Pierced for our transgression response

The Pierced for Our Transgressions website has posted a response to NT Wright's article here

Does Steve Chalke Really deny penal substitution?

After a partnership of 14 years Spring Harvest has finally ejected Word Alive.

Adrian Warnock has been blogging about this here

what is the crime that Word Alive has committed to receive such discipline from the authorities of Spring Harvest?

Spring Harvest has not disciplined Word alive for false teaching, or promotion of immorality. It appears that the reason for the rift is that Spring Harvest perceives Word Alive to be divisive. UCCF refuses to allow one of the board of Spring Harvest, Steve Chalke, to speak at Word Alive, because he has clearly denied penal Substitution.

This whole issue requires careful attention, as there are many different issues to deal with, all of which seem to be up for debate on the internet. If penal substitution is denied, is the gospel itself denied? Should different opinions be welcomed at an event like Word Alive? What will be the fall out from this split? Can't Christians just stop fighting with one another and all just get along?

Before answering any of these questions, there are some facts of the whole case that have been disputed. Some people are saying that Steve Chalke hasn't denied penal substitution at all.

NT Wright (defending his endorsement of Chalke's book) quotes Chalke, and then asks what Chalke acutally means:

The fact is that the cross isn’t a form of cosmic child abuse – a vengeful Father, punishing his Son for an offence he has not even committed. Understandably, both people inside and outside of the Church have found this twisted version of events morally dubious and a huge barrier to faith. Deeper than that, however, is that such a concept stands in total contradiction to the statement that “God is Love”. If the cross is a personal act of vioence perpetrated by God towards humankind but borne by his Son, then it makes a mockery of Jesus’ own teaching to love your enemies and to refuse to repay evil with evil. (p. 182f.)

Now, to be frank, I cannot tell, from this paragraph alone, which of two things Steve means. You could take the paragraph to mean (a) on the cross, as an expression of God’s love, Jesus took into and upon himself the full force of all the evil around him, in the knowledge that if he bore it we would not have to; but this, which amounts to a form of penal substitution, is quite different from other forms of penal substitution, such as the mediaeval model of a vengeful father being placated by an act of gratuitous violence against his innocent son. In other words, there are many models of penal substitution, and the vengeful-father-and-innocent-son story is at best a caricature of the true one. Or you could take the paragraph to mean (b) because the cross is an expression of God’s love, there can be no idea of penal substitution at all, because if there were it would necessarily mean the vengeful-father-and-innocent-son story, and that cannot be right.

Clearly, Steve’s critics have taken him to mean (b), as I think it is clear Jeffrey John and several others intend. I cannot now remember what I thought when I read the book four years ago and wrote my commendation, but I think, since I had been following the argument through in the light of the arguments I myself have advanced, frequently and at length, about Jesus’ death and his own understanding of it, that I must have assumed he meant (a). I have now had a good conversation with Steve about the whole subject and clarified that my initial understanding was correct: he does indeed mean (a).

Well, whatever Chalke said in a private conversation to NT Wright, he certainly makes clearer statements in Redeeming the Cross an essay posted on the web, showing very clearly that he in fact means (b).

In reality, penal substitution (in contrast to other substitutionary theories) doesn’t cohere well with either biblical or Early Church thought. Although penal substitution isn’t as old as many people assume (it’s not even as old as the pews in many of our church buildings), it is actually built on pre-Christian thought...
The theological problem with penal substitution is that it presents us with a God who is first and foremost concerned with retribution flowing from his wrath against sinners. The only way for his anger to be placated is in receiving recompense from those who have wronged him; and although his great love motivates him to send his Son, his wrath remains the driving force behind the need for the cross.

Given the chance to clarify whether he is talking about a particular presentation of penal substitution, or penal substitution at all, Chalke is very clear, that it is the whole idea of penal substitution that he rejects as making God a child abuser.

