Setting the record straight on Jesus, ‘the friend of sinners’

[hrmjustin]

Jonathan Merritt

Many people know that the New Testament refers to Jesus as a “friend of sinners,” but what does that mean exactly? Apparently not what some Christians think it does.

In response to a twitter comment I made about Christian singer Natalie Grant walking out of The Grammys, Joe Carter, prominent Calvinist and director of communications for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission rhetorically asked, “Didn’t [Jesus] only welcome those seeking forgiveness?” He went on to agree with another that “The sinners Jesus partied with were already followers.”

Theological sirens blared inside my head as Carter doubled down on his assertion that Jesus wasn’t really a friend of sinners, but I assumed it was probably a fringe view I wouldn’t likely encounter again.

A few days later, however, a friend emailed me a blog post from The Gospel Coalition titled, “Jesus, Friend of Sinners: But How?”, written by another Calvinist, Kevin DeYoung. He said that Christians needed to be “safeguarded against doctrinal and ethical error” regarding Jesus’ social habits.

http://jonathanmerritt.religionnews.com/2014/03/20/setting-record-straight-jesus-friend-sinners/

[TreasonousBastard]

1. Calvinists have an odd view of sin...

and while they agree with other sects that we are completely depraved without God's grace, we have nothing to do with whether or not we will see any of that grace. Unlike Catholics, Lutherans, and others, redemption is at God's will alone and there's nothing we can do about it except hope we are among the chosen.

Predestination, and all that.

So, they wouldn't see Jesus as a friend of sinners in general, or even as a friend of anyone at all. Jesus simply picks out, apparently randomly, those who will be saved. Ergo, whoever Jesus parties with will be, by definition, a follower, but in a very exclusive club.

Theology can be silly and drive you nuts, but Merritt's on the right track here.

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

2. The Calivinist view is summed up by the mnemonic TULIP

T – Total Depravity. Man is unable to turn to God on his own, and is unable even to do any good works at all.

U – Unconditional Election. God chooses those whom he desires to save. This election is without regard to the merit of the individuals so chosen. The converse is that God chooses some to be damned, again without regard to merit.

L – Limited Atonement. Christ died only for the sins of those he has elected.

I – Irresistible Grace. If you are among those chosen to be saved, God's grace cannot be rejected. (This makes God sound like the Borg from Star Trek, "Resistance is futile, you will be assimilated!&quot

P – Perseverance of the saints. Once you are saved, you cannot lose salvation.

As one of my professors put it, T – we're scum. U – God chooses which scum goes to heaven and which to hell. L – Jesus died only for the heaven-bound scum. I – The heaven-bound scum have no choice in the matter. P – nor does God allow our scumminess to interfere with the process.

As a Catholic, I have problems with each of these.