Fighting to Believe

Are Evangelism and Discipleship Different?

Jesus’ words in Matthew 28:19 are clear. We are to “go and make disciples.”  We typically think of this command in two phases and use two terms; evangelism and discipleship. Evangelism involves sharing the good news of Jesus to the unbeliever. Discipleship involves obedience once one has believed. When we are not careful, though, this bifurcation can lead to a truncated understanding of the Christian life.

Most professing Christians are aware of the discipline called apologetics.  The word means to “speak in defense” of some belief. In the early church, those who defended the faith to outsiders were called apologists.

As you can see, this term has largely been used by Christians to describe evangelism; the discipline of defending the Christian faith over against non-Christian unbelief. This is wholly appropriate and right. It is the first half of the great commission in Matthew 28:19 “Go.”

Who Are We Trying to Persuade?

I want to broaden the audience of the Christian apologist, though. Not only is the Christian apologist to convince the unbeliever concerning the claims of Christ; but the believer, as well! That is discipleship. It is what I call “pastoral apologetics.” There is a desperate and daily need to make a case for the truth, relevance and power of the Gospel for the believer as he or she faces the daily challenges of living the Christian life.

Notice how the apostle Paul warned the Colossians from being duped into thinking that there was something more they needed in addition to Christ to face the problems of living. Paul says this to believing Christians in Colossians 2:6-8;

6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces[a] of this world rather than on Christ.

In other words, while Paul found himself on many occasions defending the faith against the unbelief of those who rejected the message of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection; he found as many opportunities to make a case for the claims of Christ for the benefit and sake of those who already believed. He does not want the believer to be taken captive by any other “false gospel.”

Are You Fighting to Believe?

Every time we gather with other Christians in fellowship and worship, pick up our Bibles to read or take a moment to pray, we are asking this question, “Is this really true?” Why? Because we are so easily duped. We need convincing on a daily basis.

Today, what are you struggling with? What temptation are you facing? Where are you tempted to find meaning and the resources to live another day? If you are honest with yourself, you are always fighting to believe what you profess. May your heart’s cry today be the same as another believer in Scripture who made his doubts and struggles known to God with these words,

I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief (Mark 9:24).

Copyright © 2015 Timothy S. Lane

The Canterbury Tales: Transforming Culture?

Geoffrey Chaucer wrote The Canterbury Tales and they are considered late medieval British literature. At first glance, you may not think that Chaucer's tales are significant until you pay attention to the types of British Literature that preceded it. Early medieval literature was represented by works like Beowulf. This genre of literature is considered "epic" in that it focuses on big national themes, great heroes, and warring nations. The Canterbury Tales is a radical shift from the epic to the mundane.

Chaucer was born a commoner but lived amongst the noble and served in many prestigious roles throughout his life. He had the adroit and uncanny ability to move between the various classes of society. This is apparent in the pilgrims he describes on the way to Canterbury. Here are a few reasons you might consider picking up this medieval classic (a good modern translation is by David Wright, Oxford Press).

•    Chaucer’s Appreciation of the Wide Range of Humanity

Wel nine and twenty in a campaignye
Of sondry folk, by aventure yfalle
In felaweshipe, and pilgrims were they alle
That toward Caterbury wolden ride.

Chaucer introduces us to 30 (if you include Chaucer, himself) pilgrims who are on their way to Canterbury where a great Christian, Saint Thomas a Becket, was murdered. The characters Chaucer introduces are described as “sondry folk”. We see people of both noble and common origin; moral and immoral, chaste and unchaste, and those with integrity and hypocrites. All have flaws and warts which are part of the human condition. In reading Chaucer you find a writer who is genial, not embarrassed by our humanity and not self-righteously judgmental.
Chaucer exhibits an ability to celebrate and make light of human foibles without waxing moralistic. Too often, Christians can take an antagonistic stance towards culture and the plight of humanity with a sanctimonious attitude that contradicts Jesus’s willingness to dwell with the lowly and sinful. Chaucer introduces us to ourselves and those with whom we live. His posture is one from which we can learn much.

•    Chaucer’s Artistic use of Comedy

In literature, there are two uses of the word “comedy”. The first is a reference to a “U-shaped” plot of creation, fall and redemption. We owe the Bible for this definition. The second has to do with the comedic; that which is laughable and humorous. This second use of humor is what The Canterbury Tales illustrates. The comedy in the tales ranges from the sublime (subtle irony) to the ridiculous (bathroom humor). Leland Ryken, in his book, Realms of God: The Classics in Christian Perspective, says this:

In Chaucer’s hands, for example, the comic vision encompasses an affectionate understanding of human nature and a compassionate reproof of human weakness. As we participate in comedy, we celebrate the richness, the diversity, and the failings of common humanity, recognizing our own place in that community. In comedy we are reconciled to what it means to be human, even though we might not like all that we see. Perhaps compassion is the dominant tone of comic literature (page 59-60).

