Both Right and Left- There is Spiritual Slaughter

This may be a hodge podge but too many thoughts came into my mind this morning, Maundy Thursday. It is about sin in our lives, the misuse of Christ’s redemptive work on the cross, and the false proclamations that are zinging around and past each other at this moment. It is the progressive church and the ultra-rightwing church. Christ’s sheep are being slaughtered not physically but spiritually. The pure gospel is at risk. 

I have not written for several years about the progressive Presbyterian Church (USA). I have written much about ultra-rightwing Christians. They came together in my mind today. They are using the Church and the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection to advocate for their particular interests. For the PCUSA, because it is Holy Week they are using scripture to address the needs of trans people. Because it is the beginning of an election year the ultra-right are using scripture and supposed Christian needs to advance their advocacy for Donald Trump. 

 As I began studying the issues and the two groups as well as some of the scriptures connected to Holy Week, the text of the two disciples on their way to Emmaus (Luke 24: I3-32). With the help of E. Earle Ellis’ commentary on Luke, I see that parts of that story can be applied to both movements.

 Today I saw a link to the Presbyterian outlook on Facebook. The article was A Call to Celebrate the Trans Day of Visibility on Easter Sunday. The Emmaus story is used. The important idea the author, Shea Watts, uses is scripture text that the two disciples recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread. Watts writes: One way of interpreting the story suggests that the men only recognize Jesus when they welcome his presence at the table. In other words, it is not their piety but their hospitality that makes their seeing possible. 

He goes on to suggest that, “One way to understand Christ’s transfiguration is to see Jesus as “a template for other transfigured, transfiguring bodies,” including transgender persons.” And not only is this a skewed interpretation of the disciple’s recognition of Jesus but also of Jesus as a template of transfiguring bodies, “including transgender persons.” 

Yes, the disciples were hospitable; they were in fact amazed and wondered at the exposition of the whole of scripture that Jesus had given while explaining the fulfillment of the messianic promises. No, it was not their piety that opened their eyes to see Jesus, nor was it their hospitality. It was God and their realization through the given word of a proper expectation of Jesus ministry and purpose.

 When Jesus had first started to walk with the two he asked them what they were talking about. They explained to him the crucifixion of Jesus and how they had expected him to be the messiah that would deliver Israel, meaning the nation of Israel. “But we were hoping that it was he who was going to redeem Israel.” Part of Jesus’ answer was, “Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and enter into His glory.” Beginning with Moses he then explained all that the prophets foretold about Himself. Ellis in his commentary writes: 

 The dialogue is characterized by opposite interpretations of Jesus’ death. For the two disciples it is a tragedy, the end of a ‘a prophet’ who they had hoped was Messiah (19-21). From the Scriptures Jesus interprets His death as a necessity, the ordained way in which Messiah was to ‘enter His glory’ (25-27). Messiah did ‘redeem Israel’ and will ‘restore the kingdom to Israel’ (Ac: 6). But it is not the ‘Israel’ of nationalist definition. And His redemption is not the political victory of current messianic expectation.

 The two disciples’ false interpretation of Jesus’ death arose from a false messianic expectation. In turn, this had its roots in a false understanding of the. Scripture. To ‘know’ the events one must ‘know’ the Scripture. Only after it is ‘opened’ to them are they prepared to ‘see’ Jesus in His resurrected glory (31f). This order is as significant as the occasion of their recognition (30). After knowledge of the biblical understanding of Jesus’ suffering and glory the disciples were prepared to see Jesus.

 So, we also see Jesus. Jesus calls us to love and care for those who are trans or any sinner as we all are. But he does not call us to affirm sin. Not any kind of sin. Not the sin of those who seek power and influence either. And that is who I will turn to next using the same scripture text. 

As usual I keep listening to and hearing about those involved in Christian nationalism and the New Apostolic Reformation adherents as well as the political and religious movement Maga. Many have been listening to Charlie Kirk founder of Turning Point USA. Recently giving an interview in a church, he stated:  

I want to make sure that we all make a commitment If the election doesn’t go our way the next day we fight …. A lot of people don’t won’t to hear that they say what do you mean it doesn’t go our way it has to go our way we have to win, I agree but if your answer is no I’m not going to fight if I don’t get my way then you are a summer, sunny what do they call it a sunshine patriot I’m not ready for the winter storm and you’re and there were a lot of people that were on board for the American Revolution.

 And then he goes on to say that when they had to march through the snow and face a smallpox’s epidemic they quit. In other words, Kirk is liking his idea of a fight to the American Revolution. 

From so many corners the threats are coming. See Julie Green, Eric Metaxas, ‘Still’ it is said, ‘still, shall the City of God abide, lusty beside her tiny stream’ I see this need for fighting so called political enemies and the desire for political power not different then the misunderstandings of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. They hoped that Jesus would fight an earthly battle that would free Israel from Rome. Instead, he fought a battle that overcame sin, death and hell. Jesus was willing to suffer such a horrible death that led to glory and to the redemption of fallen. broken, sinful humanity. Yet, like His early followers—the call is not to seek power, position or prosperity but to take up a cross.

