The Bible vs CRT; The Sufficiency of Scripture

Maybe you’ve heard someone say, “that sounds like Critical Race Theory” – and suddenly the whole conversation shuts down.  But what if that’s the wrong question to be asking?

Here’s what’s happening in a lot of Christian circles right now.  Someone raises a concern about racial inequity – and before the conversation can even begin, someone else responds: “That’s just CRT.  We don’t use secular frameworks; we use the Bible.”  And on the surface – that sounds right.  The sufficiency of Scripture is a core conviction for most of us.  But it might be a mistake to assume that labeling something CRT tells us whether or not it’s true.

Voddie Baucham has argued that CRT functions as a competing religion – an ideological framework that cannot be reconciled with Scripture.  And he’s right that we should test every framework against the Word.  But here’s what that actually requires.  Proverbs 18:17 says: “the first to state his case seems right, until the other comes and examines him.”  The biblical response to a claim is not to name its cultural origin – it’s to examine it.  Scripture calls us to interrogate the argument, not dismiss the label.”

Because here’s what’s true: some observations about racial inequity in America are accurate – regardless of which academic tradition first name them.  The question “does systemic racism exist?” is an empirical question.  The question “what does Scripture call the church to do about inequity?” is a theological question.  Conflating the two doesn’t protect the church from secular ideology.  It protects the church from having to answer either question.

So here is the question to bring to your next conversation – write this down.  Ask: “is this claim contradicted by Scripture – or is it just uncomfortable for our congregation?”  Those are two very different answers.  One calls us to correct the framework.  The other calls us to examine ourselves.  Acts 6 shows us a church that named a racial inequity, investigated it, and restructured to address it – not because of CRT, but because the Gospel demanded it.

My fellow brothers and sisters in Christ – the Bible is sufficient.  And its sufficiency demands that we ask harder questions, not fewer.  Save this and bring that question to the next time someone shuts down a racial justice conversation in your church.  We have work to do.

The question isn't "does this sound like CRT?" The biblical question is: "Is this claim contradicted by Scripture — or just uncomfortable for our congregation?"

Those are two different answers. One corrects the framework. The other corrects us.