Most Important Notes from THEO 250 {4,368 words}
XVII. Lesson 17 - Christians and Social Separation
A. What is the correct position for a Christian when separating from society? Fundamentalists cannot be open to pluralistic perspectives in terms of biblical inerrancy, virgin birth, and so forth. Below are three key models.
1. The Noah Model pictures the modern-day Christian in the same mode as Noah. He was commissioned to do a special work, but he often prepared himself and warned those around him of the coming judgment. In a contemporary setting, the Christian should prepare himself or herself and then to warn others. The Noah Model focuses on (1) personal holiness, (2) on the proclamation of the Gospel to the unsaved (letting the Holy Spirit change the inside so that there will be an outward change), and (3) on exercising a generous lifestyle in the sense of sharing one's blessings with others. Using one's talents to serve the Lord and benefit others is an example of the last emphasis of the Noah Model. But with this model, the Christian does not preach negative themes to the unsaved about his or her lifestyle. This is the predominant view of Fundamentalism. This approach is positive, not negative, but it is also too passive. So, this model falls short.
2. The Covenant or Kingdom Model emphasizes that the church is the spiritual kingdom of God. So, the Christian should be extending God's kingdom on the earth. Christians should reimpose the Ten Commandments and other Old Testament Laws.
3. The Liberation Theology Model (similar to the Covenant Model) is probably the predominant view among Evangelicals. It says that Israel and the church have been given similar tasks. This pushes toward a theotopia, which is similar to what Karl Marx was trying to do.
B. A Biblical Approach to Societal Separation - A way around these shortcomings is to maintain the sole ultimate authority of the Bible. Another way is to maintain God as the Creator. Christians should be concerned about ecology and other such things because this is God's world. Christians should recognize salvation as being personal as well as communal. Christians and the church should pray for and bless Israel (Psalm 122:6). Christians are to be the salt of the world (help preserve society by upholding the Bible) and the light of the earth (shed light on the darkness by showing the world's shortcomings). Christians should recognize the providential power of God. God establishes the leaders of the nations. Christians should recognize the basic eschatological issues. Jesus is coming again, and Christians tend to not care too much about world catastrophes. But their lack of concern sometimes violates the God as Creator and caring for the earth concerns.
XVIII. Lesson 18 - The Christian and Politics
A. The light and salt principles probably apply. But to what extent should the Christian get involved? There are five principles to consider. First, the Great Commission teaches Christians to convert the world, not to reform it. They are to reach out to people with the Gospel of Christ. Regeneration, not compromise or reform, is the key. Second, the argument of separation of church and state also influences many Christians to not get involved. Third, many liberals argue that morality cannot be legislated. Christians have failed a few times, such as Prohibition and the Scopes Trial. The world is not going to live by biblical principles.
B. Christians need enough involvement to get on with the Lord's work, and this is where one gets back to the light and salt principles. Christians should try to define right and wrong and seek laws that do legislate morality. Fourth, many Christians view politics as being dirty. Fifth, Armageddon theology means that many Christians are just living to get outta here because the world is just going to get worse and worse anyway. It's like trying to rearrange the furniture on a sinking ship. Some people are Reconstructionists, and they favor throwing out democracy and developing a whole new society. They favor a caste system. Christians should also practice the Old Testament Laws. According to them, the homosexuals should be executed.
C. Postmillennialists favored Darwinian evolution because they thought that God was improving humanity and that things were getting better and better.
D. Richard Newhouse argues that democracy is the best, most equitable economic system. The New Right argues for a kind of moral influence, and the Christian is the light and salt of the world. The Pacifists argued that Christians should stay on the outside and not get involved.
E. A biblical model must be based on some guiding principles.
1. The Bible does not mandate a specific economic system. Christians should advocate a moral and just society. They are not to bring all people to Christ. They are to take Christ to all people (evangelize).
2. The Bible teaches that social transformation comes from evangelization, not legislation. The theonimist tries to changes the social structure from the outside, but Christians must work for change from within the inside. Billy Sunday changed whole towns through preaching, not through introducing laws.
3. The Mosaic Law is not the paradign for all nations, but its underlying principles are paradigns for all nations. The two dangers and that the laws should not be imposed on any nation as they stand but that they also should not be totally ignored, either. The divine principles, such as justice, morality, fairness, and so forth, should apply. All political systems should strive for these underlying principles. In a democracy, Christians are required to be good citizens and to stand up for what is right.
