past mtg ppt presentation 060111

8/6/2019 Past Mtg Ppt Presentation 060111

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1SYNCRETISM

Therewasagreatshi,thattookplacethreehundredyearsa,erthedeathofChrist.

A,erthreecenturiesofpersecu:onbytheRomanauthori:esduringwhich:methe

bloodofthemartyrsbecametheseedofthechurchRomeissuedanEdictof

Tolera:onfortheChris:anreligion.BeyondthattheEmperorsstartedmaking

Chris:anitythepreferredstatereligion.

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Thismeantthatformerpaganpriestsbecameclergyintheofficiallysanc:oned

church.ByAD381thingshadsoswungtheotherwaythatitwasnowillegaltobea

paganorahere:candinthatsensereligioustolera:onwasnolongerallowedinthe

Empire.

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A,erAD325forChris:anleaderswhowerenowpaidbytheRomanstatetheissue

wasnothowdowestayalivebuthowdoweaccommodateourpaganneighborsand

getthemintothechurch?

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1.Bap:smbecame:edtoreceivingsalva:onsoinfantsweresprinkled

2.TheLordsSupperchangedfromasymboltoasacramentimpar:ngsavinggrace

3.Ministrychangedfromleadershiptolayersofbishopsandarchbishopsand

cardinalslordingitoverthemembership

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Fourideasbecameprevalentandtruechurches(bap:s:c)foughtagainstthem.

A.Sacramentalismreligiousceremoniescommunicatesavinggrace

B.Sacerdotalismpriestshavespecialauthoritytoadministergracethroughthe

sacraments

C.Relicsbecomeimportantinreligiousceremoniesandarevenerated

D.Churchgovernmentnolongerruledbythemembers(congrega:onalrule)pastorsoflargerchurcheswereelevatedasbishopsgainingcontroloverchurches

surroundingthem(theRomanImperialsystemofgovernmentwasadoptedbythe

professingchurch).

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Bap:s:cgroupswhoaemptedtoholdtruetoapostolicdoctrineandprac:cewere

persecutedandkilledforthesamereasontheywerepersecutedandkilledunderthe

RomanEmpiretheywereviewedasadangertothestate.

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Syncre:smisthereshapingofChris:anbeliefsandprac:cesthroughcultural

accommoda:onsotheyconsciouslyorunconsciouslyblendwiththoseofthe

dominantculture.Chris:anitythenlosesitdis:nc:venatureandspeakswithavoice

reflec:veofitsculture.TheChris:ancommunitytriestomakeitsmessageandlife

arac:vealluringandappealingtothoseoutsidethefellowship.

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E.g.TwoyearsagoJoelplantedanevangelicalchurch.Theguidingques:onforming

hisstrategywasHowcanwemeettheneedsofthepeopleofthiscommunityand

makethischurchgrow?Joeldevelopedacoreteamlaunchedwithanaendanceof

300a,ersixmonthsofplanningandnowhasanaverageof900peopleeachSunday.

Byallappearancesheisverysuccessful.HoweverJoelisinwardlyperturbed.He

acknowledgeshischurcharactspeoplebecauseitcaterstowhatpeoplewant.Thechurchismoreavendorofgoodsandservicesthanacommunityofthekingdomof

God.Joelseeshowthoseaendinghavemixedmo:vesAendingistheirdutya

placetomeetpeopleofinfluenceorwheretheirchildrenreceivemoralinstruc:on.

Churchaendancerelievesguiltanddeclarestoothers(andtoself)Iamreligious.

Aspiritualresponsibilityhasbeendischargedsoalliswell.Butobservingthe

worldlinessofmembersleadshimtoprivatelyaskWhathaveIcreated?

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Syncre:smhasimplica:onsbothformodernmissionsandevangelismbecause

syncre:smoccurswhentheassump:onsoftradi:onalculturearenotadequately

cri:quedbasedonbiblicaltheology.

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Syncre:smcannotbedefinedwithoutunderstandingcontextualiza:onsincethetwo

processesareinterrelated.

