Lesson 7
The Fall of Man
To fully understand humanity we must not only look to his creation we must also look to his fall. In other words "What went wrong?"
Lets start with the Biblical account:
Genesis 3:1-7
Should we understand this story as being historical or figurative?
If there was no historical Adam and Eve then one has to come up with some other understanding to humanity's fall.
The most popular answer is that we each are born innocent and then fall ourselves, we are our own Adams. This was a belief promoted by a British monk named Pelagius. Unfortunately, this idea not only reduces Adam to an example of what we all eventually do, it reduces Jesus simply to the person we can make ourselves become.
Where did sin originate?
Some people argue that sin existed before the creation in that Satan rebelled against God and thus brought sin into existence. More likely is that sin is a possible result of freedom. That when God created individuals with freedom He creates the opportunity for there to be sin. Adam and Eve had the freedom to not sin. We being their descendants do not have that freedom.
I stress this because we can not blame sin on Satan (or environment, ignorance, etc.) but realizes that it lies within us. It is in our nature
Passage Romans 6:6
Adam and Eve's actions brought about two results.
1. Inherited Depravity
A. As descendants we all inherit a sinful and corrupt nature. I am not sure how this exactly occurs or if it is even necessary to understand. I am sure that it is more spiritual than physical.
Inherited Depravity does explain the need for the Holy Spirit’s work in us. (recall the lesson on the Holy Spirit)
B. This is not to say that we are totally evil but that every facet of who we are has been tainted. We all have the ability to chose certain actions and behavior. The murderer cannot say, "I had no choice."
2. Sin is universal
We all sin. Everyday life can confirm this reality.
What is sin?
Psalm 51
1. Sin is something we are.
2. Sin is something we do.
I John 3:4
3. Sin is also something we fail to do.
Romans 3:23
The Consequences of sin
1. Guilt
Romans 3:19
2. Punishment
Genesis 2: 17, Ephesians 2:1,5, Revelations 20:14
A physical punishment, a spiritual punishment, and an eternal punishment.
Proverbs 14:9
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Lesson 6 Doctrine of Man
Lesson 6
Doctrine of Man
Origin
Humanity’s origin is an interesting and important topic. Where we came from and how we came about is more than just a story or a question of science it is also a metaphysical question. How you understand man’s origin has an impact on how you think and see the world.
In Western Society there have been two major ways to understand the origin of man.
1. Naturalism: The idea of simple structures developing "evolving" into more complex ones. This occurs through the process of chance.
2. Theism: That a divine being had a hand in creating and guiding the process. There are numerous world views that share this idea (Christianity, Judaism, Muslim) and also numerous Schools of thought.
Three very popular theistic understanding of creation ones are:
A. Short term Creationist
B. Progressive Creationist
C. Theistic evolution
Although each differs in the exact way creation occurred, they all agree that it was divinely driven.
Biblical View
Genesis 1:1, 1: 26-28, 2:7
Let’s look at some key points that come out of these passages.
First, we were created by God.
Our origin comes from God and therefore we are accountable to Him
Second, our creation was a Special act
Our creation is different than all the other creatures. We receive the breath of life from God.
Humanity is the crowning and purpose for creation. What do you think about that statement? Instead of making us arrogant this fact should work to humble us. Why?
Third, it is from Adam and Eve that all humanity springs.
The idea of Adam and Eve being the universal parents should not only impact the way we see each other, it also effects the way we understand the Fall.
Just taking these three points, what are some of the moral and ethical understandings?
The Nature of Man
When we talk about humanity there are two natures we can look at.
Body and Soul
First man is made up of body and soul. Now off the bat this is a complicated idea but still biblically correct.
To help understand it let me make five brief points.
1. The soul is not good and the body bad. The body is not some shell holding us in (Popular Greek philosophy)
2. What happens in the body can affect the soul, and the condition of the soul affects the body. Phil. 2: 20
3. But they are also two distinct substances
4. The soul inhabits the body, is removed from body at death, and exists in a separate state
2 Corinthians 5: 1-10
5. At the time of the resurrection there will be a new body.
Second, man is created in the image of God.
Genesis 1:26-27
What does the image of God mean? This idea of the image of God applies to both men and women so we know it does not refer to gender or that God looks like a man (Mormon church teaching)
Some suggest that it might refer to our intelligence (ability to create and think), our free will (Which we have always had), or our ability to make moral decisions.
Another idea is that it refers to us possessing a spiritual nature.
Regardless, one thing that clearly stands out is that by having the Image of God we are separate from the rest of the animal kingdom.
Doctrine of Man
Origin
Humanity’s origin is an interesting and important topic. Where we came from and how we came about is more than just a story or a question of science it is also a metaphysical question. How you understand man’s origin has an impact on how you think and see the world.
In Western Society there have been two major ways to understand the origin of man.
1. Naturalism: The idea of simple structures developing "evolving" into more complex ones. This occurs through the process of chance.
2. Theism: That a divine being had a hand in creating and guiding the process. There are numerous world views that share this idea (Christianity, Judaism, Muslim) and also numerous Schools of thought.
Three very popular theistic understanding of creation ones are:
A. Short term Creationist
B. Progressive Creationist
C. Theistic evolution
Although each differs in the exact way creation occurred, they all agree that it was divinely driven.
Biblical View
Genesis 1:1, 1: 26-28, 2:7
Let’s look at some key points that come out of these passages.
First, we were created by God.
Our origin comes from God and therefore we are accountable to Him
Second, our creation was a Special act
Our creation is different than all the other creatures. We receive the breath of life from God.
Humanity is the crowning and purpose for creation. What do you think about that statement? Instead of making us arrogant this fact should work to humble us. Why?
Third, it is from Adam and Eve that all humanity springs.
The idea of Adam and Eve being the universal parents should not only impact the way we see each other, it also effects the way we understand the Fall.
Just taking these three points, what are some of the moral and ethical understandings?
The Nature of Man
When we talk about humanity there are two natures we can look at.
Body and Soul
First man is made up of body and soul. Now off the bat this is a complicated idea but still biblically correct.
To help understand it let me make five brief points.
1. The soul is not good and the body bad. The body is not some shell holding us in (Popular Greek philosophy)
2. What happens in the body can affect the soul, and the condition of the soul affects the body. Phil. 2: 20
3. But they are also two distinct substances
4. The soul inhabits the body, is removed from body at death, and exists in a separate state
2 Corinthians 5: 1-10
5. At the time of the resurrection there will be a new body.
Second, man is created in the image of God.
