Jesus issues a “new Law”…the Law of Love. Even Paul the Apostle establishes “Love” as the top of the Hierarchy of God’s attributes.
Who is God? What are his attributes? Is he Good? Is he Merciful? Is he Love? Is he Wrath? Is he Vengeance? Is he Justice? Is he Holy? Is he Righteous? Is he Forgiving? Is he truly Sovereign?
“Yes!” says my Calvinist buddy Michael Newnham at PhoenixPreacher.com. “There is an unbiblical reductionism at play when we reduce all the attributes of God to ‘love’. He is also ‘holy’, ‘just’, ‘righteous’ and a host of other things in perfection. None of His attributes trumps another…they are all in perfect balance.”
Among the “other attributes” are Wrath, Vengeance and Judgment…pretty unpleasant stuff that is antithetical to Love and Mercy and Unilateral Forgiveness.
Here’s my beef with Michael’s assertion above…and it’s a common position I’ve heard repeated throughout my years in Christian-land:
If one holds to a Presuppositionalist “the bible says it, I believe it, that settles it” framework…then there’s a problem with Michael’s take above. Where in the bible does it state, “None of His attributes trumps another…they are all in perfect balance”? That is an extra-biblical conclusion and demonstrates a true belief that we reason our way through the text and come up with our own conclusions based on what we think the spirit of the text is saying…because it doesn’t explicitly state what Michael says.
In fact, the bible (or rather the conglomeration of sacred texts amalgamated and chosen as biblical canon by Councils from centuries past…with some Groups having a different bible than others…and many Groups disagreeing with particular translations…KJV-only for example) presents a Hierarchy of attributes and prescribes a Hierarchy for us humans in the New Testament.
Another guy I deeply like and respect, Pastor Alan Hawkins of New Life City church in Albuquerque New Mexico (he’s a very intelligent Charismatic…the two don’t usually go together) offered this comment:
“Universalism is one of those things that would have been overtly taught in the scriptures if it were true. It is a doctrine that makes most of the scripture incoherent and makes the lives of the apostles irrational. The doctrine if true makes Paul a raving lunatic. Remember the old LORD LIAR LUNATIC schematic about Jesus? Well universalism makes Paul look like guy who could stop lots of suffering and persecution just by appealing to people to chill a little. “Wait guys, you don’t understand, all I am saying is that Jesus is going to accomplish your salvation without any help or even visible response on your part.”
The fact is, Paul the Apostle (supposedly the author of the Pauline Epistles) pretty much establishes “Love” as the top tier in the Hierarchy of attributes here:
1 Corinthians 13: 1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
“But the greatest of these is LOVE”…clearly a Hierarchy in play if one takes the text as literal and applies a simple and “plain meaning” read of it.
Jesus Christ himself affirms this Hierarchy when he is pressed about the Law:
Matthew 22: 34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
“Which is the greatest commandment”? Jesus says, “Love”…clear simple “plain meaning” reading is a Hierarchy of attributes.
Mark 12: 28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
32 “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him.33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.
“Love”…”There is no commandment greater than these”….
John 13: 34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
“A new command I give you”….”Love”….
And here’s the clincher…just read it in a simple and “plain meaning” manner…what is Jesus, the Son of God, God’s utterance (Logos) supposedly telling us here? Jesus has turned the “Old Testament” on its ear…he’s written a “new” Law…the Law of Love…
Matthew 5: 38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for an eye, and tooth for tooth’…” and “But I tell you, LOVE your enemies…Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect”.
Love your enemies, do good to those who hurt you, turn the other cheek, etc. Jesus’s commandment tells us to Unilaterally Forgive and to “Love” even our “enemies”…and that is being “perfect” as “your heavenly Father is perfect”. A “holy” and “perfect” God who we are to emulate by Unilaterally Forgiving our enemies…just like he does.
This Narrative completely contradicts a God who exacts “Vengeance” on his enemies, a God who Judges and casts into eternal damnation and commits Wrath on his “enemies”. We are commanded to Love, to Unilaterally Forgive and to extend Mercy to those who are our “enemies”…is God himself held to a lower Standard? Clearly no…
The fact is the bible, as we commonly define it, presents competing Narratives and competing versions of ‘God’.
The God of the Old Testament Jews and the God of Revelation is a “conquering Warrior” who exacts Vengeance, exacts Wrath and destroys his enemies.
The God of Jesus in the New Testament Gospels presents a “new” Law, the Law of Love and commands us to be perfect, like our heavenly Father…and to extend Love, Mercy and Forgiveness to our enemies and not to exact Wrath and Vengeance, but to Unilaterally Forgive.
