This past week, I spoke at the Apologetics Canada Conference in Vancouver, British Columbia. On our way back from the conference, Roger and I spotted an unusual group of buildings. A church, a mosque, a temple? A Jewish school? Now, this wouldn’t be so unusual, but they were literally right next to each other, all within about a mile. Allow me to introduce one of the unofficial ‘Seven Wonders of Canada,’ No. 5 Road.
MJ
Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream
In America, the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness for Christians has turned into the pursuit of more and more stuff to entertain ourselves and make ourselves more and more comfortable. As American Christians, we have become so inwardly focused that David Platt, the pastor of Brookhaven Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, argues we are now worshipping a Jesus of our own creation; a Jesus that highly resembles us. In his book, “Radical,” Platt calls for a turning away from the materialism that has ensnared the American church and a return to the radical command of Jesus to use our individual lives and resources to impact the world. This book has challenged me to rethink my priorities at an even more difficult level: at the level of my financial expectations and my material wants. It has also encouraged me in my own writing as I, too, have found myself questioning the American Christians who are prone to grumble over petty things while her brothers and sisters in Christ around the world go daily without food, clothing, or shelter. I hope this book will encourage you as a reminder that your treasures are to be laid up in heaven not here on earth where they can rot, be destroyed, or stolen. And to take this admonition literally, trusting in the truth of Jesus’ words. Also, I hope you will be encouraged to notice your brother and sister in Christ, even those in your church, who need your help as members of the same family of God.
In his book (*essay), The Mark of a Christian, Francis Schaeffer includes a small tidbit on the love of believers for one another that packs a powerful punch. He quotes John 17:21 and calls this passage “the final apologetic”:
“Now comes the sobering part. Jesus goes on in this 21st verse to say something that always causes me to cringe. If as Christians we do not cringe, it seems to me we are not very sensitive or very honest, because Jesus here gives us the final apologetic. What is the final apologetic? ‘That all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.’ This is the final apologetic. Now that is frightening.” (pg. 15)
How will the world know Jesus was sent by God? By the observable love demonstrated for one another as part of the reality of God’s love at work in them. In our process of training and equipping Christians, we must not forget to teach them that Christian behavior and attitude cannot be separated out from their knowledge of God. Christians must cover two general “why” questions: “why do you believe in God,” and also “why would anyone want to believe in God.” Jesus and Paul both gave reasons for belief in God and demonstrated the love that naturally flows from the truth of those reasons. One quick reference is Jesus feeding 4,000 people who had come to hear him teach before he sent them away. In the book of Mark 8, verses 2-3, Jesus says, “I feel compassion for the people because they have remained with me now three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way; and some of them have come from a great distance.” Care and concern for the followers of Christ go hand and hand with teaching them, which translates into powerful testimony to those who are observing.
I doubted my belief in God specifically due to the lack of love, compassion, mercy, and concern for one another in the church. I realized, though, these problems relate directly to the nature of man. In order to fault the belief system, I was going to have to evidence that fault in the actual text. So I went back to the text and found that those who caused me to doubt what I believed were not acting in accordance with what I read in the Scriptures. In James 4:11, “Do not speak against one another” and in Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” Further in Ephesians, chapter four, the believers are admonished to grow in the knowledge of God for the purpose of achieving unity in Christ. Yes, there are also admonitions to discipline the body of Christ (the believers), but it is for the purpose of reconciliation! Jesus left no loopholes in the kind of love and mercy that we are to demonstrate. He goes well beyond the church body with his love to those who are actually enemies of the church, telling us to love our enemies. (Luke 6:27). If we are commanded to love our enemies, how much more should we be demonstrating love for the members of the body of Christ? Jesus said this is the way the world will know he is God’s Son.
