Argument of Theology
12/02/18 13:12
HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE
ARGUMENT OF THEOLOGY
It's often said to avoid conversation about politics and religion. The reason this is said is that either subject will bring up hard feelings, bickering, fighting, name-calling, and the likes. This might be said of the world but should not be said of the church. Unfortunately, it is said and it's more common than that of love.
The issue of argument over theology comes down to a root called pride. Everyone wants to believe they believe the truth and no one wants to admit they can be wrong.
Let's look at two honest and brutal truths about these facts.
1. According to statistics of those professing to be Christian in America, ninety-six percent of professing Christians base their belief NOT upon Biblical study but rather upon what was taught them from a man, denomination, relative, etc. They look at these factors (i.e. pastor, evangelist, seminary, etc) as an authority on the subject. If this were true, then the pastor of the Methodist church would not differ so greatly from that of the Baptist which would not differ greatly from that of the Pentecostal and so forth. The reason they differ greatly is that they believe what they believe because they listened to someone as well and did not obtain it through an unadulterated study of Scripture.
In Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus is telling about a great many people that will be going through all the motions of the church, even having miracles happen, and yet not make it. They didn't make it because they were listening to a man.
2. It's rare to find a person who has such a desire to learn that they are willing to forget what they know to do so. It's human nature to want to be right. Yet, we need to put aside human nature and have a yearning to learn the truth. As much as I have learned, I could spend every waking moment of the rest of my life and still not come to the knowledge of what can be found in Scripture.
Therefore, I have become more likely to avoid arguments of theology and rather just look at what the Bible is saying in the text we are looking at. The truth is, everyone is in error on many points and most are in error because we believed what was told to us.
There is a parable given me about Grace and the church:
A father was leaving for a long trip to another country and he had a very important task for his two children. He wrote the instructions for the task and gave it to both children to have completed before his return.
Upon the father's return, he looked at the accomplishments of his two children. They both completed the task but they both messed it up. He asked the one child, "Why did you mess up the task?". The child responded, "I read the instructions over and over and this is what I thought you meant based on what I know about you.". The father asked the other child, "Why did you mess up the task?" The child responded, "Because I wanted to play. So I asked Timmy how he would do it and listened to how Jane did the same task for her father so I did it that way."
To which child would you have grace for; the one who tried and failed or the one who didn't care enough to know your truth and just listened to others?
We are all going to fail but the question is, "Will you be able to stand before God and honestly say, 'it's what I gathered from your Word'?" Or will we have to admit that we merely followed the path of another man because we were too busy with the things in this world?
ARGUMENT OF THEOLOGY
It's often said to avoid conversation about politics and religion. The reason this is said is that either subject will bring up hard feelings, bickering, fighting, name-calling, and the likes. This might be said of the world but should not be said of the church. Unfortunately, it is said and it's more common than that of love.
The issue of argument over theology comes down to a root called pride. Everyone wants to believe they believe the truth and no one wants to admit they can be wrong.
Let's look at two honest and brutal truths about these facts.
1. According to statistics of those professing to be Christian in America, ninety-six percent of professing Christians base their belief NOT upon Biblical study but rather upon what was taught them from a man, denomination, relative, etc. They look at these factors (i.e. pastor, evangelist, seminary, etc) as an authority on the subject. If this were true, then the pastor of the Methodist church would not differ so greatly from that of the Baptist which would not differ greatly from that of the Pentecostal and so forth. The reason they differ greatly is that they believe what they believe because they listened to someone as well and did not obtain it through an unadulterated study of Scripture.
In Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus is telling about a great many people that will be going through all the motions of the church, even having miracles happen, and yet not make it. They didn't make it because they were listening to a man.
2. It's rare to find a person who has such a desire to learn that they are willing to forget what they know to do so. It's human nature to want to be right. Yet, we need to put aside human nature and have a yearning to learn the truth. As much as I have learned, I could spend every waking moment of the rest of my life and still not come to the knowledge of what can be found in Scripture.
Therefore, I have become more likely to avoid arguments of theology and rather just look at what the Bible is saying in the text we are looking at. The truth is, everyone is in error on many points and most are in error because we believed what was told to us.
There is a parable given me about Grace and the church:
A father was leaving for a long trip to another country and he had a very important task for his two children. He wrote the instructions for the task and gave it to both children to have completed before his return.
Upon the father's return, he looked at the accomplishments of his two children. They both completed the task but they both messed it up. He asked the one child, "Why did you mess up the task?". The child responded, "I read the instructions over and over and this is what I thought you meant based on what I know about you.". The father asked the other child, "Why did you mess up the task?" The child responded, "Because I wanted to play. So I asked Timmy how he would do it and listened to how Jane did the same task for her father so I did it that way."
To which child would you have grace for; the one who tried and failed or the one who didn't care enough to know your truth and just listened to others?
We are all going to fail but the question is, "Will you be able to stand before God and honestly say, 'it's what I gathered from your Word'?" Or will we have to admit that we merely followed the path of another man because we were too busy with the things in this world?
