Stephen W. Hiemstra's Blog, page 65

Problem Definition Prayer

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By Stephen W. Hiemstra

Almighty and ever-present Father,

All praise and honor, power and dominion, truth and justice are yours because you created us and sent Christ to die for our sins. May your name be lifted up over the shouting and evil of this world.

Forgive us for our inattention, our sin in the presence of blessings, and our unwillingness to hear your still-small voice. May your name be lifted up in spite of our stopped up ears.

Thank you for the gift of your Holy Spirit who provisions us, comforts us, and points us to your word when we need it most.

In the power of your Holy Spirit, open our hearts, illumine our thoughts, and strengthen our hands in your service,

In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Problem Definition Prayer
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:

Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com


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Defining the Problem of the Church

Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, 

whatever is just, whatever is pure, 

whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, 

if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise,

 think about these things.

(Phil 4:8)

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

The defining problem facing the church over the past two centuries has been how to react to the Enlightenment. The development of science applied first in agriculture and later in manufacturing, medicine, and other fields helped convert rural agricultural societies into urban industrial and later service oriented societies. The natural world grew so much better that the supernatural aspects of the Bible came into question. The vast improvements in the material status of ordinary people led many to believe that they no longer needed to believe in or depend on God.

The American church had basically two responses to these Enlightenment changes. Evangelicals continued to believe the Bible needed to be trusted in a literal sense. Liberals continued adhere to biblical teaching, but only up to the point of things that could be naturally explained. They acted metaphorically like Thomas Jefferson who redacted his Bible to scratch miracles and supernatural events that he could not believe. Unfortunately, neither evangelicals nor liberals seriously engaged the philosophical questions posed by atheists, implicitly suggesting that the criticism was apt.

In this short reflection I engage some of the criticism of the church with the hope of at least defining the appropriate problem to be addressed. Unclear at this point is whether responding to such criticism also advances the mission of the church or simply poses a distraction.

Applying the Scientific Method to Problem Definition

In areas of great uncertainty, it is helpful to apply the scientific method to organizing one’s thoughts. A similar approach has been advocated for evaluating pastoral care experiences (Mahan, Troxell, and Allen).

Johnson (1986, 15) outlines the scientific method with these steps: Problem definition, Observation, Analysis, Decision, Execution and Responsibility bearing. In class (1981), he later added a felt need as the preliminary step. In my experience as a government researcher, the key step in the scientific method is the movement from a felt need to a problem definition.

Too frequently, leaders have jumped from a felt need to advocating a favorite prescription without bothering to define the problem or undertaking the other steps in the scientific method. This methodological error is a deficiency that costs money and, when it fails, motivates advocacy of another prescription or a personnel change. In the process, resources are wasted, the problem goes unsolved, and observers become discouraged.

The U.S. church has felt the need to stem declining membership and financial resources, the erosion of faith among our youth, and lost of church influence in society. So how do we define the problem facing the church?

Criticism During the Modern and Postmodern Eras

Plantinga (2000, 136-142) observes that atheist philosophers have criticized Christian belief as irrational but not in the usual sense—Nietzsche, for example, referred to Christianity as a slave religion. Freud described Christianity as “wish-fulfillment” and as an illusion serving not a rational purpose, but serving psychological purposes. In Marx’s description of religion as “the opium of the people” suggests more a type of cognitive dysfunction.

Plantinga (2000, 151) concludes:

When Freud and Marx say that Christian belief or theistic belief or even perhaps religious belief in general is irrational, the basic idea is that belief of this sort is not among the proper deliverances of our rational faculties.

Plantinga (2000, 153-154, 163) accordingly concludes that the real criticism of “Christian belief, whether true or false, is at any rate without warrant.” Plantinga’s strategy in analyzing the atheist complaints accordingly is to discuss what they are not saying—not complaining about evidence, not complaining about rationality in the usual sense, not offering evidence that God does not exist—to eliminate the non-issues. What remains as their complaint is a twist on rationality—actually more of a rant—you must be on drugs or out of your mind—which is not a serious philosophical complaint except for the fact that so many people repeat it.

