassion when it comes to our neighbors.  God wants to use his church to usher in the kingdom of heaven onto this earth, his creation.  The kingdom lifestyle includes all those things which make earth a better place to live, with the law of Christ serving as our guides.  To reduce the work of Christ to “getting us into heaven” misses Jesus’ teaching that the kingdom is coming to earth.

So we return to the Gospel.  What is it?  It is essentially about God making a way, through Jesus’ death on the cross, for us to be in right relationship with him.  What matters most is that people repent of their sin and turn to God so as to enter into communion with him, avoiding the pains of hell and enjoying the pleasure of heaven in eternity.  But remember that Jesus taught that the kingdom of heaven is near, it has come with power, and it is indeed in us (Luke 17:21).  An essential ministry of the church is to preach, teach, live, and usher in the kingdom of God here on earth.  This can only happen after sin is dealt with in our hearts, but must continue with acts of love to all those whom we share this planet with.  Since no one exists outside of relationships (i.e. we are social beings), the Gospel deals with our relationships.  The Great Commandment means that loving our neighbor is a necessary dimension to living out the Gospel, which translates into being concerned for God’s justice for all peoples.  The Gospel is God making all things right.

One last note. 1 Corinthians 15, often referred to when defining Gospel, is very revealing.

By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.  For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures…14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. (NIV)

God could have accomplished the atonement without the resurrection.  Jesus was raised from the dead not merely as a confirming sign that he was the Son of God, but he was the firstfruit of what is to come!  We are going to be resurrected in the last day and will inhabit a new earth, not some immaterial place called “heaven” (see above references).  Our bodies matter. This world matters.  Matter matters. This is why social justice matters.  If God was just going to rescue us from this world, Jesus could have remained in the grave and our faith would not have been in vain.

As John Piper once said, “We exist to relieve all suffering, especially eternal suffering!”

Watch this video for a very helpful discussion between Tim Keller, John Piper, & D. A. Carson.

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MMA, UFC: Barbaric or What?

26
Jun
posted by Andrew Dragos               filed under Culture, Morality, T.V.

The other night I caught the end of a UFC fight on TV that was, well, consistently “high energy.”  Both fighters just wouldn’t give up.  Punches, kicks, holds; all of the pieces that make for a well-rounded match were there.  The audience was captivated to say the least.  Not to mention, by the end of the match it looked like one of the guys had lost enough blood to cover an entire Red Cross drive.

After the winner was announced, Joe Rogan (UFC spokesperson) hurried into the ring and excitedly pronounced, “If that wasn’t entertaining for you, you must be dead.”*  And so this got me thinking about our culture of violence.  I’m not going to go on about how detrimental video games, toy guns etc. are, but there’s something unique to professional fighting that crosses the lines of the “make-believe” cops & robbers games you’d play as a kid.  I mean, this is the real thing.  Two guys beating each others brains out!  Some people say MMA has recently become an even bigger industry than boxing.  And it seems to make sense; it’s more raw & allows for a more diverse way to do damage to your opponent.

Is this a healthy direction our culture is headed in?  MMA seems to be the modern equivalent of the Roman colosseum, minus the “fighting to the death.”  In defense, supporters of the sport will say that there are strict rules to protect fighters.  So the comparison to ancient gladiator games is not fair.  But the principle seems to be the same: watch two guys inflict damage to each other, & be entertained.  Is this something Christians should be celebrating?

Food for thought: consider the similarities between this issue and others you may have used “your body is a temple for the Holy Spirit” as an argument against a particular habit.

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit”
Romans 14:17 (NIV)

*Something along those lines.

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Jesus, Lord Over Nature

24
Jun
posted by Andrew Dragos               filed under Bible

And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
Mark 4:41 (ESV)

Pretend you were one of the 12; that he chose you and you followed him around as he first began proclaiming the gospel of God.

