The Practice of Church Discipline (part 2)

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Last time, we looked at how church discipline is a step-by-step process. First, it begins with one believer privately confronting another. If that fails, then the process is repeated and one or two additional witnesses are included in the attempt. If that still fails to resolve the issue, then the third step requires taking the situation to the church. And at all points of this process, the goal is restoration and reconciliation, not petty vindictiveness.

Even still, after all these loving attempts, he still might refuse to turn from his sin. In that case, Jesus says you must treat him as an unbeliever (v. 17). Notice that there is not a higher authority to turn to. Jesus doesn’t say, “Take it to the denominational heads” or even “Take it to God.” If a person refuses to listen even to the church, he is to be disregarded as a believer. The church represents God in the matter (vv. 18-20). Jesus even goes so far as to say, “I’ll be there” to confirm the process (v. 20). This isn’t to say that this person is necessarily an unbeliever. That is between him and God. What Jesus is advocating is that in the church’s eyes, if a brother is refusing to act like a believer, then the church should not treat him as one. This final step may confirm that he was never a believer in the first place, or that he is a believer whose heart has been hardened by sin so that he doesn’t want to act like a genuine believer.

Not only do you see the instructions for this process from Christ in Matthew 18, you also see the practice of church discipline in the early church. Paul chided the Corinthians for not removing a brother who had fallen into gross immorality (1 Cor. 5). He tells them that should not associate with anyone who bears the name “brother” and does not want to repent. Paul himself exercised apostolic authority to remove Alexander and Hymenaeus from fellowship since they rejected the gospel and made shipwreck of their faith (1 Tim. 1:19-20). It isn’t just the “big” sins that are worthy of church discipline, but even comparatively innocuous ones as well. For instance, in 1 Thessalonians, Paul confronts the church to deal with those who are lazy and unwilling to work with their hands. By 2 Thessalonians, he tells the church to disassociate with them because of their refusal to repent.

At Lighthouse, we seek to emphasize that this is a ministry of love to our members. This is why it is part of our Member Care process. If we didn’t care, we would let you continue on in your sin. If we didn’t care, we would not seek to help you grow in your faith and point out areas of concern. Because we care, we provide this ministry to our members. The church is a family, and that is why we make these issues known to the church. If one of our brothers or sisters falls into unrepentant sin, as a loving family, we should rally around that person and help restore them to fellowship.

Paul writes that when he practices church discipline his hope is that the erring individual would one day come to their senses. By “delivering a person to Satan” and treating them as “a Gentile or a tax collector,” his desire is that the erring brother would see the emptiness of life apart from Christ and the fellowship of the church. Hopefully he would see the threat that comes from turning away from God and be restored again. It has been sad that we at Lighthouse have had to practice church discipline in the past, but this is our hope as well. If these individuals would see their sin, repent, and turn back to God, we would joyfully and eagerly restore them to fellowship. But may the Lord work in our hearts so that we would never require going past the first step of the Matthew 18 process. May the Lord bring us to speedy repentance and reconciliation, all to His glory.

Book Review: Upon This Slippery Slope

Book Review by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Book by Eric Svendsen

Growing up and living out my life as a professing Christian, I was always asked by my classmates if I was Catholic. I always answered no, but it didn’t dawn on me that it had more to do with my race than my own personal convictions. Unbeknown to me, it was simply assumed that any Latin-American in this country was Catholic of some sort. Although my mom and her family came out of a Catholic background, I was never exposed to the Catholic faith as a viable option. Until college, I never really understood why that was, and why I was not a Catholic.

Upon encountering the concept of defending the faith and beginning to study apologetics, it was only a matter of time until I would begin engaging some friends about Roman Catholicism, and whether it was a legitimate form of Christianity. My answers were surface level, and not completely satisfactory even to me. However, upon becoming a Christian, I was made aware of a reformed view of apologetics and the issues between Rome and Scripture became much more clear.

One book that was helpful in my understanding was a small work by Eric Svendsen, Upon This Slippery Rock. Back in the days when he maintained a website called New Testament Research Ministries (the now-defunct ntrmin.org, which James White comments on here), he had a number of articles that dealt with Roman Catholic apologetics. Many addressed the claims of papal infallibility, the immaculate conception, the Marian dogmas, purgatory, and a host of other issues Rome calls all Catholics to believe. However, with this book, New Testament scholar Svendsen deals with one of the most common objections to the Protestant faith, one that deals with sola Scriptura.

As Christians attending a church that preaches, teaches, and lives by the Bible, our belief in the Holy Scriptures as the undiluted Word of God draws us to look to it for faith and guidance, even in how we worship together corporately. Sola Scriptura means “Scripture alone” as being the sole, infallible rule of faith for the church in terms of belief and practice. What Rome challenges is our ability to use our private judgments in interpreting the Bible without the authority of the Roman magisterium. The basic issue deals with our epistemology, the area of philosophy that addresses how we know what we know. If you’ve ever had a discussion with a Roman Catholic, you’re bound to have been asked, “How do you know, apart from your own fallible private judgment, that what you believe is the truth?” or “How do you know which books should and should not have been included in the canon of Scripture?” The point in asking these questions is to get us to see that where we appeal to our source of truth as a decision we made, which is not from an infallible source (unless you think you’re personally infallible, which is another problem). After all, who are we to decide that we can interpret the Bible on our own?

Of course, we recognize the importance of authority: first God’s, and then our leaders in our church, which is a delegated authority given by God Himself. But is that enough? Or are we in need of an infallible interpreter, like Roman Catholicism suggests? Is this the only way we can get unity? Many a Roman Catholic will appeal to its 2,000 year tradition and its long-standing history of believing in the same truth, building true unity, and not the “25,000 different denominations” that have arisen due to belief in sola Scriptura. At least, that’s what is claimed.

What Svendsen helps us to see is how baseless and flawed this argument really is. He draws out the view that Scripture takes, and points out that what Rome claims is against Scripture itself. He also points to the self-destructive nature of the argument put forward by anyone who considers this a worthy objection to evangelical faith in the essentials of Gospel truth.

