Matt Capps Philosophy, Religion, Thoughts

Communicating Sin in a Postmodern World

I am currently reading a collection of articles on evangelizing postmoderns called “Telling The Truth“, edited by D.A. Carson. In a section called ‘critical topics’ Mark Dever writes a chapter called ‘Communicating Sin in a Postmodern World’. He starts by making some clear observations of our current social situation.

In our day it is quite evident that there is an overall spirit of evasion when it comes to responsibility, an academic atmosphere of relativism, and with science holding the monopoly on ‘truth’ there is much supernatural skepticism. John Milton painted a wonderful picture of the ‘postmodern mantra’ in Paradise Lost;

“The mind is its own place, and in itself
Can make a heaven hell, a hell of heaven”

This is what Dever called ‘refined relativism’ at its finest, the idea that “offhand affirmations of self expression” have been set “over and against a standard outside ourselves”. (140) We live in a world where taste triumphs over truth. In postmodernity there is no ‘metanarrative’ (overall meaning), moreover the postmodern mentality asserts that there is not a ‘metanarrator’- or God (141-142). After establishing a context for our current barriers to the Gospel, Dever offers four basic ideas as a solution of communicating the vanishing idea of sin to a postmodern generation. Here are some thoughts and notes on what Dever had to say;

1. Communicate God’s Truth Carefully

In our culture it would be advantageous to assume that everyone means something different when using the term ‘God’. “This is a time of special opportunity for Christians to lean more about being careful with the gospel, to weed out some of the cultural assumptions that have wedded themselves in our minds to the gospel, and learn to listen more carefully to those who talk with us. (143)

Therefore, we need to communicate the truth about God that has been revealed. As Calvin wrote, “nearly all wisdom we possess, that is to say, true and sound wisdom, consists of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves. But, while joined by many bonds, which one precedes and brings forth the other is not easy to discern.” (1.1.1)

2. Pure Christian Community should be Guarded with Accountability

The Christian life is to be lived, in part, by folding yourself into a series of committed relationships united around faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. In the local church and the nexus of committed relationships there, the boundaries of our identity are set by the interactions with others. (146-147)

In recovery of the importance of community, don’t ever think that it replaces the vertical relationship with God. The role of community is to supplement and reflect this relationship. (148)

3. Show that Our Conscience Exposes Sin

“We think of community as providing the external boundaries of the self, as that which helps to make ourselves obvious to ourselves. The community is the circumference of the self” but we also must consider the ‘center’. (148)

People not only need to grasp the “theoretical concept of evil and wrong, but the fact that they are evil and wrong.” People need to consider their own consciences, this is difficult since postmodernism encourages “the evacuation of the responsible self”. More than that, it is not in their self interest to do so. People do not like to hear that they are accountable to their actions. Often people will dismiss us as Christians because they equate our beliefs with our biases.

4. Point to God as the Active Agent in Conversion

More than anything, the truths explained above illustrate that man cannot ‘save’ himself. Therefore, all conversation should “highlight the truth that conversion is only by God’s Spirit.” (149) We cannot bring that which is dead to life, it must be God who brings forth salvation.

Concerning our role, “we simply need to be faithful messengers. We don’t have to understand everything.” (150) While the Bible does not explain things exhaustively, it is sufficient for saving faith through Christ Jesus.

Matt Capps Religion

ESV Releases Articles on Reading the Bible

I am excited about the ESV Study Bible! On their web site they have just released a few articles…

“The ESV Study Bible has about 50 essays in the back of the Bible, addressing a number of issues that people inside and outside the church have questions about (e.g., the reliability of the Scriptures and their manuscripts, the canon of Scripture, world religions, how questions of ethics and theology relate to God’s Word, etc.) In addition there are a number of articles throughout the Bible, introducing major sections (e.g., the Pentateuch, the Gospels, etc.).”

Here are a few on ‘Reading the Bible’

Reading the Bible Theologically (J.I. Packer)

Reading the Bible as Literature (Leland Ryken)

Reading the Bible in Prayer and Communion with God (John Piper)

Reading the Bible for Application (David Powlison)

Reading the Bible for Preaching and Public Worship (R. Kent Hughes)

I am also excited about a few of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary professors being asked to contribute…Daniel R. Heimbach, David Alan Black, Andreas J. Kostenberger.