Put yourself on the scene as he commands, with authority, a demon to be silent.  Then the demon leaves.  Picture the convulsion and the loud noises that accompanied the feat.  Now picture Jesus, seemingly unmoved by what happened.  No loss of composure, no fear.  He is all too familiar with these beings (the fiends that from creation past have attempted to frustrate the plans of the Creator).  When confronted by his Lord, the demon properly calls Jesus “the Holy One of God.”  Imagine that. (1:23-27)

Now think back to your last encounter with the flu.  Consider the loss of interest you had in your activities, the time you spent in bed, the agony of hanging over a toilet bowl puking out the wee breakfast you forced yourself to eat that morning.  Imagine Jesus lifting up someone like this by the hand, and moments later that person bustling around the kitchen, anxiously preparing their favorite dish for the guests they’re about to excitedly entertain. (Mark 1:30-31)

Now think of leprosy, that disease that corrodes human flesh and disfigures body parts almost to the point of nonrecognition.  Consider how people would turn in the other direction when they notice a leper in their walking path.  Remember the last time someone embraced you affectionately…now imagine never being able to receive that again!  Then comes Jesus, and he touches the disease-carrying man.  “I will; be clean” says the Rabbi as the blemishes leave. (1:40-42)

Furthermore, imagine Jesus telling a cripple that his sins are forgiven, and then sending him on his way; bones healed, muscles fixed.  The man picks up his stretcher and walks home (2:1-12).  Also, a man with a withered hand gets a fresh one (3:1-6).  And you’re there seeing stuff like this.  Remember, you’re one of the 12.  Such amazing demonstrations of power.  These are no magic tricks or illusions.  They are acts of restoration and healing, authority and dominion.  Evil submits to good, disharmony to peace, sickness to life.  All because of a man! (the one who called you to follow him)

Now picture yourself floating on the Sea of Galilee; Jesus & company in a fishing boat (4:35-41).  The storm catches you by  surprise and you become frantic.  This lake is almost 700 feet below sea level which means especially violent storms caused by “downdrafts” can be unexpected & scary to say the least.  Water actually starts filling your boat, and you begin to think that you will perish.  Ironically, you notice Jesus seems to be having the best of sleep under these most unaccommodating circumstances.  And you continue to think you’ll perish.  In your ignorance, you actually awake your Lord from his slumber.  Moments later he says…

…”Have you still no faith?”

He’s demonstrated his authority over demons & sickness.  He even forgave someone’s sins!  He’s supernatural and he’s from God.  And you still don’t understand that Jesus is all-powerful.

On many occasions the Gospels have us wondering about the disciples.  Many times we’re left wondering how they could possibly have such little faith, understanding etc.  Especially in a case like this.  But you know what?  Don’t try to think you may have done better!  That’s not the point of the story!  So many times we read scripture and we see in it what we want to see in it.  The point is not that the disciples failed, it’s that Jesus succeeded!  The purpose of the narrative, like the Gospel accounts & the entirety scripture is to point us to a person.  It is to create in us an attitude of worship.

Imagine you were there in the boat.  The crashing waves are suddenly still.  The boat is no longer swaying.  Maybe your feet are still standing in the sea water that infiltrated your vessel; a dramatic element left to help make the impression.  Your feet are immersed, your clothes are soaked, your nostrils smell the scent of sea.  In front of you stands a man, who with a few words caused all to be still.  Imagine the feeling when you finally realize, that Jesus is in fact Lord over nature too!  Unabashedly, you too, would probably turn to your peer and ask, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

“Who is this King of Glory?” the answer came back, “The LORD strong and mighty”
Psalm 24:8

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God's Vocabulary

9
Jun
posted by Andrew Dragos               filed under Bible, Church Life

Why are many in the evangelical tradition so reluctant to use certain words when doing evangelism/discipleship?  We act like there’s a check-list of terms we must mark up, and a black-list to avoid, when witnessing to someone or preaching from the pulpit.  There are probably some you should include (Jesus, sin, come to mind); but I’m sure the list is often shorter than we make it out to be.  There is an unnecessary stigma attached to using words like “plan,” & “purpose.”  Why is that?  Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, one of the Bible’s most theologically rich books, includes a section that beautifully incorporates a rich palette of words which point us to the person of Jesus.

In love 5he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 11In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.
Ephesians 1:5-12 (ESV)

See also Acts 13:36; Romans 8:28; Romans 9:11; Romans 9:17; 2 Corinthians 5:5; Ephesians 2:15; Philippians 2:2; Philippians 2:13; 2 Thessalonians 1:11; 2 Timothy 1:9; 2 Timothy 3:10; Hebrews 6:17.