While his website was still active, Svendsen posed three challenges to the Roman Catholic that he believed could not be surmounted. Just to give you a flavor of the irrationality of the argument, here’s his first challenge:

Tell us how you came to decide that Rome was the “true” church without engaging in the very private judgment that you have already dismissed as illegitimate. (p.32)

What Eric Svendsen points out throughout his book, through stories and examples, is how this roots out the inconsistent standard many in Rome hold to when it comes to knowing what the Bible says and how they accuse Protestant evangelicals of using their fallible reasoning to get to a position they claim certainty in. Roman Catholics happen to do the same thing, yet are blindly unaware of it. The other two challenges attacks the argument from other angles that puts this issue at rest and gives confidence to the Christian who puts complete trust in Christ and looks to His Word for an infallible look at who God is and what Christ did while here on earth.

The book is only 68 pages long, and is very much worth the read. Svendsen is very aware of what the common objections are from a Roman Catholic, and is more than qualified to write a book like this. In two appendices he gives real life responses to real life questions, as well as the position Rome holds in terms of private judgment in the Council of Trent, Vatican I and II. Knowing how often I meet Catholics in the San Diego area, I have seen how conversations could easily lead to a direction where the Gospel is shared more clearly in using the content of this book. It helps clear one of the most common objections Rome gives, and gives us another hearing with those who see us in error. I would commend this little book to you and hope that God would open up opportunities for us to point Catholics to Christ and His infallible Word that He gave for us to understand, cherish, proclaim and judge on its basis, and not anywhere else.

Editor’s Note: Cesar previously reviewed Douglas Wilson’s book Persuasions, which contains an excellent sample conversation between Evangelist and a Roman Catholic.  That conversation would also be an excellent starting point for gaining an understanding of the issues that would lead to a constructive and charitable dialogue.

But I Give Myself Unto Prayer

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Psalm 109:4

Lying tongues were busy against the reputation of David, but he did not defend himself; he moved the case into a higher court, and pleaded before the great King Himself. Prayer is the safest method of replying to words of hatred. The Psalmist prayed in no cold-hearted manner, he gave himself to the exercise-threw his whole soul and heart into it-straining every sinew and muscle, as Jacob did when wrestling with the angel. Thus, and thus only, shall any of us speed at the throne of grace. As a shadow has no power because there is no substance in it, even so that supplication, in which a man’s proper self is not thoroughly present in agonizing earnestness and vehement desire, is utterly ineffectual, for it lacks that which would give it force. ‘Fervent prayer,’ says an old divine, ‘like a cannon planted at the gates of heaven, makes them fly open.’ The common fault with the most of us is our readiness to yield to distractions. Our thoughts go roving hither and thither, and we make little progress towards our desired end. Like quicksilver our mind will not hold together, but rolls off this way and that. How great an evil this is! It injures us, and what is worse, it insults our God. What should we think of a petitioner, if, while having an audience with a prince, he should be playing with a feather or catching a fly?

Continuance and perseverance are intended in the expression of our text. David did not cry once, and then relapse into silence; his holy clamour was continued till it brought down the blessing. Prayer must not be our chance work, but our daily business, our habit and vocation. As artists give themselves to their models, and poets to their classical pursuits, so must we addict ourselves to prayer. We must be immersed in prayer as in our element, and so pray without ceasing. Lord, teach us so to pray that we may be more and more prevalent in supplication.

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Weekly Links (11/19/2010)

by Stephen Rodgers

Welcome back everyone…once again, we’ve gone a little farther around the sun and we’re back at Friday.  So, to keep that time interesting and profitable, here’s another set of links for your enjoyment and edification.

  • In our last edition, we had a couple of article on digital life and social media. This week, we’ve got a couple more for you as well.  Michael Johnson continues his series on remaining faithful in a world that increasingly demands divided attention, and over at Justin Taylor’s blog he posts a great excerpt from David Powlison on the subject of giving grace in interaction. (WEB)
  • And speaking of online interaction, Dane Ortlund has a great post on 1 Timothy 6:4 and blogging. He makes a rather surprising connection between online obnoxiousness and addiction to pornography…and before you dismiss that out of hand, I’d recommend giving his article some thought. In a similar vein, I thought this might be a great time to repost this insightful commentary from JC Ryle on 5 Dangers for Young Men. (WEB)
  • John Piper also brings us this great observation on the greatest potential weakness of my generation of believers. (VIDEO)
  • Speaking of John Piper, did you know that if you read books via some sort of e-reader, almost ALL of his books are available for free online? I knew that some were there, but I hadn’t realized how extensive the offerings were.  If you’re in the habit of doing much reading your phone/e-reader/tablet/computer, might I suggest that this is probably a better use of time than what you might normally be reading?  I know that it certainly would be for me… (WEB)
  • And also in the “resources” category, 9Marks recently launched (or re-launched, I’m not entirely sure) their “Answers for Pastors” and “Answers for Church Members” websites.  I haven’t looked at either exhaustively, but I did give several topics a quick scan and there are some great, clear answers in there. (WEB)
  • A few of you know that the I’ve personally been studying the very topic that Al Mohler addressed this week on his blog.  If you have any interest in the glory of God and the life of the mind, then I commend his article to you as a great introduction to the topic. (WEB)
  • And last but not least, Matt Perman is rapidly becoming one of my favorite writers on the topics of vocation and productivity, and so I hope you enjoy his article on “Why Sound Doctrine Leads to Effective Action for God.” (WEB)

Alright, that’s all I have for you this week.  I have to finish the week strong for my employer, who is still laughing over a mistake I made earlier in the week.  Be honest, am I the only one who has accidentally slipped into “family mode” while on a business call and unthinkingly said “I love you too” just before ending an important conversation?

I hope not.  Oh well.

Pro Rege

http://www.lighthousebc.com/beacon/?p=2364

Interview with Kristen (Youth)

by Grace Wu

Editor’s Note: This week, the Youth affinity group brings us an interview with one of their members: Kristen.

