introduction to church history – Jesus @ 2 am blogs and podcast

Understanding the Bible 43: Submissive Wives & Obedient Slaves???

September 17, 2014September 13, 2014Kirk WinslowLeave a comment

Paul’s teaching on the role of wives and slaves in the Christian household are among the most (tragically!) misinterpreted passages in scripture. In this episode we examine the tension between ideals and reality, between what is ultimately true and how close (or not) we can approximate it at any particular moment in time.

As we discover that Paul never intended to baptize the oppression of others, we also get a closer look at the process of biblical study and interpretation – how we can (as much as possible) recover the intent of the original author.

If you have ever wondered if Paul is a misogynist, winced at the idea of wives “submitting” to their husbands or been outraged at the New Testament’s seeming legitimation of slavery, I hope this conversation will help – not only in Paul’s answers, but in assisting your ability to respond to those who argue otherwise.

This is a sermon that was originally presented at Canvas (a Presbyterian church in Irvine, CA), July 20, 2014. To learn more about Canvas, click here!

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Understanding the Bible 41: What Must I Do to Be Saved? Or Why We Are All Semi-Pelagianists at Heart

September 11, 2014September 9, 2014Kirk WinslowLeave a comment

Every philosophical and religious tradition has a view on the requirements of membership – what it takes to belong to the community of “salvation.” In early Judaism, for example, membership within “true Israel” belonged to those who were at least: descended from Abraham, circumcised (men), obedient to the food laws and observant of the Sabbath. For Plato, it was a recognition of the superiority of the Forms over the things of physical substance. For many in the pagan world the hope was that living a virtuous life (variously defined) would secure some blessing in the afterlife.

Throughout church history, debates have raged about what makes one “truly Christian” – what distinguishes a disciple Jesus from…not… Is it some sort of prayer? A prayer and moral virtue? Participation in the sacraments (baptism and Communion)? Does one have to subscribe to a particular theological creed? Are there actions (e.g., care for the poor) that are requisite? What does it mean to be “saved by faith”? Why is it always contrasted with being “saved by works”?

In this episode we examine the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Galatians and his famous declaration: “the righteous will live by faith” (Gal. 3:11) and the debate it has provoked across the centuries. In particular we will explore the common (and I will argue, incorrect) Christian belief that one is “saved” by faith…and just a little bit of “works” (over which we will argue passionately!). It was a view first formalized by a guy named Pelagius in the 5th century, and refuted by none less than St. Augustine.

And while Pelagianism was declared heresy by the early church, semi-Pelagianism, became official church teaching…for a while. Later rejected as misrepresenting the biblical view, it nevertheless remains probably the most popular heresy in Christendom.

This is a sermon that was originally presented at Canvas (a Presbyterian church in Irvine, CA), July 6, 2014. To learn more about Canvas, click here!

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Understanding the Bible 40: The Early Church’s Struggle for Unity

September 9, 2014September 9, 2014Kirk WinslowLeave a comment

What happens when you take people from different geographical regions, religious traditions, languages and cultures and tell them they are now “one in Christ” – the family of faith…? As anyone who has ever sat in a church committee meeting will tell you, the answer is: arguments!

Since there has been church, there has been church division – differing theological views, ethical disputes, controversies about the allocation of power and leadership and so on… The question is whether such divisions are best solved by separation (you take you “church” and go one way, I will go the other) or toleration (I completely disagree with some of your positions, but will stay in relationship with you, even if that relationship involves a lot of arguing). To put it in contemporary terms: How much fighting means it’s time for divorce? And what does separation mean when God has declared us to be one?

In this episode we examine the early church’s struggles for unity and Paul’s instruction to those who imagine it would be better to divide than to argue.

This is a sermon that was originally presented at Canvas (a Presbyterian church in Irvine, CA), June 29, 2014. To learn more about Canvas, click here!

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