Celebrate National Punctuation Day®
September 24
Now, go forth and read a good book like "Eats, Shoots, and Leaves" by Lynn Truss!!!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Monday, September 15, 2008
Inerrant, Infallible: Why We're Not Emergent....
The scripture is inerrant. The scripture is infallible.
Now comes the controversial part. If you have no interest in maintaining a conversation with me or with my friends, stop reading now. If you are purely "sola scriptura" REALLY stop reading now. In fact, here's a link to take you away from this site.
http://www.cnn.com
DeYoung and Cluck, in "Why We're not Emergent" attack this topic and those in the emergent conversation with a fervor. I am exceptionally impressed with their ability to present the issues without dropping to name-calling. They nailed it with the following statement.
"It is possible for Christians to esteem the Bible wrongly and equate the Bible with God, but it is not possible for Christians to esteem the Bible too highly."
The Bible was written by men. I believe, however, that every word was inspired by God. While I horribly dislike committees (today, they are called V-Teams...but they’re still committees.), I recognize the councils that prepared the canon of our modern Bible as divinely inspired.
I, as an emergent Christian, recognize the bible as inerrant. However, thanks to the protestant reformation, and Mr. Guttenberg, interpretation is not inerrant. But, now, let me explain this....from my perspective....
The Holy Spirit leads us into all truth. I'm following. Wesley described his quadrilateral of spiritual growth as Scripture, Tradition, Experience and Reason. Those of you who read my blog regularly probably tire of me repeating that. So, my experience is that every time I read the Bible, I am given new, fresh, relevant and inspiring insight. My interpretation of scripture is affected by what I read, what I hear, and answers to prayer. I believe that God -- the Holy Spirit -- provides me understanding of scripture based on what I'm ready to understand. Note: Not WHAT I WANT to understand.
I am open to guidance, but I am not open to a piece of doctrinal scripture meaning one and only one thing. There are sections in scripture that are propositional and True. However, there are others that are NOT propositional, but that doesn't mean that they aren't true.
If I told you that the Staples Center is in Los Angeles, that would be a proposition and a truth. If I told you to go there, that would be a command. If that is all I told you, then there has to be some level of interpretation. Do you drive? Take a bus? Plane? Walk? What if you are overseas? Do you need anything before you can follow my command to go? Who defines what those things are? Who defines when you can go? While this is not a Biblical example, it is. Even the "Great Commission" in Matthew requires interpretation. (Oh, by the way, the moniker "Great Commission" isn't actually used by the writers of the Bible, but was added later by men....just thought I'd mention that.) Now, before you all start jumping up and down on me. I believe the GC is very clear about WHAT we are to do...but gives little on HOW. Take baptism...how many controversies are there on whether it has to be full immersion vs. sprinkling...part of the GC, but up for interpretation.
So, if someone tells me they know EXACTLY what a piece of scripture means, I will thank them for their insight. If I disagree, I may enter into conversation with them. If they expect to blindly accept their comments as TRUTH, and will ostracize me if I don't, then they have lost the most valuable thing they can get from me.
Respect.
Now, understand, a disagreement does not mean that I cannot be persuaded. But, persuasion should be gentle, allowing me to ask questions, allowing for Spirit-led compromise. Not, “You’re a heretic, and you’re gonna burn!” That doesn’t persuade me.
So does this make me a relativist. **SIGH** No, it does not. What it makes me is a “Theological Currentist”. My theology matches where I am currently. I am on a journey, and the Spirit has led me to this point on my journey. There are others who are farther along. There are others who are not as far along. The end result, the destination, is an ability to embrace all truth and to share that truth with others to help them along their journey. I am here and Jesus/The Bible is teaching me here. It’s where I’m at.
Am I sincere? Absolutely.
Can I be sincerely wrong? Even more absolutely.
But, I have every belief that if I continue to search, my God will lead me to that place of understanding, and I won’t be wrong. But I have to work out my own salvation with fear and trembling. Is there absolute Truth? You bet there is…and I’m getting there. But, I’m not there, yet. I can’t honestly say that I will ever be there. But there is absolute Truth.
So, what do you think? Those of you who fall into an emergent bucket? Those of you who don’t?
Note, I didn’t put in any examples of propositions I believe to be true. Thus, some will say that I don’t believe any to be true. Let me make this clear. That’s not true. I just didn’t think it added value to this conversation. You want proof-texting? I don’t normally, but I can for what I’ve said. Once again, didn’t think it added value.
