Musings of a Former Fundamentalist (IFB) Renewed by Reformed Theology
yep, I recommend this link, article or whatever it is
I guess I’m famous. Anyone being interviewed is right?
Shaun Tabbat, who also attends Bethlehem Baptist, recently interviewed me. I’ve just recently met Shaun and discovered we have many similar interests. I think you’ll enjoy this little interview. If I can get away with it, I might borrow his concept and start interviewing some of my favorite bloggers (er, Biblio-Bloggers, that is).
Now it’s off to the Minnesota State Fair for the day….
Will Dudding (the Reforming Baptist) has a great post on music. He challenges fundamentalists regarding their stance on music. I don’t agree 100% with everything he says, but his post is definitely worth a read if you are interested in reforming fundamentalism. I am happy for any who are reforming and growing in relation to the word, whether they are fundamentalist still or not. Will’s posts are always a blessing and often challenging. Here’s an excerpt.
What I see is that we have constructed a culture in fundamentalism that is an extreme opposite of the ever-developing worldly culture within new evangelicalism. It’s an atmosphere of “us vs. them”. We wear suits and ties, they don’t; we use classical style music, they don’t; we use a King James Bible, they use everything else but a KJV; we make our women wear dresses, they don’t care what their women wear; and so on and so forth…
Let me make something clear from the beginning: I am no fan of the modern gimmicks and fads that the weak, luke-warm broader evangelical church has to offer! They must turn to all their new methods (or waves, as Rick Warren puts it) to cover up their inadequate, watered-down gospel which has made them irrelevant in the true sense of the word. On that same note, I am no more a fan of the man-made, manufactured traditions and taboos of fundamentalism that so many feel that they have to defend in order to stay holy and separate from worldliness. Just as the Pharisees were clean on the outside, they neglected the weightier things of the law and we tend to do the same thing….
Music has been another component in the Christian sub-culture of Fundamentalism. You can take the most un-scriptural, theologically bankrupt song and sing it with a piano, organ and an opera singer and the song automatically passes fundamentalist standards.
The post is entitled “Music -Style, Emotion, Instruments and Associations“. Be sure to read the whole thing.
This is part 2 of an outline from a lesson I gave for my small group, recently. Read part one first.
Submitting to God’s Will in Marriage (1 Pet. 3:1-7) —
Part 2: The Husband
I realize this is a thorny topic for many. I’d like to recommend a couple resources before I continue here. For much of this lesson, I’m dependent on a chapter from Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood: A Response to Evangelical Feminism (edited by John Piper and Wayne Grudem). Wayne Grudem’s chapter “Wives Like Sarah, and Husbands Who Honor Them” focuses on these seven verses in 1 Peter. Also,a pastor at C.J. Mahaney’s Covenant Life Church, in Gaithersburg, MD has written an extremely helpful book from this complementarian perspective on marriage: Love That Lasts: When Marriage Meets Grace. Gary and Betsy Ricucci (Betsy is C.J.’s sister) have really outdone themselves with that book, you’ll find it very practical. I’d also recommend perusing the Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood’s website, where you will find a rich resource with many online articles covering all aspects of this issue, from the practical to the apologetical. Finally, feel free to check out the few posts I have made on these topics (listed here and here).
2. Considerate Leadership — The Husband (1 Pet. 3:7)
A. Definition.
1) Leadership
Because this verse is tacked on to the instructions for how a woman should submit, we can understand it as applying to how a husband leads his wife. he must do so considerately. It should also be noted that 3:1-7 clearly shows that the husband leads, and leadership is not equally shared. Both submission and leadership are not optional. “Husbands cannot rightly opt out of family leadership and become passive non-participants in decisions and activities. Neither can they rightly make the opposite mistake and exercise harsh, selfish, domineering authority in their families….” (Grudem)
2) Considerate Leadership
“In an understanding way” literally is “according to knowledge”. So husbands are to live together with their wives according to knowledge. Exactly what that knowledge is, is not specified. Likely it would include knowledge of God’s Word relating to marriage, and intimate knowledge of his wife (emotionally, physically, spiritually, etc.). Living according to this knowledge means understanding your wife and treating her carefully and lovingly, yet realizing the Biblical call to lead her and the family.