What might the Christian high school student learn about how to love those who live very different lifestyles with different values? How might they be better prepared to interact with the human lot they will encounter on the college campus? Chaucer embodies something that can possibly teach us a biblical answer to this question. He does not do this through didactic propositional truth but rather through a story and the comedic.

•    Chaucer’s Focus on the Individual

For Chaucer, the individual was of utmost interest. Prior to this, much medieval literature focused on warriors, kings and battles that were the theme of epic tales. Chaucer rivets his attention on the individual; physical appearance, social standing and inner character. As you read each tale, you develop a unique bond with each pilgrim. The simple and common become complex and uncommon. Daily life and simple human beings become the focus of the story. This is utterly Christian. Frederick Buechner, in his book, Telling the Truth: The Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy, and Fairy Tale says this,

The good news breaks into a world where the news has been so bad for so long that when it is good nobody hears it much except for a few. And who are the few that hear it?...They are the last people you might expect to hear it, themselves the bad jokes and stooges and scarecrows of the world, the tax collectors and whores and misfits(pp. 70-71).

Though Chaucer wrote well over 1000 years after the Scriptures were written, you find an indelible mark of the Gospel in The Canterbury Tales. This does not mean that Chaucer, himself, was a devout believer (it is hard to know). None the less, it is a refreshing display of the Christian faith shaping the culture for good.

Copyright © 2014 Timothy S. Lane

How to Avoid Cynicism

"Justice" was done, and the President of the Immortals had ended his sport with Tess.

This is how Thomas Hardy's novel Tess of the D'urbervilles ends. Tess is a victim who is used by people her entire life. Hardy's words reveal his theology. Though he was raised Anglican and considered converting to the Baptists, his religious views were more akin to deism. For Hardy, God was impersonal and "his" acts were capricious. In Hardy's mind, there was no way to reconcile human suffering with the God of Christianity.

How do you reconcile your own suffering with the God of Scripture? Have you possibly reached a point of giving up? Amidst all the human suffering that exists, it is quite tempting to grow cynical in the same way that Thomas Hardy had. I share common sympathies with those who question God's existence due to the intolerable suffering and injustice in the world. No Christian should ever easily dismiss this most challenging objection to the Christian faith. To do so would minimize suffering.

Thankfully, Scripture is not silent. The entire narrative of the Bible is aimed at dealing with this very issue. One key place is found in the book of James. James was the lead pastor in Jerusalem. He was pastoring a church enduring significant persecution. In the midst of this persecution he wrote a letter to encourage his people to stand their ground in the face of suffering. Chapter 1: 1-15 of James is full of helpful counsel for anyone who is suffering in any way. He encourages them to see that God is a work, to ask for wisdom when suffering and to avoid falling into sin in the face of trials and temptations.

Towards the end of this initial section, in verses 16-18, he says this,

Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

It is as if James anticipated his flock's honest doubts and questions. Rather than chastise them, he speaks into their confusion and questions with words of compassion. James' perspective stands in stark contrast to the ending of Tess of the D'urbervilles. But can it be believed? For James, these words of wisdom and pastoral guidance must have been critical, or he would have stopped at verse 15. But he doesn't. He concludes the section of sin, suffering, trials and temptations on a positive note.

While cynicism is a highly probable outcome for someone who is suffering, James says it does not have to be. James ends this section by turning his readers eyes to the goodness and love of God for his children. James talks about good gifts coming down from the Father; a Father who is not capricious like shifting shadows.

Don't be deceived in the midst of your sorrows and miss this, James encourages. The most obvious good gift that has come down from above is none other than James' brother, Jesus, who came to suffer and die so that we might experience new birth. While James, nor the rest of Scripture, provide a comprehensive rebuttal to the problem of evil, neither do they avoid the problem. In Jesus, you have what no other historical religion or philosophy has; a God who suffers for sinners and sufferers. He atones for our sin and understands our plight because he has been where we have been and then some.

Avoiding cynicism is not the natural bent of the human heart. Only a suffering God can move you away from despair. It will not be easy. It will not happen automatically. Yet at the center of the Christian faith is a personal God who enters our experience and says, "I understand and I am here to make all things new." You won't find that anywhere else.

Copyright © 2014 Timothy S. Lane. All rights reserved.

Domesticated Jesus

The first time I heard the song “Jesus is Just Alright” was in the early 80’s (on an 8-track mind you!) The Byrds covered it in 1969 and the Doobie Brothers three years later. Arthur Reid wrote the original in 1966 as a gospel song.