Matt Capps Religion, Thoughts

David Horner on ‘The Fallibility of Ministers’

Today our staff heard from David Horner, the pastor of Providence Baptist Church in Raleigh, N.C. He recently published a book titled “A Practical Guide for Life and Ministry“, a book devoted to those seeking to find balance in ministry.

Horner began with 1 Peter 4:12-16, bringing to surface that troubles will come our way. In ministry you are always facing ‘trouble’. Sometimes these troubles come from mistakes (which we all make), sometimes troubles come from false accusations or ‘hear say’.

The one thing that really struck me (which was very similar to J.D. Greear’s talk to our staff yesterday) was the idea that ‘we as pastors need to acknowledge our fallibility’. This was so refreshing. Some people in ministry would disagree and argue that we should ‘never let down our guard’…’keep your people from really getting to know the true you’…’be very careful to reveal your struggles’…’carefully protect your reputation’…see, there is this idea that acknowledging your fallibility= your people not being able to trust and follow you. I do not know where we got this notion in ministry?

Horner said it well, “while confessing your mistakes/sin may be bad for your reputation, its great for your character” (It’s sometimes important to distinguish mistakes from sin). Yes, you will have to take the initial blow for your mistake or sin. But in the long run we need to understand that there are benefits to failure. “Mistakes are not fatal as long as we see them as stepping stones”. In fact, “once you have needed grace, you’re less likely to withhold it”.

Matt Capps Personal, Religion, Thoughts

J.D. Greear on a ‘Motive Check for Ministers”

Today our church staff spent a few hours with J.D. Greear (not to be confused with T.D. Jakes…long story) at a retreat. J.D. is the pastor of The Summit Church in the Raleigh-Durham area of N.C. It was a really encouraging-challenging time for us as a staff, and me personally. J.D. shared God’s story as it pertained to his life and ministry. He also shared about the innovative ways that The Summit has been able to reach their community for the glory of God. But the most lingering thing that I walked away with came from one simple exercise he led us through.

J.D. gave us a list of questions that was intended to be a guide through a ‘motive purification process’. In ministry it is often easy to justify different things by using ‘God talk’. It is easy, as J.D. said, “for people with the idol of success to hide in ministry”. Often we wrongly base our success and failures on the opinions of others, and other standards that are far from our primary purpose as ministers; which is (in my opinion) to show/tell others of God’s mercy and grace in the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. Ministry is about nothing else but the glory of God. It is good to check yourself often, so here are the questions,

1. When are you most depressed?

2. What makes you really angry?

3. At what point in your life are you the happiest?

4. What makes you worry the most?

5. What do you look down on others about?

6. What has made you bitter in life?

7. Whose approval do you seek?

8. If you could change one thing about your life right now, what would it be?

9. Where do you turn for comfort?

10. What do you really sacrifice for?

I don’t think I need to apply these for you, they are pretty clear. These questions are very revealing of our sinful motives, yes…even in ministry.

Note: This reminds me of a poem that C.S. Lewis once wrote (Click Here).

Matt Capps Philosophy, Religion, Thoughts

The Books that ‘Shaped’ C.S. Lewis

More than just an author (which is how most of us know him today), C.S. Lewis was an avid reader. More than that, he was an avid reader of books on Christian doctrine. He always pointed to books of doctrine over ‘devotion’. In Lewis’ introduction to a particular translation of Athanasius work ‘On the Incarnation’ he wrote,

“for my own part I tend to find the doctrinal books often more helpful in devotion than the devotional books, and I rather suspect that the same experience may await many others. I believe that many who find that ‘nothing happens’ when they sit down, or kneel down, to a book of devotion, would find that the heart sings unbidden while they are working their way through a tough bit of theology with a pipe in their teeth and a pencil in their hand.”

I think this points us to an important idea pertaining to good writing, it requires hard thinking.

I agree with Lewis, my own experience attests to this. Even when it comes to subjects other than Christian theology, I would rather be challenged than spoon fed. But…I have always been curious to what books made Lewis’ heart sing?

Well, we might have one source. In 1962, The Christian Century magazine published C.S. Lewis’s answer to the question, “What books did most to shape your vocational attitude and your philosophy of life?” While some of the books listed are not solely focused on the subject of Christian theology, we can gleam something about the life and mind of Lewis.

Here is C.S. Lewis’s list.

