175 results for tag: Q & R

Q & R: Are all people God’s children or only Christians? Brad Jersak

Brad Jersak Question: Previously, I responded to the question, "Is Christ in ALL people or only in Christians?" In that post, I talked about Scriptures that say, "As ALL were in Adam, so now ALL are in Jesus Christ," by virtue of the Incarnation. Christ in ALL because he united himself to ALL humanity. But I also identified at least four types of New Testament texts that narrow Christ's "IN-ness" to those who reciprocate the covenant relationship. Those who identify with Christ by faith, relate to him intimately, focus on him through prayer and worship, etc. are "in Christ" and Christ is "in them" in a particular way. In those cases, "IN" ...

Q & R: Is Christ IN all people or only IN Christians? Brad Jersak

Brad Jersak Question:  Is Christ in all people or is Christ only in Christians or only in some Christians? Response:   Full disclosure: my response comes with a two-fold agenda. To say that we can find a good number of verses that make "in-ness" exclusive (e.g. believers are in Christ), but those passages do not negate the truth of the inclusion texts (i.e. humanity is in Christ). Both Scripture sets are true. They are simply referring to different truths.To say that neither inclusion-focused believers ("Trinitarians" for example) nor exclusion-focused believers (Evangelicals for example) need to force all the Bible's in/out ...

Q & R: Friendly Pushback on Baptism – Brad Jersak

Question Emily Jersak (Brad's grandmother) baptized in Czechoslovakia (17 years old). Hi, Brad! Love your work! I just read "Baptism and the fate of the unprepared." Overall a great message. I did want to push back slightly on your point of "why not?" Here's my push back: I once knew someone who waited decades (plural) to get baptized. His hangup for so long was that he would be alienating his very religious but non-Christian family - to the point of being disowned - if he were to be baptized. I wonder if the point ("a point") of baptism was that it was meant to be a "low barrier" into the community of faith - i.e. Judaism required ...

Q & R: Baptism and the fate of the ‘unprepared’ – Brad Jersak

Question: If I found myself numb with pain, injured and bleeding in the cold on a cloudy day, having never been baptized for whatever reason(s), and therefore not "OFFICIALLY" in the Body of Christ as I died. Being lifelong mostly homeless, reality itself seemed to communicate to me "authoritatively" that my death and eternal punishment were now imminent? Would I have reason to quiver convulsively in deep and dreadful fear?  I was once was in the shower room of the emergency room of a Catholic hospital, being washed following an accident where my scalp, which I could see, had been hanging on the side of my face. I really was shaking in ...

Q & R: Are God’s hands tied until we “return” to God?

Question: Have you done any writing, or know of someone that has...around the biblical theme of "returning" to God?  In contemplative prayer, "returning" has been a beautiful invitation, but many biblical references describe the "return" as being the precursor or condition to God's favor, compassion and/or forgiveness. Undoubtedly this has contributed to the toxic idea that when we turn away, God is also turned away, and until WE do the work of returning, God can't do anything. Obviously, I know you've written and talked a lot about this in the context of the "Gospel in Chairs" ...but I'm just wondering about broader writing on the recurr...

Progressive Revelation and the Unveiling of God – Brad Jersak

Question from a reader: I have been reading a lot about progressive revelation, specifically in my readings of John Howard Yoder and Guy F. Hershberger. This sounds like some of the things I may be reading from Michael Hardin (anthropological revelation). This idea of God incrementally slipping revelations into humanity's cognitive compartments, filling them gradually through different epochs is what I am referring to. Also, the study of later texts (prophetic texts) critiquing earlier (royal dynasty of Israel/kingship texts) makes for a more complete understanding of the Bible. I was curious if you have come across this and if you could help ...

Q & R: God’s Mighty Sovereignty & Protection – Brad Jersak

QUESTION: I am enjoying reading A More Christlike God, but the chapter(s) on the God of will versus God of love have brought on some anxiety too. When we jettison the wrathful and angry images of a Calvinist God, do we also abandon his mighty sovereignty--his ability to watch over us and protect us? RESPONSE: What an important question! And such a mystery! For those who've not yet read A More Christlike God, our reader's question needs a little background. In the book, I lay out two ancient, ongoing and competing visions of God: The God of pure will: That image of God causes all things and ...

Q & R – The Ethics of the Trinity – Brad Jersak

​Question:I've been reading your A More Christlike God.  On page 102 you discuss "Trinitarian love". I've always taken the Trinity as a "given," and never really looked into its implications. But as I've read Jason Pratt's Sword to the Heart, I've come to see that the Trinity has significant ethical implications; God Self-Begetting (the Father) and God Self-Begotten (the Son) always treat One another lovingly. If a Person of God were to rebel against another Person of God, all existence would cease. This gets around the "Euthyphro dilemma" in a way that I do not think unitarian faiths can.  What are your thoughts?  Re...

Q&R follow-up with Greg Albrecht – Would Jesus Attend a Gay Wedding?

This Q & A is a response to Greg Albrecht's "Pastoral Perspective" column in the October edition of CWRm. To view the original Q & A, entitled, "Should I attend my gay daughter's wedding?" CLICK HERE and go to page 14. A CWRm read wrote in with this follow-up question and Greg responds.   QUESTION I read your Pastoral Perspective in the October 2017, CWRm and what I get from your answer is, “It's your decision there is no right or wrong answer.” You even claim Jesus attended “sinful and spiritually toxic places.” I would like you to elaborate on that, because I don't know what your are referring to. I'm sure if he ...

Q&R with Brad Jersak – 2 Chronicles 7 and the Pandemic

Question      I have a question regarding the scripture in 2 Chronicles 7:13,14 “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”      So many churches, pastors and leaders are quoting this OT scripture regarding the current pandemic and asking people to pray to have God stop this pandemic, and these are leaders of denominations and movements here in ...