Fortress of Faith
I was listening to Mr. Wallace on KARI radio last evening, driving from work to bible study, and he had some interesting perspectives on Islamic objections to Christianity. Mr. Wallace uses the Scripture well. It is a shame his program is only approximately fifteen minutes long.
Salt and light (How much salt?)
WALLACE TOM Jr. (2015) Refuting Islam, The Christian Patriots Guide to Exposing the Evils of Islam, Bellingham, Fundamental Publishers.
The book review continues...
Chapter Four: Taking A Stand
In discussing Salt and Light on page 36, Mr. Wallace agrees that this idea does include evangelizing the lost. (36). Salt preserves and purifies, while the light reveals and exposes, (36). The author therefore reasons that when evil becomes apparent, the Church is to expose it as evil. (36). Being salt and light is exposing evil and purifying things from it.
Of course I worked on theodicy and the problem of evil from 1999 to 2010 with British degrees, and continue on this website, please see website archives on the right panel.
My add:
Matthew 5: 13-16 from New American Standard Bible
13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how [a]can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a [b]hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a [c]basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
Footnotes:
Matthew 5:13 Lit will
Matthew 5:14 Or mountain
Matthew 5:15 Or peck-measure
In principle, I agree with this theology from Mr. Wallace. But there is an important matters of degrees.
There is a cultural difference between the United States and Canada/Europe on this issue. Mr. Wallace takes a common American, evangelical view indicating that Christians should be involved in politics. A heavy political involvement seems implied. I do not have a disagreement with Christians being involved in politics, but in general, American evangelical Christianity is much more politicized than is Canadian and European Christianity.
I realize that many American evangelicals would reason that Canadian and European Christians are too weak politically. I can grant that this is true at points, but there are other ways of looking at the issue.
Clearly, the New Testament Church was much less politicized than modern American, evangelical Christianity. I am not accusing Mr. Wallace of this as he seems balanced, but many modern American, evangelical ministries appear to be holding on, for dear life, to the political power of the Christian, evangelical church. This political power for these ministries seems comparable in importance to preaching the New Testament gospel message.
In the New Testament, the clear priority was preaching the gospel as opposed to gaining political power and freedom of religion within the Roman Empire. I see a view closer to the New Testament model being followed by the Mennonite Brethren denomination, that I happen to be baptized in and am a member of, although admittedly, I am of the Reformed tradition as opposed to a traditional Mennonite tradition.
The Mennonite Brethren are not apolitical, I have heard the topics of abortion, homosexuality, sexual sin, materialism, Trinity Western University and the rights of Christian academia, for example, mentioned in sermons, but the Mennonite Brethren are not part of any religious right in Canada seeking to gain influence and power in Canada.
In other words, there is no hint of desires for theonomy (God's law) or theocracy (God's rule in this present fallen realm) in typical, modern, Mennonite Brethren theology, but there often is within American evangelical Christianity.
Instead, the Kingdom of God is not of this present realm (John 18).
I would agree with many American evangelicals that there are sell-outs claiming to be Christian Churches in Canada and Europe, but there are also many of those types of churches in the United States of America.
Yes, I definitely and definitively desire freedom of religion for myself and for religious freedom to remain in the Western world. I will be involved politically at times. But that is tempered by the New Testament priority to preach and teach the gospel message.
