What Does Scripture Teach On Male Headship and Equality of Men and Women?

Introduction:

    Last week (June 7-13, 2026), The Southern Baptist Convention held its annual meeting in Orlando, Florida. In such meetings there are proposals voted upon and resolutions made that express Southern Baptist opinions and concerns on current issues. One such matter, which has been a major discussion for years in SBC life had to do with whether men alone ought to be Senior Pastors, ordained pastoral staff, and Elders. , Bishops, as well as Pastoral staff; or whether such offices ought to include women as well. 

    The resolution put forward by Al Mohler Jr. and passed by a 75% affirmative vote on June 13, 2026. Readers may access the entire resolution here On the Office and Function of Pastor/Elder/Overseer - SBC.net. What I want to is outline why I whole heartily agreed with this amendment. 

    To the point: what does the Scripture teach on male headship and equality of men and women? Is male headship in head-on collision with maintaining equal dignity of men and women? To answer such questions, we need to keep before us four lenses when discussing a Christian worldview of gender roles in marriage and the local church: Biological lens, Theological lens, Ecclesiological lens, and an Eschatological lens. 

Biological lens to define "maleness" and "femaleness".

    Genesis 1:26 states: "God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." We could define gender as follows: a God-given property (i.e. characteristic which makes a thing what it is) in the biological design, nature, and purpose of humanity. Gender makes possible relationships, marriage, reproduction, creativity, and illustration of God’s purposes revealed in Jesus. The Biblical understanding of gender is expressed as God’s gift in the BFM 2000: “The gift of gender is thus part of the goodness of God’s creation.” 

    Masculinity and femininity points to the creative expression of God Himself (see Genesis 1:26-28). For humans, the terms "assigned gender" and "gender identity" are not two independent categories as secularists contend. Rather, they are mutually dependent. Gender’s basis is biological. Even the secular American Psychological Association (APA) recognizes this point by its definition of gender: “gender refers to the attitudes, feelings and behaviors that a given culture associates with a person's biological sex.” 

    Gender expression refers to how culture views what is appropriate to each gender. The SBC ERLC (Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission) notes: 

"So, on the one hand, our gender is given (Gen. 1). And, on the other hand, the particular expression it takes varies culturally and relationally." 1

    It is this first lens that Christians use to affirm that men and women are equal in God's sight as it pertains to bearing His image as individuals and as a collective species (Genesis 5:1; 9:5-6).2 

Theological lensing reveals the complementary roles of men and women while maintaining their equality of dignity.

    Biology and the image of God showed the equal dignity men and women have before God. To say "theological lensing" means to draw together the relevant Biblical passages and doctrinal development into a coherent systematic expression of doctrines that flesh out details on a given subject (like what we're currently discussing). 

    When we apply the theological lensing of Scripture, we begin to not only see this continued equality of men and women on the one hand, but also their distinct roles on the other hand. The doctrine of creation revealed that Adam was to transmit God's revelation of Himself and commands on how to live in the Garden to His wife (Genesis 2:16-17). This headship of Adam was a covenant headship, meaning he bore the responsibility to love, cherish, and lead his wife in godliness while clinging to her in preference over his parents (Genesis 2:24-25; 1 Timothy 2:14-15). 

    The spiritual headship of the man over his wife was not to be a tyrannical headship, but a protective, cherishing, and nurturing one where he and her would exercise dominion over the earth (Genesis 1:26-28; Matthew 19:4-6). 

    From the doctrine of creation we come next to the doctrine of redemption. God's relationship with His people, whether Old Testament Israel or the New Testament church, was to be illustrated by the husband and wife relationship. God the Father redeemed the Israelite people to be as a wife unto Him (Ezekiel 16; Hosea 2). He redeemed them (Exodus 12-15), provided for them (Deuteronomy 8), loved them (Deuteronomy 7:7-8), and pledged His covenant love to them (Genesis 12:1-7; 2 Samuel 7:13-16; Jeremiah 31:31-34). 

    In the New Testament, we find that the Father had a bride in mind, the church, as a love gift to the Son from all eternity (John 17:6; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 1:2; Revelation 9:7-10). The headship of Christ over His church is asserted in the metaphor of marriage (Ephesians 5:22-33). Christ as the head of the church is in His humanity a co-heir with His church (Romans 8:14-17; Revelation 20:6; Revelation 21:2, 22-27; 22:17). Thus, we see the headship of the husband and the equality of husbands and wives expressed by this theological lensing.

Ecclesiological lensing of men and women in the local church.

    Ecclesiology is that area of Bible doctrine that studies the nature, offices, and life of the local church and the church the world-over. Without those first two lenses (biological and theological lensing), the whole matter of male headship in the pastoral office would appear as it does to uninformed people: arbitrary, bigoted, and random.3 The equal dignity of each gender and the complementary roles each have is necessary to maintain the overall Biblical understanding of leadership and life in the local church. 

    When Christ came to redeem men and women, He recovered the equality of dignity and complementarity of the genders as Divinely envisioned. His incarnation as a man affirmed the Divine desire to redeem men who with Adam were responsible for the entry of sin into the world and on the human species (Romans 5:12-21). 

    Christ as the Second Adam in earthly ministry elevated  women to their original equality of dignity with men, treating them with respect, honor, love, and giving to them areas of service (Luke 10:38-42; Mark 10:9). Outside of the pastoral and elder offices in the local church, women can serve as missionaries and in any non-ordained office in the church. Although women are not allowed to exercise authority of Biblical teaching over men (1 Timothy 2:15), they nonetheless can exercise their gifts and teach God's Word to women who need uplifted and discipled (Titus 2:3-4).

    The foregoing Scriptural teaching stands behind why in the local church, the leadership of Pastors, Elders, and ordained staff is to be men (1 Timothy 2:12; 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9). This is not bigotry, but rather God's original plan to convey the Lordship of Christ over His church and God's authority over creation.4  This same pattern holds what is true of Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:22-33).  

    The dignity of women in the church and congregation is also asserted by the Bible's teaching on women in the local church. In the resolution I mentioned earlier "On the Office and Function of Pastor/Elder/Overseer", one of its "whereas" statements summarizes well this point with prooftexts:

"WHEREAS, Scripture teaches that women are equally created in the image of God, gifted by the Holy Spirit for meaningful service, and valuable in the work of the church (Genesis 1:27; Acts 2:17-18; 1 Corinthians 11:5, 12; Titus 2:3-5)."