More recent critics are even less formal in their criticism. Ganssle (2009, 4) observes that recent atheists do not bother to validate their hypotheses and maintain a deliberate strategy of innuendo that he describes as a Nietzschean genealogy—a genealogy given not to prove that one’s family includes royalty, but to discredit the family (Ganssle 2009, 136-137). This pattern of arguing dysfunction and innuendo makes it important to clarify what proper mental function looks like.

A Model of Proper Mental Function

In outlining a proper mental function, Plantinga (2000, xi) defines:

Warrant is intimately connected with proper [mental] function. More fully, a belief has warrant just it is produced by cognitive process or faculties that are functioning properly, in a cognitive environment that is propitious for the exercise of cognitive powers, according to a design plan that is successfully aimed at the production of true belief.

He goes on to explain:

A belief has warrant only if it is produced by cognitive faculties that are functioning properly, subject to no disorder or dysfunction—construed as including absence of impedance as well as pathology. (Plantinga 2000, 153-154)

We accordingly care a lot about the mental state of society when in comes to faith, as cited above in Philippians 4:8.

If atheist criticisms are simply slander, not philosophically-warranted criticism, then the church need not anguish over philosophical dust bunnies unless the criticism is taken to heart. In a philosophical debate where it has already been demonstrated that the existence of God can neither be logically proved nor disproved, the real question is who tells the most credible story as to how the world works. 

Given this premise, the Christian message best explains the human condition and the role of God—if anyone is actually paying attention. In the media-rich environment where we live, attention spans are short, disinformation is rampant, and the still-small voice of God is being drowned out by busyness and temptations. Even on Sunday morning in church, it is not clear that people are tuned in. Consequently, while atheists criticisms have received the most attention, it is not clear that their philosophical dust bunnies pose the most pressing concern.

If the church’s mission is to assuring good formation of our members, especially young people, then clearly proper mental function is part of this. Formation requires both clear thinking and dedicated feelings, while proper mental function focuses narrowly on the first part—cognitive clarity. In formation, one must also learn to love the good, an idea extending beyond cognitive function to matters of the heart. Consequently, the problem facing the church appears to be finding a proper balance between heart and mind in ministry while being careful to respond to criticism in a timely manner.

References

Ganssle, Gregory E. 2009. A Reasonable God: Engaging the New Face of Atheism. Waco: Baylor University Press.

Johnson, Glenn L. 1986. Research Methodology for Economists: Philosophy and Practice. New York: McMillan.

Mahan, Jeffrey H., Barbara B. Troxelle, and Carol J. Allen. 1993. Shared Wisdom: A Guide to Case Study Reflection in Ministry. Nashville: Abingdon Press.

Plantinga, Alvin. 2000. Warranted Christian Belief. New York: Oxford University Press.

Defining the Problem of the Church
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:



Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com




Newsletter: https://bit.ly/Peonies_May_23, Signup

 

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Ferguson Explains the Holy Spirit

Sinclair B. Ferguson. 1996. The Holy Spirit. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press.

Review by Stephen W. Hiemstra

Occasionally, I find it necessary to pull books off my shelf and read them again with the new eyes that come with experience. While the obvious reason to reread is that I have a poor memory, the more salient reason is that my journey of faith necessitates a re-evaluation of doctrines that I previously did not pay enough attention to. Such is my dilemma with the doctrine of the Holy Spirit and, with it, ecclesiology.

Sinclair Ferguson’s The Holy Spirit is intentionally written as a survey of reformed theology for the Intervarsity Press’s series, Contours of Christian Theology. General editor, Gerald Bray, describes this series on the back cover as “a series of concise introductory textbooks focused on the main themes of Christian theology.”

