Been a while since I posted some straight up theology, but those, like me, who are fans of both N.T. Wright and John Piper may appreciate this two-part series by Kevin DeYoung with four questions for Wright on the particulars of his view of the atonement:
Good News: We Go to Heaven When We Die!
Flying Monkeys and the New Perspective
Good stuff.
HT: Zach Nielsen
1 comment:
This ongoing debate between two great men has been interesting. It calls to mind though, the whole point of their debate. Are they in a theological way trying to explain why so many Christians are "pew warmers" and seem to have let the fire go out of an earlier conversion, hoping to encourage them from two different perspectives to persevere, as the final justification is to come? Or what's their point for the church today? As you say, it's a nerdy debate, perhaps that's why I enjoy it. And don't get me wrong, I'm a real fan of the Pipers of the world, and the debate they carry out.
However, from a practical standpoint I think the debate fails to take into account the realities of life as any generation of Christians know it. They are debating their understanding of Paul and the early church, and don't take into consideration all of the mistreatments of the Gospel that many Christians have had to endure to their utter confusion. We can't judge others, the pew warmers, as we don't really know where they stand with God. But we can stand up and take the offensive against the wrong "gospel thinking" that has become mainstream Christian thought. But most preachers don't! They don't want to offend people, lest they find a "better" church down the street, and make the elders angry. So very little is said about it by anyone in the real church. Our preacher always stops short of condemning it, but just keeps preaching the true gospel. So folks get a 1/2 hour of him on Sunday, then hours and hours of TBN each week as their "ministry"? We can debate how this will affect the final justification, and what it does to the church, but until the real church realizes it's a real problem, it's rather pointless. We give Christians a free pass and keep debating perseverance and the two justifications. Perhaps I overstate things, and the over 40 crowd isn't affected by the wrong thinking out there. But I can't help believe that the vast majority of Christians wouldn't understand Piper or Wright, would find them uninteresting, but would understand Rick Warren, and all the other 'best life now-ers', and in fact want that thinking in their church, and are moving into deacon and leadership positions. We need an all out Doug Wilson style "sarcastic offensive" rather then the defensive posture we take now. And few people could lead it and make it national news and effective, freeing pastors and preachers everywhere to take a stand, except perhaps the Pipers and Wrights of the world, if even they are big enough, and willing to stick their necks out. I know God is in control, but he usually likes us to do our part, too.
Sorry about the long post. And your "Christ's Finished Work" message was as good as "Real Freedom".
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