Josh Peterson
Sep 7, 2018 · 4 min read

Social Justice and the Gospel: the Fallout

This article is why the Dallas Statement on Social Justice and the Gospel is necessary.

The response offered by Jemar Tisby (the man who said he was afraid to worship with white Christians after Donald Trump won the election in 2016 but insists it’s white Christians who are racist) is not derived from Scripture. Sure, there is a verse or two thrown out there, but they are not explained, just presupposed to be in support of social justice as a mission of the Church and critical race theory (best defined by Kyle J. Howard’s tweet, “White evangelicalism, if it wants to become a true ally to black community, it must begin investing financial resources (owed) back into it. It must begin not only by giving it’s word, but action thru financial investment into black saints”). Scripture is not the foundation of this response. Postmodern ideology, which is condemned in the Statement, is the foundation, and this is evident by a number of quotes from Tisby’s article.

The first troubling quote from Tisby in support of critical race theory is, “And they have called for the church to make amends for the racial divisions of the past and present. Others take a different view.” This is profoundly unbiblical and divisive. The Church does not and cannot make amends for the racial divisions of the past or the present for reconciliation. Why? Because reconciliation has already been made between all believers according to Colossians 3:9–11, “Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its Creator. Here, there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all and in all.” The Church possesses one regeneration, one image that she is being conformed into. Therefore, it is forbidden in the Church to ever, ever divide us up into “white Christians” and “black Christians” or any other ethnic group of Christians. As soon as you do that, you are attempting to divide what Christ has united. Who cares what our ancestors did to one another? That past is gone. No ethnic group has to “make amends for the racial divisions of the past and present.” Why? Because those ethnic groups do not exist in the Church, and as soon as you try to categorize any Christian by his or her ethnicity, you are, ironically, being racist and horrendously unbiblical. Do not separate with God has united. If Jews and Gentiles do not exist in the Church (Ephesians 2:14), then how much more do black and white or Asian or whatever not exist in the Church?

Second, Tisby accuses the Statement of “ethnocentrism” when the Statement says some cultures adhere to inherently better foundations than other cultures. Can anyone with intellectual honesty argue against the statement that the culture that sacrifices humans to a pagan deity is worse — yes, worse — than the culture that incorporates the truths of Scripture into itself? This has nothing to do with ethnicity, but rather with adherence to God’s revelation.

Third, Tisby says, “I’m tempted to refute the recent statement on the gospel and social justice point-by-point — showing how it falls short of the Bible’s call for justice. But I think our time would be better spent on other pursuits. There’s too much work to be done — work that will be delayed by endless debates. Here’s my advice. Many of the people who authored and signed this statement have large ministries and platforms. Avoid them. Find other authors, preachers, and teachers from whom you can learn.” He then says to not listen to their podcasts, read their blogs, or attend their conferences. This is cowardly divisiveness at its worst. Tisby had the time to write a very long intro to this article in support of critical race theory up to this point, but when it comes to actually dealing with the Statement itself? Eh, he doesn’t have time, but don’t worry, he can refute it! Is this really the level the evangelical community has stooped to? This man is literally encouraging division in the Church instead of discussing the truth, and this divisiveness vindicates James White’s ominous prediction that this social justice movement can only result in division, not unification, because it by nature divides people into groups and pits those groups against one another. Satan’s loving this.

Why was the Dallas Statement on Social Justice and the Gospel necessary? Jemar Tisby just proved why. His entire argument is this: “Critical race theory is true. White evangelicals must make it up to black evangelicals in order for reconciliation to take place. Someone disagrees? Don’t listen to them.”

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