Spring 2011 | Volume 15 | Number 1 Baptist Bible Seminary Clarks Summit | Pennsylvania The Journal of Ministry and Theology Published semiannually by Baptist Bible Seminary, Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania Jim Jeffery Mike Stallard President Dean of Baptist Bible Seminary Gary Gromacki/Mike Stallard Teresa Ingalls/Megan Howard Editors Editorial Assistants The Journal of Ministry and Theology is a semiannual journal published by Baptist Bible Seminary of Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania. It is devoted to the growth of pastors and educators through interaction with contemporary critical issues and methodologies from the perspective of a biblical worldview. The Journal provides a forum for faculty, students, and friends of BBS to apply theology in ministry for the benefit of local church and parachurch organizations. Regular features of The Journal include articles on biblical exegesis; pastoral, biblical, and systematic theology; ethics; church history; missions; and ministry issues. 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Spring 2011 | Volume 15 | Number 1 The Journal of Ministry and Theology Contents Evangelicals and Sports ...................................................................... 5 Mike Stallard, Ph.D. Adam: Man or Myth?.......................................................................... 24 Gary Gromacki, Ph.D. The Will of God and the Death of Christ: A Case for the Universal Scope of the Atonement ................. 68 Ken Gardoski, Ph.D. Ancient Near East Covenants ...................................................... 110 Roy Beacham, Th.D. An Overview and Analysis of Apocalyptic Views Relating to the Year 2012 as the End of the World ............ 129 David Mappes, Ph.D. 2 Timothy 2:2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. The Journal of Ministry and Theology 5-23 Evangelicals and Sports Dr. Mike Stallard Dean of Baptist Bible Seminary Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania Raised in the state of Alabama as a fan of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team and having lived in northeast Pennsylvania almost seventeen years, I face a profound dilemma. I cannot decide who is crazier—Alabama fans or Philadelphia Eagles fans. In a recent article in Christianity Today , the author recounts two bizarre stories. One is of an Alabama couple who missed their own daughter’s wedding because it fell on the day of the Alabama-Tennessee game. The other story is about the man who ran onto the field during a 2005 Eagles- Packers game spreading the ashes of his mother (a life-long Eagles’ fan) onto the field. The man told police, “She’ll always be part of Lincoln Financial Field and of the Eagles.”1 Americans have always been a bit fanatical about their sports. Evangelicals have not been immune from such interest. 2 1 Shirl James Hoffman, “Whatever Happened to Play,” Christianity Today (February 2010), 21. The Alabama story is taken from Warren St. John’s Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer (New York: Three Rivers P, 2005), 10. I can still remember a defining moment in my young Christian life about a year after I became a born-again Christian in the middle 1970s. Alabama was ranked first in pre-season polls and opening at home against an upstart Missouri Tigers. Missouri won convincingly 20-6. Alabama was never close to winning. As I was leaving Legion Field in Birmingham at the end of the game, I saw grown men putting their programs in their seats and then jumping up and down on them as they howled and cried their disapproval. I was certainly disappointed, but I thought to myself, “I am glad that my ultimate joy does not depend upon this game.” Winning as the “only thing” had been taken away from me as a sports fan. Vince Lombardi might not approve, but Jesus might. 2 The book that piqued my interest in religion and sports is Robert J. Higgs, God in the Stadium: Sports and Religion in America (Lexington, 6 The Journal of Ministry and Theology In fact, evangelicals have consistently taken advantage of the popularity of sports to spread the gospel of eternal life through faith in Jesus. However, the success of evangelistic and other ministry efforts by evangelicals in this venue has caught the attention of critics who have begun to talk and write about perceived problems brought about by such success. In particular, this article will focus mostly on the book Onward Christian Athletes: Turning Ballparks into Pulpits and Players into Preachers by USA Today contributor Tom Krattenmaker. 