We’re livin’ in the New Covenant and that shapes my perspective on following Jesus, and on how I think about the Bible. I’m not tradin’ Jesus’ good news for a faith that’s so blended with old covenant theology that it’s almost non-recognizable as what He and His apostles taught. I don’t blame anybody for bailin’ on an imported version of the hypocritical and legalistic religion of the Pharisees and callin’ it Christianity.
I choose to focus on the event-based version of the faith, rather than on the text-based version. And it doesn’t undercut the Bible either; it just puts the weight on what’s weightiest. It’s more about perspective and approach than it is about theology. The foundation of the faith isn’t theology anyways; it’s an event in history. Paul said the faith was useless apart from that event; and I’d say the theology is useless as well. I’ll stand on the reality of the resurrection above all else.
Atheists attempt to take apart the text-based version of Christianity; but even Dawkins and Harris haven’t put a single dent in the core faith by pokin’ holes in the Old Testament or makin’ fun of the New Testament. And maybe the faith of some, or even many, doesn’t stand up to their barrage, not to mention a secular culture already sittin’ on the fence about Christianity. But maybe those who’ve been susceptible to their attacks had put their faith in something other than the core of Christianity.
