I watched a video of the “apostolic aligning” of Lakeland revivalist Todd Bentley last month by Peter Wagner, Che Ahn, John Arnott, Rick Joyner, Bill Johnson and several other leaders–most of whom I have met and/or interviewed at some point in the last five years. While I have respect for their ministries and acknowledge that their giftings and emphases may be different from mine, it was difficult to connect the on-stage pomp and circumstance of this ceremony with my understanding of New Testament apostolic advancement of the church. The “alignment” was conducted, in part, to counteract the controversy surrounding Bentley’s ministry brought on by the bizarre emphases and practices that seem to have no precedent in scripture.

This disconnect became more vivid in my mind yesterday when I had the privilege of conducting a video interview with a Korean-American couple who even the most stodgy evangelical would identify as modern-day apostles. It was not that their ministry was accompanied with dramatic signs and wonders (although there were some clear instances of deliverance and healing) or that they were able to fill a 10,000-seat auditorium. Instead, their church-planting ministry in Central Asia bears such a close resemblance to accounts in the Book of Acts that an apostolic aligning ceremony would seem laughably redundant. Why have such a ceremony for a family who moved to a Muslim country, baptized and discipled converts, planted a congregation, encouraged their flock through persecution, raised up national leaders and were eventually arrested and deported for preaching the gospel? The church there remains and is thriving under indigenous leadership.

That is apostolic ministry.

I’m still holding to my guns regarding the selective hermeneutics of the Religious Right, but a deeper examination of Barack Obama’s statements on his personal faith should stimulate evangelicals to critical thought on the lowest common denominators of biblical faith. Please note that, by scrutinizing Obama’s statements of faith, I am not suggesting that McCain’s, Bush’s or any other political figure’s faith is authentic–or that biblical orthodoxy is a prerequisite for political office.

Authentic Christianity ultimately comes down to a debate about who Jesus is. Additional layers would include a basic understanding of sin, salvation, etc. After reading a 2004 interview with Obama, it is clear that, while he grasps many of the social implications of the Christian faith, he is apparently unaware of the basic biblical antecedents of that faith. After reading a few of his quotes below, the question I’m asking is not “Is Barack Obama a Christian?” but “What is a Christian?” The problem is not that the statements below are entirely false, but that they are incomplete–and miss key points of who Jesus is, what sin is and how salvation works.

“Jesus is an historical figure for me, and he’s also a bridge between God and man, in the Christian faith, and one that I think is powerful precisely because he serves as that means of us reaching something higher. And he’s also a wonderful teacher.”

“I find it hard to believe that my God would consign four-fifths of the world to hell. I can’t imagine that my God would allow some little Hindu kid in India who never interacts with the Christian faith to somehow burn for all eternity. That’s just not part of my religious makeup.”

“What I believe in is that if I live my life as well as I can, that I will be rewarded. I don’t presume to have knowledge of what happens after I die. But I feel very strongly that whether the reward is in the here and now or in the hereafter, the aligning myself to my faith and my values is a good thing.”

Sin: “Being out of alignment with my values.”

The beliefs above are probably not far from those of other political candidates with religious leanings–both conservatives and liberals. But it certainly reinforces the thought that biblical orthodoxy should probably not be a litmus test for getting my vote.