Eschatological lensing points to where redeemed men and women will spend eternity with the Lord Jesus Christ.

    Eschatology is the Biblical, doctrinal study of "last things", which includes life after death, Heaven and Hell, Christ's return to earth, His Kingdom, final judgment, and the New Heavens and New Earth. Popularly called "Bible Prophecy", eschatology reminds us that the Gospel not only deals with the past and sin, but it also holds the promise of what God will accomplish in bringing about His redemption of the cosmos and the completion of the salvation of all who have trusted in Christ by faith (1 Corinthians 15:23-28; 1 Thessalonians 5; 2 Peter 3; Revelation 4-20). 

    Passages such as Revelation 19:7-10 reveal Christ's return to earth with Christians as His "Bride", for whom He had already rewarded for their faithfulness to Him in this life (see also Romans 14:10; 1 Corinthians 3:10-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10). The "Bride of Christ" theme is as much a redemptive truth pictured by marriage (Ephesians 5:22-33) as it is an eschatological reality in the ages to come (Revelation 21:1-2).5 

Closing thoughts:

    In today's post I aimed to give four lenses through which we can grasp the Biblical teaching on male headship and equality of men and women. These two ideas are not contradictory but complementary truths. Biologically, God had from creation made men and women equal in dignity. Theologically, we saw through the doctrines of creation, redemption, and Christ's incarnation that the genders are equal image bearers and distinctly assigned roles that fulfill God's original design for creation and salvation. The ecclesiological lens or "church-wise" view of things reminded us that male-only pastoral leadership and that of Elders model the foundational truths of our biological and theological understandings of humanity from the Bible. Then eschatologically, we're reminded of how such teaching telegraphs God's ultimate plan to bring about the New Heavens and New Earth for His redeemed people. This, I hope, has clearly conveyed the Biblical teaching on male headship and equality of men and women. 

Endnotes:

1. God's image refers to the spiritual, rational, and relational properties that uniquely makes a human being human, created and endowed by their Maker, who imprinted such uniqueness into the biology and psychology of each human being.

2. To blur the distinctions between biological gender and the expressions of it leads to the confusing psychological condition known as “gender dysphoria”. Since gender is a biological property, a person cannot choose their gender, since it is inherent to who they are as a person. Put another way, it is invalid to say that gender is somehow obtained by psychologically identifying with a different gender, since it blurs “what kind of human being one is” versus “what they would feel better in being”.  

2. I have noticed over the decades that those who argue for an "egalitarian" model of church leadership, which asserts that the pastoral office is serviceable by women as well as men, typically do not devote attention to those first two lenses.

4. Binary patterns such as these safeguard God's people against the tendency of secular and paganized systems to erase such patterns. This pattern of male spiritual leadership in the church returns us to the creational pattern of male spiritual leadership originally in the Garden and in marriage.

5. The male headship of Christian marriage and male pastoral leadership in the local church telegraph this potent eschatological / prophetic reality. When Christ came, He introduced the forthcoming Kingdom of God in preview form (Mark 1:15). Each local church is to function as an embassy of Christ's coming kingdom, composed of born-again ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:18-21). The equal dignity of men and women who are co-sharers of the vision of God through Christ in the New Heavens and New Earth is also to be conveyed in marriage and the local church. 

Reflections On Seeking God In Prayer During The National Day Of Prayer 2017

Daniel 9:19 "O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and take action! For Your own sake, O my God, do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”

1 Timothy 2:1 "First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men."

Introduction:

Today is set aside by many people in America by what is called: "The National Day of Prayer". In the above opening passages, we find two men, separated by six centuries of time, bearing the same message: seeking God on behalf of their respective situations, countries, cities and governments. 

The prophet Daniel is the first of these men. He is the one who wrote Daniel 9:19, which is the theme verse for the 2017 day of prayer. For those interested, the entire event - including its history, videos and other resources -can be found at the following website: http://www.nationaldayofprayer.org. Daniel sought the Lord in his day. He had been in a foreign land - Babylon - for some seventy years. He knew what it was like to be desperate for God.

The second man, the Apostle Paul, wrote a letter to a young pastor named Timothy some six centuries after Daniel. His concern was about making sure Timothy knew what it took to pastor the church of the living God. Among his important instructions, we see Paul urging this young pastor to lead the church to seek God in prayer. On this National Day of Prayer 2017, I thought it would be appropriate to consider what it means to seek God in prayer.  We will glean our observations from what Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 2. For this special "National Day of Prayer" post, we will utilize the acrostic s.e.e.k to discover how we can seek God in prayer.

Start with God.  1 Timothy 2:1
The Holy Ghost says through Paul in 1 Timothy 2:1 "First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men." Four Greek words for prayer are used by Paul in this first verse. Without going into the details, the four terms speak of a progressive effort to desperately seek God. As you study the subject of prayer, you discover that prayer is born of God in the context of need.  So why pray? Because only God can control outcomes.  He desires Christians to participate in prayer for the bringing about of His will in those outcomes.  When you start with God in prayer, you will also end with Him in prayer (Matthew 6; Luke 11).  So to "seek" God in prayer means you start with God. But notice secondly....

Expect God to respond. 1 Timothy 2:2-3
Paul continues on in 1 Timothy 2:2, noting that as we pray on behalf of kings, authorities and all people, we pray "so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity." Why do God's people and churches get so discouraged in prayer? we often do not expect God to respond. Prayers with no expectations lead to no results.  Leonard Ravenhill, a long-time evangelist and advocate of prayer, writes: 

"The lightbulb for us Christians is prayer and God has the power.  But it is faith that makes the connection."  

Expect great things from the Great God and watch the Great God do great things.  So you need to start with God, and expect God to respond. Notice thirdly....

Express prayers for non-Christians. 1 Timothy 2:4-6
We read these words in 1 Timothy 2:3-6 "This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time." So why mention Christ's Person and Accomplishment of salvation in the middle of a section on prayer? Because the cross is the ground of prayer.  

Furthermore, Paul is reminding His people that a praying people must not just pray for themselves but beyond themselves.  Praying for the lost means your are not just seeking the face of God, but also the heart of God.  Before you ever thought about your unsaved loved ones and friends - God had them on His mind before time began.  Prior to any tears the church of God may shed for the unconverted, God ordained the Son to assume humanity to shed His blood on their behalf. Prayer is the sail to which faith is attached.  The Good Gospel Ship is born along by the winds of the Spirit blowing into the sail of prayer.  

