Theology – Page 11

Study and the Holy Spirit

It is a very foolish thing to attempt to study theology without the help of the Holy Spirit. Theologically, this makes sense because it is only through the Spirit that you may know the Son, even as it is only through the Son that you may know the Father. For how is it that we know that the scriptures are true? Not from facts and figures and undeniable proofs. Such things may be encouraging, but they aren’t enough to really convince. No, it is by the Holy Spirit’s witness to each individual that causes them to be able to say, “I believe.” Just as it is only the Holy Spirit who can open a person’s mind and heart, so that they can witness that Jesus Christ truly is the Son of God, and that his sacrifice was sufficient to accomplish all that he intended, it is only the Holy Spirit who can make us to believe, and therefore understand the scriptures. Who is it who is said to search the mind of God and reveal his secrets to us? In what real way may God be known at all, except by means of the Holy Spirit?

But more practically, it is foolish to attempt to study God without the aid of the God who wishes to be studied. Continue reading “Study and the Holy Spirit”

Vending Machine God

Slowly catching up on my blog reading here. Last week Hobbes was discussing something I touched upon briefly in Saturday’s post. You can’t divide God into bite-sized chunks.

When we come before God in our private devotional times, we sometimes approach Him hoping to experience Him according to the particular attributes that we think we need at that moment. For example, yesterday I needed God to be my ‘Forgiver’. Today I need God to be Father to me. Tomorrow I may need Him to be my Healer. The next day I may need Him to be my Strength. God is clearly all of these. But, He is all of these things at the same time, and infinitely more! The danger is that we approach God with a vending-machine mentality. We put our prayer into the slot, and select the Divine Attribute we want to consume at that moment. We seek bits of God, rather than all that He is.

Read the whole thing (just a couple more paragraphs). He presents a profound understanding of what it truly means to worship God.

Who’s Afraid of the Parachurch?

What on earth is a *para*church? “Para” means beside, or alongside, but how can some activity, which is done by Christians, for christian purposes, be “alongside” the church. Isn’t it being done by the church?

Anonymous Hobbes at Castle Sands recommends “The Church Alternative Virus” for our reading enjoyment, which asserts that “that parachurch activity is an aberration, and all Christian ministry should be performed by the church.” And again I’m getting lost here. I mean, I get the point. Jesus Christ founded the church. He didn’t found the parachurch. So why do we have one?

But see, how can something which is done by Christians… okay, I’m repeating myself. Continue reading “Who’s Afraid of the Parachurch?”

Infant Baptism and the Spirit’s Witness

I’m still trying to get my head around the whole infant baptism thing. It’s odd for me, knowing that infant baptism has been the practice of the majority of Christians for most of the history of the church, and yet I don’t believe in it. Some time I’m going to get around to reading the books that William Tighe mentioned in the comments section of this post. But in the mean time, Calvin’s discussion on the witness of the Spirit has gotten my head all turned around. Continue reading “Infant Baptism and the Spirit’s Witness”

Spiritual Discipline

The Holy Spirit rarely shouts. He very frequently whispers. So it is a spiritual discipline to find a way – to search for a way – to take his whispers and make them unavoidable.

I frequently lecture myself when there isn’t anyone else around to listen. It’s really kind of embarrassing. I’m sure if there were anyone around to see me, I’d look like some crazy goon, gone mad with senility way before his time. But then, if there was anyone to see me, I’d be lecturing them instead. (This explains why it is so beneficial that I enjoy being alone, but it brings into question how Valerie can stand to be near me.)