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Defini:onsemphasizingscripturedefinecontextualiza:onasthetransla:onof

biblicalmeaningsintocontemporaryculturalcontexts.Soimagesmetaphorsrituals

andwordsthatarecurrentinthecultureareusedtoreplacewordsintheoriginal

textsoastomakethemessageunderstandableandimpacul.

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WhentheculturalsengisemphasizeditmeansGodsmeaningissought

experien:allywithinthecultureusingtheBibleasaguide.Thegoalistofindwhat

GodisalreadydoinginthecultureratherthancommunicateGodseternalmessage

withintheculturalcontext.EvangelicalswhobelievetheBibleisauthorita:veinlife

andministryviewthissecondop:onassyncre:smbecausescriptureismarginalized

inthecontextualiza:onprocess.

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Thera:onaliza:onfortheneedofacontextualizingthatresultsinsyncre:smruns

likethisMychurchwasbornandgrewtomaturityduringthedaysofModernity

andreflectsEnlightenmentthinking.Salva:onwasunderstoodasstepsindividuals

hadtodotobesaved;scripturewasinterpretedasablue-printorapaerntobe

logicallyfollowed;andthehermeneu:cofprincipleprecedentornecessary

inference"formedthebasisforhowwestudiedtheBible.Ourmovementfollowedthera:onalismanddebatestyleofAlexanderCampbell(ex-Bap:stfounderofthe

ChurchesofChrist).ThereforeouremphasiswasonknowingaboutGodand

Chris:anityratherthanrela:ngtoHimpersonallyasFatherGod.

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Thatisanabsolutelyacceptablecri:queoftheBBFI.Theopera:vewatchwordwhenI

wasgrowingupwasGodblessesfaithfulness.Byfaithfulnessmeanttheideayou

wereatchurch-widevisita:onknockingondoorseveryThursdaynightat700.

Spiritualitywasdeterminedbyhowlongwasyourhairhowshortwasyourskirt

whetheryouwenttomoviesworeflared-legpantsandwire-rimmedglasses.

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Butthatisactuallyacri:queofabiblicalphenomenonwecalllegalism.Andyesone

ofthehallmarksoflegalismislackofbiblicalcontextualiza:onbecauseofgoingto

seedontheideasofecclesias:calsepara:onandpersonalsepara:onasyourgauge

ofspirituality.

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Allofthatwascri:quedsuccessfullybyFrancisSchaeferyearsagoinhisbooksTrue

SpiritualityandHowShallWethenLive?Butthetendencytodayisto

1.Throwoutpersonalevangelismbecausethatisviewingsalva:onastoo

individualis:c

2.ThrowoutshowingsomeonetheversesthatleadthemtoChristbecausethatis

viewedasenlightenmentthinking3.RejecttheideatheBibleisGodshandbookonthehumanlifebecausethatviewis

aresultofmodernity

4.Stopprinciple-izingtheBibleasananswerforhumanneedsbecausepostmodern

menandwomenwillnotacceptthatandinsteadlookforthestories

5.RejectsoundteachingofdoctrineasknowledgeaboutGodthatprecludesreally

knowinghim

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JohnMacArthurandothersonlytalkaboutcontextualiza:onnega:velybecausethey

thinkitobscuresthegospel.MarkDriscollandothersadvocatewhattheycall

contextualiza:onastheonlywaytomakethegospelrelevanttopeopletoday.

Whichisit?WellwhensomeonearguesPaulnevercontextualizedthegospelandso

theydonoteitheritisbecausetheyhavelabeledsomethingtheyseethattheydont

likeascontextualiza:on.Inotherwordstheynarrowthedefini:onofthetermtodefiningonlythethingtheyareagainst.SinceMacArthurisagainstDriscollusingsalty

languageorsexualreferencesinthepulpitheisagainstallcontextualiza:on.