As Paul already wrote, praying on behalf of all people will ensure the necessary conditions for proclaiming the Gospel to those who would or could oppose it.  So when you seek God, start with God, expect Him to respond and express prayers for non-Christian people, but notice finally....

Keep Praying, stop complaining.  1 Timothy 2:7-8
Paul writes these words in 1 Timothy 2:7-8 "For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying) as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. 8 Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension." Why would Paul tell this young pastor to warn the people not to pray in "wrath and dissension".  Why? Because the church to often is known more for fighting one another rather than fighting the good fight of faith.  The three underlined words (faith, truth and pray) signal to us how it is we must keep praying, and truly stop complaining.  

Faith, rather than fear, will ensure that we pray rather than complain.  Truth, rather than error, will encourage us to pray rather than complain.  Then prayer itself, rather than picking on one another, characterizes the church who is praying rather than complaining.  Paul's preaching in 1 Timothy 2:7 and the exhortation to pray in verse 8 go hand in hand.  

God has blessed us more than we deserve.  Churches who truly seek God in prayer and are about His kingdom work find far less to complain about.  In fact, I would suspect that the complaining that you and I find ourselves doing is a sure sign that we are not praying as we should nor sharing the Gospel as we ought.

Closing thoughts
Lord help us as your church in America and throughout the world to be a people who s.e.e.k you in prayer not only for this day, but everyday.

The Christian's declaration of dependence and true freedom

Romans 8:1-2 "Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death."

Introduction: Comparing National Freedom and Spiritual Freedom

When we talk about freedom, what comes to mind? Undoubtedly this 4th of July weekend celebrates the freedom we have as Americans. American freedom is marked by "independence". The opening paragraph of the Declaration of Independence, states: "When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation."

The July 4, 1776 Declaration of Independence represents the quintessential statement of freedom that birthed forth our nation. Inasmuch as "independence" often marks freedom in respect to men, the opposite is the case in matters relating to the Christian life. Sin at its very core attempts to envision life independent from God. Whenever a Christian tries to live apart from submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, the Christian life becomes locked down. Today's post is about explaining Romans 8:1-11 in what we could call: "the declaration of dependence". We will propose that true spiritual freedom is dependence by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 

The natural human realm generally shows that life independent from God leads to tyranny

The founding fathers of this nation understood as a general principle that living apart from God and His word will only lead to further human tyranny. Unless many of them had been Christians, such an insight might not have been gained. Tyranny is the inevitable outcome whenever a nation or a people attempt to cut its moorings from God. Charles Carroll, one of the signers of the "Declaration of Independence", notes: "Without morals a republic cannot subsist any length of time; they therefore who are decrying the Christian religion, whose morality is so sublime and pure...are undermining the solid foundation of morals, the best security for the duration of free governments." Carroll's statement shows that with respect to God in general, what marks true freedom (even more so than national freedom) is not independence, but dependence. The specific revelation of this point in scripture itself reinforces the argument in texts such as Proverbs 14:34 and Jeremiah 18:7-10. 

Spiritual freedom is dependence upon God

Only when one has become born-again by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, the greatest and most purest freedom is experienced. Spiritual freedom is dependence upon the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself states in John 8:34-36 "Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. 36 So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed." 

Spiritual freedom's core trait of dependence upon the Lord Jesus Christ is total opposite to how we may typically think of freedom in the natural realm. Galatians 5:1 states - "It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery." The yoke of slavery made us dead in sins and trespasses and separated from God, without hope in this world. (Ephesians 2:12) Jesus Himself states in Matthew 11:28  “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." True freedom is experienced as a result of submission under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. (Luke 9:23-24) Freedom is dependence on God in Jesus Christ.

For people who find themselves enslaved to their past, the chief mark of life is (perceived) independence from God. Paul reminds the Thessalonians of the change that took place in them in 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 - "For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, 10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come." Unlike our civil freedom in which we broke ties with a human Sovereign, the Gospel declares that true freedom is only found when we are reconciled to the Divine Sovereign. Spiritual freedom is dependence upon God.

Getting real specific about spiritual freedom in the Gospel - The believer's declaration of dependence - Romans 8:1-11

In general the scriptures assert this underlying premise that true spiritual freedom results from dependence, rather than independence from God. In Romans 8:1-11 Paul spells out what is entailed in the wonder of spiritual freedom that the Christian enjoys as a result of the Gospel. Spiritual freedom in Christ means we have been freed "from" things and are free "to" things. 

1. Freedom from condemnation. 8:1-2

2. Freedom to desire God.   8:5-8

3. Freedom to live for God.   8:3-4,9-11

When we are set free by Jesus Christ in saving faith, we find that we are free to do what we ought to do. You and I cannot get "out" of condemnation unless we are "in" Christ. Romans 8:2 describes how this occurs: namely by the Spirit of Life and His guiding influence or what Paul terms "law". On February 20, 1962, decorated WWII and Korean War veteran John Glenn circumnavigated our globe three times in a span of just under 5 hours. Reaching speeds of over 17,000 m.p.h, Glenn achieved a feat that no one had ever accomplished. How did he do it? He did this otherwise impossible feat by climbing into the Mercury program space capsule known as "Friendship 7". Moreover, the laws of lift and science of Rocketry were necessary to overcome the other leading influence - gravity. Glenn's inaugural journey was one of the quintessential moments that launched the modern space race. You and I dear friend need to be "in Christ" if we are to declare dependence on God and be set free from condemnation.

Closing thoughts & applications

By being set free from condemnation and set free to desire God, the sinner is transformed into a saint who now can live for God. True freedom depends on God through faith in Jesus Christ, both in the beginning and ongoing realities of Christian salvation. This is what makes Romans 8:1-11 so wonderful, in that it is the believer's “declaration of dependence”. The irony of the Gospel is that one is never more free than when their bound to Jesus Christ. True freedom as spelled out in Romans 8:1-11 means:

1). Freed from condemnation as a result of depending on His righteousness (Romans 8:1-2).

2). Free to desire God as a result of dying to my own selfish desires (Romans 8:5-8).

3). Free to live for God as a result of dying to self (Romans 8:3-4, 9-11) Jesus taught that such freedom is at the heart of what it means to be a follower of Him (Luke 9:23-24; 14:26-33; Romans 6:19-20).

