Words Matter!

Steve Camp's blog is usually a daily read for me. However, I am a bit behind on my reading of several of my favorite blogs. This morning, I read a post that was originally dated on July 10th at Camp On This. Steve brilliantly points out how exceedingly important it is not to add any extra-biblical words or opinions to the text of God's Word.

Be sure to go to the above link and read the questionable text that Steve discusses in his post.

Next, you might want to stop reading when you reach the question section. Feel free to post your answers here. Then, return to Steve's blog and read his rather excellent response to the issue at hand.

This exchange is just another example of why Christian believers must be responsible and very careful to always adhere to sound doctrine when sharing God's Word with others.

It is not a responsibility that I take lightly.

Because we are human, we can make mistakes. Therefore, it is important (IMHO) for fellow Christians to gently correct each other wherever, and whenever we find error.

Christine

*******
Here are the two questionable and errant quotes written by two (apparently very respected) authors posted over at Steve's blog:

CJ spoke of our Savior's cry, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me?" And though I have contemplated that amazing cry often, never did it hit me as hard as in CJ's message, when he referred to it as "the scream of the Damned."

Then there was break and music and announcements, and John Piper stood up to bring his message. Several of us had prayed in a back room that God would anoint John, and pick right up where He left off in the previous message, and wow, did He. John referred repeatedly to the "scream of the Damned," and then moved into Romans 8.

A flood of tears came as God preached the message to me yet again. That Deity would be Damned. That the God who is called upon righteously by the saints and angels in heaven to damn people, and called upon habitually by unbelievers flippantly and unrighteously to damn people, would in fact damn his Son, would (from the Son’s willingness to drink the cup) damn himself…for us. That it could be said of the Beloved One, “God damned Him,” and that He screamed the scream of the Damned….it was too much for me. It is too much for me this moment. And in the ages to come it will continue to be too much for me.

-RANDY ALCORN

John Piper from his sermon on 'The Screamed of the Damned.

Everything exists to magnify the worth of the scream of the damned. That’s the point of the universe.

What we will do forever in heaven is magnify the worth of the scream of the damned.

Calvary will not be forgotten. It is the most-horrible, most sinful, most agonizing event that ever was - it will be the center of heaven forever.

Hell exists, cross exists, sin exists, heaven exists, you exist, universe exists, in order to magnify the worth of the scream of the damned.

What is the apex of the revelation of the grace of God? And the answer is the scream of the damned on the cross.

Here are Steve's questions.

Words matter; especially when expounding God's Word

Some initial questions I have about this disturbing phrase are:
is it biblical?

does the Scripture speak of the substitutionary death of Jesus for the elect as Christ being damned?

is this just cultural contextualization?

is it emotionalism run amuck?

is it sensationalized passion?

shock the flock nomenclature designed to wake up tired ears?
is this sound doctrine, theatrics, dramatics, blasphemy, or truth?

You may want to answer those questions yourself, then go back and read the rest of Steve's post and the comments.

Please share your answers to the questions and any additional thoughts you might have concerning this topic!

HT: Camp On This