Howard Beale
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 1 Peter 1:3 NASB
Born again – What was the name of the movie where the newscaster stands in the window of the New York City building and shouts, “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!”?[1] Well, that’s how I feel when I constantly see even Messianic groups naively espouse Greco-Roman theology while claiming to be proponents of Hebraic roots. Here’s the latest example to arrive on my computer:
What bothers me? First, the “born again” and “justified in Jesus’ blood” rhetoric. Evangelicals talk like this. Hebraic writers of the Scriptures don’t.[2] Of course, we agree with the verse from James, but not because we’re worried about heaven or hell (which seems to be the point of that green arrow). James is interested in daily character modeled after the Messiah’s commitment to the Torah revealed to Moses. Heaven and hell hardly enter the picture; certainly not for Moses.
Then there’s the “genuinely born again” statement. If you read the rest of that sentence, you will see that it implies progressive sanctification (another Reformation doctrine). Matthew Wilson’s book, The Simplicity of Holiness, demonstrates that sanctification is not a development. It is a description of an existing relationship with God, not a pathway to God. Obedience doesn’t ensure you have the desired relationship. Obedience is a result of already experiencing the relationship. Furthermore, the actual Greek word for “born again” once appears one time in Scripture, in 1 Peter 1:3 where the verb, anagennáō, is an aorist, active participle, meaning something like “causing to be re-generated.” You might notice that it isn’t Yeshua who is the causative agent here. It’s God the Father.
Let’s ignore the “Christ” and “Jesus” misnomers and concentrate on the last claim, the claim about “sin nature.” That idea is straight from Augustine (and Plato), and has been completely and definitively debunked by Dwight Pryor. More Christian Greco-Roman theology/philosophy creeping in unnoticed.
Okay, so now I’ve had my shout, standing in the window. But don’t you think it’s time to start objecting to all this nonsense? How long are we going to let our brothers and sisters be deluded? They hope to follow God. They want to follow God. But how is that possible when even the Messianic community still imports Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin and their contemporary spokespersons?
Enough already!
Topical Index: born again, sanctification, heaven, hell, 1 Peter 1:3
[1] Howard Beale is the news anchor in the 1975 film, Network.
[2] F. Büschel’s comment in TDNT is worth noting in its entirety: “In 1 Peter regeneration is God’s act (1:3). It is effected by Christ’s resurrection (1:3) or the word (1:23). The result is a living hope (1:3). Regeneration is not a state or experience or power. Believers are posited on faith. They are given a nonmystical new beginning which sharpens the tension between present and future as they hope for an inheritance and live in fear of God (1:17). Regeneration is not cultically or sacramentally mediated; baptism is an act of faith in which one is cleansed by prayer for the good conscience received on the basis of Christ’s resurrection. It is this resurrection that enables us to speak of regeneration, giving it an eschatological character as a matter of faith (2:6; 1:5; 5:9), hope (1:3; 3:15), and fear of God (1:17; 2:18; 3:2, 15). The background is Jewish, i.e., hope for a new life rather than inner experience. Yet after Christ’s resurrection the new aeon has begun and regeneration is also a present reality, though grasped as yet only in faith.” TDNT, I, 668-75.
Granted, the Hebraic idiom “born again” has been misapplied under the Greco-Roman cultural influences on theology and philosophy, but is it really possible that at this point of time in history there is some pristine condition by which “the truth” exists in some kind of protective bubble somewhere (whether ‘Messianic’ or ‘Reformed’ or even Rabbinic)?
While the ‘new beginning’ itself may be ‘non-mystical’ relative to the domain of man’s existence, it is certainly mystical relative to it’s basis and ground… the profound grace, mercy, and compassion which provides means of a new beginning (i.e., restoration and redemption leading to salvation from God’s wrath). Yes, these are ‘those things’ that come/descend ‘from above’ into which even ‘angels desire to look.’
“Enough already?” Certainly, our apprehension of the profound glory of God’s work to restore mankind to our vocation will not be ‘perfectly’ apprehended in the present age (our mistaken notions of Christ Jesus, who is ‘the fullness’ demonstrates that). But we, who ‘by grace are saved through faith’ know both the empowerment and ‘the mystery of Godliness’ whereby we will attain our salvation.
I’m glad your ‘shouting from the window’ is typically short-lived, Skip. It’s important that you remain faithful doing that God has gifted you to do in helping his disciples to find and follow the way that leads to life on this ‘ball of confusion.’
Great timing on this one. Interestingly, I just spent the last evening and night thinking a little differently…
It seems the more I object, and point out the conflict and contradictions in the Evangelical doctrines and organizations, the more isolated and alone I become. I spoke with my son last evening. I am afraid we are growing further apart as we cannot even spend quality time studying and praying together. When we do spend time together and discuss, he either feels that I think he is wrong in his thoughts and beliefs (and it is not that I argue the points – just offer a different view – but nearly everything about the evangelical/”Christian Church” is off base from a Hebraic perspective) or I feel I have to compromise and keep my thoughts to myself.
I am seeking to change directions. My new focus is to find the common ground and share in that. I admire Keith Johnson and Nehemia Gordon, who have been able to do just that in their relationship, studies and teachings.
There will be plenty of time to discover our differences. For now, the relationship demands discovering the common ground! That will be challenging enough already!
In the end, relationship trumps correctness. God knows we are all mistaken, somewhere. So what matters is CONNECTION, even if we have to suck it up a bit to get there. But, once in a while, someone needs to say, “I’ve had enough. Can’t we just TALK about this stuff without breaking fellowship?”