In college, my freshman theology professor constantly made us repeat the saying: “A text without a context is a pretext for a prooftext.” In other words, twisting Scripture out of context to back up a predetermined position is dangerous business. If Rick Warren had been taught the same thing, he might have thought twice before dishonestly using Jesus’s crucifixion to chastise Christians for their political convictions.
The evangelical pastor took to X Wednesday morning to twist John 19:18 into a call to political kumbaya. Because Jesus was crucified between two thieves, Warren reasoned, obviously He was sending the message that the most Christlike place to be politically is smack dab in the middle of left and right.
“If you’re looking for the #realJesus, not a caricature disfigured by partisan motivations, you’ll find him in the middle, not on either side,” Warren wrote smugly.
If Warren thought a little deeper about his exegesis, he might remember the details Luke adds in chapter 23 of his gospel account. Luke tells us one of the criminals “hurled insults” at Jesus, while the other sought and received grace. The logical conclusion of Warren’s forced comparison is probably not what he was trying to convey.
While God alone can judge the intentions of the heart, Warren’s post smacks of efforts by many evangelical “leaders” to score points for rising above the partisan fray. […]
— Read More: thefederalist.com
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