1. How has youth group changed since you came in as an 8th grader and now as a senior in high school?

I officially became a part of the youth group in the summer of 2006, about to enter the 8th grade. At that time there were 3 middle school students, and 3 high school students. Now there are 5 middle school and 5 high school students. It’s still a relatively small group, but I’ve come to appreciate the intimacy that we have and how we all know each other pretty well.

I’m so thankful that throughout my years in youth group, amidst various changes, the staff have remained consistently the best staff ever! They are so patient and willing to do anything to serve us and point us to Christ. The only thing that has changed about the staff is the staff to youth ratio. There was a time when the ratio was 1:1! Even though there was a surplus of staff, the fact that they still wanted to remain in youth group and help us grow in our understanding of the Gospel spoke volumes to me. All the current youth staffers have been so encouraging and its been my joy to learn from their wisdom.

We used to have Wednesday night Bible study called WWF (not to be confused with the wresting group) which stood for Wednesday Workout Fellowship. During these times we went through the book of Proverbs, and learned about the way of the wise and the fool. Later on we switched our Bible studies to Friday night, and then began studying the book of Luke. I’m so glad that we are studying the life of Christ and seeing for ourselves who He claimed to be and how He deserves our worship.

All in all, youth group has not changed much in terms of the staff’s commitment to teach us the word of God and how our lives should change as a result of true salvation. And for that I’m thankful.

2. How have YOU changed since you came in as an 8th grader and now as a senior in high school?

When I first came to LBC I was not a Christian. That is the biggest difference between me back then and me now. Through the ministry of the youth staff as well as older Christians who showed me the love of Christ, I saw the Gospel being lived out. I had the head knowledge that I was a sinner, but I truly didn’t see my hopelessness in my depraved state until early high school. This was a miracle in itself and definitely the work of God, because I had grown up so prideful and judgmental towards others, looking down on everyone. Also during this time my dad wasn’t doing too well physically, so I was put in a position where I had the choice to give my life to Christ and depend on His strength or continue in my self-dependent ways. By the grace of God, I believed that I could only be saved through Christ’s sacrifice, and He gave me the desire to live for His glory.

Something that God has really changed in my heart is to fear Him more than I fear people. This is something that is still an on-going process, but I definitely see His work in this area. When the youth group studied the attributes of God during Sunday school, my eyes were opened to see how majestic and big God really is and that He is so much more mightier than any force or human being. I have the privilege of calling the God of the universe my Father, and I have the promise that nothing can separate me from the love of God. What am I to fear? Every week my heart is consistently saturated with the Gospel and the glory of Jesus Christ, and this fills my mind leaving very little space for my worries and anxieties to expand.

Because I have grown up going to church, many biblical ordinances were just habits to me. But now that I’m a Christian I’ve learned over the years the reasons why I should do the things that I do, like something as simple as serving at church. So to an outsider I may look the same in terms of the external lifestyle that I lived back then, but my life is completely different because now I’ve been washed by the blood of Christ and God gives me the ability to serve Him in a God-honoring way.

Also a big difference from the 2006 me and the 2010 me is that I see life with an eternal perspective. This past summer youth retreat the theme was Heaven. I was challenged to always set my mind on the things above (Col 3:23) and to look forward to the day when I will worship the Lord with no encumbrances. It is still a temptation to worry about the things of this world (such as grades and choosing a college), but ultimately I know that everything will work out for the good to those who love God.

3. What is one thing you want the people at LBC who don’t know the youth group well to know about Lumos?

The youth group desires to get to know the rest of the church body! I think it is somewhat easier for the upperclassmen of high school to converse with the older people at church, but I remember being in middle school and how intimidated I was to approach someone who was a lot older than me. The youth staff tells us to not be shy in getting to know people of other affinity groups, but I think it is still a little scary to do so, especially for the younger youth. I have been personally blessed by the kindness of older LBC members who graciously gave their time and energy to spend time with me, and I would love for the other youth members to be blessed by this as well. I’m definitely not saying that this isn’t taking place already, but I’m merely affirming your efforts in doing so. Thank you for your serving hearts and desire to pass down the greatness of God to us!

4. How are college applications coming along?

They’re going well. I’m only applying to a few colleges so its not too strenuous. The UC and CSU apps are due November 30, but my goal is to turn it in before Thanksgiving. As a Christian, the process of applying is not as stressful because I know that ultimately God is sovereign over where I get accepted or rejected. But that should not be a reason for me to be lazy in writing those essays, since God calls me to work heartily and be good stewards of the blessing of education.

5. How have you been able to shine the light at your high school?

I’ve been so humbled by how God has used me as well as the Christians at my school. For me personally, I’ve always been afraid of talking to my peers about God because I didn’t want them to dislike me. But its been so neat to see how God has been filling my heart with the fear of Him and placing various opportunities to share the Gospel with classmates. Earlier this year my English teacher gave us an assignment called a Self-Discovery project where we had to share with the class who we are (to help us brainstorm ideas of what to write in college essays). Another Christian in my class and I shared the Gospel through our testimonies. I was so nervous and fearful of how it would all turn out, but God gave me peace and the words to speak. I trusted that no matter how eloquent or inarticulate the presentation was, God was the one to change my classmates’ hearts, so all glory goes to Him. As I said before, I’m so humbled by how God would choose to save me and use me to do something that I would NEVER have done before prior to salvation.

Also LBC sponsors an on campus Bible study at Torrey Pines High School called TP Bible Study. Every Wednesday during lunch, either Cesar or Roger comes to teach us God’s word. In the past years Pastor JR has come and spoken, as well as other men from LBC. This semester Cesar is going through 1 John, which has going great! The book talks about what true salvation is and how to discern if you are truly a Believer or not. Praise God for His Gospel being preached at my high school!

6. What was your most memorable youth activity?

Hm, that’s a hard question. We’ve had so many fun and interesting activities! To name a few, we’ve had Christmas parties, a mini-golf night, a photo scavenger hunt, ping-pong & Foosball tournament, FWiiS night (which stands for Friends, Wii, and Snacks), ice skating, youth retreats, a bring-your-own-utensil dinner, movie nights, bowling outings, an attempted bowling activity that turned into a game night at the arcade (Jenna, if your reading this, you know =D ), joint college-youth and singles-youth activities, and many many more!

