THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, June 22, 1996 TAG: 9606210040
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: 26 lines
Your newspaper's lead article in the June 8 Daily Break made a good point in that it demonstrated the variety of ways in which people understand the word ``Christian.''
``Christian'' has been defined and redefined. However, any redefinition of an immutable concept or category is a wrong definition. Redefine the word ``God''; this does not change God's true nature.
There are those who are neither reconstructionists nor deconstructionists with respect to the word ``Christian.'' They are instead strict constructionists. Going back to its origin enables us to understand the true definition of the word ``Christian.'' The term was first used in the Syrian city of Antioch in the first century. There the followers of Jesus ``were first called Christians'' (Acts 11:26).
So it is the Bible that defines the word for us, not political-action groups, not university professors and certainly not Hollywood's characters from whatever era.
JOEL T. LUETKE, pastor
Resurrection Evangelical Lutheran Church
Virginia Beach, June 8, 1996 by CNB