Discussion Post Q&A: What is "faith"?

Question: What is FAITH?

Is faith believing a set of truth claims? Having the right doctrine? 

Is faith a belief? I believe this stuff, so I have faith? Signing a statement of faith at your religious school or church, as if that could ensure you're in the right club? 

Is faith a matter of personal conviction? My faith. Your faith. We all have faith in something, don't we? One said. 

Is faith a tool? As the Word of Faith movement likes to say from Hebrews, "Faith is the evidence of things not seen, the substance of their reality... If you have enough faith you can move mountains.... Get your healing... Buy a jet plane or a business or a mansion... Or get your healing... You just need to make it happen by using your faith like a hammer." Is faith a tool like some claim?

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Answer: Believing Loyalty

How do we arrive at our answer?

We could cherry pick certain verses that support our theological system, isolate those sentences from the surrounding sentences, the book they're in, and indeed the larger biblical narrative... And then our nice system of theology would sound so clean, so biblical... And this is what we do in the west. From Augustine to Luther to Calvin to Wesley to Charles Fox Parham to Kenneth Hagin, Billy Graham, Ray Comfort, or whoever you favorite voice is... they've all got the new handle on truth by sentence ripping, aka Cherry Picking, they're all convinced it's biblical because they're Bible sentences, and yet each one is followed by a new movement of people who ripped different sentences out snd found the better truth.

Each and every "system" is built on ripping sentences out of the Bible and stringing them together to make the Bible make claims it may or may not be making (usually isn't making).

Biblical Theology asks a different question than Systematic Theology: What if we stopped sentence ripping and took in the whole text, cover to cover, to see the larger meta narrative themes?

The Rabbis look for the hidden treasures buried in narratives, hyperlinks between narratives. A key word or phrase repeated throughout the texts carries all its previous narratives into the new text, carrying all the weight of of that matrix of ideas into the current reading... Strings of pearls. 

A pastor or writer can quote a partial verse, a few sentences of a passage and modern western Christianity would attempt to figure out the meaning of that isolated sentence. 

A Rabbi can quote a partial verse, a few sentences of a passage and their disciples would know to go find that passage, because the UNQUOTED part often carries quite a bit of the meaning the Rabbi was getting at, leaving the student to unburying the treasure. Jesus did this constantly, as a Rabbi himself.

So when we look at the whole book, original languages, and original contexts... What do we find? 

Pistis/Faith was a Greek term, it was the faithfulness one would give to a covenant partner or master or patron. Faithfulness might be a better rendering. It was decidedly NOT intellectual assent to a belief statement list. 

Throughout the biblical narratives, Genesis to Revelation, the theme is "you shall have no other gods"... As Dr Michael Heiser says, "there are no Ba'al worshipers in heaven". Revelation ends with the ultimate choose a side narrative. 

Whether you lived a thousand years before Jesus came or 2022 years after, there has only really been one primary ask:

Hear, Yisrael, the Lord your God is one (could be rendered primary or best), serve him alone. 

Renounce Ba'al, serve Yahweh only. 

Renounce Zues serve Yahweh only. 

Renounce Buddhism, Hinduism, Secular Humanism, Atheism, Agnosticism, Passive I Don't Care Ism...

Faith has less to do with intellectual assent to ideas and more to do with choosing an active participation in a relationship with Yahweh.

One is faithful to Yahweh. As a Jew, living in 800BC, that meant Torah observance. And as a Jew in 2022, it might mean a modified Torah observance, that's an active debate. 

As a Gentile, living in 2022, it means know who your God is, love God, Love your neighbor, and don't be a donkey's behind to people. 

Or, as Heiser calls that whole concept:

Believing Loyalty  

#Faith #Belief #BelievingLoyalty 

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Class Assignment: Case 5.1: The Unwanted Pregnancy

Case 5.1: The Unwanted Pregnancy

Background:

For Christian Ethics class, we had to read a case study and discuss how we would respond. I decided this would be an interesting practical class assignment to include on the NO HIDING FAITH Website because while I wish this response were typical for all pastors everywhere, the fact is my response is probably more rare than common. 

Note: Responses edited for the website.

