The Church and technological progress
From Dr. Iain Torrance at Princeton Theological Seminary’s 2007 graduation:
Very many of you, our new graduates, will enter some form of service to the church. That service may be teaching, pastoral, or something beyond the church’s visible structures, but a ministry nonetheless.
Nobody knows how much the church will develop or the specific forms its obedience to God will take under the direction of the Holy Spirit. To our new graduates, I’d say, if we fill your minds with too much specification, we train you for obsolescence. For a moment, let’s think about progress. An April issue of The Economist had a special report on the coming wireless revolution. I want to quote a little. “The computing revolution was about information–digitizing documents, photographs, and records so that they could more easily be manipulated. The wireless-communications revolution is about making digital information about anything available anywhere at almost no cost.” (My emphasis.) It continues: “It is hard for anyone–politicians most of all–to picture how wireless will be used, just as it was with electric motors and microprocessors…. Wireless technology will become part of objects in the next fifty years rather as electric motors appeared in everything from eggbeaters to elevators in the first half of the 20th century and computers colonized all kinds of machinery…in the second half.”
New technology will stimulate new language and concepts. It will ahve to, and you would expect that. HEnce we have “ubiquitous computing,” “embedded networking,” and the “pervasive internet.” Progress always has hurdles to surmount. The Economist goes on to note: “As is usual in the early days of a new industry, all kinds of propriety systems abound.”
Progress, when it comes, will always be unexpected. “Wireless technology is akin to the electrical grid, which was originally intended for a particular use, the lightbulb, but whose ‘killer application’ turned out to be the power socket that allowed a multitude of new and unforeseen devices to draw energy from it. In time, the new wireless technologies will likewise reshape society in unpredictable ways.” (Author’s emphasis.)
How will the church develop and change? It is the sheer unpredictability I draw to your attention. It is not knight’s move. That’s predictable. Progress comes through recognizing innovation and serving it humbly.
Torrance, Iain R. “The Unexpected Future.” The Princeton Seminary Bulletin 28.2 (2007): 119-122.
December 7, 2007 at 9:58 am
Never Be Deceived America
Is it possible that today a counterfeit gospel and counterfeit Jesus is being preached in our nation and in the world at large? Just because someone says that they believe in Jesus, does that really mean that they are Christians? Should we believe every person regardless of the way that they live their lives and what they believe in scripture? Well, I believe that we should not. For we read in scripture that their will be some who will try to trouble us, by perverting the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, the Bible makes it very clear, if someone comes to you preaching another gospel, which is not found in the Word of God, or another Jesus that we have not read about in scripture, then we are on no account to receive them as followers of Christ. Paul the apostle of Jesus Christ, was not fooled he said “they profess that they know God; but in works they deny Him,”
In 2 John v 9, we read “Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God, he that abideth in the doctrine of Christ; he hath both the Father and the Son.” So if anyone comes to you and says, “we believe in Jesus”, but not in the word of God as it is written in the Holy Bible, then we do not receive them, or welcome them, for they are trying to make you doubt God’s Word, and trying to weaken your faith. It is written, “If there come any unto you and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed,” {2 John v 10}.
So beware in these last days do not listen to anyone who does not bring you sound doctrine, always check out everything that you hear in the Holy Scriptures. If you do you will never be deceived, for we must remember the Words of Jesus, “For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch that if it were possible they shall deceive the very elect,” {Matthew 24 v 24}.
Dear Saints, let us hold on to God’s Word filling our minds with His truth, if we do we shall never be deceived by what we hear or see.