“Was Jesus a Racist?” or is that even the right question

In a recent Associated Baptist Press article, Miguel De La Torre, associate professor of social ethics at the Iliff School of Theology in Denver, asks the question, “Was Jesus a Racist?”

He states in reference to Matt 15:21-28, “No matter how much I try to redeem the text, I cannot ignore the fact that Jesus called this woman of color a dog! I am forced to ask the uncomfortable question: Was Jesus a racist?” He implies that Jesus was in fact a racist who learned from a Canaanite woman.

An “uncomfortable question” is certainly right because if Jesus were a racist, then He was not sinless. Is 2 Corinthians 5:21 true or not? It states, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Did we have a perfect sacrifice die on the cross as a substitute or was Jesus simply a good man trying to overcome the social evils of His time?

The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus is the sinless, perfect second person of the triune Godhead who was tempted in every way and did not sin. Perhaps Torre has a different view of Jesus.

Torre continues stating that this woman demanded “an equal place at the table of the Lord. . . . She demands to be treated as an equal. . . . she was entitled to a healing.” Sounds a lot like the culture of our age with demands and entitlement.

I am fairly certain that if we truly encountered the living God, we would not feel anything other than remorse. Finally he states, “Jesus learned something about his mission from this woman of color.”

While I understand the various views concerning the kenosis theory, I am not comfortable claiming that Jesus learned about His mission from a human. Any theory contending such comes very close to emptying Jesus of His Divinity and the question no longer is “Was Jesus a Racist?” but the questions becomes, “Was Jesus God?”

In fact this is really the uncomfortable question. If Jesus is truly God, then Jesus was no racist.

Something you need to see

I can neither vouch for the accuracy of this documentary nor do I wish to make any form of statement by posting it here. I simply find it fascinating. It spotlights the decreasing size of the family and some of the problems that may result from it.

From what I understand it comes from a secular source. I encourage you to watch the trailer for yourself. Hopefully it will intrigue you as it has me.

A Written Clarification on Birth Control

Since I had the privilege of preaching in the chapel at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary on October 7, 2008 I have received many emails and phone calls from students, faculty, and others outside the seminary offering both appreciation and concern over what I said during my exposition of Psalm 127. The response has allowed me the opportunity to elaborate on my views and sharpen my position by hearing those who disagree. In fact today I spoke with a reporter from the Associated Press on the subject. You can view the AP article here.   

 

For the sake of clarifying further both what I said and what I believe, I have provided the following few paragraphs. Also, you may view the sermon in its entirety here.

 

During the exposition of Psalm 127 approximately a 6 minute segment discussed some of my personal decisions regarding birth control and my support of life as a gift from God. I could not address every issue and left many questions intentionally unanswered including the appropriate size of each person’s family.

 

To clarify, I do not believe all birth control is murder. I do believe that human life begins at the moment of conception. I am opposed to abortifacients which prevent the progression or continuation of life. The third function of most birth control pills prevents a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterine wall and this function is what I referred to as murder. I am opposed to abortion, the morning after pill, and the third function of most birth control pills.  This is part of what I attempted to communicate in my sermon.

 

We live in a society which largely feels that children are a burden but the Bible tells us that children are a blessing. We live in a society which largely feels that children will make a rich man poor, but the Bible tells us that children will make a poor man rich.

 

I don’t speak for Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary on this matter but my view is consistent with the confessional statement of the institution. The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 article 15 titled “The Christian and the Social Order” states, “We should speak on behalf of the unborn and contend for the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death.”

 

Here are some websites that you may refer to for more information on the birth control pill. I do not endorse everything on these websites, but they will help you begin researching the issue for yourself.

 

• http://www.epm.org/artman2/publish/prolife_birth_control_pill/Birth_Control_Pill_Abortifacient_and_Contraceptive.shtml 
• http://www.prolife.com/BIRTHCNT.html 
• http://www.gateway.org/content/pdf/Combo%20and%20Mini%20BC%20Pills.PDF 
• http://www.orthoevra.com/orthoevra/about_how.html#how  

 

How Kids Become gods

“God is dead,” Neitzche did say,

and with no authority left in the way,

man decided to act as he pleased

living a life of fun and ease.

 

For enjoying the nightlife, kids will not do.

