Individualism, Kant, and "I am the Church" Mentality

Okay, so some Christians regularly skip church to opt for going to the beach, going camping, going to a sporting event, hitting the off-button in order to finally sleep in, or in some other way exercise their "personal relationships" with Christ. What's the big deal? Can't we all worship God in our own ways? After all, God is not to be found in buildings. So, doesn't meeting in buildings somehow dampen my worship experience?

One of passages in Scripture that feeds this error is John 4. Well, okay, it's not the passage but how we read the passage. Jesus meet with the Samaritan woman, who inquires if God is to be worshiped on this mountain or that one (a religious debate of their time). Jesus testifies that true worship does not involve location, but "spirit and truth." Since true worship does not involve location, some contend, then it does not matter if you worship God in a church or on a surfboard.

I was reading a journal article on John 4 which got me to thinking about this. Specifically, there is a quote I wanted to share here for you to ponder:
Kant was infamous for his dislike of formal or ritualized religion, and would regularly duck out of academic processions just as they were about to enter the church. Like Kant, some today, in the context of modernity, with its emphasis on individualism, have appealed to Jesus' words as justification for privatized religion. On this modern view, Jesus is calling for piety: the inward devotion of individuals. I think the moderns have it wrong. Jesus is not contrasting external worship with internal worship. John 4 is not a charter for individuals to worship in private. No, the point is that the Father has created real worshipers by begetting them again in the Spirit. The Father is creating a new temple in the form of a new people: the body of Christ.
Kevin J. Vanhoozer, "Worship at the Well: From Dogmatics to Doxology (And Back Again)." TRINJ 23NS (2002), 11.

As such, it is a stretch to apply John 4 to an anti-church perspective.

Popular posts from this blog

RE: "Pastor Dayna Muldoon EXPOSED"

Image
It enough to make your heart ache.  "Pastor" Dayna Muldoon  has been pitching her tent in Florida, and like Todd Bentley before , false claims to miracles, healing, and prophecies litter her campsites. This video of a Calvary Chapel pastor exposing her as a false prophet has been appearing in various places, and its been uploaded to YouTube multiple times.  Even Todd Friel got animated about this , and nothing gets him hyper. Here's the deal: Muldoon set up her tent-meetings right down the road from Calvary Chapel St. Petersburg , peeking the interests of many attending the church.  When they listened to the message she presented, however, they found it not to be the Gospel, but instead the typical narcissistic message of health and blessings from God. This is coming from a Calvary Chapel crew, folks that are typically non-cessationists themselves.  Many churches, including this particular Calvary Chapel , host after-glow services where one ex...
Click to read more...

Was Rebekah a child when she married Isaac?

Did Isaac marry a three-year-old?  If you've never pondered this question, it's because nothing in the straightforward reading of the text would suggest that Rebekah was a toddler or that their marriage was arranged. Even so, a couple of verses out of context could be used by skeptics to prove anything.  While perusing the web for a related topic, however, I found a thread stating that the Bible isn't against the raping of children .  The cited evidence was this issue, the claim being that Isaac engaged in pedophilia. The question comes from the fact that Genesis 22:23 announces the birth of Rebekah after the binding of Isaac.  Tradition states that Isaac was then thirty-seven, and Scripture says that the two wed when Isaac was forty (Gn 25:20).  Hence, Isaac robbed the cradle. The whole theory is fraught with assumptions, the primary being that Scripture never records a age marker for Rebekah.  Further complicating the matter, however, is Jewis...
Click to read more...

MacArthur: Calvinism in a Nutshell

Image
From YouTube: Calvinism (Also know by Doctrines of Grace or Reformed theology) John MacArthur use Romans 8:28-30 as main text. The five points of calvinism are Total depravity (total inability), Unconditional election, Limited atonement (Also called particular redemption or definite atonement), Irresistible grace (also called efficacious grace), and Perseverance of the saints. Full sermon http://www.gty.org/resources/sermons/90-427 Romans 8:28, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren. And these whom He predestined, He also called. And these whom He called, He also justified. And these whom He justified, He also glorified."
Click to read more...