Solidifying his evangelical calling, Ferguson writes ‘I have taken the canon of the Old and New Testaments at their face value, believing that here we find God’s word, and that the form in which it has come to us (undoubtedly by various means) is the only reliable foundation on which to build a theology of the Holy Spirit.” (13)

Background and Organization

Sinclair Buchanan Ferguson (1948+) is a Scottish minister and theologian who studied at the University of Aberdeen up to and including his PhD. His published books could fill a library.

Ferguson writes in eleven chapters:

The Holy Spirit and His Story
The Spirit of Christ
The Gift of the Spirit
Pentecost Today?
The Spirit of Order
Spiritus Recreator
The Spirit of Holiness
The Communion of the Spirit
The Spirit and the Body
Gifts for Ministry
The Cosmic Spirit (vii)

These chapters are preceded by prefaces and followed by notes, references, and three indices.

The Story of the Holy Spirit

Ferguson starts his exposition by defining the Holy Spirit. This task is surprisingly difficult because of the many names ascribed to the Holy Spirit in the Hebrew and Greek languages. The term Holy Spirit used in English is a translation of the Greek in the New Testament (e.g. πνεύματος ἁγίου in Acts 1:2 BNT), which is seldom used in the Old Testament (only Ps 51:11; Isa 63:10). The preferred Hebrew translation Ruach Elohim (Gen 1:2) is often translated as breath of God. Ferguson writes:

“Ruach does not connote the idea of divine immateriality (spirit, not matter), although doubtless that is implied in the general biblical perspective. The emphasis is, rather, on his overwhelming energy; indeed, one might almost speak about the violence of God. ‘Divine Spirit,’ thus denotes ‘the energy of life in God.’” (17)

Ferguson sees the Holy Spirit and the face of God as complementary ideas (20) and the Holy Spirit providing order and completion to God’s creative activity (21). This order and completion then extends into inter-personal activities (23). So, we see scripture as being “God breathed” (1 Tim 3:16-17) through the intervention of the Holy Spirit, translating directly from the Hebrew (27). The implication, of course, is that scripture is the word of God.

Gifts for Ministry

One of the more enduring controversies about the Holy Spirit has been the interpretation of gifting for ministry. These gifts include speaking in tongues, prophecy, and other miraculous activities. Did these gifts come to an end with the apostolic era (the cessationist position held traditionally reformed denominations) or do they continue today (the continualist position advocated especially by Pentecostals)?

Ferguson argues both positions at great length, but summarizes both positions with bullet point. The four points supporting the continualist position are:

The sheer number of Pentecostals (millions) experiencing extraordinary gifting surely could not be wrong.
The New Testament never says that these gifts would go away.
The cessationalist position argues two ages (apostolic and post-apostolic) that do not appear in the New Testament.
The Apostle Paul states that prophecy will discontinue only when perfection comes (1 Cor 13:10), which sound like the end of times (223)

The two points key to the cessationalist position are:

The special gifting during the Apostolic era arose because of the need to inaugurate a new era in salvation history or new covenant.
This special gifting was not normative even during the Apostolic era, but only occurred to advance the Gospel (223-224).

Ferguson’s arguments leave the impression that already when he wrote (1997) the cessationalist position was no longer credible. Personally, I find the personal testimonies of Pentecostals compelling because the modern and postmodern eras tend to produce a lot of people who are hard of hearing, in a spiritual sense. How does God respond? He shouts louder!

Assessment

Sinclair Ferguson’s The Holy Spirit is an interesting and informative read. His arguments and review of scripture were captivating—I was never bored. My response on a second read has been to order another book in the series. Perhaps, you will too.

Footnotes

https://rts.edu/people/dr-sinclair-b-....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinclai....

Ferguson Explains the Holy Spirt
Also see:
Books, Films, and Ministry
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:



Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com




Newsletter: https://bit.ly/Peonies_May_23, Signup
 

 

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Paraclete: Monday Monologues (podcast), May 29, 2023

 By Stephen W. Hiemstra

This morning I will share a prayer and reflect on the Paraclete. After listening, please click here to take a brief listener survey (10 questions).

