Reading Scripture for a Biblical Worldview: 2 Thessalonians 2:15

Worldview Points: Truth, Biblical Doctrine, Apologetics

2 Thessalonians 2:15 “So then, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.”

The “Man of Lawlessness” and the messengers of deception will arise on the scene of world history proclaiming their “gospel of deceit” yet, Paul exhorts the Thessalonian believers and all believers in every age, in verse 15, to stand firm and hold to the traditions or doctrines taught to them by Paul and the apostles. The verb “hold” means to seize or become master of. The word “traditions” refers to instruction and the substance of teaching. Paul exhorts all believers to refrain from accepting the false notions spread by false teachers. In verse 15 Paul provides a direct imperative for all believers to hold to the belief system and body of doctrine given through the teachings of the prophets, Christ, and the apostles through the revelation of God Himself whether that tradition was handed down by their words spoken or written.

Check Out Albert Mohler's Blog: Salvation Through Christ Alone?

In this post Mohler comments on a proposal by a lay student in the Anglican Church who has written a motion for the upcoming General Synod that is intended to firmly establish that people are saved through Christ alone.

This post illustrates the importance of standing for the exclusivisity of the gospel of Christ.

Back In The Blogosphere Again

I'm back in the blogosphere again. After another long hiatus, I am going to start blogging again. With school being over for the summer break, I will now have the time to devote to providing commentary, article links, and worldview/cultural analysis with the intent of edifying Christ's Church. Please feel free to respond to anything I post. Most of you know how much I enjoy good dialogue concerning the deeper issues of our great faith.

Blessings,

Craig

Great Quotes: Martyn Lloyd-Jones

"In a situation of crisis, the New Testament does not immediately say, "Let us pray." It always says first, "Let us think, let us understand the truth, let us take a firm hold of the doctrine." Prayer may be quite useless and quite void. . . . Prayer is sometimes an excuse for not thinking, an excuse for avoiding a problem or a situation. Have we not all known something of this in our personal experience? We have often been in difficulty and we have prayed to God to deliver us, but in the meantime we have not put something right in our lives as we should have done. Instead of facing the trouble, and doing what we knew we should be doing, we have prayed. I suggest that at a point like that, our duty is not to pray but to face the truth, to face the doctrine and to apply it. Then we are entitled to pray, and not until then." Life in Christ: Studies in 1 John (Crossway,2002), 16.

"The ACLU Never Forgets Its Pro-Communist Roots" by Alan Sears

The contemporary activity of the ACLU perfectly illustrates their desire to propagate atheistic communism or at least some form of socialism in an effort to preserve so-called "freedom of knowledge." They do this while intolerantly persecuting Judeo-Christian theism in the public square.

Great Quotes: Cornelius Van Til

"There are those, of course, who deny that they need any form of authority. They are the popular atheists and agnostics. Such men say that they must be shown by 'reason' whatever they are to accept as true. But the great thinkers among non-Christian men have taken no such position. They know that they cannot cover the whole area of reality with their knowledge."

"Bizarre Narratives & Christian Truth" by Chuck Colson

Colson comments on the Christian worldview at work in the mind of the popular writer Flannery O'Conner.

Reading Scripture for a Biblical Worldview: Psalm 89:11-12

Psalm 89:11-12, "The heavens are yours; the earth is yours; the world and all that is in it, you have founded them. 12 The north and the south, you have created them; Tabor and Hermon joyously praise Your name."

*What is God like? Both verses point out two things about God. One, He is the Sovereign LORD of the universe. The text states that the heavens and the earth are His exhibiting ownership and lordship- two foundational points for any monarchy. Two, the text also indicated that God is creator of all the universe. The author’s use of the word “founded” personifies this idea of creation.

*Are God and the universe the same? Verse 11 and 12 testify to the truth that God, being the owner and creator of the universe, is distinct or better yet transcendent and not to be equated with the universe. This of course is the antithesis of the monism (all is one) and pantheism (all is God) that you find in the Eastern religions and the New Age movement of the West.

*Where did the universe come from? The text says that it came from the Creator and LORD of all things.

"Prepared To Answer" by Jill Carattini

The questions of life have been commonly asked throughout history but now we live in a world where culture fails to know what to ask let alone recognize that there are answers to the questions. Jill Carattini reflects on this condition and responds with the point that Christ is the answer for the hope that is in us.

The Barna Update

Atheists and Agnostics Take Aim at Christians

"That I May See" by Jill Carattini

Have we been blinded by the prevailing postmodern worldview to the point of not being able to see the world biblically?

Reading Scripture for a Biblical Worldview: False Worldviews

Text: Micah 4:5 "Though all the peoples walk Each in the name of his god, As for us, we will walk In the name of the LORD our God forever and ever."

There are better days ahead was the hope proclaimed by the prophet Micah in chapter four of his prophecy. In verse five there is a contrast marked between the idolatrous worldview of the surrounding cultures and the God-centered worldview of the people of God. The prophet uses the verb "walk" twice in this verse. The word refers to the manner of life or lifestyle of humanity. Even as the surrounding cultures lived out their idolatrous world and life view the people of God had to remain constant in living out their God centered world and life view before the one true God.

As the surrounding cultures live out their world and life view before the idols of pleasure, entertainment, humanism, and self glorification in this postmodern context, we as the Church must live out our theocentric world and life view before the God who made all things and may we worship Him alone in spirit and in truth.

"The Secret: Creating ONes Reality" by Russ Wise

Russ Wise, in his article "The Secret: Creating Ones Reality", exposes one of the top selling books of all time for what it truly is: nothing new under the sun. The Secret is the same old proto-gnostic, New Age, humanistic philosophy of an ancient time covered with postmodern wrapping paper but it is hardly a gift to our era.

"Point of Exclusion" by Ravi Zacharias

In an age of militant tolerance for all things non-Christian these postmodern times provide a societal condition where, in an effort to be all-inclusive, we unknowingly uphold exclusivity. This is the basic point that Ravi Zacharias makes in his commentary "Points of Exclusion." He emphasizes the Law of Non contradiction which is a law of thought that cannot be denied. For it flows from the very character and nature of God who has created man in His image to think and reason to His glory (certainly not independent of His revelation). The rejection or denial of the Law of Non contradiction is certainly not God honoring.

"What is Sociological Fundamentalism?" by Don Closson

Closson describes two definitions for "sociological fundamentalism" that he has run across in his reading on sociology and culture. I would like to comment on the one concerning the belief that Christians should separate from the rest of society while refusing to be redemptive participants in society and culture. These sociological fundamentalists use 2 Corinthians 6:17 as an argument for their view. ( "Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.") Does 2 Corinthians 6:17 provide an argument for such a view? In 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 the apostle Paul is addressing being unequally yoked with unbelievers and in verse 17 he references Isaiah 52:11 where the people of God are summoned from the midst of their Babylonian captors and Babylon's idolatrous mysticism. The apostle Paul and the prophet Isaiah are calling for God's people to not be yoked or united with those that have committed themselves to idolatry and paganism but this does not mean that they are to have no contact with those with such a belief system. In the process of separating ourselves from the yoke of pagan idolatry we should still be committed to providing a redemptive apologetic (or defense) for the Judeo-Christian Faith.