Month: June 2019

1&2 Timothy Bible Study

1 & 2 Timothy: Lesson 9

Michelle Lesley

Previous Lessons: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Read 2 Timothy 1

Questions to Consider

1. Before diving in to chapter 1, you may wish to review your answers to the introductory questions in lesson 8 (link above).

2. Examine the greeting of this letter (1-2). Who is this letter from? Where is he currently residing? (8) Who is this letter addressed to? What was Timothy’s position in the church at Ephesus? Since 2 Timothy is one of the pastoral epistles, how do its instructions apply to pastors, church members, and the church today?

3. Compare the greeting of 2 Timothy (1-2) to the greeting of 1 Timothy. How does Paul present his credentials, describe Timothy, and invoke God’s blessings in each greeting? What are the similarities and differences in each of these?

4. Read 3-18, noticing the repetition of three words, one in 8 & 12, one in 12 & 14, one in 8, 12, 16. What are these three words? What can these words help us understand about a general theme of this chapter and the letter as a whole?

5. Look closely at Paul’s personal remarks to Timothy in 3-7. Describe the ways Paul serves and encourages Timothy, personally, in this section. How can this section inform the church that pastors need encouragement? What might your own pastor(s) be in “tears” about? (4) Are you praying for your pastor(s)? (3) What specific words of encouragement could you offer your pastor(s) this (and every) week? (5-7)

6. What word does verse 8 start with? Backtrack into verses 6-7 to see what that “therefore” is there for. Would Timothy be able to carry out what Paul said in verse 8 without “girding up his loins” with the instructions in 6-7? Why is it important for us to prepare, spiritually, for future persecution?

Consider the context (6-7) of verse 8. What might Timothy have been “fearful” (7) of (hint: How was society/government treating Christians at that time in history?), and how does that inform our understanding of his being “ashamed” of the “testimony about our Lord” and about Paul? Does “ashamed” mean mere social embarrassment in this context? What would the consequences have been of Timothy aligning himself with the gospel and with Paul? (8b) (Compare with Peter’s “shame” over aligning himself with Jesus.)

Explain how a professing Christian today might be “ashamed” of the “testimony about our Lord” or of aligning herself with Christians who are suffering the consequences of being bold in the faith.

9. In verses 9-10 we have one of our recurring motifs (see lesson 5 question 9 – link above – if your memory needs jogging). What is it? Take a few moments to revel in this passage, soak up the beauty of the gospel, and thank God for it. Can you list all of the theological concepts alluded to in this passage? (eg. predestination, sola gratia, etc.)

10. Compare Paul’s “I am not ashamed,” and “I am suffering” in 11-12 with his instructions to Timothy not to be ashamed and to join in suffering in verse 8. How was Paul leaving an example for Timothy to follow? What are some ways we can follow Paul’s example today?

11. Examine the concept of “guarding the deposit entrusted to you” as it pertains to Paul and to Timothy in 12-14. Why did Paul say he was not ashamed – he did not fear or shrink back – to align himself with Christ and the gospel? (12b- remember that in this context, “for” means “because”). Who is the “he” in verse 12? (see v. 14) When Paul says “what has been entrusted to me,” what does he mean? What is the thing, the “good deposit” (14) that has been entrusted to him and to Timothy? (13) Who entrusted this good deposit to Paul? (11-12) To Timothy? (13) What does Paul mean by “guarding” this good deposit? (12,14) Have Christians received this “good deposit” today? Who entrusted it to us, and how are we to “guard” it? (14)

12. Read 15-18. Who does Paul mention that were “ashamed” of him? (15) Why do you think they “turned away” from aligning themselves with Paul? Who was not ashamed of aligning himself with Paul and the gospel (15), and how did he demonstrate this (16-18)? What are some ways you can demonstrate, through the good works God has ordained for you, that you are not ashamed of being aligned with Christ and the gospel?

Homework

Review 3-7 again. Examine the specific ways Paul encouraged Timothy in this section. Think of someone who is a true child in the faith to you, maybe your own child, a younger woman at church, etc. Drop her a card, e-mail, or text this week to encourage her in her walk with the Lord and to let her know how you’re praying for her.

Suggested Memory Verse

Homosexuality

An Open Letter to Beth Moore

Michelle Lesley

We have answered some of the most commonly asked
questions about the Open Letter to Beth Moore here.