So as we practically live out our freedom in Jesus Christ, how ought it to be? First, we of course must begin by getting into Christ by faith. (Romans 8:1-2) Secondly, following conversion, we re-order our minds around the scripture. (Romans 8:3-8) Then finally, we rely upon the indwelling Holy Spirit. (Romans 8:9-11)

P5 Concluding Notes from a Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma Conference: The Gospel, Sexuality and the Church - Conclusion

Note to readers: The above image is from the weekly publication, "The Baptist Messenger", produced by the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma (BGCO). The link is www.baptistmessenger.com. All comments below and links were granted permission by the BGCO to be used in today's post. May what is written below inform and equip the reader to the glory of God.

Introduction:
A few weeks ago this blogger had the opportunity to attend a conference sponsored by the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma (henceforth from here we will use it's abbreviation "BGCO") entitled: "The Gospel, Sexuality and the Church". My intention for attending this conference was two-fold:

1). To be equipped on how to better communicate to people what the Bible has to say about the Gospel and it's bearing on gender, sexuality, the church and culture.

2). To know how to express the love of Jesus in a better way to all people, regardless of sexual orientation.

The conference to say the least was very well done, organized, positively communicated and Biblical. As each sermon and panel discussion was presented, I felt it necessary to not only take notes but to make them available to readers of this blog with the hope of sharing this informative, engaging and Gospel-centered conference. Today's post concludes my summary of this very important and significant conference. The BGCO has posted some of the plenary sessions on their website, as well as links to their weekly publication: "The Baptist Messenger", which features after-conference reflections and articles by key leadership in the BGCO. Here are the links: http://www.bgco.org/bgco-conference and http://www.baptistmessenger.com/the-gospel-sexuality-the-church-2/. 

Final Panel Discussion: Communicating the Gospel in a culture that is committed to blurring the genders
This final panel discussion dealt with questions that centered around gender and the Gospel, hence this author's heading for this summary of the final panel discussion. The discussion began by defining the often talked about "LBGTQ Culture", which stands for
Lesbian, Bi-sexual, Gay, Transgender and questioning of one's sexual gender. This title summarizes the worldview that is attempting to redefine what it means to be a man and woman, marriage and family. After this initial discussion, the panelists were asked the following questions:

1). How has pornography affected our culture? Dr. R. Albert Mohler of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary notes two basic types of pornography: 

a). Ambient pornography. The kind of images we see on billboards and in stores.

b). Explicit pornography. Men are more image driven and look for men-like women, whereas women are more emotionally driven and look for more emotionally expressive and sensitive men. Dr. Mohler also noted that 60-70% of men in churches are viewing pornography every week. It is an epidemic. Author C.S Lewis has noted that pornography increases drive but decreases satisfaction.

2). What about sexual identity? Our identity is found by being made into the image of Christ at salvation. We are created with sexual desire. When people talk about orientation, the discussions centers around a pattern of expressing one's desire. 

3). What about same-sex attraction? Before the 1870's, people talked mainly about gender as being male or female. After the 1870's the psychological community began to talk about orientation. Because of sin and our fallen world, our internal emotional world oftentimes does not line up with the reality of human beings made in God's image. Though some people don't have a choice when they have same-sex attraction, they do have a choice in how they respond. Our primary responsibility is not to change someone's identity, but to give them the gospel. The gospel will transform their hearts and minds. Whatever we behold, we become. 

4). What about hate speech? We have to be aware of people who would like to suppress certain forms of speech that oppose their worldview. (1 Peter 2:5-9)
A Gospel that does not include both the challenge and subsequence experience of a transformed life is not the Gospel.

As the conference drew to a close, Dr. R. Albert Mohler gave the closing plenary sermon out of Romans 1. In his message he pointed out how often we see fallen man "exchanging" God for something else of far lesser value. (Romans 1:23,24,25,26,28). In short, we are seeing our culture as a whole exchanging God's truth for a man made lie. The one quote that stuck out in this writer's mind was when Dr. Mohler quoted thinker Theo Hobson: "3 things must be in place for a moral revolution:

a. That which was condemned is celebrated

b. That which was celebrated is condemned

c. Those who won't celebrate are condemend"

As Dr. Mohler closed his message, we were reminded that we have the most effective message in the world - the good news of Jesus Christ - the Gospel. Thus let's shine the light of Jesus, the love of God and the life-changing power of God's word to our gay and lesbian neighbors and 21st century culture while upholding the unwavering message of God's word.  

P4 Notes from a Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma Conference: The Gospel, Sexuality and the Church - Passing the torch of the Christian worldview onto the next generation

