It’s a disturbing trend. Very disturbing.
An increasing number of emerging church leaders write about the historical aspects of Christianity as if they’re not really that important. One prominent pastor and author is famous for saying (paraphrased): “The important thing about Adam and Eve’s sin isn’t so much that it happened, but that it happens.” I recently sat down with the chief acquisitions editor for a major Christian publishing house. He told me about another emergent church leader who is writing a book that, in the end, calls the importance of historical Christianity into question.
In essence, these leaders are saying: The events of Scripture are like parables. When you understand “the point” of these stories, you’ll be able to live a better life. In the end, whether or not they happened, these stories are about a “spiritual truth” that helps you live better in the here and now.
As with most error, there is an element of truth. Jesus’ death means nothing for me if he didn’t die for me. The basic story of the Fall DOES take place every day. Every one of us, when we sin, are turning from God’s way and asserting our own will to power. So, that story “happens.”
But what they get wrong is REALLY wrong. Christianity is not, first and foremost, a philosophical system or spiritual description of reality. Christianity is a set of Divine proclamations about God’s actions in history. Christianity says: God has done some very particular, important and identifiable things in the course of human history. God has intervened in our time-space world, seeking to save us in our depravity. We are so lost, that if God does not ACT ON OUR BEHALF, we’re in serious trouble (or substitute another, more vigorous term that I wrote and then deleted in the interest of propriety).
The historical events of Scripture are not, first and foremost, parables. They are events. This morning, I woke up and ate two pieces of raisin bread toast. I drank my first cup of coffee. At lunch time, I had tuna fish and crackers. These are events, they happened. I could spiritualize them to death (”My eating symbolized my feeding on the life of Christ, his sustaining power in my life” etc). But in the end, if I had not munched on toast, tuna and crackers (along with my shot of caffeine), I’d be hungry and grumpy right now. The EVENT has something to do with my REAL SITUATION.
If Jesus Christ did not live, die and rise again (REALLY!), then, as Paul said, our faith is futile and we are “most to be pitied.”
This week, we celebrate GOD’S SAVING ACTION ON OUR BEHALF. As you head to church tonight for your Maundy Thursday service, you’ll have the chance to share a meal, one that recalls a meal shared about 1970 years ago. On Good Friday, you’ll celebrate a terrible thing, but a thing that God did for us. On Easter Sunday, you’ll sing songs like “Up from the Grave He Arose!” and “Christ the Lord is Risen Today!” As you do these things, you’re declaring the impact of those events on your today. But remember, things that never happened can’t affect what is happening. So, with me, let’s affirm once again: “I believe in God the Father Almighty…”
That was great Adam. Good message and appropriate timing. You’re right. Things that never happened can’t ever effect us in the now.
Eric
April 5th, 2007
Thanks, Eric!
Administrator
April 5th, 2007
The Historical Christ…great topic.
I had a moment of complete melt down with my faith about two years ago. For the previous five years of my Christian walk I had a very profound “emotional” connection with God. He was with me everyday. From the moment that His spirit entered my body at age 24, I was in love with Him. But the emotional high of it all seemed to fade away about year-five into my walk. I just didn’t “feel” him the same way.
So I started to fall away. I quit praying and reading the bible all together. I stopped fellowship with my Christian friends. And then my lifestyle followed suit…
It all came to a head. And then I turned the corner when I started to realize that Christ truly is an historic figure. And his historic reality is what sets in stone the meaning of his life.
Thanks for this article. It really reminds me of a great process that I went through.
Tony
April 6th, 2007
Tony! Sweet bro. thanks so much for sharing this story. There is nothing like living through the truth of something to make the truth alive. My bet is that your story is repeated again and again (in unique ways, of course) around the world. So many youth group kids are told, “You just gotta love Jesus, make him your buddy, you and “J” dude!” That might work for a while, when you’re surrounded by a bunch of other people who say the same thing (and drink the same kool-aide). But…when the rubber hits the road, if what you’ve got is just a feeling, then anything that helps you feel is a useful illusion of choice.
anyway…Bro, you always bring it!
Administrator
April 6th, 2007
Adam
Preach it brother! Can I get an AMEN from the congregation?!
The others are right. This was right on and couldn’t have come at a better time.
w2
April 7th, 2007
Great stuff, Adam. It really is amazing how so many people can skip right over 1 Cor 15 and miss what Paul is saying. Faith is FUTILE unless it really truly happened. Our faith is worthless! Paul says we preach Christ and him CRUCIFIED–not just a symbolic Christ who shows us the best way, but Jesus who truly became incarnate, lived a perfect life, died in my place, and was raised again. If these things didn’t really happen then his “way” is no better than any other “way”. PREACH IT BROTHER! You might be interested in listening to some of the latest podcasts of the Whitehorse Inn radio show–they’ve been tackling some of the same issues about truth — really good stuff (whitehorseinn.org).
Anyway, keep up the good work Adam!
Todd
April 9th, 2007
Thanks Todd.
Amen!
I’ll definitely check out the Whitehorse Inn.
Speaking of podcasts…we’re running a little behind. Next one should be coming out soon!
Administrator
April 10th, 2007
Adam, this subject cannot be overworked. The “emergent” psyche sees only the “now.” In essence, so much of its message is error by emphasis. Because God does something “now” this is the only time he does it. Because there are gray areas in theology, everything is gray. As a theology and philosophy, emerging theology strives to see perspectively, but continually sees things outside of its proper perspective. The emergent mind paints with broad strokes when it addresses the past and paints with a narrow brush when it paints today. Yet, it calls them both painting. This is equivocation in its most basic form. Thanks so much for bringing the topic to the foreground once again.
Ray
April 13th, 2007