By Josh Klein
Lil Nas X
Do you know the name? I do not know why you would, but Lil Nas X has become a bit of a cultural icon in recent years. He wrote a hit country/hip-hop song in 2019 called “Old Town Road” with country star Billy Ray Cyrus. The success of the hit propelled Lil Nas X into the modern spotlight. The song, and its remix, won him fourteen awards spanning from the Grammys to Kids’ Choice Awards[1].
As a result, Lil Nas X toured the country singing for elementary-age kids and was even quoted as saying young kids were his “core audience”[2] in early 2021.
Why am I writing about Lil Nas X on a Christian website?
Well, this man that vies for the eyes and ears of children recently released a new music video that is anything but “kid-friendly.” In his song Montero, Lil Nas X is seen flirting with the Devil, having the Devil lick his navel, pole dancing to Hell, and then giving Satan a lap dance in the underworld. At the end of the clip, Lil Nas X breaks Satan’s neck and removes his crown, declaring himself the king of Hell (which we know is inaccurate, theologically speaking… Satan does not rule Hell – see Rescuing Hell).
To capitalize off the viral video’s success, Lil Nas X also teamed up with a branding company called MSCHF (a play on the word mischief) to release a pair of Nike-branded shoes (Nike has since sued MSCHF for copyright infringement) dedicated to Satan[3].
Lil Nas X also happens to be a gay man. Which would not even be on the top list of problems with the aforementioned publicity stunt, but since Lil Nas X used his upbringing as a catalyst for the release of the new song and video, it is pertinent to the conversation[4].
This article, though, is not about Lil Nas X, or Satan shoes, or the increasing leftist dogma being thrust upon our children.
I wanted to look at the core issue around Lil Nas X’s song, and a core issue going on in Evangelical circles for the past decade-plus.
Homosexuality.
A few weeks ago, I got a text from a young person concerning this very subject:
“I want to do research into God’s view on homosexuality because I’ve been seeing a lot of different takes on TikTok and Instagram and such but it could be heresy or misinterpretation or something else and I want to find out for myself.”
In Sean and Josh McDowell’s book The Beauty of Intolerance[5], the two seek to tackle the issue of Truth and Love and use the example of a family’s argument about sexuality as the impetus for such a discussion. If you have not read the book, it is a good read and gets to the point of the current culture of a new tolerance that seeks compliance, rather than acceptance, to a narrative of subjective moral values.
But the argument on homosexuality within the Church goes back decades, so what is new? The newness of the issues stems from a poor approach to the issue of homosexuality in the 1970s-1990s from the conservative evangelical Church. Homosexuality was rarely talked about and was often seen as a political issue more than a sin issue. I highlight some of this in a previous article on Free Thinking Ministry’s website[6] (Cuties article) so I won’t go into all of the history here.
However, I think it is important to note that the argument that Christians got lost on during that time was whether or not Homosexuality was a choice or genetic.
The argument goes that if it was a choice, we could reform the homosexual; but if it was genetic, then we could not. This argument also implies that natural proclivity could equate to God-ordained behavior.
I remember growing up in the ‘90s hearing many evangelicals talk like it was absolutely imperative that no “gay gene” would ever be found. Almost as if that scientific discovery would shatter thousands of years of orthodoxy on the topic.
But the biblical case against homosexual behavior is not genetic.
It is spiritual and biblical.
Genetics are just as affected by the fall as our spiritual state, and we know this. When we say things like “in the end, there will be no more sickness or death,” we are not just referring to scripture (Rev. 21:4) but we are affirming that there is a physical component to the fallen nature of man. In other words: Our DNA, physical dispositions, and natural proclivities are fallen just as our soul is fallen.
I want to be clear, I am not calling homosexuality a sickness, at least not a mental illness anyway. But it, like many other “dispositional sins” is a sickness of the soul.
Homosexuality is a product of the fall[7] just as much as lying, cheating, or heterosexual promiscuity. Whether or not it is natural is of no relevance to the theological topic. There are many natural behaviors that we are called to curb as Christians. Covetousness, lust, greed, and pride are just a few of many natural proclivities that human beings are born with that must be dealt with overtime in the sanctification process of the Christian.
Homosexuality falls in line with many of those natural proclivity sins. The church argued against genetics when it never needed to, and as it argued against genetics it allowed a narrative of identity to undercut the nature of the issue.
And now we have a bigger problem.
No longer are we speaking to the activity, we are speaking to a person, and in their minds, we are asking them not to be themselves. We are telling them to release, not only a proclivity of human nature but their entire identity of belonging.
In a sense, we are telling them to call themselves evil.
But no Christian worth his/her theological salt would state that being gay condemns a person to Hell. No, we are not sinners because we sin, we sin because we are constituted sinners, and thus, we stand condemned already (John 3:17). In a sense, it is not sin that makes us evil but our evil hearts that make us sin. God rescues us from our already moribund disposition. We are all basically bad and we all need a new identity to overcome this badness.
However, one can see why someone that identifies with being a homosexual would find it hard to follow a God that calls what they think is their defining nature a sin. If a person is basically good, then their core identity is also basically good.
But orthodox Christian doctrine teaches, and rightfully and logically so, that we are all basically bad and in need of saving. Our identity then is sin and we need an exchange of identity to be good! All of us.
Orthodox theology, to the LGBTQ+ people, screams that God made a mistake when He made them. And like Lil Nas X, they either hate themselves or rebel against the faith altogether:
The result of preaching behavioral modification instead of identity transformation is self-loathing and angst, not a conviction.
The natural result of this, then, is to capitulate to the offended; and the liberal theological movement sought to do just that. They sought to provide a theological landing spot for hurting homosexuals in the body of Christ.
God is love, and as a result, He would not want anyone hating themselves because of their identity. So, we must augment our hamartiology (the study of sin) to allow for behavior that was understood to be sinful over the history of the church because God does not make mistakes.
It is true that God does not make mistakes, but it is not true that His creation right now is perfected. Thus, we are inherently flawed and sinful. If we were not, why would we need a savior at all?
The mistake the liberal theologians make is to assume that there is any room for an identity other than “child of God”[8].
I am a man that is attracted to the opposite sex, but my identity is not wrapped up in that attraction.
My identity is either a sinner or saint. Blessed by God to be invited into His family, I can declare that I am a child of God that happens to be attracted to women. However, as a result, that natural proclivity of attraction must be curbed to reflect God’s design.
One woman for a lifetime.
I have embraced this limitation joyfully, because it is no limitation at all, but is a realization of the freedom found in the Godhead through Christ. And I believe, firmly, that those who are homosexuals can experience this same counter-intuitive freedom. More on that in the next few weeks.
The response to homosexuality in that regard should be simple enough. You can be a man or woman that happens to be attracted to the same sex (regardless of if it is a choice or is a genetic disposition) but if you are a child of God (believer in Jesus as your Savior) then that proclivity of attraction must be curbed to reflect God’s design.
Which, unfortunately for the person with natural homosexual proclivities, would be self-denial of acting on that attraction.
My heart aches for this person in a very real way and my empathy extends to them in more ways than they know. But the truth is the truth, and sin is sin. There is no such thing as having compassion on a lie, for entertaining a lie and letting it live is neither compassionate nor merciful. True compassion is lovingly, but firmly, confronting sin and falsehood in the name of Christ and offering freedom in His name.
Just as any heterosexual man that has struggled with pornography will attest, this self-denial of sexual pleasure is beyond difficult and nothing to be glossed over. But we do not deny sexual pleasure to punish ourselves, we do so to glorify God. Boundaries are not set to avoid Hell, they are set to glorify heaven. When we make the mistake of setting boundaries around sin to avoid sin instead of to glorify God we set ourselves, and others, up for fantastic failure.
And it is when we do this that we are tempted to empathize with the seemingly unwinnable battle. I have empathy for all who fight to avoid sin. I know how hard that is, but misplaced empathy can lead to a dangerous theological road and that is what we will tackle next week. How do we show empathy but hold fast to the truth? For that is true mercy and compassion. And that is the mission of the Christian.
Footnotes
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Lil_Nas_X
[2] https://www.gpb.org/news/2021/01/06/lil-nas-x-says-children-are-his-core-audience-right-now-and-thats-ok
[3] https://satan.shoes/
[4] https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/lil-nas-x-s-satan-shoes-trolled-some-christians-montero-ncna1262495
[5] https://www.amazon.com/Beauty-Intolerance-Setting-Generation-Truth-ebook/dp/B015F06DMS
[6] https://freethinkingministries.com/cuties-the-natural-progression-of-love-is-love/
[7] https://biblia.com/bible/esv/romans/1/26-27
[8] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+John+3%3A1&version=NASB1995
Recommended resources related to the topic:
Five Questions No One Ever Asks About Gay Rights (DVD Set), (Mp4 Download), and (Mp3 Set) by Dr. Frank Turek
Correct, NOT Politically Correct: How Same-Sex Marriage Hurts Everyone (Updated/Expanded) downloadable pdf, PowerPoint by Dr. Frank Turek
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Josh Klein is a Pastor from Omaha, Nebraska with 12 years of ministry experience. He graduated with an MDiv in 2016 from Sioux Falls Seminary and spends his spare time reading and engaging with current and past theological and cultural issues. He has been married for 12 years to Sharalee Klein and they have three young children.
