Beyond cage stage: Beware of being a Nurmagomedov rage phase Calvinist/Apologist

I don’t watch UFC or MMA fights but I want to talk about something to make a spiritual point.

This weekend’s UFC 229 became big news and trending on social media because of the Khabib Nurmagomedov versus Conor McGregor fight.  If you didn’t know Russian Khabib Nurmagomedov defeated Irishman Conor McGregor.  I’m no fan of McGregor; he’s vulgar, crass and plainly has no class.  I’m happy he was defeated.  I’m sympathetic with Nurmagomedov.  But Nurmagomedov then did something shocking.  After his victory he spit at McGregor.  He then threw his mouth piece and jumped out of the octagon to attack someone on McGregor’s camp.  Chaos followed.  Sadly so many times in moments of passion and rage people don’t think about the consequences beyond the heat of the moment.  He might even be stripped of his victory.

I saw this headline that “Khabib Nurmagomedov’s father says he’ll punish son ‘tougher’ than UFC does.”  I know in a lot of today’s news headline the mainstream media can demonize the Russians.  But here I thought Khabib’s father show real class.  The father is a professional.  A professional fighting coach.  This man is intense.  He’s had his own son at a young age train by wrestling bears.  That’s crazy.  There’s video of that on Youtube.  So when I saw the headline that Khabib’s father is going to punish his son tougher than UFC does, I don’t want to even try to imagine what that looks like.  Somehow I don’t think his dad is exaggerating.

Here is what the father said:

I will impose a punishment tougher than the UFC’s.  I warned him. For me, discipline comes first. You do whatever you want in the Octagon, [but] outside — this is the border of civilians, where there are children, women, strangers.”

I really respect his father for saying it.  Outside the Octagon there’s civilians.  Something about it speaks to me that makes me not only say “Amen,” but a Marine “ORAH!”  Obviously Khabib is skilled in fighting.  But with great skills also come great responsibility.  Responsibilities towards others.

This got me thinking about the Christian life and spiritual warfare.  Of course our spiritual warfare is not physical, it is spiritual, ethical and even doctrinal.  Apologetics, the art and science of rationally defending the Christian faith is spiritual warfare.  So is theology.  But we also got to be careful how we go about defending the faith or advocating and defending true theology while also refuting false worldviews and theology.

You might have heard the term “Cage-Stage Calvinists.”  The late RC Sproul has even written about it.  Sproul said

Sometimes we are even angry that no one told us about the true extent of our depravity and the majesty of God’s sovereign grace before.

This gives birth to cage-stage Calvinists, those newly minted Reformed believers who are so aggressive and impatient that they should be locked in a cage for a little while so that they can cool down and mature a little in the faith. ”

(LINK)

Zeal is good but zeal is one of those virtues, when it is a virtue, that doesn’t come alone.  After all people can be zealously wrong.  Think of 9/11 and the zealous hijackers.  Even with zeal for the truth there’s also the importance of other Christian character one must foster such as wisdom and gentleness.

I don’t think there’s only “cage stage” Calvinists.  I’ve also seen foaming-in-the-mouth-apologists.  Or wannabe apologists.  I know because I was one.

I remember ten years ago during my first year in seminary.  I was going to go to a university campus ministry to do an apologetics’ Q&A night with Andy, the other blogger on Veritas Domain.  I was looking forward to it because I was looking forward to a “fight.”  There’s a guy that has been something of an intellectual bully against some of the ministries’ members because of their Christian faith.  I don’t like bullies.  I was growing in my “apologetics muscles” and techniques so to speak.  I had a lot of pride that strangely I was blind to.  I thought the “Eagle” has landed.  But it was more of my ego that landed.

That night’s meeting was recorded in audio.  I thought I pummeled the atheists.  And I enjoyed it that he knew it.  I enjoyed every bit of it.  I even thought I was a gentleman since after the evening was over I gave him a ride home in my car so he didn’t have to walk home in the rain.

But after the meeting I asked Andy how I did.  I was surprised the response was negative.  He pointed out how often I cut him (Andy) off.  He pointed how immature I was to say “oh!  Could I answer him???”  Many times.  He pointed out how it was turning people off.  Even Christians.  I asked him how did I do in terms of the intellectual aspect of things and he said I did fine but I was missing the big picture.  I was surprised but I listened.  Then I listened a few days later to the audio.  I don’t know how some people like to hear the recording of themselves preaching and teaching but I always felt I hear many of my flaws when I listen to myself.  But in this instance it was worst.  I felt ashamed.  I felt small.  That was because I was a small man.  I was even rude with other Christians.  And people took this in silently.  I learned a lot from that night.  Lots.

For those in the front lines of evangelism, apologetics and theology we must watch out that we are not “cage stage fill-in-the-blank.”  But sometimes we think we are not cage stage because we have “advanced” from our initial discovery; we are more knowledgeable or “skilled’ in apologetics, theology, or witnessing beyond our early days.  “Cage stage are for starters” you might say, lifting your chin up.   “I’m not like them.”  But there’s another stage we also must watch out for, a stage when we have “arrive” at being even more knowledgeable and we can develop a “Nurmagomedov rage phase.”  It’s worst than cage stage, its an out-of-the-octagon-ready-to-raze-and-waste-everyone phase.  Sadly you can be really good at arguing and others might be intimidated to say anything to you about your problem.  But if someone does, they are a God-send.

The only antidote for the “cage stage” and those in the “Nurmagomedov rage phase” is discovering yet again what’s so amazing about amazing grace.  Grace is unmerited favor.  Unmerited favor from God.  Look at the Cross.  Remind yourself and meditate on the truth we don’t deserve anything from God; that we weak ourselves and it is His sovereign grace we are even saved or have faith to begin with.  Rediscover afresh the Gospel again.  Let it move you to become a loving evangelist/apologist/pastor/teacher that though you are trained to take down theological and philosophical Goliaths because God has trained you in your early days to take on theological and philosophical bears,  those same theological and apologetics’ muscles also uplifts spiritual babes and infants and the weak among us.