But my most memorable “youth activity” isn’t really an activity, but more of a memory. I will always remember when Roger proposed to Grace during the “Sunday school lesson.” None of us were expecting for that to happen, even though Josh Liu was there videotaping the “sermon” as part of an “assignment” for a class at seminary. That day is unforgettable!

7. What is your favorite subject at school? Least favorite?

My favorite subject is Math! I love how there is only one answer to a problem! My least favorite subject would have to be the class that I spend the most time in: English.

The New Atheism, Fast Company, and the Integrity of Doubt

by Stephen Rodgers

Where’s Garrett?

So in case you’re wondering what happened to Garrett, he needed a couple of weeks to take care of some personal business up north. And while normally I am a very “planned plans” kind of guy (as my fiancée says), when you’ve contributed an article a week for almost a year as Garrett has done, you’ve earned the right to call your editor, tell him to cover for you, and take some time off. So instead of Garrett you get me. I’m sorry.

You’re going to be sorry too when you see how long this article is.  And since 1) Garrett gave me rather short notice, and 2) I’m the editor…I think we can safely assume that it sailed through editing without sufficient review.  Such is life.  But in the spirit of the Lord, I did not come to bring peace, but an essay of interminable length.  Plus, I’ve exercised, I’m caffeinated, it’s been a good week in the Word, and I’ve been reading a lot of Frank Turk, so I’ve “got my mad on” as the kids say these days. Or whatever they say these days.

And as anyone knows, when I get worked up about something, working it out can take a while. So use the restroom if you need to. And pack a lunch. This could take a little while.

The New Atheism

Today I want to bring your attention to the so-called “New Atheism” that we’ve all heard of. Numerous books have been written by this group, in support of this group, in opposition to this group, and about this group. The whole movement has become something of a cultural lightning rod in certain circles, which is why I think that it will pretty much burn out in five to ten years. As a whole, Western thought in the 21st century seems to have been afflicted with a rather serious case of ADHD, and the shirt that begins a rational thought and concludes with “…oh look, a chicken!” seems rather prophetic. It’s been a fun diversion, but we’re starting to lose interest and it’s time to move on to the next all-the-rage-ideology in our marketplace of ideas.

That’s not what I wanted to talk about however. And all my predictions notwithstanding, I am neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet. If we’re invoking genealogies however, my father does work for a non-profit organization.

Ok bad joke. Somewhere my fiancée is having a giggling fit. But that can be attributed to her sheer reckless joy in the wonder of wordplay that is possible in English, and how love of language covers a multitude of my sins against humor.  You may say that in this arena, I sin so that grace may abound, and perhaps I do…but again, blame Garrett, not me.

However, for those who missed it the first time around, let me give you a rather brief recap of the New Atheism, it’s notable representatives, and it’s latest contribution to the discussion among worldviews.

The Four Horsemen

The so-called “New Atheism” movement is really nothing that new, per se. A few years ago, there was a flurry of books published pro-atheism/contra-Christianity, and from this body of literature four voices emerged as the primary spokesmen. Those voices were Richard Dawkins (a biologist), Daniel Dennett (a philosopher), Christopher Hitchens (a writer), and Sam Harris (at the time, a graduate student in neuroscience who has since completed his studies). And ever since they got together for a roundtable discussion of sorts in 2007, they’ve referred to themselves (and been referred to by the media) as the “Four Horsemen of Atheism.” As an amateur apologist of the Van Tillian variety, I can’t help but facepalm in noting that even their very name is “borrowed” from the Christian scriptures (Revelation 6:1-8). Truly, as the Preacher said, there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9-11).

I’m not particularly fond of the Four Horsemen label. For one, I don’t like loaning out Christian books to people who return them with the pages smudged and the corners dog-eared, not to mention the nasty notes written in the margins. Also, with the relatively recent revelation that Christopher Hitchens is in the final stages of cancer, drawing parallels between him and Pestilence seemed rather tasteless. It is the sort of shocking reference that I would actually expect Mister Hitchens to embrace rather than shrink from, but mine would be a most uncomfortable laughter.

To my mind, the “Four Horsemen” were more reminiscent of the modern boy band than the Biblical Apocalypse. Richard Dawkins is the front man; he is the catalyst, the rallying point, and the central pillar of the group. Daniel Dennett is the deep one, the writer, the (for lack of a better word), the soulful one (and he sports an epic beard to prove it, of which I am duly jealous). Christopher Hitchens is the bad boy; in a different world I can envision him sporting sleeveless undershirts in combination with a beanie, muscled arms covered in cryptic tattoos, and adorning the posters on teenage girls’ walls. And Sam Harris…well…not to be too insulting or dismissive but Sam Harris is that other guy. Every band has one, and those of you who play in one know exactly what I mean.

But more on Mister Harris later.

The Integrity of Doubt in General

The literature of the New Atheism is often said to be bracing in its assertions. The authors do not shy away from making their claims, rather they proclaim them boldly, assert them aggressively, and even take a rather perverse joy in blasphemously sticking their finger in the eye of religion in general and Christianity in particular. And once the initial shock wears off, there is something almost endearing about this; after all, at least they are honest about it right? These are not knives in the dark; this is a gunfight at high noon.

But when one reads further, something is not quite right about their assertions. They muster seemingly-impressive arguments to justify their disbelief. Their objections seem almost righteous in their fury, and their claims that they are simply following the evidence wherever it might lead seem almost noble…but one can’t help but feel a bit uneasy.  To paraphrase the Bard, something is fishy in Denmark, and while it isn’t immediately apparent, it’s there…just beneath the surface.

It took me a while to put my finger on it, but I think I’ve finally sorted it out. While it’s easy to get carried away by their claims, there is an undercurrent of disingenuity to the whole affair. And in that understanding I was finally able to understand while after nearly five years of dealing with the fallout that this movement has produced, I can honestly say that while I have been exhausted, I have not been enriched. In other words, there is a good reason that the whole affair has made me tired, but not smarter.