Original Blog Source: https://cutt.ly/nEESkRX
10 señales de que los autores cristianos que sigues están enseñando (sutilmente) ideas anti bíblicas
EspañolPor Natasha Crain
Mi amiga, Alisa Childers, escribió recientemente una reseña del libro más vendido, Girl, Wash Your Face (Chica, lávate la cara), de Rachel Hollis. Esto inició una tormenta de discusiones en línea sobre lo que hace que alguien sea un autor “cristiano”, la responsabilidad que tiene un autor que se identifica como cristiano en la promoción de ideas coherentes con la fe bíblica, y el daño que puede haber para los cristianos que leen libros que contienen ideas no bíblicas.
Personalmente no he leído el libro, así que no voy a comentar sobre el mismo específicamente. Pero sí diré que me decepcionó y entristeció mucho ver el tipo de comentarios que escribieron los partidarios del libro:
“No pretendía ser un devocional”.
“Ella no está enseñando teología”.
“Nuestro trabajo no es perseguir a la gente y odiarla”.
“¡Dejen de competir! ¡Imagínense lo que los no cristianos piensan de los Super Jueces! Tenemos que centrarnos en nuestro interior porque el proyecto dentro de nosotros mismos es el trabajo más importante que vamos a realizar. No utilices tu blog para hundir a alguien”.
Desafortunadamente, estos comentarios son representativos de la falta de discernimiento que es común en la iglesia de hoy. Si Alisa caracterizó con justicia las afirmaciones del libro de Hollis, éste está promoviendo ideas que entran en conflicto con una cosmovisión bíblica. Y cuando existe la preocupación de que millones de mujeres están consumiendo contenido de un autor cristiano que puede llevarlas a abrazar ideas no bíblicas, deberíamos levantar una bandera de advertencia y hacer un llamado al discernimiento en el cuerpo de Cristo.
No se trata de ser un “Super Juez”.
Se trata de discernir la verdad bíblica de lo que no lo es… algo que la Biblia nos dice constantemente que hagamos.
Aunque este artículo no está directamente relacionado con la crianza de los hijos (sobre lo que normalmente escribo), es algo que afecta a la crianza de los hijos. Cuando los padres incorporan fácilmente ideas populares pero no bíblicas en su cosmovisión, esas ideas afectarán la forma en que crían a sus hijos y la naturaleza de la cosmovisión que transmiten.
Las siguientes son 10 señales de que los autores cristianos que sigues pueden estar enseñando sutilmente ideas no bíblicas. Digo “sutilmente” porque creo que la mayoría de la gente detectaría un problema inmediatamente si un cristiano dijera que no cree en la Trinidad. Pero es igualmente importante identificar cuando se presentan señales de advertencia menos obvias, como las siguientes.
1. Dicen: “Amo a Jesús pero…”
Se ha hecho popular que los escritores pregonen que aman a Jesús pero (rellene el espacio en blanco). Cuando veas que una frase empieza así, prepárate para una de estas dos cosas.
En primer lugar, puede ser algo que el autor sabe que es contrario a lo que Jesús habría aprobado. Por ejemplo, si buscas en Google “Amo a Jesús pero”, encontrarás toda una industria de camisetas, tazas y otras cosas que dicen “Amo a Jesús, pero me gusta maldecir”. ¿Es esto realmente algo que glorifica al Dios que dices amar? Si tienes que usar “pero” como palabra de contraste entre amar a Jesús y hacer una declaración sobre lo que haces y/o dices, probablemente no es algo de lo que estar orgulloso. Cuando los autores hacen esto para ser más agradables a su audiencia, a menudo es una señal de que seguirán otras ideas no bíblicas.
En segundo lugar, puede ser algo que no está en contraste con amar a Jesús en absoluto, pero el autor quiere que pienses que son diferentes al estereotipo negativo de los cristianos. Por ejemplo, dirán algo como: “Amo a Jesús, pero nunca afirmaré que tengo todas las respuestas”… implicando, por supuesto, que los cristianos normalmente afirman que tienen todas las respuestas. Los no creyentes pueden pensar que los cristianos se sienten así porque los cristianos creen que el cristianismo es una cuestión de verdad objetiva, pero eso no significa que los cristianos afirman tener todas las respuestas o que la aceptación de la verdad objetiva sea problemática.
2. Se empeñan en separar la relación con Jesús de la religión
Desafortunadamente, la idea de que Jesús de alguna manera odia la religión se ha hecho popular incluso entre los cristianos que, por lo demás, tienen creencias bíblicamente sólidas. Si Jesús realmente odiara la religión, la popularidad de esta idea no sería un problema. El problema es que Jesús no odia la religión. Él odia la falsa religión. Sin escribir un artículo entero sobre esto (hay un capítulo entero en mi próximo libro sobre esto), la conclusión es que no hay necesidad de separar a Jesús de la religión que es verdadera. El cristianismo es simplemente el nombre de la religión cuyo conjunto de creencias se centra en quién es Jesús y que nos llama a conocerlo, adorarlo, servirlo y obedecerlo. En otras palabras, el cristianismo es una religión centrada en una relación.
Cuando los autores empiezan a escribir negativamente sobre la “religión organizada” en general, y la ponen en oposición a su propia relación personal con Jesús, a menudo es porque van a 1) desafiar la idea de la verdad objetiva (sugiriendo así que la creencia religiosa uniforme que se encuentra en la “religión organizada” es mala) y/o 2) valorar sus percepciones espirituales personales por encima de la revelación de Dios a la humanidad a través de la Biblia (la experiencia personal se convierte en autoridad).
La verdadera religión glorifica a Dios (Santiago 1:27) y no es algo que los cristianos deban denunciar.
3. Hay mucho de qué hablar sobre la autenticidad y el desorden
Autenticidad significa simplemente honestidad. A primera vista, no parece que eso tenga nada que ver con la Biblia y, en todo caso, parece que debería ir de la mano de la Biblia. Sin embargo, en la práctica, los autores que enfatizan lo “desordenadas” que son sus vidas y lo “auténticos” que van a ser con usted acerca de ese desorden, a menudo aprovechan la oportunidad para normalizar el pecado.
Como con varios de estos puntos, no siempre es así. Algunos autores que hablan en estos términos lo utilizan como una oportunidad para volver hacia Dios. Pero he visto que la mayoría de las veces es al revés, por lo que entra en la lista.
4. Promueven el valor de las preguntas por encima del valor de las respuestas
Otro enfoque de la “espiritualidad” que se ha puesto de moda es centrarse más en plantear preguntas sobre la fe que en compartir respuestas bíblicas. Los autores que se identifican como cristianos progresistas a veces llegan a acusar a otros cristianos de tener miedo a las preguntas y miran con escepticismo a cualquiera que intente responder a las preguntas que ellos plantean.
Ahora bien, si has leído mi blog durante algún tiempo (o mis libros, en realidad), sabes que estoy a favor de plantear preguntas difíciles sobre la fe con tus hijos… las preguntas son extremadamente importantes. Pero las preguntas también deben ser abordadas en la medida de lo posible, teniendo en cuenta lo que la Biblia nos dice.
Las personas que valoran más las preguntas que las respuestas suelen sentirse incómodas con la idea de la verdad objetiva, es decir, que existe una verdad independiente de nuestra experiencia personal. Todo lo que Jesús enseñó asumió que existe una verdad independiente de nuestra experiencia personal y que Él es esa verdad. Si un autor se siente incómodo con la idea de la verdad objetiva, se siente incómodo con Jesús.
5. Confunden declaraciones incontrovertibles con posiciones morales
Una autora muy popular escribió hace poco en su página de Facebook que quería dejar muy clara su posición en temas sociales. Aclarar estas cosas incluía hacer una declaración completamente incontrovertible para cualquier cristiano: ella “aprecia la humanidad de la comunidad LGBT”.
Todos los cristianos deberían apreciar la humanidad de cada comunidad porque todos estamos hechos a imagen de Dios.
Eso nunca se ha cuestionado.
Pero, por supuesto, ella dijo esto implicando que cualquiera que sostenga una visión bíblica del matrimonio de alguna manera no aprecia la humanidad de la comunidad LGBT. Es un movimiento muy engañoso hacer una afirmación con la que ningún cristiano debería estar en desacuerdo con el fin de sugerir que es algo con lo que no estarían de acuerdo quienes adoptan una posición diferente a la de la autora en una cuestión moral.