If you are unfamiliar with the events surrounding this letter, please read
An Open Letter to Beth Moore – Timeline of Events.

Dear Mrs. Moore,

Hello – we hope this finds you doing well.

We as female Bible teachers ourselves write this letter to you in hopes of receiving clarification of your views on an important issue: homosexuality.

In the last few years, particularly since 2016, you have been very vocal in your opposition to misogyny and racism. Anytime a story with so much of a whiff of these issues comes to the forefront you are very quick to speak out. The actions of the Covington kids, for example, you said “is so utterly antichrist it reeks of the vomit of hell” in a January 19, 2019 tweet; a tweet you deleted, without apology to the kids, once the full video was shown that portrayed a very different reality than what initial reporting suggested.

It is this Johnny-on-the-spot readiness to engage issues related to misogyny and racism that makes your virtual silence on the issue of homosexuality so puzzling.

To your credit, in your book To Live is Christ: The Life and Ministry of Paul, you wrote, “I met a young man who had experienced freedom from the bondage of homosexuality” (pg. 119). This book was first published in 1997 and then republished in 2008 but it seems since then you have said very little if anything publicly about this issue.

Another factor prompting our open letter to you is the very public mutual affection and admiration between you, Jen Hatmaker and Jonathan Merritt.

Jen Hatmaker and you regularly exchange affirming posts of one another on social media. In just one recent example, Hatmaker on September 17, 2018 wrote “Beth Moore will enjoy my respect and devotion forever. She is worthy of being a mentor to an entire generation. And friends, I wish you knew how deeply and profoundly she has loved me these last two years” (Source). In an interview two years before this post, October of 2016, Jen Hatmaker said she was a “left-leaning moderate,” came out as fully supportive of homosexual marriage (saying it can be “holy”) and said practicing homosexuals can be part of the regenerate body of Christ (Source). It was then that LifeWay decided to pull all of her books from its shelves.

More recently, on April 9, 2019, Jonathan Merritt tweeted, “I no longer believe @BethMooreLPM is a human. I think she is an angelic being having a human experience.” (Source). Jonathan Merritt has admitted to having at least one homosexual encounter about a decade ago (Source). Today, by his own admission he rejects biblical inerrancy, says a “liberal Protestant” would be an accurate description of him, and says his sexual orientation he no longer views as “broken” (Source). In a crass response to Dr. Owen Strachan tweeting, rightly so, that there should never be an occasion in which men “cuddle” with one another, Merritt on May 1, 2019 tweeted in response, “C’mon, Owen. You can be my little spoon” (Source). Merritt also openly affirms that “queer” and LGBTQ people are included in God’s Kingdom and it is a “carrot of false promises” that the Gospel can make such people straight (Source, Source). He supports “Drag Queen Story Time” in which drag queens read stories to young children in public libraries (Source 27:40 mark). He even appears to doubt the exclusivity of Christ (Source).

Both Jen Hatmaker and Jonathan Merritt are known for their belief that practicing homosexuals can be Christians. Given that this is such a deeply held conviction that both share and this conviction (wrong though it is) has cost them both in their standing amongst theologically conservative evangelicals, and that they both praise you so highly, it raises the natural question as to where you stand on this issue.

Given his beliefs, Merritt publicly saying that he believes you to be “an angelic being having a human experience” strongly suggests that his high praise of you is, at least partially, rooted in your views on this issue that you have shared with him privately. It seems most unlikely that he would be praising you so highly if you had told him that as a homosexual man he will perish for all of eternity unless he repents. It likewise seems unlikely that Hatmaker (a married, straight woman) would praise you so highly if you told her that her affirmation of homosexuality and homosexual marriage is sinful and that she must repent.

When all of this is coupled with your total silence on homosexuality (in stark contrast to your very vocal stance on gender/racial/abuse issues) it naturally raises the question as to what your beliefs on it truly are.

With these factors in mind, and knowing that millions of people follow your teachings, we would like to ask you:

1. Do you believe homosexuality is inherently sinful?

2. Do you believe that the practice of the homosexual lifestyle is compatible with holy Christian living?

3. Do you believe a person who dies as a practicing homosexual but professes to be a Christian will inherit eternal life?

4. Do you believe same sex attraction is, in and of itself, an inherently sinful, unnatural, and disordered desire that must be mortified?

