Pensées and Postmodernity: A Reflection Upon Pascal’s Perennial Book on Proper Pensiveness

Presently in postmodernity, there sadly exists an attitude of insular superiority over past philosophy and thought. As American theologian David Wells has noted, 

The issue of truth has become a vexed matter today. In fact, we are being forced to choose between two positions, neither of which is very happy. Either there are insights into truth which are apparently untainted by the thinker’s internal biases, social location, and cultural lenses, or we live in a cultural context so overwhelming that thinkers are merely ciphers waiting to be filled and determined by their cultural experience.[1]

Perhaps due to the myth of the supremely enlightened postmodern mind, a self-proclamation of truer knowledge and understanding is made too often without a full examination of ancient sources. Reading Blaise Pascal’s Pensées (written in 1670 CE), the title of which literally means “thoughts,” such a hasty and negative conclusion is ill-advised. In this modest-sized tome, there is much to be gained from reading this astute French philosopher’s words of wisdom. British theologian William Wood affirms this, stating,

“Pascal is much more than a religious moralist with a fine prose style. He is also an important moral philosopher, one who deserves a place alongside the other, more systematic, ethicists of the early modern pantheon.”[2]

Textual Analysis

In his writings, the reader finds a clever, perceptive, imaginative, and insightful observer of humanity and its foibles. Created more as a journal than a doctrinal treatise, Pascal offers a multitude of profound and dependable perceptions on the truths surrounding humanity and Christianity. He masterfully blends reality with relevance. In the end, this philosopher and scientist presents his paradigm of the Christian religion suggesting that it is persuasive, personal, and alive.

In perusing the contents of this compilation, one notes that Pascal has approached Christianity with the eye of a scientist. He includes numerous chapters in scientific form with titles like “Order,” “Cause and Effects,” “Transition From knowledge of Man to Knowledge of God,” “Proofs of Jesus Christ,” “Mathematics/Intuition,” and many similar other designations. With so much to point out, his topics meander somewhat in their discussion of the human condition, but he devotes most of his writing in Pensées on the concept of God and humanity’s relationship to Him.

Pascal’s writing in Pensées does not soften his appraisals when it comes to the understanding of humanity and the Divine. He states, “Christianity is strange: it requires human beings to recognize that they are vile and even abominable, and requires them to want to be like God.”[3] He provides other proverbial aphorisms such as, “We must love only God and hate only ourselves,”[4] and “How hollow and full of filth man’s heart is.”[5] Truly, Pascal’s understanding of human spirituality casts a dark shadow over fleshly attitudes and actions, with people being far from being perfect in action and in thought or will.

If Pascal stopped there, Pensées would be a very depressing and darkly moribund assessment. Fortunately, this insightful thinker also points to a cure or remedy for the common affliction of humanity. First, he proclaims, “Man’s greatness lies in his capacity to recognize his wretchedness.”[6] He later complements this notion with the idea that

“It is clear that, through grace, man is made as if on the level of God, participating in his divinity, and that without grace he is deemed the equivalent of brute beast.”[7]

Additionally, Pascal advises his readers to “not look for satisfaction on earth, do not hope for anything from humanity. Your good is only in God, and ultimate happiness lies in knowing God, in becoming united with Him forever in eternity.”[8] Humanity might have its problems, but God can more than make up for it by the provided salvation in Jesus Christ. Humanity’s natural state may be bad, but there is a path of redemption—belief in God and the Gospel.

Lest one think that Pascal’s approach to Christianity is overly dry and pedantic, he additionally remarks, “My whole heart longs to know where the true good lies in order to follow it. Nothing would be too high a price for eternity.”[9] Pascal did not just want head knowledge about God; he earnestly and eagerly sought after the Truth that restores the mind, the heart, and the soul. Somberly, he writes,

“What a distance there is between knowing God and loving him.”[10] 

Yet, Pascal searched for God in life, found unending evidence for His existence and His plan for humanity, and considered God to be holy, loving, and ultimately and deniably lovable. He also observed that many people know that God exists but either choose to ignore Him, distracted by earthly pursuits, or even to irrationally reject Him and the faith. These people, Pascal concluded, are to be pitied, but God’s Truth is still to be shared with them. It is up to all humanity—individually—to accept or to run away from Him. Free will requires free thinking.

