Halfway through any episode of Doctor Who, everyone ends up running for their lives. Halfway through a mystery, everything the detective thought he knew turns out to be wrong. There is a narrative structure that is almost universal. And it tells us something about the Christmas story.
You may have noticed some consternation regarding Kirk Cameron. Apparently he's questioning whether hell lasts forever and ever. And the internet is very concerned.
If you're like me, you said something like, "Oh, a celebrity with weird theology, how novel," and went on about your day. However, one response caught my eye as such a good example of what not to do, I thought a closer look would be useful.
We're Christians; we follow Christ. So why do we care what anyone else says? Makes sense, but many today ask, "Why do we care what people who aren't Jesus said in the Bible?" Are the red letters more important than the black ones?
I love the red letters, but we cannot be "red letter Christians." The red letters themselves tell us so.
When people attack traditional Christians for being traditional Christians, there are certain standard moves. Whether it's coming from progressive pastors, cafeteria Catholic comedians, or skeptical scientists, one of the favorites is to compare us to the Pharisees, "the people Jesus denounced most harshly". Let's talk about why that falls flat. Let's look at exactly why Jesus was so harsh with the Pharisees.
