Well John Shepard’s (JS) Good Friday Address has got lots of people talking. But is he Satan incarnate, just a naughty boy or does he have some good points? Well I’m not going to agree with everything that JS has to say but I think he has got some good things to say.
Okay firstly, so it’s all out in the open I believe Jesus death and resurrection is what achieves atonement (at-one-ment) with God.
Secondly, some history, in the 12th Century a dude called Anselmian basically came up with the Substitution theory. Which is what most modern day evangelicals think is atonement. That is… We have huge debt to pay to God, nothing we do is good enough for God. Jesus substitutes in for us by dying, which is good enough for good and we get forgiven. A classic illustration of this is Matthias Media’s 2 ways to live (if you ever wondered how a non Xn reads 2 ways to live click here)
Now the problem is that when we read scripture having heard or grown up with substitution is we straight away read just substitution (a metaphor) not atonement when we read Christ died for us.
Now this is similar to using the metaphor of a father to describe God. God is not a father, but the father metaphor can be helpful to illustrate some aspects of God. But all metaphors have their limit.
Similarly atonement is not just substitution. It is a metaphor that has limits, some of the most obvious being that God is completely without mercy before Jesus which, if we read the Old Testament, simply isn’t true, and secondly that substitution really sets up Jesus and God at odds with each other. Hence you have people thinking the Old testament God is full of hate but the New Testament God is full of love (after being pacified by Jesus).
Now I don’t think any Xn would want people to view God like this. So the challenge is really to come up with some new metaphors.
JS was also said some stuff about repentance. I think many evangelicals have had a fixation particularly with the sinners prayer. Which for many people has been like a gateway into a relationship with God, and there is nothing wrong with that. For me it wasn’t at about 10 years of age I made a commitment to God I got a bible for Christmas, started going by myself to Sunday school and praying to God. However, I discovered a year later (aged 11) that although I had done all these things I hadn’t prayed the sinners prayer. So I did and it felt really weird because although I hadn’t verbalised it I had already lived it. It’s a bit like asking someone who has come to church for the first time “Do you know you need God in your life?” Of course they do that’s why there at church! JS uses the prodigal son to illustrate this. There is no neat order of saying repentance and then receiving acceptance. It’s messy like a true relationship. Both son and father are running towards each other both, I would imagine, wondering “has my son come back for more money or back to be with the family?” “Is my dad running to tell me go away and don’t come near me or to welcome me back?” Both these questions answered in a simple embrace.
Mmm, maybe instead of asking “would you like to pray the sinners prayer?” we could ask “would you like to give God a big hug?”
So do I think John Shepard theologically right or wrong?
Well I don’t know and I’m going to let God decide that.
Do I agree with everything John Shepard says?
No
Is there lots to learn from what John Shepard says?
Yes
Is slagging him off via the letters to the editor page a good thing to do?
No
Okay firstly, so it’s all out in the open I believe Jesus death and resurrection is what achieves atonement (at-one-ment) with God.
Secondly, some history, in the 12th Century a dude called Anselmian basically came up with the Substitution theory. Which is what most modern day evangelicals think is atonement. That is… We have huge debt to pay to God, nothing we do is good enough for God. Jesus substitutes in for us by dying, which is good enough for good and we get forgiven. A classic illustration of this is Matthias Media’s 2 ways to live (if you ever wondered how a non Xn reads 2 ways to live click here)
Now the problem is that when we read scripture having heard or grown up with substitution is we straight away read just substitution (a metaphor) not atonement when we read Christ died for us.
Now this is similar to using the metaphor of a father to describe God. God is not a father, but the father metaphor can be helpful to illustrate some aspects of God. But all metaphors have their limit.
Similarly atonement is not just substitution. It is a metaphor that has limits, some of the most obvious being that God is completely without mercy before Jesus which, if we read the Old Testament, simply isn’t true, and secondly that substitution really sets up Jesus and God at odds with each other. Hence you have people thinking the Old testament God is full of hate but the New Testament God is full of love (after being pacified by Jesus).
Now I don’t think any Xn would want people to view God like this. So the challenge is really to come up with some new metaphors.
JS was also said some stuff about repentance. I think many evangelicals have had a fixation particularly with the sinners prayer. Which for many people has been like a gateway into a relationship with God, and there is nothing wrong with that. For me it wasn’t at about 10 years of age I made a commitment to God I got a bible for Christmas, started going by myself to Sunday school and praying to God. However, I discovered a year later (aged 11) that although I had done all these things I hadn’t prayed the sinners prayer. So I did and it felt really weird because although I hadn’t verbalised it I had already lived it. It’s a bit like asking someone who has come to church for the first time “Do you know you need God in your life?” Of course they do that’s why there at church! JS uses the prodigal son to illustrate this. There is no neat order of saying repentance and then receiving acceptance. It’s messy like a true relationship. Both son and father are running towards each other both, I would imagine, wondering “has my son come back for more money or back to be with the family?” “Is my dad running to tell me go away and don’t come near me or to welcome me back?” Both these questions answered in a simple embrace.
Mmm, maybe instead of asking “would you like to pray the sinners prayer?” we could ask “would you like to give God a big hug?”
So do I think John Shepard theologically right or wrong?
Well I don’t know and I’m going to let God decide that.
Do I agree with everything John Shepard says?
No
Is there lots to learn from what John Shepard says?
Yes
Is slagging him off via the letters to the editor page a good thing to do?
No
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