Cross Vision - Building On Tradition

2. - GREG BOYD- GREG BOYD
- Founding/Senior pastor of Woodland Hills Church
- Internationally known speaker/author/theologian
- Won Christianity Today’s “Book of the Year” award
for The Jesus Legend about the historical
reliability of the gospel accounts of Jesus’
life, death, burial & resurrection
WHO IS GREG BOYD?

3. God really is as beautiful as
Jesus reveals God to be Heb 1:3
and all of scripture points to
– and reflects – the glory of God
revealed in the crucified ChristLuke 24:27
MAIN THESIS STATEMENT of THIS SERIES

5. Part 3Part 3 –– Building On Tradition:Building On Tradition:
The Old and The NewThe Old and The New

6. BUILDING ON TRADITION
1. FINDING CHRIST IN SCRIPTURE1. FINDING CHRIST IN SCRIPTURE
The Church has always seen the crossThe Church has always seen the cross
as the centerpiece of our salvation,as the centerpiece of our salvation,
of our understanding of God, and ourof our understanding of God, and our
interpretation of Scriptureinterpretation of Scripture……

7. - Referred to as the “theologian of the cross”- Referred to as the “theologian of the cross”
- Defined all true theology as the “wisdom of the cross”- Defined all true theology as the “wisdom of the cross”
- Said the cross is “the key hermeneutical principle- Said the cross is “the key hermeneutical principle
in our understanding of Scripture.”in our understanding of Scripture.”
- Argues we should read all Scripture- Argues we should read all Scripture
in a way that leads to the crossin a way that leads to the cross - MARTIN LUTHER- MARTIN LUTHER
1483-15461483-1546

8. BUILDING ON TRADITION
2. LOOKING BEYOND THE SURFACE2. LOOKING BEYOND THE SURFACE
The Church has always assumedThe Church has always assumed
that passages of Scripture can havethat passages of Scripture can have
meanings that go well beyond theirmeanings that go well beyond their
apparentapparent –– or originally intendedor originally intended ––
surface meaning; even the NT does it!surface meaning; even the NT does it!

9. When Israel was a child, I loved him,
and out of Egypt I called my son.
HOSEA 11:1

10. When Israel was a child, I loved him,
and out of Egypt I called my son.
HOSEA 11:1
Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother
by night, and went to Egypt, and remained there
until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what
had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet,
“Out of Egypt I have called my son.”
MATTHEW 2:15

11. CONSERVATIVE HERMENEUTICAL
PRINCIPLE
The originally intended meaning of a passage should
only be departed from when there are good reasons
to do so, with obvious room for debate on what
those “good reasons” might be
(Greg’s argument is that when violent portraits of God
conflict with the supreme revelation of God in Christ,
that’s a good reason!)

12. BUILDING ON TRADITION
3. RELATIONAL NATURE of3. RELATIONAL NATURE of
GOD’S “BREATHING”GOD’S “BREATHING”
Theologians throughout Church historyTheologians throughout Church history
have almost always assumed that God’shave almost always assumed that God’s
breathing of Scripture is conditioned bybreathing of Scripture is conditioned by
by the medium God breathes throughby the medium God breathes through……

13. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching,
rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness…
2 TIMOTHY 3:16

14. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching,
rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness…
2 TIMOTHY 3:16
Many portraits of God in scripture reflectMany portraits of God in scripture reflect
divine accommodations, reflectingdivine accommodations, reflecting not the waynot the way
God actually isGod actually is, but, but merely the way God appears to bemerely the way God appears to be,,
given the human limitations of the authorsgiven the human limitations of the authors……

15. ““Argued that God’s revelation had to beArgued that God’s revelation had to be
‘fitted to (the Israelite’s) state of belief.’‘fitted to (the Israelite’s) state of belief.’
The result was that the Israelites viewed GodThe result was that the Israelites viewed God
‘not as God was, but as the people were able‘not as God was, but as the people were able
to understandto understand……God, therefore, is not mediocre,God, therefore, is not mediocre,
but the people’s understanding is mediocre;but the people’s understanding is mediocre;
God is not limited, but the intellectualGod is not limited, but the intellectual
capacity of the people’s mindcapacity of the people’s mind
is limited.’”is limited.’” - NOVATIAN,- NOVATIAN,
200-258200-258

16. BUILDING ON TRADITION
4. PROGRESSIVE REVELATION4. PROGRESSIVE REVELATION
There is a widely held convictionThere is a widely held conviction
in church tradition that there isin church tradition that there is
discernible progress in God’sdiscernible progress in God’s
self-revelation throughout theself-revelation throughout the
Biblical narrativeBiblical narrative