Yet, are we more concerned with methods of evangelism, or missions, or discipleship than we are with the unity of the Spirit? So much so, that we will even slander a fellow Christian’s name if we disagree with their approach…doing so in the name of God’s love? Brethren, this should not be so. Criticism can be a great learning tool spurring one another on in love and encouraging one another to grow up and mature in Christ. However, slanderous behavior is unacceptable according to the Scriptures. Jesus staked his witness on the unity of the believers (John 17:21-24). That should, as Schaeffer said, cause us to cringe: “We cannot expect the world to believe that the Father sent the Son, that Jesus’ claims are true, and that Christianity is true, unless the world sees some reality of the oneness of true Christians.” (pg. 15)
Perhaps today you could take a moment to evaluate your interaction with and your thoughts about the members of the body of Christ…yes, the whole crew of them.
MJ
*The source used for Schaeffer’s writing referenced his work as a “book,” but the more appropriate term would be “essay.” http://www.ccel.us/schaeffer.html This was pointed out by a CC fan.
Matthew 22:37 “’Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?’ He [Jesus] said to him, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important commandment.’”
Are Christians equipping themselves to love God with all of their mind? Presently, I see resurgence in an interest in apologetics. Yet I fear an intellectual resurgence may be relatively short-lived in a materialistic, technology-saturated world. Instead, I’d like to see a turning away from the media-infested thought lives we live and see a transition, rather than resurgence, to a Christian faith that encompasses reverence and awe for the mind God has given us. Our mind must be fed more than easy “milk” in order to grow properly.
Don’t get me wrong here…I’m not against the use of technology or media at all. I am against over dosage on “mind-trash” available through these mediums that can master the thought-life of the believer’s mind. Remember what you daily feed on affects how you perceive yourself, others, and God – just like what you eat affects you daily as well. If all you eat is trash, what will happen to you? If all you drink is milk, how will you grow? There is a great reminder by Paul concerning “mind-trash” when he says to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ in 2 Corinthians 10:5. Peter also tells us to seek out knowledge of the Lord in 1 Peter 2:5, “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge” and further states in verse 8 – 9: “For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. The person who lacks these things is blind and shortsighted, and has forgotten the cleansing from his past sins.”
Plus, there is strict admonition against ignorance concerning the knowledge of the Lord in the Old Testament: Hosea 4:1, 6 “Hear the word of the Lord, people of Israel, for the Lord has a case against the inhabitants of the land: There is no truth, no faithful love, and no knowledge of God in the land!” “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge.”
Believers must study to gain knowledge of God. No way around it. The previous verses are not merely addressed to ministers, professors, or seminary students. Rather, these verses were addressed to the Church (Old Testament to the children of Israel). These believers were people with kids, jobs, family commitments, stress, relationship problems, extenuating circumstances, emergencies, horrible pasts, current atrocities, illnesses, diseases, etc. No matter what our circumstances, the verses remain: we must study to gain knowledge of the God we profess.
It feels somewhat simplistic and obvious to suggest that the first place to start is to read the Word of God. But take a moment to assess how you view the Word of God. Are you utilizing the Word like it is the best information on the most important matters in your life? I get caught up with reading a lot of material about the Bible and/or Christianity, but that is no substitute for the actual Word of God. It is also extremely helpful to have a good Bible commentary ready to read with the Word. Different commentaries serve different purposes, but generally they give the context, timeframe, historical background, cultural setting, and meaning of the Greek/Hebrew words for the verses. I highly suggest that all Christian homes have a least one set of commentaries (either book or electronic copies).
God desires us to love him with the mental faculties he created. In fact, Matthew 22:37 implies that our love of God is incomplete without utilizing our mind’s abilities to reason and comprehend. This will not happen if all we expose our minds to is “easy-believism” or the mountains of “mind-trash” available for our entertainment.