Note to readers: The above image is from the weekly publication, "The Baptist Messenger", produced by the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma (BGCO). The link is www.baptistmessenger.com. All comments below and links were granted permission by the BGCO to be used in today's post. May what is written below inform and equip the reader to the glory of God. Introduction: A few weeks ago this blogger had the opportunity to attend a conference sponsored by the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma (henceforth from here we will use it's abbreviation "BGCO") entitled: "The Gospel, Sexuality and the Church". My intention for attending this conference was two-fold: 1). To be equipped on how to better communicate to people what the Bible has to say about the Gospel and it's bearing on gender, sexuality, the church and culture. 2). To know how to express the love of Jesus in a better way to all people, regardless of sexual orientation. The conference to say the least was very well done, organized, positively communicated and Biblical. As each sermon and panel discussion was presented, I felt it necessary to not only take notes but to make them available to readers of this blog with the hope of sharing this informative, engaging and Gospel-centered conference. Today's post continues my summary of this very important and significant conference. The BGCO has posted some of the plenary sessions on their website, as well as links to their weekly publication: "The Baptist Messenger", which features after-conference reflections and articles by key leadership in the BGCO. Here are the links: http://www.bgco.org/bgco-conference and http://www.baptistmessenger.com/the-gospel-sexuality-the-church-2/. Today's post will feature remarks about how to pass the torch of the Christian worldview onto the next generation and a summary of the final plenary message given by Dr. R. Albert Mohler Jr. of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Panel Discussion on the topic of passing the torch of the Christian worldview on the next generation 1.) The discussion began with talking about the generation known as the "millennials" (roughly defined as either people born in the 1980's or people reaching adulthood by the early 2000's). Today Millennials are very strong when it comes to the issue of "pro-life", and yet the Millennials do not by and large have any conflict with same-sex unions. It can be very instructive to compare the development of the pro-life movement responding to the pro-choice agenda to how Christians are looking to approach a culture wherein 47% of polled adults favor same-sex unions. Although pro-life arguments are gaining traction within the culture, the traction is not ncessarilty based on theological reasons. Inconsistency among Millennials on the issues of pro-life and same-sex is due to fear. Whatever you fear drives your worldview. 2). What concerning points should Church be aware of in movies like "50 shades of grey"? We must realize that the same lies that are promoted in the culture can be written into the hearts of uncareful people in the church. For those who go by the world's standard, sexuality becomes a means of escape rather than covenant. Dr. Al Mohler quotes atheistic philosopher Michel Foucalt as saying that to experience life, one must transgress the forbidden limits so as to illicitly awaken sexual desire. 3). How do we minister to people who are struggling over their gender? First, remind people of the common humanity shared between men and women and secondly, point to the distinctiveness of men and women. (Genesis 1:26-28 ;Genesis 2:24-25). Such distinction are crucial to biblical narrative, since the Bible warns us to of what happens when these roles are misused (such as in the case of Samson and Delilah). The distinctions between men and women are not only a matter of creation and redemption, but also eschatology. The doctrine of creation teaches from the beginning God created male and female so as to introduce beauty, relationship, depth of meaning and genuine enjoyment in marriage. The doctrine of redemption has Jesus Christ as the second Adam, a man, coming to die for His bride, the church (symbolized as his wife). Henceforth the doctrines of creation and redemption point the way to the fulfillment of God's purposes or eschatology. In eternity, there will be God's redeemed people, each with a resurrection body and each distinguished as male and female. When looking at God's eschatology for His people and creation, at the center is Christ and His Bride (the church), functioning as One yet distinct, with Christ as Lord and the church as his yielded and cherished wife. 4). Dr. Moore mentions we need one another since men and women have distinct roles. Only time women are to be submissive is a marriage not in a general sense. What does Church need to address with young people without a Christian worldview? Three observations: First, we cannot keep doing the same things we've done before in reaching out to people. Second, older generations of Christians need to stop seeing Millennials as a different species of people. Millennials still need to know what to do with their guilt and they still need the Church and parents articulating the Christian worldview. Thirdly, Millennials need a mentor. One of the panelists noted it is the preacher's responsibility to preach the text and it is the Holy Spirit's job to apply the message specifically for each person's heart. We need to teach students how to walk in the spirit and overcome the flesh which never helps. 5). Dr. Moore notes two ways we can respond the young people: either like Saul throwing a javelin at David vs a Paul extending a ministry hand to Timothy and others. They need to see a genuine faith in Christ with a testimony of God with the conviction that there is a word from God.

P3 Notes from a Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma Conference: The Gospel, Sexuality and the Church - Answering tough questions

Note to readers: The above image is from the weekly publication, "The Baptist Messenger", produced by the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma (BGCO). The link is www.baptistmessenger.com.  All comments below and links were granted permission by the BGCO to be used in today's post. May what is written below inform and equip the reader to the glory of God. 

Introduction:
A few weeks ago this blogger had the opportunity to attend a conference sponsored by the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma (henceforth from here we will use it's abbreviation "BGCO") entitled: "The Gospel, Sexuality and the Church". My intention for attending this conference was two-fold: 

1). To be equipped on how to better communicate to people what the Bible has to say about the Gospel and it's bearing on gender, sexuality, the church and culture.

2). To know how to express the love of Jesus in a better way to all people, regardless of sexual orientation. 

The conference to say the least was very well done, organized, positively communicated and Biblical. As each sermon and panel discussion was presented, I felt it necessary to not only take notes but to make them available to readers of this blog with the hope of sharing this informative, engaging and Gospel-centered conference. Thus for the next few posts I will be sharing by way of summary the messages and panel discussions. The BGCO has posted some of the plenary sessionson their website, as well as links to their weekly publication: "The Baptist Messenger", which features after-conference reflections and articles by key leadership in the BGCO. Here are the links: http://www.bgco.org/bgco-conference and http://www.baptistmessenger.com/the-gospel-sexuality-the-church-2/. Today's post features another panel discussion that dealt with topics such as divorce/remarriage, requests for church membership from people who want to remain in the same-sex lifestyle and how to handle situations where children express to their parents that they are gay.

Excerpts from Panel Discussion #2 of the conference: "The Gospel, Sexuality and the Church"

1. If a couple comes forward, wants membership in a church, but wants to remain gay, what does the pastor or church do? We would deal with them like any other sexual sin. Talk to them about repentance. Don't baptize them until they have repented. Perhaps they may be on the way to changing. Keep giving the Gospel. 

2. What about ministering to transgender people? Scripture says our sin has alienated us from God's design, including gender. Gender is not a meaningless idea, since Jesus asserts the uniqueness of genders in Matthew 19:4-5. Galatians 6 tells us to come up alongside people, tell them of glimmers of their masculinity or feminity. Sometimes small practical steps such as finances, affirming of gender roles. We have got to get back to discipleship.

3. What happens if a Deacon's children expresses their preference to be gay? We need to encourage the Deacon and his family to maintain contact with the child, affirming an open door of love, while at the same time affirming a biblical standard. We can still love our children while not affirming their choices.

4. How can we deal with homosexuality in comparison to divorce/remarriage? The differences between both are the following:

a. Divorce can be appropriate on Biblical grounds and then remarriage. Sometimes in remarriage, sin was committed going into the marriage. People need to repent of the sin but be faithful to their current marriage. These marriages after all are legitimate marriages. 

b. There are no biblical grounds for same-sex marriage. If we respond to same-sex unions by not talking about it in our churches, we will come to accept it. How people reacted to divorce a generation ago and then came to see it as normal is how our young people look at same-sex unions (i.e. not shocked by it). 

5. Dr. Anthony Jordon, Executive Director of the BGCO, states how he despises seeing theology and doctrine only remaining in the seminaries. We need doctrine taught and preached in the church. Churches need to be good incubators of theology. 

6. What are ways we can improve upon preparing people for marriage? The only people we have the authority to marry are those who are accountable to one another. Weddings are not about love for one another, but in people making vows before God and going into something they have never experienced. Think about it, what happens if a spouse gets sick, laid-off from work or if there is infidelity? 

7. What about infertility or invitro fertilization? Dr. Moore, chairman of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the SBC, notes he is for the technology that fixes a medical problem of infertility. These efforts should not be used in situations separating sex from one-flesh unions.