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WeallhavetobecarefulbecausewithouremphasisontheBibleasanabsolute

standardwehaveatendencytoignoreplaceswithintheBibleitselfwhereittellsus

toactinarela:vis:corsitua:onalway.Weforgetthattheonlytwoabsolutethings

ontheearthareGodandthewordofGod.Sothenwetendtomakethehusbands

authorityoverthewife(forexample)intoanabsoluteonewheninactualfacta

husbandsheadshipinhishome(orapastorsinhischurch)isrela:vecomparedtotheauthorityofChristandtheBible.

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PaultellstheCorinthiansJudgeinyourselvesisitcomelyforawomantopraywith

herheaduncovered.Judgeinyourselvesmeansitisculturallyrela:ve.Itmeanswe

maynotbelieveinsitua:onethicsbutPauldidbelieveinsitua:onalheadcovering.

BecausewhenweobeythescripturesandjudgeinourselvesatKCBTwefindthatit

makesnodifferenceonewayortheother.Thefactthatyoujudgeinyourselves

insteadofjudgethisstrictlyaccordingtothescripturesmeansthereare:meswehavetocontextualize.Thedebateoverthosegrayareasaretheundercardfightson

theprogram.

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Ataconferencein1963KristerStendahl aLutheranprofessoratHarvardDivinity

Schooldeliveredalecture(laterpublishedinabookin1976)en:tledTheApostle

PaulandtheIntrospec:veConscienceoftheWest.Itwasapsychologicalstudyof

Mar:nLuthersinterpreta:onofPaulthathadbecomethefounda:onofProtestant

andReformedtheology.StendahlsaidAugus:neintroducedanintrospec:ve

conscienceintotheinterpreta:onofPaulswri:ngsandMar:nLutherfollowedthiserror.SohesaysthetypicalLutheranviewofPauldoesnotfitwithstatementsin

Paulswri:ngs.

LutherallegedlyinterpretedPaulasthoughPaulwerewri:ngaboutissuesoflater

:mesinsteadoftheoneshewasactuallyfacing.StendahlsaidPaulwasnotup

againstalegalis:cJudaismthattaughtsalva:onwastobe"merited"or"earned"self-

reliantly.NorwerePaul'sopponentsagainstfaithgraceandforgiveness.Hesaid

LutherwasguiltyofanachronismorreadinghisownproblemswiththeCatholic

Churchandwithhisownconsciencebackintotheancienttext.Thatwasawestern

wayofinterpre:ngPaulbutnottherightone.Sowehavetogobackandre-read

Paulnowthatweseethepsychologyofouroldwayofperceivinghim.

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Thenin1977E.P.Sanderspublishedastudyminingtheliteratureofrabbinicand

secondtempleJudaismu:lizingtheTannaim(viewsofrabbinicsagesasrecordedin

theMishnah70-200AD)theDeadSeaScrollstheApocryphaandPseudepigrapha

(counterfeitbooksliketheGospelofJudasorThomas).Heintendingtoprovenot

thatPaulhasbeenmisunderstoodbutthatthepictureofJudaismpaintedbyPauls

wri:ngsishistoricallyfalsenotjustinaccurateinpartbutfundamentallymistaken.ThattherewasactuallyacommonalitybetweenearlyChris:anityandJudaismonthe

maerofsalva:on.Asamaeroffactmaybethereasonwethinkotherwiseis

becauseofthean:semi:cbiaswehadinthe:mebeforetheholocaust.

Sanderscoinedanewphrasetodescribethecharacterofthisfirst-centuryPales:nian

Judaism"covenantalnomism."Judaismisnotareligionoflegalismbutofgrace

becauseJewsbelievedtheygotintosalva:onbythegraceofelec:onthroughthe

covenant(covenantal)butstayedinthroughthekeepingofthelaw(nomism).People

enterthecovenantbygraceandmaintainthemselvesinitbyworks.Obedienceisthe

meansofmaintainingone'sstatuswithinthecovenant.Sowithitsemphasison

divinegraceandforgivenessJudaismwasneverareligionoflegalism.

