#Rethink - July 2021
#Rethink - July 2021
Hello July! This month we are questioning biblical inerrancy, pondering humility, and exploring my new favorite podcast.
Is the Bible Really Without Error?
The word inerrancy has been thrown around a bunch lately on social media especially regarding Beth Allison Barr's book The Making of Biblical Womanhood. People are saying that you can't be an egalitarian and believe in the inerrancy of Scripture. But that's not true since I and many of my friends fit into both categories.
I think the problem lies in our understanding of inerrancy. A simple definition of inerrancy is: the belief that the Bible is without error or fault in all of its teaching. That belief is considered pretty old fashioned to many progressive Christians. And yet fundamentalists and even some Evangelicals use this belief to prop up unbiblical teachings and ideas. Who is right?
What if they are both wrong?
Guess what? Our simple understanding of an English translation of an ancient book isn't going to be without error. Even if the original writing was (when read in context). A proper understanding of the inerrancy of Scripture is closely tied to the use of good hermeneutics. I have a podcast episode that talks about this. All literature should be read based on its genre, original intent, historical context, and cultural framework -- especially the Bible. As we process the idea of biblical inerrancy let’s ask these questions:
How do we avoid assumptions about Scripture?
What steps can we take to move beyond the simplest logical understanding of our English translations?
And let's be honest as we study: are we digging for truth or quickly rejecting ideas we don't like?
Friends, it is vital that we are not basing our truth on mere human understanding but instead acknowledging a God who is much bigger and wiser than we are.
“The Spirit of God is humbling the prophetic movement across the board. And clearly, God is calling on his people to turn back to him.”
Jeremiah Johnson
I found this article on Christianity Today called How Could All the Prophets Be Wrong? talking about the many self-proclaimed prophets within the charismatic movement who prophesied that Donald Trump would be re-elected in 2020. He obviously wasn't and now the prophets are facing the consequences of their false prophecies.
One of them, a young pastor named Jeremiah Johnson chose humility and this article tells his story. After realizing that his prophecy was false, Jeremiah stepped away from the public sphere for three months. He ended up shuttering his ministry and publicly apologizing for leading people astray.
“I tell people I feel like I’ve been rescued—I feel the kindness of God; I feel his discipline. I’ve cried so many tears, just thanking the Lord for the wake-up call.”
I'm not charismatic so I don't have personal experience with modern prophets, but I love this article because I can sense the Spirit of God waking up His children. He meets us where we are -- within our culture, church experience, brokenness, etc. -- and calls us home to Him. Humility is a beautiful and powerful thing.
The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill Podcast
I cannot say enough good things about this carefully created and produced podcast. Hosted by Mike Cosper, The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill follows the story of Mark Driscoll and his megachurch ministry that grew exponentially and then imploded and disappeared almost over night. But it's far more than that.
Because for every well-known Christian pastor or ministry leader who gets exposed for their toxic church culture, abuse, and/or scandal, there are many smaller situations that go unchecked and unnoticed. Mike invites us to ask why. Why do we keep getting into these situations? Putting unhealthy people in positions of leadership? Choosing to follow a human instead of following God for ourselves? Why do we willingly ignore warning signs to protect a ministry or church?
Everyone needs to listen to this podcast whether or not you've experienced church hurt or spiritual abuse (but especially if you have). It is shocking, eye opening, and validating. I find myself waiting anxiously every week for the next episode to drop.
Thanks for taking a moment to #Rethink some of our religious traditions and beliefs. I know that it can be scary to deconstruct and reconstruct our faith, but finding the Real Jesus is absolutely worth it. As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts, questions, or comments.
If you know someone who would love to #rethink, please share!
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