Christianity And Logic (1 Corinthians 1)
I'm still in an Apologetics state of mind these days.
So, I was thrilled to find a 2-part series titled "Christianity And Logic" that Issues, Etc. did with Dr. Gregory Schulz of Concordia University Wisconsin last week.
Is Christianity logical? Yes and no (sorry, but I'll let you listen for the answer to how that can be rather than ruin it for you here).
As stated several times throughout this series, in this Post-Modern age we live in, there is no "objective truth" anymore, because "truth is relevant" and the general mindset is that we should be taught a certain set of presuppositions, which includes this notion that no one needs to learn how to to think for themselves anymore.
More specifically, we're being taught that we need to abandon all reason -- even Bible-believing Christians too!
As a result, we're constantly bombarded with messages that proclaim that the Bible is an "illogical" and "unreasonable" book and, therefore, we ought to reject it completely. Worse is when this is being encouraged by others who identify themselves as Christians!
This discussion actually comes at a perfect time for me as I've been focusing more attention on the area of Christian Apologetics, but also because of a recent conversation I had on Twitter a few days ago.
It's certainly not the first conversation along that line of thinking and it won't be the last either.
However, it got me thinking about how we can still reject the truth even despite clear evidence that's presented to us.
Yes, there will be people who choose to ignore that kind of hard evidence and even the hard evidence in the form of an empty tomb.
Those who see only foolishness in the crucifixion of Christ upon the cross deny its power to save them from eternal destruction, because Christ's crucifixion upon the cross (His death and resurrection for the sins of all mankind) is the instrument of God's love and free gift of salvation to each and every one of us.
Human wisdom cannot lead anyone to God, Who reveals Himself in the message of the cross. The heart of the Gospel is Jesus' atoning sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins. Though Jesus' death appears foolish and shameful to some, it is the only basis of our salvation.
Is Christianity logical and reasonable? Again, yes and no.
In a Lutheran layman's terms, we must be ready to explain not just WHAT we believe, but WHY we believe it (2 Timothy 4:2).
NOTE: Please understand that I'm not a called and ordained minister of God's Word and Sacraments. I'm a layman or just a regular Christian, Corporate Recruiter, Husband, Father, Friend who lives in the "City of Good Neighbors" here on the East Coast. As another Christian Blogger once wrote, "Please do not see this blog as me attempting to 'publicly teach' the faith, but view it as an informal Public Journal of sorts about my own experiences and journey, and if any of my notes here help you in any way at all, then I say, 'Praise the Lord!' but please do double check them against the Word of God and with your own Pastor." To be more specific, and relevant to the point I want to make with this disclaimer/note, please understand that I'm a relatively new convert to Confessional Lutheran who recently escaped American Evangelicalism a little more than 3 years ago now. That being said, please contact me ASAP if you believe that any of my "old beliefs" seem to have crept their way into any of the material you see published here, and especially if any of the content is inconsistent with our Confessions and Lutheran doctrine (in other words, if it's not consistent with God's Word, which our Confessions merely summarize and repeatedly point us back to over and over again) so that I can correct those errors immediately and not lead any of His little ones astray (James 3:1). Also, please be aware that you might also discover that some of the earlier/older pieces I wrote for this blog back in 2013 definitely fall into that "Old Evangelical Adam" category (and they don't have a disclaimer like this) since I was a "Lutheran-In-Name-Only" at the time and was completely oblivious to the fact that a Christian "Book of Concord" even existed (Small/Large Catechism? What's that!?!). This knowledge of the Lutheran basics was completely foreign to me even though I was baptized, confirmed, and married in an LCMS church! So, there are some entries that are a little "out there" so-to-speak since the subject matter was also heavy influenced by those old beliefs of mine. I know that now and I'm still learning. Anyway, I decided to leave those published posts up on this website and in cyberspace only because they are not blasphemous/heretical, because I now have this disclaimer, and only to demonstrate the continuing work of Christ and the Holy Spirit in my life (Hebrews 12:2; Philippians 1:6). Most importantly, please know that any time I engage in commenting on and/or interpreting a specific portion of the holy Scriptures, it will always closely follow the verse-by-verse footnotes from my Lutheran Study Bible and/or include references to the Book of Concord unless otherwise noted. Typically, I defer to what other Lutheran Pastors both past and present have already preached and taught about such passages since they are the called and ordained under-shepherds of our souls here on earth. Finally, I'm going to apologize ahead of time for the length of most entries (this disclaimer/note is a perfect example of what I mean! haha). I'm well aware that blogs should be short, sweet, and to the point, but I've never been one to follow the rules when it comes to writing. Besides, this website is more like a "Christian Dude's Diary" in the sense that everything I write about and share publicly isn't always what's "popular" or "#trending" at the time, but is instead all the things that I'm studying myself at the moment. For better or for worse, these posts tend to be much longer than most blog entries you'll find elsewhere only because I try to pack as much info as possible into a single piece so that I can refer to it again and again over time if I need to (and so that it can be a valuable resource for others -- if possible, a "One-Stop-Shop" of sorts). Thank you for stopping by and thank you in advance for your time, help, and understanding. Feel free to comment/email me at any time. Grace and peace to you and yours!