Consider the following a case-specific example of my template for Pastoral Counseling and the relationships we should build with our people (in and out of the Yeshua communities).

Case Study

For reference, I have included the textbook case study. 

Case 5.1: The Unwanted Pregnancy

You are the college pastor for your church, and this afternoon you have had a counseling appointment with one of your students and her parents. She is new to your ministry, having recently come to faith in Christ, and her parents do not attend your church. They are distraught with her pregnancy, and you are too, since she is pregnant by one of the young men in your college ministry. They have known each other for roughly six months and are seeing each other exclusively.

They are coming for your counsel on abortion. They are considering facilitating a pregnancy termination and want to know your opinion. Since the parents do not attend your church and are likely not Christians, it is unlikely that they recognize any authority to Scripture.

Questions for Discussion

          1.      What will you tell your student and her parents about the decision to end the pregnancy?

          2.      How would you defend your advice to the couple from the Bible? How, if at all, would you articulate your view to the girl’s parents differently, since they don’t appear to have much appreciation for the authority of the Bible?

          3.      Would you advise the couple to get married? Be sure to explain your reasons for your view on this question.

          4.      Assuming that they do not terminate the pregnancy and do not get married, would you advise the girl to put the baby up for adoption? Why or why not?

Scott B. Rae, Moral Choices: An Introduction To Ethics, Third Edition (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009), 149–150.

My Response:

THE KING’S UNIVERSITY (TKU)

READING RESPONSES

READING RESPONSES SUBMITTED TO PROFESSOR DR. JAMES PATRICK GIRDLESTONE FOR CHRISTIAN ETHICS (PHIL2301).

BY

DARRELL WOLFE

DARRELL.WOLFE@STUDENT.TKU.EDU

SOUTHLAKE, TEXAS, ONLINE VIA NORTH POLE, IDAHO

SPRING 2022

WEEK FOUR

    As I understand this exercise, I am supposed to review the case and provide my answers to the worksheet questions. I chose Case 5.1: The Unwanted Pregnancy (149-150). 

Preface: 

    As a family, they may be having a range of possible emotional responses from shame about the situation, anger at the young man or even the church since he is involved there, fear over the unknown, guilt that they are considering an abortion, and a host of other emotions. 

    Long before we dispense with advice or diagnostics or any progress forward. I want to begin by asking them to share their story, talk about how they are feeling, see the reaction/nonreaction in my presence, and ensure them they are in a safe space to have this discussion. I also want to ensure that they know we are all (all humans) broken and messy, and that’s one of the beautiful parts of the ministry of Yeshua is that he comes to us in our brokenness. Therefore, I will walk through this next season with them regardless of what decision they make. Their future acceptance of the Kingdom demands that I not make my continued presence in their life contingent on this difficult decision.

    Also, I take a stance against the way these text questions are worded. Pastoral Counselors should not be giving “advice” or “telling them what to do”. We can guide but never demand. And when was the last time you heard of “giving advice” going well? They’re almost sure to do the opposite of whatever you say unless it is their idea and they own the final decision.

Diagnostics from the text:

1. What will you tell your student and her parents about the decision to end the pregnancy?

    I would begin with questions to gauge their thoughts about the value of life (in general) and have them think through what makes a human being a full-fledged human being with rights? 

    I would walk them backward from terminating the life of a three-year-old child, two, one, one day after birth, one hour after birth, ten minutes after birth, while it is being born, ten minutes before birth, etc... and then ask them how they differentiate the "right to life" at each stage? 

    I would also help them ask their own questions about the decision: 

• What do you know about human biology and the procedure you are about to endure? 
• What do you believe about life, in general? 
• What options have you considered in addition to the Abortion? 
• What would it look like to follow through with keeping and raising the child? 
• What would it look like to go through with an abortion? 
• What would it look like if you carried to term but gave it up for adoption to a family who desperately wants a child but cannot have one (could this be a ministry opportunity for that family)? 
• Etc…

2. How would you defend your advice to the couple from the Bible? How, if at all, would you articulate your view to the girl’s parents differently, since they don’t appear to have much appreciation for the authority of the Bible?