Now comes the controversial part. If you have no interest in maintaining a conversation with me or with my friends, stop reading now. If you are purely "sola scriptura" REALLY stop reading now. In fact, here's a link to take you away from this site.
http://www.cnn.com
DeYoung and Cluck, in "Why We're not Emergent" attack this topic and those in the emergent conversation with a fervor. I am exceptionally impressed with their ability to present the issues without dropping to name-calling. They nailed it with the following statement.
"It is possible for Christians to esteem the Bible wrongly and equate the Bible with God, but it is not possible for Christians to esteem the Bible too highly."
The Bible was written by men. I believe, however, that every word was inspired by God. While I horribly dislike committees (today, they are called V-Teams...but they’re still committees.), I recognize the councils that prepared the canon of our modern Bible as divinely inspired.
I, as an emergent Christian, recognize the bible as inerrant. However, thanks to the protestant reformation, and Mr. Guttenberg, interpretation is not inerrant. But, now, let me explain this....from my perspective....
The Holy Spirit leads us into all truth. I'm following. Wesley described his quadrilateral of spiritual growth as Scripture, Tradition, Experience and Reason. Those of you who read my blog regularly probably tire of me repeating that. So, my experience is that every time I read the Bible, I am given new, fresh, relevant and inspiring insight. My interpretation of scripture is affected by what I read, what I hear, and answers to prayer. I believe that God -- the Holy Spirit -- provides me understanding of scripture based on what I'm ready to understand. Note: Not WHAT I WANT to understand.
I am open to guidance, but I am not open to a piece of doctrinal scripture meaning one and only one thing. There are sections in scripture that are propositional and True. However, there are others that are NOT propositional, but that doesn't mean that they aren't true.
If I told you that the Staples Center is in Los Angeles, that would be a proposition and a truth. If I told you to go there, that would be a command. If that is all I told you, then there has to be some level of interpretation. Do you drive? Take a bus? Plane? Walk? What if you are overseas? Do you need anything before you can follow my command to go? Who defines what those things are? Who defines when you can go? While this is not a Biblical example, it is. Even the "Great Commission" in Matthew requires interpretation. (Oh, by the way, the moniker "Great Commission" isn't actually used by the writers of the Bible, but was added later by men....just thought I'd mention that.) Now, before you all start jumping up and down on me. I believe the GC is very clear about WHAT we are to do...but gives little on HOW. Take baptism...how many controversies are there on whether it has to be full immersion vs. sprinkling...part of the GC, but up for interpretation.
So, if someone tells me they know EXACTLY what a piece of scripture means, I will thank them for their insight. If I disagree, I may enter into conversation with them. If they expect to blindly accept their comments as TRUTH, and will ostracize me if I don't, then they have lost the most valuable thing they can get from me.
Respect.
Now, understand, a disagreement does not mean that I cannot be persuaded. But, persuasion should be gentle, allowing me to ask questions, allowing for Spirit-led compromise. Not, “You’re a heretic, and you’re gonna burn!” That doesn’t persuade me.
So does this make me a relativist. **SIGH** No, it does not. What it makes me is a “Theological Currentist”. My theology matches where I am currently. I am on a journey, and the Spirit has led me to this point on my journey. There are others who are farther along. There are others who are not as far along. The end result, the destination, is an ability to embrace all truth and to share that truth with others to help them along their journey. I am here and Jesus/The Bible is teaching me here. It’s where I’m at.
Am I sincere? Absolutely.
Can I be sincerely wrong? Even more absolutely.
But, I have every belief that if I continue to search, my God will lead me to that place of understanding, and I won’t be wrong. But I have to work out my own salvation with fear and trembling. Is there absolute Truth? You bet there is…and I’m getting there. But, I’m not there, yet. I can’t honestly say that I will ever be there. But there is absolute Truth.
So, what do you think? Those of you who fall into an emergent bucket? Those of you who don’t?
Note, I didn’t put in any examples of propositions I believe to be true. Thus, some will say that I don’t believe any to be true. Let me make this clear. That’s not true. I just didn’t think it added value to this conversation. You want proof-texting? I don’t normally, but I can for what I’ve said. Once again, didn’t think it added value.
Monday, September 08, 2008
The Knowability of God
Okay folks, sorry that I've been away for a while. The new job was eating up a lot of my time. I am not dead. I am not disgusted with blogging.