To listen, click on this link.

Hear the words; Walk the steps; Experience the joy!

Paraclete: Monday Monologues (podcast), May 29, 2023
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:



Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com




Newsletter: https://bit.ly/Peonies_May_23, Signup
 
 

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Paraclete’s Prayer

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

Almighty Father,

All praise and honor, power and dominion, truth and justice are yours because you guide your church with prophets, visions, and scripture to understand your will for us.

Forgive us for our preoccupation with things of earth rather than things of heaven.

Thank you for the witness of the saints, the sagacity of scripture, and example of godly friends that point us to you.

In the power of your Holy Spirit, walk with us each and every day that we might not stumble and might rather become witnesses of your love to those around us.

In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Paraclete’s Prayer
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:



Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com




Newsletter: https://bit.ly/Peonies_May_23, Signup
 

 

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Casting John’s Vision for the Church

 

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, 

he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance 

all that I have said to you. 

(John 14:26)

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

If the Holy Spirit instigated external events in church history for Luke and the Holy Spirit inspired internal faith and community life for Paul, the Holy Spirit worked miraculously through custom, covenants, and visions for John in forming the church. John gives us genderless titles for God—The I am, the Alpha and Omega, and the Almighty—that express God’s power, majesty, and divine agency (Rev 1:8). These titles are not specifically used to describe the Holy Spirit, but clearly they address God in the person of the Holy Spirit most aptly. John casts the vision of the New Testament church.

The Holy Spirit in John’s Gospel

John’s Gospel uses the term Holy Spirit only three times. In the first context, John the Baptist identifies Jesus as the one who baptizes with his Holy Spirit (John 1:33). In the second, John gives an outline of Holy Spirit’s job description: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” (John 14:26) In the final context, Jesus commissions the disciples as apostles—“As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you”—and grants them the Holy Spirit (John 20:21-22). In the Greek, an apostle is literally one who is sent.

The first and the final use of the Holy Spirit is in divine commissioning. The second use is interesting to us here because it provides an interpretative key. Jesus’ teaching is not forgotten because the task of the Holy Spirit, the Paracletos (παράκλητος), is specifically to teach and help the disciples remember Jesus’ teaching (John 14:26). This is a very personal job description for the Holy Spirit, something not provided by other biblical authors. The Holy Spirit is not just an impersonal force or invisible agent (breath of God) sent by God—Everyone knows the name and nudge of their tutor.

The Holy Spirit in Revelation

The term Holy Spirit does not appear in Revelation but the book refers to the Spirit and to angels repeatedly in the context of offering advice to the church. John uses two specific phrases to identify seven churches in the second and third chapters of Revelation. First, he says: “To the angel of the church in” (Rev 2:1, 2:8, 2:12, 2:18, and 3:1, 3:7, 3:14 ). Closely following this phrase, he repeats: “hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Rev 2:7, 2:11,2:17, 2:29, and 3:6, 3:13, 3:22). The churches mentioned are: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea, respectively. What follows after this stylistic language is prophecy offering both praise and rebuke to churches in Asia Minor. This series of exhortations appears to be the Paraclete mentioned in John’s Gospel at work in the daily life of the churches. 

Another clear prophecy to the church is:

“Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land. So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey. And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter. And I was told, you must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.” (Rev 10:8-11)

The voice from heaven sounds like “Spirit of God was hovering” (Gen 1:2), which is the avian metaphor for the Holy Spirit. In this vision, prophecy is shown to be illuminating (or interpreting) scripture, which is the Old Testament role of the prophet. That is, drawing attention to God’s covenantal obligations rather than providing new revelation (Ferguson 1997, 214). This vision is emphatic because it references two sources of authority: The voice from heaven and a giant angel with one foot on land and the other on the sea. 

