Chick-fil-a, Keller, and the Charge of Inconsistency

My wife recently brought the above graphic to my attention, which seems to have begun surfacing on Facebook in reaction to the statements made by Chick-fil-a president, Dan Cathy, regarding his views on marriage. It’s no understatement to say that Cathy’s remarks have generated nationwide controversy and backlash from those in favor of redefining marriage to accommodate for those in homosexual relationships. The graphic above cites Cathy’s father, and founder of the restaurant chain, S. Truett Cathy, on the company’s desire to employ biblical principles in their business operations.   The glaring question is, “Does the above graphic put forward a valid argument?”  Is the charge of inconsistency, as stated above, leveled accurately?  The brief answer is, “no”.  How, then, are Christians to respond to this question of biblical interpretation?

In June, Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, posted the article below.  It provides a wonderfully effective and accessible answer to the aforementioned criticism of inconsistency among Christian biblical interpreters.

Keller writes:

First of all, let’s be clear that it’s not only the Old Testament that has proscriptions about homosexuality. The New Testament has plenty to say about it, as well. Even Jesus says, in his discussion of divorce in Matthew 19:3-12 that the original design of God was for one man and one woman to be united as one flesh, and failing that, (v. 12) persons should abstain from marriage and from sex.

However, let’s get back to considering the larger issue of inconsistency regarding things mentioned in the OT that are no longer practiced by the New Testament people of God. Most Christians don’t know what to say when confronted about this. Here’s a short course on the relationship of the Old Testament to the New Testament:

The Old Testament devotes a good amount of space to describing the various sacrifices that were to be offered in the tabernacle (and later temple) to atone for sin so that worshippers could approach a holy God. As part of that sacrificial system there was also a complex set of rules for ceremonial purity and cleanness. You could only approach God in worship if you ate certain foods and not others, wore certain forms of dress, refrained from touching a variety of objects, and so on. This vividly conveyed, over and over, that human beings are spiritually unclean and can’t go into God’s presence without purification.

But even in the Old Testament, many writers hinted that the sacrifices and the temple worship regulations pointed forward to something beyond them. (cf. 1 Samuel 15:21-22; Psalm 50:12-15; 51:17; Hosea 6:6). When Christ appeared he declared all foods ‘clean’ (Mark 7:19) and he ignored the Old Testament clean laws in other ways, touching lepers and dead bodies.

But the reason is made clear. When he died on the cross the veil in the temple was ripped through, showing that the need for the entire sacrificial system with all its clean laws had been done away with. Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice for sin, and now Jesus makes us “clean.”

The entire book of Hebrews explains that the Old Testament ceremonial laws were not so much abolished as fulfilled by Christ. Whenever we pray ‘in Jesus name’, we ‘have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus’ (Hebrews 10:19). It would, therefore, be deeply inconsistent with the teaching of the Bible as a whole if we were to continue to follow the ceremonial laws.

The New Testament gives us further guidance about how to read the Old Testament. Paul makes it clear in places like Romans 13:8ff that the apostles understood the Old Testament moral law to still be binding on us. In short, the coming of Christ changed how we worship but not how we live. The moral law is an outline of God’s own character—his integrity, love, and faithfulness. And so all the Old Testament says about loving our neighbor, caring for the poor, generosity with our possessions, social relationships, and commitment to our family is still in force. The New Testament continues to forbid killing or committing adultery, and all the sex ethic of the Old Testament is re-stated throughout the New Testament (Matthew 5:27-30; 1 Corinthians 6:9-20; 1 Timothy 1:8-11.) If the New Testament has reaffirmed a commandment, then it is still in force for us today.

Further, the New Testament explains another change between the Testaments. Sins continue to be sins—but the penalties change. In the Old Testament things like adultery or incest were punishable with civil sanctions like execution. This is because at that time God’s people existed in the form of a nation-state and so all sins had civil penalties.

