Why I'm Still a Christian (and not a "Christ Follower")

It has been somewhat of a fad, or trend of late, to mess with words. Now I happen to like words, and think the change of meaning that comes over time affects some words but not all, and certainly not at the same rate of change anyway. So in the current time words and their meanings are overturned with an increasing rapidity, and this bothers me, especially when it comes to how we speak of God, Jesus Christ, Salvation, His church, etc.

One example is the popular play on words, “Christianity is a relationship (with God, or Jesus) not a religion!”

Oh really? Does the Bible speak this way? The English Standard Version (ESV) and the King James Version (KJV) do not use the term “relationship” even once. The New American Standard Bible (NASB) uses it once to describe husband and wife. The New International Version uses it 5 times, but only two of those in reference to God. On the other hand, Eugene Peterson’s The Message uses the term “relationship” 25 times, and uses it especially in Galatians in opposition to another misunderstood word, “religion.”

The phrase that sets “relationship” against “religion” is not really helpful. If one takes a look at how the word “religion” gets used in the Bible, it will be seen that the word is sometimes in a positive light (James 1:27), sometimes negatively (Colossians 2:23), and sometimes almost in a neutral sense (Acts 25:19). Interestingly, at least for those of us who count such things, The Message uses the word “religion” 171 times, only one of which is in a positive light! To compare, the ESV uses it 5 times.

All this is to illustrate: we must be careful that our Bible translating, and our reading, do not create issues that the Bible doesn’t, and thus create straw-men to knock down. I believe the popular “religion vs relationship” thing is like this. It is a false dichotomy, and it sets up a great line of attack from atheists, who already believe we Christians are subjective, squishy thinkers. This keeps us from getting at the nonsense that is atheism, but that’s another post.

Now don’t go burning your copies of The Message. It is an informed translation of the Hebrew and Greek by a working Pastor. But we need to keep in mind that it is an introductory Bible, not a study Bible. It is a starting point for anyone who has really found the Bible inaccessible; but Christians need to move on.

My greatest problem with The Message is that it is a sort of “boutique Bible,” which, I fear, is a product of our time. We like our religion (excuse me, relationship with God) as we like it. It becomes a sort of “have it your way” faith.

And that’s the problem. In attacking “religion” at almost every opportunity, Peterson fails to distinguish between true and false religion, or hypocritical religion. I know full well that that was not his intention, but I cringe every time I hear that phrase without the understanding that needs to go behind it. It is glib and easy to say, and is dangerous because so much of anti-religion is simply a mask for anti-authority. We bring our rebellion to church, baptise it, and take an “only God can judge me” stance (or tattoo).

Christians or Christ Followers?

So what does this have to do with being a Christian rather than a “Christ follower?” Well, for one, is that the name of those who belong to Jesus? Even The Message only uses it one time (Ephesians 4:12, generic for “saints”). The Good News version uses it one time in 1 Peter 4:14, “Happy are you if you are insulted because you are Christ’s followers; this means that the glorious Spirit, the Spirit of God, is resting on you.”

So look at all the times Christian is is found in the New Testament (not being found in the Old Testament at all):

Acts 11:26: and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.

Acts 26:28: And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?”

1 Peter 4:16: Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.

Just three times! So you might wonder, why I care so much to be called a Christian, but not a “Christ Follower.” Here are two reasons:

First, the argument against being called a Christian runs something like this: “So much evil, so much stupidity, has been done in the name of Christianity, that we need a new word to describe ourselves; we follow Christ, and since we want to be like Him, we want to be known only as His followers.” Noble intentions. Summarized, though, it seems that we are embarrassed to be called Christians. We are ashamed of the religion of Christianity, although not ashamed of Christ. But remember that being called a Christian in Nero’s court could bring a lot more upon oneself than ridicule. The world will never really like Christians, and especially that name.

A second reason I call myself a Christian is the better of the two: Look again at Acts 11:26:

“and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.”