Pascal’s Provocative Appeal

Fortunately, reading Pascal’s Pensées enriches one’s understanding of Christianity by providing more than just a sentimental avenue; through Pascal’s erudite considerations, readers find a logical approach to theology that makes sense—evidentially and empirically. Pascal invites his readers to set their emotions aside and then to turn his theological premises over and over again, in pursuit of superlative truths. He asserts,

“Those who are accustomed to judge by feeling understand nothing about things which involve reasoning.”[11]

In a privatized meta-culture that caters more to those with therapeutic moral deistic tastes,[12] Pensées challenges its readers to crawl through the emotional muck to discover deeper and more balanced thought considering the order and salvation of God. Too often, the modern world settles for subjective, comfortable understandings when Truth is somewhat more stringent (although not hopeless). Pascal admonishes his readers, 

“All our dignity consists therefore of thought. It is from there that we must be lifted up and not from space and time, which we could never fill. So let us work on thinking well. That is the principal of morality.”[13]

In Pascal’s worldview, to do well in life starts, continues, and ends with thinking logically and productively.

Conclusion

Pascal’s intellectual evaluations of life gave him a great deal of information on society, governance, human behavior, morality, ethics, religion, and the like. His final conclusions may not be the most appetizing for an intellectually-unsettled postmodern, but Pascal more than makes up for any cynicism with an optimistic understanding of love of God (and His ways) and the greatest of news for all humanity. American scholar Ehsan Ahmed writes,

“[For Pascal] The seat of truth is found in the being whose heart is already inscribed with the laws of God in order to decipher his love in contexts at times open and at other times hidden.”[14]

Fortunately for his readers—and for readers in the current cancel culture—Pascal did not censor either his own humanity or God’s divinity in Pensées. Wells notes, 

“It is true that we must struggle with reading texts aright, but it is a postmodern misstep to say that meaning flits from reader to reader indeterminately, that it is never anything more than a case of isolated, individual signification. It is precisely this captivity to our own selves, to our own autonomous subjectivity, that God must break if we are to hear his Word aright otherwise, we hear it not at all. And if this hearing in fact is held at bay by our epistemological captivity, then Christian faith has to mean something different in every age and context.”[15]

Ever the thoughtful scientist, Pascal carefully and honestly laid out the universal proofs of earthly people who struggle to think well enough and their omni-reasonable, merciful God who ever longs for them to use their God-given gifts of contemplation—to make penetrating, prudent choices. In many ways, this is echoed by the early Christian leader and Apostle, Paul of Taurus, in Philippians 4:8 (NASB), where he exhorts his own readers, 

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” 

No doubt, Paul’s universal order to “think about these things” would have resonated strongly with Pascal—especially considering the historical and theological testimony of Paul’s life. 

Somewhat ironic considering the postmodern era’s emphasis on radical individualism, Pensées is a testament to Blaise Pascal’s own personal pursuit of Truth. Rather than just a private angle on religiosity (small “t” truths), though, in this sublime book, the philosopher endeavors to explain to his readers an accurate understanding of the realities of human life (based on observation), the divine intervention and revelation of God to humanity (based on Scripture), and the ultimate benefits of a (super)personal relationship with the great Creator and Guide (based on reason).

[1] David Wells, “Christian Discipleship in a Postmodern World,” JETS 51, no. 1 (March 2008): 25.

[2] William D. Wood, “Axiology, Self-deception, and Moral Wrongdoing in Blaise Pascal’s Pensées,” Journal of Religious Ethics 37, no. 2 (2009): 356.

[3] Blaise Pascal, Pensées (Great Britain: Oxford University Press, 1999), 87.

[4] Pascal, 91.

[5] Ibid., 49.

[6] Ibid., 36.

[7] Ibid., 43.

[8] Ibid., 54.

[9] Ibid., 166.

[10] Pascal, 92.

[11] Ibid., 137.

[12] Wells, 28.

[13] Pascal, 73.

[14] Ehsan Ahmed, “Pascal, the ‘Pensées’ and the Figure of the Lamb: A Physiognomy,” Neophilologus 80, no. 1 (1996): 29.

[15] Wells, 26.

Who is God?

In the Old Testament, the book of Genesis starts out with God making the universe and all its inhabitants in six steps or days out of nothing, or ex nihilo. As theologian R. Kent Hughes, states, “[Genesis] is an exquisitely perfect title because this book gives us the genesis (the beginning) of the doctrine of God, which rose to tower high over the pagan notions of the day. It is the genesis of the doctrine of creation, which likewise rose far above the crude mythologies of the surrounding nations. Genesis gives us the doctrine of man, demonstrating that from the beginning we are both wonderful and awful.”

Readers learn that light, the firmament of heaven, the separation of water and land, plants, the Sun, moon, and all stars, earthly marine life, birds, land animals, and human beings themselves are created from God alone. God does this through proclamation—“And God said”—and follows up his creations with an affirmation—“And it was good.” Literalists say it happened in six literal days and surely if God is God, then He could do it in six, literal twenty-four hour periods, but the complexity comes from an examination of language and logistics.

God exists outside of time, which is for humanity. People determine time through the revolving of our planet around the Sun, but the Sun is not created until day four, after the plants. Other scripture points to a day for the Lord being like a thousand years, so it is plausible that it took longer, but the idea of creating everything out of nothing in its complexities and wonderfulness defies understanding by finite minds anyway. Human civilization would like to think that it knows and understands everything, but the reality is that human beings have a limited perception and a restricted understanding of history.