But in the New Testament the people of God are an assembly of churches all over the world, living under many different governments. The church is not a civil government, and so sins are dealt with by exhortation and, at worst, exclusion from membership. This is how a case of incest in the Corinthian church is dealt with by Paul (1 Corinthians 5:1ff. and 2 Corinthians 2:7-11.) Why this change? Under Christ, the gospel is not confined to a single nation—it has been released to go into all cultures and peoples.

Once you grant the main premise of the Bible—about the surpassing significance of Christ and his salvation—then all the various parts of the Bible make sense. Because of Christ, the ceremonial law is repealed. Because of Christ the church is no longer a nation-state imposing civil penalties. It all falls into place. However, if you reject the idea of Christ as Son of God and Savior, then, of course, the Bible is at best a mish-mash containing some inspiration and wisdom, but most of it would have to be rejected as foolish or erroneous.

So where does this leave us? There are only two possibilities. If Christ is God, then this way of reading the Bible makes sense and is perfectly consistent with its premise. The other possibility is that you reject Christianity’s basic thesis—you don’t believe Jesus was the resurrected Son of God—and then the Bible is no sure guide for you about much of anything. But the one thing you can’t really say in fairness is that Christians are being inconsistent with their beliefs to accept the moral statements in the Old Testament while not practicing other ones.

One way to respond to the charge of inconsistency may be to ask a counter-question—“Are you asking me to deny the very heart of my Christian beliefs?” If you are asked, “Why do you say that?” you could respond, “If I believe Jesus is the the resurrected Son of God, I can’t follow all the ‘clean laws’ of diet and practice, and I can’t offer animal sacrifices. All that would be to deny the power of Christ’s death on the cross. And so those who really believe in Christ must follow some Old Testament texts and not others.”

$5 Fridays Are Back!

Don’t miss out on the return of Ligonier’s $5 Friday Sale (8am Friday – 8am Saturday EST)!  The sale features great resources by R.C. Sproul, Reformation Trust Publishers, and more!

CLICK HERE to be redirected to the sale!

Some of this week’s featured resources include…

The Unwavering Resolve of Jonathan Edwards by Dr. Steven Lawson

SALE $5; RETAIL $16. Jonathan Edwards is well known as perhaps the greatest theologian the United States has ever produced. He is equally noted for his preaching and writing. But in this Long Line Profile, Dr. Steven J. Lawson considers the unique focus and commitment with which Edwards sought to live out the Christian faith.  Lawson examines Edwards’ life through the lens of the seventy resolutions he penned in his late teens, shortly after his conversion, which cover everything from glorifying God to repenting of sin to managing time. Drawing on Edwards’ writings, as well as scholarly accounts of Edwards’ life and thought, Lawson shows how Edwards sought to live out these lofty goals he set for the management of his walk with Christ. In Edwards’ example, he finds helpful instruction for all believers.

The Holiness of God: Extended Version (Audio Download) by R.C. Sproul

SALE $5; RETAIL $30. In the year King Uzziah died, the prophet Isaiah saw a vision of the Holy One of Israel that made him understand the horror of sin and gave him a passion to proclaim the hope of restoration to all who would turn from their wickedness. In like manner, if we truly understand God’s holiness, we too will be motivated to flee from evil and to cling to Him for salvation.

Our understanding of the Lord’s transcendent holiness impacts how we view worship and how we will acknowledge the depth of our sin. In this expanded edition of his classic series The Holiness of God, Dr. R.C. Sproul provides a comprehensive, biblical survey of God’s holy character and demonstrates how the demands of His holiness are met in Christ.

The Intimate Marriage by R.C. Sproul

SALE $5; RETAIL $12. In The Intimate Marriage, Dr. R.C. Sproul shows that if we follow God’s principles, marriage can be a celebration of joyous intimacy and one of life’s greatest delights. Dr. Sproul examines not only the theology of marriage but also its sociology and psychology, covering such topics as communication, gender roles and sex.

*All product summaries taken from Ligonier.org

THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING.

