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Timothy Isaiah Cho

27 Feb, 10 tweets, 2 min read

I don't believe that Christian leaders need to be experts on a certain subject before they can weigh in with their opinion on it. However, I do believe that Christian leaders need to realize the impact their influence has and the implicit faith that their followers place on them.

It's very high stakes when a Christian leader decides to weigh in on a subject that has ripple effects on the way vulnerable people are treated or mistreated. It's also very high stakes when a Christian leader remains silent when he/she must speak up.

Christian leaders should therefore lead with a posture that is full of humility and is open to correction. Rather than make hyperbolic statements, broad generalizations, and "I have the last word" rhetoric, Christian leaders should do their own homework the best they can,

lean upon voices outside of their insular communities, consider the source material that they end up disagreeing with, and make clear that their opinions are indeed opinions and are the best effort they've made at this time.

Not only will their followers learn to not simply

parrot their words and ideas, but will learn what charitable, responsible, humble, and faithful engagement looks like.

Today in Evangelical and Reformed circles, there are too many in the pew who are following the lead of leaders who make themselves out to be the final

determinative word on any topic they weigh into. Many are convinced that Scripture is absolutely black and white about every single topic, when in fact, it is all different shades in between. People are easily set up to fall in their faith because they construct their beliefs

around the charisma and skill of Christian leaders who want you to see the world in black and white. People who end up deconstructing often are simply deconstructing from the tutelage of puffed up Christian leaders, but they don't even have the categories to realize that

they haven't discarded the faith in an absolute sense.

Therefore, if you are a Christian leader, you need to recognize your level of influence. The Bible tells us that leaders will be judged more strictly, and this is one of the reasons why. Making absolute statements and

exaggerating slight untruths when nuance, charity, and humility is required will undoubtedly foster proselytes who are twice as harsh, critical, and arrogant as you are. There is a way to use your power and influence for good and blessing, especially with the words you speak to

engage in difficult topics.

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Timothy Isaiah Cho

@tisaiahcho

1 Mar

A good way to convince people that they need to take what the Bible says seriously is by showing that you take it seriously when it calls you to love your neighbor, pray for your enemies, care for the least of these, bear your cross, bear one another's burdens, and pursue peace.

The "apologetic of action" has always been powerful in the history of the church. Multitudes of people did not come into proximity to the life of the church because they were convinced of some abstract apologetic argument. Rather, it was because Christians were living out

a new ethic from a new kingdom from a God who speaks life through his Word. They saw goodness and blessing pour over from the lives of Christians. "Could Jesus be real?" was not an abstract question, but a question they asked when they saw the poor fed, the wounded healed,

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Timothy Isaiah Cho

@tisaiahcho

28 Feb

These are not apologies:

"I'm sorry you felt that way," "I'm sorry if...," "I'm sorry.... But...," "I'm sorry for what happened," "I'm sorry for the miscommunication."

Christians who understand grace live that out with true apologies.

Secular sources even understand what fake and inadequate apologies look like, and that an apology requires sincerity, empathy, restitution, and a promise.

psychologytoday.com/us/blog/make-i…

When was the last time you've been discipled within the church about how to apologize and had that publicly modeled?

So many evangelical and Reformed church cultures act as though a true apology is tantamount to apostasy. Many leaders absolutely refuse to truly apologize.

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Timothy Isaiah Cho

@tisaiahcho

28 Feb

A Christian counseling methodology that only accounts for people as sinners and not also as sinned against is woefully incompetent and deleterious to souls. And yet, the disturbing irony is that such methodologies get the stamp of approval of being "biblical counseling."

Such "biblical counseling" can't be truly biblical with such a deficient view of sin and its effects - we know that the Bible speaks clearly about whole categories of being sinned against, including interpersonal, systemic, and oppressive. And yet, this "biblical counseling"

only deals with everything within the narrow category of sinner - what did you do wrong, what should you repent of, what you can change moving forward.

Such "biblical counseling" also positions itself with a sense of arrogance, as though it has the corner of the market

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Timothy Isaiah Cho

@tisaiahcho

27 Feb

People who have experienced bullying in their childhood are often adept at recognizing the same bullying tactics among adults in the church.

Here's a good refresher for what bullying looks like among school aged children. Sadly, you can see these among Christians, even Christian leaders.

stopbullying.gov/bullying/what-…

Here's a good resource on workplace bullying. There are quite a few parallels as they relate to working in Christian nonprofits and church settings that are toxic.

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Timothy Isaiah Cho

@tisaiahcho

26 Feb

Just because a system comes from God doesn't mean that it's magically immune from heinous sin.

I believe that presbyterianism is most consistent with a biblical theological church polity. Yet, I firmly believe that more work needs to be done to the system to prevent abuses.

I don't believe that just having "presbyterian" in your denomination's name or following every jot and tittle about what seems to be the most "presbyterian" way of doing things will prevent abuse and its coverups within our circles. We must create more safeguards and

mechanisms to ensure that the vulnerable are protected, power is used for blessing, and godliness has the last word over orderliness.

So many God ordained systems in the Bible were used by sinners for heinous sin (just think of the religious leaders of Jesus' day!). This should

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Timothy Isaiah Cho

@tisaiahcho

21 Feb

Piper and Grudem are a primary proponent of a bizarre interpretation of Judges:

"Deborah, a prophetess, judge, and mother in Israel..., along with Jael..., was a living indictment of the weakness of Barak and other men in Israel who should have been more courageous leaders."

I heard this same interpretation proliferated through seminary and in Reformed churches as assumed fact. Yet, the fact of the matter is that nowhere in the Bible does it hint at the fact that Deborah, Jael, & other leading women were an indictment against failed male leadership.

It's actually placing a grid of interpretation upon the biblical text. It's reading a presupposition of "manhood and womanhood" into the text where the Bible actually commends Deborah and Jael (Judges 5). "Most blessed of women be Jael..." the biblical text says, not "this was

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