8. What happens if all 50 states adopt same-sex marriage/unions. Dr. Moore notes that the government cannot force churches to perform such ceremonies. 

P2 Notes from a Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma Conference: The Gospel, Sexuality and the Church - Understanding our moral and spiritual responsibility in a culture that supports same-sex marriage

Note to readers: The above image is from the weekly publication, "The Baptist Messenger", produced by the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma (BGCO). The link is www.baptistmessenger.com.  All comments below and links were granted permission by the BGCO to be used in today's post. May what is written below inform and equip the reader to the glory of God. 

Introduction:
A few weeks ago this blogger had the opportunity to attend a conference sponsored by the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma (henceforth from here we will use it's abbreviation "BGCO") entitled: "The Gospel, Sexuality and the Church". My intention for attending this conference was two-fold: 

1). To be equipped on how to better communicate to people what the Bible has to say about the Gospel and it's bearing on gender, sexuality, the church and culture.

2). To know how to express the love of Jesus in a better way to all people, regardless of sexual orientation. 

The conference to say the least was very well done, organized, positively communicated and Biblical. As each sermon and panel discussion was presented, I felt it necessary to not only take notes but to make them available to readers of this blog with the hope of sharing this informative, engaging and Gospel-centered conference. Thus for the next few posts I will be sharing by way of summary the messages and panel discussions. The BGCO has posted some of the plenary sessionson their website, as well as links to their weekly publication: "The Baptist Messenger", which features after-conference reflections and articles by key leadership in the BGCO. Here are the links: http://www.bgco.org/bgco-conference and http://www.baptistmessenger.com/the-gospel-sexuality-the-church-2/. Today's post features a summary of a panel discussion that dealt with questions relating to our moral and spiritual responsibility in a culture that supports same-sex marriage. The participants in the discussion were Dr. R. Albert Mohler, President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Dr. Russell Moore, Chairman of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Panel discussion #1 Understanding our moral and spiritual responsibility in a culture that supports same-sex marriage.  Question 1 how did we get to this point in our culture? Dr. Mohler noted the imminent collapse of the moral structure we thought was firm. The first sexual revolution was contraception. We felt we could separate sex and procreation. We ended up in separating sex from marriage in the 1965 Griswold decision that dealt with contraception, then called "the pill". Also too, the divorce revolution in the sixties and seventies contributed to how we arrived at this current state of affairs, causing marriage to be viewed as a temporary arrangement. Dr. Mohler then quoted a philosopher who noted that people live as if they don't fear God. If moralism is our message, we're done. Question 2: What are practical ways to uphold the biblical view of marriage without being bigots? Dr. Moore notes we can avoid being bigots but we can't avoid the gospel and being viewed as such. Pastors need to deal with issues as same-sex attractiveness, much like we would deal with pornography, temptation and other areas. Question 3: What attitudes must change? An adjustment in our view of truth must take place before a truth adjustment occurs in our heart. Question 4: What about the court ruling of same-sex marriage based on the 14th amendment. Right now 59% of Americans support same-sex marriage. Even if court rules against it, we are still in a same sex supporting culture. If we take the pro-life movement as a model - short term it was going to be difficult, however, long term though it thrived. How? By means of a multi-pronged strategy of political societal and spiritual reconciliation. Same sex marriage is not only immoral but impossible. If the courts on June 30th rule in favor of same-sex people as being a constitutionally protected class, it will have massive reprucussions for religious liberties. 37 States currently have legalized same-sex marriage. Question 5: What about convictional kindness? Dr. Moore noted that civility is too low of a bar. Capitulation is not kindness. 2 Timothy 2:23-25 tells us to speak and kindness the way Jesus said it. We express both content and the intention to convey the voice of Jesus. We must have confidence in the power of the Holy Spirit. We are not dealing with issues, but people. Question 6: What happens when a loved one expresses they are gay? We must recognize the language of the heart and deeds and how we treat people. Dr. Moore noted we must Crucifier pride. We must stop a searching for our own self image. There's not one family in the scripture that does not have a prodigal child. Research was done in North America, Africa and Asia with researchers telling the prodigal-son story as it appears in Luke 15:11-32. The researchers then had the people retell it back. The North Americans missed the detail of the family, whereas the Africans and South Americans did not. Question 6: How do we address this issue? We begin by talking about marriage and sexuality in the Bible and how it relates to the gospel. We must not have fear, but faith in addressing sin. Question 7: What blind spots do we have as evangelical Christians? We need to get to know gay and lesbian people so they can hear us and we can hear them. Closing thoughts? The Gospel will be voted down 100% of the time by unbelievers. Marriage persists because it is embedded in creation. (Genesis 1:26-28 and Genesis 2:23-25). We need to look to the Holy Spirit and the Scriptures. Dr. Mohler reminds us that the church has had to face these issues before, since the scriptures were revealed to it in a pagan, Graeco-Roman culture.

P1 Notes from a Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma Conference: The Gospel, Sexuality and the Church - The Strangeness of the Gospel to our culture in need of the Gospel