Every so often, during the course of our lives, we encounter circumstances or events that bring about a radically new state of affairs and forever change our existence.  Most often, these life-changing moments come through the delivery of short phrases… “Will you marry me?” “We’re letting you go.” “I’m pregnant!” “It’s cancer…” “You’ve won!” “You’re hired.” The affects these moments have on our lives can be quite sizeable, or seemingly insignificant.  They can appear to be positive or drastically negative.  Just to note, at times, what determines the big and the small, the positive and the negative, is the way we choose to respond.

One such event in my own life occurred on June 27, 2010.  At three o’ clock, that afternoon, I was married to my beautiful bride, Susan.  From that moment forward, we chose to now live before the face of God, not for ourselves, but each for the other.  No longer would our existence be one of independence, but now it would be one of committed, faithful, loving, self-sacrificing service to one another.  As people heard the declaration from the front of the church that day, “For the first time, I present to you, Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Fiske,” that news not only affected us, but all who were present that day as well. That day, I left my mother and father and received the hand of my wife from her father, both of us to embark on this journey of marriage together.  The relationships we have with our parents, extended families, and friends were all placed in different levels of priority to the marital relationship we now share.

All of that to say this…about two weeks ago, in my own personal time with the Lord, I began to study the gospel according to Mark.  Mark begins his account of the life of Christ in v. 1 by noting, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”  In one short, declarative phrase, Mark was letting his hearers know that God’s creative work of making all things new, through the long awaited Messiah, was at hand.  But there’s even more there in that short verse…

William Lane notes, in his excellent commentary on Mark:

The term “gospel” or “evangel” was not a word first coined among the Christians.  On the contrary, the concept was significant both in pagan and Jewish culture.  Among the Romans it meant “joyful tidings” and was associated with the cult of the emperor, whose birthday, attainment to majority and accession to power were celebrated as festival occasions for the whole world.  The reports of such festivals were called “evangels” in the inscriptions and papyri of the Imperial Age.  A calendar inscription from about 9 B.C., found in Priene in Asian Minor, says of the emperor Octavian (Augustus): “the birthday of the god was for the world the beginning of joyful tidings which have been proclaimed on his account” (Inscr. Priene, 105, 40).  This inscription is remarkably similar to Mark’s initial line and it clarifies the essential content of an evangel in the ancient world: an historical event which introduces a new situation for the world.  In this perspective the Roman world would understand Mark’s proclamation of Jesus the Messiah.  Beginning with the inauguration of Jesus’ public ministry, Mark announces Jesus’ coming as an event that brings about a radically new state of affairs for mankind.” (pp. 42-43, emphasis mine)

As I’ve reflected upon the significance of events in my own life, and the Event of the gospel in the book of Mark, truly the occurrence of circumstance and response are of profound importance.  Seen within the original Roman context of the gospel of Mark, the initial declaration, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” announces to the world a drastically different “evangel” than they we’re used to…

The world’s gospel says we gain the acceptance of ‘the king’ through what we do for him. However, Mark announces the true gospel to the world, in that the King of kings accepts you based not on what you do for him, but on what he has done for you!

Respond to the true gospel or “evangel” by finding your freedom, forgiveness, and rest in the new state of affairs ushered in through the finished work of Christ.  Praise God that he’s saved us not by our works, but through the finished work of his Son in our place!

Gospel Marriage.

This seems to be the endless summer of marriages in my own life and those who are close to me.  I had the great honor of marrying my beautiful bride, Susan, on June 27th; and then officiated my first wedding 3 weeks later on July 17th.  It was truly a privilege to be used by God in the joining together of my good friends Joel Senders and Jennifer Miniuk.  BTW, this is only to mention 2 of the 7 weddings that my wife and I have been/will be involved in this summer.  Needless to say, it’s a very busy, but exciting time!

