“…contend for the faith…” PART 3
This series was going to end today, but I got a comment from my blogging buddy Koffijah last night that I need to repost. There’s wisdom in these words. Some of you may not agree with them; some of you may. Next week, I’ll wrap up the series on where I’m at on this issue (I’ve kept my thoughts to myself on purpose): Here are Koffijah’s thoughts–and feel free to comment on them:
I’m not trying to be some kind of a Campbellite, but constructing a list of what is essential to the Christian faith… is essentially the same thing as making a Creed. Now, I know your goal isn’t to create something besides scripture to measure people by, but if by the slogan, “in essentials, unity” we mean we would require people to agree to these set of doctrines, then in essence it is the same thing. And you know what–I would probably agree with everything you come up with.
But here’s the thing… If we believe the Bible is the Word of God, let it be the Word of God. We don’t need to simplify it, summarize it or extract the “essential” things out of it in any kind of dogmatic way. I like the slogan (and I know you’ve heard this one a million times, too), “Where the Bible speaks, we speak; where the Bible is silent, we’re silent.”
I like this approach because it is not a systematic theological approach, but a faith in the Word of God approach. If we make our theology into a system then we are assuming we know enough to make it all fit together. However, I believe that the purpose of God’s revelation is not for us to understand how God and everything in this world works and fits together, but for us to know who God is and enough to get us home to him.
July 10, 2009 at 11:49 am
I knew the old Church answer was always the best answer: “THE BIBLE” That’s my answer and I’m sticking to it.
I’m sure Koffijah you agree it’s ok to discuss what is essential? I guess you are just saying throw away your statements of faith and say the Bible when people ask what you believe.
I can’t agree more. But for discussion sake let’s talk about essentials.
July 10, 2009 at 7:42 pm
Discuss away!
July 10, 2009 at 9:42 pm
I’m interested where Aaron is one these questions. Let’s here from brother Saufley….
July 10, 2009 at 9:52 pm
In due time, Willis. In due time… as in Tuesday (you’ll have to spend the weekend and Monday in suspense).
July 13, 2009 at 10:11 pm
The tricky thing is a lot of people claim to believe in “the Bible,” but they interpret it in multitudinous ways.
July 14, 2009 at 6:12 am
This is true. But what I have observed (and this is obviously a limited observation), is that many people don’t go back far enough. Those in the Methodist tradition go back to Wesley; Presbyterians, many Baptists, et. al., go back to Calvin and Augustine. Why not go all the way back to Jesus, Paul, John, Peter, Luke, etc.? I heard Francis Chan recently say some really cool things about, “If I was on a desert island and was reading the Bible for the first time, here’s what I’d conclude…” And his conclusions (specifically about how one becomes a Christian) were drop dead on.