It’s that word, “called” that needs to be unpacked. It isn’t a common word, like “named,” or such. The world “call” in English occurs 304 times in the New Testament. But “call” can translate several different Greek words. In Acts 11:26, that Greek word is χρηματίζω (chrematizo). The usual Greek word is καλέω (kaleo), φωνέω (phoneo), προσκαλέω (proskaleo), and others. I think kaleo is the most used, however, and no, I didn’t look it up.

But in Acts 11:26 we find a word that occurs just 9 times out of the 304 listed above. That word is χρηματίζω (chrematizo). See how it is translated:

[Disclaimer: If you don’t read Greek, it will look like the words I boldfaced are not consistently the same. This is because the spelling of Greek words change as they are used differently in a sentence. The “root” of each of the words is the same one word, χρηματίζω (chrematizo). Ya gotta trust me on tis one.]

Matthew 2:12

καὶ χρηματισθέντες κατʼ ὄναρ μὴ ἀνακάμψαι πρὸς Ἡρῴδην, διʼ ἄλλης ὁδοῦ ἀνεχώρησαν εἰς τὴν χώραν αὐτῶν.

And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

Matthew 2:22

Ἀκούσας δὲ ὅτι Ἀρχέλαος βασιλεύει τῆς Ἰουδαίας ἀντὶ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ Ἡρῴδου ἐφοβήθη ἐκεῖ ἀπελθεῖν· χρηματισθεὶς δὲ κατʼ ὄναρ ἀνεχώρησεν εἰς τὰ μέρη τῆς Γαλιλαίας,

But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee.

Luke 2:26

καὶ ἦν αὐτῷ κεχρηματισμένον ὑπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου μὴ ἰδεῖν θάνατον πρὶν [ἢ] ἂν ἴδῃ τὸν χριστὸν κυρίου.

And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.

Acts 10:22

οἱ δὲ εἶπαν· Κορνήλιος ἑκατοντάρχης, ἀνὴρ δίκαιος καὶ φοβούμενος τὸν θεόν, μαρτυρούμενός τε ὑπὸ ὅλου τοῦ ἔθνους τῶν Ἰουδαίων, ἐχρηματίσθη ὑπὸ ἀγγέλου ἁγίου μεταπέμψασθαί σε εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀκοῦσαι ῥήματα παρὰ σοῦ.

And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say.”

Acts 11:26

καὶ εὑρὼν ἤγαγεν εἰς Ἀντιόχειαν. ἐγένετο δὲ αὐτοῖς καὶ ἐνιαυτὸν ὅλον συναχθῆναι ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ καὶ διδάξαι ὄχλον ἱκανόν, χρηματίσαι τε πρώτως ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ τοὺς μαθητὰς Χριστιανούς.

and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.

Romans 7:3

ἄρα οὖν ζῶντος τοῦ ἀνδρὸς μοιχαλὶς χρηματίσει ἐὰν γένηται ἀνδρὶ ἑτέρῳ· ἐὰν δὲ ἀποθάνῃ ὁ ἀνήρ, ἐλευθέρα ἐστὶν ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου, τοῦ μὴ εἶναι αὐτὴν μοιχαλίδα γενομένην ἀνδρὶ ἑτέρῳ.

Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress.

Hebrews 8:5

οἵτινες ὑποδείγματι καὶ σκιᾷ λατρεύουσιν τῶν ἐπουρανίων, καθὼς κεχρημάτισται Μωϋσῆς μέλλων ἐπιτελεῖν τὴν σκηνήν· ὅρα γάρ φησιν, ποιήσεις πάντα κατὰ τὸν τύπον τὸν δειχθέντα σοι ἐν τῷ ὄρει·

They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.”

Hebrews 11:7

Πίστει χρηματισθεὶς Νῶε περὶ τῶν μηδέπω βλεπομένων, εὐλαβηθεὶς κατεσκεύασεν κιβωτὸν εἰς σωτηρίαν τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ διʼ ἧς κατέκρινεν τὸν κόσμον, καὶ τῆς κατὰ πίστιν δικαιοσύνης ἐγένετο κληρονόμος.

