No Biblical Absolutes
Contrary to popular understanding, the Bible delivers us no absolutes. Everything in the Bible is relative: on one hand, to God, and on the other hand, to some particular person or group, occasion, or need.
The ten commandments are not absolutes, they are addressed only to God’s covenant people, Israel–not to the Egyptians, the Amalekites, the Moabites, nor to the Yoruba or Arapaho.
The Sermon on the Mount contains no absolutes; it is addressed to the larger group of his disciples. These teachings relate specifically relate to those who commit to follow Jesus and allow their life to be disciplined by him.
The need to be born again is not presented as an absolute necessity. Only Nicodemus is told that he must be born again. Jesus says to one that all he needs is to sell out and follow Jesus. Another is told to leave his parents and follow Jesus. Still another, the Gerasene demoniac, is not allowed to follow Jesus, but told to stay in his home territory. There is no single “plan of salvation.” Jesus deals with everyone differently, relative to their personal condition.
The epistles of the New Testament offer no absolute teaching or rules. Each epistle is written relative to the needs in a particular church. The Galatian churches are not taught the same thing about women in the church as the Corinthian church. Different places, different situations. The letter called Philemon was written to Philemon relative to a runaway slave named Onesimus. Paul deals with rules differently with Timothy than he does with the Galatians. The book of Hebrews is written relative to Hebrew Christians and relative to the Hebrew Bible book of Leviticus.
Christians are not to try to impose absolutes on anyone, but to serve as faithful witnesses to Jesus Christ, living out all the things he has commanded them.
About Me
- WRoark
- Professor of Christian Studies and Philosophy for more than thirty years. Author of Think like an Octopus: The Key to Becoming a Good Thinker. Now the blogosphere is my classroom. I am a contrarian, challenger of the status quo, a voice from a differing perspective. When I retired, I took off my watch, my shoes, let others answer the phone, and refuse to hurry, unless life is at stake.
9 comments:
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. - John 14:6
Seems pretty absolute to me, friend.
To claim that God is "relative" is very dangerous, given that Our Creator tells us that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is anything but a God of Relativity. He is a God of absolutes.
There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof [are] the ways of death. - Proverbs 1:12
Every way of a man [is] right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts. - Proverbs 21:2
Lesson - you may have your own thoughts, but if they don't line up with what God says, you're deluding yourself.
How one can read the totality of Scripture and then post that there are no absolutes in the Bible is beyond confusing. But it is not necessarily unexpected:
Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 1 Corinthians 1:25
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned. -- 1 Corinthians 2:14
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. - 1 Corinthians 3:19
I pray that you will repent and come to true saving Faith in the One True God, the Great I AM THAT I AM, through the shed blood of the Messiah, Christ Jesus. Until that day, may God have mercy on you.
No absolute truth? Is that absolutely true?
Wallace,
I think you are on to something here. The plan of salvation for the world is far bigger than conservatism can handle.
With all due respect, the comments posted above demonstrate a severe lack of understanding into the nature of truth and so-called "absolutes". We cannot simply collapse truth into propositional-ism or foundationalism - truth is far broader, more relational and infinitely more beautiful than that!
To simply make the (all-too-common)statement "No absolute truth? Is that absolutely true?" is to impose one's own view of truth and absolutes onto Wallace, who precisely argued *against* such a view.
Matt said To simply make the (all-too-common)statement "No absolute truth? Is that absolutely true?" is to impose one's own view of truth and absolutes onto Wallace, who precisely argued *against* such a view.
I am not talking about my own view of the truth that would be relativism. The "truth" is the "truth" whether you choose to believe it or not i.e. 2 plus 2 equals 4. To deny there are no absolutes or universal truths is to deny reality. If there were no absolutes why do we appoint secular arbiters of truth such as judges? Why does the UN have a Universal Declaration of Human Rights? I have found that relativists argue their case only when it comes to moral issues and spirituality; which they say are dependent on one’s point of view, context and culture. By taking such a stance they unwittingly condone the actions of world's worst dictators and heinous criminals. By insisting there is no foundational or propositional truth there is no moral compass to guide mankind. Truth exists outside our personal biases and beliefs and God is the author and arbiter of that truth.
This may be a stupid question, but how can you be a faithful witness to Jesus Christ, when you don't know Him?
The sermon on the mount...So if I am a disciple of Jesus does this sermon now become an absolute?
Is it okay for Christians to impose the "non-absolute" info from the Bible?
Well, golly. Where do you live? If the 10 Commandments aren't meant for anyone other than those early Israelites, I want your house. Maybe your car, too. Can I kill you when I'm done with your stuff?
Can anyone possibly say anything more stupid than what you have blogged? I thought McLaren's bloviations were stupid, but you've outdone him.
Confused Christian said "The sermon on the mount...So if I am a disciple of Jesus does this sermon now become an absolute?
Is it okay for Christians to impose the "non-absolute" info from the Bible?"
Yes the sermon on the mount is the way we are supposed to live as Christians. It is however antithical to our sinful nature, and impossible to live out without the indwelling and power of the Holy Spirit.
Christians impose the non-absolute info from the Bible".? I'm not sure what "non-absolute info you are referring to? However there is a set of established and orthodox beliefs that one must hold to be a Christian (see the Nicene Creed). Even the most harden atheists believe this. See an exchange between renowned atheist Christopher Hitchens and a “liberal Christian”
(Liberal Christian) The religion you cite in your book is generally the fundamentalist faith of various kinds. I'm a liberal Christian, and I don't take the stories from the scripture literally. I don't believe in the doctrine of atonement (that Jesus died for our sins, for example). Do you make and distinction between fundamentalist faith and liberal religion?
[Hitch]: I would say that if you don't believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ and Messiah, and that he rose again from the dead and by his sacrifice our sins are forgiven, you're really not in any meaningful sense a Christian.
The truth is a person, not an idea, philosophy, moral teaching, but a person, who, by nature, is relational.
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