Wednesday, February 14, 2007

The Audacious Ones

Given the ultra-modern era we live in, I'm sure that if you are not the type of person I am about to describe then you know someone who is. These days, it is not at all uncommon to hear people say that any and all tradition doesn't matter, and all that is important is "me and my Bible" and "gettin' people saved" -- even in (or more like especially in) the evangelical world. As you consider whether or not that comment describes you or someone you know, think about the following statements:

There was no ecumenical statement on the Trinity until 325 AD.

There was no official canon of Scripture until 367 AD.

There was no ecumenical statement of the Holy Spirit as a divine person until 381 AD.

There was no significant ecumenical statement on the person of the Lord Jesus until 451 Ad.

And yet there has never been an ecumenical statement on the atonement...EVER.

What does all that mean? Well, it means that it took some of the most Biblically savvy and intelligent people in the history of the world over 3 centuries to come to an agreement of who God is, and yet people today think that they don't need ecumenical church councils, creeds, or any of church history in figuring the great truths of God out.

You might say to me, "All I need is my Bible." And I must reply, "Really? It took over four centuries just for the earliest (and most brilliant) Christian thinkers to understand who the God who reveals Himself in Scripture is, and yet you are capable of doing it all on your own?"

You might say to me, "All that matters is gettin' people saved." And I would reply, "Really? In the history of the church, the issue of the atonement has been so huge that no ecumenical statement has ever been issued concerning it, and yet all on your own you, even though you have thrown out the history of Christian thought, somehow know what 'gettin saved' even is? You can't even rightly identify the One who's doing the saving?"

I recoil at the supremely arrogant, pompous, nearsighted, and audacious attitude of the ultra-modern attitude that says history and tradition mean nothing. And yet that is what I encounter everywhere I turn. Forget pipe organs and electric guitars; all of that is for the birds. Give me a group of Christians that are truly (not superficially) in touch with the past, and I'll show you a group of Christians that can be a life-changing instrument in a fallen culture.

Am I wrong?

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posted by Sean Scribner @ 8:06 PM 3 comments links to this post
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Wednesday, February 07, 2007

A Christological Center

I would like to draw the attention of my readers to an observation made by one much smarter than I.

Take a look at the following 2 ecumenical creeds that state orthodox Christian belief. These creeds are the clearest statement of our belief, and in the early church they were used as a preparation for baptism, thus they were (and still should be) catechetical in nature.

As you read through them, take note of the amount of attention paid in articulating belief in the three Persons of the Trinity (I have arranged them in such a way as to highlight the point I am trying to make):

Nicene creed
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.

Who, for us men for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father [and the Son]; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.

And I believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Apostle's Creed
I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth;

And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried, He descended into hell, the third day he rose again from the dead, He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost.

I believe in the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

What did you notice?

Perhaps it is the fact that there is significantly more effort in articulating the second Person than there are of the other two Persons of the Godhead. Article II (so we can say) clearly gets the most attention. This does not suggest that the early church affirmed a belief in some sort of intrinsic divine supremacy of the second Person of the Trinity, but that the early church rightly believed that all theology and faith must have a Christological center. There is no faith, theology, or belief apart from the Son. In fact, it has been observed that all heresy comes from a misunderstanding or disagreement with Article II. This is clear from the history of the church.

So what do we say to some who would suggest that we need to somehow "move beyond" Jesus? Is Jesus merely something that "gets" us to salvation and then we can move beyond him to something more? Do those who even toy with these notions really understand what on earth they are thinking? Jesus does not bring us "to" salvation... He IS our salvation! You cannot "move beyond" Jesus to the Father, for it is in Jesus alone that the Father is known. It is only in Jesus that God and Man are reconciled, therefore it is through him alone that we are brought into the Triune life of God.

So be very careful in what you believe and how you articulate it. The very second you think you can "move past" Jesus to the Father is the very moment that you have missed the Father altogether.

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posted by Sean Scribner @ 4:00 PM 3 comments links to this post
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What's Next?

This just in today:

Ban Proposed On Cell Phones, iPods In Crosswalk

Apparently, "A state senator from Brooklyn said on Tuesday he plans to introduce legislation that would ban people from using an MP3 player, cell phone, Blackberry or any other electronic device while crossing the street in either New York City or Buffalo."

Does this strike anybody as incredibly unbelievable? Yes, I will agree that it is dangerous and obnoxious when people are zoned out while trying to talk on their cell phones or listening to their iPods -- especially while driving. I live in Jackson, MS, the Motherland of crazy cell phone using drivers. But come on, do we really need legislation prohibiting people from using portable electronic devices in crosswalks? What's next? You can't talk to people while in a crosswalk either? Lots of people don't pay attention very well during dialogue with other persons, so we need a law enforcing silence in crosswalks? Give me a break!

Your thoughts?

posted by Sean Scribner @ 10:39 AM 0 comments links to this post
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