4. The church and state are two distinct but not unrelated institutions. God established three institutions - the home, the church, and government. Each has a unique task, but they overlap each other, too. Churches and governments are made up of families. Families should be ministered to by the other two institutions, and they should minister to those institutions. The government should be pluralistic in that they show concern for everyone, regardless of religion, creed, or color.
5. The church is in the world, but it is not of the world. Christians should obey the laws. They are to exercise their voting rights (make their opinions known). They pay their taxes. They only disobey the law when it opposes God. In Daniel 3:1-30, the three Hebrew boys did not bow down, but they accepted their consequences. Christians are still citizens, and they have an obligation to their society.
F. In I Corinthians 5:9-13, Paul showed that the church does not judge outside the church. God will judge. The church should minister to itself first. In I Corinthians 6:1-7, the government should not settle issues between Christians. The church's obligation to itself, so whenever possible, the church should judge its own matters.
XIX. Lesson 19 - The Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage (Part I)
A. Divorce is a symptom and a cause. It is a symptom in that it represents a callousness towards marriage vows, commitment, and love. It is a symptom in that it does not take seriously one's words. Divorce is a cause in that it causes pain for the innocent victims.
B. Divorce is a twentieth century reality, and the church should minister to divorced people. More recently, Christian couples have divorced, too. This is not just a choice among the unsaved.
C. What does the Bible teach about divorce? We will look at the Old Testament, then the New Testament, and finally, to the Epistles.
1. Deuteronomy 24:1-4 => This is a principle for more than just Israel. The woman's uncleanness does not seem to be related to her virginity because Moses dealt with the wife's virginity in Deuteronomy 22:20-21, and the woman was supposed to be stoned. In this case, it could mean that she is not modest or that she flaunts her sexuality. It could be a hygiene issue, but no one knows for sure. It is probably not an adultery or virginity issue because the penalty would have been capital punishment. In this case, remarriage was OK based on Deuteronomy 24:2-4, but she cannot remarry her first husband.
2. Ezra 10:1-3 => The people had intermarried with non-Jewish people. Ezra said that they should get divorced to settle the problem. This situation is related to just Israel, and it probably does not refer to interracial, inter-cultural, or inter-ethnic group marriages today. For the Jews, however, divorce was an acceptable solution among a lot of bad solutions.
3. Malachi 2:14-16 => God hates divorce, so He does not see it as a legitimate solution to the everyday problems of married couples.
4. Matthew 5:31-32 => Adultery is an acceptable reason for divorce.
5. Matthew 19:3-9 and Mark 10:2-12 => Israel probably incorrectly adopted the Deuteronomy 24:1-4 solution for adultery rather than the Deuteronomy 22:20-21. Divorce became a frivilous thing during the first century, and it was easily allowed. So, the Pharisees were trying to get Jesus to choose between the two Deuteronomy passages. One was the liberal divorce approach (Deuteronomy 24:1-4) that allowed divorce for anything and the other was the conservative approach that said that the passage was only for adultery. Both were wrong.
To avoid both wrong schools of thought, Jesus answered from Genesis 2:22-24 and avoided the whole Deuteronomy issues. He gave them the principle of marriage rather than answer from Deuteronomy. He reinforced that marriage is a permanent thing. But his teaching took into account Deuteronomy 24:1-4. He also maintained that divorce for frivilous reasons and remarriage constitute adultery. He avoided siding with either schools of interpretation of his day. The conservative school was wrong because they were applying Deuteronomy 24:1-4 to adultery, and the liberal school of thought was wrong because they had a very frivilous attitude about divorce.
6. Luke 16:18 => This verse also makes a summary type of statement about divorce.
D. Jesus only allowed divorce in the case of adultery.
E. Conclusions
1. Marriage is sacred to God, and He wants it to last.
2. God hates divorce.
3. Remarriage is an option when the divorce is for a legitimate reason.
4. Adultery is grounds for divorce when Deuteronomy 22:20-21 (stone the adulterers) is not enforced. It is grounds based on Matthew 5:30-31.