Note to readers: The above image is from the weekly publication, "The Baptist Messenger", produced by the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma (BGCO). The link is www.baptistmessenger.com.  All comments below and links were granted permission by the BGCO to be used in today's post. May what is written below inform and equip the reader to the glory of God.  John 4:9-13 "Therefore the Samaritan woman said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” 11 She said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep; where then do You get that living water?12 You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself and his sons and his cattle?” 13 Jesus answered and said to her,“Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” Introduction: A few weeks ago this blogger had the opportunity to attend a conference sponsored by the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma (henceforth from here we will use it's abbreviation "BGCO") entitled: "The Gospel, Sexuality and the Church". My intention for attending this conference was two-fold: 1). To be equipped on how to better communicate to people what the Bible has to say about the Gospel and it's bearing on gender, sexuality, the church and culture. 2). To know how to express the love of Jesus in a better way to all people, regardless of sexual orientation. The conference to say the least was very well done, organized, positively communicated and Biblical. As each sermon and panel discussion was presented, I felt it necessary to not only take notes but to make them available to readers of this blog with the hope of sharing this informative, engaging and Gospel-centered conference. Thus for the next few posts I will be sharing by way of summary the messages and panel discussions. The BGCO has posted some of the plenary sessions on their website, as well as links to their weekly publication: "The Baptist Messenger", which features after-conference reflections and articles by key leadership in the BGCO. Here are the links: http://www.bgco.org/bgco-conference and http://www.baptistmessenger.com/the-gospel-sexuality-the-church-2/. Today's post will feature summary notes of the first session preached by Dr. Russell Moore, Chairman of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), wherein He talks about how to approach this issue of the Gospel, Sexuality and the Church from the account of Jesus' conversation with the woman at the well in John 4. Dr. Moore refers to the need to proclaim the "Strangeness of the Gospel to our culture in need of the Gospel". The BGCO conference the Gospel, sexuality and the church - session #1: "The Strangeness of the Gospel to our culture in need of the Gospel". Dr. Russell Moore, Chairman of the ERLC.   In session 1, Dr. Russell Moore preached from John chapter 4:1-20. He introduced his message by talking about how shocking and counter intuitive the Gospel was to two kids he taught. In short, they thought the gospel was strange. As Christians, we are used to a "Nicodemus" culture (compare Nicodemas and Jesus in John 3) whereby people want to be something with a thin veneer of religiosity. We are shifting to a Samaritan woman culture (please compare the Samaritan woman and Jesus in John 4). When we compare Nicodemus to the woman of Samaria we find out what is meant by this. 1). Nicodemus came to Jesus by night whereas the woman of Samaria came to Jesus by day. 2). Nicodemus was all about morality whereas the woman of Samaria was immoral. 3). Nicodemus came asking Jesus questions where as Jesus asked the woman of Samaria questions. So how does Jesus engage the Samaritan woman? Moreover, what should be our method of cultural engagement with the Gospel, since we are no longer in a Nicodemus culture? Let's notice some things. Jesus shed light on the issues with the Gospel. Jesus was not afraid to take the light of Himself, the embodiment of the Gospel, and shed light into the world of the Samaritan woman. It must first be noted that people in our culture are offended by Christian views of marriage, but moreover, our views on final judgment. Jesus tells this woman to go get her husband. He doesn't sidestep the heart issues, since he is calling her to repentance. Secondly, sexuality is a powerful impulse an expression created by God. Marriage is a sermon, an invitation that preaches the gospel. If we refuse to hold fast to what Jesus and His apostles gave us, we will be unloving to our neighbours and leave consciences undisturbed. Third, sexuality is not a political issue but a moral, theological issue. If we remain silent and blur the topic, we will leave those needing the gospel in the dark. Fourthly, if we do not address sexuality, people will realize we are not telling the truth and conclude that they don't need a Bible and thus draw conclusions on their own. If people sense we are unwilling to be marginalized, they won't trust us. So we can see how Jesus shed light on the issues but notice secondly.... Jesus engages His culture (i.e the Samaritan woman) in conversation and spiritual warfare. When engaging our culture, we must remember that our warfare is not with people, but with ideologies and the kingdom of darkness itself.  The Devil uses two tactics to try to destroy people: accusation and deception. How does Jesus deal with this in John chapter 4 in this conversation with the Samaritan woman? Well Jesus is not afraid of the woman. He was not disgusted nor repulsed. He sees her as an object of redemption. People holding to a Christian view on sexuality and marriage have always been in a minority. The temptations we will have are twofold: wringing our hands or shake our fists at the culture. The people railing against the gospel are reflecting the devil of Revelation 12 which reminds us that the Devil's time is short before Christ's return in judgment, which is why the Devil is angry. The church at large and Christians in particular are not walking into a new situation. When we do nothing but vent against culture, we are saying to God we deserve a better culture. We should see the people around us as those in need of Christ. So in observing Jesus and his conversation of the Samaritan woman, we see Him shed light on the issues at hand and how He dealt with the twofold method of Satan in accusation and deception. Jesus reveals the source of confidence in this present hour Let notice now the matter of the source of the Christian's confidence in this present moment. We do not find a hope in polls or political maneuvering, but in Matthew 16:18 which reminds us that the gates of Hell will not prevail against the church. The culture believes the sexual revolution will deliver on it's promises. As Christians, we know marriage is not a social construct. When James and John wanted Jesus to call down fire on the Samaritan people, Jesus chose to enter not only into their orbit, but specifically into this Samaritan woman's life. Jesus gave her spiritual water at a well that could only offer physical water. Many people are hostile to our message, however we must remember they are not to be written off. Now when it comes to communicating and embodying a biblical vision of marriage and sexuality, how do we do that? We used to assume that people agreed with us on sexuality and marriage. That perceived consensus is no longer the case. We articulate what the Scripture teaches on manhood, womanhood, fatherhood, motherhood, to our children. We must not only articulate this, but embody it. Why do we often respond in the wrong way to our children? We view them as in our image whatever they are doing. If it conflicts with us and our peer groups, it will come back on us. This focus on ourselves is selfish. Could it be that our gay and lesbian neighbors wonder what it may look like for them to take up the gospel? For them, they assume such a response would mean dying alone. That is not Acts 2 Christianity. So in approaching the Gospel, Sexuality and the Church, we learn from Jesus to shed the light of the Gospel on the issue, engage in conversation and spiritual warfare and the source of confidence. Let's consider one final thought, namely... The Strangeness of Christianity - Our Best Strategy for reaching the culture The strangeness of Christianity is what will enable us to counter are sexual revolution culture. We believe a previously dead man will show up in the sky on a horse. Our problem has been to view the Gospel as a moralistic message. Rather, we need to confess the strangeness of the gospel in a culture that sees the strangeness. If done right, such contact will open the door for the Spirit to show people that they are sinners and that God in Christ desires to reconcile them and save them from judgment." More tomorrow....

An invitation to listen to the Growing Christian Resources podcast

Romans 10:17 "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (NKJV)

Your Personal invitation

Today's post is an invitation to readers to try out the new Growing Christian Resources Podcast (www.gcrpodcast.wordpress.com). Here are the links to the two most recent episodes:

http://gcrpodcast.wordpress.com/2014/07/24/pilot-podcast-defining-the-gospel-1-corinthians-151-5/

http://gcrpodcast.wordpress.com/2014/08/01/podcast-episode-2-understanding-gods-will/

Why am I starting to podcast? 

The reason for podcasting is to get the Word out. Whenever the Word of God is taught, preached or communicated, the Holy Spirit does His work of either converting sinners or strengthening saints. The vision for gcr podcast is the same as this blog: To equip readers with the practical, doctrinal and supernatural tools they need for daily life to the glory of God. The plan, Lord willing, is for the podcast is to be a weekly program, with new episodes and transcripts available every Friday. My prayer is that the podcast, in addition to this blog and the other blogsite (www.biblicalexegete.wordpress.com) will prove useful in advancing God's Kingdom to the glory of Jesus Christ.  