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So, I was thrilled to find a 2-part series titled "Christianity And Logic" that Issues, Etc. did with Dr. Gregory Schulz of Concordia University Wisconsin last week.
AUDIO: Christianity And Logic - 3 Acts of The Mind
AUDIO: Christianity And Logic - 4 Modes of Reasoning
Is Christianity logical? Yes and no (sorry, but I'll let you listen for the answer to how that can be rather than ruin it for you here).
As stated several times throughout this series, in this Post-Modern age we live in, there is no "objective truth" anymore, because "truth is relevant" and the general mindset is that we should be taught a certain set of presuppositions, which includes this notion that no one needs to learn how to to think for themselves anymore.
More specifically, we're being taught that we need to abandon all reason -- even Bible-believing Christians too!
As a result, we're constantly bombarded with messages that proclaim that the Bible is an "illogical" and "unreasonable" book and, therefore, we ought to reject it completely. Worse is when this is being encouraged by others who identify themselves as Christians!
This discussion actually comes at a perfect time for me as I've been focusing more attention on the area of Christian Apologetics, but also because of a recent conversation I had on Twitter a few days ago.
Thanks be to God that He has helped me to see this now, b/c there was a time when I used to DESPISE this truth... https://t.co/34m3zuBlYq— LutheranLayman (@LutheranLayman) April 25, 2016
@LutheranLayman @BurgerVonStadt Are you saying you believe because other people in authority believe and they can't be mistaken?— Tommy Vaughan (@tommyvaughan) April 27, 2016
@tommyvaughan @BurgerVonStadt Not at all. I believe what God's Word says rather plainly. It's just that there was time when I cherry-picked.— LutheranLayman (@LutheranLayman) April 27, 2016
@LutheranLayman @BurgerVonStadt How do you know it's "God's word" if you don't rely on the history of others telling you it is?— Tommy Vaughan (@tommyvaughan) April 28, 2016
@tommyvaughan @BurgerVonStadt The same way we "know"/"rely on the history of others" telling us the truth -- eyewitnesses/written accounts.— LutheranLayman (@LutheranLayman) April 28, 2016
@LutheranLayman @BurgerVonStadt Would you believe in your God less if you found out they were mistaken?— Tommy Vaughan (@tommyvaughan) April 29, 2016
@tommyvaughan @LutheranLayman If one holds to the inspiration of scripture, then having proven false would have an affect, yes. However...— Burg (@BurgerVonStadt) April 29, 2016
@tommyvaughan @LutheranLayman ...time and time again the scriptural record has been proven reliable and accurate. So I'm not too worried.— Burg (@BurgerVonStadt) April 29, 2016
@BurgerVonStadt Your book may be. But the Muslim believes the Quran is the reliable and accurate book. How can we tell which is true?— Tommy Vaughan (@tommyvaughan) April 30, 2016
@tommyvaughan @BurgerVonStadt This is just a quick Google search, but compare Biblical docs w/other ancient docs --> https://t.co/xNIpWdrEK8— LutheranLayman (@LutheranLayman) April 28, 2016
It's certainly not the first conversation along that line of thinking and it won't be the last either.
However, it got me thinking about how we can still reject the truth even despite clear evidence that's presented to us.
Yes, there will be people who choose to ignore that kind of hard evidence and even the hard evidence in the form of an empty tomb.
1 Corinthians 1:18-30 (ESV) For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart." Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."
Those who see only foolishness in the crucifixion of Christ upon the cross deny its power to save them from eternal destruction, because Christ's crucifixion upon the cross (His death and resurrection for the sins of all mankind) is the instrument of God's love and free gift of salvation to each and every one of us.
Human wisdom cannot lead anyone to God, Who reveals Himself in the message of the cross. The heart of the Gospel is Jesus' atoning sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins. Though Jesus' death appears foolish and shameful to some, it is the only basis of our salvation.
The forgiveness of sins ... cannot come to us in any other way than through the Word. How would we know about it otherwise?
