Do you speak Christian?

Found this interesting article on CNN this morning: http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/07/31/do-you-speak-christian/?hpt=hp_c1

Thought this might be fun to discuss.

Very interesting....I completely agree with the author in that words have meaning, and sometimes those meanings change. But I think that his treatment of some modern uses of the words he discussed were a bit "one sided" and misleading.

Believe - even if the orginal meaning is more like "beloved" or to hold dear, that does not automatically mean that believing the bible to be literally true is unessecary.

Salvation - yes one can be saved from anything, taxes, pain, persecution etc. Just becasue the dominant use of the word in evangelical circles pertains to salvation from the wrath to come....also does not make the use of the word incorrect.

Rapture - This word is not in the bible....so what? Baptism also isn't in the bible. These are just modern words used to describe specific events....they are a short-hand if you will.


I would certainly like to read Marcus Borg's book, but I have to be extremely suspect of anything coming from the "Jesus Seminar" camp.
Well that's my two cents anyway.

Staybrite wrote:

but I have to be extremely suspect of anything coming from the "Jesus Seminar" camp.

DANGER, Will Robinson!

Over a year ago we left an independent church. We had been very heavily involved in the music department, and were disappointed when some changes came about, including the ultimatum "We are changing over to in-ear monitors and you must buy your own, or find another ministry to get involved in." The pastor also bought a bunch of copies of a book which I won't name, and recommended everyone to buy and read it. I did, and for the most part, it was heretical. We were also told, when we questioned some of the things we didn't agree with, that "There are things that the Bible doesn't cover, and those things are for the increasing of your faith." The thing that did it for me was the pastor stating that our ch urch was a "Pentecostal charismatic church." I have no use for the charismatic movement because of the heresies they embrace. The upshot of all this is: since we left, I've noticed that folks from that church have their own language, and all of them speak alike. I never did get the hang of their particular dialect, so I guess I never was 'spiritual' enough to be part of that fellowship.

The first thing is the the article was on CNN. That alone makes me skeptical as CNN commonly places Christians in a category of loony losers.

As for the words that many use these days, I have had an opinion for years regarding 'words'. They only mean what we humans want them to mean. Imagine if the beautiful flower we call a rose had been named $#!+ or pond scum or raw sewage....the flower would be just as pretty, and as William Shakespere said, "by any other name would smell just as sweet".
For example, the word GAY used to mean lively, happy or merry. Then it changed meaning to refer to a homosexual. Now it is mostly used as an insult meaning stupid or odd. The word is the same, but we have changed it's meaning to the point that the word is now useless. Many words are in the same boat now.

The "Christian" speak is about the same. For some people, the words bring them comfort and for others, they are just meaningless drivel. In my humble opinion, if the words 'saved by the blood', 'name it and claim it' or 'born again' make you feel stronger in your walk with Christ, then by all means use them. If they bore you or make you want to cringe when you hear them, then cut them from your vocabulary.

In the end, the words people publicly speak really don't define them spiritually. Being able to spout the current catch phrases looks good in front of others, but what we do when the eyes of the public are off us is what truly defines us. If we know God and worship ONLY in public, then the words are meaningless. If we know and worship behind closed doors, then the words may just have some weight in our world after all.




WOW, did I just write that?

Like Staybrite, I am very suspicious of anything coming from the Jesus Seminar. They are known for their liberal ideas and many of those are not Biblical.

However, they do make some great points. I've heard Christians talking about church in public and they do sound like they are not speaking the same language. "Pastor said that we have to function under the unction of the anointing." What? Could it not be better said to just say that we need to follow Jesus? I do think we can use our terms when we're in church, but they do leave outsiders scratching their heads. Finding easier ways of saying some things so that the lost world will want to hear them while not compromising the truth is crucial in our times.

alldatndensum wrote:

Like Staybrite, I am very suspicious of anything coming from the Jesus Seminar. They are known for their liberal ideas and many of those are not Biblical.

However, they do make some great points. I've heard Christians talking about church in public and they do sound like they are not speaking the same language. "Pastor said that we have to function under the unction of the anointing." What? Could it not be better said to just say that we need to follow Jesus? I do think we can use our terms when we're in church, but they do leave outsiders scratching their heads. Finding easier ways of saying some things so that the lost world will want to hear them while not compromising the truth is crucial in our times.

Amen!!

(Is it still cool to still use that word?)



The words still hold their full meaning, but mostly used out of context. Weather its Believe, Repent, Redeem, Saved, etc, all those words are the simpliest way to convey the truth of scripture, but use them in context. "The unction of the anointing" is a good example of something said that is not in context. I like what you said... Following Jesus seems way more simple.