AUTHORITY
IN THE CRAZY WORLD OF POSTMODERNISM
Matthew
7:21-29
Those who make it their business to
catalogue and define social trends tell us that we are now in a Postmodern world. The
Modern world, the era
that has just recently ended, was one of great optimism that human intellect
and the scientific method would discover truth. The optimism of Modernism has,
however, fallen to the pessimism of Post Modernism. Post Modern man, having
long since abandoned God, has now, in accepting the limitations of humanity,
lost all hope of finding truth. In such a world as this, we might well expect
that the concept of absolute authority has fallen on exceptionally hard times.
Indeed, it has!
Truth is now a very relative thing (Relativism),
controlled by situations (Situation Ethics), personal opinions (Subjectivism), and
emotions (Emotionalism).
Let us examine how this relativistic outlook is affecting our world. We need
look no further than recent editions of the Knoxville News-Sentinel to see how
biblical absolutes are being received in our Post Modern world. After we have a
look, we will note the huge importance of absolutes from God’s point of view.
As we do that we will discover the nature of our modern problems and see the
solution is found in a return to God.
Right Here In River
City—The Local Paper
So,
for example, even if a woman experiences a “call” to be a pastor, she should
measure that experience against fixed and absolute God-revealed verses like
this one: “I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man,”
the Apostle Paul wrote in I Timothy 2:11.
Hold on say Living Word (emp. mine) believers.
Even Written
Word (emp. mine) believers don’t take every word of the Bible
literally. They don’t really believe verses like this one: “Women will be saved
through childbearing,” the Apostle Paul wrote in I Timothy 2:15.
Take Phoebe, for example. In Romans, Paul described her as a diakonos
(emp. mine), the Greek word for “deacon.” But the word often today is
translated as “deaconess,” which suggests a subordinate role.
David
Waters, KN-S
6/24/00
Let’s see if I’ve got this
straight.
The Roman Catholic Church,
controlled by single, celibate men, claims that God limits the priesthood to
single celibate men.
The Southern Baptist Convention
controlled by single and married men, claims that God limits the office of
pastor to single or married men.
The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints, controlled by men, claims that God limits the ordained
priesthood to men.
The Church of God in Christ,
controlled by men, claims that God limits the office of pastor to men.
Orthodox Judaism, controlled
by male rabbis, claims that God limits the rabbinate to men.
Islam, spiritually led by
male imans, claims that God limits the role of a spiritual leader to men.
Seems a bit suspicious
doesn’t it?
David
Waters, KN-S
7/3/00
The problem with those who
choose received authority over fact and logic is how they choose which part of
authority to obey.
The Bible famously
contradicts itself at many points, and the Koran can be read as a wonderfully
compassionate and humanistic document. Which suggests that the problem of
fundamentalism lies not with authority but with ourselves.
Molly
Ivins, KN-S
7/3/00
Seay is a Baptist, but his
sponsors and coworkers in this project range from conservative Presbyterians to
mainline Methodists. They want to build a congregation that is truly
“multidenominational” and linked to other bodies…
Postmodern seekers are
increasingly turning to Buddhism, Hinduism and other Eastern, mystical
traditions.
… We are moving toward a more
spiritual world, one that faces East. The question is whether Christ or karma
will be the focus of our spirituality.
Terry
Mattingly, KN-S
6/24/00
Sinead O’Connor, the
33-year-old Irish pop star is promoting her new CD, “Faith and Courage,”
dressed in a priest’s collar.
Though she has been a
vociferous critic of the Catholic Church, and famously ripped up the pope’s
photograph on “Saturday Night Live” in 1992, she now claims to be an ordained
priest.
The most recent Gallup Poll
shows that 65 percent of the 770 American Catholics queried favor female
priests.
Mary
Rourke, KN-S
6/24/00
Well now, wasn’t it a great
story? Southern rednecks meet in convention and vote to keep women out of the
pulpit. Page one everywhere, lead story for the electronic boys. Ain’t it a
shame the Southern Baptist Convention members are so narrow minded?
There are a few details that
didn’t get a lot of attention in the
story.
But it was such a good story
to bash the Baptists.
It is not much reported or
remarked upon but the doctrines of most religions in this country are
definitely not politically correct. There is a tremendous disconnect between
the doctrines of most of our religions and the current secular political
thought.