XX. Lesson 20 - The Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage in the Epistles (Part II)
A. There is an essential unity in the Bible on the teaching of divorce. The Old and New Testaments do not contradict. The sources on divorce are Moses in Genesis (one man for one woman for one lifetime), Moses in Deuteronomy (the right way to divorce without saying that divorce is all right. Remarriage is possible), Jesus in the New Testament (He builds on the Old Testament), and the Apostle Paul in the Epistles.
B. Divorce is the result of sin.
C. Biblical teaching on divorce by Paul in the Epistles:
1. Romans 1:13-17 and Romans 7:1-3 => The Christian life is not a list of do's and dont's. Christians are not under the Law, but Christians should do what pleases Christ. Paul does not contradict the Old Testament position. Moses allowed for remarriage when divorce was done correctly. The biblical teaching is a unity without contradiction.
2. I Corinthians 7:1-40 => Paul dealt with the precepts of marriage. The purpose of marriage is, for one thing, to prevent immorality. Marriage is one way to satisfy the physical needs and sexual appetites of each spouse. Paul was probably a widower. I Corinthians 7:10-16 addresses the permanence of marriage. God hates divorce because it is borne of sin. Married believers are to remain together. If they do separate permanently, then they should remain unmarried. In I Corinthians 7:12-16 talks to marriages between saved and unsaved people. The saved person is to never initiate the divorce. He or she is to make the marriage work. Concerning Ezra 10:1-3, Paul said that Christians should do the exact opposite. Haggai 2:11-14 talks about defilement, but Paul said that that does not apply either. Jesus might have been talking about a lifestyle of fornication rather than just one slip-up, but that is only the professor's opinion. On mixed marriages, the saved person should always remain but never hold the unsaved person to the marriage. In I Corinthians 7:20 and I Corinthians 7:28-29, marriage is a calling, and it is meant to be permanent.
D. The church still needs to minister to divorced people, plus they can have distinctive ministries within the church. II Corinthians 1:4 teaches that Christians can minister from their own bad experiences.
E. The basic principle is for one Christian man for one Christian woman for one lifetime. Sin causes divorce. Christians should marry Christians. They should not even date unbelievers.
F. In I Peter 3:5-7, Peter supported getting away from a dangerous marriage.
XXI. Lesson 21 - The Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage Issue (Part III)
A. Dr. Ed Dobson wrote a book about what the Bible teaches about the above issues. Marriage is more than just having sex with someone, based on the woman at the well (John 4:16-18). Marriage in the Old Testament involved a covenant (a legal agreement) and a companionship. In the Greek, companionship means to tame a wild animal (the man). Divorce is a violation of the covenant of companionship (people break their vows). A lack of companionship or intimacy also leads to divorce.
B. The sexual relationship is for procreation (replenishing the earth), for enjoyment, and for intimacy and unity. But sex is not just an act. It is physical, spiritual, and emotional. The sexual act makes two people into one. That's why being with a prostitute is a bad thing. Real intimacy precedes sex and actually leads to sex.
C. In both testaments, divorce means to dissolve something, so divorce is the dissolving of the covenant. The Old Testament teaches the principle of permanence in divorce, but God allowed for divorce in Deuteronomy 24:1-4. Dr. Hindson says that the two testaments are totally consistent. In Matthew 5:27-28 and 5:31-32, Jesus said that He had come to fulfill the Law. He did not come to replace it. The Old Testament is still relevant, and He was pointing out that they had missed out on the essential teaching in Deuteronomy 24:1-4.
D. Given the biblical basis for divorce, then the person can remarry. In Matthew 19:3-12, there were two major interpretations for divorce in those days based on Deuteronomy 24:1-4: (1) the school of Shamei said that sexual unfaithfulness was the only grounds for divorce (conservative) and (2) the school of Hilelle said divorce was alright for any basic reason (liberal). Therefore, the Pharisees were trying to get Jesus to agree to the liberal school of thought, but He agreed with only for sexual unfaithfulness. Jesus did not mention remarriage because that was not an issue in those days. He was silent about remarriage, and in I Corinthians 7:25-28, Paul said that remarriage was alright.
E. Divorce has a very long, longitudinal effect on children. One-third of all children are permanently damaged, one-third get by, and one-third do pretty well. Adults feel anger, like a failure, guilty, and are often hurt by the church community. Divorces often occur because people take the course of least resistance.
F. The most important issue is what the Bible really teaches. If the proper biblical principles are taught, then people will probably be more inclined to stay with their spouse and work things out.