Not surprisingly, how life began and why is a question that has occupied human thought for a long time, both in the religious and secular world. Intelligent Design theory suggests that life on earth is not just the result of the right chemicals and molecules combining with the right amount of heat, energy, or electricity to “make” a life-form, but that an intelligent, superior entity volitionally and purposefully created the world and its inhabitants. If this is true as the Bible suggests, then humanity has a purpose and plan around its existence, actions matter, choices are moral or not, people sin against God and each other, and people have eternal meaning beyond eating and procreating.

So, what can be known about God—conclusively but not exhaustively—from the biblical texts and other significant testimonies of believers through the ages (such as the Apostolic Creed)? 

God is eternal (Psalm 90:2); God is self-existing and self-satisfied (John 5:26); God is omnipotent (Daniel 4:35); God is omnipresent (Psalm 139:7–10); God is holy (1 Peter 1:16); God is love (1 John 4:19); God is unchanging (Psalm 55:19); God is good (Matthew 5:43–45); God is truth (Titus 1:2); God is spirit; God is creator (Genesis 1:1–31).

Not surprisingly, God is known for so much more:

  • He is the only God in the universe (Isaiah 45:5–12)

  • He is a jealous God (Exodus 34:14)

  • He is a God who keeps His covenants (Genesis 9:9, 15)

  • He is a God of mercy and justice (Exodus 34:6–7)

  • He is a God of forgiveness (Psalm 51:1–2)

  • He is a God of redemption (Isaiah 44:6)

  • He is a God who protects those whom He calls (2 Thessalonians 3:3)

  • He is a God of faithfulness (Psalm 36:5)

“The Lord God is One” (so the Shema prayer, see Deuteronomy 6:4) but has been called by many names in the Bible: Elohim, Yahweh, El Shaddai, El Elyon, El Olam, El Roi, Jehovah, Adonai, Abba, Father. Speaking of which, God is the Father of the Nation of Israel (Isaiah 64:8), Jesus Christ (John 1:18), and the Redeemed (Galatians 3:26). He is the First Person of the Trinity (John 1:14). He rules over all, He cares for everything, and He desires righteousness to reign according to His will. He is worthy of the highest of praise, truly.

Considering God and the Christian Faith

Christian Theology has been described as the systematic study of beliefs, practices, and institutions that articulate the Christian faith. As such, it is just as important to understand key theological concepts as it is fascinating to study them. Moreover, Theology gives traditional perspective and definitive terminology for understanding the whole of human existence or reality. It provides a clear statement about the truth of the Christian message, aiding in the interpretation of religious truths for each generation. In this way, Christian Theology is never finished; it has constant value and engagement for those who study it.

There are several types of Theology:

  • Historical: What/how people thought about the Divine in the historical timeline

  • Biblical: Evidence and examples and edicts from Scripture on Divine concepts

  • Philosophical: Concerned with how we think about the Divine and its interaction with the world

  • Modern: Concerned with contemporary ways of understanding the Divine and its relationship with the world

  • Practical: What any minister needs to know to function in a local church

Officially, Theology is the study of the nature of God and religious truth(s). Studying Theology is a huge task as it overlaps with so many other disciplines. In the past (and still in the present), theologians have sought to ascertain the greater patterns (categories) in the Christian faith observable in Scripture and through the contemplations and proclamations of prophets, priests, and other significant historical religious influencers of the faith. 

A "Systematic” approach discriminates about what is essential (or not) to the subject matter. It is comprehensive in investigating what is to be examined, it is self-critical and open to change (or reform), and it relates its results with those from other related disciplines. Systematic theologians approach the task by dividing theology into several units of study, trying to insure that the entire scope of theological issues and thought is covered. Thus, Systematic Theology covers several traditional major ideas including Revelation, Paterology, Christology, Pneumatology, Soteriology, Angelology, Demonology, Eschatology, Hamartiology, the Canon, and so on—all of which will be addressed in some form or fashion in your readings and activities this term. In fact, although y'all may not know what each of the aforementioned terms mean, y'all have probably already thought about these studies in your Christian walks.

Some people have criticized Systematic Theology for being a reductionist, one-sided closed-system of cultural indoctrination organized around particular central theme, but such a negative perspective ignores the greater good gained from studying Theology, systematically. With the scientific scrutiny that has historically accompanied Systematic Theology, investigators have arrived at evidential and inferential understandings taught holistically (or specifically) in the Old and New Testaments. They have been able to consider complementary doctrines (or innovative ones) at the same time, in order to have a balanced view.