1. Phantastes by George MacDonald.
2. The Everlasting Man by G. K. Chesterton.
3. The Aeneid by Virgil.
4. The Temple by George Herbert.
5. The Prelude by William Wordsworth.
6. The Idea of the Holy by Rudolf Otto.
7. The Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius.
8. Life of Samuel Johnson by James Boswell.
9. Descent into Hell by Charles Williams.
10. Theism and Humanism by Arthur James Balfour.

Matt Capps Life, Religion, Thoughts

Nate Saint: The Life of a Missionary Martyr

I just finished the book Jungle Pilot, it is the story of Nate Saint, pilot, mechanic, and infamous missionary martyr. The most intriguing thing about this book is that the majority of the text is composed of Saint’s personal letters to loved ones. In every page it is extremely evident that Saint loved pioneering missions; he once wrote of this work as the “call of God to the regions beyond the ends of civilization’s roads- where there is no other form of transportation…(probing) the frontiers to the limit of physical capacity” with prayer “for a means of reaching the regions beyond.” The grounding for such a passion in reaching the lost was formed at a young age. The Saint family was devout when it came to the Christian disciplines; one of Nate’s siblings described their parents as ruling the house with a good mix of Old Testament law and New Testament grace. Lawrence and Katherine Saint carefully taught their children the ways of the Lord, in the end three became missionaries and one a preacher. His brother Dan vividly recalls memories of a young Nate during family devotions continually praying that the Lord would ‘show the right way’. This prayer seemed to mark his life and mission.

Nate always had a strong urge to fly. This began when his older brother Sam took him up in an airplane at a young age. Nate’s love for flying lead him to join the armed services and pursued Air Corps training, but Saint never lost his spiritual grounding. He once wrote to his mother “pray that the Lord will have his way in this flying business. Seems as though his stamp of approval is 100 percent ‘go ahead’, but I’m not calling personal interest the Lord’s will.” The road of military service took Saint all over the United States and globe often leaving him longing for something more. At times he became impatient writing, “I know the Lord is still running things, but sometimes I am shortsighted, I am the Army’s lock, stock, and barrel-but I’m the Lord’s own-heart, soul, and spirit.” While in the service Saint was dismissed from his dreams of being a military pilot because of an incessant battle with an infection in one leg. It was during these hard moments of his life that God started to reveal his plans for Saint, to be a full-time missionary. Nate wrote, “I’ve always believed that if the Lord wants a guy in full-time service on the mission field, he would make him unbearably miserable in the pursuit of any other end.” This God did, through different affairs that Saint pursued God continued to clarify this vision. It was in a short stint of plane repair in Mexico that Saint demonstrated to others ‘his unique mechanical ability in making repairs to planes in difficult to impossible circumstances’. Hard flying circumstances were not far off.

Eventually God had pressed Ecuador on the heart of Saint and his wife Marj, he later wrote of Marj that “the Lord surely knew that in this kind of work I would need a partner with a brain like a filing cabinet and one incapable of saying ‘can’t’.” As they began their lives in Ecuador, the purpose of the mission became clear, and was twofold: to provide adequate supply line for the present work and make possible deeper penetration into the jungle for further work. Saint quickly realized that there were only two types of landing areas in these areas, at the top of a jungle, or in the raging waters of a river. In fact one of Nate’s associates reflected that whoever decided to take up the work of missions in that area could not be short in flying or mechanics, if it be flying “he must be an absolute expert in mechanics.” But this is what God had been preparing for Nate Saint, in a letter to his mother he wrote “Mine is a one track mine…It’s airplane-Indian-Christ”. The Indian is the motive. The airplane is my job; unless the airplane fly’s the Indian does not hear the good news of Christ. Unless the Indian gets Christ, he’s eternally lost.

In December of 1948 Saint was pressed through his first test, a plane crash in Quito, Ecuador after visiting Marji in the capital city, who was awaiting the birth of their first child. After the crash, in which no one was killed, Saint gathered his thoughts in a letter to his parents. “This I believe, is the result of the deep assurance we have in our hearts that Satan himself cannot stop us, nor sign our death certificate, without the permission of Almighty God.” These powerful words were a deep reminder of Nate Saint’s resolve that his life would be expendable, “The Lord tells us He that Loveth his life- we might say that he that is selfish with his life- shall loose it.”