P3 Biblical Evaluation of Near Death Experience (NDE) Books - Doctrinal issues and final consideration

Introduction and review:

A couple of days ago we began a series on Biblically evaluating the growing fascination among Christians and the culture alike over books authored by those who have had “Near Death Experiences” (or what is referred to in the literature as NDE’s). In 2004 Don Piper’s book “90 minutes in Heaven” became an overnight sensation in a pastor’s retelling of his alleged hour and half experience in heaven following a traumatic car accident.  In 2010 another book, featuring the alleged recounting of heavenly experiences by six year old Colton Burpo in the wake of emergency surgery sent the book in the coveted #1 New York Times Best Seller List.

To be as fair as possible, the books are well written and prove very interesting to read.  Certainly their emotionally compelling recounting of surviving trauma in the face of death draws the reader into the world of the author.  With that said, the question that keeps pressing in the back of this writer is: are these types of book Biblical? Are they helping or hurting the cause of Christ? Are they faithful to the Gospel and Biblical Christianity or do they ultimately undermine the message? Answering such questions will be the aim of this paper. This author has aimed to show that books written about NDE’s are ultimately without the authority, clarity or profitability in comparison to the only book that is singularly authoritative on matters related to life and death, heaven and hell - the Bible.  Yesterday's post aimed to answer the question about what role, if any such books function in understanding life and Bible doctrine.  We concluded that in the final analysis they don't really offer help and that the reader needs to search the scriptures instead.  Today we conclude our study.

Some doctrinal deviations that can be observed in Near Death Experience books

1). Confusion on Heaven. All of these books present a man-centered and angel-centered view of Heaven, with God in the background or mentioned in passing. The Bible on the other hand presents Heaven as the God and Christ centered reality, with the angels and people being in the back ground or mentioned in passing. See for example Revelation 1:1-20; 4:8-11; 5:9-14; 7:10-13; 11:15-17; 12:10-12; 14:2-3; 15:3-4; 19:1-10; 21:1-9; 22:16-21.

2). Scripture ends up being not enough. These books are communicated as eyewitness accounts of experiences in Heaven and thus, whether meant by the authors or not, become treated as authoritative sources for describing heaven.  The danger of such books is that over time, though such books would never be declared by many people to be on par with scripture, in practice the appearance of DVD-based Bible study curriculum featuring these writings unnecessarily blurs the lines. 1 Such central truths as the clarity and unity of scripture tends to be softened when these types of book are consulted and read. Todd Burpo writes in the book “Heaven is for Real”: When you look at the book of Revelation and other biblical teachings about Heaven, it’s kind of fragmented.” 2

The Scriptures on the other hand are alone sufficient and powerful in deepening one’s faith not only for a life-time but for all eternity. (Psalm 19:7-14; 2 Timothy 3:15-4:4) Any theology, Sunday School curriculum, sermon, lesson or devotional ought to never have as its foundation an experience, but rather scripture.

3). Blurring or conflict with key doctrines. Don Piper’s book claims there is no mention of death or the blood of Jesus in any of the songs sung in Heaven. When one compares references in Revelation 5:9-10 and 5:12 of the songs being sung, with references to the blood and the atoning work of Jesus, the conflict between what is written (scripture) versus subjective experience is shown.  On page 121 of Todd Burpo’s book “Heaven is for Real”, we see references to people having wings.3  The ready acceptance of such a description by the author blurs the line between what the Bible shows to be the difference between human beings and angels. (compare Hebrews 2:16) Clearly there are serious doctrinal issues with these books that do not line up with scripture.

Why must people be warned and cautioned about Near Death Experience type books?

Many readers may wonder why I am making such a big deal about these types of books and why I cannot recommend them. First, the authors are passing these writings off as non-fictional experiences that count as revelations about Heaven, Hell, Life and Eternity.  Such books should never be written in the first place. The Great Apostle Paul had an experience in 2 Corinthians 12 where he saw visions of Paradise and the Third Heaven and yet he was not at liberty to recount what he saw. Should not such Biblical cautions be exercised? This author would without reservation say yes.

Second, the Apostle Peter reminds us of the nature of scripture in 2 Peter 1:20 “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation.” To take a private experience, uninspired and perhaps more laden with emotional and physical trauma than spiritual insight, and place it in print for millions to read is to in a practical sense make new scripture!

Thirdly, Christians ought to be far more discerning in the positive endorsement of such literature.  The Bereans in the wake of the Apostle Paul’s second missionary journey and preaching were described as follows in Acts 17:11 “Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.”

Closing Thoughts and recommendations

In place of these fallible books, the Christian reader ought to turn to their Bible and seek out what God has to say about Heaven, Hell, life and eternity. Good resources such as Bible Dictionaries, Concordances and online websites such as Biblegateway.com can point the reader to those scriptures that describe these subjects.

Is the Bible sufficient enough in its revelation about Heaven, Hell, Life and Eternity? Think about these statistics: The Heaven where believers go when they die is mentioned and described in the Bible some 150 times, with 34 mentions in the Gospels by Jesus.  Hell is found some 95 times and is mentioned 17 times by Jesus. Demons are mentioned 95 times; Satan is found 115 times and good angels are found in some 400 places in the scriptures. The Bible alone is God’s infallible (cannot fail = John 10:35), inerrant (without error = Proverbs 30:5; 2 Timothy 3:16; Titus 1:2); clear (Luke 24:44-45) and all-sufficient (2 Peter 1:20-21) revelation about such matters. Thus it would be contended that the reader seek the scriptures and the Jesus revealed in them, since the Bible alone is sufficient to shape our understanding of life, salvation and eternity.

Endnotes:

1. http://www.donpiperministries.com/ For example, on Don Piper’s website we see the advertisement for his wife Eva Piper’s new book: “A Walk Through the Dark – How my husband’s 90 minutes in heaven deepened my faith for a life time”.

2. Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent. Heaven is for Real. Thomas Nelson. 2010. Page 149.

3. Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent. Heaven is for Real. Thomas Nelson. 2010. Page 121.      Todd Burpo writes:“But when I asked him what Pop looked like, Colton would talk mainly about his clothes and the size of his wings.”