The God of the Calvinist picks and chooses winners and losers…with the vast majority of humanity throughout history never having the opportunity to hear the “correct Gospel” or the “correct Jesus” and therefore suffering in hell for eternity for being “enemies of God”. Completely antithetical to the Jesus Narrative of Love and Unilateral Forgiveness in much of the New Testament.
Many of the Arminians embrace a similar construct, but rather than having God pick and choose winners and losers, they put the burden on the individual and claim that you are solely responsible for your fate and if you don’t do a list of things they prescribe, you’re hell-fodder as well…but it’s not God’s fault…it’s your fault…even though the vast majority of humans throughout history cannot have known this magic formula as most of humanity who has died and who lives today has not heard the Gospel and is not aware of the list of rules and does not even know who the “correct Jesus” is, according to the narrow definitions and rule sheets of the Arminians.
I tend to agree with the Calvinist who places God well above his creation, unlike the Arminian who seems to grant god-like power to mankind in their ability to trump God and force him to be reactive, pending their final decision of their own fate (based on a set of nebulous and often changing rules and beliefs). I think if God is real, he is pre-eminent to mankind, his creation…but, unlike the Calvinist, I have a more optimistic view of God as truly “Good” and truly Merciful, Loving, Unilaterally Forgiving and all the Standards that Jesus commands us to be in the New Testament.
If we are to “be perfect” as our heavenly Father is perfect….and the list Jesus presents is “perfection”…then Love is the “new Law” and God is Love and Love is his over-arching attribute…and Love Wins.
Jesus commands us to Love, Forgive, extend Mercy…without precondition. I believe God will redeem his creation and will do likewise, even toward his “enemies”…as he commands us.
Caveat: There are competing Narratives in the bible, no doubt. God is presented as “Vengeance is mine!” and “Wrath” and “Justice” and eye for an eye etc. The God of the Old Testament and Revelation is presented much differently than the God Jesus presents in much of the Gospels. The bible has many competing Narratives regarding “salvation” (which we’ll explore in the near future) and much of the bible is wrought with paradox and competing themes. It’s why we have 9,000 (James White’s number) to 30,000 denominations and Mainlines under the Christian* umbrella.
The bible is not infallible and without contradiction. It is a text that has been filtered through fallible errant man. It may be inspired by the Holy Spirit, but God used men to put the ink on the pages and as such, there is much that is lost in translation and there is much that was undone by the words of Jesus who changed everything.
Another Caveat: I’ve made an appeal to the text, Presuppositionalists say the text is exclusively authoritative, but they are Selective when it comes to such as they invoke concepts and words like the “Trinity” that do not appear in the text, rather they rely on hints in the text, competing statements in the text and use their Reason to create an extra-biblical term to explain something that is outside a “simple” and “plain meaning” of the words on the page. This is normal. Selective Fundamentalists do it all the time, yet claim the text as “Absolute!” and “Perfect!” and non-contradictory. The text is what it is. It is paradoxical and demands we rely on the Holy Spirit and our Conscience to reason our way through the maze and “feel”. When the text is approached as a science book or math formula, it fails miserably…as I and many others have applied that filter and the equation simply doesn’t add up, no matter who’s hermeneutic (interpretive model) you apply. The bible is more art than it is science. Intellectual honesty can go a long way in overcoming the obstacle of making the bible God, rather than relying on God to be God and to speak to you personally through his Spirit, with the text as a catalyst for provoking thought.
I appeal to the text because I think it contains truth (which is different than the Absolute and idol many have made it in Presuppositional-land). I listen to my pastor because I think he expresses truth, but I don’t think every word he states is perfect and infallible and without error or contradiction etc. I tend to view the transcribed, translated words of Jesus (who is God’s Son incarnate) as having more weight than the rest of the authors of the bible. When Jesus issues a “new Law”…I take his authority seriously. Paul may have been inspired, but he was still a sinful and imperfect man and as such he is capable of expressing an opinion to the churches at that time that were not meant to be an Absolute.
Love is as tenable a Position as any other in the bible and above the jot and tittle of the bible as God. One can find reasons to fight for Law, Justice, Wrath, Vengeance and Judgment (hell)….but the Spirit of the Gospel message speaks against it.
If God is truly “Good”….he will redeem “all” of this mess in the end. I am increasingly convinced of that. The Gospel really is “Good News”…whether you realize it or not. Love is “the” leading attribute of a “Good” God. Amen?
