Epistemology and the Cross of Calvary

Judaism resonates with post-structuralism in its rejection of the Christian ‘idea’ of Jesus as messiah. Also, while post-structuralism sees Truth as plural, thereby (by implication) de-centering Jesus’ claim as the only way to the Father, Judaists admonish us to love all humanity generously, to keep the moral deed of the law of God as revealed to Moses and recorded in the first five books of the Hebrew scriptures (the Pentateuch) – to the best of our ability - and to encourage others around us to do same.

Idealism, for Judaists therefore, would explain Jesus’ claim of himself as, 'knowledge in dimensions' that are purely mental - in metaphysical term asserting the ideality of his reality, and from an epistemological perspective, our mind can align only with the (Jesus) psychic. Below is how dictionary.com defines Judaism:

“The monotheistic religion of the Jews, having its ethical, ceremonial, and legal foundation in the precepts of the Old Testament and in theteachings and commentaries of the rabbis as found chiefly in theTalmud.” (http://www.dictionary.com/browse/judaism).

Poststructuralists would posit that Biblical accounts, especially of Jesus, are merely fictitious constructs and therefore cannot be trusted to develop meaning or to give order. Such philosophy even goes on to submit that the very act of seeking order or one universal truth is utterly senseless because no unified Truth exists!

Friedrich Nietzsche in his essay, On Truth and Lies in an Extra-moral Sense (1873), rejects, by implication, even the very basis of our attempt at understanding the Bible – he would argue that the (Bible) was never concerned with truth, never with adequate expression. Jacques Derrida, a ‘deconstructionist’ (in the 1960s), would also by implication, question traditional claims of Jesus and his identity as well as the validity of Truth itself; note, however, that Deconstructionism has been described by some critics as a dangerous form of Nihilism.

Existential phenomenology(relatedly) hides not its bold ontological attempt to develop a deeper understanding of why we exist, by challenging the traditional dualistic modes of thinking - for example, mind vs. body / freedom vs. determinism, etc. Though existential-phenomenology favours a communal spirit over the contemporary emphasis on competition / reductionist isolationism of individualism, its emphasis on inquisitive reasoning with a slant towards essences of appearances would hardly accommodate any thought of a risen Christ.

As we mark this year’s Easter (25/03 – 28/03/2016), what does the cross mean to you – do you even believe that Jesus is the messiah? I do listen to a lot of K-wave (http://player.listenlive.co/28571), an Internet Radio - not as a fan but as a ‘Berean’ (Acts 17:11). I am therefore very careful to examine the content of each broadcast against the backdrop of my continuous knowledge development, despite having read my Bible from Genesis to Revelation more than five times in my 24 years of discipleship, so far.

While I appreciate the faith direction of the station, the following concerns are what I have about it: (a) it regularly veers into the political sphere – locally and internationally (2 Timothy 2:4); (b) it unduly criticizes Barack Obama and openly proclaims Ronald Reagan as an American hero. For me, this is not edifying in any way and as a black man, I am tempted to conclude that the station is racist and hypocritical (Galatians 3:28) in its orientation; (c) its open worship and deification (sycophancy) of Chuck Smith, the transitioned founder of Calvary Chapel, Costa Mesa, California (Luke 9:60); do not get me wrong, I was saddened by his death, because I truly appreciate his sermons, which continue to be played by the station.

Other concerns include: (d) its accommodation of a variety of preachers from different churches, who do not have one view of the Bible – most end up criticizing the others. If such pastors pay to come on the station (or support it one way or the other), then it means the station is covertly materialistic (1 Timothy 6:10); (e) its brazen support for Jews (and by implication, Judaism) while at the same time preaching Christ! Again, I have nothing against Jews who believe in Jesus and have given their lives to Him.

However, I have everything against Judaism…and pastors on K-wave should stop using a whole sermon session talking about Judaism and extolling the Zionist movement (Revelation 2-3); (f) the unified, but obviously wrong, view of all the preachers on how one can get saved (Romans 10:8-10). The question is: who was Paul addressing – believers or non-believers? Who was addressed in Acts 2:38-39? How did Paul himself get saved (Acts 9); how did Cornelius and his household get saved (Acts 10); how did wealthy Lydia (already a worshipper of God) and her household get saved (Acts 16: 11 – 15); how did the jailer and his household get saved (Acts 16: 25 – 33)?

Who gives knowledge? We see in Acts 17:10 that a group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers engaged Paul in a discourse.

Epicureanism is a philosophical thought with its origin in the teachings of the ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus. An atomic materialist, Epicurus believed that ‘pleasure’ should be the greatest good, though he cautioned that attaining such pleasure should not be at the expense of modest living and a conscious effort to understand the world and appreciate the limits of one's desires. Stoicism (a product of 3rd century BC Athenian philosophical thoughts) on the other hand, emphasized that to live a worthy life, one needed to understand the rules of the natural order since it believed that everything had its origin in nature – stoics therefore stressed integrity. While It is safe to refer to stoicism as structuralism / purism, King Solomon would easily fit into an eclectic version of Epicureanism (Ecclesiastes 2:10).

So how have we come to understand the cross (http://issuesinnigerianmarketingcommunicatio.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/do-not-come-down-from-cross.html)? Permit me to quote some scriptures at this juncture: “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.’” – 1 Corinthians 1: 18 -19. Poststructuralists and reasoning Judaists (supported by Jesus-preaching, confused K-wave ‘evangelists’) beware! For those of us who belong to Christ Jesus, God’s power – the Holy Spirit (Genesis 1: 2) lives in us. This is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 8:11).

“But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things-and the things that are not -to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.” – 1 Corinthians 1:27-29.

How would Jesus answer Judaists today? Try studying out Mark 7: 1-23. And for poststructuralists, postmodernist empiricists, etc. it should be noted that we, God’s worshippers/Jesus’ followers, “…fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” – 2 Corinthians 4:18.

To the ‘wise’ philosophers and ‘free thinkers’, these are challenges for you: try putting a stop to earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, etc.; why not create a lion, a shark and start to speak a language with which you have never had a contact; why not put a stop to deaths; why not fill all the oceans in the universe with sand and not expect a drastic repercussion; why not stop a baby from growing into an adult; why not stop aging; why not restrict gender to only one; why not choose your gender at birth, etc.?

Believe in God, believe in Jesus and stop putting your trust in your knowledge (who created you and your so-called knowledge?). Believe in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ; believe that Jesus Christ has already come; stop preaching Judaism/Zionism and at the same offering Jesus – do not commercialize and politicize the Gospel (Revelation 22: 18-19).