17. For now we see through a glass,
darkly; but then face to face…
1 CORINTHIANS 13:12
(Priests) offer worship in a sanctuary that is a sketch
and shadow of the heavenly one…But Jesus has now
obtained a more excellent ministry, and to that
degree he is the mediator of a better covenant,
which has been enacted through better promises.
HEBREWS 8:5-6

18. ““……argued that God needed to allow aspects of hisargued that God needed to allow aspects of his
peoplepeople’’s fallen culture to get mixed in with hiss fallen culture to get mixed in with his
self-revelation, otherwise they would not haveself-revelation, otherwise they would not have
been able to receive itbeen able to receive it……as his people acclimatedas his people acclimated
to the revelation they receivedto the revelation they received……God was able toGod was able to
peel away more and more remnants of their fallen,peel away more and more remnants of their fallen,
culturally conditioned beliefs and practices toculturally conditioned beliefs and practices to
reveal more and morereveal more and more
truth about himself.truth about himself.”” - GREGORY of NAZIANZUS,- GREGORY of NAZIANZUS,
329-390329-390

19. - GREG BOYD,- GREG BOYD,
Cross VisionCross Vision
““Gregory argues that God first ‘cut off the idol’ from hisGregory argues that God first ‘cut off the idol’ from his
people, but he ‘left the sacrifices.’ Although we laterpeople, but he ‘left the sacrifices.’ Although we later
learn that God doesn’t actually approve of animallearn that God doesn’t actually approve of animal
sacrificessacrifices (Hebrews 10:8; Hosea 6:6; Isaiah 1:11,13; 42:14)(Hebrews 10:8; Hosea 6:6; Isaiah 1:11,13; 42:14)
, God saw, God saw
that his people, at this time were too spiritually immaturethat his people, at this time were too spiritually immature
to abandon this barbaric practice. So, for a period of time,to abandon this barbaric practice. So, for a period of time,
God graciously stooped to take on the appearance ofGod graciously stooped to take on the appearance of
a deity who enjoys, and even demands,a deity who enjoys, and even demands,
the ritualistic killing of animalsthe ritualistic killing of animals……””

20. - GREG BOYD,- GREG BOYD,
Cross VisionCross Vision
““However, when the Israelites had grown more mature,However, when the Israelites had grown more mature,
Gregory argues, God ‘destroyed sacrifices,’ but heGregory argues, God ‘destroyed sacrifices,’ but he
‘did not forbid circumcision’ (though this too was‘did not forbid circumcision’ (though this too was
eventually removed.) By taking incremental steps,eventually removed.) By taking incremental steps,
God grew his people to the point where at last someGod grew his people to the point where at last some
of them were ready to be freed completely from theirof them were ready to be freed completely from their
past paganism. Gregory sums up the process bypast paganism. Gregory sums up the process by
saying God ‘beguiled his people into the gospelsaying God ‘beguiled his people into the gospel
by gradual changes.’”by gradual changes.’”

21. Part 3Part 3 –– Building On Tradition:Building On Tradition:
The Old and The NewThe Old and The New

22. WHY I THINK THIS MATTERS...
OUR VIEW of GOD IMPACTS OUROUR VIEW of GOD IMPACTS OUR
TREATMENT of OTHER PEOPLETREATMENT of OTHER PEOPLE
As the church of Christendom rose in the 4As the church of Christendom rose in the 4thth
century, and as Christians acclimated to thecentury, and as Christians acclimated to the
use of violence required to run the state,use of violence required to run the state,
the OT’s violent depictions of God became lessthe OT’s violent depictions of God became less
problematic, even positively advantageousproblematic, even positively advantageous……

23. WHY I THINK THIS MATTERS...
OUR VIEW of GOD IMPACTS OUROUR VIEW of GOD IMPACTS OUR
TREATMENT of OTHER PEOPLETREATMENT of OTHER PEOPLE
The same has been true throughout AmericanThe same has been true throughout American
history, as the OT’s violent portraits of God havehistory, as the OT’s violent portraits of God have
been leveraged to justify everything from slavery,been leveraged to justify everything from slavery,
to the genocide of Native Americans, to brutalityto the genocide of Native Americans, to brutality
and torture in the prison system, etc., etc., etc.and torture in the prison system, etc., etc., etc.

25. INVITATI
ON
challenge
Empowered
Discouraged
Comfortable
Apathetic

26. INVITATI
ON
challenge
Empowered
Discouraged
Comfortable
Apathetic
Valley of the shadow…

27. Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one;
you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
and with all your soul, and with all your mind,
and with all your strength.’
And, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
There is no other commandment
greater than these.
MARK 12