6. Se centran casi por completo en la acción cristiana, excluyendo la creencia
Alguien recientemente me dijo que la gente de su denominación no valora la apologética (por qué hay buenas razones para creer que el cristianismo es verdadero) porque su apologética está en sus acciones. Esta actitud, efectivamente, es la que se ve con muchos autores cristianos populares hoy en día, incluso cuando no dicen nada sobre la apologética específicamente. Para ellos, el cristianismo tiene que ver con lo que uno hace en el mundo; ya no se trata de creer en Jesús como Señor y llegar a un conocimiento salvador de Él. Este tipo de cristianismo apenas se diferencia del humanismo secular. Sólo viene con un aprecio por Jesús, cariñoso pero relativamente leve, en la parte de arriba… como una cereza caramelizada en un helado de buenas obras que se puede quitar fácilmente.
La Biblia es clara en cuanto a que la creencia importa… de una manera eternamente significativa. Para más información sobre esto, vea mi artículo, Is How We Live More Important Than What We Believe? (¿Es más importante cómo vivimos que lo que creemos?)
7. Utilizan la palabra “fe” para referirse a una especie de sistema de creencias sin límites sobre Dios
Una autora cristiana exitosa en ventas compartió recientemente la siguiente cita en las redes sociales: “La fe no es una creencia. La fe es lo que queda cuando todas tus creencias se han ido al infierno”. Esto, tristemente, fue recibido con miles de me gusta, me encanta y compartidos. También es una definición bíblica inexacta de la fe.
La Biblia no presenta la fe como una creencia ciega o como creer a pesar de la evidencia. La Biblia muestra repetidamente que la fe es creer en lo que tienes buenas razones para creer que es verdad.
La fe bíblica no son los pedazos rotos que quedan cuando has perdido un montón de otras creencias, como sugiere esta cita. Cada vez que veas que un autor promueve una idea inexacta de la fe, debería ser una bandera de advertencia. En este caso, la autora es conocida por escribir libros sobre sus luchas con la Biblia. No es de extrañar que comparta una cita de este tipo.
8. Regularmente te animan a “ser fiel a ti mismo”
Si escuchas con frecuencia de un autor que debes ser fiel a ti mismo, puedes apostar a que está en un terreno teológico inestable. Como dijo mi hija de 9 años cuando le pregunté si creía que la gente debería ser fiel a sí misma: “No deberías ser siempre fiel a ti mismo, porque si quieres ser un asesino eso estaría muy mal” #lógicabásica
Sencillamente, este tipo de sabiduría secular de “valerse por sí mismo” es solo eso… secular. No es muy inspirador ser más fiel a uno mismo. Como cristianos, deberíamos inspirarnos en ser menos como nuestra naturaleza pecadora y más como Jesús.
9. Consideran que juzgar a los demás es el pecado máximo
Para muchas personas hoy en día, el pecado máximo es juzgar a otro. Jesús no nos dice que no juzguemos… Nos dice que no juzguemos hipócritamente y que juzguemos con juicio justo (por ejemplo, Juan 7:24). Amigos, ¡tenemos que discernir! Discernir entre la verdad y la que no lo es no significa que se esté condenando espiritualmente a una persona, como la gente suele creer. Sólo Dios conoce el corazón humano, y de seguro no estamos llamados a determinar si otra persona es salva. Pero sí podemos y debemos abordar lo que dice la Biblia sobre la creencia correcta y la acción correcta. Si sigues a alguien que dice cosas como: “¡No te quedes si quieres juzgar a otros!” “¡Nuestro trabajo no es juzgar, es amar!” o “¡Esta es una zona libre de juicios!” aléjate. Es probable que signifique algo muy diferente de lo que crees.
10. Hacen afirmaciones sobre lo que significa amar a los demás sin abordar lo que significa amar a Dios
Cuando seguimos el mayor mandamiento -amar a Dios-, esto informa lo que significa seguir el segundo mandamiento -amar a los demás-. No nos corresponde a nosotros definir la palabra. Hay muchos autores (que se identifican a sí mismos como cristianos) hoy en día que defienden ideas no bíblicas de lo que significa amar a los demás, y está arraigado en la ignorancia del mandamiento de amar primero a Dios. Esta semana vi a uno de estos autores decir que los cristianos no tienen amor por oponerse al aborto, por ejemplo. Pero cuando amamos primero a Dios y comprendemos que estamos hechos a su imagen y que cada ser humano, por lo tanto, tiene un valor extraordinario, simplemente no podemos llegar a la conclusión de que amar a los demás significa permitirles quitar la vida a otro ser humano, sin importar la circunstancia.
Velen. Pónganlo todo a prueba. Y aférrense a lo que es bueno y verdadero.
Recursos recomendados en Español:
Robándole a Dios (tapa blanda), (Guía de estudio para el profesor) y (Guía de estudio del estudiante) por el Dr. Frank Turek
Por qué no tengo suficiente fe para ser un ateo (serie de DVD completa), (Manual de trabajo del profesor) y (Manual del estudiante) del Dr. Frank Turek
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Natasha Crain es una bloguera, autora y oradora nacional que siente pasión por equipar a los padres cristianos para educar a sus hijos en la comprensión de cómo presentar un caso y defender su fe en un mundo cada vez más secular. Es autora de dos libros de apologética para padres: Talking with Your Kids about God (Hablando con tus hijos sobre Dios) (2017) y Keeping Your Kids on God’s Side (Manteniendo a tus hijos del lado de Dios) (2016). Natasha tiene un Maestría en marketing y estadísticas en la UCLA y un certificado en apologética cristiana de la Universidad de Biola. Ex ejecutiva de mercadotecnia y profesora adjunta, vive en el sur de California con su esposo y sus tres hijos.
Blog Original: https://cutt.ly/PET5lk1
Traducido por Yatniel Vega García
Editado por Elenita Romero
Who is the Leading Person of Interest?
Jesus Christ, Theology and Christian ApologeticsWhy are murders so interesting to us? Some of the most popular podcasts, videos, and news headlines are about high-profile homicides. We are often consumed with the primary suspect the cops often call “the person of interest.” Right now, the headlines are obsessed with Brian Laundrie? Where is he? Did he do it? If so, why? And will he get justice?
Unfortunately, over the long run, the person of interest is usually remembered much more than his victims. We remember names like Charles Manson, Jeffery Dahmer, and Ted Bundy, but we usually forget those they killed.
But what if there is one huge exception to that typical outcome? What if the most remembered and influential name in human history isn’t a villain but actually a murder victim himself?
Cold-Case Homicide Detective J. Warner Wallace makes that exact case in his astonishing new book Person of Interest. Wallace shows the unparalleled impact a murdered Jewish preacher from an obscure corner of the ancient Roman Empire has had on the world over the past two thousand years.
Jesus of Nazareth is not only the central figure of the world’s largest religion, but he is also the central figure of influence throughout human history. In a book filled with over 400 of his own illuminating drawings, Wallace shows that even if every Bible and manuscript suddenly vanished from the planet, you could reconstruct the “explosive” appearance of Jesus and his essential teachings from the “fuse” of ancient history and the “fallout” of the past two thousand years.
Consider for a moment the impact Jesus had on literature. Jesus has been written about more than any other figure in history. To date, there are more than 109 million books written about Jesus (George Washington is a distant second at nearly 59 million books). No one, and I mean no one, has inspired authors and writers like Jesus of Nazareth, and this influence started early.
Wallace illustrates a robust list of Christian and non-Christian voices found on ancient manuscripts in the earliest centuries of the Common Era – more non-Christian than Christian – who describes Jesus and his followers. From these early voices, the entire story of Jesus can be reconstructed even if every New Testament manuscript had been destroyed.
Jesus dominates another form of literature: screenplays. Wallace assembles the movies crafted about Jesus of Nazareth in an illustration that demonstrates the unparalleled impact of Jesus on moviemakers (The Jesus Film, for example, remains the most translated and viewed movie of all time). But there’s more. Great thinkers and theologians have written about Jesus over the centuries, establishing a robust Christian publishing industry that thrives to this very day. Even non-Christians are compelled to allude to Jesus in one way or another. Christ figures—parallels to Jesus—populate not just classical literature but even popular fiction.
You’d have to destroy much more than the New Testament to erase Jesus from the world’s pages. You’d have to destroy much of the history of literature.
But that’s only one aspect of the “fallout” indebted to Jesus. Wallace also describes and illustrates the monumental impact Jesus had on education, science, art, music, and other world religions. Unlike other books that simply explain the role Jesus played in human history, Person of Interest uncovers the hidden evidence you might not have considered in the aspects of culture most revered by non-believers. The impact of Jesus has been seismic, and from His fingerprints in each area of human history, His story can be completely reconstructed.