MJ
Commentary Suggestions:
The New International Commentary on the New Testament, editor Gordon D. Fee
The New International Commentary on the Old Testament, editor Robert L. Hubbard
Tyndale New Testament Commentary Series
Some commentary authors I enjoy: R.T. France, F.F. Bruce, Douglas Moo, Wayne Grudem
Commentaries can be purchased by individual books (ie. Romans, Galatians) or in entire sets (which are pricey!)
More Scripture:
Luke 10:27 He [Jesus] answered: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.’
Colossians 1:9-10 “We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God.
Colossians 3:16 “Let the message about the Messiah dwell richly among you, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, and singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, with gratitude in your hearts to God.”
James 1:25 “But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer who acts—this person will be blessed in what he does.
Hosea 6:6 “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”
Isaiah 5:13 “Therefore My people go into exile because they lack knowledge.”
© Mary Jo Sharp 2008
If you are interested in a really fast-paced debate with two well-prepared scholars, I must recommend this recent debate between Christian apologist, David Wood, and Muslim apologist, Ali Ataie, at the University of California, Davis. The debate was sponsored by the Muslim Student Association, Campus Life, and Campus Crusade for Christ.
– This is the third in a series of posts on resurrection myths by Mary Jo
Some writings I have read on Mithras suggest that Christianity is a more highly evolved and refined version of the story of Mithras. Usually, several similarities are referenced with this claim; these can be read at the Tektonics website article on Mithraism: “Mighty Mithraic Madness: Did The Mithraic Mysteries Influence Christianity?” Upon reading the historical evolution of the god, Mithras, though, I have come to be very skeptical that Christianity borrowed worship rituals and sacred texts from this ancient Iranian god. The similarities stand upon little to no evidence from the ancient world. I am particularly concerned that the evidence for these similarities is only found in the Roman worship of Mithras; dating about the same time as the Christian faith was flourishing. Due to the Roman absorption of the deities of cultures they conquered, a much better explanation is a Roman incorporation of Christianity’s appealing aspects into the rituals and symbolism of Mithraism.
“Mitra” = contract
In Iranian creation mythology, there exists a primeval ox that contained the “germs”[ii] of the animal species and even a certain number of useful plants. Mithra is supposed to have attacked the primeval ox with help from his ally, the sun. He seized the beast by the nostrils with one hand and plunged his dagger into the ox’s flank with the other.[iii] As Mithra killed the beast, the “germs” of life spilled out and brought forth life to the earth.
Mithra was not the Supreme Being that created the universe in the Iranian mythology. Instead there are two beings representative of good and evil which are Ahura Mazda, the good being, and his arch rival, Angra Mainyu who came from the abyss of endless darkness. In this story, Ahura Mazda created life, and Angra Mainyu formed evil demons to assist him in his battle against Ahura Mazda. Mithra was a created “god,” the god of contracts and law.
Roman Worship of Mithras
Rome originally came into contact with Mithraism through Cilician pirates somewhere around 67 BC according to Plutarch, the Greek writer. The worship of Mithraism spread through Rome via the military camps and was attractive to young warriors. The Roman emperors known to have worshipped Mithras were Commodus (reigned 180-192 AD), Septimius Severus (reigned 193-211 A.D.), Caracalla (reigned 211-217 AD) and Geta (reigned 209-212 AD.) Mithraism flourished under these and subsequent emperors.[vii] “The most detailed descriptions of Mithras are found in the religious texts of ancient India and Persia, which preceded the Roman worship of Mithras by many centuries. The Roman evidence for Mithras, on the other hand, consists chiefly of sculptures.”[viii]
The earliest practices of Mithras worship in Rome are evidenced at mithraea (Mithras sanctuaries) dating from around the 2nd century. The latest evidence dates from the fourth century. Despite its great popularity, Mithraism was never a state cult, and no public spaces were built for Mithras, nor holidays connected with this god. This evidence supports Mithraism as a distinctly private religion.[ix]
Basically, from what I researched, this deity underwent numerous changes in Rome from its original Iranian-Persian conception. Rome was a vast empire that extended over numerous cultures and those cultures’ mythologies. As stated in World Mythology, “the Romans absorbed the myths of their conquered subjects. For the modern observer, the result is an array of apparently contradictory images – temples of native Italian deities side by side with those of Greek or Easter gods; high-ranking “Roman” priests standing shoulder to shoulder with the foreign, flamboyant, self-castrated priests of the Great Mother. No wonder some Romans debated what “real” Roman myth or religion might be.”[x] This proves to be a better description of why the worship of Mithras in the mystery religions bears similarities to Christianity, rather than the other way around.