[1] E. Earle Ellis, General Editors Ronald E Clements, Matthew Black, The New Century Bible Commentary: The Gospel of Luke, (Wm. Eerdmans Publ. Co. Grand Rapids reprint 1991) Luke 24: 13.

 

Donald Trump, allowing himself to be an idol: A rewrite for a new election year

 

I am partly rewriting a posting I wrote before the 2016 presidential election. I was troubled in 2016; now I am simply a Christian who knows only one true leader, actually a King. I am a Democrat who almost always voted Republican because of my concern for the unborn. Now I have no political home. The democrats are mostly anti-life, and Donald Trump is an immoral, bombastic liar who is suggesting to his followers that he provides a kind of redemptive substitution for them. He is leading too many astray.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote and spoke about the authoritarian leader just as Hitler became the “democratically elected chancellor of Germany.” Speaking of a leader reaching beyond the authority of the office, Bonhoeffer stated:

“If he understands his function in any other way than as rooted in fact, if he does not continually tell his followers quite clearly of the limited nature of his task and of their responsibility if he allows himself to surrender to the wishes of his followers, who would always make him their idol—than the image of the Leader will pass over into the image of the mis-leader, and he will be acting in a criminal way not only towards those he leads, but also towards himself.”[1]

It follows, according to Bonhoeffer, that the leader must, “lead his following away from the authority of his person to the recognition of the real authority of orders and offices. … He must radically refuse to become the appeal, the idol, i.e. the ultimate authority of those whom he leads.”

Now it is true that many of those seeking office, both Republican and Democrat, need to be reminded of who they really are, in the presence of God, simply office holders chosen to serve the people. But in Trump, one finds a need to be the ultimate authority mingled with immorality and dishonesty. Those who follow him, follow a lie. And those who desire to follow truth shudder because of those who follow the lie.

 Still, there is a beautiful, biblical picture of a leader who has all authority but who is truly goodness incarnate. The leader is found in Psalm 72. A Psalm that was either written by Solomon or his father David. Scholars are uncertain.[2] It is a king’s prayer to be a righteous yet gracious ruler, something that neither man, although they were great men, were able to accomplish. And in this Psalm one clearly sees the beauty of the ultimate, King, the messiah.

The prayer is that the king will judge his people with righteousness “and the afflicted with justice.” He will save the children and still crush the oppressor. He is like rain is to mown grass and “like showers that water the earth.” Everything flourishes because of his reign. There will be peace and those who are righteous will flourish.  

“His rule is from sea to sea.” It is to the ends of the earth and all kings (and presidents) will in the end bow down to him. His compassion is perfect:

“For he will deliver the needy when he cries for help, the afflicted also, and him who has no helper. He will have compassion on the poor and needy, and the lives of the needy he will save. He will rescue their life from oppression and violence, and their blood will be precious in his sight. ..”

The Psalm goes on to praise God for his wonders and glory.

Many years ago, in a sociology class, the professor asked us to take a quiz to help him with a project he and some other professors were conducting. The quiz consisted of choosing between two different actions we would take, at first a good action or a bad one. But as we went further into the test both actions to choose from became bad. Finally I returned the quiz to the professor, telling him I could not finish because I could not choose either action. This election is the same.

I hope and pray that many of us, who are Christians, if we must, will not vote, but will instead cling to that One who will and does reign in righteousness.

 

---

[1] This is taken from Eric Metaxas’ book Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson 2010) see chapter 9, “The Führer Principle” However Metaxas is now insisting that those Christians who won’t vote for Trump are sinning. Sounds like he is making Trump an idol to me.

[2] Derek Kidner, Psalms 1-72: An Introduction & Commentary, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, (Leicester, England: Inter-Varsity 1973)

Eric Metaxas' Letter to the American Church and the Rest of the Story

In October of twenty-two I wrote a book review of Eric Metaxas’ book, Letter to the American Church. I have since wanted to renew the review for several reasons. One reason is it has now been made into a documentary with footage that includes scenes of the horrific times of both Hitler and Stalin meant as a warning to American Christians that they can prevent such awfulness. The Documentary includes thoughts by Charles Kirk of Turning Point USA, an ultra-conservative organization. The documentary has been promoted on Epoch Times TV a branch of the news magazine Epoch Times which is affiliated with the religious group Falun Gong. 

There are two other important reasons. In the review I was attempting to counter Metaxas’ poor understanding of Martin Luther’s view of justification by faith alone. He believes Luther became obsessed with the idea that believers are redeemed by faith alone and that this caused the faithlessness of the German Church in the Nazi years. I have since found wonderful material in the Lutheran Formula of Concord which clearly disproves this. Metaxas does not understand the biblical scope of “by faith alone.” The other reason, I did not know at the time that I wrote the review that Metaxas was aligned with many in the New Apostolic Reformation movement (NAR) and even allowed guests on his show that hold QAnon beliefs.