Genesis 1:26-27
What does the image of God mean? This idea of the image of God applies to both men and women so we know it does not refer to gender or that God looks like a man (Mormon church teaching)
Some suggest that it might refer to our intelligence (ability to create and think), our free will (Which we have always had), or our ability to make moral decisions.
Another idea is that it refers to us possessing a spiritual nature.
Regardless, one thing that clearly stands out is that by having the Image of God we are separate from the rest of the animal kingdom.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Friday, November 16, 2007
Holy Spirit
Lesson 5
Holy Spirit
We have so far looked at two persons of the Trinity, this evening we will look at the third person, the Holy Spirit.
One book I read this week on the subject made this interesting observation "the current interest in the Holy Spirit is not without its dangers" (p 42 Christian Doctrine for Everyman). This is not a quote that one might have said about interest in God or in Jesus although I think it might be true of both. We must always be careful in our studies and stay faithful to the text. Much that is said about God (ie He has many different names) or Jesus (He was just a good man) so also are things said about the Holy Spirt when examined in the light of the Scriptures prove false.
Just as we looked at Jesus through the person and the works we will now do the same with the Holy Spirit.
The Person of the Holy Spirit
Like Jesus, there are two parts to understanding the person of the Holy Spirit
1. First, The Holy Spirit is a person
Max Ander's points out that too often people think of the Holy Spirit like we think of "School Spirit" or that we see it as a sort of an "it". When in reality, just like God and Jesus, the Holy Spirit is also a person. We know this for two reasons.
a. He is spoken of in personal terms (I use the masculine because Jesus used masculine pronouns.) (John 14:16)
b. He has personal qualities: hearing, speaking, comforting, revealing, and grieving
2. Secondly, The Holy Spirit is God.
(Acts 5:4)
The Work of the Holy Spirit
There are three ways to look at the work of the Spirit: His work in the world, with believers, and in relationship to Jesus.
1. When I talk about His relationship in the World, I am referring to His relationship with both believers and non-believers.
a. The first thing He does is he works to Convict (some say reprove or convince)
(John 16:8)
"...To make men realize their lost condition and make them seek after life and righteousness." (CDFE)
When we are caught up in sin we are not fully aware of our condition or the necessity to do something about it. It is through the work of the Holy Spirit that we are convicted (or convinced) that we have a problem.
(I like the word convinced over convicted because we, at times, feel convicted and we don’t know why. Convinced means you know why. The Holy Spirit lets us know why)
(If you are never convinced will you ever change?)
b. Regenerates
He provides the power or the means for a person to believe. Just as our sinful condition does not allow us to see the state we exist in, we are also helpless in that state. We are incapable of believing in Jesus Christ.
This is sometimes what the Bible means when it says faith. It is the ability to believe.
This why I sometimes think people are wrong when the say, "if I have enough faith such and such will happen". When really it is allowing the Holy Spirit to work in you so you can be okay if such and such doesn't happen.
2. After we are convicted and then regenerated we become a believer. But the work of the Holy Spirit does not stop there. He continues to be at work in the Believer.
a. We see Him at work at the time of our Conversion
1. First, He comes to dwell within us. I Cor. 6:19 God with us.
2. Second, He Seals until the day of our redemption Eph 1:13
3. Thirdly He Baptizes us into the body of Christ. I Cor 12:13
This is the primary meaning of "Baptism of the Holy Spirit" and not the recieving of special gifts or powers.
(Max Anders in 30 Days to understanding the Bible uses the anachronism CRIBS to described all five acts Conviction, regeneration, Indwelling, Baptism, and Sealing )
b. The Holy Spirit also continues to be at work in our lives after conversion. After Conversion
1. He develops Christian character
2. He bring comfort
3. He Teaches
4. And He empowers Christians for service
5. And within the fellowship of the church He works to maintain unity, lead in worship and provide gifts for ministry. Needless to say He is one busy dude.
3. In one of the texts I was working from they listed a third area, the Holy Spirit’s relationship to Christ. It mentioned two things that the Holy Spirit does in relationship to Jesus.
a. He glorifies Christ. Just as Jesus glorified the Father so now does the Holy Spirit glorify the Son
b. He makes Christ real to believers. One way of understanding this is that we know Jesus is alive and at work today. That He is relevant.
The Holy Spirit never eclipses Jesus Christ.
Holy Spirit
We have so far looked at two persons of the Trinity, this evening we will look at the third person, the Holy Spirit.
One book I read this week on the subject made this interesting observation "the current interest in the Holy Spirit is not without its dangers" (p 42 Christian Doctrine for Everyman). This is not a quote that one might have said about interest in God or in Jesus although I think it might be true of both. We must always be careful in our studies and stay faithful to the text. Much that is said about God (ie He has many different names) or Jesus (He was just a good man) so also are things said about the Holy Spirt when examined in the light of the Scriptures prove false.
Just as we looked at Jesus through the person and the works we will now do the same with the Holy Spirit.
The Person of the Holy Spirit
Like Jesus, there are two parts to understanding the person of the Holy Spirit
1. First, The Holy Spirit is a person
Max Ander's points out that too often people think of the Holy Spirit like we think of "School Spirit" or that we see it as a sort of an "it". When in reality, just like God and Jesus, the Holy Spirit is also a person. We know this for two reasons.
a. He is spoken of in personal terms (I use the masculine because Jesus used masculine pronouns.) (John 14:16)
b. He has personal qualities: hearing, speaking, comforting, revealing, and grieving
2. Secondly, The Holy Spirit is God.
(Acts 5:4)
The Work of the Holy Spirit
There are three ways to look at the work of the Spirit: His work in the world, with believers, and in relationship to Jesus.
1. When I talk about His relationship in the World, I am referring to His relationship with both believers and non-believers.
a. The first thing He does is he works to Convict (some say reprove or convince)
(John 16:8)
"...To make men realize their lost condition and make them seek after life and righteousness." (CDFE)
When we are caught up in sin we are not fully aware of our condition or the necessity to do something about it. It is through the work of the Holy Spirit that we are convicted (or convinced) that we have a problem.
(I like the word convinced over convicted because we, at times, feel convicted and we don’t know why. Convinced means you know why. The Holy Spirit lets us know why)
(If you are never convinced will you ever change?)
b. Regenerates
He provides the power or the means for a person to believe. Just as our sinful condition does not allow us to see the state we exist in, we are also helpless in that state. We are incapable of believing in Jesus Christ.