You see, the whole movement, when the veneer of glamour, rage, and panache is stripped away, is empty inside. It’s a parody of the Trojan Horse: hollow yes, but the soldiers overslept and the arborous equine was delivered without its martial payload.

The Integrity of Doubt in Dawkins

Take Richard Dawkins for example. He quotes early and often the atheist argument (technically categorized under “multiple-attribute disproof”) that if God did exist, He could not possibly be both omniscient and omnipotent. After all, a God who knows the future in absolute terms is actually powerless to change it, is He not? For if He knows something about the future, and He knows it in the past, then when He eventually arrives at the time of the event in question, He’s stuck. If He knows the event, He can’t change it (and is thus not omnipotent). If He changes the event, then He didn’t really know it (and is thus not omniscient). And so Mister Dawkins crosses his arms, leans back in his chair and feels that in 30 seconds he has dismissed the question of the existence of God.

Now don’t get me wrong; this might be a great argument to use against me if I ever were to claim that I were God, with all the divine properties and human limitations therein. But who EVER suggested that the Christian God is like me? Who said that He knows things as I do, subject to the vicissitudes of space and time? The God of Christian theism is not subject to the universe He created, caught up in His own creation and along for the ride whether He likes it or not. Rather He stands over and outside it; this is precisely what we mean when we describe God as transcendent, when we speak of the Creator/creature distinction, and is even hinted at when we invoke His attribute of Holiness.

And this is no cheap equivocation on the part of the Christian; we aren’t making this up as we go along. In several of my conversations with modern atheists they have been unable to grasp the irony of mocking my “bronze age holy book” with one breath, and then faceplanting into the most basic descriptions of deity it espouses with the next. “That argument,” they will sputter, “was advanced by Plantinga, and has yet to be proven!” No friends. That argument was advanced by Isaiah (and I detect echoes of Moses in there as well) and has yet to be refuted. I realize that being fashionably belligerent is all the rage these days (another pun; the audience groans and my fiancée laughs), but please, a modicum of respect for history. We have gone over this ground before: the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 46:8-10), the apostle Paul (Acts 17:24-28; Romans 11:36; Colossians 1:16), the church father Augustine (in his declaration the prior to God creating it, time was not)…and these men have been on record for thousands of years. There comes a point in debate when your opponent refuses to abandon a pointless line of argument, and we all channel our inner James White and finally resort to praying for patience as we repeat our mantra of “asked and answered” through gritted teeth.

And so, as a Christian theist I am forced to admit that perhaps Mister Dawkins has done some damage to the God of deism. If these arguments were assembled, put in good order, and aimed well then we might conclude that they strike the god of Spinoza. But the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob watches the missiles sail harmlessly by, and were He not omniscient, would no doubt be wondering what the heck the archer thought he was aiming at.

The Integrity of Doubt in Hitchens

This is getting long, so I must move along, and so I skip past Dennett for reasons of space rather than fear to arrive at Hitchens. Now to be fair to Mister Hitchens, he is rather fun to listen to. Of all the exemplars of the New Atheism he is the cleverest, the most humorous, and far-and-away the most entertaining. But nestled among his bon mots and his scorching sentences is a rather alarming vapidity of scholarship. His book God Is Not Great betrays a rather obvious dearth of philosophical argumentation, historical accuracy, and logical reasoning.

David B. Hart goes into far greater detail on the matter, and is more fun to read as well, so I would simply recommend to you his essay on the subject. (And in the interest of giving credit where credit is due, was a source of inspiration for this essay as well).  But at the end of the day, to my mind at least, Hitchens’ objections to Christianity fail to even find Christianity in the first place, and then fail to even rise to the level of argumentation in any event. So we have arguments that aren’t against a target that isn’t…which is politely known as “nonsensical” to those in academia. Others may employ harsher language, but this is, after all, a church newsletter.

The Integrity of Doubt in Harris and Fast Company

Now you’ve been quite patient to come this far with me. I would beg your indulgence to go a little further, with the encouraging comment that, (as Henry VIII perhaps said to one of his wives), “I shan’t keep you long.”

You see, this brings us to Sam Harris and his most recent foray into the fray, armed with nothing less than an infographic. For those of you who haven’t been blessed or cursed so as to have relatives who forward a veritable bounty of these to you daily (in my family the less scholarly inclined seem fond of GraphJam, whereas the more educated have a preference for FlowingData), and infographic is simply a visual representation of some data set. If that’s still confusing, think of it simply as a “graph on steroids” and that should be a sufficient basis for moving on.

You see, all that to say that late last week Mister Harris emerged onto the scene with a graphic showing the alleged contradictions within the Bible. One writer has even crowed her triumph by crowning her endorsement of the graphic with the proclamation “So to anyone who thinks the Bible’s the last word on anything, remember this: It isn’t even the last word on itself.”

Alright…got it. Flag on the play. A claim against Biblical inerrancy has been lodged, and the ball, as they say, is in our court. But is this really a case of novel argumentation, or once again do we find ourselves well-lit and in the presence of something rather old?

Integrity MIA: Info-

First there is the question of where these objections came from. Apparently they came from someone named Steve Wells…and apparently Mister Wells has been able to put his copy/paste skills to good use in appropriating (that is the correct term, we do not say “stealing” when it comes to works of literature and art!), the very same questions raised by the Skeptic’s Annotated Bible (see here and here). For those unfamiliar with the work, it is pretty much exactly what you would expect given its name: a series of objections and questions to the Bible, often relying on an overly-literal hermeneutic of some kind, in annotated form.  And just to muddy the waters further, it typically uses the KJV, but that’s another issue for another day.

Now please understand, my point here is not to fault Mister Wells in using a readily available set of data. And to be fair, it doesn’t seem to be an exact match since the graphic in question cites 439 alleged contradictions and the latest version of the SAB cites 457. My point is simply to show these are not new objections; they have been asked before, they have been answered before, and this whole exercise is one in retracing our steps rather than boldly going where no man has gone before. And more to the point, the SAB at least has the intellectual honesty to link to a fair number of Christian explanations and refutations regarding these alleged contradictions. (And I do emphasize “alleged” since a large number of them can be resolved simply by restoring one or both verses to their context, and then reading them there). In fact, the SAB is sometimes used in seminaries to underscore the importance of hermeneutics; it’s not considered a strong argument raised against inerrancy (at least, properly understood).

