True and False Humility When Handling the Scriptures

"Hermeneutics is a big word. You may be unfamiliar with it, but it’s a necessary part of all Bible study.  Hermeneutics is the science of interpreting what an author has written. For Christians, it means following the appropriate rules for interpreting Scripture. And although the word “hermeneutics” doesn’t appear in the Bible, its practice is clearly described: “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

In that verse, the apostle Paul provides the what and why of hermeneutics—accurate handling of God’s sacred Word. Right interpretation of what God has spoken to us means that we can rightly apply it to our lives, and rightly proclaim it to others. “God is not the author of confusion” (1 Corinthians 14:33, KJV) and He doesn’t present us with a smorgasbord of doctrinal options. If God wrote it, then all that matters is what Hemeans by what He says, not what I think or want it to mean.

But today, in a culture dominated by subjectivity, an objective, authoritative truth has no place. That’s true even in the church, where, in the early days of the twenty-first century, postmodern theologians gained a significant voice. They called themselves the Emerging church, and argued, in effect, that certainty is overrated. Instead, they invented their own approach to hermeneutics.

Tony Jones, an early leader in the Emerging church, called it the “hermeneutic of humility.” The idea was to interpret God’s Word but stop short of coming to any definitive conclusions that would exclude alternative interpretations. It identified as “humble” what other eras of church history knew as confusion or unbelief.

10 Concerns Francis Schaeffer Took to the Grave (pt. 2)

"Penned just before his death in 1984, Francis’ Schaeffer’s forgotten tome ‘The Great Evangelical Disaster’ drew attention to various concerns that lay heavily upon the Protestant thinker’s mind before he passed into glory. Today, rereading this book some three decades later seems to almost verge on the prophetic (small case "p"). The Switzerland-based American teacher was able to pinpoint several major themes that have come to plague the evangelical scene in our days. In this article, we are going to highlight ten major fears that Schaeffer took to the grave which should be of concern to all of us who identify ourselves with the Gospel-centred, Reformation-rooted Protestant faith.

Yesterday we considered the first five fears namely:
1.- Growing Relativism

2.- Lack of Discipline 

3.- Compromise of the Truth

4.- Social Work (Misplaced Priorities)

5.- The Temptation of Ecumenism 

Today we will consider the remaining five concerns that Mr. Schaeffer wrote about shortly before his death.  As you think about the past 35 years, how many of these concerns were valid?  What can we do to address these ten concerns as individual believers and as local churches?  

6. Abortion 

Far from assenting to rife abortion-justifying euphemisms such as the ‘quality of life’ or ‘the happiness and well-being of the mother’ or ‘the need for every child to be wanted’, Schaeffer believed that mass abortion was simply the outworking of a revived hedonistic attitude which put a person’s happiness above a sacred respect for human life.  He was unable to understand how anyone confessing the name of Christ could remain within a pro-abortion denomination. In the final analysis, abortion was an all-out attack on the precious image of God which is made known through humankind. “The unborn child is a human being created in the image of God, and to deny this is to deny the authority of the Bible. It is impossible to read Psalm 139 and truly believe what it says without realizing that life in the womb is human life. It is impossible to truly believe in the Incarnation and not realize that the child conceived in Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit was indeed the Son of God from the time of conception”.

7.- Liberalism 

The fruit of theological liberalism had left many formerly-sound churches completely destitute of any spiritual power. Modernism, influenced by German Higher Criticism, had all but baptized the cardinal doctrines of the Enlightenment in the name of Christ. What did such an approach entail? Schaeffer answers: “The denial of the supernatural; belief in the all-sufficiency of human reason; the rejection of the Fall; denial of the deity of Christ and his resurrection; belief in the perfectibility of man; and the destruction of the Bible”.  Liberal preachers like the acclaimed Harry Emerson Fosdick (1878-1969) had no authoritative Bible left to preach from. Secular humanism took centre stage therefore any doctrine that did not put the spotlight upon man was ultimately done away with. Rather than the church influencing the world; the world took the reins of the church into her Gospel-denying grasp. Today this is seen in the emergent church and in the seeker sensitive/church growth movements.

10 Concerns Francis Schaeffer Took to the Grave

Penned just before his death in 1984, Francis’ Schaeffer’s forgotten tome ‘The Great Evangelical Disaster’ drew attention to various concerns that lay heavily upon the Protestant thinker’s mind before he passed into glory. Today, rereading this book some three decades later seems to almost verge on the prophetic (small case "p"). The Switzerland-based American teacher was able to pinpoint several major themes that have come to plague the evangelical scene in our days. In this article, we are going to highlight ten major fears that Schaeffer took to the grave which should be of concern to all of us who identify ourselves with the Gospel-centered, Reformation-rooted Protestant faith.