How did a man who never led an army, never held an office, never started a company, never wrote a book, never had children, never travelled more than 200 miles from where he was born—a man who was murdered two thousand years ago—become the most important person of interest and the greatest influence in all human history?
Maybe because he wasn’t just a man. Maybe because his murderers couldn’t keep Him in the grave. Person of Interest will leave you thinking and feeling that’s, by far, the most reasonable explanation.
Recommended resources related to the topic:
Person of Interest: Why Jesus Still Matters in a World that Rejects the Bible by J. Warner Wallace (Paperback), (Investigator’s Guide).
How Can Jesus be the Only Way? (mp4 Download) by Frank Turek
Cold Case Resurrection Set by J. Warner Wallace (books)
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Dr. Frank Turek is the president of CrossExamined.org and is the co-author of I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist and the author of Stealing From God: Why Atheists Need God to Make Their Case. On Twitter at @DrFrankTurek.
Confronting Homosexuality in a Culture of Identity (Part 1)
Theology and Christian ApologeticsBy Josh Klein
Lil Nas X
Do you know the name? I do not know why you would, but Lil Nas X has become a bit of a cultural icon in recent years. He wrote a hit country/hip-hop song in 2019 called “Old Town Road” with country star Billy Ray Cyrus. The success of the hit propelled Lil Nas X into the modern spotlight. The song, and its remix, won him fourteen awards spanning from the Grammys to Kids’ Choice Awards[1].
As a result, Lil Nas X toured the country singing for elementary-age kids and was even quoted as saying young kids were his “core audience”[2] in early 2021.
Why am I writing about Lil Nas X on a Christian website?
Well, this man that vies for the eyes and ears of children recently released a new music video that is anything but “kid-friendly.” In his song Montero, Lil Nas X is seen flirting with the Devil, having the Devil lick his navel, pole dancing to Hell, and then giving Satan a lap dance in the underworld. At the end of the clip, Lil Nas X breaks Satan’s neck and removes his crown, declaring himself the king of Hell (which we know is inaccurate, theologically speaking… Satan does not rule Hell – see Rescuing Hell).
To capitalize off the viral video’s success, Lil Nas X also teamed up with a branding company called MSCHF (a play on the word mischief) to release a pair of Nike-branded shoes (Nike has since sued MSCHF for copyright infringement) dedicated to Satan[3].
Lil Nas X also happens to be a gay man. Which would not even be on the top list of problems with the aforementioned publicity stunt, but since Lil Nas X used his upbringing as a catalyst for the release of the new song and video, it is pertinent to the conversation[4].
This article, though, is not about Lil Nas X, or Satan shoes, or the increasing leftist dogma being thrust upon our children.
I wanted to look at the core issue around Lil Nas X’s song, and a core issue going on in Evangelical circles for the past decade-plus.
Homosexuality.
A few weeks ago, I got a text from a young person concerning this very subject:
In Sean and Josh McDowell’s book The Beauty of Intolerance[5], the two seek to tackle the issue of Truth and Love and use the example of a family’s argument about sexuality as the impetus for such a discussion. If you have not read the book, it is a good read and gets to the point of the current culture of a new tolerance that seeks compliance, rather than acceptance, to a narrative of subjective moral values.
But the argument on homosexuality within the Church goes back decades, so what is new? The newness of the issues stems from a poor approach to the issue of homosexuality in the 1970s-1990s from the conservative evangelical Church. Homosexuality was rarely talked about and was often seen as a political issue more than a sin issue. I highlight some of this in a previous article on Free Thinking Ministry’s website[6] (Cuties article) so I won’t go into all of the history here.
However, I think it is important to note that the argument that Christians got lost on during that time was whether or not Homosexuality was a choice or genetic.
The argument goes that if it was a choice, we could reform the homosexual; but if it was genetic, then we could not. This argument also implies that natural proclivity could equate to God-ordained behavior.
I remember growing up in the ‘90s hearing many evangelicals talk like it was absolutely imperative that no “gay gene” would ever be found. Almost as if that scientific discovery would shatter thousands of years of orthodoxy on the topic.
But the biblical case against homosexual behavior is not genetic.
It is spiritual and biblical.
Genetics are just as affected by the fall as our spiritual state, and we know this. When we say things like “in the end, there will be no more sickness or death,” we are not just referring to scripture (Rev. 21:4) but we are affirming that there is a physical component to the fallen nature of man. In other words: Our DNA, physical dispositions, and natural proclivities are fallen just as our soul is fallen.
I want to be clear, I am not calling homosexuality a sickness, at least not a mental illness anyway. But it, like many other “dispositional sins” is a sickness of the soul.
Homosexuality is a product of the fall[7] just as much as lying, cheating, or heterosexual promiscuity. Whether or not it is natural is of no relevance to the theological topic. There are many natural behaviors that we are called to curb as Christians. Covetousness, lust, greed, and pride are just a few of many natural proclivities that human beings are born with that must be dealt with overtime in the sanctification process of the Christian.
Homosexuality falls in line with many of those natural proclivity sins. The church argued against genetics when it never needed to, and as it argued against genetics it allowed a narrative of identity to undercut the nature of the issue.
And now we have a bigger problem.
No longer are we speaking to the activity, we are speaking to a person, and in their minds, we are asking them not to be themselves. We are telling them to release, not only a proclivity of human nature but their entire identity of belonging.
In a sense, we are telling them to call themselves evil.
But no Christian worth his/her theological salt would state that being gay condemns a person to Hell. No, we are not sinners because we sin, we sin because we are constituted sinners, and thus, we stand condemned already (John 3:17). In a sense, it is not sin that makes us evil but our evil hearts that make us sin. God rescues us from our already moribund disposition. We are all basically bad and we all need a new identity to overcome this badness.
However, one can see why someone that identifies with being a homosexual would find it hard to follow a God that calls what they think is their defining nature a sin. If a person is basically good, then their core identity is also basically good.
But orthodox Christian doctrine teaches, and rightfully and logically so, that we are all basically bad and in need of saving. Our identity then is sin and we need an exchange of identity to be good! All of us.
Orthodox theology, to the LGBTQ+ people, screams that God made a mistake when He made them. And like Lil Nas X, they either hate themselves or rebel against the faith altogether:
The result of preaching behavioral modification instead of identity transformation is self-loathing and angst, not a conviction.
The natural result of this, then, is to capitulate to the offended; and the liberal theological movement sought to do just that. They sought to provide a theological landing spot for hurting homosexuals in the body of Christ.
God is love, and as a result, He would not want anyone hating themselves because of their identity. So, we must augment our hamartiology (the study of sin) to allow for behavior that was understood to be sinful over the history of the church because God does not make mistakes.
It is true that God does not make mistakes, but it is not true that His creation right now is perfected. Thus, we are inherently flawed and sinful. If we were not, why would we need a savior at all?
The mistake the liberal theologians make is to assume that there is any room for an identity other than “child of God”[8].
I am a man that is attracted to the opposite sex, but my identity is not wrapped up in that attraction.
My identity is either a sinner or saint. Blessed by God to be invited into His family, I can declare that I am a child of God that happens to be attracted to women. However, as a result, that natural proclivity of attraction must be curbed to reflect God’s design.
One woman for a lifetime.
I have embraced this limitation joyfully, because it is no limitation at all, but is a realization of the freedom found in the Godhead through Christ. And I believe, firmly, that those who are homosexuals can experience this same counter-intuitive freedom. More on that in the next few weeks.
The response to homosexuality in that regard should be simple enough. You can be a man or woman that happens to be attracted to the same sex (regardless of if it is a choice or is a genetic disposition) but if you are a child of God (believer in Jesus as your Savior) then that proclivity of attraction must be curbed to reflect God’s design.
Which, unfortunately for the person with natural homosexual proclivities, would be self-denial of acting on that attraction.
My heart aches for this person in a very real way and my empathy extends to them in more ways than they know. But the truth is the truth, and sin is sin. There is no such thing as having compassion on a lie, for entertaining a lie and letting it live is neither compassionate nor merciful. True compassion is lovingly, but firmly, confronting sin and falsehood in the name of Christ and offering freedom in His name.
Just as any heterosexual man that has struggled with pornography will attest, this self-denial of sexual pleasure is beyond difficult and nothing to be glossed over. But we do not deny sexual pleasure to punish ourselves, we do so to glorify God. Boundaries are not set to avoid Hell, they are set to glorify heaven. When we make the mistake of setting boundaries around sin to avoid sin instead of to glorify God we set ourselves, and others, up for fantastic failure.
And it is when we do this that we are tempted to empathize with the seemingly unwinnable battle. I have empathy for all who fight to avoid sin. I know how hard that is, but misplaced empathy can lead to a dangerous theological road and that is what we will tackle next week. How do we show empathy but hold fast to the truth? For that is true mercy and compassion. And that is the mission of the Christian.
