See and Share the Pilgrim Vision
Arsy Varsy—Reclaiming the Gospel in First Corinthians
by Phillip A. Ross, 2008
First Edition, 400 pages.
For Barack Obama in honor of his election as the 44th President of the United States of America and for the people who have called for change they can believe in
What kind of title is Arsy Varsy? It's an old Puritan word similar to vice versa. Where visa versa means conversely or a change in order, arsy varsy (pronounced ahr-see-vahr-see) means wrong end foremost or ass backward, which suggests that something is happening the wrong way, with the rear coming first. It indicates the complete reversal of the correct order. Paul was addressing a kind of arsy varsy confusion in the Corinthian church.
Why would a book like this be dedicated to a President? There is a long tradition among Christian writers to provide theological insight where it is needed, where its application can get the most bang for the buck, so to speak. Senator Obama campaigned for President on the platform of bringing needed change to America, and that is exactly what this book is about.
I will put forth the audacity to hope that all Americans want what is best for America, and that the President — any President — is called to provide what he can toward that goal. Granted that my concern is theological and not political, though the two things are intimately related. The old adage is that so goes the (Christian) church, so goes the nation. This is true because politics are the outworking of beliefs and beliefs are the product of theology. Theology is simply the expression of our beliefs about God. And everyone has a theology, even atheists. They believe that God doesn't exist.
The theological position espoused herein is neither Left nor Right, neither Liberal or Conservative because it is both Left and Right, Liberal and Conservative. How can this be? Because the traditional Left/Right, Liberal/Conservative dichotomy is inadequate to the reality of life. It is a false dichotomy built upon a false and shallow understanding of reality. And it is our understanding of the reality in which we live that is the subject of this book.
This presuppositional approach is different from an evidential approach to biblical study. The integration of Trinitarian categories regarding human nature as a genuine reflection of God’s image reveal additional refinements in the biblical text. In addition, the application of presuppositionalism and Trinitarianism to Paul’s treatment of Spiritual gifts yields richer accounts, more diverse applications and a more foundational position for spiritual gifts regarding both the lives of individual Christians and the structure of the church.
Read the Introduction (PDF file).