Alright, so at the very least this presentation is predicated on specious argumentation and a lack of intellectual charity. After all, as the late Dr. Greg Bahnsen observed, when your opponent presents an argument that can be understood in either a weak or strong sense, it is incumbent on any scholar wishing to preserve their integrity to deal with the strongest possible form of the argument. Otherwise at best you are a coward, and at worst you’ve committed the logical fallacy of arguing against a straw man.

But does it end there?

Integrity MIA: -graphic

You see, as I observed earlier in my essay (we’re being charitable remember, so let’s call it an essay), that I am both a Van Tillian in my apologetic orientation, and an artist/statistician by training who is often besieged by emails from well-meaning family members containing just such infographics. And while those might seem unrelated, they converge precisely at the point of Mister Harris’ allegedly-novel presentation (alternatively described as “stunning” and “provocative”) of alleged Bible contradictions. And since my theological betters have already addressed the issue of the contradictions well enough (see contributions from Justin Holcomb, Douglas Wilson, and Matt Perman…which interestingly enough pretty much covers a decent range of my theological library as well…if Phil Johnson wades into the mix I’ve got a complete set).  There may be others; that’s merely what I found in the first 24 hours.  That leaves very little for me to deal with, except the “graphic” part of the infographic. But I have a BA in Visual Arts…sort of…and so with sketchbook in hand and beret perched at a rakish angle, into the fray I go.

Now, the design of the graphic itself is attributed to Andy Marlow. But it seems rather familiar to me…probably since I wrote about one suspiciously similar back in January. This has been done before. It has been done better, and ironically enough, it has been done by Christians. And so, interestingly enough, we have a very real example of atheism propping itself up on borrowed capital. However, lest I mistake charity for lying, it is worth noting in passing that when the capital is borrowed without the original artist’s knowledge, we call that “stealing,” and when the capital is abstract and epistemic or artistic in nature we call that “plagiarism.”

Oh.  Oh dear.

Now to be fair, do I have any real evidence that Mister Marlow simply stole Mister Harrison’s work, made a few minor changes, and is now passing it off as his own?  Well, again in good presuppositional fashion, that is going to depend entirely on what sort of propositions you accept as “evidence” in the first place.  If you are asking if I have video evidence of Mister Marlow talking aloud to himself about how the inspiration of his work came from elsewhere…then no.  If you are wondering if perhaps certain emails have come into my possession wherein he admits to having prior knowledge of the original piece, and elects to use an almost-identical style without attribution…then no.  However, I do have two perfectly good eyes, and when point out that this is Mister Harrison’s work from at least ten months ago, and this is Mister Marlow’s work from last week…well, decide for yourself.  To my trained eye, the appropriation seems completely obvious.

Integrity and Lack Thereof

Part of the oft-referenced title of this piece is “the integrity of doubt.” I originally latched onto that idea in confronting the claims of the New Atheists that their doubt and disbelief stemmed honestly from their examination of the evidence available to them. Some of you might realize that as a Van Tillian I already reject that notion on Biblical grounds, while conceding the possibility that perhaps, in their self-deception, they believe it to be true. As I showed several times, this “doubt” is not really doubt at all; what they disbelieve is not what the Christian believes. They have not refuted Christian theism so much as they have simply failed to understand it.

In his letter to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul writes “Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?” (1 Corinthians 1:20) Simply put, it is an open challenge: if you want to go head to head with God, then show up and do so. Step into the ring. And like Job, (I’m paraphrasing here), you will find that in the end, your arms are simply too short to box with God.

The New Atheists act like prizefighters. They strut around, chests puffed out, flexing impressively. Oh sure, they talk a good game. Initially they sound dangerous. On paper, their record seems good. And we start to wonder if when they finally get into the ring, if perhaps God might be in a bit of trouble after all.

But they never get in the ring. They run around the ring. They shout insults into the ring. Occasionally they may even climb into some other ring and administer a beatdown to some lesser conception of deity. But they never actually fight the Christian God; He is evaded, He is made fun of, but He is never actually engaged.

But this comes to a head of sorts in this latest offering from Harris. All manner of problems are both inherited and invented here. You see, it is one thing to exhibit shoddy scholarship in selecting your data set. And into that general realm of intellectual feebleness I would include things like broadly construing words like “contradiction,” and ignoring elements of the case that undermine your argument like context, metaphor, and genre. But it is something else entirely to blatantly rip off another’s work without even passing attribution. As someone instilled with a particular form of academic ethos, I am outraged; in respectable scholarly company, this is simply not done. And as an artist, I can’t help but notice that it is also utterly unnecessary. After all, atheism in general and the New Atheists in particular have a history of using traditionally Christian forms of argument in a satirical and subversive way. I may not always enjoy or appreciate their doing so, but when done so honestly, it is a valid form of expression. However, this is not satire; this is lying.

And all this brought to us by the so-called “Horseman” whose most notable academic work is in the area of morality and ethics. I trust the irony is not lost on you.

Update: The Fast Company page now contains a line stating “Inspiration: Chris Harrison.”  It’s about the bare minimum that could be done in terms of attribution, but at the very least, they have now done that.

Editor’s Note: An updated version of this article was featured in the journal “In Antithesis.” More information can be found here.

Is Marriage In Your Future?

by Elder Peter Lim

Growing up in the mid-1970s in the San Fernando Valley, a suburb of Los Angeles, a familiar scene repeated itself every school day as it does even today in much of the World. We played kickball. It always began by some mob-mentality decision made by the more vocal kids that the top two athletes be the two team captains so as to avoid both of them being on the same team. I hate to brag but I was oftentimes one of the two. So the process continued where we alternated picking members of our teams until everyone was on one team or another. I didn’t consider at the time what it must’ve felt like to be one of the last ones chosen, or even being the very last one. I hope I didn’t cause any kid to cry himself to sleep at night because of my attitude toward him.