They have produced summaries of Christian teaching that guard against misunderstanding and false teaching. They have assessed the accuracy and importance of various doctrinal views—especially postmodern ones that are prone to bias from a radical individualism worldview. By carefully considering the key concepts of the Christian faith, systematic theologians have counteracted the chaos and subjectivism of much that is passed for “Christian tenets” today—all with the goal of better understanding who God is and what His authentic plan is for humanity.

Ecclesiology in the 21st Century

The Early Christian Community

Although the Pharisees and Jewish leaders considered the dangerous influence of Jesus to be quelled with his execution (especially with the threat/warning of crucifixion for embracing such beliefs), the Christian message continued to be as appealing and inviting as ever, and the movement grew, exponentially. Moreover, whereas oppressive and politically controlling leaders of Judaism continued in their reactionary ways, the early Christians offered inclusivity and freedom to those who wished to join in “The Way” (as the movement was sometimes called).

In this period of great economic and social hardship, the Gospel writer, Luke, records in his church history work, the Acts of the Apostles,

"All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved" (Acts 2:44–47).

Not surprisingly, as the number of Jesus’ disciples rose, the Jewish leaders who had earlier been threatened by Jesus’ message and influence upon a society which they wanted full hegemony, worried the Jesus movement could reignite, and turned their criticisms and persecutions upon Jesus’ disciples and followers, many of whom fled the area to safer, more receptive areas (at least, initially).

Still, many early Christian leaders bravely stayed in Jerusalem and Judea to speak their message of Christian love and salvation, leading to public abuse by authorities determined to extinguish this dangerous sect of Messianic Judaism. The Apostle Luke records,

“They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go . . . Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah” (Acts 5:40, 42).

Christendom

Some might consider Christian institutionalism contrary to the original Jesus movement; however, it is best to remember that, according to Christian scripture, Jesus was confirmed by Jewish scripture to be the prophesized Messiah, he taught regularly and enthusiastically in the Temple for years, he affirmed and participated in the numerous Jewish festivals and customs required of Judaism, and he became the perfect priest and sacrifice before God on humanity’s behalf. Moreover, Jesus also established his Twelve Disciples to be official ambassadors of the Kingdom of God, to act as heralds of the new covenant between God and humanity. He also promised them that at the Final Judgment, they would be the ones to judge the tribes of Israel.

Yet, if nothing else, Jesus was quite adroit of making the best of all situations, whether personal or public, private or institutional, turning every situation into an opportunity to love God with all his heart, soul, and mind; and to love his neighbor as himself. He also called upon his believers to follow his loving model in reaching the world for God. As the Apostle Paul writes in Galatians 1:3–5, which includes one of the oldest self-definitions of Christianity,

“Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

In the twenty-plus centuries since the ministry of Jesus, Christians have willingly and sacrificially tried to reach the world for God, to continue the great commandment of Jesus Christ in their own complicated lives, changing cultures, and imperfect ways—sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. This was true in the first century, CE, and, century after century, it is still a reality for the Christian movement, 2000 years later.

Postmodern Neo-Christianity

Post-1960, Western Society has been undergoing a slow shift from conservative traditionalism, with its policed protection of permitted norms of behavior and religiosity to experiential individualism, which provides more permissiveness within and without church walls in the self-focused choices of people (and kinder judgments upon those actions). This evolution has involved the acceptance of alternative spiritual/theological avenues, divergent spiritual social norms (specifically concerning personal piety, vocational choices, gender roles, and sexual preferences), but truthfully, it has affected the whole of society. Traditional church culture is now considered anachronistic by many post-modern seekers, which the Emerging Church movement seeks to capitalize on with special attention and toleration given to the growing individualism in the post-modern world.

The majority of this paradigm change can be attributed to the post-modern emphasis on the “One,” which has progressed to such a degree that individual power vastly outweighs institutional or community authority for most religious bodies. Attesting to this is a 2007 sociological study of religious life in McMinnville, Oregon (called ‘The McMinnville Project’) that surveyed members from several churches, New Age groups, and even atheists, wherein substantial evidence was gathered and analyzed, which pointed toward a new, radical, individualized expression of faith, also termed, “Sacro-Egoism.” More than ever before, people feel religiously empowered to do what they want, regardless of former Church or biblical mandates, which is evidenced in several ways:

  • First, a radical authority/priority of the self is embraced cross-culturally in Western churches.

  • Second, people in post-modern churches, in general, feel an antagonism or ambivalence to institutionalism in society.

  • Third in the Sacro-Egoistical approach, a personal or pragmatic commitment [implicit] to the spiritual journey (specifically concerning Jesus and the Bible) is sought after and cultivated.

  • Fourth, an openness to and toleration of non-traditional beliefs and practices is promoted.