 The Byrds and Doobie Brothers did not sing it with its original intention. Rather, they were using the phrase “just alright” which was a popular way of saying something was “cool”. Other popular celebrations of Jesus during this time period were expressed in rock operas like Godspell and Jesus Christ Superstar. These Broadway musicals portrayed Jesus as a loving person whom we should admire and imitate. Neither portrayed him as the Son of God. The hippie counter culture was seeking to rescue Jesus from the bourgeois culture of the middle class and its materialistic life-style. The middle class used Jesus to justify their lifestyle and how we could all be prosperous and nice if we just followed Jesus’ ethical teachings.

 What is remarkably similar with the hippie movement and the bourgeois middle class is both sought to domesticate Jesus. He became safe or cool depending upon your sub-culture.

 Surprisingly, this is the least honest option of all when you consider Jesus at face value. Consider this line of reasoning from C. S. Lewis.

 Jesus ... told people that their sins were forgiven. ... This makes sense only if He really was the God whose laws are broken and whose love is wounded in every sin.

... I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: "I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God." That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.

We may note in passing that He was never regarded as a mere moral teacher. He did not produce that effect on any of the people who actually met Him. He produced mainly three effects — Hatred — Terror — Adoration. There was no trace of people expressing mild approval.

  Mere Christianity and God in the Dock by C. S. Lewis

As you can see, Lewis lays bare the rationale of either the hippie or bourgeois interpretations of Jesus and makes us come to terms with the only honest assessment Jesus, himself, offers us. This Christmas, the last thing you should do is “like” Jesus. He does not want you to like him and he does not give you that option. The formidable anti-theist, Christopher Hitchens got this. He said that Jesus is Santa Claus for adults, and that was no compliment. Hitchens got Lewis’ logic and chose to see Jesus as a madman or a narcissistic leader, certainly not a nice fellow or God. You have to admire Hitchens' honesty.

And you? What do you make of Jesus? If you are searching, here are a few books I would recommend you read. If you are a Christian and find that you may have downsized the greatness of the Christ and made him fit into your kingdom rather than you living in his, these books might serve you as well.

The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable, F.F. Bruce
Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis
Basic Christianity, John Stott
Who is Jesus, Michael Green
Reason for God, Timothy Keller

Copyright © 2013 Timothy S. Lane. All rights reserved.

Christmas: Sentimentality or Reality

When I first became convinced that Christianity was true at the age of 17, I had many intellectual questions that required honest answers. Here are a few. Why does God allow suffering? Who am I? What does it look like to live a truly human and meaningful life? What happens when you die? The most striking question that emerged, though, was, “Who is God and if He exists, how can you find him and know him?” This quest for answers took me to the very heart of Christianity. “Who is Jesus?” “Is he really who Christians claim he was/is?” “Did he claim to be God?” “What basis do we have for viewing him as an utterly unique human being?” 

The following quote is from John Stott.

The most striking feature of the teaching of Jesus is that he was constantly talking about himself. It is true that he spoke much about the fatherhood of God and the kingdom of God. But then he added that he was the Father's 'Son', and that he had come to inaugurate the kingdom. Entry into the kingdom depended on men's response to him. He even did not hesitate to call the kingdom of God 'my kingdom'.

This self-centeredness of the teaching of Jesus immediately sets him apart from the other great religious teachers of the world. They were self-effacing. He was self-advancing. They pointed men away from themselves saying, 'That is the truth, so far as I perceive it; follow that' Jesus said, 'I am the truth, follow me.' The founder of none of the ethnic religions ever dared to say such a thing. The personal pronoun forces itself repeatedly on our attention as we read his words. For example:

'I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst’

'I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'

'I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die/

'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.'

'Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me....'

 The most remarkable feature of all this self-centered teaching is that it was uttered by one who insisted on humility in others. He rebuked his disciples for their self-seeking and was wearied by their desire to be great.

Basic Christianity pp. 23,25 by John R.W. Stott

As I pondered the central aspect of the Christian faith, Jesus, I began to become more convinced that Jesus was the Christ promised all throughout the Old Testament. He truly was the Son of God who came to save sinners like me.

This Christmas, as with every Christmas, there is much to focus upon. All of them are good, too; family, generosity in gift giving, peace, love, and hope to name a few. I would not argue for the opposite of these, but if Jesus is not who he claimed to be, Christmas is simply an exercise in wish fulfillment and sentimentality.

But if Jesus is who he claimed to be, then it changes everything.

Below are some helpful books you might want to read if you are seeking to make sense of Christmas and the person of Jesus.

The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable, F.F. Bruce
Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis
Basic Christianity, John Stott
Who is Jesus, Michael Green
Reason for God, Timothy Keller

Copyright © 2013 Timothy S. Lane. All rights reserved.