Monday, April 9, 2007

A theological nuance, but it's the difference between our faith's being man-centered and God-centered.

Thanks to M.R.H. for his comment under my recent post One Church's Report Card
He quotes from Bob Kauflin at length about Above All. Although there are several things he likes about the song, Kauflin has two serious misgivings:

But two parts bother me, both near the end of the song.

The first is the line "you took the fall." It seems like an understated way of describing what Jesus did. Not wrong, but not the best.

The other problem is the line, "and thought of me above all."

I have no question that Jesus loved me and gave himself for me (Gal. 2:20). But he didn't think of me "above all." Jesus went to the cross to satisfy God's righteous judgment against a sinful humanity. He thought of his Father's holiness, justice, and glory above all. It may seem like a theological nuance, but it's the difference between our faith being man-centered and God-centered. I don't think that's what the writers intended, but I think it could cause some confusion in people's minds. Besides, I think we have other songs that better articulate Jesus died for because he loved us and for his Father's glory. [Paragraphing and formatting by Corner Creature].
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