What Reformed Luminaries Are Saying Regarding What Constitutes The Essence Of Christianity

“Luther understood that the Christian life was a life of suffering. The essence of Christianity is to see one’s rights trampled and not demand them. To stand up and say I demand my rights, as a Christian, is precisely the violation of everything the gospel is about.”

High Profile Reformed Leader
Reputed to be a Pillar in the Church

I must admit that this drives me mad. I become unhinged at these kinds of statements.

1.) The Christian life is indeed characterized by suffering but the suffering arises out of Christians pressing for the crown rights of King Jesus in every area of life. Inasmuch as what we are contending for is consistent with the teaching of Scripture there is nothing evil about Christians demanding to be treated in the ways Scripture says that all men should treat one another.

2.) I am currently dealing with 3 marriages where one spouse is just being horrid to another spouse. Is the counsel I am supposed to give the spouse that is being tyrannized; “You know, Jesus loves it when you gladly accept the tyranny of your spouse. Indeed, The essence of Christianity is to see your rights trampled aby your spouse nd not demand them. You are most like Jesus when you are gladly embracing the tyranny of your spouse.”

3.) By this reasoning all the warriors of the Christian faith from Martel to Don Juan to Sobieski to Cromwell were all acting in a non Christian manner by standing up for their rights.

4.) St. Paul appealed to his rights as a Roman citizen in Acts 22-23.  Are we to believe that Paul missed the essence of Christianity?

5.) Luther himself stood up for his rights when he said “Here I stand. I can do no other.” He stood up for the rights of all Germans/Christians against Rome’s malfeasance. Indeed, the very reason Rome hated Luther, the Reformers, and the Reformation so much is that the Protestants were standing for their rights as revealed in Scripture. It was Rome who would have argued that the very essence of Christianity was to see the rights of the Reformers trampled. It was Rome who argued that the Reformers should just be quiet about their rights as taught by Scripture. It was the Reformers who wanted the right of letting the Bible speak without the Magisterium.

6.) This quote is the language of every tyrant.

7.) This kind of reasoning is the result of both Pietism and Amillennialism. No Postmillennial would ever talk like this. Amillennialism expects defeat in space and time and so they develop their theology so as to guarantee the defeat that their theology demands them to expect. Pietism on the other hand is a retreatist disposition that believes that Christians shouldn’t get involved in worldly things. Saying that Christians shouldn’t insist upon how God insists that they should be treated is consistent with both Amillennialism and Pietism.

8.) With this statement this leader condemns the Dutch resistance against Catholic Spain in the 16th-17th century. With this statement  he condemns action of the English Protestants against King Charles I. With this statement  he condemns Knox’s contretemps with Queen Mary. With this statement he condemns the American war for Independence. Per  our Reformed leader they all missed what the “gospel is all about.”

9.) This is doormat theology. The Christian is most holy when they are most abused. Certainly, Christians suffer. Certainly, Christians see their rights trampled when there is nothing they can do about it and they gladly suffer for Christ and the Kingdom when there is nothing they can do about it. However, to say that expecting that Elders, Magistrates, and Husbands, should never be resisted when they are trampling on the privilege afforded to Christians per God’s Word is just complete and utter bunkum.

And I don’t care the credentials of who says it.

Author: jetbrane

I am a Pastor of a small Church in Mid-Michigan who delights in my family, my congregation and my calling. I am postmillennial in my eschatology. Paedo-Calvinist Covenantal in my Christianity Reformed in my Soteriology Presuppositional in my apologetics Familialist in my family theology Agrarian in my regional community social order belief Christianity creates culture and so Christendom in my national social order belief Mythic-Poetic / Grammatical Historical in my Hermeneutic Pre-modern, Medieval, & Feudal before Enlightenment, modernity, & postmodern Reconstructionist / Theonomic in my Worldview One part paleo-conservative / one part micro Libertarian in my politics Systematic and Biblical theology need one another but Systematics has pride of place Some of my favorite authors, Augustine, Turretin, Calvin, Tolkien, Chesterton, Nock, Tozer, Dabney, Bavinck, Wodehouse, Rushdoony, Bahnsen, Schaeffer, C. Van Til, H. Van Til, G. H. Clark, C. Dawson, H. Berman, R. Nash, C. G. Singer, R. Kipling, G. North, J. Edwards, S. Foote, F. Hayek, O. Guiness, J. Witte, M. Rothbard, Clyde Wilson, Mencken, Lasch, Postman, Gatto, T. Boston, Thomas Brooks, Terry Brooks, C. Hodge, J. Calhoun, Llyod-Jones, T. Sowell, A. McClaren, M. Muggeridge, C. F. H. Henry, F. Swarz, M. Henry, G. Marten, P. Schaff, T. S. Elliott, K. Van Hoozer, K. Gentry, etc. My passion is to write in such a way that the Lord Christ might be pleased. It is my hope that people will be challenged to reconsider what are considered the givens of the current culture. Your biggest help to me dear reader will be to often remind me that God is Sovereign and that all that is, is because it pleases him.

6 thoughts on “What Reformed Luminaries Are Saying Regarding What Constitutes The Essence Of Christianity”

  1. Doormat Christian Theology reigns it seems. As for my house, we fight. With an eye on winning while recognizing our utter dependence for everything on God.
    Please keep up the good fight!

    Merry Christmas!

  2. So who is this high profile Reformed leader? I would have no problem pointing them out in my discussion since their teaching needs to be exposed are major error.

  3. #2 is a trick question. It depends if the tyrant-spouse is the wife or not. If she is the tyrant, then he ahould be a suffering simp. But if he is the tyrant, then she should be a strong women looking after her self and separating from him, for his good of course.
    Did I get the answer right? I did according to most modern pastors, except when they see it put so starkly and in a generality. But put them in front of Tyrant Tammy, and they melt, say she is built for a loving relationship and if she does anything wrong, it’s because her husband’s sins.

  4. How do you interpret Jesus’ command not to resist the evildoer?

    Matthew 5:39
    “But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.”

    We know that Jesus was trampled, cursed, ignored, slandered, and murdered. None of the people who did this to him were right or justified.

    1. We are not to resist the evil of slighting insults with retaliation and vengeance. There we turn the other cheek. But we are called to fight the evil that seeks to trample everything good and decent.

      Jesus spent His whole ministry resisting evil by fearlessly rebuking those who lied about Him and slandered His mission. He went to His death to defeat the powers of darkness. One day He will return a conqueror to Whom every knee will bow.

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