    The Bible is my source of wisdom, even if it is not theirs. But I can meet them where they are. If the girl and parents are both not believers (as the text implies), I would likely appeal on human-grounds, and not biblical ones, unless the topic came up, I was asked directly, or the Spirit prompted. 

    The Torah is written on our hearts, people know killing is wrong when faced with the decision on human grounds. Though a parable can help, from time to time.

3. Would you advise the couple to get married? Be sure to explain your reasons for your view on this question.

    Unlikely! Marriage for the sake of pregnancy is almost certainly compounding mistakes and making the problem worse. 

    However, if the couple decided to keep the baby and raise it together, and they were interested in marriage; I would walk them through some intense pre-marital counseling and request they wait for one year of meetings with me before making that decision. 

God is more interested in human hearts than institutions.

4. Assuming that they do not terminate the pregnancy and do not get married, would you advise the girl to put the baby up for adoption? Why or why not?

    I don't give advice (try not to anymore). 

    I ask questions that uncover the individual’s own moral grounding and help them come to a decision that is within their cognitive framework. 

    As stated above, I will help her consider all options and the ramifications of those options and make a decision that aligns with her will, emotions, and intuitive sense. 

    Hopefully, I will have earned the right to walk with her through various seasons of her life (regardless of the specific outcomes) and mentor/disciple her into a better and healthier future than may have otherwise been the case.

Darrell Wolfe

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Class Discussion Post: Aretaic Ethics applied to the Chris Rock/Will Smith slap heard around the world.

Attribute: Wall Street JournalWatch: Will Smith Strikes Chris Rock at the Oscars, Then Wins Best Actor

Watch: Will Smith Strikes Chris Rock at the Oscars, Then Wins Best Actor Play video: Watch: Will Smith Strikes Chris Rock at the Oscars, Then Wins Best Actor

RESPONSE

A response to the Wall Street Journal article "Will Smith’s Oscars Slap of Chris Rock Prompts One-Liners and Worry From Comedians", 

#A - Thank you for making me go back and re-read a section of the book I had only skimmed. It was an interesting analysis. 

"Fourth, aretaic ethics is a category of ethics that focuses on the virtues produced in individuals, not the morality of specific acts."

Scott B. Rae, Moral Choices: An Introduction To Ethics, Third Edition (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009), 16.

#B. I've only read snippets of the event. So the following is an analysis based more on what I know of these individuals and the industry(s) involved than the event itself. But I thought I'd try my hand at the same analysis you demonstrated so well. 

1. Action. Commedians regularly make jokes about sensetive topics, and many only know they've crossed the line based on reactions of their audience. A comedian who wants to remain ethical should consider ahead of time which topics or methods may be out of line.
2. Motive. Most commedians just want a laugh, to be liked, and make money from their craft. Was there any personal beef between these two individuals? If so, that may have played a role. Otherwise, the motive wasn't maliscious.
3. Consequence (Risk/Reward). In this case, one consequence is clear (a slap in the face and many people taking sides). A comdeian always take the risk of going too far. He could also run the risk of being cancelled from future shows; or, being invited to more shows because of his edgeyness. There is a man and woman who feel embarrased or attacked, that is a consequence. There was an event that was interrupted and people who wanted to feel relaxed and laugh then had to face hard things and feel confronted and tense, that is a consequence. There are watchers of the event (media, individuals, social media memes, and more) that have now taken the situation far beyond control as the story spins out. These are just a few of the unintended consequences. 
4. Character. For people of the book, we have two high callings "Love Yahweh. Love Yahweh's other kids". If we are poking gentle fun at someone's idiosyncrasies and they are enjoying it, then we are acknowleding the messy human qualities, that is acceptable. If we are using someone else, taking laughs at their expense, that is neither loving Yahweh or his children. Dry Bar Comedy has done a fabulous job or gathering various comedians (secular and religious) who work that line between funny and crass. If our involvement with other humans does not leave them feeling loved, seen, heard, and valued, then we have failed in the area of Character (even if it was in the name of comdey).

I didn't know what I would say until I sat with the textbook open and pondered each one, then started typing. But that's my thoughts after processing. Interesting. 

Darrell Wolfe

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