• Who speaks with credibility in the local congregation and   community about God?
• When does the conversation take place?
• Where does the conversation take place?
• What is the starting point for the conversation? 

Romans 1: 18-32
 
2.   Pastors must engage rather than respond to questions of unbelief, and those who challenge the credibility of the Gospel within the congregation and without, in the local community. 

3.   All baptized Christians are called to evangelize worshippers of other gods; exposing idolatry and apologizing for the Gospel. 

4.   Pastors must speak with prophetic urgency against idolatry and its accompanying unbelief for the sake of Christian consciences. 

Romans 1: 16
 
 The Christian assembly is not called to respond to assaults. Rather, on account of the message we preach – through engagement with idolatry and unbelief – through the proclamation of Christ Jesus who died for our sins and was raised for our justification we are assaulted. 

Isaiah   40-48; 41:21-24; 46: 1-2
Deuteronomy   32: 17; 32:31; 4:39; 10: 14, 17; 32:39

Part II | Assaults against Christians are rooted in idolatry as a result of willful inversion of the created order  

Three things for all Christians to consider when engaging with those who seek to undermine the credibility of the Gospel, through false teaching, intimidation and physical violence. 

• • • 1. God is uncreated, self-existent, and non-contingent.
      2. All other reality is created by God and is dependent on God for existence and sustenance.
      3. Creation is contingent on God but God can and does exist without creation.

 For Paul, for example, this is an essential ontological distinction; the created order and uncreated God is fundamental to his worldview. 

Deuteronomy 4:19; 6:13-14
Matthew 4:10

Assaults on Christians – specifically on the Gospel of Jesus Christ – are under-girded by an act of inversion. 

Genesis 3:5
Idolatry dethrones God, enthrones creation, and refuses the authority and power of God in order to manipulate creation, act with power, making God available to serve creation’s interests. 

• • • 1. Creation is ascribed potency that belongs only to God.
      2. Creation is sacralized, worshipped and treated as that which can give ultimate meaning to creatures’ lives.
      3. Creation self-implodes into nihilism, amoral selfishness, etc.

 Christians are assaulted therefore, not because of who they are or what they represent, but as a specific response against the mission of God – vis-à-vis his church – which seeks to restore (i.e., justify) his creation, ruled over by redeemed humanity, giving glory and praising God its creator, on account of the suffering and death of his only Son, Jesus Christ, for us sinners.  God’s mission is not to respond to assaults committed against his children, but to engage fallen creation, not responding to its polemics, but engaging in the name of Christ Jesus and, as promised by him, expecting assaults by those who claim to worship the true God and those who are violently opposed to him. 

(Note: While there is much said here, much remains to be filled out as well. We invite anyone interested in elaborating on these issues to submit an article to ty.hepner@instituteoflutherantheology.org)