In what ways is Progressive Christianity hijacking Jesus? with Jason Jimenez - Podcast Episode 172
Sep 13, 2023
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Guest Jason Jimenez discusses the rise of progressive Christianity and the distortion of Jesus being preached in some churches. They explore the differences between progressive Christianity and biblical Christianity, highlighting the rejection of essential doctrines and the promotion of inclusivity and social justice. False portrayals of Jesus by progressive Christians are debunked using scripture and historical context. The importance of prioritizing Jesus over arguments and hypocrisy is emphasized in order to effectively reach others.
Progressive Christianity distorts the message of Jesus through fabricated and altered versions of him influenced by wokeness and unbiblical social justice movements.
Engaging in conversations with progressive Christians requires focusing on the false portrayals of Jesus they often embrace, and referencing the actual teachings of Jesus in the canonical gospels to counter their selective interpretations and inaccurate depictions.
Deep dives
Jason Jimenez's Background and Standing Strong Ministries
Jason Jimenez is introduced as the guest on the God Questions podcast. He shares his background, starting with his ministry work in Tucson, Arizona, which began after the tragic loss of his mother in a car accident. Jimenez talks about his pursuit of deeper questions and the inspiration to study God's word and the validity of scripture. He discusses his passion for helping Christians stand strong in their faith and engage the culture for Christ, and explains the three goals of his ministry: emboldening Christians, equipping them with knowledge and defending their faith, and engaging the culture for Christ. Standing Strong Ministries has been doing this work for the past 25 years.
The Motivation behind Hijacking Jesus
Jason Jimenez talks about his motivations for writing his book Hijacking Jesus. He shares that he noticed conversations among his kids and their friends about a fabricated and altered version of Jesus being preached, influenced by the rise of wokeness and unbiblical social justice movements. Jimenez expresses concern over the progressive movement infiltrating conservative churches, causing confusion and distortion of the message of Jesus. He highlights the need to defend the person and two natures of Jesus Christ and educate those caught up in progressive Christianity about the false teachings behind it.
Defining Progressive Christianity
Jason Jimenez addresses the challenge of defining progressive Christianity, acknowledging the variety of beliefs and approaches within the movement. He emphasizes that there is no absolute way to define it due to the postmodern and relativistic nature of progressive thought. However, he outlines some common themes, such as the rejection of essential doctrines about Jesus, the affirmation of inclusivity and social justice, relativistic views of truth, metaphorical interpretations of the Bible, and the denial of a transcendent and imminent God. Jimenez points out that progressive Christianity often deviates from historic, biblical Christianity and warns against its false teaching.
Pointing Progressive Christians to the True Jesus
Jason Jimenez shares strategies for engaging in conversations with progressive Christians and redirecting them towards the true Jesus. He suggests focusing on the false portrayals of Jesus that progressive Christians often embrace, such as viewing Jesus as a mystic, an inclusive teacher, or a revolutionist. Jimenez advises referencing the actual teachings of Jesus in the canonical gospels to counter their selective interpretations and inaccurate depictions. By highlighting the inconsistencies and historical inaccuracies of these false portrayals, believers can gently and respectfully point progressive Christians back to the biblical Jesus.