They create a burden on me and you,

so birth control will save the day,

and doctors can take the mistakes away.

 

Desiring now to experience everything,

They plan for two kids and exchange a ring.

These kids they learn amazing facts,

but they learn the most from how we act.

 

Soon they begin to imitate us

Denying authority; rebellion a must. 

Whatever it is these daycares do

They don’t teach them to obey me and you.

 

With all we want, surely you know

Two careers is the way to go.  

Frustrated we scream, “You kids behave!”

While knowing it is attention they crave.

 

These kids don’t respect authority,

We blame it on video games and TV.

When really down deep inside,

we see the selfishness we’ve tried to hide.

 

We made ourselves gods back in the past,

hoping our happiness would last,

but what our kids learned during all the rush,

was to reject all authority, including us.

 

So kids became gods, at least in their mind,

leaving their parents far behind.

More sinful, more rebellious, and more bold,

Now their doctors get rid of the old.

 

It’s simple economics, can’t you see

society can’t support all these elderly,

and to lighten the load, they follow us.

abortion’s okay; so euthanasia’s a must.

 

On the other side, we now do cry,

“Killing the helpless is homicide!”

Just before death, we come to know,

God is not dead and, “You reap what you sow.”

  

Franchising McChurch pre-order now available

Franchising McChurch: Feeding America’s Obsession with Easy Christianity, is now available for pre-order on Amazon.com. This book has been co-written with John Mark Yeats. I am excited to see the book available even if it is only for pre-order. I will write more on this later, but just to give you an idea of what is addressed, continue reading… 

We live in a fast-food nation, where the service is efficient, the products are predictable, and size is king. Unfortunately, this consumer-driven approach is seeping out of our happy meal and into our church.

 

Across the country, churches are creating entertaining, pop culture-savvy services that feel more market-driven than ministry. On the menu? A proven blend of dynamic music, high-tech dazzle, and topical teachings. And just like any successful product, churches are launching campuses that build on their brand.

 

But is the franchised church of today leading to the disenfranchised believers of tomorrow? Is this approach harming local congregations? Though thousands flock to these services, how many lives are truly being changed? Have we traded real truth for relevancy?

 

Franchising McChurch takes an honest look at the rise of consumer-minded ministries. Authors Thomas White and John Mark Yeats tackle a spiritual shift that is raising provocative issues such as:

 

• The blurry line between entertainment and evangelism
• A marketing approach to ministry
• The warped yardstick for measuring church success
• Feel-good messages that avoid tough truths 

Candid and compelling, Franchising McChurch calls us back to the heart of Christ’s church, and shares the Biblical design for delivering meaningful, life-changing ministry in a fast-food world.

A Lesson in Leadership

 

This Thursday I had a front row seat for a lesson in Christ-like leadership. Southwestern Seminary held its convocation marking the beginning of the fall semester. While preaching from John 13, Dr. Patterson asked seminary student Anthony Moore to come to the stage. What happened next captivated everyone.

 

Moore, whom I know as a student, a dear friend, and someone who I want on my basketball team was asked to sit in the chair of our founding president, B.H. Carroll on stage. Along with most Southwesterners, I have never had the opportunity to sit in this chair, but Moore sitting in the chair only marked the beginning of a powerful illustration.

 

Patterson, as you probably know, led the Conservative Resurgence with Paul Pressler and may be the most widely known person among Southern Baptists. He has served as president of three institutions: Criswell College, Southeastern Seminary, and Southwestern Seminary while also serving as president for two terms of the Southern Baptist Convention. Some have suggestion that his influence may have corrupted him, but those who suggest such things do not know the Paige Patterson that I work beside on a daily basis.

 

I watched as Patterson took off his esteemed regalia, poured water in a bowl, and removed both the shoes and socks of Moore. My eyes shifted from a kneeling Southern Baptist hero removing the socks of a student to the tears flowing from the face of a 6’3” chiseled athlete who fears little in life. I suspect neither the servant hood of heroes nor the tears of warriors occur frequently enough in our brief existence.  

 

During the message Patterson said something that caught my attention, “In these days, I have heard many say, ‘I am a young leader.’ They may very well be, but God did not call them to that. God calls us not to be leaders but to be slaves and servants . . . If you have come to Southwestern . . .  with anything other in mind than to learn the ways of servanthood, to learn to be a slave to our Lord and to the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, which he bought with his own blood, then you have misunderstood the calling.”  