Nate’s ‘inventor spirit’ pioneered missions in this hard to reach area. He was able to invent the famous ‘bucket dropping system’ that allowed transport of medicines, staple foods, and gifts from airplanes hundreds of feet in the air. But all these gadgets had one purpose, Saint was sold out, “everytime I take off, I am ready to deliver up the life I owe to God.” The tool of an airplane was uniquely important to missions in this area. The ground Nate was able to cover by plane would have required forty days of land travel. Frank Drown, a missionary to the Jivaro head shrinkers of Ecuador, said of Nate, “He was always conscientious and serious. He was more than just a pilot; he was an inspiration to us. We were impressed with his fervency, honesty, and dependability, and complete devotion to Christ.” Drown eventually became the connection that brought Roger Youderian to the ‘Operation Auca’ team. Three Plymouth Brethren missionaries by the names of Jim Elliot, Pete Fleming, and Ed McCully joined soon after. All knowing the dangers involved.

This particular tribe of Indians had refused contact with outsiders for hundreds of years, they were known for their killing patterns in that area. Auca hunters would slip quietly from the jungle and attack their unsuspecting victims in ambush, but this did not stop the five. Operation Auca was well underway, in prayer and preparation. Over the next period of weeks these men lowered thirteen gifts to these un-reached people as an attempt at friendly contact. Despite their worries, these five men were consumed with a passion to reach the Auca killers with the Gospel. Nate wrote “more important than any precaution we might take we are anxious to operate within the will and providence of God.” Their mission was set, to get the Gospel of Jesus Christ to these ‘stone-age’ pagans known as Auca.

Well aware that attempting contact with this primitive group of Indians could cost them their lives, they felt confident that the Lord was blessing their efforts and they moved forward one step at a time. On the morning of January 3rd the mission began, and three days later they made their initial contact with three Auca Indians. During this time Nate would fly back and forth from ‘Palm Beach’ (in Auca territory) to the home base for supplies and fear of rain water destabilizing the planes landing area. On Saturday morning, January 8th, Nate left for ‘Palm Beach’ one final time leaving behind the last prayer request for the missionary wives, “Pray for us…today is the day things will happen.” Later that day, in a moment of confusion, all five missionaries were speared to death. Beyond making initial contacts that would eventually lead to the evangelization of an ‘unknown’ people group, these men’s lives brought to surface the need of frontier missions to the international stage. Saint’s story is a powerful depiction of God’s providence in the small details and interests of ordinary men to accomplish extraordinary tasks. Saint’s life is marked as one sold out for Christ, doing only what God can do.

You can obtain a free copy of this book from the Mission Aviation Fellowship

Matt Capps Life, Religion

A Powerful Reminder of God’s Provision!

“We know by experience that His promises are good and that He is abundantly able to supply your needs out of His storehouse where He keeps universes, worlds, moons, stars. In His other storehouse He has grace unbounded, billows of love and oceans of care for His own, mountains of patience, and other good things abundantly above all that we can ask or think.”

This was written in a letter to the missionary martyr Nate Saint, by his sister Rachel. This letter was penned as encouragement when Nate was worried about financial support early in his missions endeavors.

The quote above was taken from Russell Hitt’s book Jungle Pilot (you can obtain a free copy from the Mission Aviation Fellowship).

Matt Capps Religion

Poythress on ‘The History of Salvation’

Vern Poythress was interviewed by ‘BeginningwithMoses’ (blog) on issues relating for forming a Biblical Theology. Dr. Poythress is professor of New Testament Interpretation at Westminster Theological Seminary.

Poythress also contributes to the ESV Study Bible with an essay entitled Overview of the Bible: A Survey of the History of Salvation (available for free download).

The interview deals with questions about the Bible’s unifying thread, the relationship between covenant and kingdom of God, the unconditionality/conditionality of the covenants in the Bible, aspects of the covenant promises, Christ in the OT, and Christ as Mediator.

To read the article click here.

Matt Capps Religion, Thoughts

Theology and Christian Leadership

Every Christian leader should see themselves as a practicing theologian. It seems to me that many Christian leaders see theology only as an academic discipline to be exercised in the ivory towers of our seminaries. As a leader, one who is placed in authority, the spiritual and philosophical health of the church depends on proper theology in biblical exposition. A leader’s theology plays out, and has implications, in the practical application of biblical texts to everyday situations and life. Therefore, as a Christian leader, one should prayerfully and articulately think, teach, and practice ministry through a theological lens. The philosophical foundations and presuppositions are the grounds by which people think and act, therefore the Christian leader should labor to uncover the deep truths of biblical teachings.