The foundation of the Postmodern church is radical individualism, which allows for the spiritual reins to be personally grasped and thereafter directed by private choice(s). In many congregations, the church or the Bible are no longer the only (or final) voice in religious matters; the individual has been awarded the right in society (or perhaps it has been forcefully grabbed) to choose keep all religious avenues open—a dangerous phenomenon considering that goal was what got humanity in trouble in the first place in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3).

Moreover (and perhaps most importantly), is it possible to call oneself a Christian following the model of Jesus Christ—who willingly submitted all His personal power and comforts to do the Will of the Father—if the main goal in one's life is "to do it MY way"? The latter seems an eternity away from the heart-felt devotion of Jesus who openly declared to the assembly around him,

"For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of HIM who sent Me" (John 6:38). 

Clearly, the Postmodern church has challenged the former religious establishment, usurped some of traditionalism’s authority in Western Society, and created personally empowering tenets based on its own interpretation of religious expression and community. A broader question is whether the lure of radical individualism will eventually eclipse all vestiges of communal and/or institutional Christianity, and what this will mean to the church culture in the future. After all, as Jesus astutely concluded,

"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." (Matthew 6:24)

Although radical self-centeredness, creativity, experimentation, and liberation are a fashionable balm to the Postmodern soul, are they enough to satisfy the requirements of a righteous God? Do they bring parishioners closer to God or push them farther away? This is definitely a topic for Selah (contemplation).

The Spiritual Side of Life

From its outset, the story of humanity begins with God's supernatural intersection with His creation(s). God's supernatural presence and activities established the existence of all life on earth (and in the cosmos), which is evidentially proclaimed to be "Good" (Genesis 1:31, NASB). Although robust description is provided in the creation narrative, there is still much lacking in humanity's full understanding of God's mystical plans. Yet, although difficult to define sometimes, the supernatural and spiritual involvement of God in the stories of the old and New Testament is undeniable. In fact, at the very start of God's Word, Genesis 1:2 declares, "And the earth was a formless and desolate emptiness, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters." 

With this in mind, Pneumatology seeks to study the personality, deity, and activity of the Holy Spirit—the third person in the Trinity. Although a full explanation is not possible (considering our finite nature and perspective), scholars and sages throughout the ages have sought to understand who/what the Holy Spirit of God is, what He does, and how He contributes to the divine mission of the Godhead. References to the Holy Spirit can be found in the writings of the Old Testament, the New Testament, extra biblical works, the early church, the Middle Ages, the modern church, and even into postmodernity. To deny the presence of the Holy Spirit in the old and New Testaments is to (ironically) deny truth that only comes from the Holy Spirit.

Scripture Testifies to the Presence of the Holy Spirit

  • "And I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds ofcraftsmanship . . ." (Exodus 31:3)

  • "The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me life." (Job 33:4)

  • "Now the Spirit of the Lord left Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord terrified him." (1 Samuel 16:14)

  • "Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me." (Psalm 51:11)

  • "Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." (Ezekiel 36:26)

  • "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit . . ." (Matthew 28:19)

  • "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and remind you of all that I said to you." (John 14:26)

  • "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and remind you of all that I said to you." (Acts 1:8)

  • "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption." (Ephesians 4:30)

  • "For no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God." (2 Peter 1:21)

What Does the Holy Spirit Do?

Based on biblical evidence, the Holy Spirit is the Great Counselor, the Bringer of Truth, Discernment, and Deliverer of Divine Messages. Moreover, the Holy Spirit helps God's people convey eternal truths of God to those needing to hear it. As such, the Holy Spirit is the Divine Influencer or Infuser. The Holy Spirit is God's gift at the dawn of human history and for his Christian church following the departure of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit provides wisdom, foreknowledge, judgment, spiritual gifts, and other supernatural abilities used for serving God and sharing the Good News.

As part of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit is spiritually active in the world; he is powerful, purposeful, and personal. Speaking of which, as the third person of the Trinity, He is distinct from the Father and the Son although through Perichoresis (divine envelopment), the Holy Spirit is still involved in the work and activities of the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is coequal, coeternal, and in perfect unity with the other divine persons.

What is the Trinity?

The Trinity itself is often difficult to comprehend, which makes sense since finite minds are attempting to understand an infinite concept. In the Trinity, the Holy Spirit is paradoxical as it is for the other persons, but there are not three entities or gods. There are not three beings. One essence ultimately the trinity is one answer to God in three persons. It's not it's not modalism with a single person revealing himself historically in three different sequential  forms. The Trinitarian modes are simultaneous and not consecutive. Perhaps the clearest scriptural evidence for this is at the baptism of Jesus Christ (Matthew 3:13–17).

Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan, coming to John to be baptized by him. But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I have the need to be baptized by You, and yet You are coming to me?” But Jesus, answering, said to him, “Allow it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him. After He was baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and settling on Him, and behold, a voice from the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

The Godhead is mutually indwelling, with each person "dancing around each other" (so-to-speak). God's followers join in the Trinitarian perichoresis by faith. Thus, the Holy Spirit comes to the disciples, who dwell in Jesus Christ, who dwells in God (see Gospel of John, chapters 14–17). After the Resurrection, Jesus assured the Disciples that although he was leaving, they would not be alone. Jesus promised to send a divine counselor, advocate, and guide as help them witness to the world. This Counselor was (and still is) coming to be their "Paraclete"—the Greek word for helper or aid, meaning, "One called to the side of." And what a difference the Holy Spirit makes in the lives of God's children. 

Pastor and writer Max Lucado exclaims, "You have a God who hears you, the power of love behind you, the Holy Spirit within you, and all of heaven ahead of you. If you have the Shepherd, you have grace for every sin, direction for every turn, a candle for every corner, and an anchor for every storm. You have everything you need."

Holocaust survivor Corrie Ten Boom explains, "Trying to do the Lord's work in your own strength is the most confusing, exhausting, and tedious of all work. But when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, then the ministry of Jesus just flows out of you."

Evangelist Dwight L. Moody concludes, "The work of the Spirit is to impart life, to implant hope, to give liberty, to testify of Christ, to guide us into all truth, to teach us all things, to comfort the believer, and to convict the world of sin."

To Be Filled with the Holy Spirit

Jesus's prophecy was actualized in Jerusalem in the book of Acts as prophesied by Jesus. On Pentecost, 120 followers of Jesus were baptized by the Holy Spirit in the upper room amazingly, with tongues of supernatural flames resting on the heads of each of them. The results were marvelous. These newly Spirit-filled followers began miraculously speaking in foreign tongues with those outside in the streets of Jerusalem, who were astounded to hear the Good News in their own languages. Their responses were dramatic. Thousands came to believe, the Gentiles become grafted into the family, and the early church numbers increased mightily.

Similar accounts of the Holy Spirit's power and assistance can be found in the other New Testament epistles of the Apostles Paul, Peter, James, John, and Jude. What is certain is that the Holy Spirit was alive with activity and engagement. In fact, this passage shows how the Apostles often struggled to keep up with the work/opportunities of the Holy Spirit. New believers sprung up all over the Mediterranean region—the ripple effect of the power of the Holy Spirit to unveil and obliterate the dark, empty world of paganism. Evangelist A. W. Tozer states, "If the Holy Spirit was withdrawn from the church today, 95 percent of what we do would go on and no one would know the difference. If the Holy Spirit had been withdrawn from the New Testament church, 95 percent of what they did would stop, and everybody would know the difference."

Some people (known as known as cessationists) claim that the work of the Holy Spirit was limited to the first century. Yet, resting on the Apostle Paul's discussion of spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12, the Holy Spirit is just as active today as it was in the early church. Paul writes,

"Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? Now eagerly desire the greater gifts."

Based on the living testimonies of over a billion of believers worldwide, can one say that all the gifts of the Holy Spirit have stopped? People are still convicted and comforted. Discernment still occurs. Healings still happen. People still prophesy. The Holy Spirit still calls out for people in the world to draw close to God in Jesus Christ to find true love and forgiveness. The Holy Spirit has never ceased in His efforts to implement the plan of God, and as a faithful member of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit will never abandon God's followers. Just don't forget—Jesus lovingly promised us this.

Three Reasons to Marry for Love

In the post-modern world, societal mores are changing in all aspects of life —not least of which is that of marriage, perhaps the oldest social institution of them all. Some sources (www.prb.org) suggest that close to 108 billion people have lived on the earth since life began, and no one would doubt that marriage was an important event for the majority of those people, regardless of their cultures.

Unfortunately, historians and sociologists do not have an exhaustive reservoir of cultural data to examine regarding marriage throughout history. We know about the lives of the rich and the famous, but scant about the commoners in their society. Yet, often without any evidence to back it up, one can read in the media assertions like, “For most of human history, marriage wasn’t a very romantic institution. It was more akin to a business deal between men, the bride in question had very few rights or other options” (people.howstuffworks.com), and “When love entered the picture as the reason to marry, dissolutions became more commonplace” (www.psychologytoday.com). Proclamations like these only add darkness to the matter and provide an ulterior, but not necessarily helpful explanation for the presence of divorce and annulment.

Reading the article in Psychology Today entitled, “Three Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Marry for Love” (Gadoua, 2013), it is evident that modern thinking discards traditional understanding and incentives for marriage, opting for a more self-serving agenda. Considering the individualistic spirit of the age, it is not surprising; however, shallow argumentation is evident, especially concerning marriage in the context of Christianity.