I bring back this memory (painful no doubt to some of you) because the grown-up version of this scenario can happen to many single Christians, particularly those who are hitting their upper 20s or older and there seems to be no prospect of marriage or even a relationship anywhere in the near future. To be sure, they have been well-taught (at least in our church I hope) that they need to be patient, to trust in God’s sovereign timing, etc. However, I still remember what it felt like when I was single that although I was trying hard to grow spiritually, it was difficult to find someone that I was attracted to who would also be attracted to me. It felt like other guys were being picked to be on a team and I was being left behind. Understanding that I needed to be a man and take the initiative, I worked up enough courage to ask someone to be my girlfriend. Apparently I took her completely by surprise even though we had been good friends, sometimes spending 5 out of 7 nights of the week doing stuff together whether it was studying or going to Bible study together, etc. It took her 48 hours to get back to me with the sisterly reply, “I never saw you in that way. You are a good brother to me.” I was and am grateful that she was direct and to the point but it was still unpleasant to have my feelings unreciprocated. To this day, she is still a good and dear friend. Why do I bring up this embarrassing story? Because many singles are having similar experiences and thoughts regarding the future.

Many of the guys can relate to the situation I just described. It’s not easy to put all your feelings out there all awkwardly like that just to have it rejected, no matter how kindly it was done. Especially if you are working hard to be Godly and you are asking out a girl who has a Godly reputation, you would expect that you stand a better chance of success because she wouldn’t give lame reasons for rejection. I think ladies have it even harder than the guys because as men take the initiative to be “team captains,” the ladies are often left to wonder what’s in store for their future, whether they will ever be picked to be on the team. “Will anyone ever ask me out?” “Why do the wrong guys always seem to show the most interest?” “This guy is asking me out but I’m kind of interested in this other guy…what should I do?” “Is it okay if I ask a guy out?” “Maybe I should drop some obvious hints that I’m interested in him?” Oftentimes the harsh reality of sinful Christian men, who are just as shallow as the rest of the world, as they value physical attraction more than spirituality, discourages ladies such that it tempts them to have a low self-image, self-consciousness, and even depression.

Men:

  • There is nothing wrong with video games or sports or [insert hobby here] but consider that there are other more important things to do with your life. Beware of the “Peter Pan Syndrome.” Grow up into Godly men and stop being little boys.
  • Stop looking for the perfect woman. Strive to BE the perfect man. If you found the perfect woman, what makes you think you would be worthy of her?

Women:

  • You are precious to God. He died to save and redeem you. This should define your worth and not any relationship with a man or lack thereof.
  • Don’t blame men if they are being lame. They are in the process of sanctification too. Your pursuit of Godliness should not be dependent on their growth.

Both:

  • Value the things that God values in a person. Change your own definition of “attractive” to align with God’s values. Really, do you think some movie star/model/musician/non-Christian is more attractive than a Godly person? If so, your definition is based on worldly values and needs correction.
  • The Bible never promises that those who are Godly will get married someday.
  • The Bible never portrays marriage as the goal in life. Singleness is even preferred for those to whom it has been given. (1 Cor. 7)
  • If you get rejected, don’t have the attitude of “God must have someone better than him/her in store for me.” This is not only not-Biblical, it’s prideful, mean-spirited, and even retaliatory toward the person who rejected you. It is better to think “If it’s His will for me to be married, He has chosen someone perfectly suited for me.” You will need to make an extra effort to renew your friendship with this person especially in the near future because it’s awkward for them to respond to you in this way too. Affirm them for being courageous enough to be honest in this difficult situation.
  • Do you want to be the perfect man/woman? A big hint can be found in James 3:2. This applies to ladies too. Remember that the focus is on the source of the words, the fountain from which the water comes out. (James 3:11)
  • Men, close your eyes and imagine 20-30 years into your future. Imagine that you have a daughter who has just told you that so-and-so has asked her to go out with him. What do you imagine him to be like ideally? What sort of character qualities would you like him to have? Now come back to reality and BE that man. Ladies, reverse the situation and imagine that you have a son…
  • Marriage is sometimes not easy. Remember that two sinners are coming together to form one unit. Practice your disciplines now to be self-sacrificial in your service to one another. As you serve humbly and sacrificially, you will notice that there are others who are doing the same. These should be the most attractive people to you.
  • Have you considered that perhaps it’s by God’s mercy that you are not in a marriage relationship? God may not be through preparing you for marriage yet and sparing you from difficult situations that you are not ready for. Keep praying for growth and perhaps even opportunities for you to be stretched in dealing with difficult circumstances.
  • Celebrate this phase of your life! You may not be able to fellowship with and enjoy the company of the opposite sex and learn about their peculiarities forever. It just wouldn’t be appropriate after you get married.

Do As Thou Hast Said

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From 2 Samuel 7:25

God’s promises were never meant to be thrown aside as waste paper; He intended that they should be used. God’s gold is not miser’s money, but is minted to be traded with. Nothing pleases our Lord better than to see His promises put in circulation; He loves to see His children bring them up to Him, and say, ‘Lord, do as Thou hast said.’

We glorify God when we plead His promises. Do you think that God will be any the poorer for giving you the riches He has promised? Do you dream that He will be any the less holy for giving holiness to you? Do you imagine He will be any the less pure for washing you from your sins? He has said ‘Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.’ Faith lays hold upon the promise of pardon, and it does not delay, saying, ‘This is a precious promise, I wonder if it be true?’ but it goes straight to the throne with it, and pleads, ‘Lord, here is the promise, ‘Do as Thou hast said.” Our Lord replies, ‘Be it unto thee even as thou wilt.’

When a Christian grasps a promise, if he do not take it to God, he dishonours Him; but when he hastens to the throne of grace, and cries, ‘Lord, I have nothing to recommend me but this, ‘Thou hast said it;” then his desire shall be granted. Our heavenly Banker delights to cash His own notes. Never let the promise rust. Draw the word of promise out of its scabbard, and use it with holy violence. Think not that God will be troubled by your importunately reminding Him of His promises. He loves to hear the loud outcries of needy souls. It is His delight to bestow favours. He is more ready to hear than you are to ask. The sun is not weary of shining, nor the fountain of flowing. It is God’s nature to keep His promises; therefore go at once to the throne with ‘Do as Thou hast said.’