This is sometimes what the Bible means when it says faith. It is the ability to believe.
This why I sometimes think people are wrong when the say, "if I have enough faith such and such will happen". When really it is allowing the Holy Spirit to work in you so you can be okay if such and such doesn't happen.
2. After we are convicted and then regenerated we become a believer. But the work of the Holy Spirit does not stop there. He continues to be at work in the Believer.
a. We see Him at work at the time of our Conversion
1. First, He comes to dwell within us. I Cor. 6:19 God with us.
2. Second, He Seals until the day of our redemption Eph 1:13
3. Thirdly He Baptizes us into the body of Christ. I Cor 12:13
This is the primary meaning of "Baptism of the Holy Spirit" and not the recieving of special gifts or powers.
(Max Anders in 30 Days to understanding the Bible uses the anachronism CRIBS to described all five acts Conviction, regeneration, Indwelling, Baptism, and Sealing )
b. The Holy Spirit also continues to be at work in our lives after conversion. After Conversion
1. He develops Christian character
2. He bring comfort
3. He Teaches
4. And He empowers Christians for service
5. And within the fellowship of the church He works to maintain unity, lead in worship and provide gifts for ministry. Needless to say He is one busy dude.
3. In one of the texts I was working from they listed a third area, the Holy Spirit’s relationship to Christ. It mentioned two things that the Holy Spirit does in relationship to Jesus.
a. He glorifies Christ. Just as Jesus glorified the Father so now does the Holy Spirit glorify the Son
b. He makes Christ real to believers. One way of understanding this is that we know Jesus is alive and at work today. That He is relevant.
The Holy Spirit never eclipses Jesus Christ.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Jesus Part 2
B. What is the nature of His work (Work of Christ)
Having looked at the person of Jesus we will now turn our attention to the work of Jesus.
1. Preaching, teaching and healing (words and deeds)
The gospel records that Jesus performed both words and deeds. The words can refer to the preaching and teaching of Jesus, while the deeds can refer to the way He lived and to the miracles He performed.
As important as these were they were not His primary reason form coming.
2. Primary work
It is important that we understand that Jesus’ primary reason for coming was removal and restoration.
Removal of the penalty of sin and restoration to our relationship with God. While preach, teaching and even miracles were performed by numerous people, it required someone who was fully Human and fully God to be able to remove sin and restore relationship.
Lets look at this in three great acts
a. Christ’s death
Mark 10: 45
The penalty of sin required a sacrifice therefore for Jesus to be that sacrifice He had to be fully human and die a real death. But for the penalty to completely paid the sacrifice had to be perfect, thus the need for Jesus to be fully God.
Jesus did not become God after His death, He always was fully God, fully human.
b. Resurrection
Romans 1:4, 4:25, Acts 10: 4-43
The resurrection not only demonstrated that God accepted Jesus’ sacrifice, it is also the assurance of our salvation. If Jesus has not been fully, bodily resurrected then there is no hope for us. But just as Jesus was fully resurrected so also shall we.
c. Ascension
Acts 1: 1-2
The ascension is often overlooked in Baptist life. It is as if Jesus simply rode off into the sunset. Nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus ascended into heaven to continue that
which He had started.
“Killing Jesus,” says Walter Wink, “was like trying to destroy a dandelion seed-head by blowing on it.” (The Jesus I Never Knew , Phillip Yancey 226)
“Christ died for our sins, He was raised for our justification, he now lives to make intercession for us. This is the redemptive work.” Christian Doctrine for Everyman - Jimmy A. Millkin
C. Theological Question: Does Jesus remain Incarnate? Last week we digressed a little in our discussion of the incarnation and in doing so neglected to explain just what incarnation mea
Having looked at the person of Jesus we will now turn our attention to the work of Jesus.
1. Preaching, teaching and healing (words and deeds)
The gospel records that Jesus performed both words and deeds. The words can refer to the preaching and teaching of Jesus, while the deeds can refer to the way He lived and to the miracles He performed.
As important as these were they were not His primary reason form coming.
2. Primary work
It is important that we understand that Jesus’ primary reason for coming was removal and restoration.
Removal of the penalty of sin and restoration to our relationship with God. While preach, teaching and even miracles were performed by numerous people, it required someone who was fully Human and fully God to be able to remove sin and restore relationship.
Lets look at this in three great acts
a. Christ’s death
Mark 10: 45
The penalty of sin required a sacrifice therefore for Jesus to be that sacrifice He had to be fully human and die a real death. But for the penalty to completely paid the sacrifice had to be perfect, thus the need for Jesus to be fully God.
Jesus did not become God after His death, He always was fully God, fully human.
b. Resurrection
Romans 1:4, 4:25, Acts 10: 4-43
The resurrection not only demonstrated that God accepted Jesus’ sacrifice, it is also the assurance of our salvation. If Jesus has not been fully, bodily resurrected then there is no hope for us. But just as Jesus was fully resurrected so also shall we.
c. Ascension
Acts 1: 1-2
The ascension is often overlooked in Baptist life. It is as if Jesus simply rode off into the sunset. Nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus ascended into heaven to continue that
which He had started.
“Killing Jesus,” says Walter Wink, “was like trying to destroy a dandelion seed-head by blowing on it.” (The Jesus I Never Knew , Phillip Yancey 226)
“Christ died for our sins, He was raised for our justification, he now lives to make intercession for us. This is the redemptive work.” Christian Doctrine for Everyman - Jimmy A. Millkin
C. Theological Question: Does Jesus remain Incarnate? Last week we digressed a little in our discussion of the incarnation and in doing so neglected to explain just what incarnation mea
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Jesus (part 1)
Lesson 4
Jesus Christ
Introduction
Last week we looked at the first person of the Trinity, God the Father. Tonight we are going to look at the second person, God the Son. We are going to talk about Jesus.
We are going to do this in two ways: Who He is and What He did.
A. Who is Christ (person of Christ)
There are two terms that describe Jesus the person: He is a man and He is God.
1. Jesus was a man
The Scriptures reveal that Jesus "being made in human likeness, and being found is appearance as a man." Philippians 2: 7b-8a
But what sort of humanity was it? Was He actually human or just looked that way?
a. Humanity was real
First, the humanity was real. He expressed emotions, He had need for sleep, He ate, He cried, He laughed, He hurt (Although the Scriptures do not mention it, I am sure He even used the bathroom.)