The article begins with the (incorrect) axiom of “But if you really think about it, love is a luxury.” The dictionary defines a luxury as “an inessential, desirable item that is expensive or difficult to obtain,” but if love comes from within a person’s heart and mind, then its expression and application costs nothing, materially.  

The author, Gadoua, continues, “When you marry for love, it generally means you have all—or at least most—of your other needs met (like food, shelter, warmth, etc).” Few young adults have luxurious riches when they decide to wed; typically, it is the opposite—couples with no steady job or abundant income for either, with more bills than money, but still with a long-term expectation of loving and working and struggling to survive. 

According to the article, however, “In our attempt to make marriage stronger by raising the bar to meet our higher love and romance needs, we have seriously weakened the institution. These are both highly changeable emotions: When love wanes, the marriage gets shaky; when the romance stops, the nuptials die.” The mistake in this evaluation is the author’s conflation of “love” and “romance.”

In C.S. Lewis’ book, The Four Loves, Lewis presents the basic types of love demonstrated in humanity: Storge or natural affection, Philia or friendship, Eros or romance, and Agape or charity, which is the highest, selfless form of all loves. Each one of these kinds of love has a different goal and implementation and working together can bring harmony and health to any relationship. The problem is if one embraces or exhibits only one of these in a marriage or intimate relationship; then, the union will be strained, which the article misses in its conclusions on marriage.

Instead, Gadoua offers, “People whose primary reason to marry is other than love — such as to have children with someone they believed would be a good co-parent, to have financial security, or for companionship — generally have longer and perhaps better marriages because their choices are made for a defined purpose.” Of course, the author offers no evidence or statistics to back up this jaw-dropping advice. She concludes, “I’m not saying love shouldn’t be on the list of things that need to be in your relationship, but it doesn’t need to be number one (and perhaps shouldn’t be).”

For the Christian, though, love must begin all life choices. In Matthew 22 (ESV), Jesus commands,

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Such advice negates the self-focused, problematic guidance in Gadous’ article.

Wisdom and love comes from someone outside of us—God, whose amazing love for us, once embraced, covers and flows through us to everyone else, spouses included. This good counsel is seen in other Biblical passages. 1 John 4 (ESV) states,

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

In simplifying marriage to a mere social contract present to provide mental peace and physical comfort alone, Gadoua has missed the holistic nature and divine origins of love, which begins in and is sustained through productive, charitable actions without absolute certainty of reaping benefits for oneself. It is hard to see the big picture when you only stare into a mirror.

Marriages don’t fold because spouses are kind, affectionate, self-sacrificing, and understanding. Unions end because of self-absorption and hatred, because of an unwillingness to submit to God’s ethical design for relationships. Gadoua places the focus on what one can get from the marriage; God places the focus on what one can give to the marriage. It is doubtful that any marriage would end if spouses simply and devotedly followed Paul’s advice in 1 Corinthians 13 (ESV):

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

In contrast, Gadoua’s article reminds me of the book of Ecclesiastes, with its emphasis on human pursuits without God (and His love) in the center—vanity, vanity—a chasing after the wind. Instead, let us follow God’s lead in our relationships and in marriage, which, after all, is just a glimpse of the joy to be had for eternity in Heaven.

Thus, I end with my own three reasons why you must marry for love.

1.     God is love and expects us to be loving if we are His followers.

2.     Love is the only power that can truly heal emotional, psychological, and spiritual wounds.

3.     Love is the only force that is eternal, leaving behind a legacy, influencing others for good.

"First Century Christianity"

Teaching in religious studies, it is not uncommon for me to be asked by students about my denominational affiliation.   Although my background is Baptist, after years of contemplation, my official response is “First Century Christian,” which normally leads to further questions.

I know that “First Century Christian” is not an official denomination, per se, but it aptly describes how Jesus obeyed the greatest commandment (Matt. 22).  And although we all have particular views on church expressions, in my heart, I still feel that the closer you get to Jesus, the closer you get to God.

A wonderful example of Christ’s model for faith in the first century can be seen in Matthew 4.  In these twenty-five verses, the reader sees Jesus’ approach to following God in several important areas that still are applicable to the modern Christian.

First, Jesus rested upon God when it came to his human limitations. Verse 2 states, “And after He had fasted forty days and forty night, He then became hungry.”  Soon thereafter, the Devil showed up on the scene to provoke Jesus and ruin His relationship with God.  Though Jesus is tempted at His weakest physical state, He rejected the Devil’s “gifts” because Jesus knew that God is the sole author of beneficence, and then, He left the Devil and his evil ways in the dust.

Second, verses 12-17 discuss Jesus’ ministry and His walking in accordance with the Scriptures. “He came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet.”  Jesus could have blazed His own, unique ministry trail, but He knew although he was the greatest leader of all time, that did not give Him the right to trample wherever He wanted. Ultimately, He was there to submit to God and to be a servant to others--not let His egotism or environment(s) direct His path.