 Both the book and the documentary have been shown widely among evangelical churches. This includes Calvary Chapels, Baptists, Nazarenes, and Assemblies of God churches. This doesn’t mean that all of those denominations accept what Metaxas has written but some of their churches have. 

 In my earlier review writing about Metaxas’ view of Luther’s biblical understanding of justification by faith alone I quoted Metaxas: 

But in his understandably giddy joy, Luther may sometimes have gone a bit farther than necessary, or at least opened the door for others to do so. For example, when he translated Romans 3:28 from the original New Testament Greek into German, Luther added the single word “alone” to the following sentence: ‘For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from the law.’ Luther’s version was, ‘Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith alone without the deeds of the law.’ Luther felt the need to add that word to underscore what for him was essentially the central idea in the universe, and he may be forgiven for this.

 And also: 

 We might say that Luther had in his zeal made an idol of his idea of faith, so that the genuine faith to which God calls us was crowded out.

 Plus: 

The phrase ‘faith alone’ had made the Christian faith so simple—and ultimately so thin and one-dimensional—that over time it was easily and blithely assented to by nearly everyone in the German nation, so that Bonhoeffer wrote about it in the Cost of Discipleship.

 After this last quote I explained that Bonhoeffer, a martyr of the Confessing Church, did not refer to Luther as the cause of the faithlessness of the German Christians in his book The Cost of Discipleship. But as far as the seeming problem of "faith alone” The Formula of Concord (Second Part) quotes from Luther’s preface to Paul’s Epistle to the Romans: 

Faith, however, is a divine work to us that changes us and makes us to be born anew of God, John 1[12-13]. It kills the old Adam and makes us altogether different men, in heart and spirit and mind and powers; it brings with it the Holy Spirit. O, it is a living, busy active, mighty thing, this faith. It is impossible for it not to be doing good works incessantly. It does not ask whether good works are to be done, but before the question is asked, it has already done them, and is constantly doing them. Whoever does not do such works, however, is an unbeliever. He gropes and looks around for faith and good works, but knows neither what faith is nor what good works are. Yet he talks and talks, with many words, about faith and good works.

 Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that the believer would stake his life on it a thousand times. This knowledge and confidence of God’s grace makes men glad and bold and happy in dealing with God and all creatures. And this is the work that the Holy Spirit performs in faith Because of it, without compulsion, a person is ready and glad to do good to everyone, to serve everyone, to suffer everything, out of love and praise to God, who has shown him this grace. Thus it is impossible to separate works from faith, quite as impossible as to separate heat and light from fire. [LW 35:370-71]

Metaxas in his failure to understand the biblical view of faith alone added to the problem in his book, by melding the two sides of the churches during the Nazi years into one body. He didn’t do this in his book on Bonhoeffer but for some reason he did in Letter to the American Church. Perhaps it made it easier to insist that the American Church was not standing against the evils of the culture. But as I pointed out in my first review there existed in Nazi Germany, both the German Christians who aligned with Hitler and the Confessing Church which would only confess Jesus as Lord and did not stand with the German Christians. Bonhoeffer and many others including the first pastor martyred, Paul Schnieder, were a part of the Confessing Church.

The problem with all of this is that everyone who Metaxas aligns with, including Metaxas, insists that if Christians do not stand with Donald Trump, they are part of the church that will fail God, causing a tragedy greater than the Holocaust. This is really what his book is about. It is what Charles Kirk insists on. It is what The Epoch Times and Falun Gong stand for. In fact, the people publishing the Epoch Times do not even believe in Jesus Christ as Lord so they do not understand what it means to confess Him.

For all of their talk about Hitler, fascism, Marx and socialism, all those I have named, Metaxas, Kirk, the Epoch Times, the political members of the New Apostolic Reformation and QAnon, are lifting Trump up as an Idol- they themselves are guilty of conforming to a loyalty that mimics the German Church as they lifted up Hitler. When they call out brothers and sisters in Christ who will not conform to their expectations about Trump and malign them, they are imitating the German Christians. This is not to call Trump or the Maga movement Nazis but their actions concerning those who disagree with them are not much different.

In all of this ideology that lifts up Trump as a savior for America the cross is missing. The followers of Jesus are not called to seek power or position but rather to take up their cross. The promises of Jesus are not rooted in this world or its kingdoms but rather in the Kingdom of Heaven. We have a King who endorses no one but Himself. The innocent, perfect Lamb of God, the eternal Son, begotten of the Father calls us to a hidden place in Him. I have on my bulletin board a program from my church with the words of Jesus, "I have not come to bring peace but a sword." Some might think that is a call for Christians to take up a sword against their enemies, but it isn't. It is a truth that the world will too often take up the sword against the disciples of Jesus. Metaxas and others have it backwards, do not seek power, seek instead faithfulness to Jesus.