John 15:11
Matthew 26: 37
"I once showed to a class several dozen art slides portraying Jesus in a variety of forms-African, Korean, Chinese-and then asked the class to describe what they thought Jesus looked like. Virtually everyone suggested he was tall (unlikely for a second-century Jew), most said handsome, and no one said overweight." (87)-Philip Yancey The Jesus I Never Knew
b. Jesus’ humanity was unique
1. Unique origin
His birth was different than ours. In Matthew and in Luke we read that Jesus was born of the virgin Mary.
William Hendricks better calls this the virginal conception because it was the conception and not the birth that was different. (Layman’s Library of Christian Doctrine: Who is Jesus Christ)
2. He was Sinless
A second way that His humanity was unique was that He is sinless. This means that unlike you and me He lived without sinning.
Hebrews 4: 15
His sinless is important in many ways, but the most important is that is only by being sinless that He was able to take on our sins.
2 Corinthians 5:21
2. Jesus is God
One of the struggles of the early church came from those who denied Jesus’ humanity. For them it was unthinkable, and impossible, for God to become human. So they argued that Jesus only looked like a human but really wasn’t one.
In our generation the opposite has become the argument. We can easily accept that a person named Jesus existed , but there is much debate over whether he is also God. The strongest argument coming from those whose who say Jesus never claimed the title. Nor did His followers see Him as God. Such an example is the DaVinci Code.
But in Scripture we find the opposite to be true.
a. Claims
1. Jesus
Jesus claimed to be in relationship with God: Luke 2: 49
He claimed to know God: John 8: 19
He claimed to have pre-existed John 8: 58
He allowed His followers to worship Him John 20: 26-28
2. Jesus’ followers
His followers believed Him to be God. John at the start of His gospel shares this. Paul testifies to this in a number of places two of them being: Colossians 1: 15 and I Timothy 3:16.
3. Jesus’ deeds
Another thing that testifies to Jesus divinity is the actions in His life. He demonstrated control over nature and the super natural. He healed diseases and sickness. He even showed control over death. The greatest testimony was His own resurrection.
Jesus Christ
Introduction
Last week we looked at the first person of the Trinity, God the Father. Tonight we are going to look at the second person, God the Son. We are going to talk about Jesus.
We are going to do this in two ways: Who He is and What He did.
A. Who is Christ (person of Christ)
There are two terms that describe Jesus the person: He is a man and He is God.
1. Jesus was a man
The Scriptures reveal that Jesus "being made in human likeness, and being found is appearance as a man." Philippians 2: 7b-8a
But what sort of humanity was it? Was He actually human or just looked that way?
a. Humanity was real
First, the humanity was real. He expressed emotions, He had need for sleep, He ate, He cried, He laughed, He hurt (Although the Scriptures do not mention it, I am sure He even used the bathroom.)
John 15:11
Matthew 26: 37
"I once showed to a class several dozen art slides portraying Jesus in a variety of forms-African, Korean, Chinese-and then asked the class to describe what they thought Jesus looked like. Virtually everyone suggested he was tall (unlikely for a second-century Jew), most said handsome, and no one said overweight." (87)-Philip Yancey The Jesus I Never Knew
b. Jesus’ humanity was unique
1. Unique origin
His birth was different than ours. In Matthew and in Luke we read that Jesus was born of the virgin Mary.
William Hendricks better calls this the virginal conception because it was the conception and not the birth that was different. (Layman’s Library of Christian Doctrine: Who is Jesus Christ)
2. He was Sinless
A second way that His humanity was unique was that He is sinless. This means that unlike you and me He lived without sinning.
Hebrews 4: 15
His sinless is important in many ways, but the most important is that is only by being sinless that He was able to take on our sins.
2 Corinthians 5:21
2. Jesus is God
One of the struggles of the early church came from those who denied Jesus’ humanity. For them it was unthinkable, and impossible, for God to become human. So they argued that Jesus only looked like a human but really wasn’t one.
In our generation the opposite has become the argument. We can easily accept that a person named Jesus existed , but there is much debate over whether he is also God. The strongest argument coming from those whose who say Jesus never claimed the title. Nor did His followers see Him as God. Such an example is the DaVinci Code.
But in Scripture we find the opposite to be true.
a. Claims
1. Jesus
Jesus claimed to be in relationship with God: Luke 2: 49
He claimed to know God: John 8: 19
He claimed to have pre-existed John 8: 58
He allowed His followers to worship Him John 20: 26-28
2. Jesus’ followers
His followers believed Him to be God. John at the start of His gospel shares this. Paul testifies to this in a number of places two of them being: Colossians 1: 15 and I Timothy 3:16.
3. Jesus’ deeds
Another thing that testifies to Jesus divinity is the actions in His life. He demonstrated control over nature and the super natural. He healed diseases and sickness. He even showed control over death. The greatest testimony was His own resurrection.
Friday, October 5, 2007
God (part 2)
The Attribute of God
While the nature of God reveals “that He is,” the attributes of God tell us some thing about God.
There is no completely comprehensive list, and at times descriptions of God’s nature is also seen as an attribute.
Bill Bright in his little booklet “13 Steps to Discovering His Attributes” lists the following: God is a personal Spirit, is all-powerful, is ever-present. Knows everything, is sovereign, is holy, is absolute truth, is righteous, is just, is love, is merciful, is faithful, and he never changes.
Let’s look at one of these: holiness.
The holiness of God
One of the hardest attributes to grasp is the concept of God being Holy. This is complicated because:
1. What exactly does holy mean?
The simplest definition of Holy is “set apart”. God is set apart from everything else. Creation is temporary, God is eternal, Creation is impure, God is pure, Creation is tainted with sin, God is without sin.
Another way to understand Holy is being perfect or pure, unlike anything else.
2. If God is holy then why do bad things happen?
I realize that this statement is often phrased as “If God is loving then why do bad things happen?” But that it is not really the complaint, because many wonderfully loving people allow bad things to happen all the time. Or a person might ask “If God is all powerful why does He allow bad things to happen?” Again the question is wrong because even if you were all powerful you would not stop all the evil, because you would not recognize the evil.
Therefore the real problem is that God is loving, is all-powerful, and He is holy which means He is well aware of the difference between good and evil and yet it still exists.
3. If God is Holy how can I have anything to do with Him?
This hits to the heart of the matter. God is Holy and I am not, so how can we have anything to do with each other?
Understanding why Jesus came and why He had to die for our sins is caught up in this understanding of God’s Holiness. If we are going to be in relationship with God then we also need to be made holy. We are incapable of such a thing, but Jesus, being God, is holy and therefore capable of making us holy.
