Ever wish that God would just come out of the sky and say "This is the right teaching and this is wrong"?
I know what you're thinking. "That's what the Bible is for!" I know that. I'm not discrediting the Bible at all. In fact, I love it. The only problem is that, too often, humans find multiple meanings for a single teaching. This wouldn't be a problem if they didn't contradict one another.
I recently began some research/Bible study/an obsession about theology, wanting to learn what's wrong and what's right. I got The Case for Christ and The Shack. I've been looking up different books about Christianity, like C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity. I have other books too, such as Blue Like Jazz and The Cross and the Switchblade that I read a while back. I've had other books recommended to me like Systematic Theology. And I even have The Chronological Study Bible. But do all of these things coordinate together?
For example, upon Sarrah's recommendation, I read The Shack. By read, I mean I got the audiobook and listened to it at work. I can honestly say I grew a little by listening to that book. It was quite incredible.
Now, Mark Driscoll, the leader of the Acts 29 Network, apparently hated it, saying it used "graven imagery" to portray Sabellianism, which is the belief of the Trinity as being three aspects of God rather than three distinct persons in One God. Or something like that. We really need to use layman's terms once in a while. Along with this, the church I attend is part of this network, Neo-Calvinist (not technically, but yeah) and my pastor, incredibly knowledgeable, is the one who recommended Systematic Theology to me.
Blue Like Jazz is a memoir by Donald Miller. Miller discusses various spiritual truths he learned. Having read this book, I can say I've found no objection to it. This book was recommended by several Armenian friends of mine, some of whom are incredibly knowledgeable themselves.
Over my relatively short lifetime I've heard different views on predestination, eternal security, and the like. Good sermons, bad sermons. Prosperity gospel. The Message Bible. OSAS. Religion. Non-religion. Not even Christian, but "followers of Christ." I've been to Baptist churches, Assemblies of God churches, and Presbyterian churches. I've heard the plague of frogs preached as a "get rid of that bad stuff" sermon. All sorts of...stuff. How do you tell what's right?
Again, layman's terms. Calvinism, Armenianism, OSAS. Words no one who doesn't research things will understand.
Here's my thought. Jesus was, and is, neither a Calvinist nor an Armenian. Jesus is God Himself, Who came to earth to save everyone and unite them as one body, His bride. He never preached anything contradictory with Himself. And if anything He said contradicted anything anyone else said, the other person was dead wrong.
This is one big ramble. Maybe what we need to do is unite all the churches into one big church, just like the Bible says we are. I don't even like the term "Acts 29 Network." I think it's a great thing, but there are so many churches that aren't part of this network. Shouldn't we all just be one giant "Jesus Network"?
That was my rant for the day. I hope it actually made some sense.
I know what you're thinking. "That's what the Bible is for!" I know that. I'm not discrediting the Bible at all. In fact, I love it. The only problem is that, too often, humans find multiple meanings for a single teaching. This wouldn't be a problem if they didn't contradict one another.
I recently began some research/Bible study/an obsession about theology, wanting to learn what's wrong and what's right. I got The Case for Christ and The Shack. I've been looking up different books about Christianity, like C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity. I have other books too, such as Blue Like Jazz and The Cross and the Switchblade that I read a while back. I've had other books recommended to me like Systematic Theology. And I even have The Chronological Study Bible. But do all of these things coordinate together?
For example, upon Sarrah's recommendation, I read The Shack. By read, I mean I got the audiobook and listened to it at work. I can honestly say I grew a little by listening to that book. It was quite incredible.
Now, Mark Driscoll, the leader of the Acts 29 Network, apparently hated it, saying it used "graven imagery" to portray Sabellianism, which is the belief of the Trinity as being three aspects of God rather than three distinct persons in One God. Or something like that. We really need to use layman's terms once in a while. Along with this, the church I attend is part of this network, Neo-Calvinist (not technically, but yeah) and my pastor, incredibly knowledgeable, is the one who recommended Systematic Theology to me.
Blue Like Jazz is a memoir by Donald Miller. Miller discusses various spiritual truths he learned. Having read this book, I can say I've found no objection to it. This book was recommended by several Armenian friends of mine, some of whom are incredibly knowledgeable themselves.
Over my relatively short lifetime I've heard different views on predestination, eternal security, and the like. Good sermons, bad sermons. Prosperity gospel. The Message Bible. OSAS. Religion. Non-religion. Not even Christian, but "followers of Christ." I've been to Baptist churches, Assemblies of God churches, and Presbyterian churches. I've heard the plague of frogs preached as a "get rid of that bad stuff" sermon. All sorts of...stuff. How do you tell what's right?
Again, layman's terms. Calvinism, Armenianism, OSAS. Words no one who doesn't research things will understand.
Here's my thought. Jesus was, and is, neither a Calvinist nor an Armenian. Jesus is God Himself, Who came to earth to save everyone and unite them as one body, His bride. He never preached anything contradictory with Himself. And if anything He said contradicted anything anyone else said, the other person was dead wrong.
This is one big ramble. Maybe what we need to do is unite all the churches into one big church, just like the Bible says we are. I don't even like the term "Acts 29 Network." I think it's a great thing, but there are so many churches that aren't part of this network. Shouldn't we all just be one giant "Jesus Network"?
That was my rant for the day. I hope it actually made some sense.
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