The Apostle John in Revelation makes allusion to a vast array of scripture, stories, and covenants, more than any other book in the New Testament. A recurring theme is, however, to usher us into the throne room of God—the ultimate appeal to authority—and to observe proper worship:

“Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pur”—for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.” (Rev 19:7-8)

Most curious is to see “fine linen” compared with “the righteous deeds of the saints.” There is a sense in this abrupt comparison that the usual focus in high and mighty worship on fancy clothes, as in a kingly coronation, is being almost ridiculed in casual comparison here. Perhaps, proper worship requires a pure heart and righteous deeds, not fancy linen.

Casting John’s Vision for the Church
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:



Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com




Newsletter: https://bit.ly/Peonies_May_23, Signup

 

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Kinnaman: From Lost to Found, Part 3

David Kinnaman with Aly Hawkins. 2011. You Lost Me: Why Young Christians are Leaving Church and Rethinking Faith.  Grand Rapids: BakerBooks. (Goto part 1; goto part 2)

Review by Stephen W. Hiemstra

Perceptions matter.

In a world where everyone is potentially connected with everyone else, urban myths thrive. I remember in my career as an economist spending an enormous amount of effort working to verify perceptions with statistical research, in part, because elites actively manipulated perceptions to steer the public’s attention to their agendas. In economic circles, I referred to these perceptions as “sham debates” because elites were often shameless in distorting perceptions to deceive people. Consequently, I took a “trust but verify” attitude about the perceptions that I let shape my work [2].

In You Lost Me David Kinnaman sees mosaic (millennial) perceptions of the problems facing the church as falling into 6 categories:

1. Overprotective. Mosaics perceive the church as a “creativity killer where risk taking and being involved in culture are an anathema”. Kinnaman sees 4 risks of overprotection:  1. It leads mosaics to seek thrills elsewhere in life, 2. It makes it harder for mosaics to step into adult roles, 3. It leads to paralyzing self-doubt resulting in personal, professional, relational, and spiritual paralysis, and 4. It makes the church a weak place for creatives to hang out (99-101).

2. Shallow. “The most common perception of churches is that they are boring…Few young Christians can coherently connect their faith with their gifts, abilities, and passions.” (92) While the majority of Christian teens said that they understand the Bible pretty well, when specific questions are posed they performed poorly (117). Kinnaman sees the shallow faith problem as a consequence of a discipleship problem (120).

3. Anti-science. “Many young Christians have come to the conclusion that faith and science are incompatible…science seems accessible in a way that the church does not.” (92) More than half of teens talk about studying science, including medicine, health, engineering, research, and technology (139).

4. Repressive. “Religious rules—particularly sexual mores—feel stifling to the individualistic mindset of young adults.” (93) Kinnaman observes:  “Sexual sin is not worse than other sin but it does have profound consequences for relationships…sex is not about me…sex is about us.” (161)

5. Exclusive. “…they have been shaped by a culture that esteems open-mindedness, tolerance, and acceptance. Thus Christianity’s claims to exclusivity are a hard sell.” (93) Kinnaman observes in 1960 about 4/5  of the 18 to 20 year olds in the U.S. were white; now that number is about half; in 1960 about 9/10 were Christian; now that number is 62 percent; in 1960 about 5 percent of live births were to an unwed mother; now that number is 42 percent (171).  The point is that mosaics live in a social environment completely unknown to boomers when they were growing up.

 6. “Young Christians (and former Christians too) say the church is not a place that allows them to express doubts.” (93) Kinnaman observes that “unexpressed doubt is one of the most powerful destroyers of faith.” (192)

Kinnaman’s comments about biblical illiteracy point to an important problem.  When I entered seminary in 2008, my entering class was tested for biblical competency and just 13 percent passed [3].  (The biblical competency test for my denomination was seriously easier to pass).  Mind you, the folks taking this exam were prospective pastors from evangelical congregations, not your typical youth group participant.  The Koran refers to Christians (and Jews) as the “people of the book”.  What does it mean to be among “people of the book” if you have never read “the book” and your pastor has only a passing knowledge of it?