Let me explain it in another way. In the Old Testament items would be designated as holy (an item used in the Temple or perhaps a piece of ground. The items were not themselves holy, but were called so do to their association with God who is Holy.
In the same way we who believe in Jesus Christ are called holy (Not because we are perfect or pure) but because of our closeness (being found in) Jesus Christ who is Holy.
While the nature of God reveals “that He is,” the attributes of God tell us some thing about God.
There is no completely comprehensive list, and at times descriptions of God’s nature is also seen as an attribute.
Bill Bright in his little booklet “13 Steps to Discovering His Attributes” lists the following: God is a personal Spirit, is all-powerful, is ever-present. Knows everything, is sovereign, is holy, is absolute truth, is righteous, is just, is love, is merciful, is faithful, and he never changes.
Let’s look at one of these: holiness.
The holiness of God
One of the hardest attributes to grasp is the concept of God being Holy. This is complicated because:
1. What exactly does holy mean?
The simplest definition of Holy is “set apart”. God is set apart from everything else. Creation is temporary, God is eternal, Creation is impure, God is pure, Creation is tainted with sin, God is without sin.
Another way to understand Holy is being perfect or pure, unlike anything else.
2. If God is holy then why do bad things happen?
I realize that this statement is often phrased as “If God is loving then why do bad things happen?” But that it is not really the complaint, because many wonderfully loving people allow bad things to happen all the time. Or a person might ask “If God is all powerful why does He allow bad things to happen?” Again the question is wrong because even if you were all powerful you would not stop all the evil, because you would not recognize the evil.
Therefore the real problem is that God is loving, is all-powerful, and He is holy which means He is well aware of the difference between good and evil and yet it still exists.
3. If God is Holy how can I have anything to do with Him?
This hits to the heart of the matter. God is Holy and I am not, so how can we have anything to do with each other?
Understanding why Jesus came and why He had to die for our sins is caught up in this understanding of God’s Holiness. If we are going to be in relationship with God then we also need to be made holy. We are incapable of such a thing, but Jesus, being God, is holy and therefore capable of making us holy.
Let me explain it in another way. In the Old Testament items would be designated as holy (an item used in the Temple or perhaps a piece of ground. The items were not themselves holy, but were called so do to their association with God who is Holy.
In the same way we who believe in Jesus Christ are called holy (Not because we are perfect or pure) but because of our closeness (being found in) Jesus Christ who is Holy.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Lesson 3: God (Part 1)
Lesson three
GOD (Part 1)
We must never think that we can completely define God, that is impossible. But we can look at what God has revealed.
Assumptions
I am going to begin this study by making a few assumptions,
First, I am going to assume that God exists.
In The Joyful Christian CS Lewis dealt with the challenge by Russian cosmonauts who having ventured into space announced, “They could not see God”. Lewis gave four reasons why this might be. The first was that they did not travel far enough out. The second was God is confined to earth. Lewis dismissed these responses as being the religions of “savages” and sadly what the Russian cosmonaut thought of when they referred to religion.
The next reason was that they lacked the correct tools to see God. His last reason was that God exist but is not an object to be found in one place. These are the correct reasons. He concludes “...send a saint up in a spaceship and he’ll find God in space as he found God on earth. Much depends on the seeing eye.”
Second, I am going to assume that when I refer to God I am talking about the God described in the Scriptures.
Third, I am going to assume what we find recorded in the Scriptures is the result of God’s revelation to us.
Lastly, for the sake of organization and time I am going to look at those revelations in Scripture under two topics: The nature of God and the Attributes of God.
The nature of God
Another way to speak about God’s nature is to say, “it is who has God revealed Himself to be.” There are four components to this issue.
First , God is one. This is called monotheism. It states not only the fact that there is only one God (a belief held by Christians, Jews, and Muslims), but also that He is the true God.
Exodus 20:3
Secondly, God is a spiritual being. God does not have a material body, therefore, God can not be confined to one place (like a temple or sacred location) but instead is capable of being everywhere at once. Likewise, no idol can be made of Him, and there is nowhere a person can go that God cannot see them.
John 4: 24
Thirdly, God is a personal being. God can and does interact with His creation. He thinks, He wills, He even has a personal name. And it is possible to have a relationship with Him.
Matthew 6:9
Fourthly, God is a tri-person. This is what is often called the Trinity. And according to both Jewish and Muslims this point disqualifies Christianity as being monotheistic. First let me define the term as expressed in the Baptist Faith and Message: “The eternal God has reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being.” (Art. II)
In other words, while the Father, Son, and Spirit differ in what they do (Attributes) they still remain one in being God. They are not three separate gods (Mormonism) nor is it just God in different costumes (Oneness). But it is one God in three persons. Lastly, and this is very important, all three always existed. It was not God the Father first, then Jesus and later the Holy Spirit. All three have always existed because they all three are God.
Confused? You should be. This is one of those things that is true yet hard to comprehend.
GOD (Part 1)
We must never think that we can completely define God, that is impossible. But we can look at what God has revealed.
Assumptions
I am going to begin this study by making a few assumptions,
First, I am going to assume that God exists.
In The Joyful Christian CS Lewis dealt with the challenge by Russian cosmonauts who having ventured into space announced, “They could not see God”. Lewis gave four reasons why this might be. The first was that they did not travel far enough out. The second was God is confined to earth. Lewis dismissed these responses as being the religions of “savages” and sadly what the Russian cosmonaut thought of when they referred to religion.
The next reason was that they lacked the correct tools to see God. His last reason was that God exist but is not an object to be found in one place. These are the correct reasons. He concludes “...send a saint up in a spaceship and he’ll find God in space as he found God on earth. Much depends on the seeing eye.”
Second, I am going to assume that when I refer to God I am talking about the God described in the Scriptures.
Third, I am going to assume what we find recorded in the Scriptures is the result of God’s revelation to us.
Lastly, for the sake of organization and time I am going to look at those revelations in Scripture under two topics: The nature of God and the Attributes of God.
The nature of God
Another way to speak about God’s nature is to say, “it is who has God revealed Himself to be.” There are four components to this issue.
First , God is one. This is called monotheism. It states not only the fact that there is only one God (a belief held by Christians, Jews, and Muslims), but also that He is the true God.
Exodus 20:3
Secondly, God is a spiritual being. God does not have a material body, therefore, God can not be confined to one place (like a temple or sacred location) but instead is capable of being everywhere at once. Likewise, no idol can be made of Him, and there is nowhere a person can go that God cannot see them.