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In1982,JamesDunnthemanwhosupervisedN.T.WrightsPh.D.researchgavethe

MansonMemorialLectureand:tleditTheNewPerspec:veonPaulandtheLaw.

DunnandWrightarebothAnglicantheologians.Youcanseewhytheywouldwantto

seetheirowntheologyinPaulswri:ngsbecausetheybelieveifyouarebap:zedas

aninfantintotheChurchofEnglandyouhavesalva:onbyelec:on.ItistotallyGods

gracethatplacedyouwithintheboundary-markerofinfantbap:smjustlikeitwasGodsgracethatplacedaJewinsidetheboundarymarkerofthepeopleofGod

whichwascircumcision.Andyouhavetocon:nuetobeobedienttothefaithinorder

tocomeoutallrightintheend.DunnandWrightarebothconsideredevangelical

scholars.

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TheNPPistheconfusionyouendupwithwhenyoudonotunderstanda

dispensa:onalviewofscripture.YouseeOTsalva:onforwhatitisamixoffaithand

worksandyoudonotrightlydividethatfromsounddoctrineinPaul.Soyoumixitall

upinabowlandpreymuchcomeoutea:ngwhateverdoctrinalstewyouwere

raisedon.

PresbyterianandReformedchurchesareinthegreatestturmoilovertheNPPbecauseononehanditseemstocontradicttheirtradi:onalunderstandingof

salva:onbygracesolelythroughfaith.Ontheotherhandtheyneverdidquiteknow

whattodowithinfantbap:smandthisexplainsitinawaythatmakesthemfeel

consistentwiththeOT.

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N.T.WrightobjectstocallingthismovementtheNewPerspec:veonPaulbecausehe

sayseachoneofthemdisagreeswiththeotheronsomethingssoitshouldreallybe

calledNewPerspec:ves.Attheboomlineitisreallynewdefini:onsbecauseyou

havetoredefinebiblicaltermsinordertogetittos:cktogether.

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GOSPELWhenPaulreferstothegospelheisnotreferringtoasystemofsalva:on

noreventothegoodnewsthattherenowisawayofsalva:onopentoall.The

gospelisnotyoucanbesavedandhereshow;thegospelforPaulisJesusChrist

isLord.

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RIGHTEOUSNESSOFGODPaulalwaysusesthisphrasetodenotenotthestatus

GodspeoplehavefromhimorinhispresencebuttherighteousnessofGodhimself

whichhedoesnotgiveaway.ItreferstoGodscovenantfaithfulness.(Wrightgetsthis

defini:onfromanunderstandingoftheJewishlawcourt.)

Wrightsaysheisanevangelicalbecausehebelievesinsubs:tu:onaryatonement

butatthesame:mehedeniesthedoctrineofimputa:on.Godsrighteousnessisnotgiventous;insteadwearesimplyadjudicatedasbeingrighteousbythejudge.Itis

notaworddeno:ngmoralcharacterbutsimplyadeclara:onofstatus.

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JUDGMENTthereisonlyafinaljudgmentforeveryoneanditisaccordingtoworks

althoughitisworksredefined.Worksarenowdefinedasthosethingsproducedin

oneslifeasaresultoftheSpiritsindwellingandopera:on.

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JUSTIFICATIONJus:fica:onoccurstwice.Firstitisthefutureposi:veverdictatthe

lastjudgmentonapersonsen:relifelivedinthepoweroftheSpirit.Godisfaithful

tothecovenantandgivesyouaverdictofrighteous.Secondjus:fica:on byfaithis

thean1cipa1oninthepresentofthatfirstjus:fica:onwhichwilloccurinthefuture.

Jus:fica:onismoreaboutwhattheboundarymarkersofthecovenantcommunity

arethanaboutapersonsindividualstandingbeforeGod.

