I was reading some of Challies' blog and got into the comments and suddenly remembered why I stopped reading things like that. They are typically mean spirited. They are also made by people who probably do not know what they are actually talking about. The constant accusation of scripture twisting always confuses me too, because well, I'll get to that. Which explains why some of the comments had bizarre contents, like criticizing Rick Warren for not using the word sanctification to explain spiritual growth in a sermon series. The rationale for the critique was that God's Spirit used that word.*
But, the fact is that the Holy Spirit did not use that word, except maybe in one place. This leads me to believe that a lot of people who claim to understand the intricacies of the Bible in terms of it's specific language, probably do not know Greek or Hebrew. I say this because even in that one place, he used a Greek word, not the English word we use, with all of its associations. Sanctification only in later times became a heading for increasing in personal holiness, but typically the term talks about a one off event by which God commends a person to himself when they trust in Jesus Christ. In fact, in 1 Corinthians, sanctification is the ground for Christian living, not the process. For more information on this exact issue, I would refer the reader to a Greek Grammar, Lexicon, and Syntax book. Dave Black, Dan Wallace, and BADG are a good place to start. Also, check out Vern Poythress' book Symphonic Theology, especially pages 74-79.
The place where the author of Hebrews uses sanctification to speak of the process of the Christian life is actually disputable. He says that the recipients of the letter are to "εἰρήνην διώκετε μετὰ πάντων, καὶ τὸν ἁγιασμόν, οὗ χωρὶς οὐδεὶς ὄψεται τὸν κύριον (Hebrews 12:14)." If you look at the noun for holiness, it very well could just mean "seek the state of being a holy person." Which I suppose could mean that it is some kind of process called "holiness/sanctification," but more than likely it is just a state of life wherein one is at peace with all others...which is what the verse says to seek before it says to seek holiness.
I wrote this, not because I doubt these commenters are Christians or because I like or dislike Rick Warren, Tim Challies, or John Piper. Though, John Piper will always be one of my favorite authors, though I disagree with him on many issues. His dissertation showed me that one need not fear historical examinations of the Jesus tradition (and that I need to know German). I wrote it because Reformed Internet culture is so strange and unlike anything I want to be that I had to stop reading the comments.
The worst part about this subculture and many of the real-life members of it that I've encountered is that many of them have their "guys" but they seem to have just found a quote book of their guys. There is almost no nuance, room for context, or particularly indepth knowledge of any particular thinker. And at least some folks like this actually don't even bother with Greek or Hebrew and I think its cause their "guys" read the Bible for them(I met a pastor like this once who loves his reformed guys, but said that he does not need Greek or Hebrew because he has translation committees, I fear that he is a common kind of guy).
The culture is just weird, unpleasant, and frankly unbiblical in many ways, particularly the dismissal of every command to pursue peace in the New Testament for following the example of Jesus or Paul lambasting false teachers as though apostolic example (something we are not) some how trumps God's commands to his people (which we are). Paul deals with this specifically in the life of the church in Ephesus when they are facing false teachers:
I hope that whatever good in reformed sub-culture remains and that continued attention to the teachings of Jesus as well as of the best representatives of that culture continue to lead to positive gospel presentation around the world. Folks like Richard Baxter, J.C. Ryle, Ralph Venning, Jonathan Edwards, Thomas Watson, John Bunyan, and yes, John Calvin have much to say to the church today about obedience, God's grace, and how to navigate life through the long process of transformation from one degree of glory to the next (discipleship).
*The same comments section had people saying that they question John Piper's agenda for recommending (he really just quotes them...never recommends them) Dallas Willard and Richard Foster. Dallas Willard is a guy who has wrongly been accused of universalism by folks who've found a quote from a book that was lifted from context. And Foster is an odd ball, but one of his favorite authors is John Calvin, so he's already read more reformed literature than most of the sermon addicts on the Internet.
But, the fact is that the Holy Spirit did not use that word, except maybe in one place. This leads me to believe that a lot of people who claim to understand the intricacies of the Bible in terms of it's specific language, probably do not know Greek or Hebrew. I say this because even in that one place, he used a Greek word, not the English word we use, with all of its associations. Sanctification only in later times became a heading for increasing in personal holiness, but typically the term talks about a one off event by which God commends a person to himself when they trust in Jesus Christ. In fact, in 1 Corinthians, sanctification is the ground for Christian living, not the process. For more information on this exact issue, I would refer the reader to a Greek Grammar, Lexicon, and Syntax book. Dave Black, Dan Wallace, and BADG are a good place to start. Also, check out Vern Poythress' book Symphonic Theology, especially pages 74-79.
