Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil. (Matthew 5:37)
For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was proclaimed to you by us... was not yes and no; but in him was yes. (2Corinthians 1:19)
An older pastor I respect is not opposed to women elders and pastors, yet I count him a close friend and listen to him carefully. Trained at Pittsburgh Seminary, he spent most of his life serving calls in the mainline Presbyterian Church (USA). Now though, like many of us, the PC(USA)'s promotion of sodomite pastors has led him to leave the denomination.
A few minutes ago, I received this e-mail from him in response to the video clip of Tim Keller being interviewed by Martin Bashir concerning the exclusivity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Heaven, and Hell. He wrote...
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There is a reason that Jesus told us to let our yes be yes. There is a place for explanation and nuances, but it is after you answer the question.
"Do you believe that there is only one God?"
"Yes."
"Yes."
Then and only then do you explain why.
Mr. Keller may believe, consciously, that he needs to equivocate first in order to get a hearing. But the fact is that no one will hear anything but the equivocation.
And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God; tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.”
Jesus said to him, "If God is faithful and if I fulfill the Scriptures, then it might make sense--we would have to say, wouldn't we, that I am in fact the Christ, the Son of the living God?"
And the high priest said, "Turn him loose. He's no threat."
(TB)