 

I confess that on more days than I care to remember, my own sinful ambition has arisen, even if only in my mind, entertaining thoughts that I too am a “young leader.” But on this day, as I watched my hero in the faith wash the feet of my friend, the Holy Spirit convicted me that rather than striving to be a leader, I should strive to be a servant and let God take care of the rest.

 

On many occasions, I have thanked God for allowing me to serve alongside Patterson. When I have watched Patterson crying over lost souls while partially hiding his face with his Bible, when tears of compassion have fallen to the floor over “his children” going overseas to serve as missionaries, when defending the inerrancy of Scripture or distinctives of our faith with Bible held high, I have thanked God for him.

 

On this day, the tears were mine as I watched a true demonstration of Christ-like leadership. Some call for change in the Southern Baptist Convention, but as for me, I only hope that my generation can follow in the footsteps of the godly men who have gone before.  Today, I am thanking God for a lesson in leadership.

A little poem from Oxford

I am no poet and rarely do I ever show anything of this nature to others, but I am in Oxford and wish to share this with some on the other side of the pond. So here it is….

On Regent’s Park

by Thomas White

 

Ancient paintings hang along the halls,

and the courtyards are so quaint.

Baptist treasures lie within these walls,

but the Hilton, that she ain’t.

 

Sounds of snoring invade each room,

and the bathroom has no shower.

No televisions here to speak of doom.

No elevators up these towers.

 

This lack of comfort is what I need,

to show me where my sin lies.

Former luxury has become necessity.

exposed in the land where martyrs died.

 

I saw Helwys’s work on the Mystery

defending religious liberty. 

He was slain for his Iniquity,

yet often I don’t speak at all.

 

The martyrs’ monument tells their story

As they truly followed the Savior.

May I speak so boldly of His glory,

rather than seeking any man’s favor.

 

I take no possession from this city

where the Ox once water crossed

More valuable, is a new fervency

to preach Jesus to the lost. 

 

 

The Baptist Theology Research Award Student Symposium

The Center for Theological Research of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
invites you to attend.

Wednesday, 5 December 2007 2:00-5:00 p.m.
The Riley Center, Room 243, Southwestern Seminary
 
The following Masters-level students were selected by the BaptistTheology.org Editorial Board:

“The Disciples of Christ and the Baptists: A Test Case of ‘No Creed but the Bible,’” by Matthew Ward

“Eli, Eli, Lema Sabachthani?,” by Robert Matz

“A Theological Biography of Michael Sattler,” by Ched Spellman

“L. R. Scarborough,” by Timothy Fatheree

“J. M. Pendleton and the Fruit of Ecclesiology,” by Eric L. Campbell

The Baptist Theology Research Award Student Symposium allows Masters-level students to present their semester research paper related to Baptist Theology to their peers and the BaptistTheology.org Editorial Board. At the conclusion of the Symposium the Editorial Board will present The Baptist Theology Research Award to the author of the best paper and presentation. The winner of the Award will have their paper published as a BaptistTheology.org “White Paper,” and all presenters will receive a LifeWay giftcard donated by Northeast Houston Baptist Church in Humble, Texas. The authors of each paper will have 20 minutes to read their paper, followed by 10 minutes for questions and answers from the Editorial Board and the audience.

Please make plans to attend and encourage these students! 

BaptistTheology.org is a ministry of the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Ten Things I Believe: Number 1: Proper Evangelism to the Ends of the Earth

I believe in the proper evangelism to the ends of the earth. I wish I were more evangelistic. I often find myself looking back in hindsight thinking of ways I could have said something differently or transitioned into the Gospel during a casual conversation. I tell you this so that you understand I do not write this to brag about my own evangelistic efforts. With that said, I do want to point out a few things about evangelism and missions.

First, without evangelism and missions we will never fulfill the great commission of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Second, all believers should witness to others. We should not have a mentality that some are called to evangelism while others are not. All Christians should engage in evangelism as one beggar telling another beggar where to find food.