1.- Growing Relativism 

Relativism came about due to the Enlightenment’s focus upon the autonomy of man. No longer was God to set the rules and call the shots; but rather humankind was to determine what was good and evil, true and false (as in the wicked day of the Judges in ancient Israel). Ethics and epistemology became absorbed by an inordinate passion for egoism and self-interest. Once the infallible, inerrant Word of God was openly decried; there was nothing left to take its place but human fancies. Schaeffer realized that a church built upon the sandy-foundation of relativism could not withstand the onslaught of fallen reason. Only the non-negotiable absolutes of Scripture could enable the church to keep waging a good warfare. It was those “absolutes which enabled the early church to withstand the pressure of the Roman Empire” A relativistic church would have nothing left to say to a sinful culture. 

2.- Lack of Discipline (Polemics)

Given the resurgence of pagan relativism throughout post-modern society, many churches had fallen into the trap of downplaying Christian doctrine (absolutes) by refusing to take action against false teachers. Schaeffer identified a lack of church discipline (2-3 John, Jude) as the real breeding ground for heretics. It was this deficiency which explained the victory of the liberal party within early twentieth-century American Presbyterianism. The Great Evangelical Disaster, by Schaeffer. As Schaeffer makes clear, “Discipline had not been consistently applied by the faithful men of the church”.  Without ecclesiastical and denominational discipline for doctrinal reasons, the church would be left vulnerable before the avalanche of false teaching. Hence Schaeffer’s proposal: “The practice of the purity of the visible church first means discipline of those who do not take a proper position in regard to the teaching of Scripture”.  And again: “Where there is a departure from the historic view of Scripture and from obedience to God’s Word, then those who take this weakened view need to be brought under discipline”. Only a high view of Scripture could justify the reestablishment of biblical discipline. If unorthodox ministers/teachers/bible study leaders were not dealt with, how could their churches stay true to sound doctrine? (Note this theme in 1-2 Timothy, Titus)

 3.- Compromise of the Truth

Presenting God as He Defines Himself in His Word

One of the common features of a postmodern world is the rejection of any exclusive truth claims. Postmodernism views all truth as relative and any exclusive truth claims as arrogant, offensive, and impossible. As we live and minister in that kind of a world, how should we teach God’s Word and present God’s character to those to whom we minister?

What our world needs to hear is a biblically-based presentation of God in all His glory, majesty, and power

On the one hand, we must navigate the fine line between those beliefs and practices that are non-negotiable and those that are negotiable. In light of the Bible’s teaching on “liberty” and the issues of a weaker and stronger conscience, there are times when we must not be adamant about the need for everyone to accept our understanding or arrange their lives according to that understanding. Here are some examples: what music should we listen to, can a believer drink a glass of wine, etc. There is room to disagree without rancor in these cases. Of course, there are biblical principles that offer guidance concerning these issues, but broadly speaking, if the Bible does not explicitly or clearly address a given issue, we need to allow room for disagreement rather than holding to our preference as an exclusive truth claim.  Scripture does exhort to try and "not go beyond what is written."

On the other hand, generally, the above reality is not what threatens the church. Even though this arrogance of a “just my way” attitude can be destructive, it is not as dangerous as the other extreme, reticence. This is a “whatever way works for you” attitude about all beliefs—especially those that are explicitly, clearly, and repeatedly taught in Scripture.

We do not want to crash on either rock of extremity, but desire to allow the Bible to determine those exclusive truth claims that guide our lives and provide content to our preaching and teaching.

Different Standards or a Genuine Stumbling Block?

In the Christian life, it’s not uncommon to hear someone referenced as a stumbling block. However, what exactly is a stumbling block and what is the difference between a genuine stumbling block and a violation of a person’s standards on a particular issue? In order to see the difference between the two, we must examine how the Bible uses both of these situations and compare them to one another.

Offending Someone

There is much in the New Testament about how a person should maintain healthy relationships within the church. For instance, in Ephesians 4:3, we find Paul urging people to be “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” We should strive to walk together in peace within the church and to value our relationships in Christ Jesus. This is so important, notice what Paul wrote at the end of Ephesians 4:  Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you (Ephesians 4:25–32).

Some of these verses in this paragraph in Ephesians 4 are often used regarding how we treat one another in our home, especially between husband and a wife in Ephesians 4:26 regarding not allowing the sun to set on your anger.  The four rules of communication are certainly implications that one can take from this passage. However, this entire paragraph is contextually referring to the relationships within the church (although we can make application to how we treat one another in other contexts as well). The idea is that we should maintain love and healthy relationships and seek to walk in peace together for the glory of God—not giving the devil an opportunity to divide us and cause us to sin.