This call to live understandingly with the wife parallels the Biblical emphasis in the commands to husbands as it relates to marriage. Husbands are to love their wives as Christ sacrificially loved the church (Eph. 5:25). They are to love them as their own bodies, love them “as yourself” (Eph. 5:28, 33). Husbands are to love their wives and “not be harsh with them” (Col. 3:19).
B. Rationale for Considerate Leadership.
1) The wife is the “weaker vessel”.
This means, most basically, that she is vulnerable to being taken advantage of. In the context, she has a lesser role (not lesser importance, mind you) with regards to leadership. She is also physically weaker, and she has emotional vulnerabilities (hinted at in vs. 6). Emotional sensitivity is a great strength, but it opens one up to a likelihood of being “hurt deeply by conflict within a marriage or by inconsiderate behavior” (Grudem). Since the wife is vulnerable both in light of her position as under the husband, as well as her physical makeup, such a strong call for husbands to be considerate, and to show honor is needed.
2) The wife is a joint heir with her husband in the faith.
In Christ we are all one, there is no “male or female” even as there is no “Jew or Gentile”. Hence we should live together considerately, and men should treat their wives honorably.
3) This matter is vitally important and affects our prayers.
Prayers are hindered if the husband harshly treats his wife. Prayers are helped if he gives her honor. God cares about our marriages, and maintaining a healthy and godly marriage is very important — it pleases God.
C. Qualities of Considerate Leadership.
1) Consideration and Kindness for the wife. — living with her “in an understanding way”.
2) Honor for the submissive wife.
Husbands should not just be considerate, they must actually go out of their way to bestow honor on the godly and submissive wife. The word for “woman” is used only here in the Bible and refers to the idea of “feminine one” — a woman in tune with her godly femininity. This woman is the one worthy of honor.
3) Prayerful direction of the family.
Vs. 7 makes it seem that husbands should be praying and that prayer if vital for families. We should pray for our families and lead them from our knees.
For a while now I’ve been meaning to highlight a new blog. Free from the Box is a great blog offering help to those in extreme fundamentalism. The authors seek to create a place for those still on the inside to explore issues and find help. They take pains to make sure we know they are not against independent Fundamental Baptists by any stretch. They stand against some extremist errors which characterize some but not all IFB churches.
Besides their blog, which is one of the best such blogs I know of, they also have an online forum. They will not tolerate unChristian and rude behavior as one often finds in other fundamentalist forums (I’m thinking FFF). So their forums offer hope for a civil and friendly environment where we can duke it out in a good fundamentalist way 😉
I’d encourage you to read some of what they have to say, especially if reforming fundamentalism is one of your goals or interests. This link won’t mean much to many of my readers, but for some of you, it will be a blessing. And you can be a blessing by leaving a friendly note at their site, or by joining the forums.
Last Sunday, we had the privilege of hearing C.J. Mahaney preach in our church. His text was 1 Cor. 1:1-9 where Paul surprisingly commends the Corinthian church. He’s about to provide some strong correction for their many errors, but he goes out of his way to thank God for them, and ensure they know how blessed they are of God.
The message encourages us to find the evidences of God’s grace in the lives of those around us. It’s so easy to find fault; but when we study the fruits and gifts of the Spirit as revealed in God’s Word, we will see God at work in many ways in the lives of the people in our churches. This point is underscored by 1 Cor. 4:5. There Paul expects that God will give each minister a “commendation”. Not “condemnation” but “commendation”. This is stunning. At the judgment, and because of Christ’s transforming work in us and his substitutionary work for us, God will find things to praise us for. What wonder!
Now, don’t just enjoy my meager summary of the message. It’s available for free download from our church’s website. Click here. To learn more about C.J. Mahaney, click here. You can find other free sermons by Mahaney at this page, or by searching Sovereign Grace Ministries’ resource library. Also a C.J. Mahaney sermon archive is being created here.
May God grant us eyes to see how He is working in our lives today.
And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Pet. 5:10-11)
One last note: I recommend several of Mahaney’s books (a few are listed here). I’ve also reviewed The Cross Centered Life, and Sex, Romance, and the Glory of God.