The very nature of Christian leadership demands theological underpinnings. The Apostle Paul exhorts his disciple Timothy to not shrink back in his testimony about the Lord, because it was God who called him for in to the work of the ministry. Paul even takes his commandments further and asks Timothy to “follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you” (1 Timothy 1:1-14). What is this ‘pattern of sound words’, the ‘good deposit’ that has been entrusted to the Christian leader to guard?

The exhortation to guard ‘the truth’ (‘the pattern of sound words’, ‘good deposit’) is in itself Biblical evidence that proper theology is the foundation of Christian leadership. In Titus 1:9 Paul writes similar word to those he wrote to Timothy, that the Christian “must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it”. Paul makes it clear here that one of the duties of Christian leadership is to refute false teachings. Biblical teaching is theological through and through, there is no place for the Christian leader who is no theologian, in fact I would argue that every Christian is a theologian. With this being the case, every church should aim to sharpen the theological education of the members in order to equip them to answer the hardships of the Christian life with Biblical promises. Theology goes beyond religious philosophy, but reaches into everyday practice.

Beyond the refutation of false teaching, theology enlightens man on sin, and all the issues that pertain to the implications of sin. Therefore, there is no personal problem, no relational problem, no philosophical problem, and no ethical problem that cannot be spoken to by theology (obviously, this is not an all inclusive list). In every dimension there is an inescapable truth that a Christian’s leader’s theology reaches into, and speaks to every area of life and practice in their ministry. The main task of Christian leadership is to lift the veil of sin (through teaching and practice) in order that those who are following you, listening to you, and looking to you for leadership can discern the truth in all situations themselves, philosophical and practical.

There is an inseparability in the pursuit of truth from the task of theology. If ‘all truth is Gods truth’, then as we have shown, all things must be informed by theology in one sense or another. Therefore, building a ‘theological grid’ that will aid in the sifting through the wisdom (and lies) of this world against biblical truth is the task of every Christian, even more so for the Christian leader. Thus, our starting point is Biblical material, and from here we see the need for organization of these materials, thus the exercise of systematic theology. Millard Erickson provides a helpful organizational chart in moving from Bible exegesis to building a theological system systematically  (Christian Theology, Pg. 70).

Moving through this process develops a systematic approach in developing a theology that is accurate to biblical teaching, and develops the theological framework which should inform all of the leadership decisions that must be made. Theology informs proper practical application. As R. Albert Mohler once put it, ‘the pastor who is no theologian is no pastor’. It is important to notice that ‘from a proper theology comes a philosophy of leadership’, and out of this philosophy of leadership comes practical everyday application. Theology is the grid work by which we interpret, and validate all leadership decisions.

Therefore, a philosophy of leadership is grounded in the leaders Biblical convictions. All this must start with the leader who allots much time to the study of Gods word through prayer and deep thought to come to theological convictions. All Christian leadership must be rooted in the deep truths of God’s word. The Christian leader’s concentrated attention to biblical texts brings forth a theological vision that is deeply rooted in God’s truth and in the truth about God that forms the very basis of Christian theology, which gives us a vision of ‘how to lead’.

Matt Capps Philosophy, Religion

Ken Keathley on the ‘Exclusivity of the Gospel’

Something to think about…Ken Keathley wrote an interesting post today on ‘Between the Times’, which is a blog hosted by some faculty members of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Keathley argues against using language like ‘exclusivity of the Gospel’, in fact he writes…“I hate the label “exclusivist” when it is applied to the Gospel.”

Keathley continues;

“I propose that rather than using the term “exclusivity” we should be speaking of the “essentiality” of the Gospel.  The hearing of the Gospel is essential for morally responsible persons to be saved.  (I do not view the mentally handicapped or infants as morally responsible individuals.)  In order to be saved, one must place his faith in Jesus Christ.  But one cannot believe in whom he has not heard (Rom 10:14).  The Gospel is not exclusive; it is essential.  The Gospel keeps no one out, but it is the only possible way in.”

To read the whole thing, click here.