3 THE MATTER OF TONE AND THEME We will begin the analysis by making a few comments on the overall tone and the general direction or theme of Krattenmaker’s book. His work is well written for the most part KY: UP of Kentucky, 1995). This book went beyond the realm of evangelicalism but set the stage for some of my thoughts in this arena. I have also read over the years an assortment of biographies of famous sports figures, mostly Christian but not always. Among them are Keith Dunnavant, Coach: The Life of Paul ‘Bear’ Bryan t, rev. ed. (New York: Thomas Dunne Books, 2005); Bob St. John, The Landry Legend: Grace Under Pressure (Dallas, TX: Word, 1989); Tom Osborne, Faith in the Game: Lessons on Football, Work, and Life (New York: Broadway Books, 1999); Gene Stallings and Sally Cook, Another Season: A Coach’s Story of Raising an Exceptional Son (New York: Little, Brown, and Co., 1997); and Bobby Bowden and Mark Schlabach, Called to Coach: Reflections on Life, Faith, and Football, forewards by Tony Dungy and Joe Paterno (New York: Howard, 2010). For a refutation of the thought that sports activity has nothing to do with character development, I would urge the reading of Jim Dent , Twelve Mighty Orphans: The Inspiring True Story of the Mighty Mites Who Ruled Texas Football (New York: Thomas Dunne, 2007). To show how sports and religion seriously overlap in American culture, see Ed McMinn, God Bless the Crimson Tide: Devotions for the Die-Hard Alabama Fan (New York: Howard, 2007), which, of course, I have read cover to cover! 3 Tom Krattenmaker, Onward Christian Athletes: Turning Ballparks into Pulpits and Players into Preachers (New York: Rowman & Littlefield, 2010). Evangelicals and Sports 7 and extremely riveting for someone who has an interest in sports. Of course, the intensive criticism of evangelicalism that is part of his message would likely keep an evangelical engaged in continued reading (if one does not get too mad!). In short, Krattenmaker, an ecumenical nonevangelical, 4 has produced an extremely readable book that has the added bonus of alerting evangelicals to how they are perceived in large swaths of the sports world and our culture. Going beyond writing style, there comes out at times a spirit in Krattenmaker showing willingness on his part to understand the evangelical mindset more fully and commend the good that he finds. For example, he commends evangelicals for the good influence they have had upon pro athletes: To its credit, the movement brings pro athletes something they very much need: encouragement to become better individuals. Even critics of the ministries must acknowledge that a sports- industrial complex awash in sexual aggression, greed, and a win- at-all-costs obsession is in dire need of perspective and morality. Numerous players are encouraged to become better husbands, fathers, and teammates thanks in part to the teachings of the Christian ministries. The unique pressures of their line of work often leave them in need of spiritual guidance and counseling— resources energetically provided by the ministries operating in sports. 5 After visiting the headquarters of Athletes in Action in Xenia, Ohio, Krattenmaker remarks in an article, “For those of us in blue states or blue states of mind, it might be useful to journey to places such as Xenia, Ohio, if only metaphorically. We’ll probably return home with a less black-and-white idea about those crazy evangelicals.”6 In this way, he challenges 4 Krattenmaker never reveals his religious or philosophical persuasion with any precision in the book. 5 Krattenmaker, Onward Christian Athletes , 16. 8 The Journal of Ministry and Theology nonevangelicals to talk to evangelicals instead of just talking about them. This should be welcomed by evangelicals who often see those outside the movement as simply being dismissive and voicing caricature. To be sure, there are times, as we will see, when one wonders if Krattenmaker takes away with his left hand what he has given with his right. But the positive spirit should be duly noted. Along with this attempt to understand evangelicals, Krattenmaker asserts that he is not trying to remove the evangelical place in sports but to create a forum for allowing other religious groups to have a similar place. 7 He notes, somewhat grudgingly, “Even if we graciously concede a role for evangelical Christians and their beliefs in pro sports, as this book attempts to do , the time has come that we stop taking ‘no’ for an answer.