Megachurch pastor says Christianity doesn’t hinge on Jesus’ birth, and a debate rages

The State ^ | 12/24/2016 | Kate Shellnut

[wild74]

If it doesn’t hinge on the virgin birth then my friends we are wasting our time, and he is a total idiot for saying it

[null and void]

A door can have more than one hinge.

[Tucker39]

IMHO, this kind of inside baseball argument, even IF someone had asked the rev., which they didn’t; should only be debated close-up between Christians. Blatting these hair splittings in public only confuses the lost, and probably throws up mental blocks in their minds.

[RoosterRedux]

Yep. Not filled with the Holy Spirit.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours, Judy.

Your old friend, Rooster.

[Kirkwood]

So who raised Jesus? Jesus was dead. A dead man can’t raise himself from the dead. And the entie point of the Resurrection hinges on Jesus being truly dead. For that matter, did Jesus call on himself when Lazarus was raised?

[stinkerpot65]

There is no mention in the New Testament of a birthday party for Jesus. Purely a man-made tradition.

We are to celebrate his death. That is the one and only focus.

[JudyinCanada]

Hope you are having a blessed Christmas as well, Rooster!

That’s the impression I got from Andy Stanley - it’s more about him than anything else. I suspect, however, that he’ll get past that.

[Nifster]

His father would disagree

Andy has been a a puts for a long time

[null and void]

AH! I misunderstood your question.

Sorry about the snark.

Jesus was raised by Him.

But had not a vanishingly few been raised by Jesus first, I suspect a reanimated corpse would not have been as well received!

[Texas Eagle]

What is “The State”? Is it one of those fake news websites George Soros set up to divide people?

[Dr. Sivana]

His Birth is EXTREMELY important. If He just came down fully grown, He would not be sharing in our humanity as completely as He does. The Nativity is a built-in rebuttal to the many heretics over the years who want to make Our Lord as only APPEARING to be fully human. That is also why He eats even after the Resurrection, to show He is no mere Ghost.

Besides that, there is the needed fulfillment of the prophecies, and much, much more.

[Kirkwood]

It is OK to be snarky... I’m deliberating trying to let people think a bit.

I guess my point is that Jesus was the Son of God as well as the son of man. The miraculous birth of Christ is therefore every bit as important in my mind as the Resurrection. It is the fulfillment of a promise made by God. And maybe even somewhat more important because hopefully many of us will be resurrected, but there can be only one Son of God.
.

[who knows what evil?]

Once I see the word ‘megachurch’; I lose interest in anything that follows...

[af_vet_1981]

What evidence do you have that your assertions in points 1 and 2 are true ?

[MHGinTN]

Andy Stanley needs to be born again ...

[IWONDR]

“Jesus was Resurrected as an immortal”

John 20:17
“Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.”

wasn’t it only after his ascension that he became immortal?

[PeteePie]

“The real story is the handful of Southern Baptist professors and writers (not so much preachers) who seem to have nothing else to do but listen to bits and pieces of my messages,” he said in his statement to The Post. “Anyone who listens to all three [sermons in the series] will know that I stand firmly within the orthodox Christian tradition regarding the incarnation of Jesus - including the birth narratives as presented [in] Matthew and Luke.”

Seems like the fake newsmakers just trying to stir the pot again, get our goat. Move along.

[hecticskeptic]

Like all such statements that cause a fuss, it’s all about context and perspective. Is Christ’s birth and the circumstances that surround it important? Absolutely…. but no more so than all the other words that make up the Bible and prove its veracity as God’s Word. From the article, here is the longer version of what Andy Stanley said…. “If somebody can predict their own death and resurrection, I’m not all that concerned about how they got into the world…..Christianity doesn’t hinge on the truth or even the stories around the birth of Jesus. It hinges on the resurrection of Jesus.” On this count, I absolutely agree with him. The Bible taken in its totality is very important....but when it comes right down to it, the only thing that is important in our lives at the point in time when we exit this world is that Jesus Christ died for sinners and that includes everyone. The rest of the Bible just provides the details that prove the reality of Him being the Worthy Lamb of God whose death was acceptable to God as a sacrifice for our sins. Whether there were ‘Wise men from the east’ or ‘shepherds in the field’ have no consequence on what saves mankind from Hell.

What did Christ himself say? Luke 22:19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. 20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

Christ doesn’t ask us to remember His birth…. But He sure does want us to remember His death.

[the_daug]

“Some argue that it’s a mistranslation of the word “young woman” for “virgin,” while others attribute it to the common trope of applying a miraculous birth to major historical figures.”

Isa 7:14  Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. 

Err a young woman giving birth is not a sign but a virgin giving birth is.

[Gamecock]

Yes.