On Beatitudes Pride and Wolves: The Beatitudes are found in Matthew chapter five, the Sermon on the Mount. What do they have to do with pride and wolves you ask?
You can read teachings on the Sermon on the Mount from people like Martyn Lloyd-Jones, A. W. Pink, John MacArthur and others. Monergism has some good resources. Some dispensationalists claim it doesn’t apply to the church. I disagree.
Now ELCA Pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber has come out with her own set of Beatitudes. Note that this isn’t a column intended to pick on her for the sake of it. However I believe she typifies the spirit of rebellion against God. You can find out more about her at the Exposing the ELCA website.
One of her Beatitudes is called Blessed are the Agnostics. And this: Blessed are they who doubt. Those who aren’t sure, who can still be surprised.
According to Webster, an agnostic is someone, “who holds the view that any ultimate reality (such as God) is unknown and probably unknowable. Broadly: one who is not committed to believing in either the existence or the nonexistence of God or a god.”
This doesn’t apply to Bolz-Weber. However, two characteristics of agnosticism are: being non-committal and non-dogmatic. Where Scripture is concerned, progressives are non-committal. They may also regard those who hold to scriptural inerrancy as fundamentally dogmatic.
I take the view that Christian progressives are dogmatically committed to dumbing down Scripture and contextualizing the gospel. Examples are seen in Bolz-Weber’s book Pastrix. One instance is Chapter 2 (God’s Aunt) where she cites 1Timothy 2:11-12. Despite the Apostle Paul’s admonition about women teaching men, she becomes a pastor and revels in her parents’ support.
In this mind-set Paul was allegedly a flawed man (read patriarchal). Thus he (and Scripture) must be open to interpretation based on modern culture. Rod Dreher cites Bolz-Weber:
The Bible’s not clear about [word deleted]! The Bible is a library. Let’s say you have this huge library in your house and ask, “What’s the clear message my library has to say about ‘gender” The poetry is going to say one thing, history says another, prose says something, science fiction says something else…”
I don’t personally dislike Nadia. Her influence should concern, though. There’s a spirit of defiance and pride in Pastrix, in spite of the occasional self-effacing comments. Notably Pastrix is gushed over by Rob Bell and endorsed by Frank Schaeffer. Her friendship with the highly influential, and late, Rachel Held Evans (who wrote the book Inspired) supports my premise. Bolz-Weber writes:
After Rachel died, I realized I wanted to figure out a way to start doing what I’ve always been intimidated by, but which came so naturally to her, which is to engage with my audience.
In Evans’s world, doubting the Bible is virtuous. Why? – One motive (not the only one) for holding this position is because Scripture explicitly contradicts a long list of things she and Bolz-Weber have advocated for (LGBTQ, Same-Sex Marriage and Universalism etc). One of Bolz-Weber’s books is titled “Shameless: A Sexual Reformation” in which she exults pornography if it’s “ethically sourced.”
Is agnosticism a blessing? Is doubt a virtue?
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. Heb 11:1-3
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Heb 11:6
For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. Rom 1:17-19 (Also Psalm 2:11-12)
For a biblical view of shame, read Jon Bloom’s article Breaking the Power of Shame.
“Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.” Rev 16:15
Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 2Tim 4:2-4
Progressive Christianity seeks to remove shame by removing the guilt of sin (by legitimizing it). Not only is this not biblical but it inexorably corrupts the gospel. And it robs God of His glory.
Further, these people put the focus on themselves and their followers, rather than on Christ and what He has done for Christians. They are depriving people of true eternal joy, feeding their misery and grievances, and leading others to hell.
If we are Christians, we belong to God and identify with Christ (See Romans Chapter 8; Rom 14:7-8; 2 Cor 5:15; Col 2:6-7; 1 John 3:2-7).
Finally, Paul wrote,
For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Act 20:29-30
Run from the wolves!
Maranatha!
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