Mark Driscoll<\/a> points to a fundamental and underlying problem they all share: their neo-Reformed theology.<\/p>\nThe basic problem with their particular brand of theology and the reason we won\u2019t see an end to ridiculous posts like this anytime soon, is that neo-Reformed theology subscribes to the idea that God is ultimately responsible for everything that happens.<\/p>\n
Literally everything.<\/p>\n
That includes evil which is written off to God \u201cmerely\u201d allowing it in the name of God\u2019s wrath, God\u2019s judgment, God\u2019s justice, or God\u2019s will. Whether it\u2019s rape, a terrorist attack, murder, abuse, a natural disaster, according to neo-Reformed groups like The Gospel Coalition, these things occur as God\u2019s response to our sin.<\/p>\n
Though they may attempt mental gymnastics or simply speak out of both sides of their mouths as Wilson does in his follow up post, God as the ordainer of raper, murder, natural disasters, is the ultimate outcome of the neo-Reformed theology of divine sovereignty.<\/p>\n
It is because this sovereignty is so fundamental to their theology, that we should not expect this sort of obscene rhetoric to stop anytime soon, no matter how much pleading and peaceful reasoning we might attempt. Like the jihadist, they are in a spiritual war on behalf of God and any inkling of wavering or doubt in their theology will surely condemn them to hell. Therefore, they will continue with zeal in their hateful theology until kingdom come.<\/p>\n
The irony I see in all of this is that in their theological paradigm which rests so much on the tenet of divine sovereignty, God is not, in fact, sovereign.<\/p>\n
If Jesus has to die to satisfy God\u2019s wrath, then wrath stands above God.<\/p>\n
If God must issue such horrendous judments as rape and natural disasters because God\u2019s justice demands it, then justice stands above God.<\/p>\n
Herein lies the true, underlying problem of neo-Reformed theology, for in such a theological paradigm the God of the Bible is replaced by Calvinistic ideas of wrath, justice, and judgment. When that happens, and no matter the mental gymnastics, there is no longer space for the Jesus found in the gospels who offers grace where there should be wrath, forgiveness when there should be judgment, and redemption when there should be justice.<\/p>\n
When, as we see in this latest spat over sex, theological paradigms stand above God it becomes impossible for us to see, let alone admit the abhorrent contradictions in some of the things we say because we can\u2019t fathom how something which fits so neatly into our theological system could somehow be wrong. The possibility of which isn\u2019t even allowed to break the surface because to admit such inconsistency would require an act of humility, something the neo-Reformed movement is greatly lacking.<\/p>\n
If but a bit of grace could be shown, a bit of tact in how sensitive subjects are addressed, or a bit of reason allowed to enter into the conversation, then perhaps we could find a middle ground to sit peacefully on with our neo-Reformed brothers and sisters in the faith. But, of course, that would require an act of neo-Reformed heresy \u2013 rethinking the sovereignty of God.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, and tragically, until The Gospel Coalition and their cohorts choose to allow God out of the theological box of their own creation, I think we can expect to hear such juvenile, graceless, and arrogant theology for a long time to come.<\/p>\n
In the meantime, I hope those of us on the other side of the debate, myself included, can find the grace we appeal to so often and engage them in a way that is faithful to the love of Jesus we proclaim with such conviction.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Grace and peace,<\/p>\n
Zack Hunt<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u00a0 \u00a0 Gospel Coalition member Jared Wilson has created quite the stir today with this post about male and female roles in human sexuality. Not surprisingly, and rightfully so, Rachel Held Evans has responded with just outrage and Scott McKnight has called for The Gospel Coalition to pull down the post. (For what it\u2019s worth […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3437,"featured_media":7389,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7388","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n
The Underlying Problem With The Gospel Coalition<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\" Gospel Coalition member Jared Wilson has created quite the stir today with this post about male and female roles in human sexuality. Not\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/zackhunt\/2012\/07\/the-underlying-problem-with-the-gospel-coalition\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Underlying Problem With The Gospel Coalition\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\" Gospel Coalition member Jared Wilson has created quite the stir today with this post about male and female roles in human sexuality. 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<\/a><\/p>\n