John 4: 24
Thirdly, God is a personal being. God can and does interact with His creation. He thinks, He wills, He even has a personal name. And it is possible to have a relationship with Him.
Matthew 6:9
Fourthly, God is a tri-person. This is what is often called the Trinity. And according to both Jewish and Muslims this point disqualifies Christianity as being monotheistic. First let me define the term as expressed in the Baptist Faith and Message: “The eternal God has reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being.” (Art. II)
In other words, while the Father, Son, and Spirit differ in what they do (Attributes) they still remain one in being God. They are not three separate gods (Mormonism) nor is it just God in different costumes (Oneness). But it is one God in three persons. Lastly, and this is very important, all three always existed. It was not God the Father first, then Jesus and later the Holy Spirit. All three have always existed because they all three are God.
Confused? You should be. This is one of those things that is true yet hard to comprehend.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Theology: Scripture
Theology for everyday life
Lesson 2: Scripture
What are names we use for the Scriptures?
What is the Bible?
The Christian Bible is divided into two parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament.
The Old Testament
The Old Testament is divided into three parts: The Law, The Prophets and the Writings and together make up 39 books.
The New Testament
The New Testament is divided into four parts: Gospels, History, Letters (Pauline and General) and Prophecy. Together they make up 27 books.
Canonization
The process that brought together the books of the Bible is called canonization. Canon is a word that means “Rule”. Some people think that this occurred through church councils hundreds of years after Jesus’ resurrection. This is not necessarily true. While there were church councils and at those councils certain books were listed as being considered Scripture this was not the primary purpose of the councils. The councils were designed to deal with issues of false teachings which at times were the result of erroneous material passing itself off as having been authored by an apostle.
The books of the New Testament were for the most part accepted early on based on the authorship (An apostle or associate of an apostle) and its intended purpose (present the Gospel or instruction). The letters of Paul (often the most controversial) were among to the first to be recognized as Scripture.
The Lost Gospels
Every few years someone claims to have uncovered a Lost Gospel or found a missing book of the Bible. (Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code for example). None of these so called Lost Gospels or missing books were ever lost or missing. They have been known about from their beginning and rejected from the start as being false in their authorship and in their teachings. At no time were any of these thought to be Scripture by the church at large and therefore they were never removed or hidden from the world.
There are three things that make the Scriptures unique.
1. Sole Authority
One of the major attributes that separates Scripture from all other literary material is its authority. It is recognized as the final and sole authority in Christian life. Religious experience, individual conscience, human reason and tradition are all secondary to the Scripture.
The Scripture is not a book of wise sayings or suggestions but is the sole authority by which a Christian must examine their thoughts and actions in life.
When presented with challenges we must respond, “What does the Scriptures say?”
It is able to claim this sole authority because it is the product of Inspiration and Revelation from God.
2. Inspiration
As I shared last week, the Scriptures were written by human beings but they did so under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
A modern reading of that statement makes one to assume that God laid an idea on a persons heart but the person wrote as they felt led. That would be an incorrect understand of the word inspired .
When we say inspired we are saying that despite human authorship the Scriptures are of divine origin and supernatural nature.
a. Divine origin
2 Timothy 3:16
Being of divine origin in no way denies that humans were involved in the writings of the Scriptures nor does it suppose that they merely acted a recording devices. Instead, it recognizes that what they wrote (despite their different personalities , cultural bias, or historical placement) was what God wanted recorded. It is for this reason, that God is seen as the true author of the Bible.
b. Supernatural in nature
Because Scripture is due to the inspiration of God and originated from Him the Scriptures hold supernatural qualities.
1. They are the Words of God
John 10: 35
2. They are Infallible and Inerrant
Another way of saying this is, the Bible is without error or contradiction, it does not contain falsehoods or mislead.
There is a circular thinking that goes with this idea. If the Scriptures do have errors or contradictions then it cannot be God’s word, because God does not lie or contradict Himself. If the Scriptures are the Word of God then they must also be free of error and contradiction.
But the infallibility and inerrancy of the Scripture can be defended without appeal to it being God’s word. It has proven to be extremely accurate in its historical references, in prophecies, and in its practice. Many assumed falsehoods or contradictions have later been explained through archeological finds and better translations of the original text.
3. Divine authority
Lastly, being that the Scriptures are divinely inspired (God’s word, Infallible and Inerrant) then they also act with divine authority. What they call us to do and the way we are to conduct our lives are not laws mandated or created by humans but are divinely mandated by God.
3. Revelation
How these authors receive their inspiration is part of a larger question: “How do humans know God?” The answer is revelation
As Christians we believe that God reveals himself to us. This revealing by God is Revelation (I am not talking about the New Testament book).
God does this in two ways: General revelation and Special revelation.
General revelation is how God reveals himself in the concept of order in the universe, beauty in nature, the concept of right and wrong, and even in humans ability to reason.
It is God revealed apart from the Scriptures and it is effective in revealing to humanity its sin nature. It reveals that something has gone very wrong.
Rom 1:20, Rom 2: 14-16
But it is inadequate in providing the solution. To this we must turn to special revelation.
Special revelation is God revealing Himself in supernatural ways. The two most common is that of miracles and that of the Scriptures. The Scriptures are Special Revelation.
Hebrews 1:1
Special revelation is necessary because General revelation does not disclose the means of salvation. Special revelation does, as seen in the Scriptures.
Special revelation is also necessary because we are blinded by sin and therefore it is only through special revelation we are made aware of our situation and the means of salvation.
Col 3: 10
This still begs the question of how exactly does special revelation work, how does God put the right words in a person’s mind, how does he make sure what he wants written is written? The exact means is a mystery. By mystery I do not mean it cannot be understood but, that we do not understand. Our sinful nature blinds us to the understanding. What is clear is that special revelation is supernatural in action. It is God’s intervention into the natural structure of life.
Will there be any new books to the Bible
The question of special revelation presents a very interesting question, “Will there be any new books of the Bible?” The answer is no. While God still acts through special revelation the Scriptures are complete. All we need to know in understanding God’s plan of salvation and our role is found within the Scripture. There is no need to take away and there is no need to add.
Lesson 2: Scripture
What are names we use for the Scriptures?
What is the Bible?
The Christian Bible is divided into two parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament.
The Old Testament
The Old Testament is divided into three parts: The Law, The Prophets and the Writings and together make up 39 books.
