Comments on: Carson on “Red-Letter Christians” http://www.dennyburk.com/carson-on-%e2%80%9cred-letter-christians%e2%80%9d/ A commentary on theology, politics, and culture Sun, 12 Feb 2012 06:07:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Ben http://www.dennyburk.com/carson-on-%e2%80%9cred-letter-christians%e2%80%9d/#comment-39161 Ben Wed, 25 Jun 2008 23:37:22 +0000 http://www.dennyburk.com/?p=1998#comment-39161 I like red-letter Bibles for one reason: It serves as a demonstration to when Jesus is speaking, especially when he is refered to by a name that is not clear. I like red-letter Bibles for one reason:

It serves as a demonstration to when Jesus is speaking, especially when he is refered to by a name that is not clear.

]]> By: Kenneth Ross http://www.dennyburk.com/carson-on-%e2%80%9cred-letter-christians%e2%80%9d/#comment-37543 Kenneth Ross Tue, 20 May 2008 18:05:08 +0000 http://www.dennyburk.com/?p=1998#comment-37543 I'm 100% with Carson here. Just about every issue we face in contemporary evangelicalism comes down to the authority of scripture. ALL scripture is God-breathed, and we therefore have no mandate to apply a red-letter hermeneutic and then claim we are still being faithful to scripture. I still feel the diagnostic question these guys must always be forced to answer is... do they believe the Bible IS the word of God, or do they believe it CONTAINS the word of God. I think at the end of the day, most red-letter apologists must be forced to concede that they hold the latter view. I’m 100% with Carson here. Just about every issue we face in contemporary evangelicalism comes down to the authority of scripture. ALL scripture is God-breathed, and we therefore have no mandate to apply a red-letter hermeneutic and then claim we are still being faithful to scripture. I still feel the diagnostic question these guys must always be forced to answer is… do they believe the Bible IS the word of God, or do they believe it CONTAINS the word of God. I think at the end of the day, most red-letter apologists must be forced to concede that they hold the latter view.

]]> By: Joel http://www.dennyburk.com/carson-on-%e2%80%9cred-letter-christians%e2%80%9d/#comment-37529 Joel Tue, 20 May 2008 06:23:18 +0000 http://www.dennyburk.com/?p=1998#comment-37529 I agree with the point Carson is making- not pitting scripture against itself- however, it just doesn't strike me as very academic to use words like 'posh' and 'rubbish' when making your points in an academic journal. I agree with the point Carson is making- not pitting scripture against itself- however, it just doesn’t strike me as very academic to use words like ‘posh’ and ‘rubbish’ when making your points in an academic journal.

]]> By: Bryan L http://www.dennyburk.com/carson-on-%e2%80%9cred-letter-christians%e2%80%9d/#comment-37525 Bryan L Tue, 20 May 2008 01:36:09 +0000 http://www.dennyburk.com/?p=1998#comment-37525 Just an FYI: Two recent major books on ethics took the approach of putting Jesus at the center. One was by Glen Stassen and Dave Gushee called "Kingdom Ethics" and the other was by Richard Burridge called "Imitating Jesus: An Inclusive Approach to New Testament Ethics" Burridge's reasoning for starting with Jesus is quite interesting and builds on his work that the genre of the gospels is ancient biography. Check them out if you get a chance. Bryan Just an FYI:
Two recent major books on ethics took the approach of putting Jesus at the center. One was by Glen Stassen and Dave Gushee called “Kingdom Ethics” and the other was by Richard Burridge called “Imitating Jesus: An Inclusive Approach to New Testament Ethics”

Burridge’s reasoning for starting with Jesus is quite interesting and builds on his work that the genre of the gospels is ancient biography.

Check them out if you get a chance.

Bryan

]]> By: Matt Svoboda http://www.dennyburk.com/carson-on-%e2%80%9cred-letter-christians%e2%80%9d/#comment-37516 Matt Svoboda Mon, 19 May 2008 22:56:31 +0000 http://www.dennyburk.com/?p=1998#comment-37516 yeah, thanks David. I don't know what I was thinking. What I said doesn't even make sense!!! haha.. yeah, thanks David. I don’t know what I was thinking. What I said doesn’t even make sense!!! haha..

]]> By: David (not Adrian's son) Rogers http://www.dennyburk.com/carson-on-%e2%80%9cred-letter-christians%e2%80%9d/#comment-37513 David (not Adrian's son) Rogers Mon, 19 May 2008 22:47:17 +0000 http://www.dennyburk.com/?p=1998#comment-37513 Just a correction: It was Zipporah (Moses' wife) who circumcised her son and threw the foreskin at the feet of an unspecified person (the Hebrew is unclear to whom the pronoun refers) either the LORD or Moses. Exodus 4:24-26 Just a correction:

It was Zipporah (Moses’ wife) who circumcised her son and threw the foreskin at the feet of an unspecified person (the Hebrew is unclear to whom the pronoun refers) either the LORD or Moses.

Exodus 4:24-26

]]> By: Matt Svoboda http://www.dennyburk.com/carson-on-%e2%80%9cred-letter-christians%e2%80%9d/#comment-37510 Matt Svoboda Mon, 19 May 2008 20:58:02 +0000 http://www.dennyburk.com/?p=1998#comment-37510 (Dr, York oreached that message in Chapel! I don't think Mohler thought he would take that passage in Chapel, but Dr. York certainly is a guy to take any passage in ant setting if it is appropriate!) (Dr, York oreached that message in Chapel! I don’t think Mohler thought he would take that passage in Chapel, but Dr. York certainly is a guy to take any passage in ant setting if it is appropriate!)

