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Thursday, January 14, 2010

Contend for What Faith?

Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 1:3).
Anyone involved in Christian Apologetics knows this verse. "Contend for the faith." Yeah, we like that. (And we ought to; it's a biblical command.) Did you notice, however, what faith is to be defended? "The faith that was once for all delivered to the saints."

Progressive Christianity or Liberal Christianity are two terms used today to indicate those who call themselves Christians and are willing to question Scripture, tradition, the Church and so on. The movement as a movement started up in the late 19th century, and "Evangelicalism" was the response -- primarily a call to stand on Scripture. Progressives tend to have a few points in common. First, they will deny that the Bible is not the literal Word of God. It may contain the Word of God or it might point to the Word of God, but, let's face it, it's a man-written book with problems, inconsistencies, and ... well ... mistakes. I mean, surely, from a 21st century perspective, we can be quite sure that the Bible was wrong in its stance on slavery, just as an easy example. Progressives tend to deny that Christianity is the only way to God. And while the primary focus of traditional Christianity seems to be more about personal conversion, Progressives have moved on to more pressing issues like social justice and environmental issues.

When the Reformers stood against the Roman Catholic Church in their day and started what is called "the Reformation", it was not their goal to make the Church better like we normally think of the word "reform". They weren't trying to send the Church to reform school, so to speak. The goal, instead, was more of a return. The goal wasn't progress, but actually regress. They argued that the Church had moved away from original, biblical Christianity, and the goal was to go back. This illustrates Jude 1:3.

Generally speaking it is often a very good thing to progress. To make improvements in science, agriculture, economics, all sorts of things is a good idea. I mean, surely it's clear that the progress that has been made in, say, computers in the last 20 years is a pretty good thing. In most areas progress is fine. But Jude says that "the faith" -- Christianity -- is a "once for all" thing. It doesn't progress. The Bible is not a living document. We don't have progressive revelation. The truth of our faith was delivered to the saints of Jude's day. It was delivered once and that was for all and that was the end of it. The only improvements we can make in Christianity is if we find areas where we've deviated from biblical Christianity and then return to it. Lots of things are improved by progress, but Christianity, according to the Bible, was once for all delivered to the saints and we don't have the right or responsibility to add to it or correct it. To suggest otherwise is an arrogance I cannot fathom.

2 comments:

Marshal Art said...

First of all, not to digress, but I've often heard remarks referring to the Bible's stance on slavery. I can't say as I've read of "a stance" per se. All I can think of is verses that deal with how a slave should behave, which is no different than the Bible teaches all of us. Indeed, it seems the Bible, and God as far as that goes, hasn't spent any time with the issue considering slavery is a worldly issue and God concerns Himself with spirirtual issues.

Also, regarding progressive Christians, it seems to me as if they are looking to change perceptions about a number of issues by claiming they are in step with Scripture and God's Will. They dismiss or diminish the importance of Scripture and that enables them to imagine whatever workds better for them. A most annoying example is the UCC campaign, "God is Still Speaking", as if He's revealing more stuff that only the progressives seem to receive, and those new revelations provide blessings for behaviors commonly understood to be sinful. Much of what comes from the average progressive Christian is heretical at worst, and unChristian at best.

Stan said...

Interesting concept ... an "unChristian" Christian.