Everything is fine. More than fine.....more than bent on getting by.....more than fine....more than just okay.
So, I started a book review a number of months ago, and there is still more to finish. It's taken me awhile, simply because I'm really passionate about the topic. I've actually had this essay on my cell phone for 5 months, and am just getting around to posting it. I do a lot of my blog writing on my cell phone. (AT&T Tilt....full keyboard....) So, back to the review....
DeYoung and Kluck (I have difficulty with who wrote what chapters….so I choose to make them both guilty by association…it seems to be “the way it should be done”) claim that “Emerging leaders equate uncertainty with humility.” Wow, that’s a big accusation. Uncertainty is something you can get over. Humility is something you are. I pray that I NEVER get over my humility. In fact, I pray that my humility will increase!!! AND, AND, AND, I will be proud of that day, when I’m more humble than I am today!!!! Wait, scratch that last statement.
They quote from Steve Chalke about a young man who said to him, “If you academics in your ivory towers have lost Jesus, that’s your problem. I’ve not lost him. I know him. I love him. I don’t need to search for him.” Chalke’s comments on the story are telling.
However, as appealing as this kind of certainty might at first sound, it is in fact rather like the presumed familiarity of which Dallas Willard spoke. To assume that we have got Jesus “pinned down” or “summed up” is not simply arrogant but stupid, and in the end inhibits our ability to communicate his unchanging message to an ever-changing world.
Now, I'm not one to personally say that anyone's views are stupid. They are their views. HOWEVER, I have to agree with the arrogance statement.
I understand their concerns, and share them to a point. Certainty is a valiant goal. I think, however, that when I read the Bible and gain a new insight into a passage of scripture, thanks to an analysis of the context of the times….whether location, political situation, cultural situation, or just a study of the original language itself….I cannot arrogantly say, “Now, I understand what this truly means.” My uncertainty of the Scripture makes it come alive for me. My ability to gain new insight, and even to anticipate what God will teach me, excites me. I hope I never get over looking at scripture with the brilliant eyes of a child! DeYoung and Kluck point to a handful of other quotes from Brian McLaren arguing against clarity, and how reality is “fuzzy and mysterious; not in black and white, but in living color.” That living color is what I’m seeking.
Let me give a brief example. We have a group that meets on Wednesday nights and we were looking at one of Jesus' parables last week. (Wed Sept 3rd...yeah, okay, so I didn't edit all of this on my cell phone) Specifically, the parable of the unrighteous steward in Luke 16. Talk about confusing. Let me paint the picture for you...A steward is reported to the master as "squandering his possessions", to which the master nails him to the wall. The steward realizes he's about to lose his job, so he calls in customers who owe the master, and has them all tweak their bills so they owe less. Are you confused yet? Just wait...it gets better....The master then praises the unrighteous stewared for his shrewdness. To which Jesus says (NIV) "And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings. He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much, and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much. Therefore, if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you?" WHAT? It took 4 people sitting around a table, all looking at multiple versions, translations, and even an inter-linear Bible to try and figure out what that means. We finally landed on Eugene Petersen's "The Message" (which I generally don't like) where Jesus says something to the effect that we are to be shrewd like the unrighteous steward but in ways that are "right". Okay, I'm good with that...but the NIV, RSV, NASB don't make that abundantly clear!!!!! Uncertainty...uncertainty...uncertainty....
There is so much talk about “Mystery” in emergent documentation. And critics treat that as thought it’s a bad thing. It’s not. If we truly seek to understand, we will be given understanding. We may not like it, but we will understand it. (Isn’t that kind of what the scientific method is all about?....oooh…don’t go there, Brad.)
Mysteries can be solved. Someday, we will know what causes cancer. Someday, we will know where socks in the dryer go. (Sock heaven, according to Steve Taylor) If a murder mystery novel told us who the killer was at the very beginning of the book, why would we have any reason to read the rest? Why would we have any desire to put together the clues? Now, before anyone thinks that Brad has gone all Gnostic on us. The knowability of God is not some secret knowledge. God reveals his light to us as we are ready. Did you catch that? As we are ready.
I humbly bow to the one true God of the universe who created all, is in all, above all, who gives me new insight. In humility, I accept Jesus’ words that he has many more things to tell me, but I’m not ready for them. My insights will grow and change. Will I misunderstand things? Absolutely. But, the Holy Spirit is leading me into all truth. All I can do is follow.