In The Lost Message of Jesus I claim that penal substitution is tantamount to ‘child abuse – a vengeful Father punishing his Son for an offence he has not even committed.’ Though the sheer bluntness of this imagery (not original to me of course) might shock some, in truth, it is only a stark ‘unmasking’ of the violent, pre-Christian thinking behind such a theology. And the simple truth is that if God does not relate to his only Son as a perfect father, neither can we relate to him as such.

Steve Chalke does in fact clearly deny penal substitution. There is some irony in the NT Wright article. In comments he makes about the recent book Pierced for Our Transgressions
he says,

Sadly, the debate I have reviewed – with the honourable and brief exception of Robert Jenson’s article which began this whole train of thought – shows every sign of the postmodern malaise of a failure to think, to read texts, to do business with what people actually write and say rather than (as is so much easier!) with the political labelling and dismissal of people on the basis of either flimsy evidence or ‘guilt by association’.

I fear that it is Wright's criticisms of Pierced for Our Transgressions, not the book's statements that Chalke denies penal substitution, that result from a failure to read the relevant texts.

Steve Chalke clearly denies penal substition. He hates the idea. In His mind, it undermines the loving character of God. I hope that NT Wright will withdraw his accusations of carelessness on the part of the authors of Pierced for Our Transgressions, and humbly admit that it is he who has been careless.

To read more on Chalke's book, see my review of it here.

Reflections on the birth of a Son.

After the birth of our second son and third child in the early hours of Thursday morning, I have been struck afresh by many things about life.

1. Life is fragile.

Watching a baby seconds after his birth struggling for breath and wondering, praying that he will not stop. Seeing his tiny chest beating 150 beats per minute. Our physical life is desperately fragile. We are indeed like flowers.

2. Life is precious.

There was obviously no inrinsic change in value in our son the moment his life became outside the womb rather than inside. But seeing him, touching him, holding him, smelling him, hearing him brings home the extraodianry value that a human being has.

3. Life is either well spent or wasted.

Human life is precious ultimately because of the precious Lord whom we are called to image. My son is called to live his life displaying the character of God for the glory of God.

Looking down at my little son, not knowing how long his life will be, or how he will use that time, makes me deeply aware of the fact that he might spend his life well, or badly. He might spend his life honouring the Lord, or honouring idols. He has his whole life ahead of him. I pray it will be a life well spent.

4. Life is eternal.

Thinking of my son's age in seconds, then minutes, then hours, and now days helps impress upon me the eternal significance of this life. Though his physicla life here is fleeting, he has an eternal soul. It has one of only two destinies. My son will spend either an eternity praising the Lord Jesus for his goodness and mercy, or an eternity shut out from his presence. The name we have chosen for our son indicates that he belongs to the Lord, and he will in the end be judged by God alone. May he life his life before him and for him!

A Christian View of Work 10: Our Labor in the Lord is Not in Vain

The Lord’s Work is not in vain.

Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

The answer to the ‘abel’, the fleetingness of life, is to live your life with reference to the One who is not fleeting. It is the resurrection of Jesus that makes it absolutely clear why living your life for the Lord transforms everything.

I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed-- in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Cor. 15:50-58)

If we trust in Jesus Christ, we will be raised. So everything we do in the Lord’s service is not in vain.

a. By working for the Lord, whether it be filing or telling someone the gospel, we are building his kingdom. That kingdom, unlike our filing system, will last forever. Our work is restored to be a proper exercise of the image of God. We once again display God’s eternal glory.

b. We will be raised. Our relationship with Christ will go on for ever. So anything that exercises that relationship is building an eternal relationship. So it too will last.

So even if nobody notices that we are working our hardest for the Lord, it is still an eternal work. For we are honoring the Lord who deserves honoring. We will eternally live to honor him.

Everything we do in the Lord’s service is not in vain. It’s not meaningless. That is why we need to do everything in the Lord’s service. So long as work remains worship of the Lord, it will not be in vain. In fact, as we heard in a recent Sunday night address, all that we do for the Lord is multiplied by the Lord by compound interest laying up a great deposit of praise for ever in heaven.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. (Colossians 3:23-24)

Creation has been subjected to frustration not finally as a display of despair. The Lord has subjected it to frustration in hope. Frustration of this creation, and therefore of all work in this world proclaims a greater hope that our work is not in vain if it has been redeemed from futility by the one who is building an eternal city that will last for ever. If we are children of God through faith in Jesus’ death for us, where the curse we deserved has fallen, then we can rest secure that all our labor in the Lord will never be in vain. It will be used by the Lord to build a world that will never be touched by idolatry, frustration or decay.