A literal interpretation of
the New Testament Scripture is the doctrine of the Southern Baptists. Given
that circumstance, then what other conclusion can the Southern Baptist Convention
come to about women speaking in the church? So if you reject the doctrines of
your church, what makes you a Catholic or a Baptist? ‘Cause your parents were?
Frank Cagle, KN-S 6/24/00
What’s Going On Here?
1. Mr.
Waters’ Strikes Out (Pun Intended).
a. Mr.
Waters takes up a rather common interpretation question, should Scripture be
interpreted as it was intended when written (Literal), or through the eyes of
contemporary cultural norms and understandings (Living).
b. If
the Bible is to contribute anything to the answer, the answer is easily
determined—Literal Interpretation (Jude 3; II Tim. 3:16-17; I Cor. 4:6, etc.).
c. If
the Bible is seen as merely a
relativistic source in the postmodern era for subjective, emotionally based
beliefs—Living Interpretation (with the understanding that a Bible that can
mean anything doesn’t really mean anything).
d. Additionally,
in answer to Mr. Waters, it doesn’t matter if a religious group is “controlled”
by men or women, its doctrines are supposed to square up with that group’s
source of authority—in Christianity that would be the Bible.
e. Mr.
Waters offers no biblical basis for rejecting male leadership in Christianity.
f. The
verses he uses, I Timothy 2:15, and Romans 16:1, to attempt to discredit a
literal interpretation are both misused.
g. I
Timothy 2:15 in context can easily be seen as dealing with the usual or general
role of women in having children. Within their usual role women find the
context that best allows them to find salvation—family.
h. The
difficulty experienced in bearing children (Gen. 3:16), is more than offset by
the role of motherhood.
i. Also,
Paul did not use the word diakonos , a masculine form, in
referring to Phoebe, rather diakonon, a feminine form (accusative
form of the noun is the same whether masculine and feminine; when referring to
a woman the feminine is understood). Additionally, the word group in question
is also only generally translated by “deacon” on three occasions. It’s
overwhelming use is simply to refer to any who do service. There is no literalist
slight here, Mr. Waters.
2. Molly
Muddles The Issue With Illogical Assertions.
a. Would
that Ms. Ivins might have supplied us with some of those “famous”
contradictions she asserted were in the Bible—I’ve been waiting on at least one
of them for years!
b. So
logic has nothing to do with biblical authority—more news to me!
c. Ms.
Ivins needs to remember that the postmodern world has discovered that science
and logic cannot do the job alone.
d. Also,
just because a group says it has divine authority does not mean that it does.
e. If
principles of logic were applied to the issue I am confident that Ms. Ivins
would see the clear difference between the Bible and other “sacred” books.
f. To
reject out of hand that there could actually be a “received” authority is very
unscientific and illogical.
g. Let
each case be tried on its own merits.
3.
Seay and O’Connor Revel In Postmodernism.
a. Both
Seay and O’Connor have decided to sing the postmodern anthem that there is no
objective authority—you make it up as you go along.
b. You
can be a “Christian” and an Eastern mystic at the same time.
c. You
can be a member of a religious group, but you do not have to stand for anything
that group embraces.
d. Do
you see where things are going!?
4. Cagle
Brings Us Back To Reality.
a. Yes,
the media loves to ridicule anything that is not politically correct.
b. They
commonly are very selective in what they report.
c. The
Bible and Postmodernism cannot coexist without conflict.
d. Why
should it be thought unusual that Bible believers stand up for what the Bible
teaches—what do you expect?
e. Christianity
must have a biblical identity or it will have no true identity at all.
And The Bible Says?
1. Jesus
has all authority in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28:18; I Cor. 15:24-28; Eph.
1:19-20).
2. We
are to contend for the faith “once for all delivered” (Jude 3).
3. All
Scripture is inspired (II Tim. 3:16-17).
4. The
Bible is not to be interpreted subjectively (II Pet. 1:20).
5. The
Bible is to be interpreted objectively (II Tim. 2:15).
6. We
will be judged by words of Jesus that are found in the Bible (Jn. 12:48).
7. To
any who want to put the Bible to the test, the words of Philip to a skeptical
Nathanael are appropriate, “Come and see” (Jn. 1:46).
The world has changed its way of seeing.
Most now look through postmodern eyes. The vision through such eyes is that of
the darkness of relativism—an great is that darkness (Matt. 6:22-23)! Let us
refuse the subjectivity that is just an excuse to enthrone the self. Let us
rather embrace the Christ to acknowledge and serve His objective, absolute
will. The craziness must stop!
Edwin
7/9/00
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