I will instantly stipulate that there is probably no Christian alive (or dead for that matter) that hasn’t at some moment played fast and loose with the Scriptures with regards to its interpretation and application. We know that we all “see through a glass darkly” and tend to venerate our “private interpretations” as THE interpretation. Most of the time and for most honest students of the Word, this is done unconsciously. We are not willfully twisting the Word. We may be unskilled or immature in rightly dividing the Word, but we are honestly wrestling with its contents. Unless you are a fully deceived cult leader my hope would be that for the vast majority of Christians a humility would exist that could say, “I had never thought of that before”, or, “I have never seen that in Scripture just like that”. I will be the first to confess that in my 38 years of following Jesus and my 32 years of preaching the Gospel, I have stood up on several occasions and changed my views based on the Scripture. What I believed those early years preaching are not exactly in line with what I uphold in these later years. And let me be crystal clear on this point…my “morphing” has happened because of the Scripture, the Holy Spirit’s enlightening, and the discipling of other ministers who helped me connect many dots. I suspect my journey is not unlike many other sincere Christians.
Articles by Kevin Baird
2016 Election Theology
(Things you were never taught in Seminary)
The following is a “tongue-n-cheek” attempt at codifying the numerous theological statements I have read through this election cycle. It is meant to provoke your thinking, not offend your feelings. However, this election season has been fertile ground for offense. None the less….. Here we go…
What Can Donald Say to Make This All Go Away?
It is no secret to readers of this blog or my social media that I am highly skeptical of anything Trump. I have no plans at this point to vote for him and I will give my vote to a qualified 3rd party candidate. However, the question concerning the direction of this nation and Trump’s general acceptability is not without merit. I have watched this election debacle play out with no small degree of sadness and, believe it or not, compassion for Donald. He is absolutely clueless to some extent as to the can he has opened with the released tape. While my compassion will not override my obedience to Scripture, it has made me ask the question, “Is there anything Donald can say to make this all go away?”
It’s Time Evangelicals Said to Donald Trump…”You’re Fired”.
Like many of you, I watched over these last months, well-respected and notable Christian pastors, professors, ethicists, university presidents, and lobbyists endorse (sometimes reluctantly) Donald Trump for president. I grimaced and groaned as I listened to the reasoning which mostly entailed unprecedented theological acrobatics to reach such a conclusion. Many even admitted that they did not like the conclusion they reached, but the “times” demanded unusual measures so therefore, foundational Scriptural precepts were suspended for the greater cause (or hope) of “conservative values”. I don’t question these people’s motives. I do believe for most (if not all) of them they have a genuine concern about our country and the direction it is headed. However, the time has come to reevaluate this endorsement and defense of Donald Trump. It was a prophetic long-shot in the beginning to imagine such a man carrying the banner of evangelical concerns and values. It has now become a prophetic mandate to rebuke him by distancing ourselves from his candidacy. Contrary to what some will claim in the comment section below, this is not judgmental or pharisaical. This is about conviction, credibility, and consistency.
Yes, Your Vote Counts…
Few Christians have paused to consider whether the Bible has anything to say about “voting” or if there is a biblical way for the Christian to approach their civic responsibility in the voting booth. While it is partially true that the “how” of selecting leaders is never explicitly mentioned in the Bible (most leadership was by divine calling and human appointment), it would be incorrect to say that precepts for voting cannot be found in the Scripture. Yes, the civic culture of much of the Bible was that of monarchies and dictators. However, just because the political system of that time does not exactly match our time is no reason to automatically assume a transferable precept is not available. If Scripture is given to us as a blueprint for salvation, life, and God’s Will, then it is not a gigantic leap to assume that the Lord would reveal some precepts we could extrapolate for something as important as selecting our civil leaders.