By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

Hebrews 12:25

Βλέπετε μὴ παραιτήσησθε τὸν λαλοῦντα· εἰ γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι οὐκ ἐξέφυγον ἐπὶ γῆς παραιτησάμενοι τὸν χρηματίζοντα, πολὺ μᾶλλον ἡμεῖς οἱ τὸν ἀπʼ οὐρανῶν ἀποστρεφόμενοι,

See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven.

Look at each of these passages! Matthew 2:12 and 22, “warned in a dream;” Luke 2:26 “revealed;” Acts 10:22 “directed by a holy angel;” Romans 7:3 “called” (by the law of God); Hebrews 8:5, “instructed;” Hebrews 11:7, “warned by God;” and Hebrews 12:25, “him who warns.” Who is it that warns, reveals, directs, calls (as in naming), and instructs? Each of these are Divine actions. Save that thought for a moment.

On of the myths about Acts 11:26 is that the name “Christian” was attached to the Jesus movement by its enemies; it was a term of hatred, scorn, and derision. But how does that square with the way the word is translated throughout the rest of the New Testament? Well, it doesn’t, actually. While the name Christian has been, and will be, a term of ridicule and rejection, it is also the name God chose to describe the disciples. It would not be inaccurate to paraphrase Acts 11:26 something like this: “And in Antioch the disciples were first divinely called Christians.”

All Christians are Christ-followers; it’s what we do! But we are named by God, and names matter!

3 April, 2012

From the Gospel Coalition: On Youth Ministry

I think that the biggest problem of youth ministry was that it tended to separate the family at a time that the culture was doing that too. Rather than contradict the prevailing thought, the church utilized it. The same can be said for several trends in the church, such as consumerism, political ideologies, etc. The church could have been the last place on earth that families were whole (and given the modern family’s schedule, that even includes much of home life), but instead took its cue from culture. Sad. The following is from – The Gospel Coalition Blog –

A Brief History of Youth Ministry

Posted By Dave Wright On April 2, 2012 @ 10:00 PM In Articles of Interest,Commentary,Featured,Noteworthy | 82 Comments

Editors’ Note: Everyone has an opinion about youth ministry. Parents, pastors, and the youth themselves have expectations and demands that don’t always overlap. But the rash of dire statistics about the ineffectiveness of youth ministry has prompted rethinking in these ranks. So we devote one day per week this month to exploring several issues in youth ministry, including its history, problems, and biblical mandate. The Gospel Coalition thanks Cameron Cole and the leadership team of Rooted: A Theology Conference for Student Ministry ^[1] for their help in compiling this series. Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, Alabama, will host their 2012 conference ^[2] from August 9 to 11. Speakers Ray Ortlund, Timothy George, and Mary Willson will expound on the conference theme, “Adopted: The Beauty of Grace.”

**********

To read books on youth ministry these days, it is hard not to get the sense that this experiment we call youth ministry in the local church has failed. This perspective is not shocking or new. Mike Yaconelli, founder of Youth Specialties, stated this rather boldly ^[3] in Youthworker Journalin 2003. According to Lifeway Research ^[4], 70 percent of young people will drop out of church after high school, and only 35 percent will return to regular attendance. Christian Smith’s National Study of Youth and Religion found that most American teenagers have a positive view of religion but otherwise do not give it much thought. Kenda Creasy Dean, in her book Almost Christian ^[5] asserts, “American young people are, theoretically, fine with religious faith—but it does not concern them very much, and it is not durable enough to survive long after they graduate from high school.” This result is far from the intention of most youth ministries. Smith describes the religious outlook of teenagers as “Moralistic Therapeutic Deism,” a far cry from the gospel of Jesus.

