Inverted Orthodoxy 407- Charlie Kirk and American Evangelicalism, and Jehovahs Witnesses

Welcome to the Inverted Orthodoxy Podcast! We're Blake, Kyle, and Doug the pastors from Living Springs, here to take you on a weekly adventure through the twists and turns of faith. Got questions? We've got answers, and sometimes more questions! Join us as we explore, celebrate, and embrace the beautiful complexities of belief. This weeks episode covered the following questions:

(5:12 into episode)

1. Hey, I’ve been wondering about something. I’ve heard some evangelicals say folks should leave their church if the pastor doesn’t talk about Charlie Kirk—but he isn’t a church leader, and I’ve even seen him say things about faith that aren’t in the Bible. Why is he being treated like a spiritual authority? And also—when Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were killed at home, or when John Hoffman and his wife Yvette were shot in their home—why wasn’t there the same level of outrage? It seems unequal somehow. Can someone help me understand what’s going on here?

(7:30 into episode)

2. Hi, I’ve been struggling in my walk as a Christian recently, especially after seeing so many believers mourning the loss of Charlie Kirk and calling others “bad Christians” if they aren’t doing the same. I believe that any loss of life to violence is tragic, but I’m wrestling with how to reconcile people saying he embodied Jesus when some of his public statements seemed so contrary to Christ’s teachings of love, humility, and grace. For example, he made remarks about race, women, and the LGBTQ community that felt judgmental and divisive. (ex. If I see a black pilot, im going to be like boy, I hope he's qualified) I want to approach this with compassion, but I feel torn and confused about how to respond when fellow Christians insist he was a model of faith. How can I navigate these conversations in a Christlike way, while also holding onto the truth of what Jesus actually taught?

(29:39 into episode)

3. A question/AER on Jehovah Witness:

Not sure if this is AER or a question. Maybe both? Might be a long one! 

In church this morning (September 28), Pastor Kyle continued preaching on the current sermon series in 1 Corinthians. We also corporately read the Nicene Creed. Both of which come up in conversation when I got home...

As soon as I got home, a nervous young man with a handful of brochures approached my door and knocked. a few steps behind him, a grey-haired unflappable statue of a man stood looming with a bright smile painted on his face. "Doesn't world peace sound nice?" The young man asked. "It sure does!" I respond." I can't wait until Jesus, my Lord, my God, comes back to make all things right. Until then, I gladly partner with Jesus in the work he started as I live in the 'now and not yet' of his kingdom." Silence. The young man looks startled. The older man stepped forward. I continue... "I am a Christian. I know you are Jehovah witness. We can likely agree on a few select things, but our doctrinal differences and basic theological understandings are vastly different." 

The older man gets defensive. The young man looks awkward and keeps staring at me like i have three heads (Jehovah witness Trinity pun not intended). 

Okay... Almost to the question(s). 

Many Christians, (my family members included), shy away from answering that dreaded knock. They would rather hide behind the kitchen island or living room couch than talk to a Jehovah Witness. 

Why do you feel this is? Should Christians answer the door? 

I feel as though many Christians feel unprepared in their faith to answer or refute the kind of JW rhetoric that they will encounter. How does one prepare for their line of questioning or scriptural analysis?

Some points along with scripture they used (They used the NWT translation, of course). 

How would you go about countering their "theology?"

Only the New World Translation (NWT) is valid

Claim: Other Bibles are corrupted by Trinitarian bias.

Claim: The NWT restores the true meaning.

Trinity

1. Only the Father is Almighty God (no Trinity)

Deuteronomy 6:4 – “Jehovah our God is one Jehovah.”

John 17:3 – Jesus calls the Father “the only true God.”

6. The Trinity has pagan roots

Claim: Pagan religions had triads of gods (Egypt: Osiris, Isis, Horus; Hinduism: Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva).

4. The Holy Spirit is not a person, but God’s “active force”

Genesis 1:2 – “God’s active force was moving to and fro.” (NWT wording)

Acts 2:1–4 – The Spirit is “poured out.”

1 Corinthians 8:6 – “There is actually to us one God the Father… and one Lord, Jesus Christ.”

Jesus' divinity

2. Jesus is a created being (Michael the Archangel / first creation)

Colossians 1:15 – “He is the firstborn of all creation.”

Revelation 3:14 – “The beginning of the creation by God.”

Jude 1:9 – Michael the archangel.

1 Thessalonians 4:16 – “The voice of an archangel.”

5. John 1:1 shows Jesus is “a god”

John 1:1 (NWT) – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god.” (They tried using Greek grammar to prove a lowercase god as opposed to God uppercase).

Claim: Trinity was adopted later by the church under Constantine (Council of Nicaea, 325 AD).

3. Jesus is subordinate to the Father

John 14:28 – “The Father is greater than I.”

1 Corinthians 11:3 – “The head of the Christ is God.”

1 Corinthians 15:28 – “The Son himself will also subject himself.”

8. Jesus could not be God because He died

Romans 6:9–10 – Christ died once for all.

Claim: God cannot die, therefore Jesus is not God.

9. Jesus prayed to the Father, so He cannot be God

Matthew 26:39 – “Not as I will, but as you will.”

10. The cross is pagan; Jesus died on a stake

Claim: The word for Jesus’ execution device means “stake” not “cross.”

Claim: The cross symbol was introduced later from paganism.

There were more points made, but I forget some of the things we talked about. I think they had a strong tie to Psalm 37 that they kept referencing? We jumped around a lot in the conversation.

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