Faith That Makes Sense

                   One of the foundational statements in Christian theology is found in Mark 10:45 where Jesus claimed, " For even   the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and   to give His life a ransom for many.” This verse is often used to prove the exclusivist claims of Christianity when it comes to salvation.                      Critical New Testament scholarship has raised considerable doubt on whether Mark 10:45 should be accepted as an authentic saying of Jesus Christ. 1 It is alleged that this saying was created by the early church and read back into the life of Jesus. They present four arguments to support their claim.              First, the critics say that it is out of context. The preceding text shows Jesus teaching his disciples how to live a life of humble service. Peterson asks why Jesus c...

                 Today we are confronted with two types of theology. One anchors itself in the biblical witness to God’s salvation-historical dealings with the world, centered in the revelation of Christ and elaborated in the doctrine of Trinity as a ‘tripersonal communion of reciprocal relations.’ 1 The second one bases itself not on the biblical witness but an alleged shift in contemporary Christian consciousness. Paul Knitter called it a ‘paradigm shift’ in Christian thinking. 2 John Hick called it a ‘Copernican revolution’ in Christianity. 3 This view calls for a wider ecumenism that will integrate all the religions into a pluralistic theocentric model with none occupying the center. God is placed at the center of this universe of faiths.             Moltmann made the new thinking clear when he stated, “If the biblical testimony is chosen as the point of departure, then we s...