The Truth will Set You… Apart?

Introduction

In my physical therapy practice I am fortunate to interact with all sorts of people in all walks of life. In my conversations with them, I learn about problems of aging, gender, finances, and interpersonal relationships. However, many of them that are very politically charged can think very little of the “other side”. More than that, they can be hateful, even if they call themselves Christian! It reminds me of a study that I learned in college. It was called the Stanford Prison Experiment in 1971. There were 24 male college students who were pre-screened for mental and physical health issues and were randomly assigned to be either a prisoner or a guard via coin toss. The prisoners were “arrested” from their homes and brought to a basement that was a makeshift yard, small cells, and solitary confinement. The prisoners were stripped and given ID numbers instead of names. The experiment was suppose to last 2 weeks but it only lasted 6 days with many other “prisoners” being let out early due to psychological stress. The guards being increasing sadistic and abusive using tactics like sleep deprivation, sexual humiliation, and arbitrary punishments. Now, this study has been criticized for its authenticity and I am not trying to make scientific claims or analysis. But, interestingly, I don’t think this is far off to some of the psychology that Paul had to deal with in his day when he wrote a letter to the Romans. Moreover, I would like to submit to you that some of the Reformed Theology which took Paul out of his Jewish context in order to answer questions about heaven and hell has actually created a guard vs prisoner dilemma of its own. So, I would like to reflect on Romans to see if we can stop this experiment early.

Want to deconstruct sola scriptura, sola fide, sola gratia, solus christus, soli deo gloria, imputed righteousness, penal substitutionary theory, total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, perseverance of the saints)