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Apostasy in Pastoral Theology

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Apostasy in Pastoral Theology APOSTASY IN PASTORAL THEOLOGY by Steve Hays [Approval page placeholder – note, numbered but not in TOC] ii ABSTRACT Apostasy in Pastoral Theology Steve Hays The Bible provides a theology and phenomenology of apostasy which clergy and laity can use to anticipate, guard against, diagnose, and/or treat analogous cases in church history and pastoral care. The Bible presents a number of case histories involving apostates and backsliders. The Bible also contains a number of passages that describe the motives of apostates and backsliders, as well as God‘s policy in dealing with apostates and backsliders in relation to election, reprobation, and the perseverance of the saints. Clergy and laity can use the Bible‘s psychological and theological analysis of apostasy, as well as the paradigmatic case histories, to anticipate the occurrence of apostasy, to forearm the flock, and thereby lessen the defection rate by taking precautionary or preemptive measures to prepare the flock, so that fewer sheep will be blindsided. And they can use the material to restore backsliders. iii CONTENTS Chapter I. Introduction........................................1 II. Church History......................................9 III. Systematic Theology................................13 IV. Exegetical Theology................................17 A. Major Motif...................................17 B. Locus Classicus...............................20 1. Heb 6 & 10................................20 C. Paradigm Passages.............................53 1. Rom 1:18-25..............................53 2. Mt 13:1-23...............................55 3. 1 Cor 10:13..............................61 4. Mt 12:31-32..............................64 5. 1 Jn 2:19................................70 6. 1 Jn 5:16-17.............................72 D. Secondary Passages............................78 1. Mt 24:10-12,24...........................78 2. Jn 15:1-6................................80 3. Rom 14:15................................81 4. Gal 5:4..................................82 iv 5. 1 Tim 4:1-5..............................83 6. 2 Pet 2:1,20-21..........................86 7. Rev 3:5..................................91 8. Rev 22:19................................94 E. Paradigm Cases................................97 1. Lucifer..................................97 i. Gen 3:1-5...........................97 ii. Isa 14:12-14.......................104 iii. Ezk 28:11-19.......................105 iv. Lk 10:18-20........................114 v. 2 Pet 2:4 & Jude 6.................123 vi. Rev 8:10 & 9:1.....................125 vii. Rev 12:7-9.........................127 2. Adam & Eve..............................129 F. Secondary Cases..............................135 1. Ahab.....................................135 2. Ahaz.....................................137 3. Asaph....................................138 4. David....................................141 5. Demas....................................144 6. Eli......................................145 7. Hymenaeus................................147 8. Jehorem..................................148 v 9. Jeroboam.................................148 10. John the Baptist.........................150 11. Judaizers................................151 12. Judas....................................152 13. Manasseh.................................157 14. Peter....................................159 15. Saul.....................................160 16. Simon Magus..............................164 17. Solomon..................................168 V. Philosophical Theology............................170 1. Original Sin.................................170 2. Apostasy & Assurance.........................176 3. Counterfactual Precautions...................183 VI. Excurses.........................................192 Excursus 1: Literary Allusions in Heb 6..........192 Excursus 2: Thomas Schreiner.....................200 Excursus 3: Luke Timothy Johnson.................213 Excursus 4: Buist Fanning........................217 Excursus 5: Arminianism & Apostasy...............230 Excursus 6: Ophidian Symbolism...................235 Excursus 7: Ophidian Possession..................241 VII. Bibliography....................................243 vi I. INTRODUCTION 1. Thesis The Bible provides a theology and phenomenology of apostasy which we both can and ought to use to anticipate, guard against, diagnose, and/or treat analogous cases in church history and pastoral care. The Bible presents a number of case histories involving apostates and backsliders. The Bible also contains a number of passages that describe the motives of apostates and backsliders, as well as God‘s policy in dealing with apostates and backsliders in relation to election, reprobation, and the perseverance of the saints. Students of Scripture can use the Bible‘s psychological and theological analysis of apostasy, as well as the paradigmatic case histories, in a number of ways. We can use this material to anticipate the occurrence of apostasy. It is not a surprising phenomenon in church history and therefore shouldn‘t catch us off guard. Although we can‘t prevent all such occurrences, we can use this material to forearm the flock, and thereby lessen the defection rate. By becoming more conversant with what 1 2 motivates some individuals to suffer a crisis of faith, we can take precautionary or preemptive measures to prepare the flock, so that fewer sheep will be blindsided. In cases where an individual suffers a crisis of faith or lapse of faith, we can use this paradigmatic material to help diagnose his situation. Not everyone who loses his faith is an apostate. Some cases are treatable. Some cases involve backsliders whom the Lord will restore in due time. And the church can facilitate their reconciliation. At least in principle, we need to be able to distinguish between backsliders and apostates, even if, practically speaking, only time will reveal which is which. 2. Definition i) There‘s an element of circularity to defining apostasy. On the one hand, definitions of concrete phenomena usually involve a general description which is abstracted from a sampling of representative examples. On the other hand, unless we already had a preconception of what phenomena we were trying to define, we wouldn‘t have any idea of what examples qualify. So where do we begin? In one sense, we can‘t begin without a definition to identify representative examples. In another sense, we can‘t 3 begin without representative examples feeding into our definition. However, not all circles are vicious. If we were looking for an absolute definition, then the process would be viciously circular. But a relative definition will suffice. We can begin with the type of phenomena that interests us. The sort of thing we want to study and classify. The scope of our definition will then be commensurate with the scope of our concern. That‘s still circular, but a virtuous circle. ii) Let‘s begin with a Catholic definition, not because I agree with it, but because it‘s a useful foil: Apostasy a fide, or perfidiæ: Perfidiæ is the complete and voluntary abandonment of the Christian religion, whether the apostate embraces another religion such as Paganism, Judaism, Mohammedanism, etc., or merely makes profession of Naturalism, Rationalism, etc. The heretic differs from the apostate in that he only denies one or more of the doctrines of revealed religion, whereas the apostate denies the religion itself, a sin which has always been looked upon as one of the most grievous.1 For purposes of my thesis, this definition is too crude and superficial to be useful. For instance, we have liberal theologians who still profess the Christian faith, as they define it. However, they redefine it in a way that‘s 1 http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01624b.htm 4 unrecognizable in relation to the Bible. But in so doing, they have defected from the faith just surely as someone who formally renounced the Christian faith. Moreover, it‘s possible to be a closet apostate. To lead a double-life. Keep up appearances while you keep your infidelity to yourself. Furthermore, this definition accentuates a loss of faith. Yet in Scripture, apostasy can be practical rather than intellectual–or both. An apostate doesn‘t necessarily turn his back on the faith because he ceases to believe. Rather, his apostasy may be the result of moral failure. For whatever reason, he lacks the inner resolve to frame his life according to the truth. Finally, this definition accentuates the dynamic and individualistic side of apostasy. A dramatic change in the status quo of the individual. But in Scripture, with its dual emphasis on both the individual and corporate aspects of human identity, apostasy can also have an ascribed status as well as an achieved aspect. If you depart from the true faith of your parents, then you‘re an apostate. On this definition, there needn‘t be a spiritual transition in the life of the individual, as if he went from a state of piety to impiety. For he may have been religiously indifferent or defiant his whole life. He is 5 still an apostate to the true faith whether or not, at some prior time, he personally appropriated his hereditary faith. We might label this distinction by distinguishing between a ―personal apostate‖ and a ―corporate apostate.‖ A corporate apostate is a man who breaks with his corporate religious identity. As a matter of ascribed status, he was a member of the covenant community, with the attendant rights and responsibilities, but he has defected from his
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