The New Testament
The New Testament is divided into four parts: Gospels, History, Letters (Pauline and General) and Prophecy. Together they make up 27 books.
Canonization
The process that brought together the books of the Bible is called canonization. Canon is a word that means “Rule”. Some people think that this occurred through church councils hundreds of years after Jesus’ resurrection. This is not necessarily true. While there were church councils and at those councils certain books were listed as being considered Scripture this was not the primary purpose of the councils. The councils were designed to deal with issues of false teachings which at times were the result of erroneous material passing itself off as having been authored by an apostle.
The books of the New Testament were for the most part accepted early on based on the authorship (An apostle or associate of an apostle) and its intended purpose (present the Gospel or instruction). The letters of Paul (often the most controversial) were among to the first to be recognized as Scripture.
The Lost Gospels
Every few years someone claims to have uncovered a Lost Gospel or found a missing book of the Bible. (Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code for example). None of these so called Lost Gospels or missing books were ever lost or missing. They have been known about from their beginning and rejected from the start as being false in their authorship and in their teachings. At no time were any of these thought to be Scripture by the church at large and therefore they were never removed or hidden from the world.
There are three things that make the Scriptures unique.
1. Sole Authority
One of the major attributes that separates Scripture from all other literary material is its authority. It is recognized as the final and sole authority in Christian life. Religious experience, individual conscience, human reason and tradition are all secondary to the Scripture.
The Scripture is not a book of wise sayings or suggestions but is the sole authority by which a Christian must examine their thoughts and actions in life.
When presented with challenges we must respond, “What does the Scriptures say?”
It is able to claim this sole authority because it is the product of Inspiration and Revelation from God.
2. Inspiration
As I shared last week, the Scriptures were written by human beings but they did so under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
A modern reading of that statement makes one to assume that God laid an idea on a persons heart but the person wrote as they felt led. That would be an incorrect understand of the word inspired .
When we say inspired we are saying that despite human authorship the Scriptures are of divine origin and supernatural nature.
a. Divine origin
2 Timothy 3:16
Being of divine origin in no way denies that humans were involved in the writings of the Scriptures nor does it suppose that they merely acted a recording devices. Instead, it recognizes that what they wrote (despite their different personalities , cultural bias, or historical placement) was what God wanted recorded. It is for this reason, that God is seen as the true author of the Bible.
b. Supernatural in nature
Because Scripture is due to the inspiration of God and originated from Him the Scriptures hold supernatural qualities.
1. They are the Words of God
John 10: 35
2. They are Infallible and Inerrant
Another way of saying this is, the Bible is without error or contradiction, it does not contain falsehoods or mislead.
There is a circular thinking that goes with this idea. If the Scriptures do have errors or contradictions then it cannot be God’s word, because God does not lie or contradict Himself. If the Scriptures are the Word of God then they must also be free of error and contradiction.
But the infallibility and inerrancy of the Scripture can be defended without appeal to it being God’s word. It has proven to be extremely accurate in its historical references, in prophecies, and in its practice. Many assumed falsehoods or contradictions have later been explained through archeological finds and better translations of the original text.
3. Divine authority
Lastly, being that the Scriptures are divinely inspired (God’s word, Infallible and Inerrant) then they also act with divine authority. What they call us to do and the way we are to conduct our lives are not laws mandated or created by humans but are divinely mandated by God.
3. Revelation
How these authors receive their inspiration is part of a larger question: “How do humans know God?” The answer is revelation
As Christians we believe that God reveals himself to us. This revealing by God is Revelation (I am not talking about the New Testament book).
God does this in two ways: General revelation and Special revelation.
General revelation is how God reveals himself in the concept of order in the universe, beauty in nature, the concept of right and wrong, and even in humans ability to reason.
It is God revealed apart from the Scriptures and it is effective in revealing to humanity its sin nature. It reveals that something has gone very wrong.
Rom 1:20, Rom 2: 14-16
But it is inadequate in providing the solution. To this we must turn to special revelation.
Special revelation is God revealing Himself in supernatural ways. The two most common is that of miracles and that of the Scriptures. The Scriptures are Special Revelation.
Hebrews 1:1
Special revelation is necessary because General revelation does not disclose the means of salvation. Special revelation does, as seen in the Scriptures.
Special revelation is also necessary because we are blinded by sin and therefore it is only through special revelation we are made aware of our situation and the means of salvation.
Col 3: 10
This still begs the question of how exactly does special revelation work, how does God put the right words in a person’s mind, how does he make sure what he wants written is written? The exact means is a mystery. By mystery I do not mean it cannot be understood but, that we do not understand. Our sinful nature blinds us to the understanding. What is clear is that special revelation is supernatural in action. It is God’s intervention into the natural structure of life.
Will there be any new books to the Bible
The question of special revelation presents a very interesting question, “Will there be any new books of the Bible?” The answer is no. While God still acts through special revelation the Scriptures are complete. All we need to know in understanding God’s plan of salvation and our role is found within the Scripture. There is no need to take away and there is no need to add.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Theology for the real world: What is Theology
A. What is Theology
When you hear the word Theology what comes to mind?
Theology is not the study of God. We do not study God. It is about understanding our relationship to God and God’s relationship to us and the world. It is human talk about the divine.
We are going to look at Biblical theology. The term Biblical theology first appeared in 1708, in C. Haymann’s Biblische Theologie, I just say that to look impressive. What I do want to point out is that we are going to be looking at Theology from a Christian worldview and will be using the Bible as our authoritative source. We will talk later about why I call it authoritative.
CS Lewis in The Joyful Christian gives a great allegory to explain Theology.
Imagine a person who sees the Atlantic Ocean. Then goes and looks at a map. He is turning from the real thing to something less real. But there are two very important things about the map.
One, it is based what hundreds and thousands of people have found out by sailing the real Atlantic.
Two, if you want to go anywhere beyond just a short walk on the beach the map is necessary.
In the same way, Theology is a map. It is not the real thing but it is based on hundreds of people who have been in touch with God. It also is key in helping us grow deeper in our faith, to move beyond a touchy feely sort of religion.
B. Why do Theology
There are numerous reasons to study theology but here are three in particular:
1. It is there in the Scriptures
Theology occurs in the very pages of the Bible. This occurs because the Scriptures (unlike the Koran or the Book of Mormon) are not presented as having fallen from heaven. Although divinely inspired, and at times directly quoting God, the Scriptures were written by human beings over thousands of years. By its very nature then the writers are doing Theology. They share not only their reactions and relationship to God but also that of others and at times entire nations.