Third, verses 18-21 talk about those He called to be partnered with Him in ministry and life.  He did not choose the perfect or the political; He chose men, rough “fishermen,” who were willing to take risks for the plan of God.  He picked people who were as fully committed in their humanity as He was in His divinity. He made grand, majestic promises to them, bigger than they could possibly accomplish on their own, but plans that He sacrificially accomplished on the Cross.

Finally, verses 23-25 speak of the overwhelming compassion of Jesus to those in need around Him. Mark writes, “Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.”  Politically, Jesus should have been more careful about whom He helped, but the plan of God is bold, and with God at His back, Jesus knew nothing could stop Him—not even human threats. 

Being a First Century Christian is definitely not an easy path to take, but two thousand years later, the same reasoning and the same needs still exist for those wanting to follow God with all our heart, mind, and soul.

Kardia: The Journal for Spiritual Life 1/2 (2015)

"The Value of Biblical Education"

A former youth pastor once told my Sunday school class that one of the most sorrowful things in life is a Bible, in perfect condition, sitting upon a shelf for years, dusty from neglect and ignorance. “You should try to wear out your bibles from opening them so much,” he said to us, holding out his own dilapidated Bible as an example of earnest examination.  In post-modern Christianity, the sad reality is that too often biblical education has been demoted to a peripheral act instead of being one of the most important and foundational disciplines of faithful followers. And the Church body has suffered because of this.

English author Richard Dawkins writes in his book, The God Delusion,

To be fair, much of the Bible is not systematically evil but just plain weird, as you would expect of a chaotically cobbled-together anthology of disjointed documents, composed, revised, translated, distorted and “improved” by hundreds of anonymous authors, editors and copyists, unknown to us and mostly unknown to each other, spanning nine centuries.

As an “evangelical,” fervent atheist, Dawkin’s take on the Holy Scriptures is not unexpected; it is clear that he enjoys deconstructing the bible, dismantling the arguments in favor of a supreme, loving deity who engages in the lives of His followers through the power of prayer and His Word.  Dawkins condemns such matters as “a fairy tale” that hurts more than it helps in modernity.

The problem is that Professor Dawkins is neither a theologian nor a historian—he is a biologist, which means he is making scholarly claims outside of his area of expertise—a colossal “No-No” in the academic world. However, a bigger predicament is that too many post-modern Christians simply take the word of men such as Dawkins or Marcus Borg or Rob Bell or Brian McLaren on biblical matters without pursuing a personal biblical investigation of their own. 

As post-modern society embraces relativism and radical personal authority, it is no wonder that many Christians have avoided deeply studying their bibles out of fear or laziness or inconvenience, but such a dismissal of biblical education is unfortunate because of what can be gained from contemplating the Word of God (for instance, one can instantly know how obtuse and unsupportable Dawkin’s aforementioned analysis of the Bible is, in reality).

Personally, a thorough biblical education has helped me better understand the reality and purpose of life on earth and in the universe. Of course, there are still a number of mysterious areas of existence and creation (remember that Genesis is not a textbook or cookbook, but a theological declaration), but the Biblical story helps frame life around a divine person, purpose, and plan that makes more sense than the philosophy of accidental evolutionism demonstrates.

Furthermore, a biblical education has helped me comprehend and categorize human affairs--both historically and in the present. I have often said in Bible class that one of the strongest proofs for me of the authority of the Bible is its amazing analysis and prediction of human behavior. If this is a fairy-tale, it is one of the most psychologically and sociologically brilliant ones ever written. The Bible explains the causes and consequences of human conflicts, and clarifies the correct Christian response; and its perspective continues to be both rational and relevant even after thousands of years.

More specifically, closely examining the Bible has assisted me in self-awareness and others-awareness, areas in which we all need to improve. Pouring over the texts, one can find example after example of good and evil human behavior to utilize in making ethical choices in life.  The historical tales of Abraham, Joseph, Joshua, Ruth, David, Ester, Jeremiah, John, Paul, Peter, and Jesus each provide incredible teaching moments to enrich our own life and that of those with whom we intersect. Through the Holy Scriptures, we can increase our love for God and each other in ways we never could on our own.

Finally, perhaps the most important part of studying the Word of God is that readers get to hear His heart, to see His mind, to feel God’s presence in past and present human existence. He was and is and will always be the God who willingly walks with us--with you! If nothing else, a sound biblical education can help foster deeper intimacy with God, with whom our hope rests. What a blessing!

Through careful, deliberate, thoughtful biblical examination, we can truly understand Apostle Paul’s pronouncement to his co-worker Timothy that “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

So, pull down that dusty Bible off the shelf, open up its still new-crackly pages, and dig in, deep. You have everything to gain, my friends.

Kardia: The Journal for Spiritual Life 1/1 (2015)