MJ
Note: To investigate Mithraism and the rise of the cult (because there is so much more than I have presented), visit your local library’s reference section on mythology and world religions. Also, please check referenced documents for further documentation. Articles quoted have many more sources than provided here.
For Further Reading:
Reference Books
Willis, Roy. Ed. “Persian Myths.” World Mythology. Richmond Hill, Duncan Baird Publishers: 1993.
Parrinder, Geoffrey. Ed. The Illustrated Who’s Who in Mythology. New York, MacMillan Publishing Company: 1985.
Carnoy, Albert J. “Iranian Mythology,” Volume Six, Mythology of All Races. New York, Marshall Jones Company: 1917.
Puhvel, Jaan. Comparative Mythology. Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University Press: 1987.
Online Articles
Metzger, Bruce. Historical and Literary Studies: Pagan, Jewish, and Christian. Available from: http://www.frontline-apologetics.com/mystery_religions_early_christianity.htm Accessed January 22, 2007.
McDowell, Josh. “Is The New Testament Filled With Myths”. Chapter 14 of A Reasoned Defense. Available from: http://www.greatcom.org/resources/areadydefense/ch14/default.htm. Accessed January 22, 2007.
Once again Oprah has offered yet another philosophy for success as she featured her friend Russell Simmons, the author of Do You! In his just released book, he offers 12 laws of achieving success. He states that it is through yoga and listening to your inner voice that you can achieve a deep spiritual connection. However, the interesting twist to his philosophy is that you can achieve this power through Muhammad, Buddha, God or your choice of a higher power. Christians must beware not to fall into the trap of following this post-modern philosophy because it is in direct opposition to the Scriptures.
Sadly, many have fallen prey to speakers that mention the word prayer or god associating those words with being a Christian. Russell Simmons used these same words in his interview with Oprah, but he does not represent Christianity. He claims to listen to the inner voice inside, yet this is not what the Bible teaches. Jesus says to “teach all that I have commanded”[1], as well as “sanctify them with my word”[2]. In other words, Christians do not rely on spiritual feelings of an inner voice, but instead the reading of His word. It is through the reading of the Word that God has given every principle for life and godliness.
Simmons also suggests that through yoga there is a process that clears the mind in order to centralize on your higher power. However, this is also in disagreement with the Word of God. Instead the Bible says to meditate on God’s law. Joshua was commanded “not to let the book of the law depart from his mouth; meditate on it day and night”[3]. The Psalms calls the believer to meditate on God’s Word all day long and Romans urges the believer to stop conforming to the world and be transformed by having the mind of Christ. The believer is not called to empty the mind, but to fill it with the Word of God.
Unfortunately, Simmons also suggests an egalitarian view regarding Buddha, Muhammad and God. However, Buddha and Muhammad never rose from the dead nor did they have a ministry in comparison with Christ. Jesus came to save His people, rose from the dead and stated “I am the way, the truth and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through me”.[4]
The recent book by Simmons calls people to empty their minds and connect with their inner higher power, but God is calling His own to have the mind of Christ and live according to all He has commanded. Turn off the T.V., quit searching through the latest philosophy turn to God’s Word and you will find the hope and peace that passes all understanding.
“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.” (Colossians 1:8)
Deanna
[1] Matthew 28:18
[2] John 17:17
[3] Joshua 1:8
[4] John 14:6