Third, I believe that we should share the Gospel accurately. The Gospel necessarily includes the need for a savior and the love of a God who paid the debt I could not pay. Some overemphasize the love of God without ever mentioning the sinfulness of mankind. Others overemphasize the law and the depravity of mankind without sharing enough about the love which covers our sin. Proper evangelism addresses both our need and Christ’s love. Proper evangelism does not manipulate, but it does invite. Proper evangelism, does not deceive but it does plead.

Fourth, I believe that we have created a false dichotomy between missions and evangelism. I don’t see this distinction in the New Testament and although I readily admit the distinction is logical, I believe that evangelism should take you all over the world and missions cannot occur without evangelism. The two necessarily depend on each other.

Lastly, I believe we have also created a false dichotomy between evangelism and discipleship. Perhaps this distinction led to or relates to the Lordship Salvation controversy. However, the great commission commands us to first “make disciples” which is evangelism. What we usually consider to be discipleship occurs in “teaching them to obey all things that I have commanded you.” Making disciples is evangelism—teaching people to obey all things is sanctification and spiritual maturity.

I have been reading a lot of L.R. Scarborough in preparation for Southwestern Seminary’s 100 year anniversary. His inaugural sermon impressed me greatly. The fact that he considered “calling out the call” (encouraging people to commit to vocation service) part of evangelism enlightened me. The fact that he titled his book Recruits for World Conquests inspired me. His passion for evangelism excited me. He exemplified the “chair of fire” which he held and set an example worth imitating. I pray that God will raise up hundreds of Scarborough’s to reach the world for Christ. I pray that God will help me to be more evangelistic and give our churches a passion for sharing the Gospel all over the world. I pray that we will see the fulfillment of the great commission in my lifetime. These are but a few of the reasons that I believe in proper evangelism to the ends of the earth.

Ten Things I Believe: Number 2: The Local Church

I believe in and love the local church. The word ecclesia is mentioned in the New Testament approximately 117 times omitting Acts 2:47 as not in the best manuscripts. Of these 117 occurrences approximately 112 of them refer to Christ’s church. The passages which do not are Acts 7:38; 19:32, 39, 42; Heb 2:12. The last passage, Heb 2:12 is a quote from the Old Testament. Of these 112 references to Christ’s church, approximately 90 of them refer to the local church. (B.H. Carroll’s work Ecclesia lists them all) The others can be debated but do indicate a doctrine known as the universal church. While I acknowledge that the universal church exists at least in conceptual form, there will be no meeting of it until we gather in heaven. Why does it not meet you ask? The universal church is the redeemed from all the ages. That includes

1. Members who are now in heaven.

2. Members who are now on earth.

3. Members who have yet to be born and thus are not in heaven or earth.

4. Thus, the universal church has prospects of future assembling, but no opportunity for present assembling.

Because the universal church does not currently meet and is a conceptual idea, we must focus on the local church which does meet. For this reason, I studied systematic theology with a concentration on Baptist theology and an even deeper focus on ecclesiology or the doctrine of the local church. In the wisdom of God, he has chosen to have me serve at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; however, my love and passion is still for the local church. Perhaps this is healthy since our seminary serves the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention.

I love the mega-churches which have reached so many people for Jesus Christ and where the pastor must manage a large company in addition to preaching the word of God. I love the small country churches where the pastor wears all the hats. I love the medium size church which makes up the majority of our Southern Baptist Zion and contains many underappreciated men who serve our Lord faithfully.

The primary reason I love the local church is because Jesus in divine wisdom chose to establish the local church to accomplish His mission and bring glory to Him.

1. Jesus established the local church. (Matt 16:18)

2. Jesus gave the power of discipline to the local church (Matt 18:17)

3. The ordinances belong to the local church. (1 Cor 5)

4. The church is the “bride of Christ.”

I love the fact that the local church is where people hear the preaching of God’s Word, come to faith in Jesus Christ, publicly profess Christ through baptism, observe the symbolic celebration of the Lord’s Supper, and are taught all things as Jesus has commanded us. If I were to include all the reasons, I could write a book on why I believe in the local church. Let me simply close by expressing my appreciation to all those who serve in our local churches. From our largest mega-churches to our smallest country churches, I sincerely appreciate all you do. Proper theology must be chained to the cross, to evangelism, to missions, and to the local church or it becomes an ivory tower, dead orthodoxy.  I hope that what I do as a seminary servant, professor, and theologian helps the local church. This is my goal because I believe in the local church.