Footnotes
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Lil_Nas_X
[2] https://www.gpb.org/news/2021/01/06/lil-nas-x-says-children-are-his-core-audience-right-now-and-thats-ok
[3] https://satan.shoes/
[4] https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/lil-nas-x-s-satan-shoes-trolled-some-christians-montero-ncna1262495
[5] https://www.amazon.com/Beauty-Intolerance-Setting-Generation-Truth-ebook/dp/B015F06DMS
[6] https://freethinkingministries.com/cuties-the-natural-progression-of-love-is-love/
[7] https://biblia.com/bible/esv/romans/1/26-27
[8] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+John+3%3A1&version=NASB1995
Recommended resources related to the topic:
Five Questions No One Ever Asks About Gay Rights (DVD Set), (Mp4 Download), and (Mp3 Set) by Dr. Frank Turek
Correct, NOT Politically Correct: How Same-Sex Marriage Hurts Everyone (Updated/Expanded) downloadable pdf, PowerPoint by Dr. Frank Turek
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Josh Klein is a Pastor from Omaha, Nebraska with 12 years of ministry experience. He graduated with an MDiv in 2016 from Sioux Falls Seminary and spends his spare time reading and engaging with current and past theological and cultural issues. He has been married for 12 years to Sharalee Klein and they have three young children.
Original Blog Source: https://cutt.ly/nEESkRX
Person of Interest | with J. Warner Wallace
PodcastDetective Wallace is back to show us through his new book, Person of Interest, the monumental and unparalleled impact Jesus of Nazareth has had on the entire world. But this isn’t a softball interview. Frank plays devil’s advocate with Jim to see how he responds to some tough objection’s skeptics might levy against some of his points, such as:
As for the book, it is truly a unique and inspiring work that helps you realize the tremendous influence of the historical Jesus, which is best explained by His resurrection from the dead. Person of Interest is wonderfully argued and illustrated (over 400 drawings). If you want to buy the book or view a sample chapter, go to www.personofinterestbook.com.
If you want to send us a question for the show, please email us at Hello@CrossExamined.org.
Subscribe on iTunes: http://bit.ly/CrossExamined_Podcast Rate and review! Thanks!!!
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La clave para reducir el estrés en la toma de decisiones
EspañolBy Bob Perry
“What is God’s will for my life?” It’s a common question to hear from someone who is pondering a difficult life decision. Making big decisions can be confusing, but using “God’s will” as the benchmark for success adds an element of agony to it all. The key to making decision-making less stressful is to be clear about what it really means.
What if we make the wrong decision and choose the wrong place to live? The wrong job? Or, more dishearteningly, the wrong spouse? Think about it. If we marry the wrong person it means our spouse was meant to marry someone else, and the person they were meant to marry also married the wrong person. The chain of wrongly conjoined spouses soon multiplies out of control. Something must go wrong in a vision that turns a wrong decision into a global catastrophe. How can we prevent calamity and avoid uncertainty? Is decision making supposed to be so difficult?
In search of God’s will
Decision making itself is difficult, but we make it worse when we increase the burden by evaluating our options with false criteria. We misinterpret God’s will when we equate it with some kind of hidden divine plan. The reality is that any of us can evaluate our alignment with God’s will with clear assurance. To know how, we need to evaluate this reasoning with what the Bible actually says about God’s will.
The hidden message
The contemporary model of Christian decision-making amounts to something like a treasure hunt. God’s will becomes a secret blueprint that has been hidden from us. We can only access it by begging God to reveal it to us in doses small enough to protect us from misuse. He whispers His revelation and guidance to us, and we must learn to listen. God uses gentle promptings to assure us that we are following the right path.
According to this method, God’s “plan for your life” is a road map that we can only decipher through careful reflection. The pressure is on us to figure out the plan or risk deviating from the course He has charted for our lives. Within this method, our anguish is understandable. The pressure to conform to the plan is enormous because the treasure we seek is not a worldly or material reward, it is the very purpose of our life.
There are two problems with this model. The first is that it becomes an exercise in trying to see the future. This is a futile task unless one is an ordained prophet endowed with the authority and responsibility that comes with that office. The second and more important problem is that this model of decision-making is nowhere to be found in the Bible.
The sovereign will of God
God has a sovereign will. He planned it before He created the universe, and He set the plan in motion at the moment of creation. It will unfold exactly the way the Creator intended. We know that. We can also be sure that we cannot know it in advance and that we cannot do anything to change it.
The Bible describes this sovereign will in passages that refer to God’s purposes. He knows the future. He brings it to pass. We can see evidence of this, but we can never see it looking forward. There is only one way to recognize God’s sovereign will. We see it looking back.
Your own life is a testament to this. Look back at all the amazing “coincidences” you have experienced in your life. Each one of them has brought you right to where you are at the present moment.
There are times when we fail to appreciate this aspect of God’s will. We want to know how things will turn out. Our motivation may be good. We may be sincere in wanting to be aligned with God’s purposes. We may be trying to avoid pain and hardship for ourselves, or trying not to hurt others. But no matter how pure our motives, this desire reveals an unwarranted concern for the future.
The moral will of God
There is a second aspect of God’s will that is very clear. Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 4:3, “For this is the will of God, that you should be sanctified.” This is God’s moral will. It is an ongoing project, not to figure out the future He has in store for us, but to conform us to His likeness. Theologians refer to this process as “sanctification.” Sanctification is a process that begins with the renewing of our minds and continues throughout the rest of our lives. It is the process that molds our will and character to align with “God’s will—what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2). Our sanctification is manifested as we live out the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). God’s moral will is for us to reflect the character of Christ.
The model of wisdom
If you keep these two aspects of God’s will in mind, we arrive at the true biblical model of decision-making. It is simple and straightforward. First, when it comes to making life decisions, God’s sovereign purposes will always come to pass, no matter what decisions you make. Next, any life choice we consider must be consistent with God’s moral will. In other words,
If the choices we make are consistent with God’s moral standards, we are free to do whatever we want. Our motivation should be to develop wisdom, not to receive marching orders.
What the wisdom model does not say
This is not to deny that God can speak to anyone at any time. After all, God is God. But nothing in the Bible suggests that we should use the common Christian decision-making practice that has become so popular in our culture.
There is no suggestion that we should humble ourselves for guidance and then listen to God’s personal messages about what we should do. Quite the opposite. As apologist Greg Koukl says, the record shows that personalized guidance in the Bible is not only rare, it is an intrusion into the lives of those who receive it. No one in the Bible pleads for secret knowledge and then quietly awaits instruction. God’s voice is supernatural and unmistakable. Even Paul, a man who hated and persecuted Christians, heard God’s voice on the road to Damascus. In short, if God speaks to us, there will be no doubt who He is speaking, or what He is trying to say.
Do good, then do what you want
Making life decisions doesn’t have to be bewildering or overwhelming. As long as the options we consider don’t violate God’s moral boundaries, we can do whatever we want. The wisdom model allows godly believers to pursue their own desires. Once we understand it, decision-making becomes a joy. We learn to move forward in life with confidence and humility. We don’t approach life’s difficult decisions with fear and trembling. Instead, we pursue a God-centered lifestyle.
What is God’s will for your life? Paul couldn’t have made it clearer. “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).”
Recommended resources in Spanish:
Stealing from God ( Paperback ), ( Teacher Study Guide ), and ( Student Study Guide ) by Dr. Frank Turek
Why I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist ( Complete DVD Series ), ( Teacher’s Workbook ), and ( Student’s Handbook ) by Dr. Frank Turek
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Bob Perry is a Christian apologetics writer, teacher, and speaker who blogs about Christianity and culture at truehorizon.org. He is a contributing writer to Christian Research Journal and has also been published in Touchstone and Salvo. Bob is a professional aviator with 37 years of experience in military and commercial flight. He holds a BS in Aerospace Engineering from the United States Naval Academy and a MS in Christian Apologetics from Biola University. He has been married to his high school sweetheart since 1985. They have five grown children.
Original Blog: https://cutt.ly/DEaF5n6
Translated by Elias Castro
Edited by Daniela Checa Delgado
Serpents, Dragons, and the Bible
Theology and Christian ApologeticsBy Ryan Leasure
If you’re from an Appalachian snake-handling church, I’m sorry to disappoint. This is not THAT kind of post. Instead, it’s a post about how the Bible portrays snakes, serpents, and dragons. More than that, it’s about how a mighty warrior defeats the serpent to rescue his precious bride. If that story sounds familiar to you, it’s because so many great children’s tales of the past echo this same story.
You see, the Bible presents three main characters:[1] 1) The Serpent (the villain—Satan), 2) The Damsel in Distress (the people of God), and 3) The Serpent Slayer (the hero—Jesus).