5. Why have you been so silent on this subject in light of your desire to “teach the word of God?”

We ask these questions to you out of genuine concern. As Bible teachers, all of us are held to a very high standard and will give an account for how we handle God’s word. As you know, homosexuality is widely discussed and debated amongst evangelicals and society at large.

Many families are affected by this issue. The most loving thing obedient Christians can do for them is to clearly communicate God’s truth. We look forward to your clarification on these pressing issues. Thank you.

Kind regards,

Susan Heck
With the Master

Debbie Lynne Kespert
The Outspoken Tulip

Michelle Lesley
Michelle Lesley- Discipleship for Christian Women
A Word Fitly Spoken Podcast

Martha Peace
Martha Peace

Elizabeth Prata
The End Time

Amy Spreeman
Berean Research
Naomi’s Table
A Word Fitly Spoken Podcast

Readers, if you would like to add your signature to this open letter, please comment below. (My regular comment parameters still apply.
Please read before commenting.)
Supportive comments will be considered signatures.

I will no longer be adding signatures to this list,
but please feel free to comment.

1.  Debbie Gartland    2. Sherri Brazeal     3. Theresa Miller    4. Cheryl Thompson

5. Jamie Gladden     6. MrsHLBjr     7. Sue Layman     8. Dottie Gephart

9. Laura Moses     10. Cynthia Sutton     11. Kristy Kapp     12. Andrea Crawford

13. Gina     14. Kimberly     15. Sarah Deringer     16. Laura Esther

17.  Julie Waschuk   18. Britt Smith     19. Sybil Hemingway     20. Alma Moss

21. Nancy Brown     22. McKenzie Pope Moffett     23. Barbara Phillips

24. Anna Wood     25. Tami Recke     26. Amy Mabe     27. Jacy Harrison

28. Deena647     29. Kara Peters     30. Steph Johnson

31. Cristy Ann Bestwick    32. Jessica Laird     33. Lydia Hamre

34. Pat Seitz     35. Cindy Duncan-Shaw     36. Cathy Wentzel

37. Linda Rios     38. Kelley Andrich     39. Kelly Jo     40. Katie Smith

41. Amanda Ridenour     42. Melissa Leigh Morris     43. Erika Morris

44. Pam     45. Ann Blaskovich     46. Molly Hoverson     47. Linda Culp Collier

48. Heather Brownlie McCuaig     49. Ginger Weincek     50. Shelley Brown

51. Lauren Hereford     52. Miyoshig     53. Jeri Lowe-Howell     54. Angela

55. Kelly Cason     56. Kris Turrentine     57. Lisa Carey     58. Darlene Doss

60. Annie Monserrate     61. Cheryl R Lamz     62. Maribel C Ibrahim

63. sgoetz78     64. Caitlin Wickliffe     65. Regina Hagan     66. Anne R.

