Vol 01•No. 04
Lessons from the Reformation for Today The Courage of
Martin Luther German Theologians:
Blessing &Bane
Why We Study Dr. Joseph Harrison Jackson Theology Digest • 1 A PUBLICATION OF THE FULL GOSPEL BAPTIST CHURCH FELLOWSHIP DEPARTMENT OF Christian EDUCATION
2 • Theology Digest
Bishop Paul S. Morton International Presiding Bishop Bishop Andy C. Lewter, D. Min. Publisher/Editor in Chief Pastor Justin Cohen Associate Editor Nadin Johnson Executive Assistant Contributing Writers Bishop Lester Williams Bishop Dennis Golphin Overseer Porter Brown Annette Brown The Theology Digest is a quartley publication published by the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship Department of Christian Education. We welcome all submissions which become the property of the publication and is subject to editorial revisions. For more information please contact Theology Digest, 2 Monroe Street, Amityville, NY 11701. 631-842-7091or by email bishopacl@mindspring.com
A PUBLICATION OF THE FULL GOSPEL BAPTIST CHURCH FELLOWSHIP DEPARTMENT OF christian EDUCATION
Why Theology is Still Important W By Bishop Andy C. Lewter, D. Min.
hen I decided to launch a theological journal over a year ago I had to ask myself why such an endeavor had such an enormous appeal to me. After all, I had to confess that the potential audience for a publication that was more interested in theological issues than contemporary news items was, in my estimation, very slim to say the least. At a time when the print medium was experiencing a downturn, along with the economy, it appeared that one of the last things that people might want is a weighty publication aimed at the mind as oppose to our emotions. And yet, when I considered the idea in more detail, I became further convinced that somewhere in the body of Christ there needed to be a brutally frank and honest discussion about what we believe and how those beliefs have undergone change and revisions because of the culture that we currently live in. Without a doubt, Christianity has become a global experience that has significant mass appeal around the world. However, history seems to point out that whenever a faith system goes viral and reaches critical mass, there tends to be a “dumbing down” of the content so that it can remain attractive to the masses. When the Renaissance in Europe was launched over five hundred years ago, there was established a curious tension between the scientific and religious community. Men like Copernicus and Galileo, who had been ardent believers and members of the Christian faith community, arrived at conclusions that made them question some of the ancient beliefs and practices of the church at that time. Perhaps one of the more tragic realities of that era was the shift in the academic currency that had previously been spent on the subject of faith, God and our relationship with the divine. More and more, some of the better minds of the day
moved their focus to a search of empirical evidence and the scientific method, leaving the faith community to survive on the slanted opinions of those who were neither objective or balanced in their thinking. It is with this history in mind, that I have sought to resurrect the rich tradition of the faith community to give our attention and best scholastic tools to the endeavor of continuing the academic excellence in the pulpit and in our churches. Twice a year a selective group of church-persons and scholars assemble on the campus of some of our most prestigious university campuses in the country to discuss and debate some of the more profound issues that challenge our doctrines and theology. The recitation that “we are, practicing theologians” has become not only a recited mantra but an identification that those who participate in this exercise has become extremely proud of. This enterprise is not a worship service nor is it a Sunday School lesson, but rather it is an attempt to assemble critical minds for the task of examining our faith against the crucible of contemporary culture and ask the more difficult questions of our time. Cloning, space exploration, redefined sexual roles, political experiments and a host of other activities have created a situation for the modern theologian to study with new tools and new approaches. It is my hope and prayer that this journal will be a conduit for critical conversation and a means by which those of us who are engaged in the enterprise of faith can have as an outlet and a forum to express ideas and opinions that might not be welcome in a traditional setting where our practical vocation obscures and intimidates our discussions with each other.