-- Large Catechism V 31
Is Christianity logical and reasonable? Again, yes and no.
In a Lutheran layman's terms, we must be ready to explain not just WHAT we believe, but WHY we believe it (2 Timothy 4:2).
NOTE: Please understand that I'm not a called and ordained minister of God's Word and Sacraments. I'm a layman or just a regular Christian, Corporate Recruiter, Husband, Father, Friend who lives in the "City of Good Neighbors" here on the East Coast. As another Christian Blogger once wrote, "Please do not see this blog as me attempting to 'publicly teach' the faith, but view it as an informal Public Journal of sorts about my own experiences and journey, and if any of my notes here help you in any way at all, then I say, 'Praise the Lord!' but please do double check them against the Word of God and with your own Pastor." To be more specific, and relevant to the point I want to make with this disclaimer/note, please understand that I'm a relatively new convert to Confessional Lutheran who recently escaped American Evangelicalism a little more than 3 years ago now. That being said, please contact me ASAP if you believe that any of my "old beliefs" seem to have crept their way into any of the material you see published here, and especially if any of the content is inconsistent with our Confessions and Lutheran doctrine (in other words, if it's not consistent with God's Word, which our Confessions merely summarize and repeatedly point us back to over and over again) so that I can correct those errors immediately and not lead any of His little ones astray (James 3:1). Also, please be aware that you might also discover that some of the earlier/older pieces I wrote for this blog back in 2013 definitely fall into that "Old Evangelical Adam" category (and they don't have a disclaimer like this) since I was a "Lutheran-In-Name-Only" at the time and was completely oblivious to the fact that a Christian "Book of Concord" even existed (Small/Large Catechism? What's that!?!). This knowledge of the Lutheran basics was completely foreign to me even though I was baptized, confirmed, and married in an LCMS church! So, there are some entries that are a little "out there" so-to-speak since the subject matter was also heavy influenced by those old beliefs of mine. I know that now and I'm still learning. Anyway, I decided to leave those published posts up on this website and in cyberspace only because they are not blasphemous/heretical, because I now have this disclaimer, and only to demonstrate the continuing work of Christ and the Holy Spirit in my life (Hebrews 12:2; Philippians 1:6). Most importantly, please know that any time I engage in commenting on and/or interpreting a specific portion of the holy Scriptures, it will always closely follow the verse-by-verse footnotes from my Lutheran Study Bible and/or include references to the Book of Concord unless otherwise noted. Typically, I defer to what other Lutheran Pastors both past and present have already preached and taught about such passages since they are the called and ordained under-shepherds of our souls here on earth. Finally, I'm going to apologize ahead of time for the length of most entries (this disclaimer/note is a perfect example of what I mean! haha). I'm well aware that blogs should be short, sweet, and to the point, but I've never been one to follow the rules when it comes to writing. Besides, this website is more like a "Christian Dude's Diary" in the sense that everything I write about and share publicly isn't always what's "popular" or "#trending" at the time, but is instead all the things that I'm studying myself at the moment. For better or for worse, these posts tend to be much longer than most blog entries you'll find elsewhere only because I try to pack as much info as possible into a single piece so that I can refer to it again and again over time if I need to (and so that it can be a valuable resource for others -- if possible, a "One-Stop-Shop" of sorts). Thank you for stopping by and thank you in advance for your time, help, and understanding. Feel free to comment/email me at any time. Grace and peace to you and yours!
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Thank you for visiting A Lutheran Layman! Please feel free to leave a comment or a question since we do not exercise censorship. We've seen a similar policy with other blogs and it's worth repeating: Please act as if you're a guest in my home, and we'll get along just fine. I think anyone would agree that the kind of back-and-forth that is characteristic of blogs/chat forums and social media is becoming tiresome for all of us. Still, we should confess, edify, and love (and contend and defend when needed). Bottom line? Search the Scriptures! Apply Acts 17:11 to anything and everything you find here and, if you do happen to disagree with something you find here (which is certainly ok), or think I'm "irresponsible" and "wrong" for writing it, then please refute my position by supporting yours with Scripture and/or the Confessions. I don't think that's an unreasonable request, especially for those who identify themselves as "Christians" here, right? Besides, Proverbs 27:17 tells us "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another" and 2 Timothy 3:16 says, "all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." If you have an opinion that's great, I welcome it, but try to support it using God's Word. I mean, if the goal here is to help us all arrive at the truth of God's Word (myself included), then it should be easy to follow through on this one simple request (I'm talking to all you "Anonymous" visitors out there). Grace and peace to you and yours!