67. Julie Harrod     68. Katie Jay     69. Dawn Staton     70. Susan

71. Jennifer Buck     72. Amy Andrews     73. Stephanie Madrigal     74. triplejaymom

75. Cindy LaFreniere     76. Sharon Cole     77. Julie Fugate     78. Kathy Peters

79. Mrs. Lisor     80. Robin Sykee     81. Lisa King     82. Susan     83. Lisa Brown

84. Eileen Smith     85. Karen McMahon     86. Cathy Kaech     87. Carie Stephens

88. Kim Chapman     89. Cheryl Toepfer     90. Nancy Madrick     91. Linda Sullivan

92. Brittany Hunt    93. Anne Mai     94. Maureen Kopper     95. Julie Norton

96. Debbie Fleig     97. Hilary Osborne     98. Maggie Hebert     99. Leigh Melniszyn

100. Erin Coughlin     101. Laurel Pinske     102. Alicia Bowman     103. Jori Groen

104. Laura Gutwein     105. Nicole B. Guillory     106. Lisa Mifflin

107. Kristine Stone     108.  Carol Anne    109. Rachel Lipski     110. Laura Smith

111. jacor13     112. Traci Danker     113. Christina Pountney

114. Elizabeth Jackson     115. Marita Tibbetts     116. Amy Ramey

117. Maygen Wilson     118. Mary Bradley-Carlson     119. Allison Smith

120. Sandra     121. Courtney Sharp     122. Barb Prihoda     123. Penny Humphreys

124. Jan Bennett     125. Ren Moody     126. Trish Hisle     127. Heidi Moody

128. Carey Hurlburt     129. Kate Skogstad     130. Suzanne Lukawski

131. Elizabeth Beales     132. Susan Tesauro     133. Carol Koprowski

134. Christine Pack     135. Susan Stribich     136. Becka Goings

137. Pamela Thomas     138. Deborah Hunter     139. Mo Weaver

140. Kim Roberts     141. Corrie Dove     142. Lauren Holladay

143. Patty Roberts     144. Beth Stark     145. Sarah Crow     146. Sofia Shapleigh

147. Carnata Horton     148. Dulce Rodejo     149. Heather Fernandez

150. Carolyn Sevier     151. Christine Dullea     152. Amanda Gardiner

153. Char Hartman     154. Susan Haymon     155. Audra Huntet     156. Karla Nunez

157. Debra Pendergraft     158. Debbie     159. Leah P.     160. Sissel Salayda

161. Stephanie Yearwood     162. Melissa Harrison     163. tamtam0101

164. Anita Meisen     165. Elizabeth Moyle     166. Karen Gregory

167. Kate Thompson     168. Shannon Choate     169. Carol Berubee

170. Michele Harden     171. Lisa Snyder     172. Camille Warren

173. Diane Wenning     174. Nancy Nuzzolo     175. Kylee Chavers

176. Lynda Foster     177. Patricia Sanford     178. Jessica Lam

179. Brooke Anglin     180. Heidi Pearce     181. Michele Archambault

182. Michele Lewis    183. Pat Guldenpfennig     184. Angela Asano

185. Sue Cryderman     186. Jacqueline Cody     187. Theresia Smith

188. Peggy Summers     189. Lora M Carver     190. Regina Bean

191. Camille Patterson     192. Kate Butler     193. Leisa Minear

194. Ellie Mae Stankus     195. Tina Nix     196. Linda Currans

197. Daniela Ledwick     198. Melissa Flowers     199. flippingtheswitch

200. Vicky Jackson     201. Cherice Graham     202. Lora Burdette

203. Linda Hughes     204. Heather Ells     205. Jessica Harris

206. Kim von olhausen     207. Cynthia Garcia     208. Norleen Gardner Cheser

209. C. G. Jackson     210. Liz Avrit     211. Charlotte Irons Augustine

212. Tammera Scrivner     213. Donna Nelson     214. Susan Johnson

215. Qiana S. Shaw     216. Donna Dabbs     217. deuteronomysix5to9

218. Tiet Parsons     219. Marline Coronado     220. Julie Wyatt     221. Shelly Howard

222. Janice Porter Huertas     223. Lea K. Housley     224. Bonnie Secrest

225. Julie McKenzie     226. Terri Weiford     227. Pamela Melland

228. Diane E Ellison     229. Cherice Graham     230. Becky U

231. ruthsreminiscings     232. Darlene Tan     233. Kim Starling     234. Candy Macy