Kinnaman’s comments about over-protection also struck a nerve with me.  As an economist working in finance, I learned that taking risks is the key to earning a high rate of return on your investments.  If you are overly cautious in investing, then your rate of return must necessarily be low.  In addition, if you are poorly schooled in identifying and gauging risks, then the risks that you take will likely not be rewarded and you may actually loose money.  During my own career when I was in my 20s, I took big risks and had a successful career in economics, in part, because I was comfortable being the first person to delve into new areas of study, including finance (my doctoral degree was in agricultural economics, not finance) [4].  Had I been more sheltered as a young person, I might not have been so self-reliant or prepared to succeed in my career.  The same critique could be applied to my faith journey because the path that I have taken has certainly not been the most obvious or pain-free.

In summarizing what he learned in studying mosaics, Kinnaman focused his recommendations into 3 points:

1. “The church needs to reconsider how we make disciples.”

2. “We need to rediscover Christian calling and vocation” both inside and outside the church.

3. “We need to reprioritize wisdom over information as we seek to know God” (201).

Kinnaman ends his book with 50 suggestions on what can be done to re-energize the church in this generation taken primarily from other authors.  His first suggestion—don’t overreact to what has been learned! (220)  Frankly, Kinnaman’s advice was better than most of the authors that he cited.

David Kinnaman’s You Lost Me is an important and interesting read.  The willingness of the Barna Group to interview and survey to explore problems empirically offer a breath of fresh air to the endless books based primarily on personal experience.  Parents, lay leaders, pastors, and seminarians will want to be aware of these issues.

Footnotes

http://youlostmebook.com.

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trust,_....

[3] I was among the 13 percent that passed.  However, I taught adult bible study for about a decade before taking that exam.

[4] At my retirement party in 2010, a colleague made a surprising admission.  He stood up and in front of all my friends to say that he had spent his entire career following me into different lines of work.  I know from experience that he could not have made nearly so much money as I did and certainly did not have as much fun.

Kinnaman: From Lost to Found, Part 3
Also see:
Books, Films, and Ministry
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:



Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com




Newsletter: https://bit.ly/Peonies_May_23, Signup
 

 

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Evangelism: Monday Monologues (podcast), May 22, 2023

 By Stephen W. Hiemstra

This morning I will share a prayer and reflect on Evangelism. After listening, please click here to take a brief listener survey (10 questions).

To listen, click on this link.

Hear the words; Walk the steps; Experience the joy!

Evangelism: Monday Monologues (podcast), May 22, 2023
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:



Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com




Newsletter: https://bit.ly/Peonies_May_23, Signup
 
 

The post Evangelism: Monday Monologues (podcast), May 22, 2023 appeared first on T2Pneuma.net.

Evangelistic Prayer

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

Beloved Lord Jesus,

All praise and honor, power and dominion, truth and justice are yours because you teach us the errors of our ways and draw us closer to you in spite of vast differences in time, space, and moral distance.

Forgive us for being slow learners that do not understand or want to understand you will for our lives.

Thank you for the ministry of devout pastors, the inspiration of reasoned prophets, and the arguments of learned evangelists that draw us to you and build up your church.

In the power your Holy Spirit, open our hearts, illumine our thoughts, and strengthen our hands in your service.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Evangelistic Prayer
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:



Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com




Newsletter: https://bit.ly/Peonies_May_23, Signup
 

 

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The Church in Paul’s Evangelism

“Having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit 

to speak the word in Asia. … 

And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: 

a man of Macedonia was standing there, 

urging him and saying, come over to Macedonia 

and help us.” (Acts 16:6-9)

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

The manifestation of the Holy Spirit in the Apostle Paul’s writing is most obvious in his calling as an evangelist to the gentiles (Rom 11:13). Yet, more than any other author in the New Testament Paul worked to embody the Holy Spirit to establish churches, mentor its leaders, and explain the Gospel in deeply theological terms. In his evangelism and leadership, Paul exhibits the heart of pastor, lives out holy and inclusive leadership, and remains sensitive to the nudges of the Holy Spirit.