Theology Digest • 3
Lessons from the
Reformation for Today I
n this century the Body of Christ finds itself in truly challenging and yet exciting times. There is a heightened interest in things spiritual, religious, and even curiosity about what Godly is and what it is not. There are parallels between what we see today, and the conditions and circumstances that Martin Luther faced in 1517. At the same time we see parallels; we also see irony infused in the environment now compared to the environment in Luther’s day. First of all we need to be abundantly clear that the disaster of the Crusades was a precursor to what became known as the Protestant (Protesting) Reformation. Since the commandment for the Crusades came from the Holy See, and by all accounts the crusades were dismal failures, this opened the door to question the Doctrine of Papal Infallibility. Into the breach of this new dimension of turmoil, questioning, discovery, and excitement on the part of more of the average folks stepped Martin Luther. Martin Luther was not looking for a
4 • Theology Digest
By Overseer Porter Brown
big fight with the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church, but instead simply sought opportunity to dialogue concerning matters of the church that he found at least questionable. Martin Luther put forth ninety-five propositions for discussion expecting to enter into stimulating dialogue with others in Wittenberg, Germany. Instead a firestorm erupted that eventually led to his excommunication; this was the start of the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther did not dispute the Catholic Doctrine entirely. However, Luther did have two major areas of concern that are laid out admirably in the Ninetyfive points raised in 1517. He questioned the motives of local priest, monks, and the hierarchy of the church in extending indulgences (pardons for a fee) noting that this practice generated a substantial amount of money for a church and Pope that were already quite wealthy. Secondly Martin Luther’s concern was clearly the cheapening of the grace of God by reducing it to a system of goods
sold for purely financial motive. Thus we see the parallel to today’s visible church. Grace has been cheapened by the so-called Gospel of Inclusion and compromise concerning sin. Whenever sin is no longer taught as sin – an affront and rebellion against God, then there is no real need for His Grace. When we look closely at the questions Luther raised and the Papal Bull issued by Pope Leo X on June 15, 1520, we see the connection to an ever more apostate church that discounts and marginalizes the grace of God, and at the same time attacks as bigoted and hateful the segment of the church that lifts up God’s pronouncements about sin alongside the awesome power of His Grace to redeem mankind. What is ironic is that it is the liberal interpretation of Scripture and the wholesale capitulation to political correctness that calls us to remember the Grace of God as defended by Luther in the 1500’s. We must continue to proclaim the whole truth – The Gospel!
M
any persons may ask why members of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship would spend time studying the life and preaching of Dr. Joseph Harrison Jackson, past president of the National Baptist Convention from 1953 to 1982. The reason quite simply is because despite the controversy that surrounded him over the issue of “tenure” and the unfortunate split of the National Baptist Convention during his administration, Dr. Jackson was truly one of the most brilliant and articulate theological minds of the 20th century that was produced by the National Baptist Convention. The aim of the theological intensives that meets twice a year on the campuses of some of the most prestigious schools in the country is to examine and study those persons who have had an enormous impact upon the thinking and practice of Black Christians. Despite his politics, Dr. Joseph Harrison Jackson stands as a giant in the pulpit and anyone who is a serious student of Black Religion can ill-afford to ignore his genius and scholarship. While Dr. Jackson is known most for his involvement in the National Baptist Convention, his theology represents a classic “Black Orthodoxy” of mainstream Protestant thought was the dominant spiritual theme for over one hundred years in Black Baptist Churches all across America. His philosophy of “Accomodationalism” that seemingly grew from a Booker T. Washingtonian attitude could be found in most
Why We Study Dr. Joseph Harrison Jackson By Bishop Andy C. Lewter, D. Min.
Black Baptist Pulpits from Reconstruction to the Modern Civil Rights Movement. It must also be noted that he was a product of rural Mississippi where he grew up on a farm and self taught himself arithmetic, spelling and reading. Despite these humble beginnings, he went on to graduate from college and earn two graduate degrees, one from the Ivy League school of Colgate Rochester Divinity School. Dr. Jackson held pastorates in Philadelphia and Chicago. The Mt. Olivet Baptist Church of Chicago called him to serve as pastor in 1941, a position that he held until the time of his death in 1982. As pastor of Mt Olivet, the church grew to become a “mega-church” of over 20,000 mem-
bers, decades before the term “mega” became popular. Jackson became immersed in controversy at the end of his fourth term (1957) as president when his supporters overturned the tenure amendment and elected him to a fifth term as president. Chaos resulted and eventually the convention split producing the Progressive National Baptist Convention. Dr. Sherman Tribble, author of the the book, “Images of a Preacher”, lectured on the life and career of Dr. Jackson at the 2010 Summer Theological Intensive held on the campus of Yale University on Wednesday, August 18, 2010. During his presentation, Dr. Tribble pointed out that the “staying power” of Dr. Jackson was directly related to his brilliance as a preacher as well as a politician. Several excerpts of Dr. Jackson’s sermons were presented to the students to demonstrate that he was an exceptional giant of the pulpit. Studying Dr. Jackson is therefore not a reversal of direction, but rather it a clear example of how one must know where they have been, to better know where they are going. Dr. Sherman Tribble pastors the New Victory Baptist Church in Nashville, TN and is the Director of the Doctoral Program at Apex Theological Seminary in Raleigh, NC. Theology Digest • 5
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Theology Digest • 7
German Theologians:
Blessing&Bane I