235. Rebecca Walls     236. Amy Scott     237. lynettestalls4146

238. Jammie Burwell     239. psfair     240. Laura Flack     241. Kayleigh H.

242. Cel Sherer     243. Kristy Jackson    244. Autumn Lisor     245. Julie Matteson

246. Keri Drescher     247. Name later removed for online anonymity     248. Hayley Wiley     249. Grace Pimm

250. Melanie Carrel     251. Lora Schmitz     252. Julie Wood     253. lauranlou

254. Pamela Collier     255. Coleen Thomas     256. Linda Hughes     257. Becky Bizzell

258. Debbie Lund     259. Connie Gilliam     260. Brandy Hurley

261. Linda Sola Gratia     262. Emily Kelly     263. Gracia     264. Sandie Fields

265. Erika Luft     266. Jennifer Sanders     267. Esther Wood     268. Trina Armstrong

269. tburks0123     270. Cathy Stein     271. Angela Fletcher     272. bjhcfr

273. Abby Adams     274. Diana     275. Cindy Price     276. Karen Buttle

277. Beth Seifert     278. Gemma Gregory     279. Julie Six     280. Colleen Ridge

281. Brenda Klockenga     282. Mary Bausano     283. Heather Thompson

284. Deana Klarich     285. Cheri Briere      286. Frankie Peterson

287. Charlotte Warren     288. Daphne Self     289. Billie J Freeman     290. Tara Hiley

291. Lou Ann Platt     292. I. N. Carpenter     293. Rachel Capps     294. Emily Tucker

295. Elena C. Parr     296. Julie Martin     297. lex122083     298. RM Vicary

299. Tania Carr     300. Sonia Correa     301. Wanda Poudrette     302. Lisa Israel

303. Kelly Gilmore     304. Melissa Ice     305. Michele Smith    306. Natalie Zeiler

307. Sonia Shoultz     308. MJ     309. Kandi Veazey     310. Haley Phillips

311. Kim Francia     312. Janexsy Zayas     313. Debra Hausmann

314. Patricia Finch     315. Bethany     316. Ashley Wyly     317. Amanda Smith

318. Wendy Robinson     319. Lara Roberts     320. Robin Hayes

321. Maggie Pearson     322. Slone Chapman     323. Dawn Antczak

324. Loretta Pardo     325. Autumn Beck     326. Casey Hylton

327. Sonya McGowan     328. Elaine Harman     329. Melissa Googe

330. Leisa Minear     331. Starr Bowlin     332. Jamie Niederkohr

333. Andrea Thomas     334. Tennille Betker     335. Debbie Nateghi

336. Cindy Price     337. Linda Brown     338. Rhonda Gomez     339. Liz James

340. Laura Burton     341. Jamie Dollinger     342. Christie Ann Algeo

343. Kerri Wagner     344. Amy Wood     345. Amy Hall     346. Beth Malarkey

347. Jo Vazquez     348. Cindy Mock     349. Christine Combs     350. Catherine- BBF

351. Kim- BBF     352. Vicki- BBF    353. Tina- BBF     354. Tara- BBF

355. Cate- BBF     356. Patti- BBF     356. Anonymous- BBF     357. Pamela Couvrette

358. Doris Sparks     359. Deborah Hallman     360. Cyndy Adeniyi

361. Laurie Ingram     362. Susan     363. Kay Cude     364. Melanie Lockhart

365. Leah Johnson     366. Jeni Myers     367. Keri Stankova     368. Tanya Herring

369. B Logue     370. Charlotte Sutton     371. ameliavk     372. Jannelle Kodad

373. Debbie Nateghi     374. Lynette     375. Heaven Henderson     376. Jennifer Rice

377. Michelle David     378. Karen Butterfield     379. Sheila H. Bragg

380. Angela Wismer     381. Karen Short     382. Pamela Ellenburg

383. Danielle Ware     384. Emily George     385. April Chapman     386. Gayle Smith

387. Liz Maria     388. Kris Schlagel     389. Amanda Simkins     390. Julie Garber

391. Hope Green     392. Nicole Mitchell     393. Rachelle Journey

394. Chrissy Reimer     395. Margaret Gunden     396. Maureen Payne

397. Rebecca Barner     398. Melissa Armstrong     399. Holly Major     400. Lisa PS

401. Linda Rice     402. Nancy Carrera     403. Katy Alderton     404. Christine Frost

405. Renee J. Bailey     406. Amberly Wieler     407. Susan K     408. Katie Purvis

409. Valerie Ward     410. Alise Grant     411. mvfreeman     412. Jo Rodgers

413.  Mitzi Turpin     414. Tina Liouzis     415. Marsha West     416. Christine Parfitt

417. Leslie J. Witty     418. Victoria Nelson     419. Leah Stewart

420. Nancy Carrera     421. Lydia Harris     422. karolewithak     423. Diane Conklin

424. Tammy Monson     425. Katie Quintana     426. Diane Kelley     427. Carole Kaetz

428. Jessica Oathoudt     429. Valerie Muirhead     430. Lisa Schmidt

431. Kim Schwart     432. Raynie Sivillo     433. Lisa Ente     434. Tina Dewey

435. Amy. Rozycki     436. Jennifer Christensen     437. Christa Reynolds

439. Kathy Freeman     440. Traci Gardner     441. Debbie Landers     442. caligurrl61

443. Melissa McIntyre     444. Kim     445. Valerie Hupp     446. Sharon Buss

447. Kira Ulmer     448. Brittany Bieghler     449. Nicole Bibelheimer McAbee