^[6]

To get an idea of where we have come from, let’s turn back the clock more than a half century. Space here only allows the broadest overview, so bear with the generalizations. Back in the 1940s Jim Rayburn began a ministry to reach teens at the local high school, which became Young Life (YL). Their mission—to introduce adolescents to Jesus Christ and to help them grow in their faith—remains to this day. The strategy was and is for caring adults to build genuine friendships with teens and earn the right to be heard with their young friends. At the same time, Youth for Christ (YFC), was holding large rallies in Canada, England, and the United States. YFC also quickly organized a national movement that turned to Bible clubs in the late 50s and 60s, shifting the focus from rallies that emphasized proclamation evangelism to relevant, relational evangelism to unchurched youth.

By the early 70s, churches began to realize the need for specialized ministries to teenagers and began hiring youth pastors. Some of these were former staff members from YL and YFC. With this the church imported the relational strategy of the parachurch movement. During the 70s, youth pastors seeking to reach large numbers of youth for the gospel began to employ a more attractional model. Gatherings with food and live music could draw enormous crowds. Churches found that large, vibrant youth groups drew more families to the church, and, therefore, encouraged more attraction-oriented programs. Later in the decade, this writer watched leaders swallowing live goldfish in both the church youth group and local Young Life club when we brought enough friends to reach an attendance target.

By the 80s the emergence of MTV and a media-driven generation meant church youth ministry became more entertainment-driven than ever. Youth pastors felt the need to feature live bands, video production, and elaborate sound and lighting in order to reach this audience. No longer could a pile of burgers or pizzas draw a crowd. By the end of the decade the youth group meeting was being creatively inspired by MTV and game shows on Nickelodeon. The message had been simplified and shortened to fit the entertainment-saturated youth culture. By the start of the 21st century, we discovered many youth were no longer interested in the show that we put on or the oversimplified message. Christianity was no different from the world around them. Some youth ministries intensified their effort combining massive hype with strong messages that inspired youth but did not translate to everyday life. We realized we were faced with a generation whose faith was unsustainable.

The Result

What happened in all that? First, we moved from parachurch to church-based ministry (though the parachurch continues). In doing so, we segregated youth from the rest of the congregation. Students in many churches no longer engaged with “adult” church and had no place to go once they graduated from high school. They did not benefit from intergenerational relationships but instead were relegated to the youth room.

Second, we incorporated an attractional model that morphed into entertainment-driven ministry. In doing that we bought into the fallacy of “edu-tainment” as a legitimate means of communicating the gospel. Obscuring the gospel has communicated that we have to dress up Jesus to make him cool.

Third, we lost sight of the Great Commission, deciding instead to make converts of many and disciples of few. We concluded that strong biblical teaching and helping students embrace a robust theology was boring (or only relevant to the exceptionally keen) and proverbially shot ourselves in the foot.

Fourth, we created a consumer mentality amongst a generation that did not expect to be challenged at church in ways similar to what they face at school or on sports teams. The frightening truth is that youth ministry books and training events were teaching us to do the exact methods that have failed us. The major shapers of youth ministry nationally were teaching us the latest games and selling us big events with the assumption that we would work some content in there somewhere. In the midst of all this, church leaders and parents came to expect that successful youth ministry is primarily about having fun and attracting large crowds. Those youth pastors in recent decades who were determined to put the Bible at the center of their work faced an uphill battle not only against the prevailing youth culture but against the leadership of the church as well.

The task before us is enormous. We need to change the way we pass the faith to the next generation. Believing in the sufficiency of Scripture, we must turn to the Bible to teach us how to do ministry (rather than just what to teach). Students need gospel-centered ministries grounded in the Word of God.