It’s worth noting that “Serpent” is a biblical catch-all term that includes both snakes and dragons.[2] In other words, serpent is an umbrella category while snakes and dragons are more specific. Also worth noting is that the ancients did not think of dragons as fire-breathing creatures with wings. Rather, they thought of them as giant serpents. Throughout the Bible, serpents take on either form depending on the situation. Biblical scholar Andrew Naselli remarks, “As a general rule, the form a serpent takes depends on its strategy. When a serpent in Scripture attempts to deceive, it’s a snake. When a serpent attempts to devour, it’s a dragon.”[3]
With those anecdotes in mind, let’s start from the very beginning.
The Serpent in the Garden
The very beginning was pure bliss. A perfect, holy God decided to share his goodness so he created a universe ex nihilo. As the crowning jewels of God’s creation, humans walked in fellowship with him in the garden. However, they let their guard down and allowed the serpent to enter. Genesis 3:1 notes, “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made.”
Crafty (or deceitful) describes this serpent perfectly. For immediately, he questioned Eve, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” Notice the serpent’s tactic. He called into question God’s Word. He implanted doubts in the woman’s mind so that she began to entertain alternative options. After the woman said that eating of the tree in the middle of the garden would lead to death, the serpent went on contradict God’s Word altogether. He declared, “You will not surely die.” And then he called into question God’s motives. “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
The serpent succeeded. Eve ate the fruit, gave some to Adam, and he ate too. And immediately everything changed. Their innocence was lost, and they knew they were naked. Because of their shame, they tried to hide themselves from God but to no avail. God confronted them over their disobedience. Adam blamed Eve, and Eve blamed the serpent. She remarked in 3:13, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” As a result, God banished them from his holy presence where they would live in exile. Now recall that when the serpent takes on the form of a snake, his primary tactic is to deceive. And this is what he has done.
God, however, would not allow the serpent to have the final word. He judged the serpent and promised to one day destroy him when he asserted, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Gen 3:15). The rest of Scripture traces the ongoing battle between the seed of the woman (the people of God) and the seed of the serpent (enemies of God and his people). Ultimately, the singular seed of the woman (Gal 3:16), will utterly destroy the serpent even though the serpent will injure him in the process.
Serpents Portrayed Negatively
Before we look at a few examples of the seed of the serpent waging battle on the seed of the woman, I simply want to draw our attention to the fact that serpents are associated with evil throughout Scripture.
Consider the following texts:
Serpents often symbolize God’s enemies:
As was alluded to earlier, the serpent takes on the form of a dragon when he wants to destroy. The following texts describe the dragon as a sea monster called Leviathan and Rahab.
See also Job 41 which describes God’s sovereignty over the monstrous sea serpent Leviathan.
The Egyptian Serpent
The storyline of Scripture portrays the seed of the serpent (God’s enemies) in conflict with the seed of the woman (God’s people). Perhaps the clearest example of the seed of the serpent is Egypt and its Pharaoh. The Lord says to Pharaoh in Ezekiel 32:2, “You are like a dragon in the seas.” Remember that the dragon seeks to destroy the seed of the woman, and this is what he set out to do when he ordered the death of all the Israelite babies (Ex 1:15-22).
One also thinks of the episode where Aaron’s staff transformed into a snake and swallowed the staffs/snakes of Pharaoh’s magicians (Ex 7:8-13). Most likely, Aaron’s staff turned into a cobra which also happened to be featured on Pharaoh’s headdress. This headdress symbolized divine power and protection and was fashioned after an Egyptian goddess named Uraeus. By wearing the Cobra headdress, Pharaoh was able to channel the powers of the deity.
Thus, “when Moses had Aaron fling the rod snake before Pharaoh,” argues archaeological scholar John Currid, “he was directly assaulting that token of Pharaonic sovereignty—the scene was one of polemical taunting. When Aaron’s rod swallowed the staffs of the Egyptian magicians, Pharaonic deity and omnipotence were being denounced and rejected outright. Pharaoh’s cobra-crested diadem had no power against Yahweh.”[4]
Reflecting back on the Exodus out of Egypt, the biblical authors saw it as a victory over the serpent. Psalm 74:12-14 declares:
While the ultimate victory still awaited, God was already foreshadowing how he was going to one day crush the head of the serpent.
Goliath the Serpent
One of the best-known stories from the Old Testament is David’s defeat of Goliath. This story portrays Goliath as a giant serpent who seeks to devour the seed of the woman. We know this because as 1 Samuel 17:5 makes clear, Goliath “was clothed with scale-armor” (NASB and NIV). While some translations simply translate this as “a coat of mail” (ESV), the most literal rendering is “armor of scales.”
The Hebrew word for “scale” appears seven other times in the Old Testament, and each time it refers to the scales of fish—including sea dragons.[5] It’s noteworthy that God also calls Pharaoh the “great dragon” with “scales” in Ezekiel 29:3-4. Pharaoh and Goliath are the only two people in the Bible who are said to have “scales.”
As the story of 1 Samuel 17 unfolds, David proclaims that the battle is the LORD’s and then proceeds to sink a stone into the forehead of the giant serpent who then falls face-first into the ground to eat dust like the serpent of old (Gen 3:14) Once more God foreshadows how he will crush the head of the serpent and deliver his people.
The Serpent in the Gospels
We find several instances where the seed of the serpent tries to destroy the seed of the woman. Just like the ancient Pharaoh, King Herod tried to kill all the Bethlehem boys in an attempt to kill the singular seed of the woman (Matt 2:16-18).
Repeatedly, we find that the Pharisees and Sadducees are portrayed as the seed of the serpent. Jesus says to them, “You are of your father the devil” (John 8:44). When John the Baptist saw them coming from afar, he cried out, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our Father” (Matt 3:7-9). Similarly, Jesus cries out to the Pharisees in Matthew 23, “You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?” In short, the Pharisees and Sadducees are the seed of the serpent who wage war on the seed of the woman.
The Dragon is Slayed
We round out this discussion by going to the very end where the book of Revelation proclaims the final demise of the serpent. Revelation 12:3-5 notes:
Here we read that that this powerful, red (blood-thirsty) dragon seeks to devour the seed of the woman. Yet, God delivered the seed from the dragon’s pursuits.
Revelation 12:7-9 continues:
Notice that the dragon is none other than Satan himself—that ancient serpent and deceiver of the whole world. And he is thrown down. But how? Did the archangel Michael destroy the dragon all by himself?
Revelation 12:11 declares
Satan was ultimately defeated by the blood of the Lamb! It was Jesus Christ who conquered Satan. That moment on the cross, when it looked as if the serpent was going to prevail, his head was crushed by the seed of the woman (Gen 3:15).
Fast-forward to Revelation 20, right on the heels of the Millennium, we read in verse 10:
In the end, the mighty serpent-slayer defeated the ancient serpent and rescued his bride so that she can no longer be deceived or devoured. Or to put it another way, the prince slayed the dragon and got his girl.[6]
Notes
[1] Andrew Naselli, The Serpent, and the Serpent Slayer, 18.
[2] Ibid., 18.
[3] Ibid., 18.
[4] John Currid, Ancient Egypt, 93-94.
[5] Andrew Naselli, The Serpent, and the Serpent Slayer, 90.
[6] Ibid., 15.
Recommended resources related to the topic:
How to Interpret Your Bible by Dr. Frank Turek DVD Complete Series, INSTRUCTOR Study Guide, and STUDENT Study Guide
How Philosophy Can Help Your Theology by Richard Howe (MP3 Set), (mp4 Download Set), and (DVD Set)
Jesus, You and the Essentials of Christianity by Frank Turek (INSTRUCTOR Study Guide), (STUDENT Study Guide), and (DVD)
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Ryan Leasure holds a Master of Arts from Furman University and a Masters of Divinity from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Currently, he’s a Doctor of Ministry candidate at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He also serves as a pastor at Grace Bible Church in Moore, SC.
Original Blog Source: https://cutt.ly/UEpuVT6
The Best Apologetics Book for Beginners?
Theology and Christian ApologeticsBy Mikel Del Rosario
One of the most common questions I get asked is, “What is the BEST apologetics book for beginners?” In this video, I share my top 5 apologetics book recommendations for people just getting started with apologetics.
Click the links below and use the “Look Inside” feature to decide which one is the best, FIRST Christian apologetics book for you.
Apologetics Books for Beginners:
This book has illustrations, sidebars, and memorizable steps to help you defend the faith with reason and precision. Craig offers four arguments for God’s existence, defends the historicity of Jesus’ claims and resurrection, while also covering the problem of suffering and religious relativism. Along the way, he shares his story of following God’s call in his own life.
This demonstrates how to navigate spiritual conversations, keeping them moving forward in constructive ways through thoughtful diplomacy. You’ll learn how to stop challengers in their tracks and turn the tables on questions or provocative statements. You’ll also learn how to get people thinking about Jesus. This give you a game plan for explaining the truth about Christianity with confidence and grace.
