Two Christianities: Cruciform Love vs. Power and Culture Wars w/ Dr. Timothy Gombis (Cruciformity Series)

19 snips

Apr 7, 2025

Dr. Timothy Gombis, a New Testament scholar renowned for his insights on Ephesians and political theology, joins Mike for a fascinating conversation. They explore the concept of cruciformity, emphasizing self-giving love and its importance in social justice. Gombis shares personal anecdotes about teaching and the balance of academic life. The discussion dives into historical contexts of biblical interpretation, addressing contemporary issues like race and community dynamics within the church. They stress the significance of maintaining curiosity and advocating for justice in faith practices.

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ANECDOTE

Tim Stafford's Birthday

Tim Stafford celebrated his birthday with student conferences and launching the Auburn Wellness Committee.
The committee aims to build community and address local needs like refugee support and homelessness.

ADVICE

Biblical Interpretation and Social Justice

Address social situations with Biblical interpretation.
Focus on how God's justice is central to Biblical teachings.

INSIGHT

Literalistic Interpretation

Rigid literalistic interpretation in Protestantism may stem from prioritizing historical-critical methods in academia.
This seeped into seminaries, creating readings that lack the life of churchly interpretations focused on faith.

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How a cruciform vision of faith challenges cultural Christianity obsessed with dominance, political power, and exclusion. Mike Erre, Tim Stafford, and special guest Dr. Timothy Gombis kick off a new Cruciformity Series by wrestling with the relational and theological tensions between two distinctly different expressions of Christianity. They dive into Gombis’ definition of a cruciform (cross-shaped) life, the way Paul consistently connects theology to social justice, and what faithful biblical interpretation actually looks like in polarized times.

This episode brings incisive insight and honest reflection into how Christians should engage others who claim Christ while promoting ideologies antithetical to his way. How do we differentiate between authentic discipleship and a power-driven counterfeit? When is it time to lovingly confront, and when is it time to focus on being a joyful presence even amid disagreement?

Key Takeaways: • Understanding Cruciformity – Drawing from Philippians 2, Dr. Gombis defines cruciformity as using privilege, position, and power to sacrificially serve others, modeling the path of Jesus. • Scripture and Social Justice – Why the Bible inherently speaks into issues of race, class, gender, and justice, and how ignoring these themes distorts the gospel. • Faithful Interpretation vs. Literalism – A breakdown of how Paul’s creative use of the Old Testament—and early Christian interpretation—calls us to a living, theological engagement with Scripture rooted in love and justice. • Interacting with Other Christians – Strategies for responding to uncruciform expressions of Christianity with grace, humility, and clear relational boundaries. • Why Joyful Presence Matters – Finding the balance between calling out harmful theology and being a source of light, joy, and kindness without compromising the gospel.

Guest Highlight: Dr. Timothy Gombis – New Testament scholar, professor, and host of the Faith Improvised podcast. With a Ph.D. from St. Andrews and decades of scholarly work, Gombis specializes in Pauline theology, cruciformity, and interpreting the Bible through a justice-centered lens. He brings deep nuance and practical wisdom to contemporary issues of faith and community.

Resources Mentioned: • Faith Improvised Podcast by Tim Gombis – Link • Power and Weakness by Timothy Gombis – Link • Drama of Ephesians by Timothy Gombis – Link • Michael Gorman – ‘Reading Revelation Responsibly’ and teachings on cruciformity – Link

Let’s keep reimagining and embodying a Jesus-looking faith. Subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share this episode with someone questioning the difference between cultural Christianity and the invitation to cruciform living.

As always, we encourage and would love discussion as we pursue. Feel free to email in questions to hello@voxpodcast.com and engage the conversation on Facebook and Instagram.

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Music in this episode by Timothy John Stafford Instagram & Twitter: @GoneTimothy

As always, we encourage and would love discussion as we pursue. Feel free to email in questions to hello@voxpodcast.com, and to engage the conversation on Facebook and Instagram.

We're on YouTube (if you're into that kinda thing): VOXOLOGY TV.