Article printed from The Gospel Coalition Blog: http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc

URL to article: http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2012/04/02/a-brief-history-of-youth-ministry/

URLs in this post:

[1] Rooted: A Theology Conference for Student Ministry: http://rootedconference.com/

[2] host their 2012 conference: http://rootedconference.com/2012-rooted-conference/

[3] stated this rather boldly: http://books.google.com/books?id=IuVXnxeJsPsC&pg=PT78&lpg=PT78&dq=mike+yaconelli+%22the+failure+of+youth+ministry%22&source=bl&ots=1gXwXWRoCg&sig=nK4FvvT24jq2zF0vm7K_a0Tjd4g&hl=en&sa=X&ei=GglQT93XCOPv0gG19t39DQ&ved=0CFYQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q&f=false

[4] According to Lifeway Research: http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2007-08-06-church-dropouts_N.htm

[5] Almost Christian: http://www.amazon.com/Almost-Christian-Teenagers-Telling-American/dp/0195314840/?tag=thegospcoal-20

[6] Image: http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/files/2012/03/Graham-Youth-for-Christ.jpg

Click here to print.

3 April, 2012

Toxic Charity?

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Toxic Charity: How Churches and Charities Hurt Those They Help

By: Robert D. Lupton

Harpercollins Publishing / 2011 / Hardcover

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Publisher’s Description

Public service is a way of life for Americans; giving is a part of our national character. But compassionate instincts and generous spirits aren’t enough, says veteran urban activist Robert D. Lupton. In this groundbreaking guide, he reveals the disturbing truth about charity: all too much of it has become toxic, devastating to the very people it’s meant to help.

In his four decades of urban ministry, Lupton has experienced firsthand how our good intentions can have unintended, dire consequences. Our free food and clothing distribution encourages ever-growing handout lines, diminishing the dignity of the poor while increasing their dependency. We converge on inner-city neighborhoods to plant flowers and pick up trash, battering the pride of residents who have the capacity (and responsibility) to beautify their own environment. We fly off on mission trips to poverty-stricken villages, hearts full of pity and suitcases bulging with giveaways—trips that one Nicaraguan leader describes as effective only in “turning my people into beggars.”

In Toxic Charity, Lupton urges individuals, churches, and organizations to step away from these spontaneous, often destructive acts of compassion toward thoughtful paths to community development. He delivers proven strategies for moving from toxic charity to transformative charity.

Proposing a powerful “Oath for Compassionate Service” and spotlighting real-life examples of people serving not just with their hearts but with proven strategies and tested tactics, Lupton offers all the tools and inspiration we need to develop healthy, community-driven programs that produce deep, measurable, and lasting change. Everyone who volunteers or donates to charity needs to wrestle with this book.

Author Bio

Robert D. Lupton is founder and president of FCS Urban Ministries (Focused Community Strategies), through which he has developed two mixed-income subdivisions, organized a multiracial congregation, started a number of businesses, created housing for hundreds of families, and initiated a wide range of human services in his community. Lupton is the author of Theirs Is the Kingdom; Return Flight; Renewing the City; Compassion, Justice, and the Christian Life; and the widely circulated “Urban Perspectives,” monthly reflections on the Gospel and the poor.

Editorial Reviews

“A must-read book for those who give or help others.”

“A superb book. Toxic Charity should serve as a guide and course correction for anyone involved in charitable endeavors at home or abroad.”

“Toxic Charity provides the needed counterbalance to a kind heart: a wise mind. Though I often thought, “Ouch!” while I was reading the book, Robert Lupton gave this pastor what I needed to become a more effective leader.”

“Lupton’s work, his books and, most importantly, his life continue to guide and encourage me to live and serve in a way that honors God and my neighbor. I highly recommend Toxic Charity.”

“Lupton’s book reminds us that it is more blessed to give than to receive. He shows how the people called poor can be blessed by supporting opportunities for them to give their gifts, skills, knowledge and wisdom to creating the future.”

“In Toxic Charity, Lupton reminds us that being materialistically poor does not mean that there is no capacity, no voice, and no dignity within a person. If we truly love the poor, we will want to educate ourselves on how best to serve. Let our charity be transformative not toxic.”

“Lupton says hard things that need to be said, and he’s earned the right to say them. Believers would do well to receive his words with the mindset that ‘faithful are the wounds of a friend.’”