1.15a

LBC Weekly SPARK – November 12, 2010

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Dear LBC Family and Friends,

I hope you are doing well and walking in the Lord. What a blessing this past weekend was with our All-Church Retreat. I’ve been hearing from many of you that you were challenged and encouraged by the messages by Jonathan Leeman. I’m so glad to hear that! Let’s be careful not to let that be merely a nice retreat experience. Now that
we are getting back into our regular weekly services, it will be important to reflect on what we learned at retreat in order to put the principles into practice.

For those of you who weren’t able to go to the retreat, the messages and Q&A time from the retreat can all be downloaded from the church website. I would encourage you to listen to them. I also would recommend all to pick up a copy of Jonathan’s book, The Church and the Surprising Offense of God’s Love, if you haven’t already done so. It is a tremendously helpful book, and perhaps the best book on church membership that I have read.

In His grace,

Pastor Patrick

Here are the announcements for this week:

  1. Friday Night Bible Studies. Don’t forget that our Friday night Bible studies are back this week for our Youth, College, and Singles Ministries. The youth and singles will meet at the church at 7:00pm. The collegians will also meet at 7:00pm, but on-campus at SDSU and UCSD. Information about College Life rides can be found at our website.
  2. Membership Class. We will be having our next membership class this weekend, November 13-14, at the church. The two-part class will be on Saturday from 9:00am-12:00pm, and Sunday from 1:00-4:00pm. Both sessions are required for membership. If you are interested in becoming a member, please contact Pastor Patrick for an application.
  3. Communion. Since we were at retreat this past weekend, we will be having our communion service this Sunday during our regular service. Please come having prepared your hearts to worship our Lord.
  4. Thanksgiving Potluck/Vision Quest. On Sunday, November 21, at 5:30pm, we will be having our next Vision Quest event. This will be our annual Thanksgiving Potluck dinner. Signups for the potluck will be taken this Sunday by Suzie Park. Please sign up to help ensure that all the food will get prepared. Also, as it is Thanksgiving, take some time to reflect on what you are thankful for and be prepared to share with one another. Come out to our Vision Quest event for some great food and fellowship, and to learn more about the Mission of LBC.
  5. Operation Christmas Child. Each year we participate with Samaritan’s Purse to encourage children all around the world and help spread the gospel message. Fill a shoebox with various toys, socks, toiletries, etc. and bring it to church on Sunday! More information about what can and cannot be included in the packages can be found at their website (www.samaritanspurse.org). This Sunday before service will be our only collection date for OCC, so be sure to put a package together and drop it off! Contact Mrs. Grace S. Lee if you have any questions (gracelee357@aol.com).
  6. Christmas Concert and Service. Our Christmas Concert will be on Saturday, December 11 at 6:00pm. Please invite your family and friends to join us for some good music, drama, and food. It will be a great opportunity for them to hear the message of the gospel. Our special Christmas Service will be on Sunday, December 19. This also will be a great time to reflect on the gift of Christ.
  7. Mission Bowl. If you are interested in playing on this year’s Mission Bowl flag football teams, please contact Abram Kim if you are a guy, and Randy Tsuchiyama if you are a gal. No experience is necessary! Just come with a humble, teachable heart. This is a great chance to get to know your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ better and to get some exercise as well!

Weekly Links (11/12/2010)

by Stephen Rodgers

Well, welcome back to another edition of the Weekly Links. That means we’ve made it to Friday once again. I hope you’ll enjoy and reflect on the following as you finish your week and start to get ready for Sunday.  Just to keep things interesting, I’ve broken them up thematically for you again this time.

CHURCH & GOSPEL

  • Starting everything off, here’s a short video from Joshua Harris on what our attitude and behavior should be like as we come to church. (VIDEO)
  • Over at the Resurgence, Russell Moore asks a bit of an odd question: do our church testimonies empower Satan? His exploration of our perception of testimonies is very insightful.  (WEB)
  • And since we’re on the subject of things that happen in church, the Biola blog has a good article on the nature of worship music in church today in their article “Weightier Worship.” They explore the issue of what music and singing are supposed to do and point us to, and what they’ve been reduced to instead.  (WEB)
  • A few weeks ago, the weekly links had a couple of articles on how to disagree with people. For anyone who did NOT read that and now find themselves in severe interpersonal conflict, here are 15 reminders/Biblical principles as you navigate the conflict. (WEB)
  • Jon Acuff has a helpful reminder about the target of the Gospel in his post “Getting the Bus All Wrong.” And since it’s Jon Acuff, he also talks about doughnuts. (WEB)

SOCIAL MEDIA & DIGITAL LIFE

  • Over at the Desiring God blog, they’ve begun a series on the consequences of multi-tasking. If this is something that you’re interested in, you might want to check it out. (WEB)
  • And meanwhile, over at GTY, John MacArthur has an excellent article on some of the concerns and pitfalls of the digital life. I think he raises some incredibly valid points, made all the more interesting because I’m pretty sure the GTY staff had to print out all those articles for him.  I say this without mockery since Pastor MacArthur used to be my pastor.  Some might say that invalidates his arguments, but I don’t think so; I think this is about as close to an unbiased opinion based on Biblical truth that you can get.  (WEB)

PRISON

  • Over at PyroManiacs, Dan Phillips has a post on how criminals, convicts, crime, and conversion should influence our understanding of the Gospel. (WEB)
  • Stand to Reason has a quick retelling of their experience in visiting a prison. The Resurgence tells a similar story. (WEB)
  • I thought I had already posted this, but apparently not.  Not too long ago, John Piper visited, preached, and did a Q&A at Angola Prison. The sermon where he discusses it is not available on their website, but John MacArthur did the same, and is actually personally financing a theological library for them as well.  So please remember these Christian brothers and sisters in jail who are trying to use their incarceration to further the Kingdom. (WEB/AUDIO/VIDEO)

That’s all for this week.  See you Sunday!

Pro Rege