7. Working Through our Tech Differences (with TGC's Wyatt Graham)
Two years ago, the proliferation of a certain technology threw the world into a heated debate. Some wore masks. Others didn't. Many called the other side ignorant. And in the church, some even went so far as to call the other side sinful and apostate due to their masking (or lack of masking). Rather than focusing on the technology of masks themselves, in this episode, we work through a Biblical approach to moral decisions and how Christians should work through disputable matters. This is not easy! But for the good of the church, theologians like The Gospel Coalition's Wyatt Graham have pointed to Romans 14 (and 1 Cor. 8-10) to help church leaders navigate this tension. Joel and Andrew picked his brain on the topic with questions ranging from using the Old Testament for moral instruction to using masks and whether more invasive technologies like masks and Neuralink still fall under the category of "Christian Liberty."
1:00 - Romans 14:1-9
2:25 - Intros
6:17 - Why should people use the Bible for morality?
8:50 - Why should Christians use the whole Bible for morality?
12:45 - In what ways does the Old Testament apply to us today?
17:05 - In what ways is the Bible is misapplied?
19:58 - How should Christians apply Scripture today?
21:30 - Life isn't simple! We need to be more humble.
22:59 - What is this idea of first principles for moral reasoning?
26:55 - Does Paul use first principles for moral reasoning?
33:50 - How does the idea of "Christian freedom" interact with moral judgement?
36:55 - How did the reformation view Christian freedom?
38:54 - What are the categories - first principles and secondary matters?
43:02 - Should we wear masks for the sake of others?
50:01 - What about more intrusive technologies like NeuraLace and Elon Musk's Neurolink? Are they matters of Christian liberty too?
57:05 - What is Wyatt's theology of technology? And so how then should we use it?
Wyatt Graham (PhD., Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) serves as the Executive Director of TGC Canada. You can follow him on Twitter at @wagraham.
Links:
Wyatt Graham | Twitter, @wagraham | Facebook, /wyatt.graham1 | https://wyattgraham.com/
Wyatt Graham's TGCC article on Romans 14 - https://ca.thegospelcoalition.org/columns/detrinitate/how-romans-14-helps-us-to-work-through-our-differences/
Calvin's Institutes - Chapter 19 - Of Christian Liberty - https://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/institutes.v.xx.html
The Gospel Coalition Canada Confererence - Nov. 17-18 - https://ca.thegospelcoalition.org/tgcc22/