The place where the author of Hebrews uses sanctification to speak of the process of the Christian life is actually disputable. He says that the recipients of the letter are to "εἰρήνην διώκετε μετὰ πάντων, καὶ τὸν ἁγιασμόν, οὗ χωρὶς οὐδεὶς ὄψεται τὸν κύριον (Hebrews 12:14)." If you look at the noun for holiness, it very well could just mean "seek the state of being a holy person." Which I suppose could mean that it is some kind of process called "holiness/sanctification," but more than likely it is just a state of life wherein one is at peace with all others...which is what the verse says to seek before it says to seek holiness.
I wrote this, not because I doubt these commenters are Christians or because I like or dislike Rick Warren, Tim Challies, or John Piper. Though, John Piper will always be one of my favorite authors, though I disagree with him on many issues. His dissertation showed me that one need not fear historical examinations of the Jesus tradition (and that I need to know German). I wrote it because Reformed Internet culture is so strange and unlike anything I want to be that I had to stop reading the comments.
The worst part about this subculture and many of the real-life members of it that I've encountered is that many of them have their "guys" but they seem to have just found a quote book of their guys. There is almost no nuance, room for context, or particularly indepth knowledge of any particular thinker. And at least some folks like this actually don't even bother with Greek or Hebrew and I think its cause their "guys" read the Bible for them(I met a pastor like this once who loves his reformed guys, but said that he does not need Greek or Hebrew because he has translation committees, I fear that he is a common kind of guy).
The culture is just weird, unpleasant, and frankly unbiblical in many ways, particularly the dismissal of every command to pursue peace in the New Testament for following the example of Jesus or Paul lambasting false teachers as though apostolic example (something we are not) some how trumps God's commands to his people (which we are). Paul deals with this specifically in the life of the church in Ephesus when they are facing false teachers:
"24 δοῦλον δὲ κυρίου οὐ δεῖ μάχεσθαι, ἀλλὰ ἤπιον εἶναι πρὸς πάντας, διδακτικόν, ἀνεξίκακον, 25 ἐν πραΰτητι παιδεύοντα τοὺς ἀντιδιατιθεμένους, μήποτε δώῃ αὐτοῖς ὁ θεὸς μετάνοιαν εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἀληθείας, 26 καὶ ἀνανήψωσιν ἐκ τῆς τοῦ διαβόλου παγίδος, ἐζωγρημένοι ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸ ἐκείνου θέλημα."Anyhow, I'm pretty Calvinistic in my thinking, but if the gospel comes with a culture (a common Calvinistic trapping), then that culture must fit the teachings of Jesus on how to treat other people. The Great Commission says so..."teach them to obey everything I commanded you." But if Calvinistic Internet culture does not mirror, model, or even demonstrate knowledge of the teachings of Jesus, then it is difficult to even categorize it as gospel centered. Again, not that members of said culture are not Christians, but the culture has evidently gone astray by the criteria Jesus himself gave to his mission. Also, see John 8:31-32, Jesus says that his teachings lead to freedom from sin and that his disciples continue in his words, so any culture, despite it containing justified Christians, will be deficient if Jesus' teachings about what to do and what to be like are ignored.
I hope that whatever good in reformed sub-culture remains and that continued attention to the teachings of Jesus as well as of the best representatives of that culture continue to lead to positive gospel presentation around the world. Folks like Richard Baxter, J.C. Ryle, Ralph Venning, Jonathan Edwards, Thomas Watson, John Bunyan, and yes, John Calvin have much to say to the church today about obedience, God's grace, and how to navigate life through the long process of transformation from one degree of glory to the next (discipleship).
*The same comments section had people saying that they question John Piper's agenda for recommending (he really just quotes them...never recommends them) Dallas Willard and Richard Foster. Dallas Willard is a guy who has wrongly been accused of universalism by folks who've found a quote from a book that was lifted from context. And Foster is an odd ball, but one of his favorite authors is John Calvin, so he's already read more reformed literature than most of the sermon addicts on the Internet.
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