“You are to be defined as a spiritual family from the world and not by the world — by the World’s distinction. The distinctions the world would put upon us. It is not our definitions. We are not to be known as Male Christians or female Christians… single Christians, Asian Christians, black, white, wealthy or poor. These are worldly distinctions. They don’t belong in the Church. When we consider one another and how we value and how we care for and how we treat one another we are not to see these worldly or these societal distinctions among us. We are to see the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that has been shed for you, just as shed for you and for you and for you. All without any difference — all of us together. We are to see the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and therefore equally bound together and equally called the brethren of the Lord Jesus Christ…. So great care must be taken to prevent that virus of favoritism from finding its way into the body and coursing itself through us.”
As From a Reformed Pulpit during a AM Sermon
Somewhere in these united States
I believe in the Kingdom Come
Then all the colours will bleed into one
Bleed into one.
But yes, I’m still running.
Bono — U2
I often will listen to random sermons from Reformed Churches that style themselves Conservative (PCA, OPC, RPCNA, RPCUS, ARP, RPCGA, UCR, CanRef, OCRC etc.). The purpose is just to keep a finger on the pulse of what is going on in the larger Reformed world.
There are several prisms one can view this quote through. One could view it through the prism of Dr. Peter Jones’ work at “Truth Exchange.” Jones has written several books on what he calls “Oneism.” Oneism is the attempt to level all reality to a place where all differences are seen as “maya” (illusion). One of Jones’ staff saw this quote on social media and commented, “Oneism.”
Another prism to see this through is to see this as an example of Anabaptist leveling. Leveling is just the egalitarian idea that social distinctions should be erased. Historically, Anabaptist theology has been one where social distinctions are far less recognized. It was the Anabaptists who gave us the Levelers, Diggers, Fifth Monarchy Men, etc. — all Levelers. It was the Anabaptists who leveled the distinction between minister and laymen in their circles. It was the Anabaptist who called one another “Brother,” so as to flatten any hierarchical distinctions. Anabaptists were strong on erasing the prohibition on Women preachers and this because of their leveling instinct. It is interesting that Satan was the first Leveler, informing Eve, “you shall be as God, knowing good and evil.”
Yet another prism to see this through is the “secular” equivalent of Anabaptism and that is Communism. Communism, like the Anabaptists before them has always had the leveling impulse. In the French Revolution everyone was “Citoyen.” In the Communist Revolution in Russia everyone was “Comrade.”
Still, yet another prism could be the influence of Gnosticism. Gnosticism, historically held that the corporeal aspect of man (his materiality) was not really important or was even evil. It was the spiritual realities which were the be all end all of reality. So, in the quote above, it is not who God who has made us as creatures (Husbands, Married, Single, Asian, Black, etc.) which is important. What is important is the spiritual “blood of Christ,” which erases all other creaturely distinctions with which God us been pleased to embody us.
Finally, it just may be the case of a young minister saying things in-artfully.
Very very in-artfully.
The problem here of course is the following,
1.) The young minister might be confusing the fact, that when it comes to belonging to Christ there are no hierarchical barriers, with the heretical idea that therefore there are no longer proper creaturely distinctions that exist in our embodied existence. It is true that Jesus accepts all those who are weary and heavy laden who come to Him, regardless of lack of status, rank, or position. Spiritually speaking, we are all one in Christ. As it is said, the ground at the Cross is level. Christ does not accept the Black men above the Asian, simply because of race. Christ does not accept the Female over the Male simply because of gender. However, that spiritual truth does not erase our respective ethnicity or our maleness, or femaleness. Being Justified in and united with Christ does not make us interchangeable cogs in a leveled social hierarchy … not even in the context of the Church. The fact that St. Paul repeatedly gave instructions to “slaves,” “masters,” “husbands,” “wives,” “children,” “men,” “women,” “widows,” “families,” proves beyond a scintilla of doubt that social leveling is not a Biblical or Christian idea. Because of that we would have to say that there is more of Robespierre than of Jesus Christ in this quote.
2.) The minister seems to think that hierarchies are something from which we are saved. Hierarchies are “worldly,” and “societal,” and in the Church we are not “worldly,” and “societal” therefore in the Church we don’t do hierarchy. The thought seems present that once one comes into the Church at that point the blood of Christ washes us from our embodied creatureliness so that we are now egalitarian spiritual beings. Hello, “Liberté, Equalité, Fraternité.”
3.) The minister is exegeting from James 2 where favoritism to the wealthy is forsworn. However, teaching that there should not be a unbiblical favoritism does not mean that there is not a biblical favoritism. St. Paul himself advocates for this proper Biblical favoritism when he writes,
“But if any man does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8).
Notice that Paul is teaching here a proper Biblical favoritism. God writes this need for a proper Biblical favoritism again in Galatians 6:10,
As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
Note that we are to favor those who of are the household of faith.
4.) Honestly, if we are to abide by this kind of logic then we would should just take down our terribly non-Christian signs that hang over our Church Restrooms. If we are not to be known as Male Christians or Female Christians let’s get serious about implementing this idea and cease with the hateful signage over our bathroom facilities. Also, if we are to take up this idea we Conservative Christians should cease with insisting that boys marry girls. After all, we are not to be known as Male Christians or Female Christians. Our marriage services should end with,
“‘I now pronounce you Christian and Christian. You may kiss the Christian.”
Now, I don’t think this conservative Reformed minister really believes any of the implications of what he said, however, all of this is indeed the implications of what he has said and it is all damn confusing when coming from a pulpit unto a people who are just saturated in this kind of egalitarian nonsense.
Personally, I’m willing to give the minister the benefit of the doubt. Goodness knows, having been in the Pulpit now for over 25 years myself, I have said things that came out different than how I intended. However, for the sake of the laity these in-artful expressions need to be pointed out.