This is an accessible, comprehensive, and persuasive resource providing detailed evidence for the resurrection of Jesus. It introduces the popular “minimal facts” approach, utilizing data that are so strongly attested that virtual every critical scholar grants them. It helps you memorize not only these facts, but the data which support them. This book includes helpful charts as well. The authors also demonstrate how to share the material in everyday conversations.
This book helps you respond to key arguments skeptical scholars such as Bart Ehrman have raised in his popular books. It will help you think through key issues and explain topics such as the Bible’s origins, the copying of the Bible, alleged contradictions in Scripture, and the relationship between God and evil. After studying this book, you’ll be equipped to respond to a wide variety of critical arguments raised against the reliability of Scripture and the truthfulness of Christianity.
This updated and expanded version of the modern apologetics classic offers a defense of Christianity’s core truths and thoughtful responses to key questions about difficult passages in the Bible. This large reference book covers evidence for the Bible, Jesus, the Old Testament, and the nature of truth.
So what is the best apologetics book for beginners? It just depends on what you are looking for. I hope you found one of these suggestions helpful for you!
Recommended resources related to the topic:
I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist (Paperback), and (Sermon) by Norman Geisler and Frank Turek
Stealing From God by Dr. Frank Turek (Book, 10-Part DVD Set, STUDENT Study Guide, TEACHER Study Guide)
Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions by Greg Koukl (Book)
Defending the Faith on Campus by Frank Turek (DVD Set, mp4 Download set, and Complete Package)
So the Next Generation will Know by J. Warner Wallace (Book and Participant’s Guide)
Fearless Faith by Mike Adams, Frank Turek, and J. Warner Wallace (Complete DVD Series)
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Mikel Del Rosario helps Christians explain their faith with courage and compassion. He is a doctoral student in the New Testament department at Dallas Theological Seminary. Mikel teaches Christian Apologetics and World Religion at William Jessup University. He is the author of Accessible Apologetics and has published over 20 journal articles on apologetics and cultural engagement with his mentor, Dr. Darrell Bock. Mikel holds an M.A. in Christian Apologetics with highest honors from Biola University and a Master of Theology (Th.M) from Dallas Theological Seminary where he serves as Cultural Engagement Manager at the Hendricks Center and a host of the Table Podcast. Visit his Web site at ApologeticsGuy.com.
Original Blog Source: https://cutt.ly/3Eo5Y7n
3 estrategias apologéticas que podemos observar en el Libro de los Hechos
EspañolPor Alisa Childers
A esta simple pregunta se le atribuye la introducción del cristianismo a Etiopía. (1) En el libro de los Hechos capítulo 8 encontramos a Felipe, quien es guiado por un ángel al desierto para encontrarse con un oficial de la corte de la reina de Etiopía. Felipe se da cuenta que este oficial está leyendo el rollo del libro de Isaías donde se hallan las profecías del Mesías. En ese momento, Felipe podría haberse acercado y declarado audazmente: “¡He sido enviado a ti en este día para que escuches las buenas nuevas de Jesús, el Mesías!” Pero no lo hizo. Se encontró con este hombre justo donde estaba leyendo y le hizo una buena pregunta, la cual llevó a la explicación del evangelio. Esta es la mejor forma de apologética.
En ocasiones a la apologética se le llama “pre-evangelismo”, porque ayuda a remover los obstáculos intelectuales en el camino de la fe. El mandato de hacer apologética la encontramos en 1 Pedro 3:15 que nos dice que siempre debemos “estar preparados para presentar defensa ante toda persona que nos pida razón de la esperanza que hay en nosotros”. La palabra “defensa” en griego es apología, que es de donde sacamos nuestra palabra “apologética”. En el libro de los Hechos, cuando los apóstoles evangelizaban, ellos hacían apologética.
Ellos estaban defendiendo su fe constantemente –frente a líderes religiosos, políticos, filósofos seculares y ciudadanos comunes. He aquí tres formas en que usaron la apologética para defender su fe:
1. Defendieron el evangelio, no a ellos mismos.
Los apóstoles estaban acostumbrados a los juicios, los concilios y las prisiones. En Hechos 4, Pedro y Juan fueron llevados ante el gran concilio de Jerusalén y fueron desafiados a defender su derecho a predicar la resurrección de Jesús. Pedro no llevaba ni una frase en su defensa cuando empezó a proclamar el evangelio. No gastó su energía tratando de limpiar su nombre, o de evitar el tiempo de prisión – predicó la resurrección de Jesús al mismo concilio que lo estaba cuestionando.
Este ejemplo también lo siguió el mártir Esteban en los capítulos 6 y 7. Esteban era un cristiano judío que fue llevado ante el concilio acusado de blasfemar contra Dios y contra Moisés. En su famoso discurso, se dirigió al concilio relatando la historia de los judíos, señalando que los verdaderos profetas de Dios siempre fueron rechazados. Y enfatizó que la presencia de Dios no está limitada a una determinada área geográfica o templo. En un sentido, Esteban respondió a las acusaciones de blasfemia. Pero hizo más, él abrió la puerta, teológicamente hablando, para la misión mundial de la Iglesia. Fue una brillante defensa del evangelio. El erudito del Nuevo testamento F. F. Bruce, comentó lo siguiente acerca de la famosa “defensa” de Esteban:
El gran predicador Charles Spurgeon dijo esto de Esteban:
Cuando nuestra fe es atacada, puede ser tentador ponerse a la defensiva. Pero seríamos sabios si siguiéramos el ejemplo de los apóstoles y defendiéramos el evangelio, no a nosotros mismos
2. Ellos compartieron evidencia de testigos oculares de la resurrección de Jesús, no sus testimonios personales.
Los testimonios personales de los apóstoles ciertamente se cruzaron con los relatos de los testigos oculares de la resurrección de Jesús, porque ellos fueron los testigos oculares. Pero su mensaje se centraba en Jesús, no en ellos mismos. En otras palabras, cuando ellos compartían el evangelio, no hablaban sobre lo que Jesús hizo por ellos personalmente y luego simplemente invitaban a otros a tener una relación personal con Él. Testificaban el hecho de que Jesús fue crucificado, sepultado y resucitado, ofreciendo la salvación a todos los que se arrepintieran y pusieran su fe en Jesús el Mesías. Este tema es consistente en todo el libro de los Hechos.
El testimonio personal puede ser una gran manera de construir una relación, pero nuestros testimonios siempre deben apuntar a algo más grande: las buenas noticias de la muerte y resurrección de Jesús.
3. Ellos conocían las Escrituras pero en ocasiones no lo utilizaban inmediatamente.
Los primeros cristianos eran judíos que estaban saturados de las Escrituras del Antiguo Testamento. Cuando Pablo se convirtió en el capítulo 9 inmediatamente comenzó a predicar a los judíos en Damasco, “demostrando que Jesús era el Cristo”. En el capítulo 13 habló en la sinagoga de Antioquía, remitiéndose a las Escrituras del Antiguo Testamento para mostrar a los judíos que Jesús era el Mesías esperado. En el capítulo 17 fue a la sinagoga de Tesalónica y ahí “razonó con ellos a partir de las Escrituras”.
Más adelante en este mismo capítulo, Pablo estaba en Atenas conversando con los filósofos epicúreos y estoicos. Estos filósofos no habrían aceptado el Antiguo Testamento judío como autoritativo, así que Pablo usó una táctica diferente para llegar al evangelio. En lugar de apelar a las Escrituras, él mencionó a su propio altar religioso con la inscripción, “Al dios no conocido”. Luego procedió a presentarles al Dios que aún no conocían, incluso citando a sus propios y respetados pensadores filosóficos. Él utilizó esto como táctica para la resurrección de Jesús.
Esto no significa que las Escrituras no sean importantes o ignoradas. Solo significa que a veces tenemos que encontrarnos con la gente donde están y empezar desde ahí.
Conclusión:
Los apóstoles utilizaron la apologética de manera creativa, adaptando su método a la situación en la que se encontraban. El tema en común entre estos tres métodos es que el evangelio siempre fue el punto principal. Los apóstoles mantuvieron el enfoque de su evangelización en la resurrección de Jesús y la esperanza de la fe salvadora en Él –¡Y nosotros también deberíamos hacerlo!
Recursos recomendados en Español:
Robándole a Dios (tapa blanda), (Guía de estudio para el profesor) y (Guía de estudio del estudiante) por el Dr. Frank Turek
Por qué no tengo suficiente fe para ser un ateo (serie de DVD completa), (Manual de trabajo del profesor) y (Manual del estudiante) del Dr. Frank Turek
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Alisa Childers es cantante y compositora estadounidense, más conocida por formar parte del grupo femenino de música cristiana ZOEgirl. Ha tenido una serie de sencillos en el top 10 de la radio, cuatro álbumes de estudio, y recibió el premio Dove durante su tiempo con ZOEgirl. Años más tarde, Alisa encontró su fe de toda la vida profundamente desafiada cuando comenzó a asistir a lo que más tarde se identificaría como una Iglesia Cristiana Progresiva. Este reto empujó a Alisa hacia la apologética cristiana. Hoy en día podemos leer, escuchar y ver el trabajo de Alisa en internet, y también adquirir su libro recientemente publicado sobre el cristianismo progresivo titulado Another Gospel.