G. Paul taught to seek reconciliation and to seek God's will on marriage and remarriage.
H. Can a divorced pastor be blameless? One position says yes because God forgives. But divorce is probably the worst form of management of one's household, according to Dr. Hindson. God probably reserves stricter requirements for pastors and deacons because of leadership issues, not because of unforgiven sins. There are long-term consequences with divorce.
I. Dr. Dobson recommends balance in all things. There are biblical grounds for divorce, but Christians should probably not get divorced. The Book of Hosea provides a good biblical example. But, the church and Christians must still be able to forgive those that have. There is life and ministry beyond divorce.
J. The Bible is the ultimate authority on this topic.
XXII. Lesson 22 - Modern Day Feminism
A. Women are not inferior to men. Feminism in this country got its real start after the Civil War because so many women had to fill in for the men that had been lost in the war. The emphasis on rights (egalitarianism) is not equal rights or equal opportunity. Egalitarianism is like socialism where everyone has equal shares of everything. Not everyone should have the absolute equality because different people have different skills and abilities. Not everyone should go to Harvard. The heavy emphasis on rights can become detrimental. Individual rights should not take the place of individual responsibility or rights to others. We cannot kill others just because it is convenient for me to do so (abortion).
B. The United States is pluralistic because we have a wide blending of ideas and cultures. People have the right to express their ideas against other ideas in the marketplace. Pluralism says that we pull together different ideas for the greater good. The philosophy of pluralism should not take precedence of the Bible. Two people should not be able to decide that it's okay for them to kill their unborn baby, and then, that becomes right for them.
C. The culture should not replace the Bible. The Playboy philosophy says that women are inferior and that they are to be used and discarded. Women are not to be used, even though that philosophy has often been brought into the churches. Women are often used for menial tasks in the Christian home, but they have as many skills and maybe even more than the man. Preachers are wrong when they differentiate duties based upon sex. Roles and duties are not the same.
D. Marriage should be a partnership.
E. Four critical issues.
1. Biblical authority - The issues are not about wants, rights, or opportunities. It is obeying the Bible. People's ideas are all right, but the Bible is the ultimate authority and the supreme norm on all matters.
2. Social compromise - Many ingrained prejudices are foreign to Scriptures. Women are not inferior to men.
3. Submission in the Home - Submission does not imply inferiority. Authority and leadership are assigned to the man.
4. Ministry - Is is appropriate for women to preach? Can a woman teach a man? What are the guidelines? Some are in I Timothy 2:9-15.
F. Radical feminism means having a radical stance against a male-dominated society. They push for the right to choice and the sexual revolution.
G. Christian feminists reject biblical authority, but they still consider themselves Christians. They emphasize the feminine qualities of the Lord.
H. Biblical feminists accept inerrancy, but they accept the contemporary feminine agenda.
I. Normative feminism focuses on what the Bible actually says.
XXIII. Lesson 23 - The Biblical Position on Feminism
A. The issue of equality - Plenty of women are more capable than plenty of men, but that is not the issue of the debate. In Genesis 1:26-27, God made man in "our" likeness. He was probably not drawing on the differences between male and female. God is not male or female, and neither are angels. Both men and women were created in the image of God. They are alike in His image, and neither is more so than the other. When you name something, you exercise authority over it. Adam named the woman. Genesis 2:18 says that the woman and man are helpers for each other. She was made to be suitable to him, and they are equal to each other in that they are both the same kind of beings.
B. "Help-meat" is two words in the Hebrew, and this expression probably does not reveal her true position. The woman helps the man exercise dominion over creation. The woman complements the man, and together they become one flesh. Galatians 3:26-28 shows the equality between man and woman. The Bible does not teach that men are superior to women. They are equal in creation and in Jesus.
C. The issue of subordination - Subordination, in Ephesians 5:21, is submitting to each other. In I Corinthians 7:4-5, the husband and wife have control over each other. Subordination is a mutual lifestyle. Marriage is more about giving rather than getting, and if both give one hundred percent, then both get one hundred percent. Subordination in the Bible is applied uniquely in their relationships to their husband and to the men of the church.