Above is a picture of my wedding by our great photographer, Jen Turner, from Jennifer Eileen Photography.  Below is a transcript of the homily I presented at Joel and Jennifer’s wedding…

Joel and Jennifer, I am exceedingly blessed today, to have the opportunity to be used by God in his joining of you both in marriage.  Your friendship is something that I am intensely thankful for.  In that friendship, your commitment to the gospel, as a couple, has not only been an encouragement to me, but also to all those who have shared the opportunity of your friendship over the last 5 years.

Both of your lives have been dramatically impacted and are continuing to change by the grace of God in the gospel of Jesus Christ.  You have both given your lives to the truth that, as human beings, we are terribly imperfect people.  We are weak, flawed, prideful, selfish, and plainly sinful.  By God’s grace, you have understood that because we are sinners, we have broken the good law God has established, and deserve only his wrath and eternal separation from him.  However, though we are great sinners, God’s grace (his underserved favor toward us) in Christ Jesus, goes further than our sin.

Knowing you both, I know that your lives find no absolute hope in anything or anyone other than Jesus himself.  The reason for that unique hope in Jesus is that you understand because of our sin, there is nothing we could ever do to earn God’s favor or forgiveness.

But rather, you have understood, as the Bible teaches, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  That is, our good and gracious God in heaven sent his only Son, Jesus into this world to live the perfect life we can’t live.  Die the death that we deserve.  He did not stay dead, but rose from the grave, and is alive and reigning in all power and glory in heaven today…demonstrating that his sacrifice in our place was acceptable to God the Father.  And based on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, God has freely forgiven the sin of all those who turn from their sin and trust in him.  Not only has he forgiven the sin of those who trust in Jesus, but he’s also put into their life’s account the very goodness and righteousness of Jesus Christ himself.

How incredible and freeing it is to know that we are saved, we are rescued from God’s wrath, not based on anything we do, but on everything Jesus has done in our place!  That’s the good news of the gospel.

I am so thankful, that in God’s grace he has revealed that good news to you and that he’s saved you by it.  And I believe that living in light of the gospel will have a profound and deep impact on the life and health of your marriage!  I believe that based on Paul’s words in Colossians 2:13-14…Paul writes…

“And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with Christ, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands.  This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.”

How amazing are those words!?  Especially the fact that God himself took the record of wrongs that stood against us, and set them aside, nailing them to the cross.  And that act is a historical, time and space act.  It is something that happened 2000 years ago.  And your hope – my hope – is based on that!  It’s not based on anything inside of you, or achieved with any help from you.  God did it for us and outside of us before we were ever born.

As one pastor has said, “God took the record of all your sins that made you deserving of his wrath, and instead of holding them up in front of your face and using them as a warrant to send you to hell, God put them in the palm of his Son’s hand and drove a spike through them into the cross.”

This, as I said, will have a profound impact on the life and health of your marriage!  Why?  Because today one flawed person is being joined together with another flawed person.  But, before the face of, and with utter dependence upon, a faithful God!  As you embark into this life together there will be wonderfully glorious times!  But there will also be times, and many of them, when things will not always go as planned.  Your spouse will not always act or respond in the way you desired.  There will be differences.  There will be miscommunication.  There will be disagreements.  There will be hurts, and some very deep.  And the temptation will exist to take the record of wrongs that has been done in the relationship and hold them up in your spouse’s face, in anger, letting them know of their many faults against you and staying bitter because of it.

But Paul, in Ephesians 5, tells us something astonishing about the reality of the marriage relationship…he says that marriage is a symbolic picture of Christ and the church.  It is to be a daily picture, as you both live together, of the faithfulness and grace through which Jesus sustains those who follow him.  Let your marriage be a picture of that reality to a watching world everyday, for God’s glory.

Let the measure of God’s grace to you in the cross of Christ be the measure of your grace to your spouse!  And look at the failures, flaws, disagreements, mistakes, and hurts as opportunities to be used by God as an agent of change and growth in each other, rather than a source of bitterness and separation.  This grace is yours in Christ Jesus.  Broadcast it, in your marriage, for your joy in growing together, and for God’s glory in your home and in this world!