The Word is Jesus! Should you let Jordan Peterson preach the Word to you?
Jordan Petersen is doing a series on the Gospels on the Daily Wire.
The discussion panel consists of Jordan Peterson (a Canadian psychologist and social philosopher who admittedly is not a born-again believer), Dennis Prager (a religious Jew, founder of Prager U), Robert Barron (Roman Catholic bishop, philosopher, and evangelist for the Catholic Church), Johnathan Pageau (Christian thinker and liturgical artist, but not necessarily a born-again believer), Greg Hurwitz (Novelist and screenwriter), James Orr (professor of Philosophy of Religion at Cambridge University), John Vervaeke (Associate professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto, admittedly not a follower of Christ), Douglas Hedley (Professor of Philosophy of Religion at Cambridge University), and Stephen Blackwood (founding President of Ralston College, who grew up in a Christian home but was unclear about the exact nature of his faith).
How are we supposed to respond to nine men discussing the gospels, when most of them are not true believers in Jesus Christ? Should we listen? Should we pray for those on the panel to be supernaturally exposed to the truth of the text? Should we avoid the discussion altogether as potentially corrupting? I think the answer to all of these questions is “yes” depending on your Christian maturity and calling, but please understand that there will be a lot of human reason and very little divine light in the conversation.
The Daily Wire posted a YouTube cut of the discussion that can give you an idea of how the conversation developed. Dennis Prager opened with a question.
“I have wrestled with this as long as I have studied Christianity. “In the beginning was the word.” I have never fully understood that; especially if it harkens back to Genesis. I don’t have an issue with it. Please understand. This is truly a question from ignorance.”
From this question, the panel jumped into a conversation about the relationship between the metaphysical and the physical, and several posited what John was talking about when He discussed the Word. Jordan Peterson emphasized the overarching concept of sacrifice as a characteristic of God and an ethical norm for humanity. John Vervaeke spoke of the four L’s about God (Love, Logos, Light and Life). He tried to claim that these are the relational realities from which the rest of reality springs. Bishop Barron did slip in the idea that the text might have a trinitarian overtone.
It left the born-again child of God wanting to scream, “The Word is Jesus! Just read the rest of the chapter!”
The danger of arrogance and intellectualism.
There is great danger in intellectual pride. No one can come to the text unless they do so humbly, seeking divine guidance. I want be careful here. I do not want to judge the motivations of each of these men, but they are all known to one another as intellectuals. In fact, that is how The Daily Wire promotes the series. Consider these quotes from the promo page at The Daily Wire.
“Dr. Jordan Peterson has gathered nine of the world’s most brilliant minds.”
“What sets these dialogues apart from all others is not just the caliber of minds in the room, though that alone is enough to warrant attention.”
“But here’s the kicker that separates Peterson from every other intellectual giant in history: While Socrates taught through questions, Nietzsche through proclamations, and Jung through abstract concepts, Peterson does something revolutionary — he shows us how to live his teachings out.”
“It’s this combination — his [Jordan Peterson’s] raw, honest humanity paired with uncompromising intellectual rigor — that makes him a teacher of wisdom and also a guide through the chaos of our times.”
Consider what the Bible says about such intellectual discussions that are not enlightened by the Holy Spirit.
Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. (Romans 1:22-24)
Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. (Colossians 2:8)
But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. (1 John 2:20-23)
Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. (1 Corinthians 8:1).
I understand that these are intelligent men, but they are also, for the most part, by their own admission, not Christians. It is an odd thing that a person who does not believe in the Bible would have the audacity to teach others not only its meaning but also its true application to life and living.
Concern about equality of views.
The purpose of the panel is that it is comprised of people who disagree and that there will be a clash of ideas resulting in mutual benefit. However, I cannot see the Apostle Paul functioning in this way. The closest the New Testament comes to an interaction like this is Paul on Mars Hill. There the Bible does not affirm, commend, or even recount the philosophies of the others on that day. All that the scripture records is the bold assertion by Paul that Jesus is the unknown God that they ignorantly worshipped, that He died, was buried, and rose again, and that Jesus would one day judge them.
The idea that all competing views about scripture should be treated as equal—especially when those views are espoused by unbelieving intellectuals–runs counter to the teaching of the New Testament.
The importance of Holy Spirit enlightenment.
Having just left the intellectual discussion on Mars Hill, Paul came to Corinth. In that place he abandoned the intellectual, philosophical discussion and proclaimed the simple truth of the gospel.
And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. (1 Corinthians 2:1-5)
The big problem with the Jordan Peterson panel’s discussion of the nature of the Word in John 1:1 is the clear and admitted lack of Holy Spirit enlightenment. Those who are not true, born-again believers do not have the Holy Spirit and therefore will struggle to ascertain the truth (see 1 Corinthians 2:11-13). They might gain some intellectual knowledge of it, but they tend to redefine it and philosophize the simple message of the text. Such thinking is clearly on display in this clip.
The centrality of Christ and His purpose.
The Book of John is about the deity and purpose of Jesus Christ. Any discussion about the Word in John 1:1 that is not based on the direct assertion that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh just misses the entire point. It is interesting to see sincere unbelievers like Dennis Prager and John Vervaeke struggle with the clear meaning of one of the most basic biblical texts.
Oh, and just in case you were wondering, the Word in John 1:1 is Jesus!
The value of a biblical worldview vs a Christian worldview.
For the purpose of this article, let me define these two terms. A biblical worldview is a world view that is impacted by both the Old and New Testaments. Both Jews and Christians can hold a biblical worldview. A Christian worldview is a biblical worldview held by a person who has the experience of being truly born-again and the resulting enlightenment of the Holy Spirit.
So, what role should the advice of people like Dennis Prager and Jordan Peterson have in the lives of believers? Most conservative Christians have appreciated the political activism and Judeo-Christian ethic of Dennis Prager. Prager U is refreshing and serves a transformative societal purpose. Peterson’s intelligent and raw attacks on the anti-God realm of our political and social world help accomplish very practical ends. They have a modified biblical worldview, but I would not say that they have a Christian worldview. They even see the importance of a Christian worldview and a Christian culture. Prager was very clear in the introductions that he is a Jew who fears the death of Christianity and sees that Christian culture is necessary for humanity to thrive. Like Elon Musk, Prager and Jordan would probably call themselves cultural Christians. But that is not enough.
A true Christian worldview is not possible without the indwelling Spirit to guide us into the truth that we must hold and live daily.
An audio version of this article is here: The Word is Jesus! Should you let Jordan Peterson preach the Word to you?