D. In I Corinthians 11:8-11, subordination was based on the order of creation. The woman was created for the man. In I Timothy 2:11-15, the same emphasis on creation order was given. Subordination was not based on their sin in Genesis 3:1-7. In I Timothy 2:14, Paul talked about the transgression, but he did not mention the curse from that transgression. The woman is not subordinate to the man because she was deceived by the devil. Her subordination is based on the order in creation. I Timothy 2:12 says that women should not teach the man or have authority over him. Based on Ephesians 5:22, subordination is voluntary. The woman subordinates herself. The man does not force the woman to be subordinated.
E. In I Peter 3:5-7, Sarah made herself beautiful by subordinating herself to her own husband in an attitude of respect. Paul taught subordination and order between parents and children, employers and employees, and husband and wife. Everyone is answerable because there is an order or structure to life.
F. Subordination is (1) voluntary, (2) out of respect, (3) order or structure, and (4) functional. Jesus was subordinate to the Father in a functional sense. He came to do the work of the Father, and His subordination was voluntary and functional. The woman is subordinate in a functional sense.
G. Women in the Ministry - Does the Holy Spirit give the gift of Pastor/Teacher to women? In I Timothy 2:11-15, Adam was created before Eve. [My comment: One must decide if these biblical instructions were cultural or cross-cultural. Paul may have been writing these instructions to a specific group of people but not necessarily to all of Christiandom.] The instructor just said that Paul did not write these instructions to a specific culture because he keeps coming back to them. He called them normative truths.
H. In Paul's day, women were not allowed to set in the synagogue and learn Scriptures. They were involved in marketplace efforts. But he emphasized that men and women should learn the Bible, and he encouraged both men and women to be involved in ministry (see I Timothy 5:1-16).
I. In Romans 16:1, Paul used a masculine term for Phoebe that may have meant deacon, and in Titus 2:3-5, he involved women in the Lord's work. Women can minister, but Dr. Mitchell said that she should not be in a pastoral relationship.
XXIV. Lesson 24 - The Fundamentalist Movement (Concluding conversation with Dr. Ed Dobson)
A. Dr. Dobson - This course has been taught at the theological and the cultural levels. The issues of today were always in the Bible, but the current culture is what has brought them out. The issues have made Christians pay more attention to inerrancy, lifestyle, and other aspects of Fundamentalism.
B. Most of the issues have grown out through the issue of inerrancy and inspiration.
C. Many Fundamentalists have had a problem with the whole KJV issue. Dr. Dobson says that the general acceptance by the church is the strongest argument for the KJV. Some churches say that they only belong to the KJV-only cult, but elevating the text to the point of inerrancy borders on idolatry. The Jews did the same thing with the Torah and the Law.
D. God breathed out the original Word, preserved His Word, and gave the early church the ability to establish the canon. The first one He did. The last two He oversaw what humans did.
E. The KJV is authoritative and reliable, so both professors prefer it. I still prefer the NIV.
F. The Charismatics are not opposed to inspiration although many are. Some do not accept the deity of Christ because they are focused so much on the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The core issue is whether or not God is still revealing new truths today, and the answer is probably no. Fundamentalism is in the head, and Pentacostalism is in the heart (emotion). They can probably not worship or fellowship together even though they should love another. The Charismatic thinks that the Fundamentalist is imcomplete for not having spoken in tongues, and the Fundamentalist thinks that the Charismatic has misinterpreted Scriptures.
G. Conservatives start by asking what the Bible says. Liberals look at the real world, arrive at a conclusion, and then use or not use the Bible as they see fit. Fundamentalists positions on Fundamentalism, the KJV issue, Charismatic, and Calvinism grow out of the Bible.
H. Being a Baptist is a conviction, and so is being a Charismatic. Convictions and preferences draw people apart. Larger social issues, like abortion, sometimes bring Christians back together. But it is probably not possible to cooperately evangelize together because that could mean compromising one's absolutes. In the 1950s and 1960s, Billy Graham attempted to bring the church at large together into unity (brought together liberals and Catholics). In the 1970s, the Charismatic Movement tried to do the same thing (brought together Evangelicals and Catholic). Then, the Moral Majority tried to bring the church together for political issues (brought together Protestants, Jews, Catholics, atheists, and others).
I. Divorce and Feminism are other big issues today.
J. The key is to determine the biblical principles on each topic and issue.
Tom of Bethany "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (I John 5:12)
Index to Selected Essays And Book Reviews
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