In the first religion class of my first semester at the Texas college for Baptists, my professor told us that Paul made the same mistake as everyone else in his day by claiming Adam was a real man in Romans 5:12. I ended up majoring in English. A half-dozen years later, in the OT Survey class at the Seminary I attended, the professor laughed off the mere question of one of my classmates about whether Genesis 1-11 could describe historical events. I ended up transferring to Criswell. But a hundred conversations I’ve had with Christian leaders who have adopted the views of those professors constantly remind me that not everyone responds to influence the same way.
The vocabulary, the nuances, and the names may have changed over the years, but the importance of our influence has not. And neither has the significance of the faith we espouse nor the merit of instilling faith in those who will shape churches, denominations, and schools for decades to come. Inerrant scripture and a resurrected Savior—that is, true and trustworthy scripture and the Lordship of Jesus—have safe refuge at Criswell College. What we believe, we can teach our students to believe, as they can lead others to believe.
I mention all of that for a reason. I hear there are weekends when Saturday is not magically refreshing, Sunday is not the start of the next Great Awakening, and so Monday may not arrive with the glow of glorious ministry setting the tone for work. On that (undoubtedly rare) occasion, I pray you will be encouraged to know that every believer is an essential part of preserving “the faith once delivered to the saints,” not for the sake of just any tradition, but because the truth of Scripture and a historical resurrection matter.
They matter. You matter. And therefore this week matters.