This brings with it a problem because we must interpret what these writers are sharing and how it applies to our lives today.
2. Necessary in communicating the Christian faith
Often when we think about telling others about Christianity we think of sharing the Gospel. But did you ever realize that to do so we use Theology?
Perhaps the best example of this is the Roman road, a collection of verses taken from the book of Romans that explains salvation. But did you realize that the book of Romans is itself a book of theology in which Paul explains God’s plan of salvation throughout time. The message he shares is universally true but some of his wording is not. So even though we use the verses we also rely upon Theology to help explain them in the 21st century America.
3. It aids in defending the Christian faith?
When I say "defend" I am not saying that Christianity’s survival rests upon us. If every Christian were to fall down dead today the message of Jesus Christ would continue. Why? Because it is truth and not opinions.
Too often we talk of winning the hearts and minds, this is persuasion. Persuasion has nothing to do with Truth but of winning a person over to your opinion. But God is truth. And what we do in theology is help people to see and accept the truth.
Augustine, an early church leader, used theology to help explain Christianity to the Roman society that was untrusting of it and filled with false ideas. The City of God is one of the best known examples.
C. The dangers of Theology
Theology does have it’s danger. Consider the imagery provided by CS Lewis when he talked about Theology being like map making:
1. When the maker does a poor job
If someone just drew a map on how they thought the world should look or were simply sloppy in their work the map would be useless or cause those who read it to get lost.
Theology that is based simply on how we feel or done poorly does the same thing. It presents an understanding of God that is not true and can lead others astray.
This is the reason for so many cults.
2. When the map becomes more important than the real thing
A map is great, but the point is to help get you to the location so you can enjoy the real thing.
Likewise, Theology is intended to help you in your relationship with God. Do not become so bogged down in the study that you miss the reason for doing so.
This is what has often been the cause of liberal scholarship.
3. When we hold on to faulty maps
Some maps are just wrong. New information or reexamination shows the map to be faulty.
Likewise, there are times when some theology, no matter how popular, is just wrong needs to clarified. It was Martin Luther’s willingness to do theology (on Romans of all things) that caused him to challenge the theology of that day and set forward the protestant reformation.
Holding to faulty maps causes legalism.
D. Being Theologians
The solution is not to abandon the maps. All that will do is get you further lost. Nor is the solution to jut go it on your own. The solution is to learn how to read the map and eventually become a map maker.
We are all called to be theologians or at least practice theology. Studying and discussing it is just the start. You also need to do it.
When you hear the word Theology what comes to mind?
Theology is not the study of God. We do not study God. It is about understanding our relationship to God and God’s relationship to us and the world. It is human talk about the divine.
We are going to look at Biblical theology. The term Biblical theology first appeared in 1708, in C. Haymann’s Biblische Theologie, I just say that to look impressive. What I do want to point out is that we are going to be looking at Theology from a Christian worldview and will be using the Bible as our authoritative source. We will talk later about why I call it authoritative.
CS Lewis in The Joyful Christian gives a great allegory to explain Theology.
Imagine a person who sees the Atlantic Ocean. Then goes and looks at a map. He is turning from the real thing to something less real. But there are two very important things about the map.
One, it is based what hundreds and thousands of people have found out by sailing the real Atlantic.
Two, if you want to go anywhere beyond just a short walk on the beach the map is necessary.
In the same way, Theology is a map. It is not the real thing but it is based on hundreds of people who have been in touch with God. It also is key in helping us grow deeper in our faith, to move beyond a touchy feely sort of religion.
B. Why do Theology
There are numerous reasons to study theology but here are three in particular:
1. It is there in the Scriptures
Theology occurs in the very pages of the Bible. This occurs because the Scriptures (unlike the Koran or the Book of Mormon) are not presented as having fallen from heaven. Although divinely inspired, and at times directly quoting God, the Scriptures were written by human beings over thousands of years. By its very nature then the writers are doing Theology. They share not only their reactions and relationship to God but also that of others and at times entire nations.
This brings with it a problem because we must interpret what these writers are sharing and how it applies to our lives today.
2. Necessary in communicating the Christian faith
Often when we think about telling others about Christianity we think of sharing the Gospel. But did you ever realize that to do so we use Theology?
Perhaps the best example of this is the Roman road, a collection of verses taken from the book of Romans that explains salvation. But did you realize that the book of Romans is itself a book of theology in which Paul explains God’s plan of salvation throughout time. The message he shares is universally true but some of his wording is not. So even though we use the verses we also rely upon Theology to help explain them in the 21st century America.
3. It aids in defending the Christian faith?
When I say "defend" I am not saying that Christianity’s survival rests upon us. If every Christian were to fall down dead today the message of Jesus Christ would continue. Why? Because it is truth and not opinions.
Too often we talk of winning the hearts and minds, this is persuasion. Persuasion has nothing to do with Truth but of winning a person over to your opinion. But God is truth. And what we do in theology is help people to see and accept the truth.
Augustine, an early church leader, used theology to help explain Christianity to the Roman society that was untrusting of it and filled with false ideas. The City of God is one of the best known examples.
C. The dangers of Theology
Theology does have it’s danger. Consider the imagery provided by CS Lewis when he talked about Theology being like map making:
1. When the maker does a poor job
If someone just drew a map on how they thought the world should look or were simply sloppy in their work the map would be useless or cause those who read it to get lost.
Theology that is based simply on how we feel or done poorly does the same thing. It presents an understanding of God that is not true and can lead others astray.
This is the reason for so many cults.
2. When the map becomes more important than the real thing
A map is great, but the point is to help get you to the location so you can enjoy the real thing.
Likewise, Theology is intended to help you in your relationship with God. Do not become so bogged down in the study that you miss the reason for doing so.
This is what has often been the cause of liberal scholarship.
3. When we hold on to faulty maps
Some maps are just wrong. New information or reexamination shows the map to be faulty.
Likewise, there are times when some theology, no matter how popular, is just wrong needs to clarified. It was Martin Luther’s willingness to do theology (on Romans of all things) that caused him to challenge the theology of that day and set forward the protestant reformation.
Holding to faulty maps causes legalism.
D. Being Theologians
The solution is not to abandon the maps. All that will do is get you further lost. Nor is the solution to jut go it on your own. The solution is to learn how to read the map and eventually become a map maker.
We are all called to be theologians or at least practice theology. Studying and discussing it is just the start. You also need to do it.
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