450. Sandy Bitter     451. Monica Turner     452. Elizabeth Emerson

453. Kara Emerson     454. Janice Krieger     455. Peggy M. Miller

456. Cecelia Matchett     457. Wendi Peterson     458. LeDawn Kosek

459. Dianne Larios     460. Rhonda Owens     461. Kathleen Lanteigne

462. Terra Hicks     463. Brenda Block     464. Lisa Ente     465. Sarah Elizabeth

466. Darlene Diaz     467. Debra Wiest     468. Lyndsey Fromme     469. Laurie Tietjen

470. Connie Windham     471. Gladys Martínez     472. Beth Cavete     473. Linda Bell

474. Beth Finkbeiner     475. Heather Rollins     476. Charla Counts Tatom

477. Ose Burnett     478. Kathy Firth     479. Debbie Bergt     480. J Chen

481. Melissa Duerksen     482. Kate Hendrickson     483. Miranda Abugharbeya

484. Gisele Krippner     485. Robin Kelley     486. Kari     487. Maggie Gunden

488. Mollie Moore     489. Diana Johnson     490. Stacy Brooks     491. Gina Shaw

492. Kellie Watson     493. Bonnie Schwartz    494. Kay Davis     495. Lisa

496. Rosilind Jukic    497. Laura Kelly     498. Sandy Artus     499. Clare McNaul

500. Tami     501. Diane Ostrow     502. Amanda Ladefoged     503. Bev Azure

504. Hayley Bevier     505. Mary L. Briere     506. Rommy Miller     507. Tammy Derryberry

508. Billie Freeman     509. Amy Knight

Uncategorized

Blog schedule change

Michelle Lesley

To my regular readers- I apologize for the abrupt change in blog schedule. I know that many of you were expecting the next lesson in our 1&2 Timothy study today. Don’t worry, Lesson 9 in our study is coming tomorrow, but I needed to share a time sensitive item today: An Open Letter to Beth Moore.

Encouragement, Pop Theology

God created you to do amazing things?

Michelle Lesley

A while back, I saw this meme posted by a woman who is in a significant position of leadership in a Christian organization.

Ladies – especially those of us who lead, teach, and minister to women – we ought not be posting or teaching things like this.

First of all, it’s misleading. This is not what Ephesians 2:10 says. Ephesians 2:10 says:

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Someone has taken it upon herself to summarize the verse in her own words and created a meme which makes it look like Ephesians 2:10 is being quoted. And her summary is incorrect – a mishandling of God’s Word.

Which brings me to point number two. This is not what Ephesians 2:10 means.

The “good works” God has prepared for us to walk in are seldom amazing – at least not in the way we usually define the word “amazing”.

The “good works” God has prepared for us to walk in are seldom amazing – at least not in the way we usually define the word “amazing”. Changing diapers, doing the laundry, breaking up fights between siblings, dealing with unreasonable bosses and annoying co-workers, and scrubbing toilets can all be “good works” God has ordained for us to perform to His glory, but most people wouldn’t call those things “amazing”. They’re mundane. Ordinary. Everyday life types of things.

And that’s OK!

First Thessalonians 4:10b-12 puts it like this:

But we urge you, brothers…to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.

God has called us to serve Him and one another, and that is usually plain, unglamorous, non-prestigious, hard work. Forget “amazing” – often, no one will notice or thank us for our good works, or if they do notice, they might criticize the job we’ve done.

Cotton candy “theology” ends up being discouraging in the long run.

Finally, cotton candy “theology” like this ends up being discouraging in the long run:

“God created me to to amazing things, huh? This morning I ironed, cleaned dog vomit off the rug, and spent an hour ferrying kids to various activities. That doesn’t feel very amazing. When does this ‘amazing’ thing kick in? How long do I have to wait?”

Or:

“I’m a single mom with a full time job and three kids. I barely make it to church every week and struggle to get six hours of sleep a night with all I have to do. I’m exhausted. And now you’re telling me I have to do something ‘amazing’ on top of that?”

Or:

“I’m just an ordinary woman. God hasn’t really given me anything ‘amazing’ to do. Maybe He doesn’t love me. Maybe I don’t have enough faith, or I’m not praying hard enough, or there’s some secret sin in my life that I’m not aware of. Maybe I’m not even saved. What a failure I am.”

Ladies, ideas like the one in this meme do more harm than good. If we want to encourage each other, we need to do it biblically – with what God’s word actually says and with what God’s word actually means – with good, sound theology.

