The Biblical and Christian Worldview
for the 21st Century

“One of the fads of modern times is to change nouns into verbs and adjectives. For example, “prioritize” comes from a noun “priority” that have been made into a verb. “Christian” is a noun, used three times in the New Testament (Acts 11:26, 26:28; I Peter 4:15-17) that has come to be used frequently as an adjective, as we have used “Christian Worldview” in our title.

When “Christian” becomes an adjective, however, right and wrong become what Christians say and do, instead of what God says in His Word.

The study of (worldview), therefore, is not that of surveying empirically the sum-total of the behavior of those, who are portrayed for us in the Bible as believers.  What such a study would furnish is simply a description of the behavior of believers.  And, since there is so much sin and inconsistency in the behavior of believers at their best, whether they are viewed individually or in their corporate relations, we could not by any such empirical method delineate the biblical (worldview).  The biblical (worldview) is that manner of life which is consonant with, and demanded by, the biblical revelation... divine demand, not upon human achievement, upon the revelation of God's will for man, not upon human behavior.(1)

For example, according to some polls, (evangelical) Christians divorce in America at about the same rate as do non-Christians. Thus, the “Christian” standard becomes that of a 50-50 chance that a marriage will survive.

Whereas, God through His Son said, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate” (Matthew 19:4-6). God’s standard for marriages is for life. The “Christian” standard is a 50-50 chance for divorce.

(Here is not the place to discuss all the aspects of the Biblical view of marriage. What I have said is true. God’s standard is marriage for life. But, He does allow divorce for unrepentant sexual immorality and desertion of an unbeliever from a believer. See Jay Adams, Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage from the Bible, available from Our Bookstore.

The excuse given for these divorces is another example of “Christian” morality. “I don’t love her (him) anymore!” Now, God’s standard of love is the example of Jesus Christ. “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” While we were enemies of God, Jesus Christ died for us. We are to love our neighbors, as ourselves. We are even to love our enemies. Any excuse of not “loving” sinks in quicksand when compared to the Rock of Christ’s love and sacrifice of His own.

So, what is the relevance of “Christian,” as a adjective. It would be better to substitute the word “Biblical,” instead. There are “Christians” in liberal churches, who have little or no place for the Bible as a standard. To refer, continually, to a Biblical standard would 1) quickly reveal those that don’t hold to a Biblical standard, and 2) focus the debate on what God has said and not what Christians say and do.

Granted, using “Biblical” instead of “Christian,” does not eliminate all the problems of setting standards. Many evangelicals, who by definition are supposed to be “Bible believers,” obviously give little value to the Bible, as a standard. Some place it among other truths with the deceptive phrase, “All truth is God’s truth.”

Yet, at least using “Biblical” rather than “Christian” names the source of values, ethics, and worldview. And, it becomes apparent when directions are cited that they are not Biblical, if they have no Biblical source.

We have used “Christian” in our Domain Name because many Christians will look for a “Christian” worldview, rather than a Biblical worldview. We hope that our title directs them to our website where they will read this page and the many others here that strive diligently to be Biblical.

1) John Murray, Principles of Conduct, (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1957).  Worldview in in parentheses because I have substituted "worldview" for "ethics" and "ethic."  They are one and the same.  See Glossary on these words.