Most recently, I was noticing how deathly still everything seemed as I got out of the car and walked to my apartment, compared with how loud it had just been in the car. Continue reading “Spiritual Discipline”

Barth

Reading about Karl Barth is something of an inspiration for me. But it’s difficult to describe in print in a modern setting without sounding a little bit silly. Barth’s enthusiasm, even zeal, for theology is a little disconcerting, almost off-putting. He’s totally overboard. You want to walk alongside him and put your arm around him in an elderly brother sort of way, and say “Karl. I appreciate your passion for talking about God. I really do. I’m with you on this one. But Karl, can you calm down a bit? Surely, at least, you could say that the actual practice of Christianity is more important than *talking* about it.” But Karl won’t calm down. Continue reading “Barth”

Liberalism

We see in Christian Liberalism not that which is “modern” or “mainline”, but merely that which is contra-orthodox, unendorsed by the Holy Spirit, and as such, she is limpid, dying. She has no need for anyone to attack her, for already she is fading away.

I see her now, a deranged old prostitute, crying out to all her former lovers – “lama sabachtani?” as she paints herself again with the newest ideological fashions. There is no more need to look on her with horror now that she is an old prostitute than when she was young and drew men with her pearls and honey. But perhaps now the True Church will be inspired to finally give her what she has always deserved: a little pity

She is wrong, but she is sick and dying. She doesn’t need to be blasted for what she is because in her heart of hearts, she already knows what she is. She only needs what any tired old woman needs: to be comforted with the grace of the gospel, to be captured away from all that has enslaved her, to be told that no longer shall she be “lo ammi”, but instead, “my people.” She needs to discover that no longer can she be buffeted around by Ba’al, her manied master, but instead she must be held firm by her husband, her loving, gracious, jealous husband.

For it is Jealousy that will save her.

Anti-Intellectualism

Apparently my trackbacks aren’t working right now. Otherwise you would see that Tim Challies [graciously included me](http://www.challies.com/archives/001670.php) in the conversation on ignorance. That was very nice of him. He doesn’t know me from a stick of butter… (That was funny ha-ha, not funny ho-ho.)

Mostly, though, Tim’s comments struck a chord with me because I’ve had to struggle with anti-intellectualism as an intellectual problem, *a lot*. (There’s an irony up there somewhere, but I’m not going to dig it out for you.) You see, I’m an intellectual. That is, I like to think. I’m a compulsive thinker. And I’m practically immobilized until I have a unifying theory of the universe which explains everything that I do. This is not a joke. If you were privy to the constant thoughts in my head, you’d be bored out of your gourd. You’d be asleep in five minutes. Continue reading “Anti-Intellectualism”

Ignorance by Analogy

The inimitable Tim Challies has a parody up right now, or what he calls a parable. He describes visiting a doctor who told him his “duoduwhatzit” needed to be removed. Tim, of course, puts his utmost trust in his doctor, because he made a lot of sense, and was easy to understand. However, this doctor has one little quirk – he has no medical training, nor does anyone on his staff. Instead, he expects patients to trust him based on youth, zeal for medicine, and common sense.

The obvious comparison is with Christian ministry, and all those anti-intellectual movements we have in the church, and to a certain extent, Tim is right. There is no inherent benefit to ignorance, and there is a great deal of potential harm to be had by it. But then, why are there anti-intellectual movements in the church?

It is the nature of a parable to work by analogy. That’s why it’s called a parable. Para Bolle means to throw alongside (as opposed to hyperbole, which means to throw beyond). But the problem with all analogies is that the comparison only goes so far. The real meat of the thing is always in disecting exactly how and where the analogy falls away from what it’s being compared to. So, how is medicine different from religion?

You could probably do a much more detailed dissection, but it seems to me that the most interesting difference is that Medicine is based on science, and the science that Medicine is based on is constantly being revolutionized. Continue reading “Ignorance by Analogy”

An Interesting Set of Alternatives

Theologically speaking, and forced to make a choice, between Luther and Zwinglii, I’d side with Luther. But between Luther and Calvin, I’d go with Calvin. But then, forced to choose between Calvin and myself, I choose me.

I guess that makes me an evangelical.

Valerie: *What if you were forced to choose between you and your wife?*
Me: *There is no choice to make.*
Valerie: *Right. So you’d choose me, huh?*