n our study of the Protestant Reformation, we study the lives and teachings of the theologians who were at the forefront of the movement. Naturally, we begin with the “father” of the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther. Martin Luther, a German, was a Roman Catholic priest who sought to correct (reform) the doctrine and practices of the church. His 95 Thesis nailed to the Wittenberg door forever changed the landscape of the church. As we know, it was never Luther’s intention to cause a schism but to liberate the people of God from oppressive and unbiblical practices. For lack of a better phrase, Martin Luther, a German theologian, was the first “Liberation Theologian” In the use of that phrase, the clarification needs to be made that the intention was liberation from bad theology, dogma, and practice unlike the more modern “Liberation Theology” whose German roots we will now explore. The modern “Liberation Theology” has it’s root in the writings of German Theologians such as Moltmann, Schleiermacher, et al. This group would also include Niebuhr and Tillich who were liberals, not neo-Reformationists. They belonged to the liberal tradition although they repudiated its idealism and rationalism. It is essential to understand that the “modern” German theologians had to approach the Bible and interpret it from a
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By Pastor Justin Cohen
liberal and allegorical mindset. They utilized a hermeneutic which produced an intended result. Their influence took root in those whom we would identify as contemporary Liberation Theologians such as James Cone, Harvey Cox, John Shelby Spong, and William S. Coffin all of whom are self identifying socialists / communists / or Marxists. The American disciples of the German Liberation Theologians have produced such concepts as the following: James Cone writes; “Racism is a complete denial of the Incarnation and thus of Christianity…If there is any contemporary meaning of the Antichrist (or “the principalities and powers”), the white church seems to be a manifestation of it. It was the white “Christian” church which took the lead in establishing slavery as an institution and segregation as a pattern in society by sanctioning all-white congregations.” [Black Theology and Black Power, p. 73] This statement is in and of itself racist. Episcopal “Bishop” Shelby Spong writes in his book Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism (1991) that the Apostle Paul was a repressed, guilt-ridden homosexual. These are just two examples of the extreme logical end of the slippery slope of liberalism and this so called “Liberation Theology”. In conclusion, let me clarify the defini-
tion of the term “theology”; it is the study of God. God can only be studied within the context which He reveals Himself, notably the Bible. The Bible must be studied with the correct hermeneutic (the art and science of Biblical interpretation). To conduct otherwise would be an incorrect approach. The Liberation Theologians through improper hermeneutic do not seek to interpret properly the God who has revealed Himself in the manner which He has revealed Himself, but they seek to interpret humanity and the suffering thereof in light of the Scriptures utilizing them as a justification. This is a classic textbook case of “proof texting”. Liberation Theology is a misinterpretation of the Bible for the purposes of basing a socio-political agenda upon it. Therefore “Liberation Theology” is not theology at all. It is actually an Anthropology (the study of man), and a humanistic philosophy with political overtones. In our study of the Reformation, consider the following; Isn’t it an ironic turn of events that the same country that produced a Martin Luther also produced a host of modern theologians upon whose poor hermeneutics, Marxist philosophical leanings, and socialist / communist political ideologies we have been handed this so called “Liberation Theology”?
The Courage of
Martin Luther By Overseer Lanier C. Twyman The Protestant Reformation serves as a major benchmark in Christendom. Martin Luther, the 16th century priest from Germany looked at the structure of the Roman Catholic Church, read the Bible and determined that some things were missing or misinterpreted. He interpreted the scriptures and moved beyond the status quo and decided to challenge the powers that be by nailing his 95th thesis on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany in 1517. The Pope demanded that he retract his writings, but Luther refused. His stance on justification by faith (sola fide) and the Bible being sole authority (sola scriptura) caused him to be ostracized from the Catholic Church. It took great courage and tenacity to break from the Roman tradition but not break from the Body of Christ. It was Luther’s intent to reform, not to separate; hence the Protestant Reformation began. The International Presiding Bishop of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship, Bishop Paul S. Morton, serves as a modern day Martin Luther in his efforts to “Change a Generation”. This movement focuses on the premise that “Baptists have a right to choose”. While some reformations focus
on the finished work of Calvary and others focus on the power of Pentecost, Bishop Morton believes that the focus should be balanced. Both of these significant events must be highlighted and proclaimed in the life of a believer. Calvary reminds us that our sins have been forgiven - past, present and future and Pentecost reminds us that we have power to live a life here on earth that pleases God and we have been empowered for godly service. These truths are boldly proclaimed with balance by the reformation initiated by God through Bishop Morton. He has shown a Luther-like courage by calling together the body of Christ through the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship. The challenge extends to all of us to view our homes, churches, communities, cities and country from a biblical perspective instead of “going along to get along” We have a responsibility to speak the truth in love. Just recently in Washington, D.C., the City Council voted to legalize same sex marriages. Several churches in the area agree with the decision of the council. This is disappointing since the Bible is explicitly against it. The Bible believing church of God must have the courage to “cry aloud and spare not”. In these last days, the church is going to need the courage of a Martin Luther to call right right and wrong wrong. When we take a stand for God, we may have to walk away from others and others may walk away from us but we will never stand alone. Take a stand for what is right in your community. Who knows, you may be the next Martin Luther. Theology Digest • 9
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Theology Digest • 11
Theology Digest
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