Stumbling Block

In the Bible, we see a few different types of stumbling blocks mentioned. First, we find the stumbling block used in the Old Testament in Leviticus 19:14. That language is picked up and used in the New Testament to describe a person who causes someone to stumble in obedience to God. We see this as Peter questioned the crucifixion of Jesus and was subsequently rebuked for his words. While he was certainly not going to prevent Jesus from going to the cross, he could become a stumbling block, or a hurdle by getting in the way of God’s eternal plan.

Overcoming a Critical Spirit and Chronic Complaining

Do you find yourself with a negative disposition, always finding fault with something or criticizing someone? Is it difficult for you to see the positive in a person or a situation because the negative is always so glaring in your eye? Are you compelled to give your critical point of view for the good of all mankind?

If you have a critical spirit (which is distinct from having a Spirit-filled, discerning spirit; 1 Thess. 5:21; Acts 17:11) you are in danger. Not getting hit-by-a-truck-kind-of-danger, but a serious kind none the less—and that is spiritual danger. A critical spirit is from the dark side. It is meant to hurt and destroy its object.  It works against the purposes of God as set forth in Ephesians 4.

A critical spirit is a negative attitude of the heart that condemns, tears down, and destroys with words, actions, and attitudes. In stark contrast, constructive criticism involves choice words/actions that are meant to genuinely build up; (the Bible sometimes calls this "edification"). Pastors for example are commanded to "reprove, rebuke, and exhort" when feeding God's flock through biblical exposition (2 Tim. 4:1-5).  A critical spirit creates blind spots in a person’s own heart and mind causing them to believe they are being constructive. Chronic murmuring and a critical spirit are characteristics of the ungodly

Different Types of Critical Spirits 

1. SLANDERER

A slanderer is a person who makes false statements (often in the form of half truths) in order to damage a person’s reputation. He/she does not care about the truth or correcting an error. A slanderer creates error in order to inflict harm.

The Bible’s Perspective

Proverbs 10:18—“He who conceals hatred has lying lips, and he who spreads slander is a fool.”

Proverbs 16:28—“A perverse man spreads strife, and a slanderer separates intimate friends.”

1 Peter 2:1—“Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.”

2. SINFUL JUDGMENTALISM

A judgmental person has an excessively critical point of view, characterized by a tendency to judge harshly. Judgmental people have the reputation of being negative/critical.  He/she lacks empathy for others’ viewpoint/circumstances because he/she believes her point of view is the right one (whether it is biblically and factually substantiated or not). He/she believes she has the ability to know others’ motives. He/she has the amazing skill to point out others’ mistakes/weaknesses, while minimizing his/her own.  He/she rarely ever encourages those they work, minister, or serve with.  Sinfully judgmental souls believe they have a special gift for pointing out the (perceived) flaws and weaknesses of others and are more concerned about someone else's sanctification then they are their own pursuit of Christ-likeness.

The Bible’s Perspective

Matthew 7:1-5—“Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.  Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

James 2:13—“For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.”

3. The CHRONIC COMPLAINER

A complainer is a person who is habitually negative about others and circumstances of life. They are characterized by discontentment and ingratitude.  God severely judged the Israelites for habitual ingratitude (see Exodus/Numbers).  Moses became so depressed over the complaining spirit of the people he led in the wilderness that he asked God to end his life.

Corporate Worship in the Youtube Era: A Brief Evaluation

"As a minister of music at a local church it's been interesting (and largely edifying) to watch the rise of the YouTube hymn/worship song culture. There’s so much to be thankful for, as we live in a time of many new songs that are theologically solid and beautifully written. It’s easy to fill an afternoon-long playlist with solid, Christ-exalting new songs. Full stop.

But I suspect that through these music videos of congregational singing, we are perpetuating the idea that physical expression while singing is necessary. I think younger believers who watch these videos, edifying as the songs may be, are establishing "visual emotionalism" as normative, and something they must work up in themselves in order for their worship to be "authentic."

Physical expression norms have changed over the past twenty years, too. It used to be both hands in the air, but this demonstrative posture seems to be slowly replaced with a more introspective one: eyes closed, head tilted slightly back or to one side, maybe a little swaying back and forth.

To be clear, there’s nothing wrong with such a posture, if it is coming from a heart filled with God’s Word and overflowing with gospel thankfulness. I just fear that we are trading one set of cultural norms for another, and in the process, unwittingly implying that this is what believers "ought" to do.