Does God not have a plan for your life?  What about a purpose for you to be driven by?  Yes, and yes.

When we start over-idealizing certain words it can lead to idolization.  Some Christians would do well to remember that we are not metaphysical dualists of the platonic tradition.  God is not expressed in the non-physical world of “forms” (ideas).  Words are not to be worshiped.  Words are a means to an end.  Words are supposed to point us to truth.

Christianity goes one step further- words point us to a person, Jesus Christ.  Should a word accomplish the purpose of God, which is ultimately worship, we should judge less the language used and cast out the fear we attach to it as well.

There is enough room in the vocabulary of God’s church for more than our preferred vernacular.  You have access to “plan, purpose, gospel, sin, atonement, justification etc.”  May the Spirit lead you in effective contextualization and healthy application of  his sacred language.

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Angels and Demons the Movie

3
Jun
posted by Andrew Dragos               filed under Movies

A lot can be said about this film.  The struggle I face is deciding how to introduce it since I didn’t review The Davinci Code, this film’s prequel.  Maybe an appropriate place to start would be to briefly mention that if The Davinci’s Code was offensive to many Christians since it was a story of an academic uncovering the greatest conspiracy of all time-the Orthodox Christian church’s cover-up of Jesus’ marriage to Mary Magdalene-Angels and Demons is less about undermining the historic Christian faith and more about the relationship between science and religion.  Considering it’s less controversial, you may notice me trying to beef up the content of this entry with cenematic/artistic commentary, though I by no means claim “movie-critic” status or even a working knowledge of the field.

I will skip the plot summary and just encourage you to view the film when you have the opportunity (click here for IMDB’s page).  And for my Christian readers, I assure you your Pastor has no good reason to discipline you for viewing!  I enjoyed it enough that I saw it in theaters twice (once while trying to subtly type notes on my phone, and the second time for pleasure with a couple of friends).  The theater experience was worth it even if only to hear, at loud decibels, the genius soundtrack work of Hans Zimmer throughout the movie!  The music was truly epic and suited the scenes so perfectly.  If you buy the soundtrack, notice the climactic crescendo at 2:28 in “God.”  One of the reasons I feel Angels and Demons did a better job than The Davinci Code at capturing its audience is because the soundtrack was written so well, was generously laden through the film, and cooperated with a better written script in creating moments of suspense.  Two examples of this, which amounts to being two of the best scenes in my opinion, were the discovery of the burning and drowning cardinals.

There are other elements that made this film a success in comparison to its prequel.  The script had some good one-liners (“Faith will not protect those in St. Peter’s Square”), it included a mysterious, aggressive secret society called the Illuminati who were bent on purging the Roman Catholic church, and had some shocking moments like the tearing of a page out of Galileo’s notes (stored in the Vatican’s archives) by Robert Langdon’s co-protagonist.  Some further irony that made this scene even more enjoyable to watch was their using a cart full of ancient books in the Vatican archives to ram a glass wall.

Since the plot revolved around the electing of a new pope for the Roman Catholic Church, it was intriguing to hear some of its history and church procedures; things the Protestant layperson isn’t exposed to much.  One term that stuck with me was “election by adoration.”  To be fair, some procedural & historical details were not in fact accurate.  But Dan Brown did a good job at presenting them in a way to contribute to the story.  Besides the thematic details, the visual work was truly amazing.  Included were (both real and computer-generated) images inside the Vatican and of Rome from a bird’s-eye view.  This again was one of the film’s strong points.

In conclusion, it should be noted that with mysteries like The Davinci Code and Angels and Demons, it’s difficult to pack into a film what flowed so naturally in a long novel.  Too many twists and turns can tire a viewer.  As with its prequel, this too began to feel a little slow about half-way through the film.  But it quickly realigned itself and brought itself to focus on the main direction of the plot.  Though something can be said about its portrayal of faith, science, and the relationship between the two, Angels and Demons did a good job at remaining neutral in matters concerning the RCC, Christianity, and faith in general.  It was a rather fun watch as a mystery/thriller, the music was excellent, and the visual elements were well done.

Rating: 4/5

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