Thursday, January 13, 2011

Fisk on Headcovering

There are times when Rev. Jonathan Fisk puts me to shame with his ability to speak clearly and plainly biblical truth. And example of this is found in his discussion on head coverings over on the Worldview Everlasting Page. He does brilliant theology - I make a Worldview Everlasting team for NCAA Football 11 (replete with Fisk's image as the team logo, and the Grandpa's Church Walther as the midfield logo -- my ID is OUtotoro if you have the game and want to grab it).

So what brilliance do we get this time? Fisk beautifully and simply explains how to uphold the Law without falling into Pietism:

Perhaps the hardest thing for the modern mind to take from this (beyond the simple main distinction of God-Christ-Man-Woman economy) is the idea that God really did create hair to be worn differently on men and women. He *designed* us. This is not a legalistic idea, but an assertion that such a thing as "Beauty" really does exist. It is not in the eye the beholder, but a matter of the purposes God gifted into his creation.

However, God also didn't create meat to be eaten by men and women, nor polygamy to ever be acceptable. Yet, at various times since the fall, the fruit of sin is overlooked in favor of the greater Truth (cf.acts 17:30). In this way, I have come to understand this text as an excellent example of Paul upholding the Law while avoiding pietism! He teaches that the Law is good, and he gets to the heart of it: the relationship of God to Christ in love. Then, he says, "yup, there's a wrong way, an ok way, a good way and a best way, but as long as you're not teaching the wrong way as the right way, don't sweat it if some prefer the 'ok' way." Only get up in arms if they deny the entire doctrine." Meanwhile, be patient and focus on the stuff that really matters: the actual teaching of headship, not to mention the Sacraments.


Just because something is better doesn't mean that it MUST be done that way. Rather, encourage others to that which is better, but not as your primary focus - for that must always be upon Jesus (who is our Head, who gives Himself to us in the Sacraments, etc....)

Brilliant!

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