Set Apart for Leadership

More than any others, Paul mentored church leaders. Listen to Paul’s words to Timothy concerning his call to leadership in the church:

“Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” (2 Tim 2:20-22)

Here Paul compares the church to a “great house” presumably of someone wealthy enough to have “vessels of gold and silver.” A leader is someone “set apart as holy” and “ready for every good work” who flees “youthful passions” and pursues “righteousness, faith, love, and peace” having a “pure heart.” 

Clearly, Paul’s sees a Christian leader in the church as someone created in the image of God himself and willing to live into that image. Much like in Paul’s discussion of the fruits of the spirit— “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal 5:22-23), we hear an echo of God’s own attributes revealed to Moses on Mount Sinai: “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” (Exod 34:6) Exhibiting these attributes, we see Paul’s image for the church reflected in a holy heart: 

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” (1 Cor 6:19-20)

Paul envisions the church as an outward manifestation of an inward reality.

Church as an Agency of the Holy Spirit

The agency of the Holy Spirit in founding and sustaining the church is highlighted in the Apostle Paul’s term for the church. (Thompson 2014, 25) He refers to the church as the “called out ones of God” in Greek. (e.g. 1 Cor 1:2) When those called by God get together, that is the church. The church is not a building or club; it is composed only of those called out by God himself. Because only God truly knows who he has called, the Westminster Confession of faith disguises the visible church we see from the invisible church seen only by God. (PCUSA 1999, 6.140) Jesus himself makes this distinction in his parable of the wheat and the tares. (Matt 13:24–30)

The authority of the church and of the Bible rests on the agency of the Holy Spirit. This authority is often physically manifested in the laying on of hands in coming to faith (e.g. Acts 8:17), during ordination (e.g. Num 27:18; 1 Tim 5:22), and in healing (e.g. Luke 4:40) echoing the practice of the patriarchs in passing on the righteous lineage of God. Other-times, the Holy Spirit acts independently of the church through visions and through the reading of scripture to bring oftentimes surprising people to faith.

Inclusive Leadership

Paul’s commitment to theological discourse is especially obvious in his promotion of inclusive leadership. Consider Paul’s sermon on Mars Hill: “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people (ἀνθρώποις) everywhere to repent.” (Acts 17:30) Moments after saying that “all people everywhere” must repent to an audience of Greek philosophers in their most sacred and scholarly location, Paul is seen evangelizing a woman: “But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.” (Acts 17:34) So, while anthropois (ἀνθρώποις) is gender ambiguous (plural male included women in common use) in this context, Paul’s actions suggests that his intent is inclusive.  Hence, the translation reads people, not men.

If Paul were a typical misogynist, he would not speak to any women about the Gospel. Yet, Paul’s strongest support came from the church that he established in the city of Phillipi, where Roman soldiers went to retire. Listen to how this church came into being:

“And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.” (Acts 16:13-14)

Paul lived out his statement of “all people everywhere,” which is why he evangelized women and was able to write: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Gal 3:28) Who else could persuasively argue with a slaveholder that his runaway slave should be considered a brother in Christ? (Phlm 1:16)

Paul’s commitment to theological discourse is usually touted in his letter to the church at Rome, where he employs a highly philosophical, nurture-nature argument to advance the Gospel. Yet, the depth of Paul’s commitment to inclusive leadership in mentoring a young Timothy, forgiving Onesimus, and evangelizing women like Lydia demonstrates more clearly that Paul took his theology to heart, a spirituality of lived theology. One has to wonder whether Paul’s inclusive leadership theology, far from being incidental, revealed a key strategy in his evangelism founded on Joel’s Prophecy (Joel 2:28-29).

The Church in Paul’s Evangelism
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
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Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com




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