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Jus:fica:onisnothowsomeonebecomesaChris:an.ItisGodsdeclara:onabout

thepersonwhohasjustbecomeaChris:anthroughtheeventinwhichonedieswith

theMessiahandrisestonewlifewithhiman:cipa:ngthatfinalresurrec:onin

otherwordsthroughbap:sm.Bap:smistheboundarymarkersoitishowyou

becomeaChris:anandjus:fica:onisGodsdeclara:onaboutyoufordoingthat.

Yetyoudidgetbap:zedbecauseGodinhisforeknowledgedeterminedades:nyforyouandyourespondedtohiscallbyturningfromidolstoGodandmakingJesus

ChristyourLord.SoaccordingtoRom6whenGodlooksatthebap:zedChris:anhe

seeshimorherinChrist.

TherighteousnessofGodisredefinedasGodscovenantfaithfulness.Jus:fica:onis

redefinedasvindica:on.Whereasweknowthebiblicalconceptisthatexternal

righteousnessnamelyChristsrighteousnessisimputedtobelieversratherthan

theirownfaithbeingreckonedasrighteousness.

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OntheonehandSanderssorejectsthehistoricalJesus(includinghisdeityand

miracles)thatheconcludesverylileorvirtuallynothinginthegospelsisfactual.

SoforhimthegospelsdonotgiveanaccuratehistoricalrecordofwhatJewsbelieved

inthefirstcentury.Thereforehesi,sthroughtheself-contradictorystatementsof

therabbinicsagestocomeupwithsomethingthatfitshistheory.Secondif Dunndid

notrelysoheavilyonhighercri:cismofthetexthewouldacceptandbelievewhathemischaracterizesastheLutheraninterpreta:on.Butasitishedoesnotbelieve

PaulevenwroteEphColorthePastoralEpistlessohedoesaccepttheold

perspec:ve.ThirdsinceTomWrightisnotadispensa:onalistanddoesnotknow

howtorightlydividethewordallheseeseveninPaulisawaytora:onalizehisown

Anglicanaachmenttoinfantbap:smandtheologicalmiddleoftheroad-ism.

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HereiswhyWrightishailedandapplaudedbyevangelicalsWrightsbooks

systema:callydemolishtheargumentsoftheJesusSeminarandprovetheexistence

ofthehistoricalJesusasthegospelsdescribehim.Hehasfoughtfororthodoxy

againstGnos:candskep:calinterpreta:onsoftheNewTestamentandofthebodily

resurrec:onofChrist.

ButwhenthebeliefthatJesusisLordandGodraisedHimfromthedeadbecomesthebadgeofcovenantmembershiptheProtestantcansitwiththeCatholicatthe

sametableoffellowshipandWrightsaysasmuch.

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YearsagoFrancisSchaefferpointedoutthatwhatstartsinphilosophyandspreadsto

theartseventuallyendsupintheologybeforefinallyhingpopularculture.Heres

howthatworks.

POPCULTURE=RobBellsVelvetElvispp62-63.

Footnote#58directsustoNTWrightforthephilosophy&theologythatledhimto

thatpopcultureviewpoint.

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THEOLOGYWrightsview(LastWord)

23AuthorityofscriptureisshorthandforGodsauthorityexercisedsomehow

throughscripture.

37Inspira:onisashorthandwayoftalkingaboutthebeliefthatbyhisSpiritGod

guidedtheverydifferentwritersandeditorssothat thebookstheyproducedwere

thebooksGodintendedhispeopletohave .Inactualfactthatiscanonicity.

38WefindtheelusivebutpowerfulideaofGodswordnotasasynonymforthe

wrienscripturesbutasastrangepersonalpresence.

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PHILOSOPHYWrighthaswhatiscalledacultural-linguis:cmodelofBiblical

authoritybasedonaphilosophernamedWigenstein.SoforWrightthecentral

importanceofthecategoryofnarra:veorstorystandsoutasprimary.Inviewofthe

factthatstoriesareakeyworldviewindicatorandthatagoodpartoftheNew

Testamentconsistsofstoriesitisthereforeimportanttoconsiderhowstories

mightcarryorbevehiclesforauthority.

past mtg ppt presentation 060111

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