]]> By: Matt Svoboda http://www.dennyburk.com/carson-on-%e2%80%9cred-letter-christians%e2%80%9d/#comment-37509 Matt Svoboda Mon, 19 May 2008 20:56:20 +0000 http://www.dennyburk.com/?p=1998#comment-37509 Brett, "But let me ask you, when was the last time you heard a preacher preach through the first several chapters of Chronicles? What about the genealogies in “Luke”?" I am glad that you asked! Right now I am priveleged to be the intern for Dr. York at Southern Seminary... The man will preach anything and everything! A couple weeks ago he did a great sermon on 'head coverings' in 1 Corinthians and last week he did a great job on 1 Corinthians 14 on the issue of tongues. I don't know if you have heard this storyb, but Mohler 'dared' Dr. York to preach on the passage that Abraham threw his foreskin at Isaac's feet and Dr. York happily did just that! So I know that not everyone is as blessed as I am to sit under such great, spread out preaching, but I wish that all were. There is another pastor in Louisville named Ryan Fullerton that jsut preached through Joshua and it might be the best sermon series I have ever heard(i listened on the internet.) But yes, we are definitely in agreement here. Carson is not exempt and I do wish preachers actually did preach as if ALL Scripture was breathed out by God! I am only 20 and don't gewt to preach that often, but I do pray that I will not be pastor that camps out in one part of Scripture. I must say that I preached through the books of the OT with my former pastor and it was difficult, but it was also exciting and rewarding! Matt Brett,

“But let me ask you, when was the last time you heard a preacher preach through the first several chapters of Chronicles? What about the genealogies in “Luke”?”

I am glad that you asked! Right now I am priveleged to be the intern for Dr. York at Southern Seminary… The man will preach anything and everything! A couple weeks ago he did a great sermon on ‘head coverings’ in 1 Corinthians and last week he did a great job on 1 Corinthians 14 on the issue of tongues. I don’t know if you have heard this storyb, but Mohler ‘dared’ Dr. York to preach on the passage that Abraham threw his foreskin at Isaac’s feet and Dr. York happily did just that!

So I know that not everyone is as blessed as I am to sit under such great, spread out preaching, but I wish that all were. There is another pastor in Louisville named Ryan Fullerton that jsut preached through Joshua and it might be the best sermon series I have ever heard(i listened on the internet.)

But yes, we are definitely in agreement here. Carson is not exempt and I do wish preachers actually did preach as if ALL Scripture was breathed out by God! I am only 20 and don’t gewt to preach that often, but I do pray that I will not be pastor that camps out in one part of Scripture. I must say that I preached through the books of the OT with my former pastor and it was difficult, but it was also exciting and rewarding!

Matt

]]> By: MatthewS http://www.dennyburk.com/carson-on-%e2%80%9cred-letter-christians%e2%80%9d/#comment-37508 MatthewS Mon, 19 May 2008 19:43:20 +0000 http://www.dennyburk.com/?p=1998#comment-37508 Carson's opinion is more about method than the people involved. I think the charge of "slander" is unfair. Brett, if I get your point, you are concerned that Carson is accusing someone else of prioritizing certain texts while pretending he doesn't do the same. I don't think he is doing that here. He has two complaints. First, the creation of a 'canon within a canon' with a specific purpose in mind. His bigger complaint, as I read it, is that the red-letter hermeneutical method is violent to the text. It strips teachings out of their given narrative context and reorients them to a new end, which coincidentally happens to be the evangelical left. Finally, he adds an appeal to avoid reductionism. It's true that we all prioritize our reading of some texts over others but I don't think Carson is naively lobbing a grenade at the red-letter folks for one prioritization while himself using another. Personally, I think his complaints have merit. Carson’s opinion is more about method than the people involved. I think the charge of “slander” is unfair.

Brett, if I get your point, you are concerned that Carson is accusing someone else of prioritizing certain texts while pretending he doesn’t do the same. I don’t think he is doing that here.

He has two complaints. First, the creation of a ‘canon within a canon’ with a specific purpose in mind.

His bigger complaint, as I read it, is that the red-letter hermeneutical method is violent to the text. It strips teachings out of their given narrative context and reorients them to a new end, which coincidentally happens to be the evangelical left.

Finally, he adds an appeal to avoid reductionism.

It’s true that we all prioritize our reading of some texts over others but I don’t think Carson is naively lobbing a grenade at the red-letter folks for one prioritization while himself using another. Personally, I think his complaints have merit.

]]> By: Sue http://www.dennyburk.com/carson-on-%e2%80%9cred-letter-christians%e2%80%9d/#comment-37506 Sue Mon, 19 May 2008 17:19:54 +0000 http://www.dennyburk.com/?p=1998#comment-37506 Suddenly I realize that one could think that "mankind" means "male." I have to chuckle at those who don't want gender accurate Bibles. They don't see that James says, "human." Never mind, some day, people will go back to reading Greek "as a language" but that day has not come. The argument is not only about whether one takes a line from the epistles as more important than the gospels, but also about whether one accepts a certain English translation as canonical. That is a graver problem. We cannot even agree on a common Bible in the evangelical community. I say, a million times better, let's go back the King James and share a common version. Suddenly I realize that one could think that “mankind” means “male.” I have to chuckle at those who don’t want gender accurate Bibles. They don’t see that James says, “human.” Never mind, some day, people will go back to reading Greek “as a language” but that day has not come.

The argument is not only about whether one takes a line from the epistles as more important than the gospels, but also about whether one accepts a certain English translation as canonical. That is a graver problem. We cannot even agree on a common Bible in the evangelical community. I say, a million times better, let’s go back the King James and share a common version.

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