If we want to encourage each other, we need to do it biblically – with what God’s word actually says and with what God’s word actually means – with good, sound theology.

Mailbag, Southern Baptist/SBC

The Mailbag: SBC Resolution 9- On Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality

Michelle Lesley

 

What are your thoughts on Resolution 9 that recently passed at the 2019 annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention?

It seems like every year there’s that one controversial resolution that everybody’s talking about. This year, it’s Resolution 9: On Critical Race Theory And Intersectionality. 

If you don’t know what CRT and intersectionality are, you’re not alone. Far from it, in fact. There’s no way I can fully explain each of them, so I would encourage you to Google the terms and get ready for some heavy duty academic reading, some of which is going to conflict with itself depending on who and what you read. Also, see the “Additional Resources” section below.

Briefly and uber-broadly, what you see playing out in race relations in the U.S. right now is basically the end result of CRT: Privilege. Reparations. Oppression. Repent of and renounce your whiteness. White people’s racism is so deep seated we’re not even conscious of it. White power and privilege are inextricably embedded in politics, education, religion, economics- every single system in existence. It is a paradigm through which social justice issues are viewed and addressed.

Intersectionality is almost like saying: “On a scale of 1-10, how oppressed are you?” The fewer minority groups you fit into, the less oppressed you are, and vice versa. A white, male, heterosexual, educated, middle class, Christian would be on the “privileged” end of the scale. A poor, black, female, homosexual, transgender, Muslim would be on the “oppressed” end of the scale. The more oppressed you are, the more you are to be heard and taken seriously on the social issues of the day.

(People are going to say those are over-generalizations. I agree. Like I said, Google it and study the issue more thoroughly.)

In the Southern Baptist Convention, any messenger (a church member representing her church at the convention) can propose a resolution about almost anything (It’s actually pretty interesting to go back as far as 1845 and read past resolutions.). If her resolution is approved by the Committee on Resolutions, it’s voted on by everybody else in attendance (why, in 2019, we haven’t come up with some method of distance voting online is beyond me, but that’s for another article). Because of SBC polity and the autonomy of each local church, resolutions are non-binding. Generally speaking, no SBC church or church member is required to abide by a resolution that passes, and resolutions are often a merely an encouragement for SBC churches/members to affirm something biblical or to repudiate something that’s unbiblical anyway.

Such was the case with Resolution 9, which called on Southern Baptists to – in a nutshell – recognize that CRT and intersectionality are unbiblical ways of addressing “social justice” issues and that they are creeping in to SBC churches and entities, repudiate CRT/intersectionality, and affirm that the Bible is authoritative and sufficient for dealing with these and all other issues.

At least, that’s what the original resolution authored by Pastor Stephen Feinstein of Sovereign Way Christian Church called on Southern Baptists to do. But that’s not the resolution SBC messengers got to vote on.

You see, when a messenger submits a resolution to the Committee on Resolutions for approval, “The SBC Committee on Resolutions is vested with the authority to…reword submitted resolutions…”. And reword, they did. Not just the format, but the content. So much so that the revised resolution bears so little resemblance to the original that had I authored any resolution altered to this extent, I would have ended up voting against my own resolution. The committee’s rewording changed the meaning of the resolution from “The CRT/intersectionality paradigm is sinful at its foundation. We need to repudiate it altogether, keep it out of our churches and entities, and address these issues biblically,” to “Some people have used the CRT/intersectionality paradigm unwisely, but we can learn some things by using it, so as long as it doesn’t override Scripture, it’s fine,” and the revised version of the resolution passed.

So that’s the quick recap of the issues at play (as I have read about them – I was not able to attend the convention this year). What are my thoughts?

•My first reaction to both versions of the resolution and the passage of the revised version was that most of the messengers likely did not understand what they were voting on for two reasons:

First, the format and wording of SBC resolutions tends to be somewhat formal and stilted. That’s not a bad thing in and of itself, and I’m certainly not saying any of my SBC brethren are unintelligent (I struggle to slog through them myself sometimes), but I look at the wording and format of both resolutions and I compare them to simply worded and formatted social media posts, blog articles, etc., that many people seem to have trouble understanding, and I have to think it would be helpful to begin each resolution with a simply worded four or five sentence summary of its main points so people have a better shot at knowing what they’re voting about.