Everything is fine. More than fine.....more than bent on getting by.....more than fine....more than just okay.
So, I started a book review a number of months ago, and there is still more to finish. It's taken me awhile, simply because I'm really passionate about the topic. I've actually had this essay on my cell phone for 5 months, and am just getting around to posting it. I do a lot of my blog writing on my cell phone. (AT&T Tilt....full keyboard....) So, back to the review....
DeYoung and Kluck (I have difficulty with who wrote what chapters….so I choose to make them both guilty by association…it seems to be “the way it should be done”) claim that “Emerging leaders equate uncertainty with humility.” Wow, that’s a big accusation. Uncertainty is something you can get over. Humility is something you are. I pray that I NEVER get over my humility. In fact, I pray that my humility will increase!!! AND, AND, AND, I will be proud of that day, when I’m more humble than I am today!!!! Wait, scratch that last statement.
They quote from Steve Chalke about a young man who said to him, “If you academics in your ivory towers have lost Jesus, that’s your problem. I’ve not lost him. I know him. I love him. I don’t need to search for him.” Chalke’s comments on the story are telling.
However, as appealing as this kind of certainty might at first sound, it is in fact rather like the presumed familiarity of which Dallas Willard spoke. To assume that we have got Jesus “pinned down” or “summed up” is not simply arrogant but stupid, and in the end inhibits our ability to communicate his unchanging message to an ever-changing world.
Now, I'm not one to personally say that anyone's views are stupid. They are their views. HOWEVER, I have to agree with the arrogance statement.
I understand their concerns, and share them to a point. Certainty is a valiant goal. I think, however, that when I read the Bible and gain a new insight into a passage of scripture, thanks to an analysis of the context of the times….whether location, political situation, cultural situation, or just a study of the original language itself….I cannot arrogantly say, “Now, I understand what this truly means.” My uncertainty of the Scripture makes it come alive for me. My ability to gain new insight, and even to anticipate what God will teach me, excites me. I hope I never get over looking at scripture with the brilliant eyes of a child! DeYoung and Kluck point to a handful of other quotes from Brian McLaren arguing against clarity, and how reality is “fuzzy and mysterious; not in black and white, but in living color.” That living color is what I’m seeking.
Let me give a brief example. We have a group that meets on Wednesday nights and we were looking at one of Jesus' parables last week. (Wed Sept 3rd...yeah, okay, so I didn't edit all of this on my cell phone) Specifically, the parable of the unrighteous steward in Luke 16. Talk about confusing. Let me paint the picture for you...A steward is reported to the master as "squandering his possessions", to which the master nails him to the wall. The steward realizes he's about to lose his job, so he calls in customers who owe the master, and has them all tweak their bills so they owe less. Are you confused yet? Just wait...it gets better....The master then praises the unrighteous stewared for his shrewdness. To which Jesus says (NIV) "And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings. He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much, and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much. Therefore, if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you?" WHAT? It took 4 people sitting around a table, all looking at multiple versions, translations, and even an inter-linear Bible to try and figure out what that means. We finally landed on Eugene Petersen's "The Message" (which I generally don't like) where Jesus says something to the effect that we are to be shrewd like the unrighteous steward but in ways that are "right". Okay, I'm good with that...but the NIV, RSV, NASB don't make that abundantly clear!!!!! Uncertainty...uncertainty...uncertainty....
There is so much talk about “Mystery” in emergent documentation. And critics treat that as thought it’s a bad thing. It’s not. If we truly seek to understand, we will be given understanding. We may not like it, but we will understand it. (Isn’t that kind of what the scientific method is all about?....oooh…don’t go there, Brad.)
Mysteries can be solved. Someday, we will know what causes cancer. Someday, we will know where socks in the dryer go. (Sock heaven, according to Steve Taylor) If a murder mystery novel told us who the killer was at the very beginning of the book, why would we have any reason to read the rest? Why would we have any desire to put together the clues? Now, before anyone thinks that Brad has gone all Gnostic on us. The knowability of God is not some secret knowledge. God reveals his light to us as we are ready. Did you catch that? As we are ready.
I humbly bow to the one true God of the universe who created all, is in all, above all, who gives me new insight. In humility, I accept Jesus’ words that he has many more things to tell me, but I’m not ready for them. My insights will grow and change. Will I misunderstand things? Absolutely. But, the Holy Spirit is leading me into all truth. All I can do is follow.
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