Blog Original: https://cutt.ly/yEo2Jkx
Traducido por Gustavo Camarillo
Editado por Elenita Romero
Do You Trust Science?
PodcastDo you trust experts? Do you trust science? Why do we get conflicting advice from experts and scientists?
Frank investigates those questions by citing the bogus papers Dr. Peter Boghossian published in academic journals which exposes that experts, like the rest of us, are susceptible to biases, social pressure, ideological blindness, and groupthink. Be especially wary when people claim there is a scientific “consensus”! That normally means there really isn’t a consensus, and people will pressure dissenters into silence. But the history of science shows that our knowledge advances when we question the prevailing orthodoxy— when we ask for the evidence that people use to come to their conclusions.
Frank also cites evidence that science related to Covid has become politicized— that certain policies and treatment recommendations lead to contradictions and questions. The censors will be out for this episode!
Links cited:
My University Sacrificed Ideas for Ideology. So Today I Quit.
Politics Disguised as Science: When to Doubt a Scientific ‘Consensus’
The Grievance Studies Affair revealed
There is no American monarchy
Ivermectin Wins in India
Why You Should Not Use Ivermectin to Treat or Prevent COVID-19
A five-day course of ivermectin for the treatment of COVID-19 may reduce the duration of illness
If you want to send us a question for the show, please email us at Hello@CrossExamined.org.
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On Apologetics and Spiritual Warfare
Theology and Christian ApologeticsBy Bob Perry
In my experience, the typical discussion of “spiritual warfare” centers on the stuff of the old Frank Peretti novels like This Present Darkness or Piercing the Darkness. It’s all about gargoyle-looking demons snarling on our shoulders, power plays, and satanic influences. But the whole “devil made me do it” thing has always seemed a little over-the-top to me. For that reason, it’s a subject I have mostly ignored. It certainly never seemed to have much to do with the things I like to talk about here — arguments and evidence. But it turns out there is a direct connection between apologetics and spiritual warfare. And all of us need to understand what it is.
The Balanced View
As usual, C. S. Lewis encourages us to consider a more reasonable view of the spiritual warfare than the one we usually hear:
Balance is always good. And if you want an introduction to that view of spiritual warfare, there is no more entertaining way to get it than reading C. S. Lewis,’ The Screwtape Letters. The gist of the book is that Screwtape is a senior demon who is training his understudy, Wormwood, about how to best mess with humans. The book is a record of their dialogue. It’s a training manual for spiritual warfare — from the bad guys’ point-of-view.
Lewis said it was the most difficult book he ever wrote because it forced him to think backwards. God is the “enemy.” Promoting evil is Screwtape’s mission.
I’ve always enjoyed Lewis’ unique approach. But more recently, I’ve come to see spiritual warfare in an even more pragmatic way.
Close Encounters of a Different Kind
In lesson two of his 8-part course, The Bible Fast Forward, Greg Koukl makes a fantastic insight about this. He points out that much of the emphasis in the church on spiritual warfare has been on engaging in power encounters. We talk about binding, loosing, and casting out demons with specific kinds of prayers. Much like Frank Peretti, we focus on methods we can use to counteract the evil enterprises of the enemy.
But, Koukl says, Scripture suggests something different. His point is that the essential character of spiritual warfare is not about power encounters with the devil. It is about truth encounters. It’s about opposing lies and deception.
Paul’s Take on Warfare
In 2nd Corinthians 10:3-5, Paul addresses the issue this way:
Then, in Ephesians 6, the most famously quoted Bible passage on the subject, Paul goes on to describe the fight:
But in the plea that follows, Paul doesn’t tell the Ephesians to pray against the rulers, authorities, and powers. Rather, he tells them to pray for perseverance. He asks them to pray that he and those around him might speak the truth fearlessly.
Do you see the difference?
The Battlefield of Ideas
The weapons of spiritual warfare are thoughts. The battlefield is in our minds. And that means that an apologist — a defender of the faith — lives at the forward edge of the battle area. The battlefield is not just a place to make arguments about topics like the existence of God, the design of the universe, or the reliability of Scripture.
It’s a place to fight for the essence of truth itself.
Think about it. Normal, rationally thinking human beings could never come up with some of the ideas our culture accepts without question. Those who argue in favor of corruptions of human sexuality — things like same-sex “marriage” or gender fluidity — aren’t just arguing about the moral nature of their conduct. Reasonable people could debate that kind of thing. Instead, they are denying biological reality itself. And, as Carl Trueman puts it in his book, The Rise & Triumph of the Modern Self, “many in our society [insist that] to deny it or question it in some way is to reveal oneself as stupid, immoral, or subject to yet another irrational phobia.”*
In other words, the culture holds in contempt anyone who claims to see reality for what it actually is. We have arrived at the place George Orwell warned about 100 years ago, “In a time of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
Not Just A Cultural Trend
Human sexuality is at the epicenter of the cultural battles that are raging around the topics of truth and reality. But it’s not the only issue. Our society has also accepted without argument the idea that science will solve all our problems. This philosophical view is called “Scientism.” And it’s based on the notion that science and faith are in a perpetual state of war. But, as I’ve discussed elsewhere, that is a lie. Science and theology are complementary ways knowing things about the world. They are mutually reinforcing allies in the ongoing battle for the truth.
Likewise, those who foment hatred in our society do so by disingenuously politicizing the news. They do it using incidents of racism, oppression, inequity, and inclusion. Surely, we can find blatant examples of abuse with each of these. No thinking person can deny it. But that does not mean our entire society can be reduced to them. Generalizations are never a good idea. You don’t define the whole by the abuses of outliers.
But the really troubling thing about all these trends is that they are not just cultural phenomena. They are also infiltrating our churches under the banner of “Progressive Christianity” and “social justice.” I guess we should expect the world to turn things inside out and upside down. But when the church goes along with it, I don’t see any other way to explain it except as the consequence of spiritual warfare.
The “Social Justice” Deception
Back to C. S. Lewis. In one of his training sessions with Wormwood, the indomitable Screwtape hits on the topic of how to remove spirituality from the Christian’s life. His method may sound familiar:
Remember, Lewis wrote those words in 1942. It turns out the battle for our minds hasn’t changed much over the years. Screwtape’s minions have been wildly successful in their mission to deceive the world. Our challenges as defenders of the faith are complicated but they’re not new. When it comes right down to it, they’re as old as the Garden of Eden.
A Reason For Hope
When you see spiritual warfare this way you realize it never stops. The battle of ideas will continue far into the future. We can’t escape the battle. But we can embrace a battle plan that refuses to surrender. As Rod Dreher put it in his fantastic book, Live Not By Lies: A Manual For Christian Dissidents,
If you watch the news, this can all become very discouraging. But as an apologist, we don’t have time to be discouraged. Our charge is not just to give answers. It is to “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have…”
Hope.
In The Everlasting Man, G. K. Chesterton surveys the many forces that have threatened to destroy Christianity over the last 2000 years. “Time and again,” said Chesterton, “the Faith has to all appearances gone to the dogs. But each time, it was the dog that died.”
Our faith and our church have been under attack since the beginning of time. But the Bible and history are littered with examples of the saints who persevered in the face of both physical and spiritual warfare. Our time is unique in many ways. But from an eternal perspective the mission is still the same. Lies are still the enemy. And truth is still unchanging.
And that is the reason we have hope.
Recommended resources related to the topic:
I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist (Paperback), and (Sermon) by Norman Geisler and Frank Turek
Stealing From God by Dr. Frank Turek (Book, 10-Part DVD Set, STUDENT Study Guide, TEACHER Study Guide)
Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions by Greg Koukl (Book)
Defending the Faith on Campus by Frank Turek (DVD Set, mp4 Download set, and Complete Package)
So the Next Generation will Know by J. Warner Wallace (Book and Participant’s Guide)
Fearless Faith by Mike Adams, Frank Turek, and J. Warner Wallace (Complete DVD Series)
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Bob Perry is a Christian apologetics writer, teacher, and speaker who blogs about Christianity and the culture at truehorizon.org. He is a Contributing Writer for the Christian Research Journal and has also been published in Touchstone, and Salvo. Bob is a professional aviator with 37 years of military and commercial flying experience. He has a B.S., Aerospace Engineering from the U. S. Naval Academy, and an M.A., Christian Apologetics from Biola University. He has been married to his high school sweetheart since 1985. They have five grown sons.
Original Blog Source: https://cutt.ly/wW6E98x