Second, the vast majority of Southern Baptists (and probably Christians in general) do not keep up with current events in evangelicalism and probably have never heard of CRT or intersectionality – which are relatively new terms and concepts anyway – much less know what those terms mean well enough to make an informed decision on which way to vote. (I don’t blame them. It’s impossible to keep up with everything going on in the world of evangelicalism.) Neither version of the resolution offered much of an explanation as to what CRT and intersectionality are. They both seemed to carry the assumption that those reading the resolution would already know. My guess is that most did not.

I later discovered that my friend, Pastor Tom Buck had a similar takeaway. I thoroughly agree with him.

•Tom also spoke against the revised resolution from the floor, and Tom Ascol, president of Founders Ministries, offered some clarifying amendments (which, unfortunately did not pass) to the revised resolution. I thought both were very helpful, and I wish the messengers had taken their remarks to heart.

•I am shocked and appalled at the changes the Committee on Resolutions made to Pastor Feinstein’s resolution. I realize that the committee has the right to “reword” resolutions, but I don’t think they ought to have the right to water down or change the meaning of the content of a resolution. Grammar, format, correcting objectively incorrect facts, eliminating redundancies – all fine. But for a revised version of a resolution to be so dramatically different from the original – no.

•I can only speculate as to why the revised version of the resolution differed so greatly – mainly in that the language seemed softened and the urgency and danger of the issue seemed watered down. Either the members of the Committee on Resolutions aren’t very familiar with CRT and intersectionality and the dangers they pose and watered down the language in order not to offend or alarm anyone, or the members of the committee are knowledgeable of, and at least somewhat favorably disposed to, CRT and intersectionality and are trying to fly them into the SBC under the radar.

As I said, this is only speculation and I am not making any accusations or casting aspersions. With the exception of Trevin Wax, I am not familiar with any of the members of the committee, but I will say this: I would be very surprised to encounter anyone on faculty or staff at an institution of higher learning (such as a seminary) that isn’t at least acquainted with the basics of CRT and intersectionality. I suppose it’s not impossible, but it would be very surprising to me.

•Big picture short term: Very few of the millions of Southern Baptists in the U.S. and around the globe will even know about this resolution since, proportionally, very few Southern Baptists attend the convention or keep up with convention business. Even most of those who were present and voted to approve the resolution will probably have forgotten about it within a month or so since it has no enforceability at the church or individual level and since many voters likely did not fully understand what they were voting about in the first place. While the adoption of the resolution is not a good sign, I don’t expect there to be an en masse mad rush of Southern Baptists into full blown CRT and intersectionality tomorrow.

•Big picture long term: Barring direct intervention from God Himself in the form of revival, the SBC will eventually go down the same path of theological liberalism as all the other major denominations. Doctrinally sound churches will split off and either form their own denomination or remain independent, autonomous churches. This resolution is only one of the the first steps down that road.

•It is my hope that some good will come from this resolution in the form of awareness. That average people in the pew will hear the words “Critical Race Theory” and “intersectionality” and wonder what they mean and how they connect to the SBC. That they will study and research and be moved by a holy zeal, not only cry out to God to keep these and other unbiblical ideas out of the SBC, but to stand up and act – to contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints.

Additional Resources

Overview of Critical Race Theory & Intersectionality at The Cripplegate

SBC19 – Resolution 9, Women in Mission, Mature Manhood & Critical Race Theory on The Sword and the Trowel

The Woke Tools of the SBC: A Review of Resolution 9 on Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality by Josh Buice

The Briefing (6-14-19) with Albert Mohler (Click on, or scroll down to, “Part III”)

Resolution 9 and the Southern Baptist Convention 2019 at Founders Ministries

Tom Buck on SBC 2019 on The Dividing Line (start at 32:30ish for Resolution 9 info.)

Gabriel Hughes on Resolution 9 (start at 20:47 for Resolution 9 info.)

What’s Up with Critical Theory at Sheologians

Whiteness at Just Thinking

Critical Theory at Alpha and Omega Ministries

By What Standard from Founders Ministries

If you have a question about: a Bible passage, an aspect of theology, a current issue in Christianity, or how to biblically handle a family, life, or church situation, comment below (I’ll hold all questions in queue {unpublished} for a future edition of The Mailbag) or send me an e-mail or private message. If your question is chosen for publication, your anonymity will be protected.