June 19, 2000
Texas Baptist Forum
Christ above all
___Regarding the Southern Baptist Convention's debate on Scripture: Christ gave us the Bible; the Bible gave us Christ. Center on the Bible, as though it were God, and you will miss Christ. That is bibliolatry. Center on Christ as God, and you have found the key to the Bible. That is worship. To put the Bible above Christ is to defame both.
___Center on the Bible, and you will know about Christ, but he is a person, not print. Therefore, one must let the Bible point one away from the print in the Bible to the person of Christ. The real person exists outside the word of God. We never would have heard of the Bible if it had not been for Christ--perhaps we never would have heard of Christ if it were not for the Bible.
E-mail the editor at marvknox@baptiststandard.com
___They are the keys to understanding each other, this binomial word of God. Legalists imprison Christ in the Bible, never letting him out. These are bibliolators. The world is full of them. They are dangerous cultists.
___If my memory serves me, it was this misemphasis that led George W. Truett to preach to the SBC of his day, "Christ above all."
___ Jess Moody
___ Mansfield
Out of step
___We are responding to your editorial on the intersection of church and culture (June 5).
___Discerning where to go along with the larger culture and where to resist it is a difficult task for the church. However, when God's word is clear on an issue that runs counter to cultural trends, the church has no choice but to stand firm.
___The editorial points out that one task of the church is to transform the culture in which it lives, while implying that the new Baptist Faith & Message statement should be more accommodating to cultural trends at some points. How can the church transform the culture unless it directly challenges unbiblical trends in that culture?
___Such challenges are going to make the church appear "out of step" with current trends and leave it subject to criticism.
___ Fred and Laverne Smith
___ Fort Worth
Room to interpret
___In an Austin American-Statesman story about the proposed changes in the Baptist Faith & Message, a Southern Baptist pastor whom I hold in high regard defended them all, stating, "The old language that included that Scripture is a historical record left too much room for biblical interpretation."
___How strange!
___Too much room for interpretation--I thought that idea was what made me a Baptist.
___My first response was, "This sounds like a Roman Catholic suspicion of lay interpretation." On second thought, I realized this view is beyond Roman Catholic dogma, for our Catholic friends historically have been concerned only about the "theologically uneducated laity."
___This view also warns against the seminary-educated pastor and leader who leaves "too much room for biblical interpretation."
___God help us when Baptist leaders are afraid to allow any Christian plenty of room to interpret Scripture--I thought we were given all the help we needed from the Holy Spirit.
___Interestingly, this pastor noted he is in the minority on the Texas Baptist Executive Board. I hope he realizes that if he opposed the proposals, he would never be appointed to the SBC Executive Board.
___ Joe E. Trull
___ Wimberley
Rules to follow
___I am responding to Heidi Parales' letter (June 5). What concerns me is her citation of Kroeger's translation of 1 Timothy 2:12. According to her, Kroeger translates that text to read, "I do not allow a woman to teach that she is the author of a man." That translation is grossly incorrect, so much so that I wonder if Kroeger has not cast aside the rules of Greek translation entirely.
___First, even a cursory look at a lexicon would have spared Kroeger her error. "Authenteo" is never in the Greek language translated "author." In every instance, both sacred and secular, "authenteo" always means "to control or have authority." The word for "author" in the New Testament is always "arxegos" (Acts 3:15; Hebrews 2:10; 12:2). The words are about as interchangeable in Greek as are our English words for "parakeet" and "pomegranate."
___Second, 1 Timoth. 2:12 uses "authenteo" as an infinitive, translated "to (do something.)" The word for "to teach" is of the same form. Paul wrote that a woman is not permitted "to (teach), or to (authenteo)." The text cannot possibly be translated "that she is the author of" without completely disregarding the normal force of an infinitive. The translation "to teach or to exercise authority" is undeniably better.
___The Greek language has rules that must be followed.
___ Greg Gilbert
___ Linden
Twisted Scriptures
___I don't understand all the controversy over women in ministry. I am proud of the stand taken by the SBC against women as pastors.
___The Bible is very clear on this subject in 1 Timothy 3 about pastors as well as deacons. If Christians don't believe the Scriptures on the qualifications of pastors and deacons, how can they expect sinners to believe them when they quote John 3:16?
___I have always been told the Bible says what it means and means what it says, and that is what I believe. There are many areas of service for women, but not as pastors or deacons. I see no evidence in John 20:17 that Jesus told Mary to preach; he simply told her to do what he expects all believers to do, be a witness.
___Funny how people can twist the Scriptures to fit whatever suits them. The fact still remains that God said what he meant. If we choose to be disobedient, then we are the ones that will answer for it either in this life or when we stand before him at the judgment seat.
___ Doyle Graves
___ Iredell
One Day
___About 50,000 college students recently attended the One Day celebration in Memphis, Tenn., an eight-hour worship service. We praised God, repented, listened as God's word was taught and prayed for each other and for fellow believers around the world.
___The sight of 50,000 young adults on their faces before God or the entire gathering with hands lifted high and the overwhelming silence when we all stood, knelt or bowed before God in quiet reverence will not be forgotten.
___We put our focus back where it belonged. Louie Giglio said something to the effect of "to truly please God in prayer, we should seek nothing else except his name glorified," and he then quoted Isaiah 26:8, "Your name and your renown are the desire of our souls."
___As I read the opinion pages of the Baptist Standard, I can't help but think our eyes are out of focus. Would we have today's disunity if God's name and renown were the desire of our souls? Fortunately, God is bigger than our disunity and will accomplish his purposes.
___At One Day, we put our focus on the one who is high and lifted up, whose name is forever exalted. Our hearts were drawn to him as we were united in his love. I'm convinced those who attended will never be the same.
___ Jeff Parsons
___ Amarillo
Arbitrary change
___The president and trustees of Houston Baptist University, using the precedent set by Baylor University, have arbitrarily changed their relationship to Texas Baptists and the Baptist General Convention of Texas.
___What is the real issue that faces Texas Baptists in regard to the action taken by the Houston Baptist president and trustees? The issue, as with Baylor, is rebellion and insubordination. It is clear that there are processes in place to make changes to the selection of trustees. These processes, although lengthy, would provide checks and balances to ensure that the proper action is taken for both Houston Baptist University and Texas Baptists.
___Instead of following these steps, the president and trustees of the university have made situation ethics their theme and "the end justifies the means" their battle cry.
___I would hope that unlike the Baylor debacle, the BGCT will address the real issue and not capitulate to the whims of the university's president and trustees. Scripture is clear on this subject as stated in 1 Samuel 15:23, "For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry."
___ Mac Galloway
___ Houston
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