12 Step program to...

Well, this isn't really news... it happened over a year ago, but I've only just discovered it.

Carey Hardy, Former Senior Executive pastor at Grace Community Church, gave a great 12 step program to raising a Pharisee. I've found it a helpful list to attempt to avoid in parenting...

1. Majoring on external instead of internal issues
2. Excessive control
3. Overreacting to failure
4. Being unforgiving and impatient.
5. Elevating preference over biblical principle
6. Unnecessary separatism
7. Judging others…other families
8. Being “belligerent”—a fighter
9. Favoritism
10. No humor
11. Building up their self-esteem
12. Lack of genuine spirituality

A Christian View of Work 9: Not Workng for God's glory is idolatry

B. Other work isn’t evil in itself, but when not done for the Lord’s glory becomes idolatry.

After Cain is sent off by the Lord, he starts to work. He builds a city.

So Cain went out from the LORD's presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden. Cain lay with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch. (Genesis 4:16-17)

Now God is not against the building industry. Read Nehemiah! But here Cain seems to build a city in order to shut out God, rather than to bring glory to him. Rather like those who build the city of Babel, he wants to make a name for himself and his family, not to proclaim the name of the Lord. One of his descendants was a poet. In terms of literary excellence there is hardly a better poem in ancient literature. But look at the subject matter.

Lamech said to his wives,

"Adah and Zillah, listen to me;

wives of Lamech, hear my words.

I have killed a man for wounding me,

a young man for injuring me.

If Cain is avenged seven times,

then Lamech seventy-seven times." (Genesis 4:23-24)

God is not against poetry: Read the Psalms! But this poem glories in evil rather than the Lord. If our work is not done in service of the Lord, however pleasing it is to our senses, however hard we work at it, it will only add to our guilt before God.

There are many things that are not wrong in and of themselves, as means to the end of serving the Lord. Yet they make terrible ends. Like fire, they are good servants but bad masters.

Making a profit is an important part of any business. If a business doesn’t make a profit, then however well it is serving people and the Lord, it won’t do so for long. But if making a profit becomes the chief aim of our work, then we have ceased serving the Lord. Jesus himself said, “You cannot serve God and money.”

Working to have a clean and tidy home is a good thing, which could very clearly reflect the wonderful God we have who brings order from chaos. But if that tidiness is merely so that we can feel that we are living in an ideal home and can impress people who visit, then we are seeing both our house and people who visit as a things to serve our egos rather than seeing the house as something to use in service of the Lord.

It is ironic because it is when we serve anything in this world that the ephemeral nature of our work is highlighted.

Yet not all work is futile. There is work that has eternal consequences, and that is all work that is done for the Lord. We shall look at this in our next post.

Your Worst Nightmare Soon...

Joel Osteen, author of "Your Best Life Now" (Here's Greg Gilbert's review) is planning a visit to the UK. Another British pastor in the US comments that his promotion video for the UK tour fits the bill for a resume of a super-apostle.
I will be interested to see what the British response is. My instincts tell me that his self-promotion and outrageous claims will severely clash with the cynicism of British culture.
I only hope that there are not misguided British Christians who attempt to defend him against the accusation of being a charlatan.

A Christian View of Work 8: Workng for evil ends is idolatry

Some work is now idolatry

As we saw earlier, work is worship.

That is just as much the case now as it is was before the fall. Work is still worship. But we are not always worshipping the Lord. If we are not serving the Lord with our work, we are replacing him.

A. Some ‘work’ is idolatry because what we do is in itself evil.

The chapter after the fall, Adam’s sons are going out into the field. But Cain doesn’t expend his energy tilling the ground; he expends energy murdering his brother.

Now Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to the field." And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" "I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?" The LORD said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground. Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth." (Genesis 4:8-12)

Rather than creating to reflect God’s image, Cain destroys: His sin is an act of uncreation. And it renders Abel’s life fleeting. (That’s what it means – Abel is the word translated ‘meaningless’ in Ecclesiastes.)

We need to think about this in our work. If we do anything that treats a client, colleague or competitor unfairly, then we are un-creating rather than creating. We are sinning rather than serving.

Worshipful work is intended to be the bringing of order out of chaos for the glory of God. But we can exert effort to bring chaos out of order. This is idolatry, to work to serve the devil's ends rather than the Lord's. Cain exerts energy to take his brother's innocent life.

If we are willing to bill clients for more hours than we worked for them, that is an act of ‘uncreation’ for we are sending out lies rather than proclaiming the truth. If we are willing not to challenge unsubstantiated rumors that we hear about a colleague, because we think those rumors might help us to get the promotion instead of our colleague, then that deliberate silence is an act of uncreation. If we are happy to provide a second rate product to somebody because there is more gain to us than there would be if we provided them a first rate product that doesn’t make us so much money, then that is uncreation.

Should we make sure our children hear the gospel at all costs?

My fundamentalist friend, Ben Wright (standing next to CJ Mahaney, 3rd from the right -sorry ladies, he's on our no-dating-whilst-an-intern-at-CHBC policy until the end of May) points us to a great article asking the question "If we centre the church around the kids in order to pursuade them to come and hear the gospel, will they be able to hear a gospel that teaches us to centre our lives not around ourselves, but around the glory of God as displayed in Christ" (I paraphrase).

To quote:

Once teenagers graduate from high school, however, they are suddenly confronted with a church that no longer revolves around them. We explain to these young adults that God expects them to serve others and not themselves. But for years, our example has taught them that the church exists for them. So when the church stops meeting their perceived needs—when the church stops existing for them—they have no reason to stick around.

How many ministries even to College Students are built to feed the appetite nurtured for 18 years by a man-centred ecclesiology that has been unwittingly practiced by churches desperate to see their teenagers hear the gospel at all costs?

A Christian view of Work 7: Earthly Work is ephemeral

2. Earthly work is now ephemeral.

That is, it doesn’t last. It’s not just that the land produces thistles. It’s that however hard we work, we’ll never be able to keep the thistles away. Our work doesn’t last.
This added problem comes partly from the fact that we too don’t last. So Adam himself would die and return to the dust. And after he’s dead he can’t work much. In fact his body becomes the land that gets worked by future generations.
The ephemeral nature of work is fleshed out in more detail in the book of Ecclesiastes. You would do well reading the whole book if, because the frustration and seeming pointlessness of living in a frustrated world is a recurrent theme.

So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the work into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then he must leave all he owns to someone who has not worked for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun? All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless.
A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?
(Ecclesiastes 2:17-25)

No work on earth will last. People dedicate their lives to build something. But it won’t last. Bill Gates will be forgotten one day. Microsoft will be no more. Even those who built empires will not stand. The Roman Empire might have left a few ruins behind. But that’s all they are. They’re not used for what they were designed for. And they are the great success stories. It cannot last. It will be forgotten.
Shelley’s Poem Ozymandias captures well the fleeting nature of all work, even of empires.

I met a traveler from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read,
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed,
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:
Look upon my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

Whatever you think you will achieve by your work for things in this world, it is an illusion.
You are writing a dissertation. It’s not just that nobody will read it but it will be useful to you: you yourself will probably forget it before you die. You are fixing a car. It will be on the scrap heap in a few years. You are baking a cake: it will be eaten and forgotten. You are teaching a lesson. It will be ignored and probably disproved. You are building a house. It will be owned by a fool. You are giving medicine to a child. That child will die one day. Enjoy your work in this world. Yes! It is a gift from God! But don’t live for it. For if you are working for this world it will come to nothing. It will give you food and enjoyment, but it will be a denial of the whole purpose of being a human being: to reflect the glory of God as his image bearer.